The relationship between the dead and Reina's family ran deep.
Her grandmother was once a renown shaman and her mother followed in her steps. But they could only summon the spirits of the dead, sense their presence in a room. However, their abilities did not save them from a gruesome death, one after the another.
Reina was eight when she figured out that the colourless people she saw were actually dead and their kind words were to gain her favour. She finally understood why the other children pointed fingers at her, calling her a weirdo, a 'freak'.
Naturally, she kept quiet about this bizarre ability of hers, feigning as though she could not see the desperate hands trying to reach out to her.
Things took a change for the best when Reina met Élodie. They were no older than ten when the latter moved into the apartment across hers and they bonded almost instantly on their first encounter, evolving from polite neighbours to two halves of a whole. Her deceased friend had been the first person to whom she confided in about her condition and she barely reacted, simply humming in acknowledgement.
Ironically, it was her nonchalance that brought her solace.
Thereafter, Élodie researched for a way to either keep the spirits at bay or to 'switch off' her sixth sense.
And perhaps that was why it pained the brunette so much to be unable to help her friend in any way or form. She was deeply indebted to her and now she had no way to repay her for the love she received. Instead, she put more burdens on Élodie's shoulders, tying her to this world. Spitting out harsh words was, unfortunately, the best she could do to change her mind.
Taking a large gulp of Monaco (a cocktail of beer, lemonade and pomegranate syrup), Reina laughed at Marie's misadventure with yet another man – at least she had the courage to ask his name this time, she fiercely defended herself. Rémi, their supervisor, had invited all the baristas for a farewell drink since he would be leaving soon to Marseille to open his very own roastery. Only Eva was missing, claiming that her mother's dog was ill and she had to take it to the vet. Nobody believed her shallow lie and none of them cared about her absence.
Everyone's cheeks glowed pink as the evening grew darker and Reina felt happy. Happy to be around those she appreciated, happy to have a brief moment of normalcy. Though she had to be careful how much alcohol she consumed, the slight buzz eased her mind.
"You fall in love with every guy who looks at you," Tim teased, popping an overly salty pretzel in his mouth. "Do you know on how many of our regulars you drool on? Last Friday, you nearly fainted when Liam called you by your name."
"I can't help that I'm a young, beautiful woman with charms that weaken men in their heart. I mean, have you seen me?" Marie frantically gestured to her face, hands trailing up and down from her head to torso. "Also, I am 100% convinced that Liam is into me."
Rémi snorted. "Sure. Remember the time you looked like a human version of Moccacino? Cocoa power on your cheeks and whip at the end of your bangs? Liam had a good laugh that day."
"Rude. It wasn't my fault that Eva dropped a timer into the cup and the whole drink splashed on me." Marie smacked her lips after a shot. "Enough about me. Can we please talk about Reina and how she managed to seduce Ciel?"
"Ciel?" Both men inquired at the same Reina grumbled, "I did not seduce the man."
"Tall, always in black, face that has been carved by God himself?"
Tim snickered. "You mean all the guys you've claimed to fallen in love with?"
"Focus, Tim!" Marie rubbed the small space between her eyebrows in frustration. "I meant
"Oh shit," Rémi breathed out, eyes widening. He stared at Reina. "For real?
"Who the hell names their son 'Ciel'? It's-"
Marie cut Tim off, a dreamy expression on her face. "It's perfect. He really is a man sent from heaven in my eyes."
Embarrassed beyond, Reina buried her face in her hands, hoping the evening would swiftly come to an end.
–¨––¨–
Trying to hide the sway in her steps, Reina struggled to keep her back straight and eyes open. Being vulnerable in the night in Paris was dangerous and foolish. Who knew what could happen to her? She could lose her purse, her phone or something far worse.
The worst being her body.
It was as if the spirits could sniff the stench of alcohol from her, ready to jump in when the opportunity rose. So, when Reina saw a handless woman in grey, it did not surprise her.
"My husband killed me and our child," were the first words to leave the spirit's lips.
"That's one way to start a conversation." A hiccup. "And what do you want me to do? Call the police?"
Knowing in which direction this conversation was going, Reina dreaded it, hoping for a black hole to open up and swallow her whole. All she wanted to do in that moment was to get back home and fall asleep.
"Having him rot in prison is not enough. I want him dead."
"Then I wish you the best of luck." Reina tried to move past the spirit when she realised her legs had been paralysed. "Release me."
"I will, once I'm done with that vile man."
Reina's eyes widened. "No! Release me! You, you spirits come to me and request that I aid in your revenge, some going as far as wanting to use my body just like you. But what gives you the right to make such demand?"
"Then think about the reason why you can see the dead! You see us because you are meant to help us."
"I see the dead because I am cursed!"
While Reina did not particularly want to live but she did not want to die this way, her soul wandering in the zone of nothingness between heaven, hell and Earth. Regardless of how strong she struggled to break free, the spirit opened her mouth, revealing her jagged teeth, and stood an inch away from her face in a blink of an eye.
"I promise it'll be quick." Reina squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the excruciating pain of having her soul ejected from her body.
Instead she heard the whistle again.
When Reina peered her eyes open, the vengeful sprit was gone, along with the hold she had on her legs. The brunette fell harshly on the pavement, feeling drained of strength and energy.
Ciel parted his lips to boast about the fact that it was the third time that he had come to her rescue but stopped when he saw silver tears marking the ground. It reminded him of an April shower as they flowed heavily and endlessly.
"Why are you crying?" Ciel asked. "She's gone, you know. I sent her away."
And that was why Reina cried.
Because the vengeful spirit was gone.
Because she got to live another day.
–¨–¨–
Ciel had not expected the young woman to lose consciousness in the midst of bawling her eyes out.
After crying a small puddle on Avenue Victor Hugo in the 16th arrodissement, Reina fell face first and would have acquired a large bruise on her nose and forehead, had he not caught her in time. Ciel was then forcedly tasked to take her home.
Not that he was not busy, Ciel had followed Reina to her place after her closing shift, keeping an eye for bothersome spirits from a distance. He justified this as an act of repayment for providing him with entertainment these last few days.
He opened the windows and breathed in the cool air of the night. The view from Reina's humble chambre de bonne was mediocre at best. Ciel could barely see the sky since the roof was blocking it. But at least the place was clean, he thought to himself, looking around every corner and furniture, trying to find out more about the brunette.
He had dropped her on her bed earlier and she was curled up into fetal position, tightly holding onto her purse as she mumbled incomprehensibly in her sleep.
Going into the small kitchen, he opened her fridge in hopes to find something to quench his thirst. A bottle of wine caught his eyes but he grew repulsed by it upon reading its label. Cheap milk, cheap juice, cheap everything. Unsatisfied, he closed the fridge with a sigh and helped himself to a glass of water.
Leaning against the sink, he noticed the photographs that were pinned on the fridge door, held by worn alphabet magnets. It wasn't very surprising that she grew up as a happy child. In each photograph, she could be found smiling, flashing all of her teeth. Even those who accompanied her seemed to be infected with her good mood.
How did this plain human possess such unnatural abilities?
"Christine Delalande."
Ciel found his answer when his eyes landed on a familiar face, one he had seen many decades ago.
In his memories, Christine Delalande was a fierce human with ambitions that put many men to shame. She reached for the impossible and most of the time, she acquired what she desired. Even if it was his help. The betrayal he felt when she disappeared was quite ironic since he did not get attached to humans – a bunch of good-for-nothing, whiny creatures. He believed the feeling stemmed from her inability to keep her words, or so he wanted to believed.
Now he had his answer. Christine wanted to protect her offspring by distancing herself from him. A very clever move, he commended. Who knows what he would have done to the babe?
Ciel took the photo with him and cast a glance on Reina's sleeping form. A devilish smirk appeared on his face.
"Looks like I've found her after all, old friend."