“I want you to live,” he said, his voice cracking.
“I want to live too. But I can tell you this. If I do have to trade myself for your sister, I’d rather be dead than suffer what she did at his hands.”
“There’s got to be an alternative.”
Anabel moved closer, wrapping her arms around him and standing chest to chest. Her scent—a musky combination of cinnamon and flowers—made him dizzy. Another part of her appeal that had been hidden to him as a spirit. “If you think of one, let me know.”
Pushing away the longing and yearning, he allowed himself to hold her for the space of a heartbeat and a breath, before pulling out of her embrace. “I’ll try to contact my spirit guide,” he promised. “I’ll tell you as soon as I hear if your proposal is even possible.”
Eyeing him, she nodded. “Remember, we have a deadline. If my idea doesn’t work out, I have no choice but to offer myself in place of your sister. If I don’t, her death will be on my conscience. And every instinct I possess, magical or otherwise, is telling me it’s not her time to die.”
Tyler nodded. “I’m going to go for a walk.”
Eyes wide, Anabel slowly nodded. “It’s sort of weird that you can’t just vanish whenever you want to.”
Damned if her comment didn’t feel like a knife to his chest. Apparently, when they weren’t making love, she preferred him as a ghost. “One of the things about being alive,” he said, keeping all his voice empty of emotion, “is that I’m limited to the earthly plane. I’ll be back after a while.”
To her credit, she didn’t ask him to be more specific. She simply nodded and went back to studying her book. No doubt she needed some time alone with her thoughts. What they were considering was not something that could be done on a whim.
Walking out the front door, Tyler realized he hadn’t felt so alone in a long time. As a spirit, he’d been constantly aware of the existence of other spirits and the shimmering chord of energy that bound all life. Human again, he could tell his awareness of this had become blunted. Though he felt his loss sharply, he knew he’d gladly give this up if he were to be permitted to remain with Anabel.
“If magic really exists,” he said out loud, to no one in particular, “why can’t I use it to free my sister? Why can’t things be simple?”
He didn’t expect an answer, so when one came, he jumped.
“You know better than that.” The familiar rich voice washed over him like warm oil. He turned, eyeing the hooded figure with a mixture of reverent awe and consternation. His spirit guide, appearing as an elderly wise man. Tyler couldn’t help noting the rather obvious symbolism, but that was par for Elias’s sense of humor.
“I didn’t expect so much pain,” Tyler began and then stopped. He didn’t want to complain. After all, he’d been blessed to even be allowed to return to earth as a spirit. Never mind now, as a live man.
But Elias simply smiled. “You don’t have to do this all alone. You know better than that. You’re never alone.”
As those words sank in, all the worry and trepidation disappeared. “Everything will happen that is supposed to happen,” he whispered, not as a question since he already knew the answer.
“Yes, it will. With your help.” The guide’s eyes sparkled, even though his voice was stern.
Taking a deep breath, Tyler outlined what Anabel wanted to do.
* * *
After Tyler left, Anabel immediately closed the book. How could she even concentrate at a time like this? She knew what she had to do, and no amount of discussion or thinking was going to change that. Even if she wasn’t permitted to momentarily die, she couldn’t let Tyler’s sister suffer.
She might as well get this show on the road. Then, before she could chicken out, Anabel picked up the phone and dialed the number Doug Polacek had given her.
He answered on the second ring. “Hello, Anabel Lee.” The evil reverberating in his flat voice sent a shudder through her. After taking a deep breath, she didn’t bother wasting time on pleasantries. “I’ve made my decision. I will agree to the trade. But I need proof of life.”
“You already have that,” he said. “Your ghostly friend was in contact with his sister. I sensed his presence. Go ahead. Ask him.”
Stunned, she couldn’t keep from glancing over her shoulder, looking for Tyler. Of course, he wasn’t there. And she could no longer summon him by simply thinking of him. “He’s not around right now,” she said—smoothly, she hoped. “But I promise you I will ask him when he gets back.”
The silence on the other end of the line fairly crackled with impatience.
“Tell me about your boyfriend,” he said, a thread of ruthless anger in his voice.
She took another deep breath, grimly aware of the way her skin crawled even talking to this horrible man on the phone. She couldn’t imagine letting him touch her.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” she began.
“Don’t lie to me.” Snarling, he cut her off. “He called me. We talked while you were in the shower. When I asked him if the two of you had been intimate, he hung up.”
Stunned, she tried to gather her thoughts. “I had no idea he called you. But that was Tyler, my ghostly friend, as you put it. How can one be intimate with a ghost?”
Polacek went silent while he considered her words. She waited with bated breath. After all, she hadn’t lied. At least, not outright.
“So help me,” he finally said, “if I find out you’re not telling the truth...”
As threats went, it was an empty one. There couldn’t be much worse than what he’d already proposed to do to her. She shuddered.
Forcing the thoughts away, she knew she had to focus on the task at hand. If she was going to succeed, she had to be extremely careful. “In the meantime,” she said, “let’s discuss specifics. I want Dena Rogers out of there so she can get immediate medical help. How do you want to do this?”
“You do understand that I can’t personally be involved?” Was that amusement in his detestable voice?
“If I can, then you can,” she countered.
“I’m a public figure in this town. An attorney with a successful practice, with hopes of being elected to the city council soon. While you are...” His voice trailed off.
Horrified, she stifled her instinctive reaction. “While I am what?” she asked, pleased her voice sounded level.
“Overwhelmingly despised and regarded with contempt.”
Once, she might have felt his words like sharp knives. Even worse, she would have agreed with him. “You can say that after the show of support I received in the city-council meeting?” Her careless laugh came out perfectly timed, which did her heart good. “Anyway, we’ve already established that we don’t like each other. I asked you how you plan to get Dena out. Are you going to answer?”
He went silent for so long she began to think he might have hung up.
When he finally spoke again, his flat, emotionless tone was back. “My assistant, Tammy, is going to help me. I believe you met her when you visited Dena’s apartment.”
Stunned, she couldn’t speak. Although she’d feigned ignorance, Dena’s roommate had already known Dena was being held prisoner when Anabel and Tyler had visited. That seriously pissed Anabel off. Still, since she could do nothing, she bit her tongue and stuck to the topic at hand. “How is she going to help?”
“Tammy, as Dena’s roommate, is going to claim she found her lying in the field near the apartment parking lot. She will take Dena to the hospital and make sure she gets medical care.”
This sounded too simple. “And what do you want me to do?”
Now the faint edge of malice tinged his tone. “You will enter the apartment and remain there while Tammy drives to the hospital.”
Way too easy. Which meant it actually wasn’t. “And yo
u will be there waiting for me, I’m guessing?”
“Exactly. If you don’t show up, Tammy will arrange a little accident for Dena.”
A thousand possibilities opened up with his scenario.
“Oh, and don’t even think about calling the police,” he continued, as if he’d read her mind. “I’ve carefully set up everything to make it appear that you have been the one who’s kept poor, little Dena Rogers prisoner and tortured her. Who do you think the Leaning Tree Police Department will believe?”
She couldn’t resist. “Well, after your tirade about witchcraft in town, I’m thinking more will actually lean toward believing me.”
“Do I have your word or not?” he said snarkily, clearly not finding any humor or truth in her comment. This time, she didn’t bother to hide her own amusement.
“You first. I want your word.” Even though she privately considered it meaningless.
“I give you my word.”
There. Now it was her turn. “Me too. You free Dena and get her to the hospital, and I’ll wait for you in the apartment.”
“Bound by oath,” he intoned.
“Whatever,” she muttered. “Now that we’ve settled that part of it, I need to know when.”
“Tonight. And you’d better believe I will use a cloaking spell. So if you are foolish enough to call the police, Dena will die and Tammy will disappear.”
Her move. She glanced at the clock. Short notice, but if Tyler would get back here, she thought, that might be doable. “Nine o’clock,” she said. That would give her enough time to talk to both Juliet and Tyler.
“No.” Crushing her hopes, Doug Polacek spoke firmly. “Now.”
“No,” she said back, using the exact same tone. “I need more time.”
“For what?” Clearly, he had no intention of waiting for her to answer. “Either you be at the apartment in half an hour or Dena dies.”
Even as she began protesting, he ended the call.
Crud. Half an hour. Thirty minutes. And with Tyler nowhere in sight.
Chapter 16
Heart pounding, Anabel scribbled a quick note to Tyler, snatched her purse and car keys and ran for the door. She’d call Juliet along the way. Without Tyler, she had no clue if her admittedly bizarre plan would even work.
Or if she even really wanted it to.
In the car, as soon as she started the engine, she scrolled through the contacts until she located Juliet. Punching Dial, she put the car in Reverse, after scanning one more time to see if she could catch sight of Tyler. Nothing, so she went ahead and backed out of her spot and pulled into the road.
Once Juliet answered, Anabel filled her in, leaving out the part about dying and then returning. What she had to tell her friend was already more than enough.
“No,” Juliet immediately protested. “You can’t go there alone. You must find Tyler. He has enough magic to help boost yours.”
“I’m pretty strong,” Anabel said grimly, surprised to realize she spoke the truth. “For whatever reason, I feel like a badass.”
“Good for you. But you need to remember what Doug Polacek actually is. A Drakkor will kill a wolf anytime.”
Stunned, Anabel considered her friend’s words. “Are you saying you think I should change?”
Instead of answering, Juliet posed another question. “In what shape are you stronger? Human or wolf?”
Anabel didn’t even have to think. “Physically, wolf. Magically and intellectually, human.”
“What you need to figure out is what will best defeat him.” Juliet’s cryptic words were no help at all. “Tell me how to find this apartment and I’ll come help you.”
Horrified, Anabel thought fast. “There’s not enough time. I’ve got to go.” And she ended the call.
She made it to the apartment building in record time, parked and jumped out of the car. She sprinted up the steps, only stopping to take a breath when she stood outside the unit.
When she’d lifted her fist to knock, the door swung open before her knuckles even connected. She took a deep breath, collecting herself. One last time, she glanced over her shoulder, wishing for Tyler the ghost to appear, though she would have welcomed Tyler the man.
But it seemed for now, she was completely on her own.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin and went inside.
The second she set foot in the apartment, Anabel felt the power coil around her like a hungry python. The stifling air lacked oxygen and light. She barely had time to gather her defenses before realizing she couldn’t fight this. The Drakkor was too damn strong. She could only hope he’d kept his word and that Dena had been freed.
Though she knew he wouldn’t kill her—at least not yet, not until he’d tried to use her as a breeding machine—evidently he meant to use his power to intimidate and hurt her.
Her last thought before she blacked out was of Tyler, of his chiseled, rugged face, fierce with love for his baby sister. And, if she dared to believe the impossible, also with love for her.
* * *
Though Tyler knew Anabel considered her plan a sound one, the powers that be did not agree. His request on her behalf had been denied, no matter how much he’d begged and pleaded. And all he was given by way of explanation was a few words of affirmation.
Trust in yourself.
Just that. Trust in yourself.
That was all well and good, but he would have appreciated a bit more assistance than that, maybe even including some detailed instructions on how to proceed.
Standing at the front of the motel, he ran through explanations a few times in his mind. He wasn’t sure how she would take knowing her plan had been nixed. One thing for sure, they’d have to come up with something else. Meanwhile, the clock continued ticking. He could only hope and pray his sister continued to fight to live.
Knocking on the door to her room, he waited. After several seconds had passed, he knocked again. Then he tried the knob, which turned easily since it hadn’t been locked.
“Anabel?” he called, not wanting to startle her. With the human body came new considerations. “Anabel?”
No answer. So he went ahead and entered, knowing she’d want him to.
The instant he stepped back into the room, he could tell something had happened. The entire atmosphere felt off—tainted, even. And when he saw Anabel’s note propped up against the coffeemaker, he understood why.
She’d gone to meet Polacek. She’d even noted the time. Ten minutes ago. Thankful for small miracles, he bounded outside, eyeing the various cars parked in the motel lot and a few down the street.
There. The 1986 Camaro. Notoriously easy to break into and hot-wire. After he muttered a quick prayer of forgiveness for stealing, it took him thirty seconds to get the door open and another thirty before he had the car running.
And then he took off, heading for Dena’s old apartment. Praying he wouldn’t arrive too late.
He made it across town in seventeen minutes, glad the owner of the car had left the radar detector inside. Though Anabel had a decent head start on him, he hoped he could catch her before she did anything foolish.
On the way to the staircase, he looked around for Tammy’s car, which Anabel had written would be carrying his sister to safety.
He saw nothing and no one.
Furious and frustrated, he took the stairs two at a time. He wasn’t sure how late he was, but the churning in his gut made him wonder if Doug Polacek had lied yet again.
Worse, Anabel had to be already inside the apartment. Alone, with a monster.
At the door, he didn’t bother knocking. Instead he tried to remember how he’d seen it done on television and attempted to kick it in. It barely budged. Now he definitely questioned the wisdom of him asking to be human. If he’d been his usual ghos
tly self, he’d already be inside.
He kicked again, cursing. Then he tried ramming it with his shoulder, which hurt like hell and accomplished absolutely nothing.
The door held solid.
Frustrated, he eyed the floor-to-ceiling window. Since he could see no other option, he ran downstairs, back to his stolen car and grabbed the metal toolbox from the backseat floorboard. As he’d suspected, it was heavy.
He lugged it all the way back upstairs, swinging it as he prepared to shatter the window.
Instead the apartment door swung open. Dropping the toolbox with a clatter, he rushed inside.
The apartment was empty. No Anabel, no Polacek, no Dena.
Empty. How in the hell was such a thing even possible?
After searching every single room twice, he stopped, his heart pounding. He’d lost her. The unbearable crushing pain inside him made him raise his face to the ceiling and howl. His body responded instantly, initiating the shift to wolf.
Clothes tearing, he hurriedly pulled them off so he’d have something to wear later. He’d barely shed them in time. The change took over, his bones lengthening so quickly he felt as if he were being pulled in several different directions all at once. At first he was too stunned to react. After an instant’s consideration, he went with the flow, aware he could use his beast’s heightened senses to try to track where Anabel and Doug might have gone.
As soon as the change was complete, he again made a search of the apartment, this time using his nose. Here. And there. Anabel had recently been inside. Along with Doug Polacek and one more. Another person. Female. Another few seconds, and he realized who it was. Tammy, Dena’s roommate.
Of course she’d been. She lived there, after all. But he had no way to answer the million-dollar question—had she been there at the same time as Polacek and Anabel? And what about Dena?
The Drakkor had promised to free his sister. If he’d lied... At the thought, anger filled him. With the fury came something else—power. As a ghost, he’d never felt its physical effects; nonetheless, he recognized them now. The tingling of his skin. The tightness gathering strength behind his eyes. And the roar of it through his blood.
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