Page 57 of Ghostly Touches

When Viktor doesn’t deny this, Theo says, “You were docile as long as we didn’t go for the book. That was strange to us. It was clear you understoodsomething,so we kept you alive. You should be thanking us, not throwing around accusations.”

“Thank you?” I repeat incredulously. I open my mouth to spew out accusations, but Theo raises his hand to stop me.

“Willow.” He turns his attention to her. “Would you be willing to transcribe the book for us?”

“No, she can’t get near the book,” I say quickly, my anger disappearing and alarm taking its place. Willow glances over to me with surprise. “You can’t get near that book, Willow. I heard it calling to you just before you came into the house. Itwantsyou to touch it.”

“Shit, that’s what you heard?” Kwil looks to Willow then to Theodon. “Jonah’s right, the book was calling to her. I didn’t hear it, but Willow did, and she went into a trance.”

I nod hard as I stare at Willow. “Don’t do anything with that book, Willow. You may have simply cursed yourself when you touched it the first time, but that second time you woke it up. There’s something about you that the book likes, and with the wicked things inside of it, that’s not a good thing.”

Theo looks over at Willow once more. I can see the wheels turning. Viktor is brash, and Kwil seems rather laid back when he’s not killing things, but Theo? He calls the shots. He’s the one to really watch. There’s something about him that reminds me of a large jungle cat. Still and watchful, plotting and scheming.

“So, what now?” Willow asks everyone. “You guys can’t read the book, or even use it, the two of us are still cursed, and all of our souls are still stuck together. What’s the game plan here?”

The way Theodon’s eyes slide from Willow to his men makes me want to pull her closer. We’re a threat to them. Their whole thing is to stay out of sight and protect this world. That’s hard to do when you have two non-Ghosts to consider in the mix. The three of them silently communicate before Theodon returns his attention to Willow.

“For now, we lay low. We’re two hours away from your place, which means we’re about three hours away from the cave we found Jonah in. Hopefully, this gives us some reprieve from fighting off the monsters drawn to you. While we’re here, we’ll think of a plan.”

Viktor grumbles his displeasure about the whole thing while Kwil’s shoulders seem to loosen a bit. It’s clear that no one objects to Theo’s temporary plan. Well, if that’s all for the night, I know what I want to do.

“I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted. Want to clean up and go to bed?” I say, looking at Willow.

Relief blossoms on her face. “That sounds great.”

I stand and pull her up with me. Without another word, the two of us leave the room. The Ghosts don’t protest our departure. The two of us wander the small house until we find a bedroom. Thankfully, this one has a shower attached to it. The thought of bathing again has me grinning ear to ear. Before I head in that direction though, I turn towards Willow, who makes a beeline for the bed.

“I want to thank you,” I start but clear my throat when it becomes constricted. As she stops and turns to face me, I continue, “You saved me. The Ghosts would have killed me if you hadn’t told them I was human. And you fed me. I haven’t eaten real food in so long… That’s more than anyone has ever done for me even before I was cursed. Thanks for sticking around and helping me out. I owe you big time.”

“You don’t have to thank me for being a decent person.”

Her smile causes dimples to appear, and they are adorable. My gaze sweeps over her face, memorizing every inch of it.

“Apparently decency isn’t a common trait these days.” My thoughts turn to Viktor. I shake his image away bitterly. I won’t let him ruin my life anymore. “Speaking of these days, what year is it?”

“We’ve made it to 2023,” she says. “How long were you like that?”

“Forty-seven years…” I groan. I run my hand over my face as the enormity of how much time has passed overwhelms me. “So much time wasted… Can you believe I’m sixty-three years old?”

Mentally, I don’t feel like it. Willow’s gaze trails over me, her eyes darkening a little.

“Well, you look like you’re in your twenties. So, don’t worry, you look good for your age.”

I laugh. It comes out a bit strained, but gauging by the expression on Willow’s face, she isn’t lying.

“I’m sorry,” she adds quietly. “If I could do something about all this I would…”

“Actually, you did something incredible for me,” I say. When she tilts her head to the side with confusion, I continue, “You see, I took the challenge to find the book because the risk to me was minimal. I had nothing to lose. My parents were gone, I gambled myself into a ton of debt, and I had people after me. I bounced from city to city, lived wherever I could even if that meant under bridges. I started fights in bars, swindled people however I could, and then disappeared into the wind. I was nothing more than trouble with no direction in life.

“But now, I feel like I have a purpose, and you’ve given it to me. This thing between us, I don’t hate it. I actually feel more whole now than I did before. I can feel how much better everything is when you’re here. Whatever happens from here on out, I’m by your side to protect you from monsters, Ghosts, and anything in between. I’ll be whatever you want me to be: a protector, friend, or whatever else.”

Look at me committing to a long-term relationship with a woman. And I mean every word! If someone had told me I’d be doing thisbeforeI went into that cave, I would’ve laughed in their faces. Then again, if someone said I’d be cursed for the rest of my life, I probably would have laughed, too. I don’t tend to take things too seriously.

Willow’s brows raise in surprise before a wide smile spreads across her face.

“Wow, you don’t even know me, and you’re committing to me more than any of my exes ever did.” She closes the distance between us as her smile grows. “You’ve been pretty open about physical contact, mind if I reciprocate?”

A beautiful woman wants to touch me? As if I’d ever turn that down. Add in what that touch does for the both of us? Hell, I almost want to demand that she hold my hand wherever we go.

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