“We didn’t think anyone would be that stupid.”
“Hey! It’s not as if I walked in because I wanted to hang with the zombies. I was flown in ... or floated ... or something. Get me out of here.”
“We’re working on it.” Like Galen, he remained calm. “The only plan we’ve come up with so far involves destroying the zombies.”
My heart plummeted at the idea. “You can’t do that. What about their loved ones?”
“The zombies are already dead. You’re alive. You’re our highest priority.”
“You’ve got that right,” Galen echoed. He was back to standing directly in front of the window, his nose practically pressed against the glass. “I don’t see where we have another choice.”
I couldn’t deal with the idea of the zombies being eradicated. That would include my mother. I detested the notion I might never see her again. “Just ... don’t.” I was resigned to what had to be done. “I’ll sit here all night and then you can just open the gate and I’ll walk out in the morning ... or maybe you can do that manly thing and carry me because I’ll probably be too stiff to walk out on my own by then. It’s only — what? — eight hours. I can make it.”
“I’m not leaving you in there,” Galen snapped, grabbing the phone back from Booker when the cupid related my response. “It’s not going to happen.”
“You can’t destroy them.” My voice was weak. “Please don’t do that on my account.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” He was firm. “We’re going to get you out no matter what. In fact ... .” He trailed off, his eyes going to his right, in the direction Lilac had disappeared seconds before. “What are you doing?”
I couldn’t see what had him so worked up. All I heard was a weird scratching sound, and then, out of nowhere, Lilac appeared at the top of the wall. She looked grim as she surveyed her surroundings.
“I’m coming in,” she announced.
Unlike me, who had a less-than-graceful landing, Lilac was on her feet when she hit the ground. The zombies remained focused on me, which I found interesting.
“What are you doing?” I was floored by her appearance. “Get out of here. They’ll kill you.”
“They’re not interested in me.” Lilac was blasé as she cut through the zombies. “I’m a demon. I don’t smell like food to them.”
“Oh.” I didn’t know that was a thing. “What are you going to do?”
“Help you.” Lilac’s answer was simple as she hopped onto the bench and then vaulted to the roof of the mausoleum, landing next to me. “I need to check you over first. Then I need to figure a way for us to get out of here without destroying the zombies.”
“What is she saying?” Galen asked, irritation edging his words. “I can’t hear her over the zombies.”
“She says she’s going to check me over.”
“Oh, well, that’s good.” He impatiently waited as Lilac tested my legs and arms for broken bones. When she was done, she pressed her hands to my abdomen and asked me a series of questions. Then she grabbed the phone and pressed it to her ear.
“I think it’s just bumps and bruises,” she announced. “I can’t detect any internal bleeding. She’s persnickety and full of attitude, which is a good sign.”
Lilac cocked her head as she listened to Galen’s response. “I won’t do that,” she said after a beat. “Hadley doesn’t want them destroyed. I think we should take her wishes into account.”
More silence.
“That’s all well and good, Galen, but I don’t really care what you want right now. I’ll handle this ... and I’ll do it the way Hadley wants. I think she’s been through enough tonight.”
I couldn’t agree more, and I shot her a warm smile in response.
“Oh, stuff it, Galen.” Lilac looked fed up as she held the phone away from her ear. I heard Galen viciously swear on the other end. “Just give me a minute to think about this. I’m sure I’ll come up with something. In the meantime, don’t come running in here guns blazing. We’ll figure this out. Just give us a minute.”
She disconnected while he was still yelling, and handed the phone back to me. Her expression was thoughtful. There was no sign of the ditzy woman I’d first met upon landing on Moonstone Bay. I found her transformation fascinating.
“That’s my mother,” I noted, pointing toward one of the zombies congregated around the mausoleum.
“I know.” Lilac gave me a sympathetic pat. “You know she’s not in there, right?”
I nodded.
“You still want to be able to see her,” she surmised. “I get it. The thing is, the zombies ignore me. I can’t act as a distraction long enough for Galen and Booker to get you out through the gate. That means we’re either stuck here or I’ve got to come up with a different solution. I don’t happen to have one handy.”
“Then you should go.” I meant it. “I’ll sit here until morning. It’s better than watching them being mowed down like grass.”
“Oh, so brave.” Lilac rolled her eyes. “We can’t do that. Galen will melt down and come in long before dawn. We need to think of a way to protect ourselves as we’re walking toward the gate. If only we had ... .” She trailed off, her gaze sharpening when she focused on my face. “I heard that you created a shield the other night. Someone attacked and you held them off with a force field.”
I realized what she was getting at. “I still don’t know how I did it. My magic just ... reacted. I didn’t put any thought into it.”
“Perhaps it’s time to put some thought into it.”
“I don’t know if I can. You don’t have to wait here with me. You can go back over the wall.”
“Friends don’t abandon friends in zombie-laden cemeteries.” Her smile was bright. “You either have to try the force field or I’m sitting here with you the entire night ... which won’t be the entire night because Galen will bring the fire department through that door and hack the zombies to pieces to get to you long before dawn.”
I felt sick to my stomach. “So ... it’s the force field or nothing.”
“Pretty much.”
“Well, great.” I briefly pressed my eyes shut. “This sucks.”
“You’re alive. Things could be worse.”
Then why didn’t it feel that way?
IT TOOK ME TWENTY MINUTES to work up the courage to try the force field. Lilac was in constant contact with Galen, and when we hung up for the last time she was gung-ho to get off the mausoleum and into a warm bath. The bath sounded good to me, too.
She held my hand, showed infinite patience and watched as I tried to engage the magic that came so easily the first go-around. I was a swearing and sputtering mess after an extended effort, and when I brought my fist down in complaint on the roof, teal magic spewed forward.
Lilac’s eyes blazed with interest when she saw the phenomena. “That’s interesting.”
I managed to hold the magic in place as I slowly expanded the ball of light. I didn’t risk a glance through the window because I didn’t want to interrupt the spell. After a few seconds of feeding it power, the force field was big enough to accommodate Lilac and me.
“Great!” Lilac enthusiastically slapped my knee. “Let’s get moving.”
Getting off the roof was easier said than done. Lilac continuously shoved the zombies back when they tried to put their hands on me during the process. Eventually, though, we managed to slide away from the mausoleum and head toward the gate. An interesting side effect of the force field was that the zombies appeared to lose my scent and instead of following they went back to shuffling.
“This thing is neat,” Lilac announced as we waited for the gate to open. “You should take it camping to see if it keeps the rain off. That would be awesome.”
I was bone weary when the gate finally opened and we stepped outside the cemetery. The firefighters rushed to lock it tight in our wake, which allowed me to drop the force field and fall into Galen’s arms. He didn’t hesitate to scoop me up
and cradle me against his chest as he pressed a series of kisses to my forehead.
I thought he might yell — or at least complain — but all he whispered were words of relief and comfort. “You’re okay. I’ve got you. I’m taking you home.”
“Good.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “Every muscle in my body hurts.”
“After we stop at the hospital,” he added.
“Oh, come on. Haven’t I been through enough?”
“Not yet. This is for your own good.”
IT WAS WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT when Galen and I returned to the lighthouse. He flexed some muscle to get us moved to the front of the line in the emergency room or it would’ve been even later.
“I need sleep,” I muttered as he double-checked the locks.
“I think you’ll be better with that bath you mentioned earlier. The hospital gave us Epsom salts. You might regret it in the morning if you don’t take the time now.”
I emitted a whine that I wasn’t exactly proud of. “I’m so tired.”
“I know.” He led me to the stairs. “But the bath will be worth it.”
I guess I would have to take his word on that.
He practically dragged me into the bathroom, turned on the bath and then stripped me out of my clothes. His fingers were gentle as they moved over my legs, hips and arms. “You’re very lucky you didn’t break a bone. You heard the doctor. He said that you could’ve died from that fall.”
“I didn’t die.”
“No, but you could have.”
To my surprise, he stripped out of his clothes and hopped in the tub. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to be away from you right now. Besides, you’re falling asleep. I’ll keep your head above water.”
I’d had worse offers. “Okay, but no hanky-panky. I don’t think my poor body can take it.”
“I’ll see if I can refrain.”
I moaned as I sank into the hot water, pure and unadulterated bliss washing over me. “Oh, I want to live in here. This is amazing.”
He carefully drew me back against him. I shifted so I could rest my head on his chest as he sank lower and started sprinkling hot water on my back while rubbing my sore muscles.
“I thought he killed you,” I admitted. “It almost broke me.”
“Don’t worry about me. Worry about you. What you went through tonight ... well, you did amazingly well. I’m proud of you.”
“All I did was climb on a mausoleum and sit there.”
“You kept your wits about you. Even though you were in pain, you made it to that roof and kept yourself safe. Then you managed to control your magic. What more did you expect of yourself?”
That was a good question. “Lilac still had to hop over the wall to keep me calm. How did she do that, by the way?”
“She’s ... unique. I’m grateful to her. Still, you did the heavy lifting. I’m proud of you. You should be proud of yourself.”
“I’m ... tired.”
“I know.” He kissed my forehead and continued rubbing. “You’re going to be in pain tomorrow.”
“You’re not thinking of dumping me at Wesley’s again, are you?”
“No. You more than proved yourself. I’m not sure how things will go down tomorrow. I need to think it over.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry I ruined our romantic night. I know you had plans.”
This time when he chuckled it was full of warmth. “We’ll have endless nights together. The fact that you’re alive and here to complain is more than enough for me.”
“Still, it was supposed to be special.”
“And you don’t think tonight was special?”
“It was memorable.”
“Life is never going to go exactly as you plan. You did amazingly well. In fact, you kicked righteous ass. I’ve never been prouder of anyone in my life. When your grandfather finds out, he’ll be proud, too.”
“Then he’s going to want to join the fight to find the incubus.”
“The more the merrier.” His fingers were light on my back. “Now, close your eyes. You’re exhausted and you need to rest. We’ll come up with a plan tomorrow.”
That sounded like a fine idea. “Okay. You’ll have to cook breakfast, though. I’m warning you now.”
“I will gladly cook you breakfast ... for the rest of our lives.”
I smiled. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, honey. Sweet dreams.”
23
Twenty-Three
Galen woke me with a kiss, clearing my muddled mind. I laughed when I opened my eyes and found him staring at me.
“Are you ready to romance me now or something?” My voice was gravelly, as if I’d been screaming at a rock concert all night, but it didn’t hurt. I tried clearing my throat, but it didn’t help. “I’m not sick, am I?”
He arched an eyebrow. “You tell me.”
“I’m not sick.” I was firm on that. “I guess I’m just ... tired.”
“Yeah.” He smoothed my hair and rested his chin against my forehead. “You didn’t go wandering last night. I can’t decide if that’s because the incubus thinks he killed you or because he was too afraid to face me.”
“It’s probably better for your ego if it’s the latter.”
“I want him dead.” His tone was so icy I shivered. “Are you cold?” He was gentle with me as he tucked the covers in tightly around my sore and battered body. “How do you feel? Nothing hurts inside, right?”
“I told you last night that I was okay. The doctor agreed with me.”
“Doctors make mistakes.”
“Yeah, well ... .” I rubbed my nose against his chin. “If you’re angry with me now would be the time to get it out in the open. I don’t want things to fester.”
He was taken aback. “Why would I be angry with you?”
“Because ... I’m the reason our night was ruined.”
“You didn’t cause this. You haven’t done anything to deserve this. Don’t think that.” His tone was scolding. “If you think I blame you for this, you’re wrong. I don’t blame you at all. I promise.”
“I don’t think blame is the right word,” I said. “It’s just ... you wanted to stay in last night. If we had I wouldn’t have been tossed in the cemetery. I bet the firefighters were laughing at you because of what happened.”
“They weren’t laughing. They were confused.”
“I might’ve laughed if it was someone else,” I admitted. “Like Judy ... or Darlene ... or that Byron tool.”
“That would’ve been funny,” he agreed, his hands busy on my back as I moaned. “What happened to you was not funny. It was murderous ... and then some.”
“Keep doing that.”
“For as long as you want.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If you keep that up, I’ll want to stay in this bed for the rest of our lives.”
“You might be able to persuade me to do that.” He kissed my forehead and frowned when the doorbell rang. “You have got to be kidding me.” He let loose a low growl. “Whoever that is better hope I don’t get a chance to put my hands on them.”
He gave me another kiss and rolled out from under me, leaving me alone in the bed ... and without my magic massage. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
He stormed out of the room wearing nothing but his boxer shorts — a look I found appealing — and I had every intention of following his orders. That changed when I pictured the various faces he might find on the other side of the door. The one I imagined had the best shot of being correct was Wesley’s, and I wasn’t sure my grandfather would find Galen in nothing but his underwear as attractive as I did.
I whimpered as I crawled out of bed — my back really hurt — and carefully slid into my robe. It took me longer than normal to reach the bottom of the stairs, and when I did I realized I should’ve stayed in bed after all. It wasn’t Wesley hoping to check on me, but Darlene ... and she didn’t look happy.
&nb
sp; “I have a bone to pick with you,” she announced, jabbing her finger in my direction when she caught sight of me.
Galen, hands on his hips, slid his eyes to me and frowned. “I thought I told you to stay in bed.”
I held my hands out and weakly shrugged. “I thought it might be Wesley and I didn’t want to leave you alone with him.”
“I bet you wish you’d thought better of that now.”
“You have no idea.” I made a face as Darlene stomped into the living room. “Oh, won’t you come in?” I drawled sarcastically.
“Actually, Darlene was just leaving.” Galen’s tone was firm as he reached for the huffy woman’s shoulders. “You’re not welcome here. Get out.”
“I’m not here to talk to you, sheriff.” The wrinkles at the corners of her mouth betrayed her disdain. “I’m here to talk to the mistress of the house, the woman who so rudely crushed my boy’s spirits last night.”
That so wasn’t what I was expecting. “Byron?” I wrinkled my nose and aimed myself at the angled recliner located in the corner of the room. I started to lower myself into it with as much dignity as I could muster, but a piteous sound escaped.
“Hadley, you should go back to bed.” Galen abandoned his position next to Darlene and hurried to my side. “Seriously, the doctor said you need to take it easy.”
Darlene’s expression was withering. “What’s this? Are you faking illness to avoid me?”
“She isn’t faking anything,” Galen shot back. “Also, she doesn’t have to come up with a reason to avoid you. This is her house. Get out!” He practically roared the last sentence. “I’m serious. I’ll arrest you if you don’t leave right now.”
“You’re not wearing your uniform.” She tilted her chin in smug fashion. “You can’t arrest anyone out of uniform.”
“I don’t know what crackpot television show taught you that, but it’s not true. Besides, I don’t wear a uniform unless I absolutely have no choice.”
“I don’t see a badge,” she persisted. “You can’t arrest me without a badge.”
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