The Phantom King (The Kings) Read Free Page A

to owner.” Her purse slipped off of her shoulder and into the crook of her arm. Tendrils of her light blond e hair had slipped from the bun at the nape of her neck to frizz about her face in the early May humidity .
    “How many owners has it had?” Siobhan asked, not really caring how many it had had, but feeling the need to fill the silence with small talk. Jane’s nerves were so frayed, Siobhan could almost see their ends swaying in the breeze.
    “Well…” Jane replied, a little out of breath . “I’d have to double check my notes, but I think it’s had somewhere in the family of a dozen.” She stopped messing with the key a moment, shot Siobhan a half-smile over her shoulder , and added, “It’s an old house.”
    “Would you like some help with that? ” Siobhan asked, looking from Jane to the key she clutched tightly in her white fingertips. The realtor glanced down at the key and back up again. Siobhan knew what she was thinking. What made her think that she could make it work when Jane couldn’t?
    “I’m good with old things,” Siobhan said by way of explanation. She shrugged and smiled sheepishly, hoping that would do the trick .
    “Oh,” Jane said. She straightened, pulling the key out of the door. “By all means, give it a shot. Two heads are often better than one.”
    Siobhan held out her hand and the realtor deposited the key in her palm. Her fingers closed over the old metal, at once detecting the slight buzz that came from its surface. It was something Jane wouldn’t pick up. Most humans wouldn’t, in fact. But Siobhan would.
    She gave the realtor a reassuring smile, bent, and slipped the key once more into the troublesome lock. At once, the key turned, almost of its own accord, and the door swung open, pulling away from her grasp.
    Siobhan ’s gaze narrowed in irritation on the open doorway. She felt her magic bristle as the cool air from the house’s interior curled out and over the wooden porch around their feet.
    “Wow,” said the realtor, who was busily brushing her dress suit and hair back into place. She hoisted her purse back over her shoulder and gave Siobhan a stiff nod of approval. “You really do have a way with old things.”
    You have no idea , Siobhan thought.
    “Well, come on in,” said Jane, as she stepped past the house’s threshold and into the shadows beyond. Her patent leather pump lost its deep blue color, fading into black in the dim of the interior. “The electricity’s been off for a while now, as you can imagine, but I’ll open some windows and you can at least get an idea of what you’re dealing with.”
    Siobhan followed her inside, her eyes turned up toward the rafters and fuzzy-looking corners filled w ith cobwebs and holes left by te rmites. She stifled the urge to laugh. No one in their right mind would buy this house . It wasn’t in need of upkeep. It was in need of a bulldozer.
    But even as she thought so, her eyes strayed to the expertly carved banister that led to the second floor, and she frowned. Okay , she admitted begrudgingly. It doesn’t need a bulldozer.
    It needed her .
    A second later, Jane reappeared in the archway that led to the dining room and kitchen beyond. She was loudly brushing her hands to dust them off, and her hair had once more slipped from her bun. “I got the windows open –”
    “I’ll take it,” Siobhan said before the realtor could say anything further.
    Jane stopped in her tracks and stared at her with wide , blinking eyes.
    Siobhan smiled and shrugged. “When can I move in?”
    *****
    S he stopped just after she entered the living room and dropped the heavy padded glider chair she’d been carrying. It sent a cl oud of dust flying as it clattered noisily to the wooden planks, which Siobhan ignored as she used the back of her forearm to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
    “Not that I mind having you around, Steven , but I have to admit I wish you were solid right now. This crap is heavy.” Siobhan sighed