Captivating Magic (The Thorne Witches #14)

Chapter 20

20

W as she dreaming?

Ebba wasn’t sure anymore. Her conscious self floated along a mist halfway between the Wild West and the present. She cast a look the way she’d come, but no one remained in her living room.

Where had everyone gone?

A chill gripped her, and she rubbed her arms for warmth. Squinting at the town’s wooden buildings, she tried to make out the name of what appeared to be a saloon.

Abbie drifted closer, wearing filthy clothes, ripped in various places. Her long ash-blonde hair was a tangled mess, and she shook her head with disbelief on her face.

“I know you,” she said in a dazed wonder. “I don’t know how, but I do.”

“Yes.” Ebba attempted to touch her, to offer comfort, but neither was corporeal. “How did you get here?”

Gaze wide with anxiety, Abbie shook her head, tears shimmering in her pale blue eyes, and Ebba’s stomach clenched in response.

“Do you know who you are?”

“No,” she replied with a choked sob.

Ebba felt genuine fear. Were they in purgatory? Did memories fade here? The thought was crushing. What must it be like to wander aimlessly for months or years with no sense of self?

“Your name is?—”

The woman latched onto her wrist, and a shock wave rippled through Ebba’s system, causing her to black out. When she awoke, she was back in her apartment, cradled in Wilder’s arms as he stalked across the living room to the couch.

“What the fuck?” she whispered.

“You went all exorcist, mumbled some shit, and passed out,” he told her.

“What did I say?”

Stark anguish transformed his face from grim to tragic. “It doesn’t matter,” he said gruffly.

“Wilder, please tell me.”

He set her down on the sofa and squatted in front of her. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. “Ebba, hon, it doesn’t matter. Really.”

“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. “ My Abbie?”

“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.

“What do you have in mind?” Damian asked as Castor rummaged for a weapon.

“Is anyone listening to me?” Laszlo demanded. “I said, fuck no !”

Alastair’s expression was droll. “I’m doing this, son.”

“How about you tell me your theory first?”

“I don’t believe Abigail is dead.” His cousin sent Ebba a considering glance. “In fact, I think she’s very much alive, and I hope to prove it.”

“How?”

“If my soul can follow Ebba’s path to her perceived purgatory, I might encounter Abigail for myself. Then I can get answers.” He shot the Aether a warning look. “But revive me before I cross completely or Rorie will never forgive either of us.”

“There’s an alternative way to do that,” Damian replied. “Isis.”

“I think she’s provided all the help she plans to in this case,” Alastair said grimly. “She’s holding back, but the precise reason remains a mystery.”

“She always has one,” Castor agreed. “Personally, I think she likes being an enigma wrapped in a sexy exterior.”

Damian cracked a smile.

“No,” Wilder said from behind them, with Ebba lingering at his elbow. His red-rimmed eyes spoke of his heartbreak, but there was determination in them, too. “Abbie’s been gone for two years, and whatever is happening with Ebba should be addressed today. Right now.”

He met Lo’s gaze. “You know I’m right. You both deserve to be happy if you can.”

“Wilder.” Ebba’s concern caught his attention.

Glancing down at her, he smiled. “It’s okay, kid. You’ve given me a reason to hope, or at the very least, to move on if she’s lost to me.” He impulsively hugged her again and released her to embrace Lo.

“Does this mean I don’t get to stab Al?” Castor complained.

Wilder laughed. The sound rusty and odd after so much time had passed. “No stabbing Alastair. Now, someone catch me up.”

For the next few minutes, they did, answering his plethora of questions. He looked at the group with considering eyes, pausing overly long on Castor. Twice, he opened his mouth to speak but decided against it.

Finally, Wilder hugged Lo. “This has to be difficult for you since you’ve loved her forever.”

“I’m not even going to ask you how you know that.” Lo shook his head in disgust. “Hell, I didn’t until today.”

“I was the one who encouraged Cole, Heath, and Liz to dissuade you from pursuing a relationship. I’m sorry, but in those days, I didn’t think you were serious about her.”

Ebba punched his shoulder. “Next time, mind your own damned business, Wilder Thorne!”

“Oww! Who knew a spook could hit so hard?”

“Aether energy,” Lo supplied with a wide grin.

“What about the sleeping Ebba on the bed? What happens to her body snatcher?” Wilder asked.

Fuck!

They’d forgotten about Spencer in all the commotion, and Laszlo ran to check on him.

“Does anyone else think it’s odd that he didn’t wake when Ebba did?” Castor asked.

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Lo said.

“We can’t worry about him. We’ve delayed long enough.” Damian approached Ebba. “Before I remove your memories, I’d like to see what you encountered on the other plane. Would you permit me to tap into your mind?”

Casting a wary look at the rest of them, she nodded. “If it will help Abbie, yes.”

“Excellent. Have a seat, my dear.”