Page 34 of Twilight Longings

It took only minutes to lift Kadie into his arms and transport them to the witch’s house. Kincaid was waiting for him on the porch.

Izabela’s gaze ran over the woman in Saintcrow’s arms. She looked more dead than alive. Thin. Pale. Barely breathing. With her hand on the screen door’s lock, the witch asked, “Do you mean me any harm?”

“No. Not you or anyone within your house.”

“And you, Kincaid?”

“I mean you no harm.”

“Very well,” she said, unlocking the screen door. “You may enter.”

Once they were inside, Izabela led the way into what Saintcrow figured was a guestroom. It was furnished with a twin bed covered with a fringed, yellow spread the same color as the curtains that fluttered at the half-open single window. A small ebony chest of drawers and a matching rocker filled the rest of the room.

Izabela gestured at the bed and Saintcrow laid Kadie there. “Are you sure you wish for me to do this?” the witch asked.

“Of course.”

“Do not answer so quickly,” Izabela admonished. “There are no guarantees that this will work. There are always risks involved when one unlocks dark magic. There could beunknown complications. The Methuselah Stone is notoriously fickle and there have been instances where the cure was worse than the enchantment it was meant to undo.”

“Well, damn,” Saintcrow muttered. “Don’t you think you might have mentioned that before?”

Izabela shrugged. “It slipped my mind.”

Saintcrow took Kadie’s cold hands in both of his.Kadie, Kadie, what do you want me to do?

“Nothing is certain in the world of magic,” Izabela said quietly, “but I promise you I will do my best. The decision is yours.”

Kincaid glanced at Saintcrow, waiting for his affirmative nod before he passed the medallion to Izabela.

There was a rush of icy cold wind as Izabela’s fingers closed around the artifact. Chanting softly, she reached into one of her skirt pockets and withdrew a small bowl to which she added several ingredients that looked like herbs. Reaching into another pocket, she pulled out a small knife. Still chanting, Izabela cut a smallXin Kadie’s left palm and dipped her fingers in the blood that oozed from the wound. Her chanting changed, her voice deepening, as she smeared the blood over the medallion. The metal hissed and then began to glow with a cold yellow flame.

Saintcrow frowned as Izabela pried the small vial from the center of the medallion and removed the tiny cork. Still chanting, the witch lifted Kadie’s head, opened Kadie’s mouth and poured the contents down her throat.

The room shook violently as another blast of icy wind swirled around the room. A low moan rose from Kadie’s throat and she began to thrash about on the bed, her face contorted with pain, her hands knotting into fists.

“Dammit, what have you done?” Saintcrow exclaimed. “You’re killing her!”

“Be quiet, vampire!” Izabela commanded.

Still watching Kadie, he fell silent, his gaze intent upon the witch.

Laying her hand over Kadie’s heart, Izabela spoke a few words in a language he had never heard before.

Gradually, the ghost wind died away and an eerie silence prevailed.

Saintcrow let out an exultant cry when Kadie’s eyelids fluttered open. Whispering her name, he sat on the edge of the bed and gathered her into his arms. “Kadie, sweetheart, thank heaven.”

She blinked up at him through the beautiful golden-brown eyes he had not seen in months. Then, looking confused, her voice raw with disuse, she said, “Who are you?”

Saintcrow stared at her in stunned disbelief. What the hell? He heard Izabela’s voice in the back of his mind, warning that there could be complications. But he had never imagined anything like this.

Izabela tugged on Kincaid’s arm. “I think these two need to be alone.”

“She’s right, Jake,” Saintcrow said. “Why don’t you go tell the family the curse is broken, more or less.”

“Are you going back to Morgan Creek?”

“Not until I’m sure it’s safe. I’ll let you know where we go from here.”

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