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144
"But what?"
Viloula's gaze was steady, honest. "You are meant to be here. Dere's a reason."
Lainie's breath caught. Hope brought her forward in her chair. "What reason?"
"Killian," Viloula said on a sigh, a frown pulling at the heavy folds of her forehead.
"What?" Killian answered tersely.
Viloula touched her necklace, stroked it lovingly,-her eyes glassy for a second. Then, sharply, she looked at Lainie. "I have questions."
"Okay. Shoot."
"Don't tempt me," Killian muttered.
"What were you doing just before you ..."
Lainie snorted. "Fell off the face of the frigging planet? I was writing."
"Writing what?"
"This book. It's a historical romance about a woman who gets kidnapped by a villain and saved by the hero."
"Complex plot," Killian said under his breath.
Viloula ignored him. "And ..."
Lainie looked away, staring hard at the wall. Memories besieged her, brought a sickening sense of shame and guilt. "I was drinking heavily . . . and I popped a few sleeping pills. I don't do that often, but I was . . ." She laughed bitterly. "I was . . . upset. I've thought about it and thought about it. At first I thought I was in a coma at home, and this was all a dream. But it doesn't feel like a dream. I wish to God it did."
"It is not liquor dat brought you here, Alaina. Or pills," Viloula answered softly. "Why were you upset?"
"Kelly." It was all she said, just the quietly spoken name. She stared down at the table, noticing the splinters and scratches in the planked wood. "She left ... and I missed her."
145
"Ah . .." Viloula said softly, almost more to herself than to Lainie. "Who else left you, Alaina?"
Lainie gasped. Her head snapped up. She tried desperately to dredge up a cocky smile. "Wh-What do you mean?"
"Someone abandoned you... ."
Lainie wanted to respond with a laugh, but she couldn't manage it. Her throat felt thick and tight. "My parents," she said softly, feeling a familiar queasiness at the admission. Even now, after all these years, it still hurt to say it aloud.
Viloula stared at her, then slowly shook her head. "Dat was not de first time."
Lainie frowned. "I don't understand."
"History repeats itself, child, but it starts somewhere. For you, it began here in 1896 . . . with Killian."
Lainie frowned. "Killian? What can he have to do with this? He's a character, for God's sake. What I need is a way back home."
Viloula touched the amethyst medallion at her throat, closed her eyes. The stone sparkled with a brilliant, magical lavender light. "You and Killian are joined. Your souls are connected. I see dis clearly."
"Then you'd better open your eyes, Vi," Killian said.
Lainie crammed an open hand through her ragged hair. "Could we please stay focused here?" She jerked forward, slammed her elbows down on the table, and stared hard at Viloula. "I created Killian. I made him up."
