Chapter Three

Sasha only had to fly a short distance to find a place to land. She was breathing hard and her heart beat wildly against her ribs…not due to exertion but because of the way the gorgeous stranger’s look had made her feel. Like he desired her. And for those few crazy moments, before she’d had to flee, she’d known an all-consuming need to meet him. How could the sensations of belonging and desire be so intense in such a short time?

Once again, this blasted curse had interfered in her life. Ugh, ruins and rain. She couldn’t take this much longer.

Letting go of her immense disappointment, she scanned the area to get her bearings. Her claws tried to grip a substance as hard as rock. She glanced down. Actually, it was rock. She perched on the shoulder of the massive stone gargoyle that adorned the fountain in the center of town.

From the direction of Mummy’s, Caroline approached, carrying their shopping bags and talking to a woman with a riot of red hair. They paused a few feet away. She strained to overhear the conversation between them, and learned Caroline was speaking to Pandora, one of the town’s witches she sought to interview.

“Pandora, so you see, my friend is looking for someone—another witch—who might be able to undo the spell put on her in the midst of a quarrel.”

If Sasha had hands, she would have clapped. Caroline was pleading her case to Pandora Williams, one of the witches in town she’d told her about. Excitement whirled in her chest.

Suddenly, the world began to move, as did the stone beneath her claws. She shifted her weight, but she couldn’t find purchase in the stone.

“Get off me,” a hard voice grumbled.

Sasha felt as if she was on a roller coaster until she flapped her wings and then resettled. Water splashed about, and then a large stone hand swatted in her direction. “Off, I say.”

Whoa! The gargoyles were real creatures, she realized, not merely fixtures!

Another spray of water droplets fell through the air, and Sasha flew to the fountain’s edge. Pandora and Caroline both turned their heads and stared at her.

“There she is,” Caroline said, brushing wetness from her arm. “Sasha, this is Pandora Williams. She’s the witch I told you about.”

“Hello,” she squawked.

“She doesn’t like talking much in bird form,” Caroline explained.

Pandora frowned. “Well, fiddlesticks. Then I don’t see how I can help you, darling.” She turned to leave.

“Wait,” Sasha said. “For three hours every evening I’m human again. Maybe we could meet you during that time tomorrow? Between five to eight in the evening. That’s when I’m my normal self.”

Pandora glanced at Sasha and then back at Caroline. “That’s a difficult time. And tomorrow’s Saturday. My family always gathers for dinner, and then we have a party to attend.”

“The engagement bash Nick is throwing Van and Lisa?” Caroline asked.

“Yes. Are you attending?”

“I am. Sasha, too, granted the timing works out in her favor. Perhaps we can talk a little more then?”

Pandora nodded. “In the meantime, I’ll confer with my mother and sisters. Maybe they’ve had some experience with spells of wrath.” She withdrew a business card from the side of her purse and offered it to Caroline.

“Perfect.” She accepted the card.

“Thank you,” Sasha chirped, gratitude swelling in her chest.

“You’re welcome. See you then.” As she passed the fountain, Pandora said, “Nick, you may want to go below and dry off.”

“A few drops of water never hurt anyone,” the gargoyle muttered and struck a different pose.

Sasha was awestruck. She learned something new about Nocturne Falls every day, and it was always something as remarkable as it was strange.

* * *

It was after ten that evening when they arrived at Seth’s condo.

“Just pull up front,” Seth told Kianso. “The valet will park the car.”

“Seriously?” Kianso said, surprised at how nice the place was. He craned his neck and looked up at the five-story building as he got out of his Mustang and grabbed his bag out of the trunk. It wasn’t the fanciest or largest place he’d ever been, of course. The big cities with their high-rises would surpass it in a minute. But for a small Georgia town, the Excelsior was pretty swanky. All clean lines, accent lights, and modern touches.

He recalled what Seth had said about buying the place as an investment. How many such investments did the archangel have?

They entered a small lobby, and the man at a bell desk waved at Seth. “Good to see you, sir,” he said.

“Same here,” Seth replied as he led the way to the elevator on the left. Kianso guessed the right one was exclusive to the penthouse, as it was in many luxury buildings like this one. While they waited for their ride up, he noted a fitness room and pool set back behind a classy glass entry off to the right. Too bad he didn’t come prepared to use either.

They stepped on the elevator and took it to the fourth floor. When they exited, Kianso immediately discerned a distinct division in occupancy. The space seemed to be divided into two condos, both quite spacious judging from the size of the building.

“I’m to the right.” Seth indicated with flick of his hand. “I liked this place because of its security. Since I only come here once in a while, it was perfect, and as I mentioned, close to Tyler.”

“It’s really nice,” Kianso remarked.

Seth smirked. “I think so.” He punched in the code of an electronic combination lock beside the door to his condo and entered.

Kianso hung back as the archangel pushed a button on the wall, engaging window shades that lifted to the ceiling. The lights of Nocturne Falls danced below. The place was decked out in an eclectic mix of sleek, modern style and old-world charm. The masculine combination of leather and glass fit Seth well, too.

“Make yourself at home,” he instructed. “The guest room is down the hall to the left.” He pointed to the corridor he meant.

“Thanks,” Kianso said. “I think I’m going to turn in. Dessert put me over the top.”

“It was good, huh?”

“Oh yeah.” His belly was full to bursting, especially after feasting on the Better-Than-Sex Pie the archangel had insisted Kianso try. Catchy name, and damned good, but better than sex? Well, not in his life. Even though it had been a very, very long time since he’d had anyone in his bed.

After they got settled, Seth went back out. Obviously, the archangel didn’t require the sleep Kianso did. He dropped into bed, closed his eyes, and was out.

But in his sleep, he felt his feet moving, walking along a path of some kind. The earth pushed hard against his feet as a mist swirled around him. In some spots, a cool breeze brushed his face; in others, hot, moist air pressed down on him. The path wound through a deep forest, and he followed.

When he approached a bend in the path, he saw an eagle perched on a dead tree stump. “When are you coming home?” the eagle asked, staring straight into his eyes.

Kianso straightened. Part of him tamped down his shamanic voice, while the other part listened. An eagle spirit animal indicated it was time to look inward with a careful eye and to allow the heart to be one’s guide.

He stared at the eagle and pressed his lips together. This is a dream, nothing more.

So he strolled on.

The trees seemed even taller, even grander in the next stretch of the forest.

He came to another sharp curve in the path where a coyote stood tapping one paw, stirring up dirt. “When are you coming home?” the animal asked.

The coyote was often a trickster. It could be a warning not to be tricked by foolish appearances. The spirit of the coyote sometimes reminded a person not to take things too seriously and to find a better balance of wisdom and playfulness in one’s life.

Kianso stirred in his bed, flipped to his other side, punched the pillow, and squeezed his eyes closed tighter, trying to keep the dream out. But it was useless. His feet just kept moving away from the coyote.

He passed a small stream as he moved farther along the path. He came to a rickety, wooden suspension bridge, the path continuing across it. What was on the other side, he wondered.

He glanced behind him, aware of the curious nature of the dream. But then again, it was just a dream. Nothing of importance. So he placed one foot in front of the other as he moved along the wooden boards of the bridge. The structure wobbled side to side but accepted his weight. His heart thudded in his chest. Sliding his hand along the cable that also served as a railing, he slowly progressed, fixing his gaze on the other side. The bridge swayed with every step he took. It should only take a few minutes to cross. No big deal. He wasn’t afraid of heights. But the idea that the structure might give way made his pulse speed up. He had to trust that it was sturdy enough.

A distinct nervousness built inside his chest. The crossing was something bigger, something he couldn’t explain. It was as if he was being drawn to something he’d been avoiding for a very long time. He breathed in the fresh aromas of the forest around him.

When he reached the other side of the bridge, he jumped off it. His feet struck solid ground. He paused, inhaling and exhaling.

See? Nothing to worry about.

The path continued, rising to a higher altitude with the terrain. At the third sharp bend in the road, a hawk landed on a low branch. “When are you coming home?” it asked.

The question was really getting irritating. What home were they even speaking of? Hawaii? He didn’t have anyone left there.

He turned away from the hawk and stayed on the path. After a slow, winding hike up a mountain, he reached a dead end. He peered out over the land below. It wasn’t the highest mountain he’d explored, but the view was gorgeous.

A roar sounded off to his right, and he turned. A huge bear was lying in a field of yellow flowers, one gigantic paw resting atop the other. Bears represented grounding forces, strength, and courage. As a spirit animal in touch with the earth and the cycles of nature, it was a powerful guide to support physical and emotional healing. This animal was both feared and admired for its strength.

Kianso knew what it was going to say before it spoke.

“When are you coming home?” the bear asked.

Facing the animal, Kianso opened his heart and looked inside himself. He had shut out his shamanic ways of the past and left them back in Hawaii when he’d buried his sister. He had been living his life just fine without them. However, the journey he’d just taken had been intensely real. He had no doubt there was a message he was meant to respond to within it. But he was not going home.

A loud bang jerked him awake. He sat straight up in bed and glanced about. Another sharp clap followed. It sounded like doors closing—the first like the outer door, and the second like Seth’s bedroom. The archangel was probably just getting back from his night out.

With a sigh, Kianso dropped back onto the mattress. He turned his head to check the clock on the nightstand: 3:00 a.m.

He groaned, closed his eyes, and leaned back onto the pillow. It must be nice not to need sleep.