Page 23 of The Curse of Redwood

“Is that your old-fashioned way of calling me simple minded?”

Z didn’t answer. He just smiled and continued walking.

Asshole.

“Yes. The mazelike corridors and hidden rooms are quite intriguing to an outsider, I’m sure,” Z said, his voice more solemn than before. “I feel his son believed otherwise, however. Rumor has it Arthur used to shove his son into one of the rooms and see if he could find his way out. Some rooms require a puzzle to unlock the door, you see. The boy would bang on the walls for hours, begging to be released, only to be met with silence.”

My heart sank. “Was that boy you?”

Z came to a stop. His shoulders tensed, and he turned his head to the side, giving me a view of his profile. God, he looked sad. “That is no concern of yours. Now, hasten your steps before you’re left behind.”

He took off again, quicker than before.

“Where are we going?” I asked, walking faster to catch up with him. While I wasn’t as scared of the mansion as I used to be, I still didn’t want to be wandering the corridors by myself at night.

“You said you wanted to know me. So, I’m showing you my favorite room.”

“Oh.”

Why did that make my stomach flutter?

After what felt like an endless loop of walking and turning sharp corners, we finally reached a closed door. Z passed right through it before I heard a soft click from the other side, then the door creaked open.

“I’m not certain how much you’ll be able to see in the dark,” Z said, as I entered the room. “You should come here during the day next time.”

At first, I could only see a bunch of shelves and the windows along one wall. But as I moved the candle closer, I saw all the books. They were literally everywhere. Most of them were organized on shelves, though plenty were spread out over tables and stacked against the wall. He’d run out of space to store them all.

“A library?” I asked, glancing at him.

“When you’re stuck in the house all day, every day, reading allows you to visit other places.”

“I hate reading,” I said, inspecting more of the books. Most of them looked ancient, the kind that didn’t have covers. They were bound in leather with simple writing across the front.

“Now thatisa pity,” Z responded, running his fingers along the spines. “I would’ve gone crazy long ago if not for books. They’ve made my isolation nearly tolerable.”

I stopped when seeing a modern cover I recognized. “How the crap do you have a Stephen King book? Pretty sure he didn’t live in your time.”

A light laugh reached my ears, causing me to drop the book and turn to Z. The laugh had sounded genuine, and I realized I wanted to make him laugh countless more times just like that.

“Spirits are allowed to leave their dwellings on All Hallow’s Eve,” he explained. “It’s the one day when I can leave this prison and see the world again. Which is how we were able to spend time together.”

I nodded. “Another ghost I know told me about that rule. You can eat and drink on that day too because the veil between worlds is thin, and you almost have a real body again.”

“You know another ghost?”

“Why, you jealous?” I challenged, wiggling my brows at him. At his scowl, I snorted. “I tried telling you last time I was here, but you kicked me out before I could. My friend Ben is dating a ghost. Long story of how they met and fell in love, but yeah, they’re together. And it’s why you being a ghost isn’t a deal breaker. Because I know it can work.”

“Interesting.” He drifted over to the window and peered up at the moon. His pale hair caught the light and gave his skin an ethereal glow. “Do not get any ideas, Carter. I welcomed you into my home tonight, but it was not an invitation into my life. I possess no interest in you romantically, so I suggest you forgo any expectations on the matter.”

How did he make rejection sound so polite? It was a gift. Truly.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he asked, finally looking at me.

“If you don’t want me romantically… what about sexually?” I placed the candlestick on the table and stepped toward him, noticing how his blue-eyed gaze trailed up and down my body. I heated in response, my skin tingling. “Because Isowant you to fuck me again.”

“Carter…” But even as he said my name, he reached for my face. His cold hand cupped my cheek before he pressed our lips together.