official report
stated. But Mildred was convinced that old woman, Morgana, had been the
killer’s second victim. I’d never met Morgana—she’d died before I admitted
myself—but Mildred had. If Mildred was right and the woman had been
murdered, then it made sense that her spirit would be trapped here. And when I’d
been vulnerable, that spirit possessed me.
Luke nodded. “Mildred recognized Morgana as soon
as she took you over.”
When he finally let me go, I took a step back and
gazed into his face. I wondered how long it would take me to get used to the
way he looked now. Gone was the blond hair and chiseled face. The face I was
looking into belonged to an attractive stranger. But then again…it didn’t. The
expression in his eyes, his voice, and the way he moved… Luke was in there. He
was with me again, and that was the only thing that mattered.
I reached up and touched his lips. “You’re
walking.”
He gave me a wide smile. “I didn't have a lot to
distract me during your little vacation. It’s been hard work, but I'm slowly
building up my strength. My body’s getting stronger every day.” A dark shadow
passed over his face. “His body.”
I reached out and grasped his hand. “ Your body. You've every right to take
it. He was an empty vessel. You know Dean never made it back after the ritual.
You’re the one who told me how dangerous the rituals are and how people get lost sometimes. Dean was lost .”
The insane were the easiest to control, Luke had
said. That’s why Walter brought me here. We’d been intent on finding someone,
but not just anyone—Walter knew about Dean’s family. He told me how Dean
became lost during the second ritual—the possession. Dean had gone
through the ritual, but he’d been overpowered by a spirit. He never made it
back. Even after his family finally banished the spirit, Dean didn’t return. He
was an empty vessel, and I took advantage.
I did the ritual Walter taught me to bind Luke’s
spirit to Dean’s body. I’d used the enchanted medallion and brought Luke back.
But something went wrong. Luke now lived within
Dean, but he’d only been able to come out during the witching hour, when the
world was quiet and people slept. It was the only time so far that Luke could
bring himself forth and truly possess all of Dean’s faculties. I’d been trying
to find a way to help Luke stay at the surface permanently before my unplanned possession.
Luke pulled his hand out of mine and clenched both
hands into fists. “It feels wrong to be here like this. You should have left me
in between—” I flinched back as though he had struck me. Doesn’t he want to be with me?
He must have seen something in my expression
because he reached out and pulled me into his arms. For a long moment we stood
together, my head resting against his chest. I could hear his heart beating.
He whispered in my ear. “Colina, I love you. I
think I’ve loved you ever since you first walked into my uncle’s magic shop.”
Surprised by his words, I pulled back. I knew he
loved me, but to hear him say he loved me back then, when we first met… Was it
true? I looked into his gray eyes. The flame I saw within them now was not
stirred by anger.
“If I remember correctly, you wanted to throw me
out into the street,” I teased.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I knew
you were trouble the minute I set eyes on you.” I started to laugh before his
expression turned serious. “But I also knew from the moment I saw you that I
was a goner. You pulled at my heart then—you know you have my whole heart
now.”
“Love at first sight?” I gave a loud guffaw. “You
plied me with questions for hours.”
His right hand came up and rested on his chest,
covering his heart. “I swear to you, something powerful happened the first time
I laid eyes on you—at least for me. That doesn’t mean I was happy about
it.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “I gave you such a hard time
stated. But Mildred was convinced that old woman, Morgana, had been the
killer’s second victim. I’d never met Morgana—she’d died before I admitted
myself—but Mildred had. If Mildred was right and the woman had been
murdered, then it made sense that her spirit would be trapped here. And when I’d
been vulnerable, that spirit possessed me.
Luke nodded. “Mildred recognized Morgana as soon
as she took you over.”
When he finally let me go, I took a step back and
gazed into his face. I wondered how long it would take me to get used to the
way he looked now. Gone was the blond hair and chiseled face. The face I was
looking into belonged to an attractive stranger. But then again…it didn’t. The
expression in his eyes, his voice, and the way he moved… Luke was in there. He
was with me again, and that was the only thing that mattered.
I reached up and touched his lips. “You’re
walking.”
He gave me a wide smile. “I didn't have a lot to
distract me during your little vacation. It’s been hard work, but I'm slowly
building up my strength. My body’s getting stronger every day.” A dark shadow
passed over his face. “His body.”
I reached out and grasped his hand. “ Your body. You've every right to take
it. He was an empty vessel. You know Dean never made it back after the ritual.
You’re the one who told me how dangerous the rituals are and how people get lost sometimes. Dean was lost .”
The insane were the easiest to control, Luke had
said. That’s why Walter brought me here. We’d been intent on finding someone,
but not just anyone—Walter knew about Dean’s family. He told me how Dean
became lost during the second ritual—the possession. Dean had gone
through the ritual, but he’d been overpowered by a spirit. He never made it
back. Even after his family finally banished the spirit, Dean didn’t return. He
was an empty vessel, and I took advantage.
I did the ritual Walter taught me to bind Luke’s
spirit to Dean’s body. I’d used the enchanted medallion and brought Luke back.
But something went wrong. Luke now lived within
Dean, but he’d only been able to come out during the witching hour, when the
world was quiet and people slept. It was the only time so far that Luke could
bring himself forth and truly possess all of Dean’s faculties. I’d been trying
to find a way to help Luke stay at the surface permanently before my unplanned possession.
Luke pulled his hand out of mine and clenched both
hands into fists. “It feels wrong to be here like this. You should have left me
in between—” I flinched back as though he had struck me. Doesn’t he want to be with me?
He must have seen something in my expression
because he reached out and pulled me into his arms. For a long moment we stood
together, my head resting against his chest. I could hear his heart beating.
He whispered in my ear. “Colina, I love you. I
think I’ve loved you ever since you first walked into my uncle’s magic shop.”
Surprised by his words, I pulled back. I knew he
loved me, but to hear him say he loved me back then, when we first met… Was it
true? I looked into his gray eyes. The flame I saw within them now was not
stirred by anger.
“If I remember correctly, you wanted to throw me
out into the street,” I teased.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I knew
you were trouble the minute I set eyes on you.” I started to laugh before his
expression turned serious. “But I also knew from the moment I saw you that I
was a goner. You pulled at my heart then—you know you have my whole heart
now.”
“Love at first sight?” I gave a loud guffaw. “You
plied me with questions for hours.”
His right hand came up and rested on his chest,
covering his heart. “I swear to you, something powerful happened the first time
I laid eyes on you—at least for me. That doesn’t mean I was happy about
it.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “I gave you such a hard time
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