Page 91 of Squad Ghouls

“Great.” He rolled his eyes at me but there was a smile on his face so I didn’t mind. “The third part you have down to a tee already. You are the least judgemental person I have ever met in my life, so providing comfort and understanding is already checked.”

I gave a little cheer.

“The final part is where he thinks it could get tricky.” Ryan frowned. “Direction. Psychopomps usually see the next realm and can move through it, so guiding souls from here to there isn’t an issue.”

I widened my eyes, gulping. “I can’t do that.”

“No,” Ryan said. “And Hollis had very little to say to that except ‘He’ll have to figure it out for himself.’”

“I think we have a smelly, unwashed bum competition winner.” I stuck my tongue out at the phone where Hollis, presumably, absolutely felt my disdain.

“He said Theo’s homework will continue.” Ryan put his phone to the side. “He did write that usually, psychopomps are depicted as using actual modes of transport like boats, wings, and stairs. So…I have no clue if that helps you.”

I thought about it for a moment and then shrugged.

“It might. I think maybe we set up the retreat, make me as comforting as I can get, and then once a ghost is here we see what happens?”

“Yeah, about that,” he said, pinning me with a Serious look with a capital S. “We can’t risk you like we have so far. If we’re doing this—if YOU are doing this—there will be some ground rules.”

“What? What kind of rules?”

“Rules that make sure you stay alive,” Ryan said.

“I don’t think a retreat room will feel very welcoming and safe to a ghost if there is a literal exterminator scowling in a corner.”

“I do not scowl.”

“You so scowl,” I said, stabbing my finger into a vein on his forehead. “You’re doing it now.”

“Because you’re being unreasonable, Owain! You can’t just throw yourself into this hoping for the best. You can’t not care about what happens to you.”

“But I want to help…”

“And I want to keep you!” he shouted, and I blinked as he ran a hand down his face. My heart ceased its earlier tantrum, alert and ready to soar. “Fuck, why is it so hard for you to understand that others care about you? That they don’t want to see you hurt? I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“I just…I know people care but…I have a job to do and I thought…”

“You thought it was more important than you,” he finished for me.

I nodded. “Kinda, yeah.”

“Well you thought wrong,” he said. “I said forever last night and I fucking meant it, Owain.”

I didn’t even try talking my heart out of a full-blown meltdown. It was pointless.

“I’ll be careful,” I said.

“You build your retreat, and I’ll build a spot where I can scowl with a clear line of sight to the ghost. And a clear path to it in case it tries anything. You try your thing, and if it fails, I’ll be plan B.”

“I can do that,” I whispered.

“Thank you,” Ryan said.

I smiled and reached out to poke his cheek. “I told you you scowled.”

He pounced, kissing me until I was breathless.

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