Lachlan leaned against the bar and smiled. “Hello, Marlena.”
“Lachlan. It’s been too long. ” Her French accent was thick and her eyes hot as they traveled up and down his form.
“Far too long.”
“What do you want now?”
“Just a bit of information, love.”
I bristled at the endearment, then mentally kicked myself. Idiot. Now was not the time to get possessive over some dude I’d just met. Never was actually the appropriate time for that.
“Ah, the usual.” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “What for?”
“Decker is missing.”
Concern glinted in her eyes, and her lips softened. “What happened?”
“Abducted by someone who stole some dangerous magic from me.”
“Silly Lachlan, still crafting such deadly tricks.”
“They pay well.”
She harrumphed. “What do you need?” She shook her finger. “And I’m only helping you for Marcus’s sake, just so you’re aware.”
“I am. I need to know where Madam Alamedra is.”
“Ah, but of course. I heard that she is at the pond tonight, performing some silly spell.”
“You know they aren’t silly.”
She shrugged. “In the eye of the beholder.”
His face shifted into an expression that was almost kind. There was a hint of caring at least, something I hadn’t yet seen on his face. I watched, undeniably envious and hating myself for it, as he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.
I didn’t know if he actually moved her hand, or if she did. I’d never touched a ghost before. The mechanics of it were a mystery.
But she smiled, then shooed him away.
He joined me again, leaning low to murmur against my ear. “Ready to go?”
I shivered at the warmth of his breath. “Yep.”
I stepped away, not sure why he chose that moment to stand so close. His gaze lingered on mine just before he turned and led the way out of the bar. I followed him onto the street, my gaze darting all around the ghostly city as we walked. It was one of the most fascinating places I’d ever been, and I wanted to bring Rowan and Bree back here.
“What is Madame Alamedra?” I asked.
“She’s a seer. Ancient.”
“Perfect.” Age often equaled power.
The cemetery sloped downhill toward a pond. At the edge, fireflies danced in the rain, circling around a woman wearing a flowing cape that twirled in the wind. She was doing some kind of strange dance, and humming low in her throat. As we stepped off the path and onto the grass, she stopped dead, then turned.
Her dark eyes burned me. I flinched, but there was no getting away. She was looking into my soul.
I sure hoped she liked what she found.
“Reading the future?” Lachlan asked as we approached.
She cackled, and up close, I could see that she looked older. She’d lived a long, full life before she’d become a ghost.
“I’m dancing, you nitwit. The fireflies needed a partner, and so did I.”
I smiled.
“What are you smiling at, girlie?” she demanded.
“Um. You?”
She nodded. “All right, then.”
“We need your help, Madame Alamedra,” Lachlan said.
“Of course you do. What is it this time?”
He explained about the missing magic and his friend Decker.
Madame Alamedra sighed. “When will you stop with this dangerous magic, Lachlan?”
“Probably never.” He grinned. “I’m the only one capable of making it.”
“Perhaps it should stay unmade.”
“Impossible. But will you help us?”
She sighed. “Yes. But for a price.”
“What?”
“You will owe me a favor. A dangerous one. And you must come back and dance with me and the fireflies. You’re stealing their partner for the night, and they don’t appreciate it.”
A pained expression crossed his face. He really didn’t seem like the dancing-with-fireflies type. “That’s two favors.”
“I don’t care.”
His mouth thinned.
“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll dance with you and the fireflies.”
I wanted to come back here sometime, to see more of it. And I liked Madame Alamedra. Not to mention, how often did one get to dance with fireflies in a graveyard city? Not often. Hardly ever, even.
Madame Alamedra looked at me, her sharp eyes assessing. Then she nodded. “All right, then. At a time of my choosing.”
“Okay.”
“This way.” She waved her hand for us to follow, and hurried up the slope toward the path.
Lachlan joined me as we walked, leaning down to whisper, “Thank you.”
“I could tell you weren’t that keen on it. And I am.” I glanced at him.
He was shooting me an evaluating gaze, then he hurried to keep up with Madame Alamedra.
She led us to a large building at the very edge of the ghostly part of town. I could feel the magic fading as we neared the human part of the graveyard.
“Here we are.” She drifted through a large door.
Lachlan pushed it open for us, and we walked inside.
The space was pitch-black, so I raised my hand, igniting the magic in my lightstone ring. It had been a gift from my old friends the FireSouls.
The light flared, illuminating hundreds of shelves all over the walls. Bones were stacked in them, all in piles. Millions and millions of bones.
“What is this place?” I spun in a circle, taking it all in. There were some statues here and there, along with a soaring ceiling, but for the most part, it was just bones.
“The ossuary,” Lachlan said. “The cemetery gets too full, so they dig up the bodies eventually and put them here.”
“Good for my work.” Madame Alamedra cackled. “They make it easy for me!”
She raised her hands, and magic swelled on the air. It smelled of fresh bread and sounded like the tinkling of wind chimes. The bones flew off the shelf, whirling around in the air like a cyclone. I ducked, narrowly avoiding being hit by a leg bone.
Madame Alamedra continued to laugh, clearly liking her work. I stayed crouched low, and Lachlan joined me. The bones slowed, forming a pattern.
“Ah, yes.” Madame Alamedra sighed. “But of course.”
“Of course what?” I had no idea what the heck she saw in the bones. They were still just swirling in the air, totally unrecognizable in pattern.
But they kept moving and soon, the Eiffel Tower appeared. Magic made my skin prickle.
“Holy fates,” I murmured. These bones were smart.
Madame Alamedra murmured something unintelligible, then flung her hands downward. The magic on the air faded, and the bones zipped back to their places on the shelves, leaving the room silent.
Slowly, I rose.
Madame Alamedra turned, her eyes glinting. “It looks like you must borrow my crystal.”
“I promise to return it,” Lachlan said.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“The Eiffel Tower is more than just a monument,” Madame Alamedra said. “It is a magical beacon. An indicator. Because the bones revealed it just now, it means that there is new, dangerous magic in the city.” Her gaze riveted to Lachlan. “The magic you seek, perhaps.”
“And the crystal?” I asked.
“It will help focus the tower’s energy and lead you to where the magic is located. You must climb the tower and place the crystal at the top. Watch out for the guards. When the sun or moonlight strikes it, it will reveal the location of the magic.”
“Climb the Eiffel Tower.” My voice was weak. I did not like heights.
“Is that a problem?” Lachlan asked.
“Nope!” My voice definitely squeaked. “I love climbing big monuments. High into the sky.”
“Liar.” But his voice was soft. Almost tender. The corner of his mouth tugged up. I couldn’t call it a smile, but I did like it.
“Whatever. Let’s go do it.”
Madame Alamedra smiled. “Remember your vow.”
I saluted. “One dance, coming right up.”
5
We left the cemetery the same way we’d come in, but this time, we headed right down the street instead of crossing. When an old-fashioned-looking streetcar passed by, traveling via electrified wires, Lachlan jumped aboard the back, hanging onto the handrail.
He reached back for me, holding out a hand. It was a snapshot of a romantic moment from a movie.