I didn’t know if I should slip it on now and try to see Luke’s spirit while he was busy driving or if I should wait. The problem was, I didn’t know when I would see him next. We’d shared some pretty heavy moments in his room, but that didn’t mean we would hang out regularly. I worked the bracelet around in my pocket, trying to get my hand through the twisted-up leather. Luke’s hand took mine and interrupted my concentration. He’d deftly slipped his right hand into my left and laced our fingers without taking his eyes off the road. A pleasant flow of energy emanated from his touch to mine, filling me with calming warmth.

  He must have been feeling my anxiety about trying out the bracelet, which threw a wrench in my plan. If I was going to do it, I would have to keep a level head and not give away my emotions. I also would need to be further away from him. I didn’t know how far, but touching was definitely too close.

  Not wanting to ruin the moment, I gave up, slid my hand out of my pocket, and relaxed into it, really enjoying the flow of energy from his touch. After a few minutes, I felt his hand slide from mine, and we turned into Anna’s driveway. Dean and Anna hopped out, giving us a moment of privacy.

  Being alone with Luke in the car brought up several bad feelings from the past few times he’d driven me home, causing an ache in my heart. I needed to know when I would see him again, but I was afraid to pry and ruin the connection we’d made. Deciding that was best, I opened my door to climb out.

  “Thank you.” Luke’s voice stopped my upward momentum.

  I turned back to him. “You’re welcome?”

  “For the gift, and for coming to see me after I’d….” He let the last part of his sentence trail off.

  I grabbed his hand and smiled. “We both messed up, but now we can make better decisions on how we treat each other. If you want to see me again….” I left that statement dangling in the air between us.

  He sighed and looked past my shoulder. I took that as my cue to leave without an answer. My hope faltered as I began to slide my hand out of his.

  “Come on, Luke! What do you say? Can we keep her? I want to name her Sparky!” Dean’s voice came from behind me, giving me a little jump. He’d stuck his head into the car and was totally eavesdropping.

  Luke squeezed my hand and then let go with a wry smile. “I don’t know, Dean. She seems like trouble.” He announced, his golden eyes sparkling at me.

  “Soooo…” I said loudly, letting myself get caught up in the fun. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  Dean jumped up and down, his hands rocking the whole car, causing a burst of laughter from us.

  “Please, please!” He said as he jumped.

  “Okay!” Luke yelled at him, still laughing.

  Luke turned to me with a burning look, dazzling the breath right out of me.

  “Text me?” His voice sizzled.

  I nodded goofily and got out before making a fool of myself, and stepped out of the way. Dean got in, Luke put the car in gear, and Dean hung his head out the window and shouted, “I’ll never get used to that!”

  I laughed as I watched Luke lean over and wrap his arm around Dean’s neck, towing him back inside.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I woke up early, dawn’s light just cresting through Anna’s window. As I lounged in bed, a smile played across my face. I’d dreamed of Luke, an actual real dream. It was a replay of yesterday, without the passing out part. I had gone to Luke’s, and he’d accepted the painting gracefully, taking me to his bedroom to talk. In my dream, he’d shared the same revelations as yesterday, and we’d explored the excitement of me passing him my energy. My mind had done an excellent job with the details, except for one part.

  When I asked dream Luke to show me his spirit, he said yes! As I watched, he pushed his spirit from his body, and my imagination filled in all the blanks. His ethereal form was as bright as the aura I’d seen around him yesterday, glowing and snapping with energy like little lightning bolts. Luke’s spectral form took the same path, shifting on the bed and touching my face. But, at the last moment, when I’d leaned in to kiss the likeness of Luke’s lips, his spirit didn’t pull away like it had yesterday. Instead, his spirit leaned into me, and when our lips touched, all his energy flowed into that kiss.

  I felt like it had followed me out of the dream because I was glowing just thinking about it. After a while, my bodily functions nagged me to get out of bed. I threw off my covers, and after a quick pit stop, I headed for the stairs. Last night, I hadn’t seen Anna’s house when we’d arrived because the downstairs lights had been off. We’d gone to her room and straight to bed. It had been a long day, after all.

  As soon as I made it to the main floor of the house, I was thankful that I’d waited for daylight to go exploring. From the front door to the stairs was clear, but one step off the landing, I would have toppled an avalanche of stuff. The hallway leading into the living area was piled up in a zigzagging path—to the ceiling in some places—that I couldn’t even see through it. Nevertheless, I could hear Ruth in there somewhere, so I dove in. After a few hairy moments of left and right turns, and grabbing piles I’d bumped into, I found her.

  The junk opened into the dining room and circled the table, leaving just enough room to pull out a chair. Ruth was having her morning coffee, scrolling through art on her tablet.

  She spoke without looking up. “Hey honey, you’re up early.”

  “Sorry if I’m bothering you,” I said politely.

  Ruth nearly spilled the coffee she’d almost taken a sip from. “Oh! Hi Kira!” She set her mug down and wiped the spilled coffee off the table with her sleeve. She looked around her at the overflowing piles. “I wasn’t expecting company.”

  She looked distraught at having me see the state of her house, so I tried to ease her mind. “I wasn’t expecting to stay the night. I get a little weirded out at other people’s houses, but I feel right at home here! This is exactly what my bedroom looks like.” I laughed a little. “My mom keeps telling me to get rid of everything, but I just love it too much.” I gave her a wink.

  She visibly relaxed and motioned to an empty chair across from her. Since the other chairs were full of antiques and art supplies, I guessed that’s where Anna usually sat, and that they never had company. Carefully, I sat down, trying not to disturb the collection.

  “I’d always hoped Anna would bring home a friend. Thank you for coming.”

  “No problem. We have really hit it off these last few weeks.”

  “She is such a lonely girl,” she said, looking around at the piles of stuff and then back at me. “I think she gets that from me. I’ve always been an introvert, more interested in my hobbies than people.”

  “I’m totally ok with that.” I smiled and glanced at my cell, the sudden urge to text Luke taking hold, even though it was really too early to be texting anyone.

  She looked at her mug. “Where are my manners? Would you like some coffee? I can lace it with chocolate and cinnamon.”

  “Do you have marshmallows, too?” I asked, the idea of s’mores coffee sounding super appealing.

  “Of course! I’ll be right back.” She hurried off to where I guessed the kitchen lay in the labyrinth.

  I checked my cell, and no one had texted me for once. I felt like that was a good thing, except I hadn’t heard from Heather since the other night, not that she’d been texting me lately. And I wasn’t sure if I should be mad at her or sorry for what she was going through. Comparing her situation with Ruth’s wasn’t a giant leap of logic. They both kept going back to their tormentors repeatedly, convinced that it was doing them good. But, from the outside, it was clear they were both suffering. The walk I’d taken through Ruth’s paintings was proof enough on her end, the canvases flowing in time, from colorful and fantastic, to dreary and dark horrors. The same went for Heather’s mood. She had quickly spiraled from a chipper school girl hoping for a new boyfriend, to a slap-happy conspiracist.

  Deciding that if I could help Heather get back to normal, then I could forgive her, I sent her a short text. I didn’t know Luke’s schedule, but I sent him one as well, letting him know I was awake and excited about seeing him when he was ready. That got me thinking about what we could do today and the questions I still needed to ask him. All of them seemed to pop into my mind at once. Then, realizing there was more than I could keep track of, I opened up the notepad on my phone and started typing questions.

  1. Why did Neil call Luke Royal Boy?

  2. What did the old woman do to my bracelet? Was it magic?

  3. Is magic real?

  4. What are Luke’s other benefits besides spirit fighting?

  Ruth set a cup of s’mores coffee in front of me. It smelled absolutely delicious, so I set down my phone and took a sip. It was perfect. Ruth cleared off another chair for Anna and headed back to the kitchen, apparently remembering that teenagers had an appetite for more than just coffee.

  I looked back at the questions I’d composed while I sipped my brew. They seemed like essential questions to ask, but something was bothering me about them. Yesterday, Luke did a great job explaining things in a way I could understand. But at the same time, he had artfully danced around a few of the subjects I’d brought up. I realized something big was missing from the information I had. The centerpiece. Where did Luke’s powers come from, and why did he have them in the first place? I knew from my dad’s letter that I had the gift of spirit walking, but Luke’s powers seemed to be so much more. He could use his spirit to fight, see people’s energy, and move super fast when he wanted to. Also, he could affect how people felt as well... I added a new question to the list.

  5. What is Luke’s gift?

  I thought back over the odd things I’d noticed and the even stranger answer he’d given me yesterday: benefits. The things he could do seemed out of this world compared to my spirit walking. My next thought had me worried. When Luke answered my question, he’d inadvertently compared himself to Neil, and I knew without a doubt that Neil was evil. Luke had also told me that Neil’s spirit body was my nightmare creature. After that, I realized that Neil had been the one feeding off the patrons at the Dervish, and he’d also been using Heather as his personal snack machine.

  Did Luke feed off people, too? That was probably why he didn’t want me to see his spirit form. Maybe it looked devilish like Neils, and he didn’t want to freak me out. That didn’t feel like the right train of thought, though. Surely Luke couldn’t be as bad as that monster. As goosebumps shivered down my spine, I tried to dismiss the idea. Luke had done nothing but help me when I needed it most, and how I felt about him only made me want him more, even if his spirit looked creepy. Whatever the answer was, we would figure it out together. Feeling slightly more upbeat, I edited the last entry.

  5. What is Luke?

  I didn’t have to think about it very long. Anna and Ruth joined me at the table with plates piled full of pancakes, and before I had finished half my stack, my cell chimed with a text from Luke. I was giddy about our first actual day together and wanted to look nice. So, I asked Luke to pick us up at my house. Anna and I scarfed down our food, thanked Ruth, and left in a hurry.

  I dragged Anna behind me in a jog and threw open my front door. Flying up the stairs to get ready, I left Anna to deal with my mom’s breakfast advances. I rifled through my closet, trying to pick out the perfect outfit. Luke hadn’t mentioned what we’d be doing, so I wore casual blue jeans and a tee shirt. I grabbed my book bag and dumped it, stuffing a sweater inside just in case it got chilly. I added my cell and the bracelet. As an afterthought, I tucked my dad’s book of fairy tales back inside the bag and slung it over my shoulder.

  Back downstairs, Anna had won the fight over breakfast but lost the lunch war. I opened my bag for her, and she squeezed in the food Mom had insisted we take with us. By the time we got it all in, my bag was overflowing with sandwiches, drinks, and enough snacks to feed an army.

  “Mom, it would take us a week to eat all this food,” I complained.

  She raised her eyebrow at me. “Anna told me you were going out with your new boyfriend and his buddy. So I gave you enough to feed four.”

  Anna nodded along as my mom spoke. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement.

  “He’s not my boyfriend. But yes, the four of us are planning on spending the day together.” I tested the bookbag’s weight and shot Mom an evil look. “I’m sure Luke has money. We will probably eat out.”

  She helped me lift the bag onto my shoulder. “Just in case, dear.”

  The doorbell rang, doubling my excitement. I shouldered the other strap, feeling like it was my first day of kindergarten, and glanced at the door.

  Mom had a prideful look on her face. “You go on. I don’t want to embarrass you.” She leaned in and gave me a big hug. “Have fun, sweetheart, and keep your phone on. I love you.”

  I hugged her back just as hard, grabbed Anna, and headed for the door

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Feeling like a million bucks, I held my breath and opened the door. Luke was standing there, of course, but I didn’t expect the flowers. Reaching forward, he handed me the small bundle, which I recognized instantly as the silky flowers Ruth had put on his delivery yesterday.

  “Surprise.” He murmured in his dreamy voice.

  I took the flowers without inspecting them. I was too busy admiring the view. Even after spending most of yesterday with him, he still captivated me. He was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt, covered by a black leather jacket. His freshly washed hair fell over his eyes, giving him a smolder as he looked at me. He leaned in, looking sexy as hell, and passed up another perfect kissing opportunity by whispering in my ear. “Breathe, Kira.”

  I took a disappointed gasp. Ok, yes, I needed to breathe if I didn’t want to pass out. And I was instantly thankful for his suggestion. Before he could pull back, I got a good whiff of his cologne, which dazzled me all over again. He smelled like the sage I’d used in the portal ceremony, mixed with a hint of black currant berry. I closed my eyes and let his dreamy scent carry me away, until Anna pushed me.

  “Are we going to stand here all day or what?” She asked, pushing me again from behind.

  The heavy backpack and her pushing had me unbalanced. I tried correcting with a step forward but forgot the step-down, and I fell. Luke gracefully swept me up, heavy bag and all, and laughed as he carried me to the car.

  I slapped his face with the fake flowers. “It’s not funny! It’s not my fault that you seduce me into incoordination! That should be illegal.”

  Dean was in the back seat again, so he tipped me into the front. Anna got in, and we took off in the direction of the fair. My good mood blossomed into full-on excitement as I realized I would get the chance to go on some scary rides with Luke by my side. I had to fight him all the way to the ticket booth. He refused to let me carry my book bag for fear I would have another falling incident. Eventually, I gave up. The day was too good for arguing, and Anna was already briefing Dean on her plan of attack. We would take up where we left off at the Zipper. This was going to be epic.

  It was early, and the crowd was thin, so we rode several adrenaline-inducing rides back to back, quickly getting off one and onto another. Like a dream come true, I held Luke’s hand and screamed through the falls and spins as he laughed and went with it. Anna and Dean rode together as well. At one point, hanging upside down at the top of the Ring-of-Fire, it seemed like they were having a yelling contest. I couldn’t tell who was winning, but it was fun trying. Dean was definitely louder, but Anna’s voice reached such a high pitch, that only dogs could hear her.

  By noon, the crowd was getting thick. It wasn’t as bad as Saturday, but there were a lot of younger kids running around. Monday at the fair was the safest time for their parents to let them loose without worrying too much. Unfortunately, many of those kids were just tall enough to ride the bigger rides, lining up in hordes to show their friends how tough they were. We had to wait a while between the last few rides, and we had one left, the Drop Tower. It was the pinnacle of Anna’s list of terror, and apparently, it was very popular.

  I eyeballed the line as we walked up to it. Luke hadn’t complained about lugging my book bag around so far, but I didn’t want him to have to hold it through an hour’s wait. So, I pulled off to the side where a stand of lockers lined the curb, tugged my bag from Luke’s arm, and stashed it into one of the cubbies. In return, it gave me a key to slip into my pocket.

  “I could have carried that,” Luke admonished.

  “I know. But I’m not into hump-backed men, sooo….”

  He took his hand in mine. “You would be if it were me.” He uttered charmingly.

  That turned my insides to jelly. “Yeah, probably.”

  He turned us back to the Drop Tower, and we all stepped in line, which had grown amazingly longer in the minute it took me to get rid of my luggage. Dean and Anna were in line in front of us, arguing over which fighting style would be best if you were blindfolded and had a broken arm. Since neither Luke nor I had an opinion on the outrageous subject, it gave us a few minutes to talk.

 

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