The Spirits Knew Who Was Lying Chapter 02

The Spirits Knew Who Was Lying Chapter 02 The Warning
I sent a message to my senior brother, asking him to dig into Lily Shaw. There was something deeply wrong with her. Her profile said she graduated from community college with a degree in business management. Then suddenly, she could speak to the dead. That kind of gift doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It’s either passed down through generations or taught by a master. If Lily came from a lineage, she would have seen that the man’s children’s palace was empty. If she had been trained, she would have known better. Either way, she was the problem. I rolled over in bed, closed the livestream, and scrolled through movie options. My phone buzzed. The manager from the spirit market. I answered. “Lore, you haven’t set up your stall. Are you renewing your spot?” I thought for a moment. “No. No business anyway, and I’m tired of getting undercut. Might be time to stop.” A pause on the other end. “Probably for the best. Take some time off.” I hung up and scrolled through the trending news. A smile tugged at my lips. The internet adored Lily Shaw. Every post was praise, every comment adoration. Me? I was public enemy number one. I charged too much. I only took two clients a day. Even if someone offered double for an emergency, I never broke my rule. People called me cold. Inhuman. And Lily? Sweet, generous Lily was everyone’s darling. In her latest livestream, she’d said: “Anyone in need, come to me. The spirit speaker serves the people. I would never use this to profit from people’s pain.” Beautiful words. I typed a reply beneath them: “The living walk their path. The dead walk theirs.” A viewer immediately pounced. “What is that supposed to be? A threat?” Another voice chimed in. “Spirits have needs, just like the living. I’m just a bridge, passing along messages. No need to worry about me stealing your business, Lore.” She knew exactly who I was. The comments flooded in against me. “Look at her—jealousy is ugly.” “First threats, now this? Focus on your own path before you talk about spirits and paths.” “Have you seen her? Sitting in the spirit market with her shabby stall, looking like she belongs with the dead. Nothing like our Lily—bright, warm, alive.” I smiled. Of course I carried a chill. You spend your days with the dead, you absorb some of their cold. That’s why I only took two cases a day. Three hundred dollars each. Half went to me. The other half went to maintenance. Keeping things balanced below. And sometimes, directly to the dead themselves. Some people die with fury still burning. Calming their rage isn’t a simple thing. I listen. I soothe. I keep them from reaching back. Otherwise, I’d have bigger problems than a rival stealing my clients. But no one understood that. They thought I just listened for a few words and passed them along. If it were that easy, I’d take ten clients a day. I closed the stream. My phone rang seconds later. Lily’s voice, sharp and smug. “What were you trying to say, Lore? Could it be a little jealousy?” I laughed. “Jealous of you?” “Why else would you—” “Lily.” My voice went flat. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Being a medium comes with a price.” “Don’t try to scare me.” She hung up with a click. The whole exchange was already circulating online. The comments tore into me. And Lily was riding the wave straight to the top.