crybaby ghost writer

"Absolutely not."

Tara had barely gotten finished her sentence before William shut down the suggestion of them meeting with Nick. He was clearly hungover and in no mood to chat as he crammed his clothes into a suitcase to leave.

"Please, Will?" Tara begged. "Just think of the possibilities. A real expedition to find Kerelia. And he told me he wants to finance the entire thing. He just needs a partner with subject expertise to join him."

"Meeting drunk supporters at a party is one thing," William said. "Going off into the jungle with some rich boy looking for a fantasy land is another."

"It's not a fantasy land," Tara pouted. "Kerelia is real. More than real. William, just imagine the things we could fine. The things we could learn. The fourth volume of the Kerelia series will be a whole new level in quality in research, like nothing that has been written before."

"Here we go again," William said, rolling his eyes. "Do you ever stop thinking about yourself?"

"Myself?" Tara repeated, affronted. "A majority of my hard work has benefitted you. It's your face on all of this, but I'm the one who-"

"So now I'm the villain, am I?" he snapped. "Don't be so selfish. Go get your bag. We have a boat to catch."

"I'm not going," Tara said firmly. "We should meet with him, at least. Hear him out."

"No."

"I already made plans. There's a brunch reservation in twenty minutes."

William shut his trunk with a slam and glared at Tara, then reluctantly sighed and smoothed his hair out.

"Fine," he said. "I guess we can find an early train tomorrow."

Tara tried not to look too excited as they made their way down into the lobby, where the hotel had a small restaurant attached. Nick had been gracious enough to make the reservation for them, and she hated to wonder what he would think of them if they never showed up. She did like thinking about him, though. Maybe it was the champagne still in her system, but she felt a bit of a flutter when she thought about him.

Now Tara worried about what William would say. Her brother wasn't always such a monster. He was always spoiled and arrogant, but he was never downright mean. It was after money and fame had gotten to his head that he became so derisive. They had been raised by their grandmother after their mother dropped them off and left without warning, and the old woman always treated William like he was the golden child. Tara was always the unwanted girl who would eventually get married off, but Will would be the one making the family proud. She supposed being raised like that, it was no wonder he was such a brat.

As soon as they got to the table, it's like William had flipped a switch. He was clean cut and charming, nodding respectfully to Nick as he shook his hand and introduced himself. Nick seemed excited to meet him as well.

"Mr. Palmer, it's so good to see you," he said. "And Miss Palmer, good to see you again. Please sit, make yourselves comfortable. I've ordered some pastries for the table, but anything else you like is on me."

"William is just fine," William said politely. "And 'Miss Palmer' is a bit regal for my sister. Don't you think, Tara?"

Nick glanced between William and Tara and she could see a flash of unsettlement in his eyes at the remark, so she just smiled and faked a light laugh.

"Right," she said. "Tara is fine. Thank you, Nick. I'm happy to see you again, too."

Nick turned his attention back to William with a smile, the uncomfortable moment having passed.

"I suppose Tara has already told you why I've invited you here," Nick said. "I've been planning this expedition to find Kerelia for years now, but I've needed a historian and expert to ensure we make the most of this journey. Your books are a personal favorite of mine. I picked up the third volume at the party last night and read the whole thing in one sitting."

"Well, I thank you for your support," William said.

"It was fascinating," Nick continued. "The chapter about the sacrifices was quite intriguing. Sacrificing birds to ensure their souls can fly up to the gods is interesting, but I noticed there was no mention of the specific bird, the topaz macaw. Not to impede on your work, of course, but it seemed purposefully ommitted based on the context. I suppose I can understand that there is little to no proof they worshipped this bird like it was of a higher value, but I wonder if-"

"Oh, all this talk of work," William interupted, smoothly changing the subject. "There is so much time to discuss Kerelia. What I'd like to know is more about you. Have you always been a man of history?"

Tara was itching to continue the conversation about birds. Nick was right, she had purposefully ommitted the topaz macaw because there wasn't enough evidence backing that they were worshipped like gods and considered a special sacrifice. She found it interesting that Nick wanted to challenge her on that topic, and she would have spent hours discussing it with him if he could. Instead, he was talking to a clueless William while Tara practically melted in her chair with a delicate cup of tea in her hand.

Nick didn't seem too interested in talking about himself, but William was able to change the subject and turn it away from himself. He was the master at redirecting conversation at this point. Nick told them about his family's history and connection to Kerelia, and even hearing it the second time made Tara feel excited. She couldn't believe there was another person as interested in the subject as she was.

As they wrapped up brunch, Nick seemed eager to hear if William wanted to join in on the expedition. William had dodged the subject long enough, and he briefly cast a glance at Tara before looking at Nick again.

"I admire your enthusiasm," William said. "And I thank you for considering me as a partner worthy of this trip. Unfortunately, I think I have to decline. I've been on a very long book tour, you see, and my estate and staff back home will be needing me."

"Oh," Nick said, seeming dull with disappointment. "That's a shame. I understand, though. It takes a lot to employ a house staff. I wonder... what if you were able to double their salaries?"

"Pardon?" William asked, a glint of interest in his eyes now.

"Well, the expedition will be lucrative if it's successful," Nick said. "The things we learn being the biggest gain, of course."

"Of course," William agreed. "What do you mean by 'lucrative', though?"

"Besides what we'll learn," Nick said, eyeing Will to try and read his expression, "I'd say the research and relics we can bring back would bring in quite a bit of coin as well. At least fifteen, maybe even sixteen crowns? Split among the crew, it's still a career-defining payout. I'm sure your staff will be more than understanding of what you had to do to have your research done."

"Right," William said. "It would all make for a fantastic fourth novel. That's what this is all about, naturally."

William paused and looked at Tara again, then back at Nick.

"My sister will have to come as well," he said. "She's my assistant, and my life would be quite scattered without her there to keep things organized. You understand."

"Your sister?" Nick repeated, brow furrowed in confusion. "Well yes, I suppose. She's welcome to join in if you feel you need assistance."

"I'd be honored," Tara blurted out of nowhere.

William looked annoyed, but she thought she saw a glimmer of amusement in Nick's expression.

"Sorry," Tara squeaked. "I won't get in the way. I'm just there to... assist. Whatever you need. Both of you. I'm happy to assist you too, Nick."

"Tara, please," William grumbled.

"Thank you, Tara," Nick said, ignoring William. "I'm sure you'll be a great help."

Tara tried not to look too obviously excited, hiding behind her cup of tea.

"It's a few days' journey by ship to get to the jungles where Kerelia is said to be located," Nick explained. "Then we'll have a caravan of trucks to take us through the thick jungles. We'll be venturing into unexplored territory, which is quite exciting. It'll take me a little time to get the crew together and ready, so it will be a good time for you two to find some proper clothes and supplies for the journey. I'll ring you here at the hotel when I have updates for you."

Their brunch came to a close as William and Nick shook hands, and Tara stayed close behind William as they headed back to their rooms. Before he disappeared into his room, he paused and turned to Tara.

"We'll have to be sharp on this trip," he said. "Don't give us away with that big mouth of yours. If he finds out you were the one who wrote those books, he'll lose all his respect for us and toss us off like trash."

"I'll be careful," Tara promised.

"Good," he said. "That cash he's promising is going to be so good, we won't even need a fourth book. I can retire before I turn thirty."

"But the research-"

"Tara, stop talking about boring stuff," he scowled. "Just get some notecards ready for me. And find some jungle clothes. I hate clothes shopping."

"You bought new shoes yesterday."

"G'night."

He slammed the door in her face, but Tara was too elated to care. She practically ran to her room and dug through her trunk to find a small music box where she kept her jewelry. She opened it and took out a small pendant made of ivory, with an engraving of a macaw in it. She had found it being sold with junk at a church sale, and she immediately recognized the image as the topaz macaw. She felt it was a real Kerelian relic, but William always said she was stupid and it was just someone's trash that he kept near her. She supposed it didn't matter what he thought about it now. She'd finally get a chance to find out for herself.