This was where he had to absorb her growing hatred. He had never hated himself as much as he did in this moment, but he couldn’t allow her to go until this was completed. It was imperative for his coven, and for her safety as well, even if she wasn’t able to comprehend anything but her aching heart. “I cannot,” he whispered.
“You will.” She lifted her chin. “Or I shall leave this place tonight and never return.”
He ground his jaw. “And risk allowing Hector to use you for his personal gain?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing now?” she snapped.
His gaze was steady on her furious face. “You know what we risk should we not learn everything Hector is planning, along with your role in raising the Dark One.”
“I am fully aware of the risks, but I did not agree to what you’re asking of me,” she countered hotly. She dared to move toward him, her eyes glittering. “I never wanted to think of you as a monster, but I cannot abide the thought of disturbing anyone from their eternal peace. Especially them.”
He didn’t move. “I will not keep them any longer than is needed. It is but a temporary reversal into their former lives.”
She lifted her stubborn chin. Even though she was angry, he had never thought her more beautiful. The dark blue of her gown only enhanced the color on her cheeks and the determined sparkle in her eyes. “And if I refuse?”
He withheld a sigh. “Then I shall have to convince you otherwise. But I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that. With your abilities as a crossover spiritualist, you are the only one who can succeed. Without you, this experiment is doomed to fail.”
A single tear slid down her cheek and it was as if a knife slid directly into his chest, cutting his heart in two. She brushed it away in annoyance. “I’m not sure I can ever forgive you for this.”
Her words hurt, but he knew she was merely lashing out because of her loss. However, that didn’t make the pain for him any less acute as she walked over and sat down in the chair. The candles near her fluttered but remained burning. She stared straight ahead of her, her back perfectly aligned. “Let’s get this over with.”
Marlene wasn’t sure how she might make it through this ritual without collapsing. The loss of her parents had not been an easy burden to bear, and since the wounds were still raw, it would not be easy to keep her focus.
And to hear them whisper from the beyond…
She closed her eyes and prayed for the forbearance to endure it through the end. She would have to concentrate to remain disconnected. When this was all done, it would take a while to forgive Alaric for doing this to her.
He set down a mug in front of her. “This will help to clear your mind and ease the transition from the spirit world.”
She didn’t look at him but downed the tea in three large gulps. She set the cup down firmly and he silently took it away. He returned a few moments later, but he looked different. He wore a black cloak that covered his arms and fell to the floor. It had a hood as well, but he didn’t lift it until he’d sat down across from her. It was a rather eerie sight, and didn’t ease her mind in the least.
“Don’t we need to join hands?” she asked, unable to keep the mocking tone out of her voice. “Isn’t that how these rituals work?”
“Not in this instance,” he returned in that smooth baritone that slid over her skin like a mixture of velvet and satin combined. “Just close your eyes and try to relax. Picture them in your mind. I shall do the rest.”
She did as he said and welcomed the darkness as she shut her eyes. She tried to keep her breathing steady and calm, but her heart was racing. She prayed that her parents would forgive her for engaging in such activity, especially if it would disturb their harmony in any way.
Slowly, but steadily, her body started to lighten, as if she were floating above the table, rather than sitting in the chair. She kept her eyes firmly closed, because she didn’t want to see if there was any sort of truth to that feeling. If anything would break her concentration, it would be the knowledge that she was hovering through the air like some sort of ghost herself.
“I am calling on the spirits to bring us into contact with Sir Henry St. Clair and his human wife, Marian,” she heard Alaric say, as if from a distance, almost disconnected in nature. She withheld a shudder as he continued. “We are in need of their guidance for their daughter, who has remained on this earth. She is in danger.”
Marlene’s eyes moved behind her lids. In the darkness, she saw the image of something taking form, a faded figure in white. Mama? She could feel her mouth form the syllables, but no sound emerged.
As the image started to grow in clarity, the table beneath Marlene’s hands started to tremble slightly, as if a storm was brewing.
Marlene…
She turned her head but didn’t open her eyes for fear of what she might actually see in the room should she do so. She could still see the image of her mother taking form, but she hesitated when the disembodied voice intruded. She started to back away.
No! Mama, wait! Marlene clutched the ends of the table, desperate to find a way to reach her before she disappeared. Perhaps forever this time.
Remember the lemon tree…
Marlene gasped, because it was as if the whisper was directly in her ear.
Startled, she opened her eyes and jumped up from her chair, pressing a hand to her heart.
It was a few minutes later before Alaric did the same. He slowly moved the hood away from his face. There was no astonishment or fear in his gaze. Instead, his jaw was as hard as granite, his blue eyes condemning as they lit on her.
