Chapter 15 #2
“It doesn’t make sense,” Jacques agrees, pulling the concealment charm over his head.
His wings disappear right away. I redid the charms before the guys woke up, worried the crystals were losing their magic and all four of my guys would sprout wings in the middle of dinner.
I hold up a black T-shirt in one hand and a light blue one in the other.
Jacques considers both and goes with the blue.
It looks good on him, contrasting with his deep brown eyes.
“Right?” I set the other shirt down and turn to look in the mirror. “If her death was an accident, I get the whole crying part, but attacking people…there’s more to the story.”
Jacques pulls the shirt over his head. I watch him in the mirror as I run the brush through my hair, attempting to style it in a half-up, half-down type of look.
“What are you thinking?”
“She didn’t fall. She was pushed.”
“By the boyfriend?”
I pick up a hair clip and snap it in place.
My hair does not look like the picture I pulled up on Pinterest. “Yeah,” I say, and try again.
“He was the only witness. It wouldn’t take much to push someone over like that, especially if they were already close.
Sometimes there are signs of a struggle if someone is pushed or thrown, but a simple shove wouldn’t leave any marks. ”
“He could have baited her to the edge.”
“Exactly. And if he did, she’d obviously be pissed, and it makes more sense for her to attack men who were at the falls. Not total sense given they’re innocent and have nothing to do with her, but she’s a ghost after all.”
“I didn’t get it translated yet, but I did read more in your book.” Jacques stands behind me, hands settling on my hips. “The longer she is here, the more unpredictable she’ll get. Unpredictable…and violent.”
Setting the hair clip down after another failed attempt, I turn around in Jac’s arms. “What do I do? The cop in me wants to arrest the motherfucker if he really did kill Lynn. I’ll need to get proof and do it legally.
And the witch in me…” I shake my head. “I need to stop the ghost before she hurts another innocent person.”
Jacques considers each option for a moment. “I don’t know much about the legal system, but it seems it can be a drawn-out process.”
“For some things, yes. Unless I can use witchcraft to get him to confess.”
Jac smiles. “Best of both worlds, I suppose. Though you are right. Stopping the ghost has to be your top priority. You don’t know if she was murdered for sure either.”
“Right. She might have really fallen and is just confused.”
Jac brushes my hair over my shoulder. “You look beautiful, Ace. I like your hair down.”
“Thanks.” I hook my arms around his shoulders. “And good, because it’s not wanting to cooperate today.”
He gives me a quick kiss and takes my hand. “No more talk about ghosts for the next two hours.”
“Deal.”
We head down the stairs where the rest of the guys are waiting. We’re going out to dinner tonight, and I was able to get us a reservation at a new place downtown. With a wine bar. I might be a little too excited about ordering a frozen rosé.
“It’s going to be a bit of a tight squeeze,” I warn the guys as Thomas, Gil, and Jacques climb into the back. “I need to teach you guys how to drive so I can be the one in the middle back there.”
“Driving doesn’t look too hard,” Gil says, who’s crammed in between his brother and Jac.
“Operating the car isn’t too difficult,” I tell him as we head down the driveway.
“But learning traffic rules and watching out for others is the tricky part. We’ll start driving lessons right after I send Pink Dress back to the spirit world and break the curse.
And I should probably find out for sure if I spoke with my mom’s ghost or a demon.
Then we can learn how to drive, though we’ll save that just for emergencies. You don’t have a license.”
“No rush or anything,” Gil says with a smile. “We’re cozy back here.”
I glance in my rear-view mirror. “You look like it.”
“What is this?” Hasan narrows his eyes at the pitcher I set down at the table. I figured ordering a pitcher at the bar was a safer bet than trying to order five drinks with only one of us having ID.
“Frozé.” I slide into my chair and pick up an empty glass.
“A wine-slushie.” I fill up my glass and take a drink.
“And it’s pretty damn good, especially in this heat.
” I take another glass and fill it up, sliding it to Gilbert, who’s sitting next to me.
“Speaking of the heat, I have a few air conditioners arriving tomorrow. The house will feel so much better.”
“Is that why it’s cool in here?” Hasan asks, reminding me again that we’re worlds apart in some ways.
“Yes. Most modern establishments and houses in climates like this have air conditioning. Our house is old and in need of major updating, though I guess to you guys it’s from the future.”
I fill the rest of the glasses and pass them out.
By the time the pitcher is empty, we’re all talking and laughing and having a good time just like five regular adults.
I haven’t thought about ghosts or curses the entire time, and my good mood carries to the night.
I change into my PJs once we’re home and get out another bottle of wine, realizing that I’ve drunk more this past week than I have in the last three or four years combined.
I’m on vacation, so what the hell, right?
One bottle of wine doesn’t go far between the five of us, and once it’s gone, Jacques and I go up to bed. No one ever says anything about who I choose to take upstairs with me. It’s the most liberating thing I’ve ever done, and I’m still not quite used to having something so good.
“Are you keeping the charm on?” I ask Jac. He strips down to just his boxers, which I know he’s still not used to wearing under jeans.
“Does it bother you?” he asks with a wry smile.
“Not at all.” I untuck the bed, folding the comforter down to the foot. I won’t be needing that tonight. “I’m still torn on whether or not I should feel bad for enjoying it when you don’t have wings.”
“Why would you feel bad?”
He gets into bed next to me, fingers sweeping over my collarbone. The cross necklace is back in the locked box, and a part of me wants to go get it and put it on. If Braeya is who Henry sensed, then she still wants to get me a message.
Jac pulls me to him, and I rest my head on his chest. He rubs my back, lulling me close to sleep.
His hands move lower, and we have that lazy, sleep-dazed sex you only have when you’re really comfortable with each other.
The sex is far from exciting, but is bonding in an I’ve never been this close to anyone kind of way.
I fall asleep quickly after that, sleeping soundly for most of the night. Minutes before dawn, I startle awake.
“Ace?” Jac sits up too, tipping his head at me. He’s not wearing the charm anymore, and his wings are tucked in close to his back. I run a hand over my face, moving loose strands of hair out of my eyes. Details of my dream come flooding back.
The smell of chickens.
Cold dirt.
Pain in my chest and a constant chill throughout my whole body.
A woman in a long dark dress opens a wooden door as she gazes at a woman chained to a bed. She holds up her lantern, and the light illuminates her face. A face I’ve seen before.
Henry wasn’t talking about Braeya. He was talking about Gemma.