Without Paden, she had nothing in this world. She had no one. Even before her parents had died, she’d worshiped her older brother. He’d been everything to her. Her best friend and protector. Her confidant and playmate.
While her parents’ deaths had been hard to bear, news of his had devastated her to a level she’d never known existed. The pain had been unimaginable. Indescribable. Sent her reeling into a despair she had yet to recover from.
Since the day she’d learned what death meant when she was a girl at age five and her favorite pup had perished after tangling with a fox, she’d known that her parents would precede her to the grave. That was to be expected, as it was the way of things. The natural order that children outlived their parents and carried on their lineage.
But Paden …
Five years her elder, he was to always be here. Always. No matter what, he wasn’t to leave her alone in this miserable world. He’d sworn that to her. That he would be forever by her side to keep her safe. He wouldn’t fail her or his word. Not for anything. Not for anyone. It would always be the two of them. Thick and thin, and all that lay in between. Not even the devil and all his demons would keep her brother from her.
That had been his vow every night of her life when he’d tucked her into bed.…
Have no fear.
Keep your cheer.
It’ll always be
You and me.
Thick and thin
To the end.
Neither heaven nor hell
Will keep me from me Cammy-belle.
How could Paden have broken her heart so? Did he not know that it wasn’t his life he’d lost at sea?
It was hers.
But worse than that, he’d taken her faith and hopes with him to the grave. Her heart. Her belief in God Himself. Truly, she was now a hollowed-out shell with nothing inside except a profound, unending pain, and a sense of loss so deep she feared she’d never feel anything else ever again.
“I think we’ve sent her into shock.”
Cameron turned at the high-pitched feminine voice to find …
Well, she wasn’t quite sure what this newcomer was. Only an inch taller, she was dressed in a high-fashion robe à l’anglais, yet it was made of sackcloth. Her skin didn’t appear human, but rather was made of straw.…
She smiled at Cameron. “You have that look, dearest.”
Cameron blinked in confusion. “What look is that?”
The woman sighed in that odd voice of hers as she cast her gaze toward Bart. “It’s the look, isn’t it?”
“Aye. But you can’t fault her for it, really.”
“Suppose.” She let out another heartfelt sigh. “Still, I’d like to meet someone and not have it anymore.”
“Have what?” Cameron asked with a frown.
“The look that says I’m a freak,” she whispered in an ominous tone. “Name’s Valynda. And yes, I’m not human … though I was at one time. ’Til a love spell went awry and this became the consequences of it.”
Cameron paled. “What?”
She held her hands up in helpless despair. “Wasn’t my spell, mind you. Rather, the idiot who wanted to make me love him. He bought a lwa from a witch, and this is what it did to me because he knew naught what he was doing. Sucked my soul straight into the doll and there was nothing to be done for it.”
“Nothing?” Cameron asked, aghast at what she was hearing. Was this even real? Was any of this possible? Surely she was dreaming.…
