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“Deep breaths,” he told her as he folded himself up into the small passenger seat. He wasn’t sure what he could do to help. “Do you want to talk about it?” In his admittedly limited experience, most women welcomed the opportunity to discuss their feelings.
But Anabel was not most women. “No,” she said, averting her profile. “I’m fine.” A moment later, she managed to start the car and put it in Drive.
“What was that, back there?”
Not looking at him, she lifted one delicate shoulder in a shrug. “I already told you, people in this town think I’m crazy.”
“But you didn’t tell me why.”
She shot him a sideways glance, her eyes shuttered. “Does it really matter?”
“I guess not. But I’d still like to know.”
“I talk to ghosts. Think about it.”
He couldn’t help laughing at the sour note in her voice. “They see you walking around talking to air. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Exactly. And I dress the part. Plus, I did something I shouldn’t have and almost cost a really sweet woman her life. I don’t think anyone will ever forgive me for that.”
Thus the captain’s reference to the McGraws. He, like just about everyone in Leaning Tree, knew the family. Since they’d declined to press charges, whatever Anabel had done couldn’t have been too bad. Tyler wondered if he should ask, but the raw agony in her expression made him decide not to. Whatever she’d done, it seemed clear she felt bad about that now.
Neither spoke as she drove slowly down Main Street. He took his time admiring the huge leafy oak and maple trees, the restored old buildings and the bustling shops. “It still looks the same,” he mused. “I see the small Dutch Reform church is now fully restored. And the shops and restaurants appear to be doing a booming business.”
“We get a lot more tourists than we used to,” she grudgingly admitted. “It’s really busy in the fall when all the city people take drives to see the foliage.” Again she looked sideways at him, almost as if it hurt her eyes to meet his gaze dead-on.
“I remember,” he said.
“How long have you been gone from here, anyway?”
“That’s a good question.” He tried to calculate, failing miserably.
“A reply like that means you aren’t really going to answer.”
He laughed. “Give me a minute. I’m trying. Like I said, time passes differently in the hereafter.”
“What’s the last year you remember? Let’s start with your last tour of duty in Afghanistan.”
Flashes of light, an explosion, red and yellow and orange. Screams of pain. Wincing, he tried to block the random sights and sounds from his memory.
When he finally found his voice again, he sounded hoarse. “Not there. Too intense. Let’s start with something better, more pleasant.”
“Okay. When did you graduate from high school?”
Now, that he could answer. “Nineteen ninety-seven.” Thinking about that, he couldn’t help smiling. “Leaning Tree High. Did you go there?”
“I did, but I graduated in 2001. I was just starting high school the year you finished.”
“Which would explain why we never met,” he said.
“How do you know we didn’t?” Though her question was casual, for some reason it sent a chill up his spine.
He decided to keep his answer light. “Because I’d remember.” The rest of it, what he didn’t say, was that she, with her long midnight hair and exotic bronze eyes, was the loveliest woman he’d ever seen. He had to believe his younger self would have recognized that too, even back then.
Chapter 3
Apparently oblivious of his chaotic thoughts, Anabel continued to question him. “And then after high school, what did you do? Did you enlist right away?”
His head had begun to hurt. “My turn. I get to ask you something next.”
“Really? I had no idea we were playing some sort of game.” Since her dry tone contained a thread of amusement, he decided to take that as encouragement.
“What did you do after high school?” he asked.
“I went to college. Columbia, to be exact. Three months in, I loved life and the city. Then I met David Lee. From Tennessee. He was in New York on leave.”
Though he hated the dark sadness that crept over her lovely face, he wanted to know more. Before he could speak, she forestalled him by making a chopping motion with her hand.
“My turn,” she said, earning a reluctant smile from him.
“Go ahead.”
“Remember, we’re trying to get a rough idea of how long you’ve been a ghost,” she said.
Though he didn’t know why that mattered, he decided to play along. “Okay.”
“When did you enlist?”
He sighed. “About two months after graduating from high school.”
“No college?”
“Nope. Not only did I not have the money or the grades, but I didn’t have the inclination. I was working a dead-end job, learning how to do bodywork at a Chevy dealership. I woke up one morning, decided I wanted to be a soldier and drove to the army recruiter’s office.”
“And then—”
“My turn.” He softened his tone to lessen the sting. “How long were you married?”
“Nope,” she said, turning away, but not before he saw the hurt flash across her face. “My marriage is off-limits. Ask something else.”
Thinking quickly, he spoke. “What about friends? Surely you must have some friends in this town.”
She gave him a look designed to stop a charging leopard in its tracks. “You’re going to keep pushing this, are you?”
“I’m just trying to figure out what makes you tick, that’s all.”
“Well, don’t. There’s not a reason in the world you would need to know.”
“Actually, there is.” He gave her what he hoped was an unguarded smile. “If we’re going to be working together, I should at least learn a few things about you.”
“I talk to ghosts,” she said, her voice curt. “Isn’t that enough?”
“Not really.” Equally blunt, he rubbed the back of his neck. One thing that always startled him was how he occasionally still had human aches and pains and itches, even in ethereal form.
“What?” Staring at him, she frowned. “Explain yourself.”
“You talk to ghosts. I get that. It’s great, and that particular talent is what enabled me to get you to see and hear me. But how is the ability to view spirits going to assist you in freeing my sister?”
She looked thoroughly annoyed. “Maybe I should remind you that you asked me to help you with this, not the other way around.”
“I did. But I was under the impression you had some form of magical ability, as well.”
Now. Now he expected she would finally admit the truth.
“Well, you were wrong.”
His heart sank. “It’s more likely you just don’t know your own powers.”
“Really?” Shaking her head, she snorted. “I know myself better than you think. And to answer your other question, I do have a few friends. They’re all sort of fringe people like me.”
“Fringe people?”
“Yeah.” Expression carefully blank, she smiled at him. “As a matter of fact, you need to meet one of them. My friend Juliet. She owns the yoga studio and metaphysical bookstore downtown and calls herself a medium.”
“And you don’t believe her?”
“I have no opinion either way. She’s my friend and whatever she wants to accept as true is fine with me.” A hint of mischief sparked in her amazing eyes as she widened her smile, which made him catch his breath. “That’s why I want you to meet her. I’m curious to see if she senses your presence.”
“Has she ever sensed one of your other ghostly visitors?”
“No, but I’ve never brought one into her studio. I usually get rid of them as soon as they appear.”
Curious, he nodded. “Do they appear often?”
Instantly, her smile vanished. “Too much,” she said grimly. “There are an awful lot of dead people trying to communicate with the living.”
“You know, you could make money if you had a TV show and traveled around the country like the Long Island Medium. Why don’t you?”
Clearly, his attempt at a joke fell flat. She looked at him as if he’d grown two ghostly heads. “That’s not for me. All I want is for the specters to leave me alone. Which, thanks to you, they are.”
When he was in the afterlife, Anabel’s energy had pulled him to her. He’d been seeking, and then the blaze of energy she gave off shone like a beacon, cutting through gray. The fact that she’d been able to see and hear him had been a welcome bonus.
“You draw them to you,” he said slowly.
“How? And why? Surely there must be a way to turn it off.”
He debated the best way to tell her. Finally, he decided to just say it. “Anabel, I believe you have magic inside you. Untapped, but powerful. We’re going to need to figure out how to bring it to the surface.”
“Bring it to...” They stopped at a red light and she turned to face him. “Why would I want to do something like that?”
If her crossed arms were any indication, she definitely wasn’t going to like what he had to say next. “Because whoever has my sister is a warlock. And you’re going to need your magic to defeat him.”
* * *
“A warlock?” Repeating Tyler’s words, Anabel sucked in her breath. As a shape-shifter, she knew there were all kinds of other supernatural beings out there, like vampires and mer-people, but as far as she knew, no one had any special powers, except for the fae. Even as a child in school, when they’d learned the history of the Pack along with all the other supernatural, witches and warlocks had never been mentioned. Not once.
While she—and others of her kind—could change form, as far as she knew, no one could fly. Or start fires with a look or a wave of their hand. Magic didn’t exist.
Yet Tyler talked as if it did. There were certainly insane living people; therefore, it followed that there could be crazy dead people, as well. “Look, Tyler. I agreed to help try and find your sister. You didn’t say anything about having to defeat some sort of magical being.”
“I believed—believe you have magic too.”
She waited, in case there was more, but he didn’t elaborate.
“Well, if you need somebody who can fight magic with magic, you’ve picked the wrong person,” she said. “I’ll assist in every way I can, but you’ll need to find another witch or warlock to help get her out once we find her.”
“Deal,” he said promptly, which sort of annoyed her. “Do you know any witches?”
Fine. He wanted a witch, she’d get him one. “My friend the yoga instructor is not only a medium but a witch.” Okay, technically Juliet was Wiccan, but Tyler was a ghost and Juliet wouldn’t be able to see him.
Tyler’s ghostly form briefly solidified, which she was beginning to realize meant excitement. “Do you think she’ll help us?”
Immediately, she regretted saying anything. “Tyler, she’s Wiccan. She runs a yoga studio and metaphysical bookstore, like I said. If she practices any magic, which I doubt, it’s not powerful.”
“How do you know?” His husky voice vibrated with enthusiasm. “She might hide it from you. Most magical beings don’t go around advertising their power, you know.”
“No, I don’t know.” Apparently, he was serious. She sighed. Maybe new insights into the world were learned in the afterlife.
“When can we meet her?” Tyler asked, his hazel eyes glowing.
Fine. She gave in. “How about now? We’re already in town.”
Again his form appeared solid. “Sounds great.”
Mentally shaking her head, she took the next left onto Third Street. Juliet’s bright green VW bug was parked in front of the small white-frame corner building, with a bookstore on one side and a yoga studio on the other.
“You’re in luck. She’s here.”
Pulling up next to her friend’s car, Anabel parked and got out. As she headed toward the yoga-studio door, she glanced at Tyler’s strikingly handsome form, floating a few feet off the ground. “Remember, Juliet won’t be able to see you.”
“You never know,” he said agreeably. “She might have a few secrets from you, the same way you keep things from her.”
Resisting the urge to grumble under her breath, she inhaled deeply and opened the door. The set of tiny bells chirped and chimed their usual muted happy sound. The air smelled like spearmint and rosemary. This never failed to make Anabel smile.
At the sound, Juliet glided from the back room, her unlined face serene. “Anabel!” Moving forward, she hugged Anabel and kissed her cheek. “Class was over an hour ago.”
“I know. We came because...” Crap. Not only had she said we, as in plural, but she really didn’t have a good reason for being there.
“We?” Juliet’s perfectly arched eyebrows rose. She peered behind Anabel. “Is someone else with you?”
“No. Sorry.” Ignoring Tyler, who now hovered over Anabel with a look of intense concentration on his face, she swallowed.
“What’s wrong?” Juliet placed a soothing hand on Anabel’s shoulder. “Something is troubling you. I can sense it.”
“Aha!” Tyler crowed. “See? She has powers. I knew it.”
Anabel could have sworn Juliet glanced at Tyler, though she didn’t acknowledge his presence. Of course she didn’t. She wasn’t crazy, like Anabel.
Doing her best to ignore Tyler’s outburst, Anabel nodded. “Do you have a moment to talk?”
“Of course.” Turning, Juliet pushed through the row of beads making a curtain in the doorway and led the way back to her office.
Once inside, Anabel took the second chair, since Tyler had materialized in the first one.
“Now tell me what’s bothering you.” Juliet’s dulcet tones were, as far as Anabel was concerned, one of her best assets.
“Um, okay.” Might as well just blurt it out. “I hope I’m not being offensive, but as a Wiccan, do you happen to practice...magic?”
To Anabel’s relief, Juliet smiled. “We do practice some small, white magic.” She leaned closer. “Anabel, have you come because of your power?”
Stunned, Anabel gaped at her friend and tried to ignore Tyler’s smug smile. “Power?”
“Yes. You have an aura of power surrounding you. More than just your shifter aura. I thought perhaps something had happened to make you realize this, so you’d come to me for help.”
“Power.” Aware she was repeating the word yet again, Anabel shook her head. “You do realize my life is already strange enough, don’t you?”
Smile widening, Juliet leaned over and patted her arm. “No rush. When the time is right and you have questions, please come to me. I’m not an expert by any means, but I can enlist the help of my coven to teach you. It’s far better to use such power for light rather than dark.”
Despite herself, Anabel shivered. “Dark magic.” Her throat felt dry. “You’re telling me that such a thing is real?”
“Unfortunately, very real.” And then, while Anabel was trying to digest all this, she swore her friend cut her eyes and looked right at Tyler. As if she too could see him.
“I think she can see me,” Tyler said, confirming her thought.
“I can,” Juliet admitted, making Anabel gasp. “And hear you too. However, I only see a blaze of energy, not a physical body. Is that what you see, Anabel?”
“No.” Still in shock, Anabel looked from Juliet to Tyler and back again. “I see him like he must have looked when he was alive.”
Tyler flashed a cocky grin. “Of course you do,” he said. “You have way more power than she does.”
“I need to go home.” Anabel stood, suppressing a flash of panic. “I need to go home right now.”
Knowing her friend would understand, Anabel rushed outside and got into her car. She managed to get the key in the ignition, start the engine and put the car in Drive before she realized Tyler wasn’t there.
Fine. He was a ghost. He’d show up eventually. Right now she needed to be alone.
* * *
Tyler remained seated, though with every fiber of his being he wanted to rush after Anabel. Instead he studied Anabel’s friend, taking comfort in the aura of peace and tranquility radiating from her.
“Why are you here?” Juliet asked, apparently having no issues with conversing with a ghost. “Many others have tried to contact her and she’s sent every single entity away. What’s different about you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I really need Anabel’s help,” he answered. “I was drawn to her, by her power.”
“A lot of spirits are. I get the odd few myself, every now and then, but not nearly as many as she.” She leaned forward, her faded blue eyes twinkling. “She thinks I don’t know.”
“Why?” he asked. “What is it about her? Is she a witch? How is it possible she isn’t aware of her power?”
“Anabel is descended from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, her mother died when she was young. There was no one else to teach her. My coven and I have been waiting for the right time.” Cocking her head, she studied him. “It would appear your arrival has signaled that the time has come.”
“Why wouldn’t you have taught her before now? It seems to me she could have used an advantage.”
The other woman shook her head. “Anabel has been very unsettled since losing her husband. There were instances when she might have chosen to use her power for bad rather than good.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I’ve been tasked with helping guide her. My coven has long been aware of her and her family, and we watch to make certain she continues to walk within the light.” Juliet looked pensive. “Of course, she’s given me a few scares a couple of times. Like when she almost caused that poor girl, Lilly McGraw, to get recaptured by that cult. You might know the McGraws, if you’re from around here. They own and operate Wolf Hollow Motor Court Resort.”
“I know the McGraws, but I don’t know Lilly.”
Juliet nodded. “Lilly was here with Kane McGraw. She’d been held captive by some crazy cult, and they were hunting her down even after she was freed,” she continued. “For whatever reason, Anabel helped this cult. Maybe out of jealousy, as she apparently once had a thing for Kane.”
“Helped them?” Tyler wasn’t sure he understood. “Anabel helped cult members locate Lilly?”
“Yes. She led Lilly into a trap. Both Lilly and Anabel almost lost their lives with that one.”
“Why? Why would she do such a thing?”
“She was confused.” Juliet sighed. “And hurting. After David died, Anabel became convinced that Kane McGraw was her mate. She wrote him letters. He never responded. When Anabel learned Kane and Lilly were true mates, she went a little...crazy.”
Now everything fell into place. “That explains the way everyone at the—” about to say police station, he caught himself “—in town treated her. Like she was dirt.”
Expression sad, Juliet nodded. “Folks have long memories around here.”
He shook his head. “I’m sure she had her reasons. Anabel’s energy shows she’s a good person. Did she say why?”
“Maybe if you ask her, she’ll tell you,” Juliet said gently. “It’s her story to share or not. Meanwhile, I’d like to know what you need someone with power for.”
Eyeing her, he made a split-second decision and decided to trust her. “A powerful warlock has taken my sister—and maybe a couple of others—captive. I need power to locate them.”
“And fight him,” she finished. “I see. I’m not sure Anabel is your best bet. She’s powerful but completely untrained.”
“What about you?” he asked.
But the older woman had already begun shaking her head. “I am not nearly powerful enough. In fact, Anabel is the most powerful witch I’ve ever known. It’s in her blood.”
“Then I have no choice,” he said. “Maybe you can train her, if you can do it quickly. There’s not a lot of time. My sister’s life is in danger.”
She blinked up at him. “You’re a ghost. You should be able to find your sister.”
“Yes, that would be true. If a powerful warlock wasn’t shielding himself and her.”
“Oh.” Juliet still sounded stunned. Shell-shocked, even. “Do you know who this warlock is?”
“No.” Tyler glided toward the doorway. “Thank you for visiting with me,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” Her wide smile attested to the truth of her words. “If there’s anything I can do to help you and Anabel, let me know.”
“I will.” And he winked out, reappearing in Anabel’s living room. She hadn’t arrived home yet, which was probably a good thing. She’d seemed pretty freaked out, and the last thing he needed was for her to make a panic-fueled decision to try to send him away again.
Her cat hissed and puffed up his fur immediately upon seeing Tyler. The long-haired black beast had been enjoying a sunny spot on the carpet near the front window. As cats went, this one was large and appeared powerful.
“It’s okay, cat,” Tyler said, lowering his voice and trying to sound friendly. “I’m not here to do any harm.”
Apparently, the feline believed him, as he settled back down, turning his head and pretending to ignore Tyler while grooming his fur and stretching, all at the same time.
Tyler guessed this was a good thing. He’d never had much to do with cats, like most shifters. The two species—wolf and feline—were natural enemies. Tyler supposed it was a measure of Anabel’s uniqueness—or maybe her power—that she had a cat as a pet.
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway heralded Anabel’s arrival. She slammed into the house, looking around wildly until she saw him.
“You are trouble. Nothing but trouble,” she cried. “My life was already messed up before you arrived, but you’re making it even worse.”
He grimaced. “I’m sorry. I have no choice.”
“How?” she demanded. “How do you even know your sister’s in danger? You’re dead. How the heck would she be able to contact you?”
“Her energy reached out to me. She asked me to save her from him. She’s pretty desperate. Who wouldn’t be, in her situation?”
“I want no part of it. I’m done.” Straightening, she waved her hand, giving him a flat, cold stare. “I want you to leave.”
Though he knew she couldn’t see it, her power flared, radiating from the edges of her fingertips as she pointed at him.
This time, he had no choice but to do as she commanded. As the compulsion filled him, he felt himself being pulled away, as if a giant vortex had opened to suck him right back out of this world.
“Wait,” he shouted, desperation fueling his words. “You can’t let my sister die. This is your chance to atone for what you did to that Lilly girl.”
Instantly, the energy sending him away faltered and then dissipated. Relieved, he wiped his hands down the front of his pants.
Anabel sighed, looking down before meeting his gaze. “Juliet told you about that?”
Glad now that he’d stayed and talked to the other woman, Tyler nodded. “She did.” Impulsively, he moved forward and put his hand on her shoulder. Of course, she couldn’t feel his ghostly touch—heck, he could see through his own fingers—but the gesture made him feel better. “My sister is only twenty-five years old. She doesn’t deserve to suffer like this.”
After a moment, she nodded. “I’ll try my best. I can promise you that. As to this mysterious power I supposedly have, I don’t know what to tell you about that.”
He took a deep breath, deciding to bulldoze ahead since he really had no choice. “Juliet said she could train you.”
Her beautiful bronze eyes narrowed. “Oh, she did, did she?”
Might as well tell her the rest of it. “She told me you’re descended from a long line of powerful witches. Your mother died before she could train you.”
“Or even tell me.” Moving away from him, she sighed. “My mom was killed in a fire when I was three. My dad got me out and went back for her. He died too.”
“I’m sorry.” He considered and then decided, why not? “If you’d like, when this is over, I can try to find their spirits too.”
“We’ll see.” Spinning around, sending her gauzy black skirt flaring out around her like a flamenco dancer’s, she headed into the kitchen. “I’m starving. It’s long past the time I normally eat lunch. I hope you don’t mind if I eat.”
“Why would I mind?” he asked, genuinely curious.