Chapter 9

Nine

I know I'm dreaming as soon as the chill creeps over me.

And for the moment, I don't even try to wake.

Aphrodite is there in the shadows… a vague and broken memory of the woman she'd once been.

Every time I try to see her clearly, she shifts, like a mirage. There and not, all at once.

"What do you want? Answer me ."

The question draws her forward, a command that clarifies this dreamspace is mine. She isn't the one who holds the power here.

Her head rests on her shoulder, and I might think it was a curious tilt… if half of the flesh that would hold it upright wasn't gone. "I wasn't done yet."

The words come without even a twitch of her lips, but her eyes burn like dark coals.

"That is a spell you'll never get to finish."

With a scream that slices through me, Aphrodite's ghost flies forward.

"Hush," Chase whispers against my hair and I wake fully on an inhale.

The ice thaws.

Wrapped in his arms, I'm toasty warm, but I know it's not comfort that led me here.

"Did I try to take another walk?" I ask, holding him closer.

He readjusts in the armchair and then presses a kiss to the top of my head. "You did. The wolves woke me up."

Again, they're more corporeal than I've ever seen them.

A quick glance at the mantle tells me what time it is. "She tried to use the witching hour to boost her power."

"How do we help stop this?" He pulls a blanket up, tucking me in.

"I'll get back to reading tomorrow."

"That's not what I asked."

"I don't know what you could do." I don't like it and I snuggle against him more tightly.

"Maybe we should be reading too? Not the things you'll be looking at, but… anything to help us understand? Google is not as helpful as we'd hoped."

I can't imagine it would be.

"I'll see what I can find tomorrow."

He nods, the movement jiggling my head too. "Thomas will definitely be keeping an eye on you when the rest of us can't be here."

"Even if I can take care of myself, I'm glad you guys are around."

"We aren't going risk anything happening now that we've found you. Not even with the wolves."

And I won't let anything happen to them either.