Breathing in his scent, I relaxed and almost forgot the world around me…until I felt Julie’s gaze on me. Even though I should’ve been used to sensing ghosts by now, a cold shudder ran down my back. It wasn’t malice that mirrored in her eyes, but it wasn’t happiness for us either. And how could I blame her? When death came to claim her physical body, it also took with it any chance of finding love again.
Out of respect for the pain she must be going through, I put some space between Aidan and me, and cleared my throat.
Aidan frowned and his grip around my hand tightened. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s here, isn’t she? That ghost chick, Julie,” Kieran said, glancing around. “Where is she?”
A smile lit up Julie’s face. She definitely had a crush on Kieran. I raised my chin slightly and pointed. “To the left by the table.”
“She can listen in if she wants to,” Kieran said. “Just make her stand by the window or something.”
“Are you scared?” I teased.
“Well, it was different in a public place, but now we’re all trapped in a room. You’ve got to admit that’s a little freaky.”
“Yeah, it’s awkward with you two hanging around all the time,” Julie said, pointing at Aidan and me. She inched closer until she hovered in mid-air inches away from Kieran, the black fog around her feet gathering around him like a cocoon. “Tell him I don’t bite…unless he wants me to.”
“She says she doesn’t bite…unless you want her to.” I smiled as Aidan rolled his eyes.
“You just don’t get it, do you?” Kieran said. “I don’t want her drooling all over me while I take a shower—naked. I demand a little privacy because, when women see me without my clothes on, well, let’s just say they can’t help themselves.”
“You wish.” I laughed. The sad thing about Kieran was that he really thought he was God’s gift to the female population.
“I kid you not.” Kieran sat up, wide-eyed, and shook his head. “Last time I was in London on bounty hunter business I had to check into a hotel. I didn’t notice the open curtains—”
“You left them open on purpose,” Aidan cut in.
Kieran continued, ignoring him. “Imagine me taking a shower when the phone rings—”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Aidan whispered in my ear.
My lips twitched as I squeezed his hand to quiet him and tuned back into Kieran’s sordid story.
“—so I hurry to answer it. She must’ve seen me naked from the opposite building because five minutes later there’s a knock on my door and this chick basically throws herself at me.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “I’m wondering how much of that story’s true.”
“All of it,” Kieran said. “I’m like a magnet or something. One of a kind.”
A glance at Julie’s adoring stare told me she more than likely believed every word he said.
“Now that we’ve established Kieran’s attractiveness,” Aidan muttered, “we need to devise a plan to get Morganefaire’s support. Solving Julie’s murder might help us gain their trust.”
“I say we include Blake, and then we can have a big party where everybody gets drunk and we can all bond,” I said, not really meaning the last part. Aidan’s hard stare made me shrug. “What? I know you’re worried about his secret, but no one will be able to prove anything. Besides, we need allies. Without him, I’d be dead so that makes him no worse than anyone else out there.”
Aidan nodded, seemingly considering my words. “Okay, but if he so much as lays a finger on you, he’s dead.”
Our fingers intertwined and he shot me a broad smile. I knew he meant his threat and was only trying to make it look like it was merely a joke so it wouldn’t upset me. I wanted them to get along again because I knew how much it meant to both of them.
“The Blue Moon is in a couple days. We don’t have time for solving Julie’s murder, wasting our time negotiating with the Council, and preparing our brethren for war.” Kieran leaned back against the sofa with a sigh. “If only there were five of me.”
I peered from him to Julie who hovered next to him, her ghostly fingers brushing his dark hair, her eyes shining dreamily. She had to go—and pronto—because she kept distracting me. He was right, there were too many things to do. We had to split up. “I’ll solve the mystery. You guys focus on the Council,” I said. “I’ll start with the people she grew up with, such as her parents. Maybe someone knows who’d kill her.”
Aidan shook his head. “That’s a dead end. Keeping the parents’ identity a secret is a huge deal in Morganefaire. You’re more likely to win the lottery.”
“I didn’t have any enemies,” Julie said. “Everyone liked me.”
“A jealous friend, maybe?” I asked her. She shook her head, wide-eyed.
“Right.” I bit my lip, thinking of alternatives, and turned back to Aidan. “We could question who found her. They might’ve noticed something.”
“I’m sure Blake did that already,” he said. “That’s about the first thing anyone would do.”
“We need something else,” Kieran said. “Anything to get us started at this point. Did she say anything to you?”
I bit my lower lip as I recalled my meeting with Julie. In the short time span, I barely got to ask a question. The only hint I had was that for some reason the reaper wouldn’t cut the cord and transport her soul to the Otherworld. “I could call Cass and ask her about the whole reaper thing,” I suggested.
Aidan hesitated. “You could,” he said eventually, “but you know her. She’s not interested in Hell’s business. Even if she asked her father, I doubt Lucifer would share his secrets with us.”
“Maybe Dallas could find out for us.” After my brother almost died at Rebecca’s hands, I didn’t want to drag him into the whole affair, but he was Cass’s bonded mate and Lucifer’s future son-in-law. Maybe Lucifer had started to include him in Hell’s business.
“Only as a last resort,” Aidan said. “I couldn’t watch your pain if something were to happen to him again.”
“You’re so sweet to think of my feelings. Thanks.” I smiled and touched his cheek in the hope he could feel my love for him. Our gazes met and my whole being began to melt into his, becoming one.
“Hey, focus.” Kieran’s voice jerked me out of the moment. I broke away first but my gaze still lingered on my boyfriend. The top button of his shirt was unopened. I fought the strong urge to rub my fingers against the soft patch of pale skin that peered from beneath. When I raised my gaze, Julie was staring right at me, her eyes filled with a fire I had rarely seen in others. That’s when a thought struck me and my breath almost caught in my throat.
“Do you know anything about the Night Guard?” I said.
“Why?” Aidan asked warily.
“Julie told me she was about to join it. She was recruited but died before she could commence her position.”
“Why would they recruit a nineteen-year-old girl?” Aidan’s expression changed from curiosity to mistrust, then to determination.
“I don’t know. What are the Night Watch’s tasks?” I asked her, interested. Kieran’s brow furrowed. He still couldn’t accept me seeing ghosts.
“They walk up and down the wall and watch over the city at night. Protect it. Warn the Council in case of an intruder,” Julie said.
“Were you trained?”
She nodded. “Everyone is.”
I tapped my fingers against my thigh, thinking. “So the task is to watch over the whole city, or just a certain part?”
“One district only,” she said. “I don’t know which district I would’ve received.” I passed on the information to Aidan and Kieran.
“It sounds like someone didn’t want her to become a night guard,” I said. “Now we only need to find out why. Thanks, Julie.” I shot her a smile.
“You’ve definitely given us our first vital clue about why she might’ve died.” Aidan’s lips twitched. “You are the smartest—”
&
nbsp; “Most determined,” I added.
“Yes, that too.” His lips curled up into a lazy smile and a tiny dimple appeared in his cheek. My fingers itched to touch it. “Don’t forget trustworthy.”
Julie pretended to stick her finger down her throat. “I’m going to puke.”
I ignored her and batted my eyelashes at my sexy boyfriend who planted a soft kiss on my lips. “You’re forgetting an important one,” he said. His finger trailed down my neck. Heat flooded through my body.
“What’s that?” I whispered.
His eyes sliced into mine, searing me from the inside. “Hot. Because you’re hotter than the blazing sun.”
Kieran rolled his eyes. “Seriously, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“He couldn’t have said it better! See?” Julie exclaimed triumphantly. “We’re meant to be together. I hate all that kissing, hugging, and all that gushy stuff people who are in love do. Unless it’s ME!”
Laughing, I pulled away from Aidan and went about telling him each and every detail of my conversation with Julie, making sure not to omit anything. By the time I finished, Aidan and Kieran had devised the next step in our grand plan. They’d become members of the Night Guard. I didn’t tell them that I harbored no intention to be kept out. Why should the guys have all the fun?
Chapter 10
After our conversation, Julie gave Kieran a peck on the cheek, said goodnight to me, and then disappeared into the night. I wondered if she decided to return to the morgue. Even though she couldn’t see her body, she might still feel connected to it, but I didn’t ask. For one, I didn’t want to upset her, and then there was also the tiny possibility that she’d take it as an invitation to stay, which would’ve destroyed any prospect of spending some alone time with my boyfriend.
At the first light of dawn, Aidan and Kieran prepared to meet with the Council. It was a brethren thing, as he called it, meaning we had around twenty to thirty men gathered in our living room and they were talking about battles, allegiances, and yet more battles with lots of blood. I tried to blend in with the furniture as I stifled a yawn, bored out of my mind. Logan—dressed in dark clothes with what looked like leather armor adorning his broad chest—shot me a wide smile and I inched closer to exchange a few words with me.
“You’re beauty personified. It’s only fitting that you share a bond with our leader,” Logan said, planting a soft kiss on my hand, sending my cheeks on fire. The guy sure knew how to flatter a woman.
“Thank you.”
His dark eyes glittered for a moment. “I hope I’ll meet my bonded mate one day and that she’ll be as good to me as you are to Aidan.”
“You will,” I whispered, smiling. “So, how old are you? Please excuse my curiosity, but I don’t know much about you or warlocks in general.”
He laughed. “Older than you think. See, we’re not immortal like vampires, but the magic in our veins keeps us young and healthy for a long time. We live much longer than mortals…unless we’re killed.”
“Interesting,” I said, sensing Logan was the right guy to get lots of information from. Aidan signaled the others to prepare for leaving, so I moved on to the next question burning on my tongue. “What is this brethren thing?”
Logan looked at Aidan, as though to get his approval. When he nodded, Logan turned back to me. “We’re warriors who had the privilege to fight alongside Aidan. You could say that he saved our lives at one point or another, meaning our loyalty is bound to him by blood.”
I had a bit of trouble to wrap my head around the fighting part. Of course I knew Aidan had a past before I came along, but hearing it from someone who seemed to know him for ages, I couldn’t help but feel I didn’t know Aidan as well as I always thought I did.
“Basically, what you’re saying is that you’re ready to stand by him in the upcoming war,” I said.
He inclined his head and grimaced. “Not quite. You see, our loyalty is also bound to Morganefaire through the oath we made when joining the Night Guard, which makes this situation hard on us. We’ll do our best to persuade the Council Aidan’s the right person to support, but if the decision is made against him, then we’ll be forced to take sides.” He inched closer to whisper in my ear, “I know I’ll serve Aidan, but I can’t speak for the others.”
I nodded gravely. “The more reason to work on our persuasion skills then.”
Logan smiled and bowed his head. “It’s not just about getting permission to fight beside him, but to be able to use our warlock blood as a weapon. Ever since it was abused hundreds of years ago, the practice has been punished with death. We want it back.”
“Heard anything interesting?” Aidan said, appearing behind me. I nodded and let him wrap his arms around me to draw me close, his lips capturing my mouth in a tender kiss.
“It’s all way more complicated than I thought,” I whispered.
“Hopefully not for much longer.” He let go of me with a disappointed sigh. “We expect the Council to come to a decision soon. Want to join us?”
I shook my head. “Thanks but I think I’ll be staying here.” I didn’t want to mention in front of Logan that I intended to spend more time with Julie in order to find out more about the Night Guard.
Aidan’s mouth locked on mine again and for a moment my mind turned blank from the tingling sensation his lips sent through my body. I rose on my toes to savor the sensation of his skin against mine.
“I’ll try to be back soon,” he whispered. I nodded and watched the procession leave.
***
The morning was still young, the green leaves covered in dew, as I made myself a cup of steaming coffee and ventured into the backyard in search of Julie. Even though I couldn’t drink it, I loved the scent of it. Besides, the heat emitted by the hot liquid made my skin tingle and reminded me of the life I once led. I didn’t want to lose that connection so I had made it a habit to brew a cup every morning and carry it around like I did when I was mortal.
I found Julie under a weeping willow with branches so low, they looked like hugging arms. She hovered a few inches above the ground. Around her, the black fog had spread like a macabre blanket that stood in contrast with her white complexion. The way her head bobbed to the left as she inspected a flower, lost in thought, made her look so alive I was almost fooled for a second. Then I remembered she was dead. She would never live again.
In terms of gossip Morganefaire couldn’t be much different from other towns. Taking a deep breath, I scanned the area to make sure no one was watching us and it wouldn’t look like I was talking into thin air, then inched closer, my feet pounding the grass to announce my presence. Julie only raised her head when I was a step or two away.
“Hey,” she said flatly.
“I thought I might find you here.” My eyes avoided her prodding gaze as I lowered myself onto the damp lawn and began picking at the dark green leaves of the weeping willow.
“This is my favorite tree in the world because it’s so sad,” Julie said. “It suits the mood in Morganefaire very well.” Her expression changed from melancholy to despair. She was slowly beginning to understand the finiteness of her situation. I wanted to change the subject but she spoke first. “Once I realized I’d never know who my real family was, I wanted to get away from here as fast as I could and never look back. Take a trip around the world, maybe even find the perfect spot where I might just stay for a while, you know, grow roots.” She shrugged and smiled bitterly. “I hope the afterlife makes up for it because it sure sucks to be dead.”
I returned her smile but kept quiet. How could I tell her that the Otherworld was nothing but a constant loop of reliving your life’s mistakes over and over again, until you could finally move into the light where there would be…nothing. No people, no new experiences, nothing but floating in a sense of wellbeing and happiness. Cass said that’s what all souls looked forward to, but I doubted Julie, with her hunger for life and experiences, would be happy to hear that. I remained silent as I waited for he
r to resume the conversation.
“Last night when you were talking about what could’ve happened to me got me thinking.” She turned to face me, her shimmering hazel eyes burning a hole in my heart. “You asked if I had any enemies, and as far as I know I don’t have any because I never hurt anyone. But what if there was someone who hated me?”
I shook my head and reached out to grab her arm when I realized I’d most likely pass through her and upset her even more. So I drew back slowly. Sensing what I was about to do, she inched closer to me and placed her hand an inch away from mine. I stared at her porcelain skin and the soft, white glow it seemed to radiate.
“It was just a theory,” I said looking up. “We’re drawing at straws here.”
She sighed. “But, as things stand, I think I’ll trust your boyfriend’s judgment. If he thinks something’s wrong, then there probably is.”
“Aidan’s usually right,” I said, my throat constricting at the sound of his name. Love washed over me and for a moment I saw his picture before my open eyes. So beautiful. So majestic. So near and yet so far away. Our bond made me ache for him whenever he wasn’t around; made me miss his touch even though I knew I’d see him soon; made it hard to focus on anything but him.
“I’ve heard stories about him. He’s dangerous,” Julie said.
Aidan’s picture dissipated. I frowned and turned back to her. “Really? What stories?”
“That he’s a killer. That he can take one’s heart out with a flick of his hand.”
I smiled. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?”
Her gaze met mine. For a moment I wasn’t sure whether she was joking or dead serious, and then her lips curled into a smile. “They’re just stories made up by superstitious idiots. Obviously, I don’t believe a word. But the other one—”
“Kieran,” I offered.