Page 51 of Ghost Walk
“When our family finds a Partner, it’s like finding our other half.” Serenity explained. “A Partner is the person who helps us. Stands beside us. Completes us. Keeps us safe. Weneedthem. Understand?”
Jamie’s stomach sank. Every word she said was like a bullet in his gut. Shit, it was worse than he even thought. Grace needed this man. How the hell was he going to competewith that?
Grace looked incredibly uncomfortable with Serenity’s speech. “Just make the potion, Auntie. I’ll deal with my Partner, alright?”
Serenity made a “humph” sound and went stalking off to gather her ingredients. “How are you going to get the living version of the boy toswallowthis potion, if he doesn’t even know you back then?” She called. “Have you thought about that?”
“I’ll figure it out when I get there.” Grace’s brow puckered and she looked at Jamie. “Maybe I can slip it into your drink or something.”
“Just ask me to swallow it. It’s far easier.”
“Askyou? What are you kidding? You think you-of-the-past is going to drink a mystery liquid from some strange girl, just because sheasks?”
“If the strange girl is you…?” Jamie shrugged. “Probably. Should I hesitate, just offer to let me touch you in dirty ways. I guarantee you, after that, I’ll agree to eat very sharp tacks, if you ask.”
“You have a one-track mine, Jamie.” She pointed to a stool carved to look like a spider. “Sit over there and stay out of trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Grace went back to the ancient book, absently fiddling with her necklace. For the first time since Jamie had known her, Grace was wearing a piece of jewelry. A small silver pendant dangled from a chain at her neck. It was a round disc with a mermaid engraved on one side. The whimsy of the piece struck him as a very good sign, considering how she viewed anything that even hinted at individualism as “abnormal.” Maybe she was gaining a bit of confidence.
It took about half an hour for Serenity to come back into the room, carrying a vial of green potion. “Okay, this should do the trick. Once he drinks it, the old-him will get all the memories of the ghost-him. For all intents and purposes, they’ll be one person.”
“For how long?”
“Forever. Can’t reverse the potion, once he drinks it. Don’t know how long it will take to kick in, though. Like I said, there’s not a lot of research into this kind of magic.”
“Thank you, Auntie. I’m sure it’s perfect.” Grace’s finger tapped something in the book. “Ah-ha! Here we go.” She ripped out the page, disregarding her aunt’s exaggerated wince. “Okay, put the potion and the book on my tab.” She grabbed the vial from her aunt, kissed her cheek, and headed for the door again. “And I expect the family discount on magic, so don’t try to screw me over on the herb costs.”
According to Grace, for a family that was always broke, the Riveras loved to overcharge people. Maybe that was why they were always broke.
Serenity didn’t look thrilled with the idea of fair pricing. “Where are you going now, Gracie?”
“Wherever this map leads.” She held up the faded piece of paper.
“Then you should change out of that outfit, first.” Serenity advised. “It might be someplace fancy. And, even for this town, you look ridiculous going out in public dressed like Dolly Madison’s fashion-victim of a cousin.”
Chapter Eleven
June 25, 1789- Father likes to say that Eugenia is the brains of our family.
I’m not so sure about that. How could I get away with half of the naughty things I do, unless I was far more intelligent than people give me credit for?
From the Journal of Miss Lucinda Wentworth
Grace slammed the front door of the shop shut behind her, defiantly plopping her costume’s straw bonnet on her head. “It’s a mystery why I didn’t run away, years ago, and join the circus. It would have been so calm and normal in comparison.” She dropped the memory potion into the pocket of her apron and rubbed her forehead. “I’m really sorry about earlier, by the way. My aunt takes this whole Partner thing seriously.”
“No doubt she should.” Jamie said quietly. His eyes scanned the street, just in case Robert showed his wanker face. The damn police had called that morning to say they’d released the man, so he could be anywhere. It made Jamie uneasy. “A Partner is clearly a serious thing.”
Grace glanced up at him through her lashes. “You believe her, then?”
“Yes.” There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Grace’s Partner was coming to claim her. A man would do anything to have such a woman beside him. Kill, bleed, die, beg… And once that bastard finally fought his way to her side, he would take the only thing in the universe that Jamie loved.
Unless Jamie figured out a way to stop him.
It was disconcerting to be on the other side of things. To be the one fighting to keep what he treasured. Everything Jamie ever had in this world, he’d stolen. Even his ship had been won in a damn game of cards. All his valuables were plunder that he’d taken for his own, by being stronger and smarter and luckier than the fellow who’d lost it. Nothing had ever truly beenhis.
Not until Grace, with her incredible hair and Sunday school teacher frowns.
