Page 60 of Halloween Town

“Cedric?” Madame Calliope queried. Ruby frowned. The nerdy, quiet, spectral historian? Of everyone this side of the veil, Cedric would be voted as the person least likely to cause trouble.

“Mmm,” Effie said, looking worried. “He’s become a trifle … obsessed with Luna lately.”

“Obsessed?” Hadley demanded, leaning forward. Her eyes narrowed. “How obsessed? Is he stalking her?”

Effie waved her hands in the air, trying to bat away her words. “Obsessed is a harsh word, infatuated might be better. And because he is Cedric, he is not being obvious in the normal, romantic, ghost way…”

“Which is?” Hadley asked, fascinated.

“A lot of watching from afar, pining, sighing.” Madame Calliope answered her question. “What is he doing, Euphemia?”

“I’ve heard that he’s compiling ‘notes’ on her life and has stopped visiting the archives to spend time with her instead.”

Ruby and Lila exchanged surprised glances. They both knew that Cedric adored the virtual archive; it was his favorite place to be.

“He’s also started leaving tiny offerings for Luna. I heard about a silver button and a pressed flower.”

Hadley nodded. “I saw her playing with an old-looking silver button the other day,” she said.

“But Luna can see and interact with Cedric, why doesn’t she just tell him to take a hike?” Ruby demanded.

“He’s her primary font of information on H-Town, and when she’s faced with a decision, he frequently consults past H-Town mayors and councilors on this side of the veil on her behalf. They serve as her advisers and Cedric is her middleman,” Madame Calliope explained. “She might be reluctant to do that.”

“Also, Luna loves attention,” Hadley added, sounding very grown up. “And while Cedric might be a little nerdy, he is very good-looking for an older, dead dude. Luna is nuts, but she’s still a woman.”

All the ghosts and Madame looked at Hadley, their eyebrows raised. She lifted her shoulders. “Look, I had front-row seats to Wren and Dane’s romance, now Thom and Poppy’s. I’m getting more of an education than I need.”

“Any hope for your dad?” Effie asked, her tone soft.

Hadley rolled her eyes. “No, and I’m getting desperate. I’m going to college in three years, and I don’t want him to be lonely when I’m gone. I’m running out of time.”

Effie sent her a soft smile. “Your dad will be just fine, Hadley dear.” She clapped her hands but made no sound at all. “But we do need to keep an eye on Cedric and nip his infatuation in the bud if it gets too intense.” She looked at Hadley. “Could you let me know if he starts making Luna uncomfortable or uneasy?”

Hadley nodded.

“I’ll get my people to monitor him on this side,” she turned her eyes on Ruby, then Lila, then Naomi. “Luna loves being around the humans you watch—Poppy, Thom, Wren, et cetera. You three keep an eye on him on this side of the veil.”

Ruby found herself nodding, now more than a little intimidated. “Okay.” Because what else could you say when the Queen tosses out an order?

Madame shooed Hadley away. “Go on now, child, and do whatever teenagers do,” she told her. Then she cocked her head. “What do teenagers do? Do you spend hours smoking weed and doomscrolling?”

Hadley stood up and grinned. “You’re a psychic, you should know,” she chirped before skipping away.

Madame Calliope shook her head and smiled. “That girl has potential,” she said, before turning back to Effie. “Now darling, what other gossip do you have? The spicier the better…”

Poppy

After cleaning up the kitchen with Thom’s help, Poppy wandered down to Blackweather Green to meet Wren at the Saturday morning farmers’ market. Dane was finishing his surgical rounds at the county hospital two towns over, and Thom was with Hayes, checking out a vintage bike in a barn. As a result, she and Wren had the opportunity for some best-friend, girl time.

As she walked down the path running parallel to Main Street, she took in the controlled chaos that was the farmers’ market. Because it was October there was bat-and-pumpkin printed bunting, and the trestle tables—holding bottled goods, a range of cakes, pies and tarts, fresh fruit and vegetables, cordials, and a sprinkling of Halloween-related merchandise—were covered in Halloween-inspired fabric. Despite the bright sunlight, strings of purple fairy lights twinkled in the trees—because subtlety was not Luna’s, or the town’s, strong suit. Coming closer to the action, Poppy inhaled the smell of butter, spice, pumpkin, chai and coffee.

Visitors wandered between the tables, clutching their coffees or spiced chai, stopping to inspect something here, or to chat there. It was all so very normal. Next weekend, at the bake-off competition, the same people would offer unsolicited opinions, praise, and the occasional snide criticism, while four judges sported the solemn expressions of people about to make world-shifting decisions about baked goods. There would be laughter, a fair amount of trash talk, and a few baking catastrophes hastily disguised with icing. It might be Halloweenified now but, as during the bake-offs in her grandma’s day, both locals and visitors alike would leave on a sugar-high; sticky-fingered, full, and if Luna had her way, enchanted.

“Popsicle.”

Poppy turned and smiled at Wren holding two cups of coffee. She took one, took a sip, and sighed. “You are a lifesaver. I needed this.”

Wren peered at her, frowning. “You look tired. I hope that’s because you were up all night having great sex, and not up all night worrying about your cheating-bastard ex?”