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Underground tunnels also riddled the area beneath Five Bridges, each opening onto a human home in Phoenix where more drugs and unconscious humans were carted back and forth. Corruption was rampant in the province and because of the amount of money involved, pay-offs went to some of the highest levels in Phoenix government.
The result? Two ghosts now flew alongside Vaughn and the third next to Emma.
She could see the dense stretch of barbed wire as Vaughn crossed the border from the Graveyard into Elegance.
She felt funny, though, and her right calf was sore, like it was bruised. Maybe a bullet had kicked a rock up as Vaughn had carried her into the air. She also felt a little lightheaded, but it wouldn’t be long before she was home.
Another minute, and she could see her house. “It’s the third on the right, but go to the side yard. There, just past the tree.”
He dropped down slowly until he was on the sidewalk. She stepped off his boot, but because this was only the second time she’d flown with him, she took a moment to regain her balance.
And her leg really hurt.
She reached the door, pulled it open and without thinking went inside. She’d completely forgotten the nature of the spell until Vaughn shouted, “Emma, what the fuck is going on?”
~ ~ ~
Vaughn couldn’t see anything but the side of the house, no doors, no windows, which was bad all by itself. But Emma had moved toward the wall, then disappeared.
He drew his Glock and bent his knees. “Emma? Are you all right?”
Suddenly, she reappeared in front of him. “Sorry, Vaughn. I wasn’t thinking.” She winced slightly and rubbed her forehead. “Come on. I’ll lead you in.”
Vaughn nodded, but he was pissed. He hated the feeling of being shut out and unable to properly assess a situation because of a spell.
Slowly, he holstered his Glock.
Emma took his hand. “I can tell this is bugging you. But the spell only covers the exterior of the property. You’ll see.”
Before he’d taken two steps, however, he tugged on her hand once more and drew her to a stop. “Is this some kind of witchy thing? Are you enthralling me?”
Her auburn brows rose. “I don’t know what you mean.”
He lifted their joined hands. “This? What I’m feeling, like a soft flow of electricity working its way up my arm.”
At that, she looked away from him and a blush suffused her cheeks. It took him a moment before he realized she was embarrassed. “Did you put a spell on me?”
She shook her head and finally looked up at him again. She swallowed once. “It’s something very human, I’m afraid, but probably enhanced by my witchness in a way I don’t yet understand.” She drew closer and lowered her voice. “Do you remember the night we were together? In your townhouse?”
Did he remember? He’d replayed it in his mind about a thousand times. Two months had passed, but it was as fresh as though it had happened about five seconds ago. “Of course I remember.”
“Well, the same thing happened back then, like this hum of electricity between us. I think being with you awakened something inside me.”
“You’re saying your witch is attracted to me?”
“Something like that.” Using her other hand, she waved it over him. “What woman, in her right mind, wouldn’t be? I mean look at you.”
Given the situation, he was stunned that desire for Emma cascaded over him in a quick hot wave. He squeezed her hand. “I’ve thought about our time together, Em, a lot, wishing we could be together again.”
“I know. Me, too.” Emma squeezed his hand in return. He could see a sheen of sweat on her forehead and she was looking unusually pale.
“Yet, there’s no real future for us, together, I mean.” Yet, here he was, on the threshold of entering her home, a place he’d never thought he’d be.
She nodded, then turned toward the house, still nothing but a solid wall to him.
When she began to disappear again, he tugged on her hand. “Hey, go slow here. All I’m seeing is a wall.”
She smiled back at him. “You’ll be okay.”
