Page 38 of Luna Rising

Ewan’s phone buzzed. He swore when he saw the name on the screen and then stepped in the hallway to take the call. Birch leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, staring at Winter with interest.

“So you see ghosts?” he asked finally, awe evident in his question.

“Family gift.” Winter smiled wryly.

“Can you summon them?” Birch asked.

A tremble ran through Winter’s shoulders. “I can, yes.”

Ewan stuck his head back inside the door. “I’ve got to handle something with the fae.” His gaze landed on Birch. “Stay here until I get back.”

His kiss was quick, and he was at the front door by the time I called out, “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“I prefer bodyguard,” Birch said. “Babysitter implies I’m cutting the crusts off your peanut butter and blood sandwiches. Which is not in my job description, just so we’re clear.”

“But fashion advisor is one of your duties?”

He shrugged. “No, but I have better taste than Charlie.” His gaze shifted to Winter. “How is that lotion working out?”

“Good. It’s helped a lot. Thank you.”

My gaze bounced between them. “Lotion?”

Winter wiped her palms down her jeans. “For Webber. His skin keeps getting really dry. Mom thinks it’s because he’s not from this realm.”

My eyes widened. “Webber’s here? How is he?”

I’d been so caught up in my own issues that I hadn’t given any thought to the man who’d risked his life to help Winter and me return to our world from the Cursed Realm. Gaia, I was a shitty person.

“Do you want to see him?” Winter asked, already getting to her feet.

“Um, yeah. Yeah, okay.”

She gestured for me to follow her, which I did.

We went two doors down. Birch elected to stay in the hallway. The room was half the size of Archer’s, but the curtains were open and a large candle burned in every corner. Webber lay motionless beneath heavy blankets. He too had machines monitoring his heart rate and blood pressure. The side of his neck was mottled blue and purple, like he had a giant bruise.

I felt sick to my stomach. It was worse than I had imagined. Then there was the smell, the stench of death that clung to the walls. Webber wasn’t doing well and I couldn’t help shouldering some of the blame for injuries.

“My mom’s been trying to get the venom out of his system, but it just keeps coming back,” Winter whispered like she was afraid Webber might hear her.

I crossed the room and stared down at the caster, truly conflicted. If not for him, Winter and I wouldn’t have survived the Cursed Realm. We’d made a deal, and he’d kept his end of the bargain and brought us home. I wanted to make good on my promise as well. Webber deserved it.

“There must be something we can do for him.” I ran my fingertips over the back of his hand. “Can you talk to him, is he here?”

“He comes and goes.” Winter remained near the door, a tickle of fear coming through our bond.

Does she sense death, too? I wondered.

“It’s different, though. Nana Essie thinks it’s because he’s not from this world.” Winter lowered her voice. “I’m worried about him, Zara.”

I intertwined my fingers with Webber’s and squeezed. “Me too,” I admitted.

Winter came to stand beside me. “Mom and Walter have been talking about turning him.” She reached out and smoothed the blankets. “If we do, he can’t return home, ever. Introducing a vampire into that realm, the consequences could ripple far beyond what we can imagine.”

Webber had gone on this journey with us to save his boyfriend Xavier. The thought of them never reuniting broke my heart. Not to mention, Xavier was a protector.

“What does Webber want?” I asked.

---