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"And then what?" I asked. "I light the candle, sprinkle the rose petals around, and kiss Garrik? Is that all?"

"Well, there are some words you must speak, of course," Goody Albright said. "And you'll need to channel your magic through the kiss, which might be rather difficult since you've never used it consciously before. But I can teach you a few basic exercises to help with that."

"Sounds perfect," I said. "Magic homework."

"It's not so bad," she assured me. "And since you're a Veil Witch, this sort of spell should come naturally to you once you learn how to access your abilities."

I hoped she was right. Because at the moment, I had absolutely no idea how to access my magical abilities. The only thing I'd managed to do so far was see and touch a ghost, and that hadn't exactly been intentional.

Still, at least we had a plan now.

I looked down at the enormous book again, where the words True Love's Kiss were written in fancy golden letters across the top of the page.

There was just one little thing bothering me.

"Um, Goody Albright?" I asked hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my dear." She smiled at me.

"Well…the spell is called True Love's Kiss, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"So…does that mean I actually have to be in love with Garrik for it to work?"

Goody Albright looked down at the page again and frowned thoughtfully.

"Well, it does say that the kiss must be given freely, with genuine affection and an open heart," she said. "And of course, the magic of true love is one of the most powerful forces in existence."

"Oh, boy," I muttered.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just that Garrik and I have only known each other for about twelve hours, and most of that time we've spent arguing. I don't think he even likes me very much!"

Bartleby made a sound that was suspiciously like a snort.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," he remarked.

I looked down at him.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing at all." His golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "I'm just saying that our dear Garrik hasn't shown this much interest in a woman in a very long time. In fact, I don't believe I've ever seen him quite so worked up over anyone."

"That's because I keep breaking his stupid house rules!" I protested. "He thinks I'm a nuisance!"

"Does he now?" Bartleby purred. "Well, perhaps you should ask him."

"I'm not asking him anything!" I said firmly. "Especially not whether he likes me!"

"Well, there's no need to worry about all that just yet," Goody Albright said soothingly. "First, let's gather the ingredients and make certain that Garrik's body is still intact. Then we can discuss the finer points of the spell."

"All right," I agreed, though I couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. Because while I was perfectly willing to kiss Garrik if that was what it took to break his curse, the idea of having to fall in love with him was another matter entirely.

I'd already been married once, and look how that had turned out! Twenty-three years of my life down the drain, only to have my husband run off with a younger woman. I wasn't exactly eager to jump into another relationship, especially with a man who'd been dead—or almost dead—for the past century.

Not to mention that he was bossy, arrogant, and had the most aggravating habit of calling me woman every time I did something he didn't like.