“Yes.”
Amara’s legs give out, but before she can hit the floor, Felix scoops her up and places her on the sofa across from me.
Logan walks in, his eyes scanning the room and taking in the newcomers. I look at what he’s holding and gasp. Ghost is nestled in his arms. He gives me a look that conveys he couldn’t leave her there and I won’t be leaving here. Old Myrtle regards him with a frown and a tilt of her head. I don’t like that look one bit.
Logan scans Amara before his expression darkens in a frown. Stepping around the sofa, he carefully places Ghost on my lap and plants a gentle kiss on my head. Then, turning, he squats down in front of Amara.
“Are you okay?” he asks softly.
Amara squeezes her eyes closed tightly, shaking her head vigorously.
“Hey. Hey. It’s okay,” Logan says, grabbing her hands.
“It’s not. It’s all my fault,” she cries, her red-rimmed eyes flashing open. There’s so much pain and heartache reflecting there. I take a deep breath, suppressing my emotions and burying them deep inside.
“Why do you say that?” Logan asks.
“She got a call from a boy she liked last night before she left my house. I should have gone with her.”
A boy?
“What was the boy’s name?” I demand, my tone harsher than I intended.
Amara doesn’t flinch though, her red blood-shot eyes rise to mine. “Ro. Ro Peterson.”
I can hear the thudding of my heart echoing in my ears. If anyone has a reason to hate me, it’s him. I am the reason his father was killed. But the humans don’t know that, they think it was an animal attack on Kai’s property.
“I shouldn’t have let her go. I should have called you,” Amara cried, dropping her face in her hands.
Logan stands and runs a hand through his hair. I put Ghost on the sofa and drop to my knees in front of her, pulling her into my arms.
“Hey. It’s not your fault. You didn’t know this was going to happen,” I murmur.
“But I told her to go, and now she is dead,” Amara screams, pulling from my arms. She stands swiftly and runs for the door and out into the cold.
Felix sighs and looks at me. “I’ll make sure she gets home.”
Logan’s eyes meet mine as he turns to me. “It wasn’t Ro.”
“You can’t be sure. He could blame me, us”—I motion to Kai—“for his father’s death.”
Logan’s head drops. “I will go and see him. Ask a few questions. But I know he isn’t a killer.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
Logan offers me his hand, and as I stand, he pulls me into a warm embrace. “Will you be okay?” he murmurs into my hair.
I nod, taking a deep inhale of his scent. I let my breath out slowly, my fingers gripping the back of his shirt tightly. Stepping back, Logan squeezes my shoulder gently.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
He turns, giving Kai a firm pat on the shoulder before leaving the room. I hear the soft click of the front door closing and fall back into my seat on the sofa.
Old Myrtle remains silent and motionless as she watches, her dark gaze steady and unblinking. It gave me the creeps.
‘You and me both,’Kai says down the link.
The old witch swings her gaze my way, as if she heard my thoughts, her dark coal-black eyes locking on mine. The air freezes in my lungs as images flash through my mind. Claws, teeth, blood, and shadows swirling together. I can hear my own screams echoing in my head. When she blinks, I double over, gasping for breath.
