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But she moved away again, forced to obey Natalie's earlier command not to touch me.

"Don't apologize, Celeste," I told her. "None of this is your fault."

"Actually, it's entirely Natalie's fault," Bartleby remarked, trotting beside us. "She stole the Blackthorn key and kept Celeste trapped in Tampa for days! That's why she couldn't come back!"

I stared at him in disbelief.

"What? Really?"

Celeste looked at me with such anguish that I felt my heart ache.

"It's true," she whispered. "I wanted to come back, Garrik. I tried so hard to find the key, but Natalie took it out of my purse. I didn't know where it was!"

For a moment, I couldn't speak. Then I turned towards Natalie.

"You stole the Blackthorn key?"

She shrugged.

"I just borrowed it."

"Without permission!" Bartleby pointed out.

"Oh, shut up, you stupid cat!" she snapped, scratching her face—which was getting quite pink with scratch marks now.

I felt a surge of fury so powerful that my spectral form shimmered around the edges. For days, I'd been worrying that something terrible had happened to Celeste. I'd wondered whether she was ill or injured, or whether she'd simply decided that she wanted nothing more to do with me. And all that time, she'd been trying to return.

She hadn't forgotten me. She hadn't abandoned me. She'd been kept away by this selfish, foolish woman who apparently thought she was entitled to something simply because she wanted it!

"Celeste," I said quietly, drifting beside her and looking into her beautiful green eyes, "I never doubted that you meant to keep your promise, sweetheart."

She gave me a watery little smile.

"I missed you so much," she whispered.

I felt a sharp ache in my chest.

"And I missed you, my darling," I told her. "More than you can possibly imagine."

For a moment, I thought she might come into my arms despite the cursed ribbon. I could see how badly she wanted to, and I wanted nothing more than to hold her close and tell her how much I loved her. But then Natalie cleared her throat.

"Excuse me? Could we please get moving? I don't have all night!"

I turned towards her with a growl.

"Madam, I assure you that if any harm comes to Lady Celeste because of your foolishness, you will regret it for the rest of your life!"

She looked unimpressed.

"Yeah, okay. Whatever. Celeste, keep walking."

And once again, Celeste was forced to obey. I felt utterly helpless as I watched her make her way into the front hall, her movements stiff and unnatural. Confound it! How I wished I could simply tear that cursed ribbon from her wrist!

But the binding enchantment was strong, and I could feel the Dark Magic woven into it even from a distance. Attempting to remove it without knowing how it had been cast might do more harm than good.

For the moment, I had no choice but to follow. At least if I accompanied them, I might be able to prevent Natalie from doing anything truly catastrophic.

Though considering that she wanted to visit the Gateway on All Hallows' Eve, I was beginning to fear that catastrophe was precisely what we were headed towards.