Page 55 of Captivating Magic

“I disagree.” Without considering the consequences of her confession, she said, “I just saw Abbie.”

He plopped on his ass, appearing shellshocked.

“What?” Laszlo knelt beside his brother and placed a hand on his back as a gesture of solidarity. “You saw her? How?”

“I don’t know. We were both in some misty, in-between place. It was strange.”

“Were there other people there?”

She shook her head. “No. The town was empty, but so was my apartment. It was like no one else existed where we were.”

“Town?” Alastair shifted closer. “You saw a town? Can you describe it?”

“It was old, reminding me of those Wild West movies. Buildings with wooden storefronts and a saloon.”

“But you’re sure it was Abbie?” Wilder asked, despair mingling with hope and contorting his features. “MyAbbie?”

“I’m sure. But she doesn’t know who she is. It’s like she’s lost in time.” Ebba felt foolish for suggesting it. “Do you think I dreamed it?”

“No, child.” Alastair shot Wilder a concerned glance. “I don’t believe you did. None of us do.”

Lo sat beside her and clasped her hand. “You fell into a trance and called out to Wilder, telling him you loved him and asking him to save you. But we think it was Abbie.”

“She touched me, and it short-circuited my brain. Everything went black until I woke just now.” Ebba shook her head. “It was real?”

“I think so.”

“I can’t help thinking that place was purgatory. It’s so cold there.”

Wilder’s face turned sickly. “Can it be good if it made her soul cold? Lo?”

“I don’t know.” Laszlo addressed Damian. “Earlier, you said a soul could become lost and vengeful if not reaped. Is that what happened to Abbie?”

“Without all the facts, I can’t begin to speculate.” The Aether’s expression was grim. “But if we can reach her again, we’ll help her transition.”

Folding his arms over his legs, Wilder dropped his head against them. His breathing was erratic and bordered hyperventilation. Ebba dove off the couch and wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

Shifting, he returned her embrace with a tighter one as if holding onto her like a lifeline. Together, they rocked back and forth as his hot tears trailed down the skin of her neck. She shared a worried look with Laszlo.

Was that her fate if she wasn’t unbound and available to go when Death beckoned?

Rising,Lo ushered the others to the kitchen, leaving Ebba to comfort his brother.

“What the hell does any of that mean?” he asked the others. “Have you seen anything like this before?”

The three men shook their heads.

Alastair removed his suit jacket and draped it over a kitchen stool. After loosening his tie, he added it to the pile and rolled up his cuffs.

“What are you doing, Al?”

“An experiment,” he replied. “Alex, I need you to stab me with a butcher knife.”

Lo’s face went numb. “Fuck no!”

But both of Alastair’s friends looked intrigued.

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