Mira knew she needed to get Gabriel back on track. She hugged him tightly and he clung to her. It took a few minutes before he stopped shaking. That sharp energy he radiated remained palpable.
Letting go with one hand, she drew her hands lightly down his feathers, concentrating on their softness. His wings twitched. She did it again and watched them shiver.
"Stop that," Gabriel said.
Mira chuckled.
"That tickles and it’s not funny."
"I'm pretty sure you mentioned that the first time we were here too."
"It wasn't funny then either."
"That's because you can't see yourself twitch." She pulled back enough to make sure he could see her grin.
"Right after that I almost killed you," Gabriel said.
"And you've spent the last few weeks saving me over and over again."
"But this time you're not going to let me help you."
"You are helping me. I wouldn't be able to go on if you weren't here."
"Is it crazy to say that this was easier the first time we were here?"
"It might have been easier." Mira wiggled around on his lap a little. "I like this spot better, though."
His smile looked forced, but at least he seemed like he was trying to make the effort. "It would even be better if you let me take you home."
"We were in a pretty good spot on the couch back home. If we take care of things here, we won't have to worry about interruptions."
"I really like the sound of that."
"We should go away with Ian and Della," Mira suggested.
"When we go back, are you going to be okay? I don't know what's happening here."
Mira sighed. "I don't know what's going on, either. But I know I'll feel better if we can stop that thing."
"Is there anything I can do for you, at least?"
"Yes. Make sure you and Emmit stay close by—at least one of you. I don't want to be alone here."
"That, I can do," Gabriel said. "I promise—"
"No," Mira said, putting a finger to his lips. "We said no promises here, remember?"
He took her hand. "I lied. I promise to do whatever I can to make sure you aren't alone while we're here."
A silvery cord connecting the two shimmered momentarily before disappearing.
Gabriel kissed her on the forehead. It wasn't good enough for Mira. She pressed her lips to his and kissed him. He squeezed her to him once again, and for a moment Mira tried to forget that they were in the Ether.
The erratic power around Gabriel had returned to its normal cool and serene flow. Eventually, they had to pull apart and come back to reality.
Mira disentangled herself from Gabriel's lap and they both got to their feet. As much as she could, Mira tried to hide her unsteadiness.
When Gabriel frowned, she knew she had failed. She was worried he would become agitated again, but he hooked his arm with hers and didn't say anything when she leaned against him.
Emmit and Jean weren't in sight.
"Where'd they go?" Mira asked.
Gabriel looked around, and then to Mira's surprise, looked up as well. "Harker is a block or so that way."
"How do you know?"
Gabriel shrugged. "He stands out here. Jean's probably with him. They can catch up."
Arm in arm, Gabriel and Mira started slowly on their way again. Every now and again, Gabriel would search the street and sky. Mira assumed it was for signs of Emmit.
A few blocks later Emmit did catch up. Jean was with him, although she kept her distance.
Emmit said nothing, but Mira felt his eyes on them. Each time she looked he was inspecting either her or Gabriel. If Gabriel noticed, however, he ignored it.
"We should take a break," Emmit said after a while.
It was a suggestion that Mira could get behind. "How far away do you think we are?"
"We might get there in an hour or so," Gabriel said, walking with Mira to the sidewalk.
Mira immediately sat down and leaned against the wall.
Emmit handed over the water bottle, but Mira passed on it, preferring to close her eyes for a few minutes.
Jean took the offered water before sitting next to Mira. When Jean leaned against her, Mira opened her eyes and found the woman had fallen asleep. Mira almost envied her ability to sleep in this place. Gabriel and Emmit were standing in the street, talking and watching the area.
Mira nudged Jean awake. "We should go." Then she struggled to her feet and joined Gabriel and Emmit.
"It's been too quiet," Emmit said. "Gabriel, do you want to go ahead a while and make sure the way is clear?"
"Jesus, Harker, we just talked about this," Gabriel said.
"You are the only one with a weapon," Emmit said. "I'll stay guard at the rear."
Gabriel held out his arm, and his sword appeared. "Here." He passed the sword to Emmit.
Emmit looked taken off guard and took the weapon. He winced and held the sword aloft. Smoke rose around his hand, and Mira thought she could hear the faintest sizzling noise.
"I don't think this is going to work," Emmit said, though he still held the sword, inspecting the hilt.
"Emmit, drop it!" Mira said. "Gabriel—"
The sword disappeared.
Mira took Emmit's hand and saw blisters. "Give me the first aid kit."
"There's no need," Emmit said, seemingly unconcerned.
"There's some bandages..." Mira let her voice drop away as she heard another sound.
A wailing noise came from the city. Then it was joined by another. Close by, a squeal pierced the air.
"That’s not good," Mira said.
"It's the smell." Gabriel tore the arm of his shirt off. "Wrap your hand in this. We need to move. Now." Two paces and the sword and shield were already in Gabriel's hands. "Mira and Jean, stick close behind me."
Jean looked pale and rushed to do as she was told. Mira stayed back a little farther, making sure Emmit didn't get left behind.
"Perhaps we should make a stand here," Emmit suggested.
"Not unless we have to," Mira said. "I think we'll be safer at the store."
"What makes you say that?" Emmit asked, easily keeping pace.
Gabriel was trotting now, with Jean right behind him.
"It was something Chris said." Mira fought to keep herself moving at the same speed as the others, but she was already feeling the effects. "Something about the books being hidden."
Gabriel slowed and turned a corner. Mira's heart felt squeezed when he was out of sight, and she forced herself to move quicker. Once she rounded the corner, her heart stuttered at the sight of Gabriel. She didn't want to lose sight of him.
"We're maybe a mile away," Gabriel said.
The thought of going a mile seemed insurmountable to Mira. As they raced up a hill, Mira became sluggish.
The world seemed to slow. There was only Gabriel in front of her and a long tunnel between him and her. With each step she took, he seemed to get farther away. Then he looked back, saw her, and stopped. Mira kept going, and it seemed to take forever to get to him.
"They are close," Emmit said.
"We just need to push a little farther," Gabriel said.
"What does the store look like?" Emmit asked.
Gabriel began to move again as he explained the exterior of the store.
Without thinking, Mira leaned against Emmit. She tried to make herself move but she wasn’t getting far.
"I'll take Mira. Meet us there," Emmit said.
Mira didn't immediately notice that she wasn't on her feet, but she felt pressure and air rushing around her. She numbly wondered if the movement was her own. It only lasted a short time, though, and she was on her feet again, standing in front of the old bookstore.
"Is this the place?" Emmit asked.
"His store is kind of inside this one." Mira looked around, trying to find Gabriel. "What happened?"
"Show me," Emmit said.
"Gabriel—"
"Is do
wn the street. He'll be here in a few moments." Emmit took Mira's arm and escorted her inside.
There were no books in the outer room. The empty shelves stood tall, although they had the same blurry outlines as the other furniture in this world.
"You should go back and grab Jean and Gabriel," Mira said.
"I don't see that happening."
"But—"
"Can you imagine Gabriel allowing me to pick him up?"
Mira couldn't help but laugh at the picture the statement created. "I guess not."
"Besides, I promised Gabriel I would keep you in sight when you're not in his, and right now, I want to do what I can to keep Gabriel happy."
Mira led him into the next room, although she was leaning heavily on him.
"Why's that? It's not like you two even get along." She followed the wall and rounded the corner.
"Gabriel is slipping. We need to prevent that."
"You mean he's falling," Mira said.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." He stopped, halting Mira at the same time. "Which is why you cannot tell him what happened here."
"He was pretty upset."
"Not a fraction of what he will be if he finds out."
Mira frowned at Emmit and glared at him. "How do you know?"
"Because if he knows the details, he will fall and walk through the fires of hell, if necessary, to destroy that creature."
"What makes you think that?"
Emmit sighed. "Because I am rather fond of you, and I know my plans. Gabriel isn't just fond of you—he loves you. He'll seek vengeance if he knows."
"Jean told you," Mira said, flatly.
"I didn't give the woman much of a choice."
"Harker!" Gabriel yelled from the other room.
"We're here," Emmit responded calmly.
"What in the hell are you trying to pull?" Gabriel asked as he stomped through the store. He rounded the corner, saw them, and faltered.
"You know where the entrance is?" Emmit asked.
Gabriel nodded, looking unsure of himself.
"Were you seen coming in?" Emmit asked.
"No." It was Jean that answered. "We could hear them, but they hadn't spotted us yet."
"Then let's find what we're looking for," Emmit said. "If it's not safe here, we may have to move on."
"This way," Mira said. "The door's right down here." It wasn't until she started to move that she realized how much strength she had actually lost. Emmit was practically holding her up.
When they reached the door, Emmit tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge.
"We always had to use a key," Mira said.
"There aren't any keys in this world," Gabriel reminded her.
Emmit pushed on the door. Mira could feel his muscles straining, and the door remained ridged. He stepped back, pulling Mira with him. "Maybe the key is special?"
"Let me try," Gabriel said. He leaned against the door, turned the handle, and almost fell when the door swung open.
"Or maybe the door is special," Emmit said.
Gabriel stepped into the room. Mira was surprised to find the beaded curtain was in this world. It seemed like such a temporary thing which didn't belong here. Smoke encased them as they moved into the room, but then, to Mira's surprise, the air cleared leaving the room looking much like it did in the real world, complete with books, though not as many.
"Don't touch the books," Gabriel said.
"Do you mind?" Emmit asked.
Mira didn't know what he meant, but she was happy when Gabriel took her arm. He smiled at her, still looking unsure, and she wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to feel better holding on to him, but the truth was she felt awful. Even the books weren't keeping their usual fascination over her.
"The room looks different here," Gabriel said.
Mira perked up and looked around. "The air is fresh."
"Look at the walls," Gabriel said.
They smoke drifted over them. This wasn't the haze of the world outside the room, but actual smoke. Mira reluctantly pulled away and touched the rough walls. "That's an interesting design." Rough grooves went through the walls, as though making a pattern, but not quite a uniform one. "It's not stone."
Gabriel, hovering behind her, ran his hand over the wall. "It feels warm. I haven't felt anything here actually feel warm."
"These are fascinating," Emmit said.
Mira saw that he stood next to a shelf of books. He had his hands clasped behind his back as if holding them away from the temptation.
"The one we're looking for is down there." Gabriel indicated the direction. "You'll know it when you see it."
Emmit tore his eyes away from the books but didn't rush to the one he needed. Instead, he examined each book as he went past.
"Where's Jean?" Mira asked.
"Over here," Jean said softly. She had found herself another corner and was keeping her back to the wall without actually touching the wall or the smoke. "Resting."
She looked almost as beat as Mira felt.
"I think we're safe in this room," Mira said. She wasn't as confident about that as she had been outside. The room felt okay, but something about it was making her senses itch.
"Safe or not," Gabriel said, "I think we should get out of here and home as soon as we can."
Noticing that Gabriel still hadn't made a move toward the book, Mira took his hand and led him that way. She glanced at the books as she passed, noting the soft clean glow that came off them, but like Gabriel, she just wanted this nightmare over with.
Looking at the cover of the book made Mira uncomfortable. The symbols seemed to shift under her gaze.
She reached to open the book, and Gabriel's hand caught hers.
"I don't think you should," Gabriel said.
"If you say so," Mira said. "It's your book."
"It's Chris's book."
Mira shook her head. "I don't think it is. Not really."
"Have you noticed that the shelves and pedestals are solid in this room?" Emmit asked.
"Yeah," Gabriel said. "I don't know if that means it's been here a long time or what."
Mira hadn't realized things appeared more solid, so she looked around the room more carefully. "There are rugs in the room as well."
"Interesting," Emmit said. "I wonder if we are truly in the Ether here."
"Where else would we be?" Mira asked. "It's definitely not our world."
Emmit didn't elaborate.
Mira left Gabriel with the book, which he had opened, and sat on a stack of rugs. It was almost comfortable. Nothing in the Ether had ever been comfortable.
"I think we should get to know Chris better," Mira said, more to herself than anyone else.
Gabriel snorted. "Easy for you to say."
Mira saw his smile.
"I know why he'd be interested in spending time with me."
Chapter 25
Mira chuckled, thinking of Chris teasing Gabriel
Gabriel grabbed the book and settled down beside her.
"This place feels," Emmit looked around as though searching for the right word. "Scratchy."
Mira laughed, startling a look from both of them. "I was thinking itchy."
"I think it feels wonderful," Jean said from her nearby corner where she was laying.
"Me too," Gabriel said. "It's like the whole room is a warm glow."
"Interesting," Emmit murmured.
Thinking Jean looked comfortable, Mira shifted and used Gabriel's lap as a pillow.
"What does the book say?" Emmit asked.
"It's going to take a while to read," Gabriel said.
Mira closed her eyes, and in the safety she felt from Gabriel, she fell asleep.
***
The Ether was full of nightmares, but Mira had none of them while she slept. She felt that it could be because there were too many horrors walking around while she was awake.
Maybe the Ether was where nightmares lived.
It had been a deep, heavy sleep, an
d she felt revived—even lighter—when she woke up. And since she woke up next to Gabriel, she felt happy as well.
He had sprawled out beside, and it looked like he had fallen asleep while reading. One of his wings lay over her.
It creeped her out a little that she had fallen asleep in the Ether, but maybe, as Emmit said, the store didn’t really count as the Ether.
Up until this point, she had felt like she had been a hindrance while here. When she woke up, for the first time since she’d crossed over, she felt more like herself. Restless, she slipped out from under Gabriel, stood, and looked around.
At least one of the books drew her attention, but she knew better than to touch it—especially the one that seemed to sing to her. She passed down aisles, going to the opposite end of the room where they had found Chris standing in their own world.
Mira wasn't exactly sure if Chris was a witch, but he seemed to know a lot about them, and he obviously had dealings with Mr. Singer.
Behind where Chris usually stood, the wall design had changed. There was a large, round, smooth stone, much larger than Gabriel's shield, which appeared to be embedded in the wall. She didn't remember seeing that in the real world.
This area had more rugs, but also other items. There was a chest in the corner, ornate metallic pitchers, shiny items that could have been candle holders, and glass jars in beautiful colors.
Even more than the books, these felt like Chris's things. The idea of touching them felt invasive, so she concentrated on the shelves nearby. Mira wasn't looking for any of the items she saw in the open, although the chest in the corner looked promising since she was looking for spell ingredients. If he was a witch, even a witch on the fringe, he would have magic supplies close by.
"Are you looking for something in particular?"
Mira spun and tripped. If it wasn't for Emmit catching her by the arm, she would have fallen across some of the glass jars.
When Mira's heartbeat returned to normal, she shook Emmit off.
"I apologize for startling you."
"I didn't realize anyone was awake," Mira said.
They kept their voices low as to not bother Gabriel or Jean.
"I thought it prudent for someone to keep guard."
"I'm awake now if you want to rest."
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah," Mira said. "I think I just needed some sleep."
Spellbound Murder Complete Trilogy (Spellbound Murder Box Set Book 1) Page 72