The Peculiar Alchemist

54 || Cursed Creatures

A groan left Kellen when the door slammed open, and he really wished to be anywhere else when he heard Agnes' maniacal laughter follow not too long after. Nothing amused her that much other than someone's misfortune, and usually that misfortune is caused by her.

It seems like this time it's different, she was reading a letter and laughing every time she read what's in it. She was so amused by what she was reading that she didn't bother to look at him as she sent an envelope his way before she sat down with a grin on her face looking as if she was plotting something.

"Who is it from?" He asked, referring to the letter she was reading as he eyed it curiously. He wasn't so interested in the one he had in his hand, he didn't think it was anything important. Probably just one of the usual threats he'd get from whoever he managed to anger with his shenanigans.

Agnes was smiling down at the letter before she finally decided to answer his question. "Why don't you read it for yourself?"

The expression on Kellen's face changed from a curious one to a surprised one not expecting the contents of the letter. "Is this from Briar?"

The fact that Sammy was peering curiously over his shoulder to read it as well was unknown to Agnes since she couldn't see him.

"It is." Agnes nodded her head, sounding like she was trying her best not to laugh about it anymore. She had laughed enough, and loudly, too. "It seems like she thinks-"

"That Marc's dad is in her cult? She's right." Kellen cut her off, making her frown, already finished with reading it. Briar was brief and to the point, and she feared that her life might be in danger. Nothing more followed except for her request for a way to contact Marc, it was clear that she knew about Agnes having a connection to him. "Did you tell her about Marc, Sammy?"

The frown that appeared on Agnes' face went away the moment she realized they weren't alone, and Sammy was looking away guiltily as he nodded his head. "I also told her where to send the letter. She summoned me a few days ago."

"You're speaking to a ghost?" There was no way for her to see him, and the shovel was nowhere to be found, but she didn't care much as she watched Kellen speak to – what appeared to her to be – thin air.

"I am." Kellen told her with a grin, but she didn't react much to that. While it annoyed her that she was unaware of the dead people around her, she still didn't want the ability to see them. The living were enough of a headache. "Actually, Sammy is special. He knows everyone, even Aubrey."

That made Agnes look around when she noticed Aubrey's absence, and her expression became a perplexed one as she did so. He was nowhere in sight, which isn't usual for him at this hour, but something else worried her also.

"How is he speaking to ghosts?"

If Kellen told her it was him who was the indirect cause of that since he annoyed Aubrey into enchanting that shovel, she'd probably kill him on the spot. So he decided to omit some of the truth, but also remain truthful in his answer. "He accidentally discovered he could do that and met Sammy. Isn't that ri- Where is he?"

Sammy remained silent while Agnes shrugged in response. "How should I know?"

The problem is, Kellen had an idea of what just happened. Annoyingly, he let his guard down and was easily distracted by the unspiked pie he was given. Sammy also kept him occupied with random questions acting as another brilliant distraction.

It didn't help that Aubrey was naturally quiet, it was so easy for him to sneak away somewhere else to read the book Kellen had stolen the other day with him. He was so curious about it, and Kellen didn't want him to read what was in it.