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We kissed, sweetly yet hotly, and then I pulled her in for a seated hug. I felt my chest squeeze. Sky was becoming someone incredibly special to me, and I hoped that she could feel that.
I marveled at how quickly things had changed for us. We had been friends for a while, but there was always a pall of uncertainty over our relationship. Dev partnered us during investigations more often than not—he liked to put the faithful with the nonbelievers wherever possible and had told us way back when that our energies meshed well, too—but I never really knew how Sky felt about me, and I was always too afraid to really let myself show her how I felt, especially with our age difference. With this investigation, all of that had flown out the window. It was like we’d finally let each otherfindone another, and that had led to us feeling what we probably should have been feeling all along.
I wouldn’t push or rush her, though. Sky was headstrong, and if I put too much pressure on her, I was afraid she’d balk—or worse, run. While I liked and wanted labels, she was worth the discomfort I might feel at not having them.
I released her and stood, extending a hand. “Shall we?”
She placed her hand in mine, and I helped her to her feet. “We shall.” She chuckled.
We made our way back to the plantation house and inside to the sitting room. Dev and Birdie were just finishing up with Dakota, Hanlen, Aaron, and James. The spell they worked seemed to be an easy one, just combined energies, some burned herbs, and a few strategically placed crystals. I didn’t really consider myself a sensitive at all, at least not like Dakota and Lark and Dev were, but even I could feel the static charge in the air and the buoyancy. It was an uplifting feeling and made me feel strangely safe and protected as well as energized. I found that I was kind of excited to see how different things would feel and be after they literally worked their magic on us.
When they finished, Dev glanced over at us where we’d stopped near the doorway. “Hey, guys. Just one second and we’ll wrap things up with you two.” He looked at the group still seated on the couch. “How do you feel?” he asked.
Hanlen stretched. “I feel great. Relaxed yet energized. Focused.” She looked at the others. “You?”
Dakota and the cameramen agreed. “So . . . thesesensitivitiesyou said you were giving us. What does that all entail?” Aaron asked.
Dev sat on the arm of an oversized chair. “It’s kind of like the spell I did for Hanlen after we investigated here but a little more powerful. What I did for her was allow her to hear the ghosts. Her head injury is what allowed her to see them. What Lark and I just did for all of you was to temporarily allow you all to seeandhear them like we do, as we do. With that said, the rules still apply. You will only see them if they want to be seen. You will only hear them if they say things that can be heard within human range. Any of you who are slightly more sensitive naturally may get more psychic flashes and may hear more in your head like Dakota and Lark do already. It’ll be pretty personal. Each person will likely be different. But, the bottom line is, we wanted you to be prepared. If there’s a chance for you to see or hear something before it happens tonight, we wanted you to have that protection.”
“I’m all for that, especially after what happened with Padre and Sky.” James looked at us. “How long will it last?”
Dev looked at Birdie. “Probably about thirty-six hours,” she said. “Long enough for us to get through the investigation and wrap up anything we need to do after.”
Dakota got up and cracked her back. “I’m ready to rock and roll. I have to do some things to prepare for tonight, so I’m headed out.” She looked at Aaron and James. “Do you guys need a ride back to the city?” She turned to Hanlen. “Who’s taking the other van to Lamour tonight?”
“We’ll drive over in my SUV later,” Hanlen said. “Aaron and James should take the other van. So, if you want to head out now and go home quick, the time is yours.” She smiled.
“All right. I’m off. I’ll see you guys in a couple of hours.” Dakota waved as she left, and then Aaron and James said their goodbyes, as well. Knowing them, they’d probably hit up a barbecue place and binge before tonight.
Harper gave us a long look. “Are you two ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Sky said and took a seat on the couch.
I sat next to her and quickly squeezed her knee before letting go. “Let’s do this.”
CHAPTER19
~Schuyler~
Itried to relax. I really did. But the minute Harper started the metronome and began talking, something in me . . . revolted. That was the only way I could explain it. I felt anxious. Uneasy. Those strange voices in my head started up again, and an odd sense of anger rose without any rhyme or reason. I had chosen to do this. Nobody was doing anything to me against my will. Why, then, did it feel like my subconscious was screaming at me to stop?
I started when I felt a hand on my elbow. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Harper crouched near me, her hand still in place. “Are you okay, Sky?”
“Sure. Yeah. Why?” I asked.
“Because you haven’t stopped fidgeting since I started. Your foot’s been bouncing, you’ve been clenching your fists on your thighs, and while your breathing should be deep and even by now, it’s still choppy. Not to mention, your face is full of tension.” She traced a fingertip across my forehead and then dropped her arm.
Pax reached over to grab my hand. The minute he touched me, I felt myself relax a little.
“Interesting,” Dev murmured, and I glanced at him across the room.
“What?” I asked.
“Literally the second Padre touched you, your aura shifted, and you visibly calmed.”
“I saw it, too,” Birdie said.
I looked at Pax, and he stared earnestly at me, his baby blues full of compassion and . . . something else. Something I didn’t have time to think about right now.
