him, I could very well be putting his life at risk. Would I be able to control myself? It had been the very reason I had wanted to leave my house and go outdoors- to put a buffer between us.
“Well?” he raised an eyebrow. “I won’t bite.”
“But maybe I will,” I muttered, as I put my hand within his.
“Promises, promises,” he grinned. And I had to smile. His sense of humor was as contagious as his bright smile. He had most definitely inherited his father’s legendary charm.
I focused on controlling myself as we followed the winding trail toward the edge of the bluffs. As I concentrated on my internal battle, the scenery around me blended together and my feet moved forward on autopilot. But I knew when we arrived. Besides the stillness and sense of hallowed ground that surrounded us, there were spirits everywhere.
Large stone blocks were scattered around us, half embedded in the ground. Partial walls stood here and there, with moss growing on them. The sand from the bluffs blew against the stones, drifting from the wind. Trees stood around us, all the way to the edge of the bluffs, which overlooked the water. It was a beautiful and haunting place.
And most certainly haunted.
A girl, incredibly pale, sat hunched over on a nearby stone. I tried not to make eye-contact, but inevitably, our eyes met. Hers widened and she lunged to her feet, her sheer dress fluttering around her as she clutched at her chest.
“You can see me!” she exclaimed, turning around to look at the other spirits. “She can see us!”
I tried to ignore her as she flitted to my side, her long hair flowing behind her.
“I know you can see me!” she cried, her fingers chillingly cold as she grasped my arm. She had learned to touch solid objects so she had been around for a while.
While Brennan’s back was turned as he set up the picnic, I shook my head quickly at the ghost, trying to convey the message that she should leave me alone. But she didn’t take the hint.
“How do we leave here?” she asked, a growing tone of desperation in her voice. “I just want to leave. Can you help us?”
I was puzzled. How were they trapped here? Traveling to the Underworld was easy after you died. The other spirits were converging upon me and I tried to tune out their cries and questions as Brennan turned back to me.
“Ready to eat?” he motioned at his picnic spread.
He had done well for a single guy, I had to admit. He had even brought a daisy in a little vase. It was hard to concentrate with the ghostly prattling of the spirits chattering around me, but I managed to tune them out by focusing with laser precision on Brennan’s face. Pretending that I had blinders on, I stared directly into his eyes.
I nodded. “Yes. I’m starving.”
Lucky for me, I could eat any kind of food that I wanted with no ill effect. But it wouldn’t nourish me. Only mortal blood could do that.
Sinking onto the soft blanket that Brennan had spread onto the ground, I waited while he sat beside me and during the short pause, I wondered what to say to him. How much should I explain?
He turned and the sun shone down through a break in the tree-tops, shimmering through the gold tones in his hair. He was practically radiant and I could see why mortal women had found Apollo irresistible over the years. I swallowed hard.
“There is nothing I’d rather do than take you into my arms right now,” he began, running one finger lightly along the inside of my forearm. “But I really need some answers right now and I have a feeling that you have them. Can we please talk?”
I swallowed again. I had to admire how calm he was. Putting myself into his shoes, I didn’t think that I would be even half as collected as he was. I nodded.
“Yes,” I murmured. “But I doubt you will like what I have to say.”
“That’s alright,” he replied confidently. “It doesn’t
“Well?” he raised an eyebrow. “I won’t bite.”
“But maybe I will,” I muttered, as I put my hand within his.
“Promises, promises,” he grinned. And I had to smile. His sense of humor was as contagious as his bright smile. He had most definitely inherited his father’s legendary charm.
I focused on controlling myself as we followed the winding trail toward the edge of the bluffs. As I concentrated on my internal battle, the scenery around me blended together and my feet moved forward on autopilot. But I knew when we arrived. Besides the stillness and sense of hallowed ground that surrounded us, there were spirits everywhere.
Large stone blocks were scattered around us, half embedded in the ground. Partial walls stood here and there, with moss growing on them. The sand from the bluffs blew against the stones, drifting from the wind. Trees stood around us, all the way to the edge of the bluffs, which overlooked the water. It was a beautiful and haunting place.
And most certainly haunted.
A girl, incredibly pale, sat hunched over on a nearby stone. I tried not to make eye-contact, but inevitably, our eyes met. Hers widened and she lunged to her feet, her sheer dress fluttering around her as she clutched at her chest.
“You can see me!” she exclaimed, turning around to look at the other spirits. “She can see us!”
I tried to ignore her as she flitted to my side, her long hair flowing behind her.
“I know you can see me!” she cried, her fingers chillingly cold as she grasped my arm. She had learned to touch solid objects so she had been around for a while.
While Brennan’s back was turned as he set up the picnic, I shook my head quickly at the ghost, trying to convey the message that she should leave me alone. But she didn’t take the hint.
“How do we leave here?” she asked, a growing tone of desperation in her voice. “I just want to leave. Can you help us?”
I was puzzled. How were they trapped here? Traveling to the Underworld was easy after you died. The other spirits were converging upon me and I tried to tune out their cries and questions as Brennan turned back to me.
“Ready to eat?” he motioned at his picnic spread.
He had done well for a single guy, I had to admit. He had even brought a daisy in a little vase. It was hard to concentrate with the ghostly prattling of the spirits chattering around me, but I managed to tune them out by focusing with laser precision on Brennan’s face. Pretending that I had blinders on, I stared directly into his eyes.
I nodded. “Yes. I’m starving.”
Lucky for me, I could eat any kind of food that I wanted with no ill effect. But it wouldn’t nourish me. Only mortal blood could do that.
Sinking onto the soft blanket that Brennan had spread onto the ground, I waited while he sat beside me and during the short pause, I wondered what to say to him. How much should I explain?
He turned and the sun shone down through a break in the tree-tops, shimmering through the gold tones in his hair. He was practically radiant and I could see why mortal women had found Apollo irresistible over the years. I swallowed hard.
“There is nothing I’d rather do than take you into my arms right now,” he began, running one finger lightly along the inside of my forearm. “But I really need some answers right now and I have a feeling that you have them. Can we please talk?”
I swallowed again. I had to admire how calm he was. Putting myself into his shoes, I didn’t think that I would be even half as collected as he was. I nodded.
“Yes,” I murmured. “But I doubt you will like what I have to say.”
“That’s alright,” he replied confidently. “It doesn’t
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