teardrop in the corner of his eye seemed all too real. “You almost got yourself killed for that?”
“They have to be together,” I told him, my voice stronger now that I could breathe and wasn’t being tortured by a thousand dog bites. I wanted to hold Levi and put my head on his shoulder and beg for Miss Sally and Decker, but I was poison to him. My touch brought Levi nothing but blisters and misery.
“It won’t matter,” he told me, his voice heavy with the same sadness I saw on his face. “When they cross over, they’ll forget or they won’t. Being together won’t make any difference.”
I held his gaze. “It’ll make a difference to them.”
Seconds passed. Then more seconds.
“Grant him asylum,” I said, thinking about the irony of where we were and what I was asking Levi to consider. “Don’t make him cross over until Sally finds him.”
Levi closed his eyes, then opened them. “This really means so much to you?”
“It does.”
“Enough to make a deal with me?”
“Don’t do it,” Decker shouted from next to the door. “That’s a bargain with the devil, girl!”
Hounds growled and snapped, and Decker fell silent as Levi’s dark eyes captured mine. He was sitting so close to me I almost couldn’t stand it. “I won’t hurt you. Can you trust me that much?”
I thought about it, then let out a slow breath. “Yes.”
“Then here’s my bargain. Decker stays and waits, and I help him cross over with Sally. You can watch to be sure I’m true to my word.” Levi paused, gazing at me so intently that I wanted to look away, but also never wanted to look away. Could he mesmerize people and steal their will?
Did I care?
“For your part, you’ll spend a little time with Imogene and do some learning,” he said, “and we’ll see if we can figure out what kind of power you have—because you definitely have some.”
Once more, I thought about his words. Deals like this always had hidden meanings, didn’t they? Traps to snare the idiot who made them, sure that they knew what they were doing.
I didn’t have any clue what I was doing. I freely admitted that. But it didn’t sound like Levi was asking for too much.
“You think I can do whatever Imogene does?” I said. “You think I’m whatever she is?”
Levi nodded. “Somebody knew about that, and tried to hide you. They must have had reasons. Whether they meant you good or evil, we have to figure that out.”
“All right,” I said. “One more condition, and I’ll make your bargain.”
Levi’s brows lifted. He obviously wasn’t used to people negotiating with him, but if I was handing over any part of my will or freedom, it would be on my own terms.
“Get rid of the dogs and the geese,” I said. “I don’t want Miss Sally’s spirit scared out of its wits.”
“Forest—”
I cut him off. “My way, or no deal. You can cross them over without all this.” I waved at the stardust. “Low drama. Got me?”
Levi hesitated. I could tell he was truly worried about something. My safety? His own? But a few seconds later, he lowered his head and yielded with a quiet, “Okay.”
“Then you have a bargain. Do we have to seal it in blood or something?”
He raised his head, his face only an inch from mine, his black eyes bright with amusement. “No. Anybody who breaks a promise to me crumbles to dust on the spot.”
He was kidding.
I knew he was.
Right?
“What did you do, Forest?” Decker Greenway sounded desperate and sad. “You shouldn’t have—”
He stopped talking, turning toward the hall that led to thegeriatric ward. He walked forward a step, heedless of the growling hounds.
My heart stuttered, and tears blurred my vision. There was only one thing that would get Decker’s attention like that, and it was sad and magnificent, wonderful wrapped in awful. I didn’t know whether to cry or shout with joy.
As I stood, the tears won out, followed by fear and shivers and a few hard seconds of talking
“They have to be together,” I told him, my voice stronger now that I could breathe and wasn’t being tortured by a thousand dog bites. I wanted to hold Levi and put my head on his shoulder and beg for Miss Sally and Decker, but I was poison to him. My touch brought Levi nothing but blisters and misery.
“It won’t matter,” he told me, his voice heavy with the same sadness I saw on his face. “When they cross over, they’ll forget or they won’t. Being together won’t make any difference.”
I held his gaze. “It’ll make a difference to them.”
Seconds passed. Then more seconds.
“Grant him asylum,” I said, thinking about the irony of where we were and what I was asking Levi to consider. “Don’t make him cross over until Sally finds him.”
Levi closed his eyes, then opened them. “This really means so much to you?”
“It does.”
“Enough to make a deal with me?”
“Don’t do it,” Decker shouted from next to the door. “That’s a bargain with the devil, girl!”
Hounds growled and snapped, and Decker fell silent as Levi’s dark eyes captured mine. He was sitting so close to me I almost couldn’t stand it. “I won’t hurt you. Can you trust me that much?”
I thought about it, then let out a slow breath. “Yes.”
“Then here’s my bargain. Decker stays and waits, and I help him cross over with Sally. You can watch to be sure I’m true to my word.” Levi paused, gazing at me so intently that I wanted to look away, but also never wanted to look away. Could he mesmerize people and steal their will?
Did I care?
“For your part, you’ll spend a little time with Imogene and do some learning,” he said, “and we’ll see if we can figure out what kind of power you have—because you definitely have some.”
Once more, I thought about his words. Deals like this always had hidden meanings, didn’t they? Traps to snare the idiot who made them, sure that they knew what they were doing.
I didn’t have any clue what I was doing. I freely admitted that. But it didn’t sound like Levi was asking for too much.
“You think I can do whatever Imogene does?” I said. “You think I’m whatever she is?”
Levi nodded. “Somebody knew about that, and tried to hide you. They must have had reasons. Whether they meant you good or evil, we have to figure that out.”
“All right,” I said. “One more condition, and I’ll make your bargain.”
Levi’s brows lifted. He obviously wasn’t used to people negotiating with him, but if I was handing over any part of my will or freedom, it would be on my own terms.
“Get rid of the dogs and the geese,” I said. “I don’t want Miss Sally’s spirit scared out of its wits.”
“Forest—”
I cut him off. “My way, or no deal. You can cross them over without all this.” I waved at the stardust. “Low drama. Got me?”
Levi hesitated. I could tell he was truly worried about something. My safety? His own? But a few seconds later, he lowered his head and yielded with a quiet, “Okay.”
“Then you have a bargain. Do we have to seal it in blood or something?”
He raised his head, his face only an inch from mine, his black eyes bright with amusement. “No. Anybody who breaks a promise to me crumbles to dust on the spot.”
He was kidding.
I knew he was.
Right?
“What did you do, Forest?” Decker Greenway sounded desperate and sad. “You shouldn’t have—”
He stopped talking, turning toward the hall that led to thegeriatric ward. He walked forward a step, heedless of the growling hounds.
My heart stuttered, and tears blurred my vision. There was only one thing that would get Decker’s attention like that, and it was sad and magnificent, wonderful wrapped in awful. I didn’t know whether to cry or shout with joy.
As I stood, the tears won out, followed by fear and shivers and a few hard seconds of talking
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