Page 51 of Touched By Destiny

“Listen to your soulmate then.”

“Go take a nap so you’re not bitchy at dinner,” Eric said.

“Do you know how many cups of coffee I’ve had? I may not sleep until May.”

The front door opened, and Gabriel stalked into the kitchen with grim determination stamped on his handsome face. Their eyes met, and Eric’s heart skipped a beat. It didn’t matter that he’d known Gabriel his entire life. Each time he walked into a room, it filled Eric with pleasure.

“Are you ready to go?” Gabriel asked without even a glance in Richard’s direction.

Richard waved enthusiastically. “Yes, hello, Gabriel. I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

“Hello, Richard,” Gabriel responded dutifully, sharing a small smile with Eric.

“Did you learn anything new about our visitors this morning?” Richard asked.

“Nope, not a thing. We reviewed the security camera footage, and they were parked there for three hours. Plates were indistinguishable thanks to the spot they picked. We’ve adjusted the placement and added two more cameras. If they come back, we’re ready. Don’t stay up all night waiting for them. Get some sleep. I’ll have inspirits on duty for the next few nights to alert me if they show up.”

“Won’t it be weird having people parade around the house?” Eric asked.

“We’re putting them in the room above the garage. No one will see them. It may become a permanent thing. We’ll see. And it’ll depend on whether any inspirits want to continue the duty.”

“Should we resurrect some additional inspirits?” Richard asked.

“It’s under consideration,” Gabriel said. “Your parents would prefer rescuing more inspirits, but we’ve had no leads on lost ones in a couple of years.”

Eric wondered if it was possible to resurrect someone with an increased visual range or other abilities suited to watching over their home. It was an interesting idea, and he’d write it down as soon as he was in the car with Gabriel.

“Okay, off you two go,” Richard said. “I’m going to drink more coffee and bother my staff again. Douglas is going to wring my neck if I don’t leave everyone alone.”

“You’d be lost without him,” Eric replied.

“Tell me about it. If he quits, our entire conference services will collapse. Good luck with Connor.”

“Thanks,” Eric replied, then walked up to Gabriel. Those marvelously green eyes softened as they stared at each other. He wanted to hold his hand but couldn’t, so he just smiled. “I’m ready to go.”

“Richard, behave yourself,” Gabriel teased.

“How dare you, sir. I always behave myself. See you both at dinner.”

They left the kitchen, and Gabriel reached for the doorknob but paused before he turned it.

“Are you coming over tonight?” he asked softly.

“I’d love to.”

Gabriel grinned, and they ventured out into the bright sunlight.

Chapter 22

The voices had scared Eric at first. He was still a child when he became aware of wandering spirits. Some of them had screamed relentlessly. Others had talked for hours. A blessed few had been silent. Although Eric wanted to help them, in his teens he’d worked for months to shield himself from ghosts.

It had been a necessity. Eric had too often been torn from sleep and disrupted during meals, and he’d lacked even a moment of solace. Since he was fourteen, Eric had kept a magical barrier between himself and the spirits. Thankfully, as he’d grown older and learned to communicate effectively with ghosts, some part of his soul began tuning out everyone else once he connected with someone stuck on the wrong plane of existence.

The shield remained, though, since Eric wanted to enjoy moments with his family or Gabriel without being constantly hounded by the spirit he was aiding. Despite the shield, any large distance between Eric and his ghost left him with indistinct sounds or a high keening voice that drove him a little mad. Proximity was important, which was why he dragged himself to wherever the spirit loitered.

And he remained frightened of those times when he had finished guiding one spirit and had yet to begin guiding another. Chaos could last for several days or weeks, until a spirit responded to his attempts to talk to them. Eric wasn’t sure how he was able to help the remnants who lacked the ability to communicate, but somehow it worked. Something just clicked inside him, and he could gently prod them into one of his portals.

His ability to create those doorways was another accomplishment that had surprised Eric. It had been a fluke. At fifteen, a grandmother’s spirit had followed him relentlessly. She had been desperate to be reunited with her family. Eric had grown to love her and had wanted to give her what she wanted.

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