My five ghostly husbands-Chapter 317 Preparation

After finishing their phone call with Karl, Milo, and Adrian–after all the teasing, laughter, and small scoldings—Ruby and Julian finally put phone away and rested their heads against each other, letting sleep pull them in quietly.

The room fell silent, filled only with the soft hum of the fan above and the gentle chirps of night insects outside. By morning, the air was fresh and cool.

They woke up early, took a fresh bath one after another, changed into clean clothes, and had a quick but warm breakfast in the inn’s small dining area.

Ruby prepared everything carefully checking her bag twice and then drove them back toward Dreadmire village. freёweɓnovel_com

When they reached near the village square, they saw the old ghost already waiting, he stood near a wooden bench, and beside him were big bundles wrapped in cloth.

"You’re early," Ruby said, parking the car, and the old ghost nodded with a tired smile.

"You’ll need time for preparation," he said. "Come, these are the safety suits."

Ruby and Julian got down and walked to him. The suits were made of thick, layered cloth with tight wrist, and ankle cuffs.

"These will help protect from bites," the old ghost explained. "And I’ve packed smoke herbs... they smell terrible, but insects hate it."

Three young witches also walked up from the side, each carrying bags, small water flasks and rope.

"We’ll help too," one of them said. "If something happens, at least someone can run back for help."

Ruby nodded. "Thank you."

Julian held up one of the suits. "It’s so heavy..." he muttered.

"Better heavy than being bitten," Ruby replied. "I’ll wear double if needed."

The old ghost chuckled softly, "You have strong heart. But still, don’t be overconfident. Stay behind me. No noise, no perfume, and keep your skin fully covered."

Ruby nodded and zipped the bag. "One more thing," she said. "We’ll go in my car."

All of them turned to look at her.

"Car??" the youngest witch blinked.

Ruby clicked the remote key, and the doors unlocked with a beep.

"You thought I’d make everyone walk through forest with bags and smoke packs?" she asked, raising her brow.

"You’re too modern," the old ghost muttered, but his eyes were smiling.

The tallest witch chuckled. "I almost cried last night thinking we’d have to walk five hours through forest."

Julian quietly went to open the trunk. "Put everything here," he said softly.

One by one, everyone placed their personal bags inside.

"Alright, let’s change into the suits now," the old ghost said. "You all can change at Leader Kerry’s house. It’s nearby and has space." Ruby nodded, and Julian followed behind her quietly as they walked down the short stony path that led to the village leader’s house.

The wooden house was old but well-kept, with flower pots on the windows and a carved wind chime hanging near the door that made soft sounds as the wind passed.

Leader Kerry stood at the entrance, folding some dried herbs in a basket when she saw them coming. "You’re here," she said, setting her basket aside.

"Come in. You can use the inner room to change." She opened the door fully, letting everyone step inside one by one.

The witches walked ahead and disappeared behind the wooden divider, while Julian waited his turn.

Ruby handed him his suit and whispered, "Don’t forget to tighten the back straps, or they’ll loosen while walking." Julian gave her a small nod and walked in.

After a few minutes, he came back out, now wearing the thick protective suit that looked a bit oversized on him, but still somehow cute.

Ruby smiled as she stepped inside next, taking her own turn to change. The fabric was stiff and heavy, but it felt safe. When she came back out, she saw everyone was already ready and standing outside.

The old ghost was double-checking the herb pouches while the witches tested their mask strings.

Leader Kerry also stepped outside to see them off, her face serious.

"Be careful," she said, her eyes mainly on Ruby. "You’ve done a lot for us, and we don’t want you getting hurt."

Ruby gave a small smile. "We’ll be careful. Thank you for everything."

Kerry nodded and added, "Take this, just in case," and handed her a small red talisman. Ruby accepted it silently and tucked it in her suit pocket.

After they stepped out of Leader Kerry’s house, dressed in their thick safety suits from head to toe, a wave of heat instantly hit their faces. The sun was rising higher now, and the morning mist was almost gone, replaced by the sharp warmth of sunlight baking the air. The suits were already heavy, and the added heat made their necks sweaty within minutes.

"I can’t breathe," one of the witches muttered, pulling off her mask carefully.

"Yeah, we’ll wear it when we reach there," the tall witch said, wiping her forehead. Ruby agreed and pulled down her own mask too, letting the breeze touch her cheeks.

They walked toward the car parked under a tall shade tree, and Ruby opened the doors with a click. Julian went straight to the passenger seat and adjusted the air vents, already sweating a little around his collar. Ruby gave him a glance and laughed, "You’re already tired?"

He smiled lightly. "Just warm. And nervous."

The three witches and the old ghost opened the backseat door and climbed inside, adjusting their legs carefully. Thankfully, one of the witches was very thin and short, almost like a stick figure, and she managed to fit between the old ghost and the younger witch without much problem.

"This seat smells like mint," the tiny witch whispered, sniffing the car seat, and Julian blinked.

"That’s Wife’s perfume," he said, adjusting his seatbelt.

"I sprayed it last week," Ruby said from the driver’s seat as she started the engine. "You remember everything, huh?"

Julian blushed.

As the engine started humming, Ruby rolled down her window a bit and looked into the rearview mirror. "Alright. Show me the way."

The old ghost pointed straight ahead. "Take the road past the dried willow tree, then turn left near the stone lantern. The forest entrance is there."

Ruby nodded, gripping the steering wheel confidently, and the car slowly rolled forward in the sky.

—To be continued...🪄

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