“He’s turning up the heat.” Tyler sounded as furious as she felt. “I wonder what happened to the forty-eight hours he promised you. I haven’t even had time to verify she’s still alive.”
“You do that while I’m at the city-council meeting. As for the time, I’m going to insist I still have it. He was very specific. He didn’t say he’d leave me alone for that long, just that I had forty-eight hours to make a decision. Of course, if your sister has passed—and I pray she hasn’t—then all of this is moot.”
Pain flashed across his features, making her heart ache. Tyler grimaced. “She has to be alive. She has to be. I’ll know soon enough.” He swallowed, visibly fighting his emotions. Though she knew she should look away, give him privacy, instead she waited silently, wishing she could offer him a hug or something.
Finally, he swallowed again and met her gaze. Determination now shone in his eyes. “What are you planning to do at the meeting?”
“This is the first battle of the entire war,” she said, feeling very tall and strong. “It’s vitally important that I win.”
And then she did something that surprised even herself. She walked over to Tyler, willing him to be solid, and kissed him full on the mouth.
* * *
Stunned to the core, Tyler felt dizzy as Anabel broke off the kiss and flashed him a mischievous smile before she strolled away. She closed her bedroom door behind her, a signal telling him to stay out. Which was okay with him because he doubted he could even move at that point.
His existence had changed in so many ways in just six short days. He’d be forever grateful to the higher power who’d given him an opportunity to save his baby sister. What he hadn’t imagined would happen would be that he, after having already finished his life, would meet his mate.
Tyler knew Anabel considered her former husband, David, to have been her mate. Whether she knew it or not, she was wrong. Tyler doubted any other man could love Anabel as much as he did. She’d have come to realize this too, if only Tyler hadn’t been a ghost.
The bitter irony of this had to be some sort of penance he must pay. That, and the fact that he most likely would succeed in saving his sister, but to do so must sacrifice the woman he’d come to love...
He took a deep breath, trying to focus. First, though, he had to contact Dena.
Once again he reached out, praying to the Creator of all to help him. Energy zinged through him, bolstering his own limited supply. He reached out, through the river of time and place, searching for that one particular spark that belonged to his sibling.
When he finally located her, the dimness of her life force shocked and angered him. Though not much time had passed since he last saw her, the deterioration in her condition made him want to weep.
Polacek might have given Anabel forty-eight hours, but Tyler realized Dena would not make it that long. Something had to be done much more quickly.
Though it killed him, he left his sister lying there, almost a skeleton, curled into a ball on the floor. Nearly a week had passed since he first made himself manifest to Anabel, nearly seven days while Dena got weaker. He couldn’t help feeling like a failure.
No longer would he remain a shade of the man he’d once been. He was a soldier, a man of action. Not some wispy, ethereal being who could do nothing but float around and watch. Dena didn’t need a ghost. She needed her brother, in the flesh, to fight for her.
Tyler knew what he must do. While Anabel got ready to attend the city-hall meeting, he left the earthly plane and returned home. He planned to make his case to his spirit guide. He prayed he’d be successful, even if he was granted only a few days.
* * *
Though Anabel had always loved her flowing dresses and lacy outfits, once again she dressed in tight-fitting jeans, sneakers and a cotton, button-down blouse. She brushed her long, dark hair until it shone and then put it back in a sporty ponytail. A pair of diamond ear studs and a pretty silver watch completed what she hoped was a polished look.
When she arrived at city hall, to her surprise the place was packed. She ended up having to park a good three blocks over. Surely all these cars weren’t here because of her? Her heart sank—her life had become more than a spectacle, and now she was about to learn just how greatly her neighbors feared and hated her.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stepped out of her car. As she walked toward city hall, she kept her gaze straight ahead, afraid of what she might see if she allowed herself to look left or right.
There were exactly thirteen stone steps leading up to the entrance of city hall. Anabel knew because she counted each one. Pushing open the double doors, she stepped into a crowded room reminiscent of a mob at a sold-out concert. Not only were there hundreds of people—had everyone in Leaning Tree turned out?—but the noise level was so loud she wondered how anyone could hear themselves speak.
Bracing herself, she murmured apologies and began the considerable task of plowing through the crowd. Somewhere in this melee, she should be able to find Denise and Juliet, and maybe even some of the members of Juliet’s coven if she was lucky, her small group of supporters.
As she maneuvered herself into a clearing, she saw the city council had assembled at a U-shaped desk up on a raised area at the front of the room. Five men and two women, they all stared out at the crowd with identical expressions of amazement.
Someone tapped on a microphone, causing most of the conversations swirling around to stop. “People, please take your seats. The meeting is about to begin.”
Even though she looked everywhere, Anabel couldn’t locate either of her friends, so she took a seat next to a total stranger. All around her, everyone hurried to find a chair. The room had grown so crowded that many people had to settle for standing against the back wall.
Anabel’s stomach twisted. She’d been aware of the dislike and mistrust many of Leaning Tree’s residents felt toward her. But to have this many people show up at a city-hall meeting? Despair flooded her, which she resolutely pushed away.
Feeling someone staring at her, she looked up and met Doug Polacek’s flat black gaze. One corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile and she realized the brilliance of his plan. This entire thing had been engineered to demoralize her and make her more prone to agree to his terms.
Not today, Drakkor, she mouthed. Not today.
He turned away and took his seat in the front row without responding.
When the room had become relatively silent, the mayor walked over and took the microphone from the other man. “Welcome, everyone. I must say, we usually don’t get this big a crowd to a council meeting.”
Several people laughed.
“We are here today to discuss many issues,” he said and then cleared his throat. “But first and foremost, one of our up-and-coming citizens, attorney Douglas Polacek, has some very serious concerns he wishes to bring to our attention. He has alleged that these concerns affect all of us and can have an adverse effect on our entire town.”
The murmurs started up again, growing to a roar. The mayor waited a moment for them to die down and then when they showed no sign of doing so, cleared his throat again. “People, please. We have a lot of discussion to get through.”
For the first time, Anabel wondered how many of those in attendance actually knew what these so-called serious concerns were. Surely all of these people didn’t really view her as a threat to their way of life, did they?
She guessed she was about to find out.
“We’ll open the meeting by asking Mr. Polacek to take the mic and outline these concerns.”
Smiling graciously, the Drakkor (Anabel had trouble thinking of him as anything else right now) took the stage. “Most of us here in the beautiful town of Leaning Tree are God-fearing people,” he began, sounding as if he were presenting a case to a jury. “And what I’ve re
cently discovered has the possibility of shaking our town’s very foundations.”
Wondering what the heck he might say to follow this broad statement, Anabel caught herself leaning forward in anticipation, exactly like all the others in the audience.
“Witchcraft.” The single word hung in the air, taking on a dark life of its own. “I’ve learned witchcraft is being practiced here within our very own city limits.”
Though a few people gasped, most of the faces Anabel saw contained a healthy dose of skepticism, a few outright hostility. For the first time, she had hopes that her enemy’s plan would backfire.
She actually had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
“Witchcraft?” a woman called out. “Please tell me you aren’t referring to our resident Wiccans.”
Polacek frowned, as if he hadn’t ever heard the term. Anabel guessed maybe he hadn’t bothered to bone up on the current atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance.
“I’m speaking about witches,” he said, his voice booming like a television preacher. “The kind who cast dark spells.”
Someone giggled. Someone else shouted out a “Get real.”
“This is real,” he countered. “Those of you who are regular churchgoers know about Satan’s influence on this world.”
Several people gasped. The room grew quiet.
“Demons are real,” Doug continued. “As are witches. In our small, family-friendly town, there are those who are doing evil’s work.”
The fact that he himself was one of them made his statements infuriating. Anabel had to battle the urge to stand up and denounce him. Only the certainty that if she did so he’d publicly brand her as one of the evildoers made her remain silent. That, and the painful knowledge that most of the townspeople assembled here would believe him.
As if he’d read her mind, Doug Polacek swiveled around, searching the crowd. The instant his gaze locked on her, her stomach sank. She knew exactly what he intended to do.
“That woman here.” His arm came up, finger pointing accusingly at her. Everyone turned to stare. “She is one of the witches, using her dark magic. She has attempted to stalk me and make me do her bidding. I refuse to stand for it. Anabel Lee must be stopped. It’d be better for everyone if she were to move away from our town.”
“Our town?” Anabel finally had had enough. “Not only are you talking like a crazy person, but your accusations are outright lies. I’ve only met you once, and this was long after you were going around inventing stories about me.”
Doug laughed, the infuriating sound full of derision. “I think the good people of Leaning Tree know enough about your character to know who’s telling the truth.”
Anabel looked at all the faces around her and saw that he was right. Her heart sank.
“Anabel is telling the truth.” A single voice came from the left side of the room. “This man, for whatever reason, has decided to target her with his hateful lies. Maybe we should think about who’s really the evil one here.”
Juliet. Standing tall and unafraid. Next to her, another woman stood. Denise.
“I can second this. I went with Anabel to confront Mr. Polacek and find out why he was spreading around so many lies about her. She’d never even seen him before that day.”
More people stood. Not only the women from Juliet’s coven, but the receptionist from Anabel’s doctor’s office, the dental hygienist who cleaned her teeth and the woman who worked in the library and indulged Anabel’s love of a good British mystery. Each of them, calmly and rationally, offered good character references, refuting what Polacek had said about Anabel.
Tears stinging her eyes, Anabel stood and listened. Her chest and throat felt tight, but she kept her shoulders back and her head high. Today, Doug Polacek wouldn’t win. Not this battle. And hopefully not the war either.
The final straw for Doug was when an elderly man stood, adding his voice to the women’s. “Young man, I understand you are an attorney.”
Warily, Polacek nodded.
“Then I’m sure you know all about lawsuits for slander and libel. I think you’d better ponder this before you say or write anything else about this fine young woman, who also happens to be a native of Leaning Tree.”
Several people applauded. Soon, nearly the entire room had begun clapping.
Unable to stop her tears, Anabel wiped uselessly at her streaming eyes. Doug continued to stare her down, his eyes blazing.
Finally, Juliet came and took Anabel’s arm, turning her away from the Drakkor’s gaze. “Let’s get you out of here,” she said. Nodding, Anabel sniffled, trying to keep from bawling like a baby. She allowed Juliet to shepherd her outside, down the steps and into the shade of a huge, leafy oak.
“Come here.” Juliet hugged her. “You are loved, my friend. More than I think you realized.”
All Anabel could do was nod. Juliet handed her a tissue and she took it, using it to blot her eyes before blowing her nose. “Thank you,” she said again, her heart full. And then, as she thought about what Doug Polacek had done, she let anger fill her.
“We’ve got to stop him,” she declared. “Not only to free Dena Rogers, but to make sure he never does this again.”
“I agree.” Watching her carefully, Juliet glanced back toward the building. “Have you been practicing any of the exercises outlined in the books?”
“Yes. And I think I’m getting better.” Or at least she hoped she was. “I need to get home and discuss this with Tyler.”
“Oh, he’s not here?” Juliet sounded disappointed. “Then by all mean, discuss with him and then give me a call.”
“I will. We’ve got to go on the offensive before Doug Polacek tries something else.”
Juliet nodded.
As Anabel headed toward her car, someone called her name. Denise.
“I need to tell you something.” Breathless, Denise wouldn’t look directly at her.
“Okay.” Bracing herself for anything, Anabel waited.
“As I was leaving the meeting, Doug Polacek stopped me,” Denise said, sounding worried and bemused.
Heart sinking, Anabel waited.
“The weird thing is, he was very nice. Even though he must know we’re friends, he, uh, asked me out.” Finally meeting her gaze, Denise blushed.
Staring at her friend, Anabel nearly choked. “Please tell me you said no.”
“I can’t.” Denise gave an embarrassed shrug. “I know you don’t like him and vice versa, but he’s the first guy I’ve met in a long while who makes me tingle inside when I look at him.”
“Yes, I get that he’s good-looking,” Anabel argued. “But he’s well-known for dating a lot of women. He’s supposedly a master at loving them and leaving them.”
“That’s actually okay with me,” Denise said quietly. “I’m not really looking for anything deep or serious. I’m only in town for a few weeks. I just want to have a little fun.”
Ah, crud. Anabel contemplated the best way to tell her friend that Doug Polacek was not only bad news, but downright dangerous. She could only imagine why the man had contacted someone close to her. Next thing she knew, he’d be asking Juliet out too.
One difference there. Anabel knew Juliet would definitely have said no.
“Denise, come over and let’s talk,” she began, about to at least tell her friend that Polacek was a Drakkor.
“No, wait.” Denise held up her hand, her expression pleading. “I’m going out with him. It’s just a dinner date, not a wedding. Can you please be happy for me?”
Inhaling sharply, Anabel finally nodded. “I’m sorry,” she said. “But at least promise me you’ll be careful.”
Denise only nodded in response and hurried off.
Anabel drove home in record time. Parking in her driveway, she practical
ly ran inside, shouting Tyler’s name. She needed to talk to him. Right away. While she refused to let Doug Polacek win any sort of victory, imagining what he might try next would turn her into a nervous wreck if she didn’t strike first.
But when she got back inside her house, she couldn’t find Tyler anywhere. She even tried summoning him, using that nifty focusing trick that Juliet had taught her, but she only succeeding in making herself dizzy.
Great. Just great. Patience had never been one of her virtues, but it appeared she’d have no choice but to wait for him to put in an appearance.
Spotting the book Juliet had brought over earlier, she figured now might be a good time to look through it. She grabbed it and sat down on the couch, carefully opening the beautiful cover.
Judging from the brittle, discolored pages and the beautiful script, the book was very old and possibly valuable. This made her slightly nervous to handle it, but Juliet had been insistent, so she continued to read. Soon, she found herself lost in the tales. She had to skip several, as they appeared to be in another language, but the ones she did read were veritable history lessons.
Somewhere in here, she knew she would find the answer to her dilemma. She just didn’t know where. And there was just so much.
As she read, she kept waiting for that one particular story to jump out at her. When it finally did, she had to read it again, and then a third time, to make sure.
Chapter 14
A knock on her front door made Anabel jump. It came again, before she even had time to head in that direction, a sharp rapping of knuckles indicating the visit might be urgent. She carefully bookmarked her place and put the book back on the coffee table.
Again the hard knocks, in rapid and impatient succession.
Thoroughly out of sorts, she yanked the door open without even using the peephole.
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