“How?”
The sides of his mouth curved in a boyish grin. “I have my ways.”
I hated that I was being serious and he wasn’t. I was happy he was here, but also wary that he hadn’t been straight with me about the servant. “I think I saw the girl who killed you today.”
He immediately dropped his gaze to my comforter, and ran his hand over the material, tracing the filigree pattern with a long finger. “I didn’t want you to be afraid of her.”
“Have you been able to see her all this time?”
Sliding off the bed, he walked over to the window, looked out. “Yes, but Laria stays near the graveyard, away from me…and I stay away from her.”
No wonder I had felt such a creepy sensation when I first saw that cemetery. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“It’s difficult to say,” he said, turning to face me again. “You see, time is not the same for you as it is for me.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Time in the spirit world is different than time as you know it.”
What did that mean, anyway? Frustrated, I ran my hands down my face. “Should I be afraid of Laria?”
“You should be wary.”
“Miss Akin said ghosts can’t harm the living.”
I could tell by his expression that he felt differently, and that made me nervous.
“I believe Laria is as dangerous in death as she was in life,” he replied. “Perhaps more so. I don’t know if it’s her connection to the Black Arts that makes her so powerful, but you must be careful.”
Black Arts? As in witchcraft? “How much harm can she do? I mean…she’s dead.”
“You would do well to remember that she’s the one who cursed me.”
“I’m not afraid of her,” I said, even though I actually was. Laria made me really nervous. And I could tell by Ian’s reaction
that I needed to be worried. “I wonder if there’s a book about witchcraft and spells that can help end the curse?”
“It’s generous of you to try and help me, but I can’t ask you to put yourself in harm’s way.”
“I want to help you,” I said, pulling off the elastic band from around my ponytail and running my fingers through my hair. Ian’s eyes followed my movements, and when our gazes locked again, he smiled.
I felt that smile all the way to my toes.
Tossing the hair band on my nightstand, I blurted, “Maybe I could check the library or the Internet. I mean, my dad promised to have the computer up and running by the weekend, but I really don’t want to wait that long, you know?” Oh my God, I was rambling, but I couldn’t help it. The way he was looking at me made me kind of nervous, but not in a bad way. Rather, an excited, I-can’t-
wait-to-see-what-happens-next kind of way.
“Maybe we can go to the library after lunch.”
He nodded, but looked hesitant for some reason.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, almost afraid of his answer.
“Are you sure about this, Riley? Perhaps you should think about what you are truly getting into first.”
I wanted to tell him that there was absolutely no going back. “I want to help you end this curse, Ian. What Laria did to you was wrong and you deserve to have peace.”
He stared at me for a long minute, saying nothing––just watching me with a soft expression that made my insides tighten.
“Thank you, Riley,” he finally said.
“Thank you.”
Chapter 6
The town library was old and surprisingly large, but had a seriously disappointing New Age section.
A girl about my age stood behind the front counter, helping a woman and her young daughter check out books. She watched me closely as I browsed the aisles, and I wondered if checking out books on ghosts and witchcraft was a smart thing to do given how new I was. With my luck, by the time school started everyone would be talking. Oh well, it wasn’t like people talking behind my back was new to me.
Ian stood beside me, his fingers brushing along the book spines. I wondered what the girl at the counter and the other patrons would think if they
The sides of his mouth curved in a boyish grin. “I have my ways.”
I hated that I was being serious and he wasn’t. I was happy he was here, but also wary that he hadn’t been straight with me about the servant. “I think I saw the girl who killed you today.”
He immediately dropped his gaze to my comforter, and ran his hand over the material, tracing the filigree pattern with a long finger. “I didn’t want you to be afraid of her.”
“Have you been able to see her all this time?”
Sliding off the bed, he walked over to the window, looked out. “Yes, but Laria stays near the graveyard, away from me…and I stay away from her.”
No wonder I had felt such a creepy sensation when I first saw that cemetery. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“It’s difficult to say,” he said, turning to face me again. “You see, time is not the same for you as it is for me.”
I frowned. “What?”
“Time in the spirit world is different than time as you know it.”
What did that mean, anyway? Frustrated, I ran my hands down my face. “Should I be afraid of Laria?”
“You should be wary.”
“Miss Akin said ghosts can’t harm the living.”
I could tell by his expression that he felt differently, and that made me nervous.
“I believe Laria is as dangerous in death as she was in life,” he replied. “Perhaps more so. I don’t know if it’s her connection to the Black Arts that makes her so powerful, but you must be careful.”
Black Arts? As in witchcraft? “How much harm can she do? I mean…she’s dead.”
“You would do well to remember that she’s the one who cursed me.”
“I’m not afraid of her,” I said, even though I actually was. Laria made me really nervous. And I could tell by Ian’s reaction
that I needed to be worried. “I wonder if there’s a book about witchcraft and spells that can help end the curse?”
“It’s generous of you to try and help me, but I can’t ask you to put yourself in harm’s way.”
“I want to help you,” I said, pulling off the elastic band from around my ponytail and running my fingers through my hair. Ian’s eyes followed my movements, and when our gazes locked again, he smiled.
I felt that smile all the way to my toes.
Tossing the hair band on my nightstand, I blurted, “Maybe I could check the library or the Internet. I mean, my dad promised to have the computer up and running by the weekend, but I really don’t want to wait that long, you know?” Oh my God, I was rambling, but I couldn’t help it. The way he was looking at me made me kind of nervous, but not in a bad way. Rather, an excited, I-can’t-
wait-to-see-what-happens-next kind of way.
“Maybe we can go to the library after lunch.”
He nodded, but looked hesitant for some reason.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, almost afraid of his answer.
“Are you sure about this, Riley? Perhaps you should think about what you are truly getting into first.”
I wanted to tell him that there was absolutely no going back. “I want to help you end this curse, Ian. What Laria did to you was wrong and you deserve to have peace.”
He stared at me for a long minute, saying nothing––just watching me with a soft expression that made my insides tighten.
“Thank you, Riley,” he finally said.
“Thank you.”
Chapter 6
The town library was old and surprisingly large, but had a seriously disappointing New Age section.
A girl about my age stood behind the front counter, helping a woman and her young daughter check out books. She watched me closely as I browsed the aisles, and I wondered if checking out books on ghosts and witchcraft was a smart thing to do given how new I was. With my luck, by the time school started everyone would be talking. Oh well, it wasn’t like people talking behind my back was new to me.
Ian stood beside me, his fingers brushing along the book spines. I wondered what the girl at the counter and the other patrons would think if they
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