Daejun switched through the pictures, frown deepening. The destruction was severe throughout, though he was only seeing it secondhand, it probably didnât even capture the full extend. It all looked and sounded like standard poltergeist stuff. The problem was, Blanche wanted all that chaos to magically turn back into the sweeter, gentler version of Granny she was idealizing from memory. In other words, she wanted a miracle. He was perfectly willing to deliver, but it was a tall order, even for someone like him. Sheâd already been cautioned time and time again, and short of telling her outright that this wouldnât end in the way she hoped, he was out of both arguments and reasons to drag this out further. Â
âYou waited a long time to retaliate. Iâd have acted the day she destroyed the auditorium.â Sliding the phone back, he downed a swig of coffee and tugged at his collar, meeting her gaze, almost challenging. âAlright. My ability is in your hands. But in agreeing to my deal, youâre sworn to secrecy about it, and if we meet again, youâre not to abuse it. Donât use it without express permission.âÂ
Leaning forward, he spoke lowly, despite his assurances to Blanche that they wouldnât be overheard, demeanor growing more serious. This was vital information, and she needed to know how not to screw up, although she probably would anyways, because she was young, inexperienced, and likely thought the world was all sunshine and butterflies underneath the whole ghost thing. For that moment, the kid gloves were off. âThis is your last warning. Be careful of your words. Be as specific as possible. I canât control how exactly it manifests.â
âTo use it, you start by saying âI wish,â and follow it up with whatever you want to happen. For example, I wish,â his voice dipped, not quite saying the word, âthat a packet of salt was on the table. Take your time to think.â Â
This girlâs future was up in the air now. He was still, watching her perhaps a bit too closely to make sure she truly took his words to heart.
 âI couldnât find any other option, other than an exorcist,â Blanche said, a little defensively. And then her exorcist wasnât an option at all, and Blanche wasnât about to be the one to get rid of her Granny. That wouldnât have been fair. Blanche sat back in her seat, meeting his challenging gaze with a raised eyebrow. âI donât have anyone to tell about it,â Blanche replied, dryly. Not exactly true, but she wouldnât count anyone she knew trustworthy enough to talk about this with. Except maybe Reza or Reed, but she wouldnât bother them with such trivial information.
She leaned back in her chair, examining him as she listened to his instructions. They seemed easy enough, really. âI wish---â followed by something obnoxiously specific. These warnings and warnings were piling up, and Blanche was still about to defy them. Thatâs what she owed to Granny, wasnât it? A chance to be normal again. She could remove all the charms and wards and put up everywhere, and everything would go back to the way it was.
But is that what you want?
That small voice in the back of her head spoke to her and she felt her stomach churn. Was she not just doing this because thatâs what she thought Granny would want her to do? The angry hissing in her ear that wasnât really there was telling her to straighten up, fix that fly away, speak betterâThe walls of the coffee shop felt far to close and she started to squirm uncomfortably in her seat as she met his eyes. And what if it didnât work? What if it made things worse?
Wasnât it cruel to keep her here longer than she should be? And for that matter, did she really want things to go back to the way things were? Uncomfortable hovering and no privacy and almost constant verbal abuseâThe way things were, when Granny was still good, had to have been years ago.
âIâI meanâŚ.â She swallowed hard, eyes flickering to the nearest exits. Stop it. Stop panicking. As her heart-rate rose, Blanche sucked in a deep breath.
âI changed my mind. I want something different.â
