Her sympathy for the woman was quickly overshadowed by a more urgent concern. The words "moon Magnolia" echoed relentlessly in her mind, driving out all other thoughts except those of the pale flower she had found lying on her bed. A deep blush began to rise in Ariel's cheeks as an unexpected revelation settled heavily upon her: someone standing on this porch with her had given her that moon Magnolia.

Mr. Warner’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. "I didn’t offer you that moon Magnolia because of Wise Obasan," he said plainly.

Ariel frowned, her sorrow giving way to a sharp pang of anger directed at Shiloh. Mr. Warner spoke with an indifference that seemed to trivialize the emotions between two people, as though he were discussing the weather rather than matters of the heart.

Shiloh lowered her gaze, her eyes fixed on her hands as if they held the answers to her unspoken questions.

"The point here is," Mr. Warner continued, his tone shifting to a more businesslike manner, "if you resist becoming her Chosen, you’d better be prepared for some forceful persuasion, none of which I want anywhere near my theater."

"Then you’ll have no trouble with me borrowing them for the day," a voice suddenly interjected.

With the sharp click of heels on hardwood, Miss Marlowe made her entrance, her sapphire eyes scanning the gathered group with a detached curiosity.

"Miss Marlowe," Mr. Warner greeted, his voice laced with a hint of irritation. "How nice of you to check up on us. We’re quite well, thank you."

Miss Marlowe regarded the playwright with a cool, indifferent gaze. "It would be far too lucky for the theater to simply burn down on its own; I knew there would be no injuries."

"I’ll have you know that Ariel here was trapped inside. If it weren’t for your partner, there could have been a very serious injury."

Ariel looked at Mr. Warner in surprise at his sudden shift to dramatic rhetoric, given that moments ago he had described the situation as mere harmless smoke.

"Hey— I was in there too..." Leroy muttered, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"The only thing you could have seriously injured was your shoulder," Taylor remarked dryly, "...and maybe your pride, if you had any to begin with."

"Kinsley-san appears to be among the living," Miss Marlowe observed with an appraising nod. "Since you’re unwilling to risk further danger, I think I’ll take my chances and hire your team for the day."

Mr. Warner narrowed his eyes at the heiress, his suspicion evident. "What could you possibly need them for?"

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Miss Marlowe shrugged casually. "Disturbances. I need them to point me towards the faulty pipe or bold villager who enjoys making things go bump in the night."

"Mandy and John, I’ll ask you to stay behind and monitor things here," Jasper interjected, striding towards Miss Marlowe and speaking for Mr. Warner before he had a chance to respond.

The medium and priest nodded in agreement, Mandy’s posture remaining stiff and curt. Ariel smiled to herself, enjoying the reversal of their roles, and ignored the glare Shiloh shot into her retreating back.

"Very well then," Mr. Warner said, watching Miss Marlowe depart with his paranormal team in tow. "I have damage control to attend to."

As Ariel descended the stairs, a shadow fell over her. She looked up to see Max, and she tried to summon a smile, but faltered under his penetrating gaze.

"Oy, Ariel," Leroy protested, following her down the stairs.

Ariel blinked and absently waved off the monk’s complaints as they stood midway down. What was that look all about? she wondered, watching the tall Chinese man stride ahead, catching up with his boss.

"What's with the look?" Leroy asked, peering down at her curiously before following her gaze. "Ah— what have I told you? Thoughts of Jasper and stairs don’t mix."

Ariel reached back to swat him but missed. "I wasn’t looking at Jasper," she said, shaking her head and hastening her pace down the remaining steps.

"Right, because Max regularly stops you in your tracks..."

"He gave me a strange look," Ariel murmured, keeping her eyes on Max’s retreating figure.

"Jasper?"

"Max."

The monk shot her a sidelong glance. "Isn’t that just what Max does?"

Ariel sighed, crossing her arms. "You didn’t see it, Leroy. It was... strange."

"Max can kill with a piece of paper; he is strange. Don’t tell him I said that though—"

"I don’t know. I have a weird feeling about it..."

"I think someone’s inhaled too much smoke today," Leroy suggested, patting her on the shoulder.

"If I did, it was your doing," Ariel shot back, giving him a look.

The monk made a face, his eyes wandering over the dusty grounds of Magnolia Midlands towards a certain priestess. "Hey, don’t listen to Taylor. That woman is as crazy as that loony matchmaker whom I heroically fought to reach you."

Ariel followed his gaze to the priestess and then gave Leroy’s shoulder a knowing look. "I wouldn’t say that too loudly. They know your weakness."

"Speaking of weaknesses," Leroy said, swiftly changing the subject, "how was your rescue?"

A sudden breeze swept across Magnolia Midlands, tousling Ariel’s hair and bringing with it the faint, comforting scent of coffee. Fighting off a blush, Ariel composed herself by recalling the less-than-romantic end to her encounter.

"He tried to press me for information."

Leroy looked down at her, his eyebrows raised and eyes wide. "You’re burning to death and he decides to pump you for answers? Some gentleman. Honestly, what do you see in him..."

A small smile tugged at Ariel’s lips. She made no move to defend Jasper, as his sudden interrogation had been unwelcome, and let Leroy continue his critique.

"He’s suspicious of me, Leroy. We need to be careful."

"Suspicious of what? The picture? How could he know about it? Unless—" Leroy’s voice trailed off as he slowly turned to Ariel.

Ariel felt a knot form in her stomach. She hadn’t been thinking when she mentioned Jasper’s questioning to Leroy.

Leroy thinks this is about the picture...

The memory of Jasper’s inquisitive gaze back in the theater flashed before her mind. She had been keeping a secret about a ghost's existence. How much longer she could maintain this secrecy depended on how intensely Jasper would pry. She was facing a battle and needed every ally she could find. Ignoring the twinge of guilt, Ariel looked up at Leroy.

"Leroy, there’s something I need to tell you..."