Page 119 of Séance

The statement is directed at Hicks.

The bastard looks suitably dejected.

In fact, he looks like shit.

“It’s not only his fault.” It hurts to admit the truth, and I grimace. “As much as I want to be pissed at him, we each played a part in what happened last night. None of us could have ever guessed the evening would end that way.”

“It never should have happened. Period,” James snarls, not even a fraction of his anger having abated.

“James—” I start, but Hicks cuts me off.

“He’s right.” Hicks’ voice is gruff, and he drags a hand down his face. It looks like he didn’t get a wink of sleep last night, probably going over every second of the evening again and again, wondering how it could have all gone so horribly wrong.

“I thought she was hurting herself.” His shoulders droop, and he stares blankly at the floor. “I thought if I could prove it, I could get her help. All I wanted to do was help. I never thought… I never expected…” He pauses and swallows hard, his green eyes tortured as he pleads for understanding. “I fucked up.”

“Yeah, you did,” James replies harshly, then his expression softens. “Rue has every reason to be pissed. You’re going to be in the doghouse for months.”

He sounds cheerful about that fact.

I glance at my brother, noticing that he seems calmer than normal, less frantic. I’m not sure if it’s the ring quieting his mind, Rue’s influence, or if he’s just so obsessed with Rue that the rest of the world no longer holds his attention.

It’s almost like he’s growing up, and I can’t help feeling a touch nostalgic…not that I think my job as my brother’s keeper is anywhere near done. He’ll always need someone to guide him, but it’s nice not to have to do it alone anymore.

As James throws the door open, we all plow outside like eager puppies tripping over each other…and stop dead when we catch sight of two cop cars parked in the street.

I whirl toward Rue’s house, and my heart feels like it’s being ripped from my chest when I see an ambulance parked in the driveway. The vehicle is backed up to the house with the doors hanging open, a single cop waiting outside on the porch.

“What the hell?” Ellis is the first to break the trance, then no one says anything as we charge across the lawn, desperate to reach Rue.

“Stop!” a police officer yells, blocking our access to the house. Before James can throw himself at the cop, two more officers appear behind him. One has his hand on his weapon, while the other two hold their tasers at the ready, expecting trouble. “Please don’t interfere.”

“Interfere?” I say hollowly, refusing to believe anything could have happened to Rue during the few minutes I fell asleep.

“The sirens are off,” Ellis murmurs, his hair ruffled from lack of sleep. “That means this isn’t an emergency.”

“Pookie!” Jameson bellows, backing away from the door, his eyes jumping from one window to the next as if waiting for her to appear…or he’s looking for an alternate entrance. “Pookie!”

I’m a second away from helping my brother break into the house when Ellis, Hicks, and Gunner exchange a pointed look. The two bigger men are ready to charge the police, creating a distraction so Ellis can slip past them and find out what the fuck is happening.

The cops are already distracted by James, and I’m ready to join the others until I hear the heavy tread of footsteps coming from within the house.

“Please, step back,” the lead cop barks, the three officers shoving us back from the door until we’re pinned against the wall. We remain mute, waiting expectantly for Rue to appear, and I’m not even breathing as dread tightens my chest.

A paramedic steps out the door first, hauling a gurney behind him, and my heart plummets then splatters at my feet. Rue’s bright pink hair is a tangled mess, appearing bright against the stark white sheets. A perfect imprint of a large hand is wrapped around her throat from where the ghost tried to choke her. Tiny nicks and scrapes from the mirror are made all the more vivid by her pale skin.

Desperate to make sure she’s okay, my gaze jumps to her face. Dull, lifeless teal eyes stare unblinking, the spark thatmakes her so special completely gone, and a lump forms in my throat. My mind immediately goes to a dark place. It’s only when I see her chest moving slightly that I snap back to awareness.

“She’s alive.” I don’t realize I say it out loud until Gunner shudders beside me, his expression devastated.

“She’s drugged,” Ellis snarls, taking a step forward, a pissed off scowl twisting his face. “Why do you have her restrained?”

The paramedics move down the steps, and the cops curse as we surge forward to follow. A scuffle just starts when one more cop, a big black man, steps out of the house.

“I’m sorry, but we’ve been ordered to take” —he peers down at his papers— “Ms. Tallulah Rue Killaghan Farthington into custody.” Before we can descend on him, he holds up his hand, concern cutting deep lines into his face. “She’s being taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Easton for a forty-eight-hour psychiatric hold. You can follow us, but you won’t be able to see her until after her evaluation. Once she’s deemed fit, she will be released.”

Ellis snatches the papers from him and immediately begins scanning the pages. Hicks is already talking on the phone with his team of lawyers, while Gunner and I do our best to keep James from getting his ass arrested.

“Why is she restrained?” I snap, unable to bear seeing the belts dig into her flesh. Her wrists and ankles are secured tightly, not to mention the straps over her legs, hips, and chest. “You have her strapped so tightly that she can’t even breathe properly. And why can’t she speak? She’s practically catatonic.”

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