Page 66 of Ghostly Touches

He shakes his head. “Maybe they brought them back for testing or something. Right now, we need to worry about ourselves. It won’t take them long to run the vin number and realize it’s attached to Willow’s name. They’ll start an investigation into her to figure out why her car was here. They’ll send Ghosts not only here but to her place, too. If we don’t move now, we’ll run into them.”

Theodon paces, as if what he’s saying is merely an inconvenience and not something that could be the end of us.

Kwil shakes his head slowly. “It will look bad if we run. If a few more Ghosts see us, then they’ll know we’re not Fallen—”

“Jaydon knows,” Theodon interrupts. “Keeping your hood up was the first indication something is going on. Boxton must have seen your face while you two ran off into the woods after the Tanglelings because he was quick to go to the others and whisper in their ear.”

Kwil swears.

“So we run.” I shrug. “They’ll forget about us the moment they see what we’ve been dealing w—”

“I know I didn’t just watch my mostprizedpossession take off, never to return. Tell me that’s not what I just saw!”

Willow barrels out of the bedroom. With her fists at her side, her hair a wild mass of curls trailing behind her, and her eyes bright with fury, it’s clear she’s ready for a fight. Behind her, Jonah, back in his almost-human form, comes trailing behind her, a scowl bunching up his blond brows.

“Calm down. It is just metal on wheels. I’m sure you can get another,” I tell her.

“Shut up,” she hisses as she marches past me to stop in front of Theodon. With a body in his way, his pacing is forced to come to a halt. “Tell me you didn’t give them my car, Theodon.”

Our leader regards Willow with such cool indifference I’m sure Willow will wilt under it. When she doesn’t, my brows raise in surprise.

“Your car is the least of my worries. You are a blight to our existence and a burden we will have to bear like a shackle locked around our necks until we can get rid of you. Get out of my sight while I consider our next move.”

His cold contempt is met with a loud crack as Willow slaps him across his face. Kwil pushes off the wall while I take a step forward. Theodon’s eyes widen as his nostrils flare.

“Youcame tomefor help! Youandthe others are alive because ofme. I am a human being that deserves respect,” she snaps. “Do not talk down to me and certainly do not blame me for any of this. I did the impossible for you, and this is the thanks I get?”

Theodon straightens as he glares at her. “Lay your hands on me again and I’ll—”

“What?” Willow asks, crossing her arms over her chest, her hip popping out to one side as she places her weight on one leg. “Tell me, Theodon, what will the legendary warrior do to little, old me?”

Theodon’s hand slowly reaches up from his side as he stares down at Willow. That hand lands on her shoulder with deliberate care before it slides up and wraps around the front of her neck. He doesn’t grab her hard, but Willow stiffens all the same. I smirk as Theodon bends down so that they’re nose to nose.

“You are tethered tous, Miss Harvest. I don’t think I need to point out that I can make your life very uncomfortable if you do not behave.”

Jonah pushes past me and shoves at Theodon. “Get your damn hands off of her.”

His push causes Theodon to let go of Willow and take a step back. I snarl and grab Jonah’s arm, yanking him back to face me.

“This is allyourfault in the first place,” I tell Jonah, getting in the man’s face.

Kwil sighs loudly and moves to step between everyone. “You guys, we need to calm down—”

“Myfault? You’re the one who not only touched a cursed book, but then decided to throw caution to the wind and jump back into a cursed body.” Jonah yanks his arm free from my grasp. “You’re the stupidest man I’ve ever met, and you’ve dragged all of us into this!”

The heat that rises in my cheeks is scolding hot. He’s right. I did do those things. But if he hadn’t been lurking around a cave and holding onto the book, maybe none of this would have happened in the first place. We’d still be in the Third Realm, keeping our hoods up and our heads down, trying to get by unnoticed while still doing our job. My body shakes as I step closer to him. In an instant, both of my hands wrap around his neck. Jonah’s face turns red as I strangle him.

“Tell me I’m stupid again.” My words slip through my clenched teeth as I bear down on him.

“Get off of him!” Willow hurries over and shoves at my side. Her feeble attempt to stop me only amuses me.

As Jonah struggles in my grasp, I turn my head to face Willow.

“You’ll do as Theodon says, and no one will get hurt. Do you understand me?”

Willow’s eyes begin to glow. “If you kill him, you kill all of us, Viktor. Now let go!”

“No.” Let me show our little necromancer how bad things can get if she doesn’t cooperate.

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