of Radcliff put a curse on the man himself. As for Radcliff, they say he froze to death in the snow while trying to escape the town.”
Angelica took it in and felt pain and pity for the people of the town—all dead because of one man’s greed and elitism. It was horrible to think about it, and she felt her heart ache for them.
She took another step forward and her foot disappeared deeper into the snow, her ankle twisting in a hole that she hadn’t seen because it was covered.
She cried out and went down, her arms pin wheeling as she tried to catch her balance. In the next instant, Angelica was face down in the snow.
She felt a warm hand around her upper arm as Colt helped her up. It caused a tingle of pleasure, and she hid the shiver of need that raced through her body. Spluttering and disgusted, she sat in the snow and wiped it off her face.
“You need to watch your footing.” He sounded angry.
“Shut up. I just face planted in the snow, so I’m not in the mood for your grumpy ass.” She opened one eye and looked at him, expecting a glower, and was shocked when she saw his lips curled in a breath-taking smile.
“Face planted? Exactly what were you watching when you watched this realm.”
Angelica chose not to answer him and tried to stand, wincing a bit at the pain in her ankle.
“Is it broken or sprained?” he asked as he lifted her up.
“A little sprained, but nothing I can’t handle.” She lifted her chin and dusted snow off her robes.
“You sure? We wouldn’t want you to face plant again, yeah?”
He was laughing at her, the jerk. “I thought you were supposed to be breaking the trail.”
“I was, and you wouldn’t have fallen if you’d stuck to it.”
He was still smiling and she wanted to punch him in the face. Mortification made her feel hot all of a sudden.
“Oh—just go stomp some snow down. I’m right behind you.”
“You are entertaining when you’re all mad, like a wet, spitting kitten.”
“Shut up, Colt.” She glared at him and he must have had enough of teasing her because he turned. It was obvious that he was still amused and started walking ahead of her again.
They walked for a while longer, the outline of what was left of the mine growing larger as they went. Angelica didn’t know if it was because the story was still fresh in her mind, or if it was because she was being a big scaredy cat, but she swore they weren’t alone.
They were still hearing the wolf howls, closer and closer, but Colt didn’t seem worried. It wasn’t the wolves howling that was freaking her out, though. Angelica felt something else, something like the feeling Michael had given her when he appeared to her in the house, but this was much worse. Intense and deep, the cold was more than the wind and snow. It was bone deep and chilling, and she felt her steps falter.
Dizzy, Angelica put her hand to her head and told herself to suck it up. The sooner they were gone from the mine, the sooner she’d stop being scared of ghosts that weren’t there. It was a story and it couldn’t be true. Colt had been trying to scare her—that had to be it.
Oh, yeah? Explain Michael, then?
She had to admit it was a valid argument. If Michael was around and he was a ghost, then there had to be more ghosts.
She saw something flicker in her peripheral vision. Her head snapped in that direction, but there was nothing.
Angelica frowned and took another step. Something flickered again, this time on both sides. She couldn’t move fast enough to see both.
A wolf howled right in the tree line nearest them.
“Colt…”
Chapter Seven
Colt tensed a moment before Geli spoke his name. Something was wrong. There was something that felt colder than the ambient temperature of the air around them, even with the wind blowing, an unnamed presence.
He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and turned around taking a large step toward Angelica.
She screamed, her whole body going stiff as if
Angelica took it in and felt pain and pity for the people of the town—all dead because of one man’s greed and elitism. It was horrible to think about it, and she felt her heart ache for them.
She took another step forward and her foot disappeared deeper into the snow, her ankle twisting in a hole that she hadn’t seen because it was covered.
She cried out and went down, her arms pin wheeling as she tried to catch her balance. In the next instant, Angelica was face down in the snow.
She felt a warm hand around her upper arm as Colt helped her up. It caused a tingle of pleasure, and she hid the shiver of need that raced through her body. Spluttering and disgusted, she sat in the snow and wiped it off her face.
“You need to watch your footing.” He sounded angry.
“Shut up. I just face planted in the snow, so I’m not in the mood for your grumpy ass.” She opened one eye and looked at him, expecting a glower, and was shocked when she saw his lips curled in a breath-taking smile.
“Face planted? Exactly what were you watching when you watched this realm.”
Angelica chose not to answer him and tried to stand, wincing a bit at the pain in her ankle.
“Is it broken or sprained?” he asked as he lifted her up.
“A little sprained, but nothing I can’t handle.” She lifted her chin and dusted snow off her robes.
“You sure? We wouldn’t want you to face plant again, yeah?”
He was laughing at her, the jerk. “I thought you were supposed to be breaking the trail.”
“I was, and you wouldn’t have fallen if you’d stuck to it.”
He was still smiling and she wanted to punch him in the face. Mortification made her feel hot all of a sudden.
“Oh—just go stomp some snow down. I’m right behind you.”
“You are entertaining when you’re all mad, like a wet, spitting kitten.”
“Shut up, Colt.” She glared at him and he must have had enough of teasing her because he turned. It was obvious that he was still amused and started walking ahead of her again.
They walked for a while longer, the outline of what was left of the mine growing larger as they went. Angelica didn’t know if it was because the story was still fresh in her mind, or if it was because she was being a big scaredy cat, but she swore they weren’t alone.
They were still hearing the wolf howls, closer and closer, but Colt didn’t seem worried. It wasn’t the wolves howling that was freaking her out, though. Angelica felt something else, something like the feeling Michael had given her when he appeared to her in the house, but this was much worse. Intense and deep, the cold was more than the wind and snow. It was bone deep and chilling, and she felt her steps falter.
Dizzy, Angelica put her hand to her head and told herself to suck it up. The sooner they were gone from the mine, the sooner she’d stop being scared of ghosts that weren’t there. It was a story and it couldn’t be true. Colt had been trying to scare her—that had to be it.
Oh, yeah? Explain Michael, then?
She had to admit it was a valid argument. If Michael was around and he was a ghost, then there had to be more ghosts.
She saw something flicker in her peripheral vision. Her head snapped in that direction, but there was nothing.
Angelica frowned and took another step. Something flickered again, this time on both sides. She couldn’t move fast enough to see both.
A wolf howled right in the tree line nearest them.
“Colt…”
Chapter Seven
Colt tensed a moment before Geli spoke his name. Something was wrong. There was something that felt colder than the ambient temperature of the air around them, even with the wind blowing, an unnamed presence.
He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and turned around taking a large step toward Angelica.
She screamed, her whole body going stiff as if
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