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"Come back to me, sweetheart," I whispered. "I love you."

And with all the love in my heart, I bent down and pressed my lips to his.

43

CELESTE

For a moment, nothing happened. I kept my lips pressed against Garrik's, holding his handsome face between my hands and pouring every bit of love I felt for him into the kiss.

I could feel the familiar golden warmth of my Veil Witch magic spreading through my chest, and I concentrated on sending it into him, hoping desperately that Lucinda had been right and that his spirit was still close enough to hear me calling. But his lips remained cold and motionless beneath mine, and when I finally drew back, there was no sign that my magic had done anything at all.

I felt my stomach clench. What if it wasn't working? What if I'd misunderstood what Lucinda told me, or what if Garrik's spirit had already slipped too far beyond the Veil for me to reach him?

"No," I whispered, brushing my trembling fingers along his cheek. "No, baby, you can't leave me—not now. Please, Garrik! Please come back!"

I bent down and kissed him again, pressing my lips more firmly against his, and trying to remember everything I'd felt when we'd performed the True Love's Kiss spell.

That time, I'd been able to feel Garrik's spirit becoming solid beneath my hands, and afterward, we'd discovered that his physical body had awakened. Surely if my magic could do something as extraordinary as that, it could help me bring him back now!

I closed my eyes and imagined a beautiful golden thread stretching between our hearts. I pictured it reaching out through the darkness, searching for Garrik wherever his spirit had gone, and I silently begged him to follow it home.

I didn't care how far away he was or how difficult it might be to reach him. I was willing to give him every bit of magic I possessed if that was what it took to bring him back. Please, Garrik, I thought desperately. Please come back to me. I love you. I need you.

Suddenly, the golden warmth inside me flared. It was so strong that I gasped against his lips, feeling a wonderful rush of magical energy spreading through my entire body.

For one extraordinary moment, I had the strangest sensation that I wasn't alone inside my own heart anymore. Something warm and familiar seemed to reach towards me, almost like a pair of enormous arms wrapping around me from somewhere deep within the darkness.

And then, to my shock, Garrik kissed me back!

Oh, my God! At first, I thought I must have imagined it, but then his lips moved beneath mine again, and I felt a faint pressure against the back of my neck as one of his enormous hands lifted to touch me.

I pulled back in astonishment.

"Garrik?"

His broad chest suddenly rose as he drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Then those beautiful blue eyes opened, and he looked up at me with an expression of such tenderness that I burst into tears all over again.

"Sweetheart," he whispered, his voice hoarse and weak. "I believe that's the nicest way anyone has ever brought me back from the dead."

For a moment, I could only stare at him. Then I let out a sound which was half a laugh and half a sob and threw my arms around his neck.

"Oh, Garrik! Oh, thank God! You're alive! You're really alive!"

He gave a low chuckle and wrapped his enormous arms around me, pulling me against his broad chest. I could feel his heart beating now, strong and steady beneath my cheek, and the wonderful sound made me cry even harder.

Only a few moments earlier, I'd been holding his lifeless body in my arms, desperately trying to convince myself that he wasn't really gone. And now he was warm and solid and breathing, with his big hands stroking my back and his deep voice murmuring comforting words against my hair.

I couldn't believe it! I was so relieved that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so I did a little of both.

"You scared me half to death!" I exclaimed, pulling back just far enough to look into his face. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Garrik Blackthorn! Do you hear me?"

He raised one dark eyebrow.

"Nearly dying while saving the world you mean?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Exactly that!"

He gave me a little smile.