Read Online Against a Brightening Sky by Jaime Lee Moyer - Free Book Online

relieved and grateful that he could relax at home and had fallen asleep so easily. The wards and boundaries on the house were stronger than I’d hoped. Even after four years, they still served well to keep all but the most determined spirits from entering his bedroom.
    â€œDetermined” was the only word to describe the princess ghost. She’d followed me here, just as she’d followed me all day. I’d discovered her image in the corner of a silver picture frame and in the small mirror hanging near the door. She watched as I got Connor settled, interested and aware, and noting my every move. As long as she didn’t disturb his rest, I was content to let her be, at least for now. Mustering the energy necessary to send her away would be difficult at best.
    I sat in the rocker next to Connor’s small bed, one hand resting lightly on his back, and studied her. Whether it was a mask donned to show the members of court I couldn’t say, but she carried herself with a confidence instilled in royals from birth. She’d been sure of who she was, of her future and the path laid out for her. I didn’t sense any arrogance, or any hint that the princess had looked down on people of a lesser station. Death had come for her suddenly, a surprise, cutting short the dreams she’d had for herself.
    That was a sad thing to realize. We all had hopes and dreams.
    The princess observed me in turn, calm and placid in a way I’d rarely seen in such a strong ghost. Normally strong spirits were disruptive, inserting themselves into the world of the living and imposing their will on anyone unable to resist. People had gone mad under the combined onslaught of a ghost’s focused anger and pressure to do as the spirit bade. Some minds had never recovered after being broken. I counted it a blessing she appeared to have no interest in Connor.
    But it occurred to me that the princess wasn’t here because of Connor’s sensitivity to spirits. I became more sure of that the longer I looked into her eyes. She wanted something of me, desired I deliver a message or fulfill a task she couldn’t perform herself. I’d learned through hard-won experience that the princess, like all ghosts, would persist until I found a way to banish her or the task was completed.
    I was nothing more than a means to get what she wanted, a tool to be used and discarded. The truth of that nestled into my bones. She’d warned me before the shooting started not out of any sense of altruism or concern for my welfare, but for reasons of her own. Not the least of those reasons was that I’d be useless to her dead.
    â€œWho are you, spirit? Where did you come from?” My words were little more than a whisper, but I knew she’d hear. I’d no hope she’d answer. “And why come to me? I can’t imagine what use I’d be to royalty. Those who knew you or might have cared for you are on the other side of the world. Europe is a long way from San Francisco.”
    Curiosity about who the princess had been and where she’d lived warred with my good sense. Much as I wanted to know why she’d sought me out, I couldn’t take the risk of letting down my guard. She’d shown no interest in Connor as of yet, but that couldn’t last. His safety was more important than seeking answers to my questions.
    The flurry of Dora’s arrival sounded from downstairs, complete with flirtatious greetings for the officers on guard. Living with Randy Dodd had ended her quest to conquer the hearts of all the officers in Gabe’s squad, but nothing would keep her from flirting. Still, I heard the strain in her voice.
    â€œBe a dear, Charlie, and hang up my coat. Where is Mrs. Ryan?”
    Officer Finlay’s voice echoed in the entryway. “She’s upstairs with the lieutenant’s little boy. Any word from the hospital?”
    I could imagine Dora shaking her head and touching his arm before