Chapter 21

“ B ijou,” a sultry voice murmured next to my ear. “Eternity looks good on you.”

A shudder tickled my spine as he circled me. “Fuck off, Ankou.”

“Aww. Come on. You’re not still mad, are you?”

“You wanted me dead. I’m dead. Move on with your afterlife.”

“Nah. Things are about to get interesting. I think I’ll stick around a while longer.”

Dread swam laps through my stomach. “I’ll tell Kierce ? —”

“Kierce isn’t the good guy here. Just like I’m not the bad guy. I simply am.”

“An asshole.”

His chuckles lifted the fine hairs down my nape as his presence swirled away like water down a drain.

Long fingers raked through the tangles matting my hair. A dull snag jarred me awake the rest of the way.

The being who stared down at me with universes in his eyes and crushed-diamond skin was so beautiful. I ached to behold him. The silky tips of his hair framed his face, accentuating his sharp cheekbones and a jaw poised to break from gritting his teeth. His silken lips stretched thin, and he radiated an aura of menace that highlighted the dark radiance from his halo. He was glittering and dark and wonderful.

“And he’s mine.”

“I don’t think that last part was meant for public consumption,” a familiar voice teased from behind him.

“Aretha?” I jolted at her presence, twisting to see her better. “How’ve you been?”

Ouch. That hurt. Moving was a bad idea. Every breath caused my chest to twinge.

The faint slur left Kierce primed to jump in, the flex of his muscles as he held himself back a dead giveaway. How had I ever wanted him dimmed? He was so beautiful in his own skin.

“I can’t complain.” She bent over me with a penlight in her hand, prompting me to track it with my eyes. “Business is good.” She appeared satisfied with my reflexes and gripped my wrist between her fingers to check my pulse. “He Who Shall Not Be Named has fully recovered thanks to yours truly. He’s still tender, but he’s not in any danger of springing fresh leaks when he gets out of bed to pee.”

Aware she wouldn’t have shared without his consent, that she was sharing this likely by request, I prompted her. “You’re telling me this why?”

“He wanted to know if you had asked about him.” She peeled the sheet down to my waist. “It’s all pathetic. Very pathetic. Like a kicked-puppy pathetic.” Her fingers ghosted over my chest, and she shook her head. “ But. He did you wrong. He did your family wrong. He did a wrong in every meaning of the word. I respect your right to your feelings. I’m not pushing you to reconcile. I’m just passing along information he wanted you to have in case you care whether he lives or dies. That’s it.”

“You heaped a lot of guilt into that update.”

“Yes, well, I got to thinking after our talk. About how I never dated him. I had a boyfriend then, and Samuel was emotionally unavailable, but that’s not the point. The point is I think I might want to.” She began sterilizing her instruments to pack them away. “We spent so much time together while I was treating Lyle, and he was still flashing this No Vacancy sign in the relationship department, but now you’re with Kierce. And Harrow has burned every romantic bridge you guys ever built between you. I can still smell the kerosene.” She gathered her trash. “So?”

“You get that you don’t have to ask my permission.” I blinked at her. “He’s not my…anything…anymore.”

“But he was your something once, so I wanted to make sure.”

“He’s a big DIY project,” I warned her. “You’re sure you want to take on that much work?”

“I like ’em hot, broken, and pining for someone else.” She spread her hands. “It’s a curse.”

“Well,” I said, tempted to laugh at her eagerness, “now I know why you went into the medical field.”

“So, about that blessing. I have it?”

“You don’t need it but ohmyfuckingGod .” I jerked upright, heart in my throat. “How could I forget?”

“Um.” Aretha frowned at my mad scramble to sit upright in bed. “That would be the painkillers.”

“Painkillers,” I groaned, hating how they allowed memories to seep through the cracks of my subconscious.

“I loaded you up when you wouldn’t stop screaming.” Aretha rattled off her update. “I couldn’t find the source of your injury. I was about to call an ambulance to take you to the hospital?—”

“No hospitals.”

“—but Kierce said it might cause more harm than good.” She put a hand on my shoulder to hold me still. “We stuck your arm in a sock full of dirt, which, okay. Weird. But it did help.”

“Weird sums up my life lately.”

“Since there’s nothing else I can do for you,” Aretha said, checking her smartwatch, “I’ll see myself out. I’m running late for a consultation.”

With a quick wink for me, she gathered her things then exited the apartment.

“Vi has forbidden you from astral travel for the next forty-eight hours minimum.” Kierce, who had yet to unclench his jaw, tossed his lot in with hers. “I agree with her, that you require time to recover.”

“That’s fine.” I finger-combed my hair out of my face. “I need my body for what comes next.”

Concern tightened his lips into a thin line. “What’s that?”

“Keshawn and Tameka cleared us a path. The two of them are trapped behind the ward, sitting on a pile of bones I asked them to protect. I can’t leave them there.” Breaking from him, I rolled off the opposite side of the bed onto my feet. “I need a boost to finish healing myself and then I’m heading to the commune.”

A heartbeat behind me, Kierce growled, “Frankie?—”

“The last thing I saw was Anunit lunging for Keshawn. I stepped in front of her. I have to know if…”

Had I cost Keshawn her life by sticking to my guns? Had the very bones I asked her to find killed her?

“I called Vi and explained the situation,” Kierce cut in. “She retraced your astral trail back to the commune and checked on Keshawn. Anunit wasn’t aiming for her. The Morgan sisters had sensed the disturbance in the ward and stepped out to confront the Ezells. That was who Anunit meant to attack before you got in the way. Anunit wasted no time correcting her error. Rosalie Morgan is dead.”

Today’s tithe had been paid, which meant Anunit had chosen to kill her. Either to protect us, and our plans, from detection or to punish one of the two women responsible for disturbing her slumber.

“Okay.” I puffed out my cheeks. “That doesn’t change the fact I have to go back for the Ezells.”

“How did I know you would say that?” Kierce scooped me into his arms. “Come on.”

“I’ll text Carter.” I linked my arms behind his neck. “We’ll need her witches to tear down the ward now that there’s a weak spot.” Outside, I marveled to find the landing empty. “Where are Matty and Josie?”

“Matty’s on a date, and Josie’s doing laundry at Carter’s.”

“And…what?” Shock zinged down my spine. “You didn’t tell them?”

“You had no visible wounds, and you woke as soon as your soul returned to your body. You were lucid, but you fell asleep within minutes, so I elected to let you rest.” Kierce hit the ground with long strides that carried us to the repaired golf cart. “I called Aretha as a precaution, but there was no reason to panic Matty and Josie.”

Call me crazy, but it almost— almost —sounded like Carter and I were in good company when it came to fearing how my sister reacted to bad news.

“I can drive to the cemetery.” I regretted not bringing my purse with my keys. “We’ll get there faster.”

“No.” He placed me gently on the bench seat then slid behind the wheel. “I’ll drive.”

As Kierce sped out of the parking lot, as much as one could be said to speed in the battered old thing, I was overcome with a warm, fizzing sensation in my middle. “You’re bossy now, huh?”

“Anunit couldn’t harm your physical body. That’s why Aretha couldn’t treat you.” He clamped down on his words then he gathered himself to try again. “Anunit rent your soul .”

“Oh,” I exhaled on a whisper as the implications sank in.

“No one has survived an attack. We assumed she became tangible, made her kill, then returned to her intangible state. Anunit shouldn’t have been able to touch you, let alone harm you.”

“I cast my soul inside the ward,” I reminded him gently. “She’s a soul too.”

“She has a connection with you,” he countered. “I don’t like it.”

“That part is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”

Attention fixed on the road, he made a gesture off to his side that puzzled me until Badb landed on me. I would have grumbled at her choice of turning my head into a perch, but she was disgruntled from what I assumed was Kierce hushing her while he focused on the task before him.

With quiet descending around us, I did as I should have already done and texted Carter.

Can you meet us at the commune?

With your best witches?

Give me thirty to round them up, and we’ll head that way.

The next five minutes of texting solidified our plan of action. Plan A, anyway. Kierce and I were Plan B.

As soon as he and I figured out a Plan B. Or was I on to Plan C now? Like the days, the letters blurred.

Practice had done Kierce good as he pulled into a parking spot beside the restrooms without a problem.

“I’m impressed.” I meant to lean over and kiss his cheek, but a hiss parted my lips. “Owwie.”

“Wait there.” He circled the cart and lifted me into his arms. “I’m sorry in advance.”

Looping my arms behind his neck, I smothered my wince. “For...?”

With me tucked against his chest, he approached the fence. Muscles coiling, he exhaled softly then leapt the gate. He landed hard, jarring my teeth and igniting a twinge in my chest, but we made it in one piece. As soon as he checked me over, he set me down, allowing me to choose my own recharging point.

Between the two, Bonaventure Landing had more space, so we stepped over the rope onto the grass. Sweat dampened my palms, reminding me I broke rules in Bonaventure often, but I did it after everyone had left for the day.

“Hey.” I rubbed my fingers together. “That reminds me. The sock dirt? It came from Bonaventure?”

“From Elmo.” A faint smile played across his lips. “He was closer.”

“And it worked?”

“In a pinch,” he said, after a brief deliberation. “Straight from the source is best.”

“Huh.” I considered how that might work, Elmo being a god tree and all. “Good to know.”

With Elmo a finite resource, I would avoid using him to replenish myself except in emergencies.

“I’ll stand watch.” Kierce remained just this side of the rope fence. “You can do this.”

With his endorsement ringing in my ears, I located a promising patch of bare earth, for fear I would harm any nearby vegetation, and sat with my legs folded under me. I rested my palms on the dirt, letting the grit anchor me.

Nervous energy spurred me into the hymn Kierce had taught me, and he joined in after the chorus, helping slow me down. Energies had tickled my fingertips on contact, but they stung as our voices drew magic up into me. The faint burn settled into a comfortable warmth as it spread through me, healing me, and my heart kicked up a notch as the surge of strength hit my bloodstream like adrenaline.

This was nothing like cleansing the polluted area around Ankou’s tree. This was different from the first time I fed on Bonaventure soil too. This far in, nestled among the graves, felt like a hot cup of cocoa on a cold night or a fuzzy blanket in winter. This was a roaring fire while it sleeted outside. This felt right .

That intangible quality that had been tender dulled to a twinge and then to blessed nothingness.

Juiced and ready to go, I led Kierce to the nearest exit and climbed over the gate while he hovered behind me with his arms outstretched in case a fresh pang caused me to slip.

We reached the golf cart, and Kierce insisted on helping me in before driving us back to the shop.

“Where did Badb go?” I searched the skies. “She ditched us at the side gate.”

“She’s pouting.” He kept his eyes forward. “She claims a shipment of crickets arrived at the Dinkel’s.”

“For fishing?” I didn’t know them but recognized the name from running past their mailbox. “Or…?”

“They breed small reptiles.” He flexed his fingers. “They caught her carrying off their box and fired table salt at her from a pest control gun.” He exhaled through his nose. “They’ll never know peace now.”

“Harsh.” I clucked my tongue, absolutely not considering the merits of a pest control gun that worked on thieving crows. “They should have let her have the crickets. It would have been cheaper in the long run.”

As Mittens and his owners had discovered since Badb moved in.

After Kierce parked his ride near the garage, we switched out vehicles. I didn’t even have to jog up the stairs to retrieve my purse or keys. He did it for me.

There were definite perks to having a boyfriend.

Especially one whose backside looked that good while running errands.