the car. Cooper tossed Ally the keys. “You drive.”
Her eyes widened.
“I need to keep an eye out for threats,” he explained.
Ally slipped into the driver’s seat before Cooper could change his mind, a smile tugging at her lips.
The sun had disappeared behind thick dark clouds and a strong wind swirled around us. The top sheets of newspaper lifted, blocking my view of the car, before Cooper took the stack from me and placed them neatly on the backseat. He moved out of the way and stood at attention, his hand resting on the door handle.
My body was just in the car when I heard someone shout behind me. I whirled around to find the source.
“Maggie!” Cooper’s voice sounded far away as I homed in on the corporeal soul that appeared in front of Yera’s house.
My soul and body battled against each other as I glimpsed the dark-haired boy in the distance. Jackson stood in front of the house, his hands stiff at his sides. He looked as unnerved as he had at the cemetery all those months ago, as if he couldn’t believe what he saw. The memory of the night Leha died rushed forward but was met by stronger memories which soon shoved that night aside. My legs gave out under the influx of memories and my body leaned heavily on Cooper. His arms wrapped around me and gently placed me in the car.
Ally accelerated as a barrage of memories rendered me unconscious.
Not again.
CHAPTER TEN
I blinked against the harsh sunlight of the afternoon as I moved closer to the booth. My fingers lingered on the wooden owl trinket at Mr. Black’s station. Mr. Black offered a quick smile and assisted a couple on the far side of the table. I turned my head, feeling a strange sensation that someone was watching me. The Sunday crowd bustled through the aisles of vendors as I turned my attention back to the owl. I stroked the intricate details of the figure with my fingertip. “This is beautiful.” I was reminded of the summers spent at our country home. The sound of the owls and other night creatures soothed me. We would be back there soon, but this time Tristan would be there with me. A warmth pooled in my stomach, as I thought of my fiancé and how close we were to our wedding day.
“Dear sister.” Gemma’s voice shattered my thoughts. Her bonnet shadowed her pale freckled face. Actually it had been mine when I was several years younger, yet it fit her as if it had been tailored for her head. “Your fiancé is looking for you; it seems I am not a good distraction for him.”
I placed the owl back on the table. Father wouldn’t have been pleased with another trinket to add to my already overflowing collection.
Gemma turned and swiftly caught up to her friends at Mrs. Burgeon’s food cart. I lingered at the table briefly. I didn’t have the energy to deal with her friends. I started in the direction I’d seen Father and Mother go.
“You dropped this,” a voice called. Something brushed against my shoulder, stopping me mid-step.
I turned to see a stranger holding something in his hands. My hand reached up, covering my mouth. He had the owl. The one I was just looking at. I reached up to touch the figure, lightly brushing his hand in the process. “This isn’t—”
“Mr. Black said it was a gift.” His voice struck something deep inside of me. He was persistent.
I smiled. He pushed his hand forward, and the tiny owl tumbled out of his hand into mine.
“I—” My mouth failed to form words. His blue eyes searched mine. I studied the sharp lines of his face. Who was this man? He had to be only a few years older than me. He had a commanding intensity that made me want to move closer to him. “Thank you.”
His mouth lifted slightly, but his eyes narrowed as they peered over my head. I turned around. His family was probably expecting him. But instead I caught the eye of my father who glared at the man behind me.
I turned back. “That’s just my fath—” My words trailed off as the man was nowhere to be found. I
Her eyes widened.
“I need to keep an eye out for threats,” he explained.
Ally slipped into the driver’s seat before Cooper could change his mind, a smile tugging at her lips.
The sun had disappeared behind thick dark clouds and a strong wind swirled around us. The top sheets of newspaper lifted, blocking my view of the car, before Cooper took the stack from me and placed them neatly on the backseat. He moved out of the way and stood at attention, his hand resting on the door handle.
My body was just in the car when I heard someone shout behind me. I whirled around to find the source.
“Maggie!” Cooper’s voice sounded far away as I homed in on the corporeal soul that appeared in front of Yera’s house.
My soul and body battled against each other as I glimpsed the dark-haired boy in the distance. Jackson stood in front of the house, his hands stiff at his sides. He looked as unnerved as he had at the cemetery all those months ago, as if he couldn’t believe what he saw. The memory of the night Leha died rushed forward but was met by stronger memories which soon shoved that night aside. My legs gave out under the influx of memories and my body leaned heavily on Cooper. His arms wrapped around me and gently placed me in the car.
Ally accelerated as a barrage of memories rendered me unconscious.
Not again.
CHAPTER TEN
I blinked against the harsh sunlight of the afternoon as I moved closer to the booth. My fingers lingered on the wooden owl trinket at Mr. Black’s station. Mr. Black offered a quick smile and assisted a couple on the far side of the table. I turned my head, feeling a strange sensation that someone was watching me. The Sunday crowd bustled through the aisles of vendors as I turned my attention back to the owl. I stroked the intricate details of the figure with my fingertip. “This is beautiful.” I was reminded of the summers spent at our country home. The sound of the owls and other night creatures soothed me. We would be back there soon, but this time Tristan would be there with me. A warmth pooled in my stomach, as I thought of my fiancé and how close we were to our wedding day.
“Dear sister.” Gemma’s voice shattered my thoughts. Her bonnet shadowed her pale freckled face. Actually it had been mine when I was several years younger, yet it fit her as if it had been tailored for her head. “Your fiancé is looking for you; it seems I am not a good distraction for him.”
I placed the owl back on the table. Father wouldn’t have been pleased with another trinket to add to my already overflowing collection.
Gemma turned and swiftly caught up to her friends at Mrs. Burgeon’s food cart. I lingered at the table briefly. I didn’t have the energy to deal with her friends. I started in the direction I’d seen Father and Mother go.
“You dropped this,” a voice called. Something brushed against my shoulder, stopping me mid-step.
I turned to see a stranger holding something in his hands. My hand reached up, covering my mouth. He had the owl. The one I was just looking at. I reached up to touch the figure, lightly brushing his hand in the process. “This isn’t—”
“Mr. Black said it was a gift.” His voice struck something deep inside of me. He was persistent.
I smiled. He pushed his hand forward, and the tiny owl tumbled out of his hand into mine.
“I—” My mouth failed to form words. His blue eyes searched mine. I studied the sharp lines of his face. Who was this man? He had to be only a few years older than me. He had a commanding intensity that made me want to move closer to him. “Thank you.”
His mouth lifted slightly, but his eyes narrowed as they peered over my head. I turned around. His family was probably expecting him. But instead I caught the eye of my father who glared at the man behind me.
I turned back. “That’s just my fath—” My words trailed off as the man was nowhere to be found. I
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