Read Haunted for Free Online

dry?
    ’Tis I, ’tis I, fair Mina cried, I have the blade, ’tis I!
    Who had the blade to pierce her knight?
    ’Tis I, ’tis I, fair Mina cried, I have the blade, ’tis I!

    Gillian shuddered at the cruel words. “Oh Mina, what have you done?” Gillian said.
    But Mina was gone. Instead there was only the crowd, marching forward. Though Gillian tried to back up, she hit the fountain. The people had her. They had their hands on her and, oh, they had their knives.

CHAPTER FIVE

    GILLIAN WOKE WITH a start, waking Shayne up as well. He smoothed his hand over her hair.
    “Bad dreams?” he asked.
    She nodded. They were still lying together in the hay loft, her head resting on his shoulder, as though neither of them had moved. But one of the horse blankets had been drawn over them.
    He traced a line down her arm. “Tell me.”
    The chant was still in her head, as were the glints of metal. Briefly, she recounted it all.
    “I don’t know how to feel about her,” Gillian said, idly running her glove over Shayne’s chest. “Half the time I can’t decide whether she wants to kill me or kiss me.”
    “She apparently did both,” Shayne pointed out. “Maybe she’s confused. Or maybe she doesn’t remember everything. Or maybe she’s insane.”
    Gillian was struck by that: an ancient memory of a dying lover might indeed make someone insane.
    Shayne gently brushed his fingertips over her wrist, under the glove. “About last night…”
    She felt her cheeks flush hot. Something in Shayne had made her bold. Now she could hardly believe what she’d done. “I, um…”
    “Look,” he said, “if I was too…”
    “No!” she exclaimed. “You were great. I thought maybe I was too…”
    “Gods, you were amazing,” he breathed.
    Even now she could feel a tremor stir, deep in her belly, just at the thought.
    He kissed her on the forehead. “I wish we could be here all day. But we have to find that portal.”
    “I know,” she whispered.
    They got up, dressed in silence, and climbed down the ladder. But at the exit to the stable, they both had to stop. The city of Tenebris had rebuilt itself. All the windows were whole, the trough outside the stable sparkled with fresh, clean water, and in a small pot by a door, there were red geraniums blooming.
    “Wow,” Gillian murmured.
    “Stay close,” Shayne said.
    Through the same alley they’d used the night before, they made their way back to the main boulevard. The streets were immaculate, and there were vendor stands and barrows in the marketplaces. There was even produce in the bins. Perhaps most alarmingly of all, there was a pile of fresh-baked bread at one stand.
    “Oh my god, that looks delicious,” Gillian said, staring and reaching for it.
    “Remember what happens if you eat fairy food,” Shayne said, a warning tone in his voice.
    Gillian pulled her hand back. “Fairy food?” But as Shayne snatched up a bun and tore out a huge bite, she cried out with indignation.
    “Hey, you just told me not to do that!”
    Shayne grinned at her, unrepentant. “Yes, I did,” he said, talking around a mouthful. “I’m still your protector, after all. I wanted to make sure that whatever happened, only happened to me.” He looked around expectantly. “So far, so good. Grab a few, and we’ll keep walking.”
    She took as many as she could carry, putting a couple in the big, front pocket of her tunic. And then she bit into one. The bread was so good that she could have cried. It was fresh and hot. She wished there was a baker that she could thank. But despite the city’s blooming, there was still no sign of people.
    “It looks like they’ll be right back,” Gillian said softly. “It looks like they stepped away for a moment.”
    The further they went, the more it seemed like someone would just appear. In fact, Gillian had the distinct impression they were being watched. She turned every corner expecting to see a face. She checked the gleaming windows to see if