Chapter 2: The Inn

The girl in the moth eaten shawl, Adeline, had led the afflicted woman to the blackened skeleton of a building. Gabriel followed behind as the quiet, ink-smudged boy guided Nadiye.

"Not a word of this is to be breathed to anyone," Adeline said, her hand clamped firmly around the wrist of the girl. "This is my home." The iron gate creaked open, and she pulled the small party of people through to the inn grounds, a small ball of light leading the way and clearing a path for them. The lonely, night wind howled through the blackened remains of one half of the inn, while Adeline approached the stoop up to the door and sidestepped rotting planks to kick open the entrance to the Crown.

With a dismissive wave of her hand, the ball of light split into smaller spheres, which dispensed themselves around the various rooms on the first floor. Dark, crooked halls were suddenly illuminated, insects skittered out of the way, and much to the new patrons' surprise, a chorus of moans and much groaning could be heard all around them.

"Shut it," Adeline shouted as the group entered further and they passed the stairs. "It's not as though you need the sleep, idjits. Just keep at whatever you were doing."

"I refuse to put up with these constant interruptionsn! I tell you, I won't use the bedpan!" A shrill voice from the very top floor was audible.

"You already don't, you old coot! You're still dead!" Adeline had paused at the foot of the stairs, barking up at the voice.

"You're the worst bar maid I've ever had!"

Adeline's hands balled into fists, and it appeared as though she was doing her darndest to keep her temper in check in front of the other three. "Ghosts," she said flatly, turning down a hallway plastered with moldy, peeling wallpaper. "Senile old bat doesn't even know he's one of them yet."

She opened one of the doors to a bedroom, where a fair-faced woman sat feeding an infant atop a bed, a pale breast exposed while the baby suckled. When the mother looked up, her visage pulsed with a faint glow. The child in her arms stirred, and began to fade from vision.

"Sorry to interrupt," Adeline said a bit gruffly, standing in the doorway. "I need to use the extra bedroom, and mine is already taken for obvious reasons." The mother ghost nodded silently, and breezed past the two men and women with her child in her arms.

"She'll stay here," Adeline continued, pointing to Nadiye. "And both of you can beat it. Thank you for your assistance thus far."

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I intend to see this through to the end.” Gabriel replied as he stepped aside for the mother ghost as she breezed by. Adeline turned on her heel, her tiny hands balled into tinier fists, “This is your fault, you idiot! What the hell were you doing anyway?” she snapped.

“I have a contractual obligation to fulfill. I’m certainly not running around killing things just because I can.” He frowned at the small woman as Nadiye made herself comfortable on the bed behind her, ”Vous serez bien vite, je te le promets.” he said over Adeline’s head to the blue-eyed woman.

"Contractual." The word fell like lead from her mouth. "Contractual...to whom?" Her gaze became fixed on Gabriel, dark eyes harshly examining him.

Tobias stood back, arms folded across his chest. Tired eyes on Gabriel, "Or to what?" His voice cracked as he piped up for the first time since standing in the town square.
The Inn was drowning in the soft, uncomfortable cries of the already dead. It could have been compared to a haunting lullaby if the ghosts weren't shouting profanities and other odd statements. He looked back at Nadiye, then back at Gabriel whose lips drew a thin line and eyes returned the stare of the small girl.

“That information is confidential,” Gabriel replied quirking an eyebrow.