Worry tugged at me. “Come on. We need to go see Eve. You’re not well.”
She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, good idea.”
I helped her to her feet, my own limbs trembling. Why couldn’t the ghostly shadow have gotten me?
It was me it wanted, after all. I could feel its desire, cold and hot at the same time. Why attack my friend?
Because she’d walked toward it, brave and bold, something I’d never even tried. I was too cowardly, too aware of Nana’s warnings. She’d taken me from Greece to hide me. Torn us out of our old lives. I’d respected that and hidden, just as she’d asked. Just as she’d trained me.
And this was the result.
I’m a coward.
“You can stay here and work,” Mac said, her voice thready. “I know you’re supposed to open soon.”
“Of course not. I’m taking you to Eve. You look like hell.”
She laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder for support. “Feel like it, too.”
We moved slowly toward the door, and I asked. “How did you get in, anyway?”
“It was unlocked. I thought you were open.”
“Damn it. I thought I locked it last night.” I was really losing it these days if I’d forgotten to lock up. That was a firing offense, and rightly so. The books in this library were beyond ancient. Beyond valuable. Not just because of their age and rarity, but because of the deadly spells some of them contained.
“You’ve been a bit odd, lately,” Mac said as we stopped in front of the door. “Distracted and . . . scared, almost. And you would never leave the door unlocked.”
“Maybe I would.”
“We haven’t known each other long, but I know that’s not true. What’s going on?”
I swallowed hard, wanting to tell her. But what would I say?
I’m being haunted by the terrifying shadowy ghost of a man that repels and attracts me all at once?
Nope. Because that was insane.
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to my supportive family, and to Michael Omer for his critiques and emotional support. Thanks to Nick for his insight and help crafting the book.
Jen and Jeannie are my fabulous editors for this book. Thanks to my advanced reader team for their help, and to C.N. Crawford’s Coven on Facebook!