Page 92 of Ashes and Lilies
“It’s cursed,” Miles said, joining us as he finished his work. The five of us stood in a circle as we looked down into my hand.
“Jin looked at it this afternoon,” Miles continued. “It’s a relic that targets any female with a certain type of power and puts them under a tracking spell. There are probably more out there. Jin deactivated the spell, but there’s a remaining connection between Bianca and the male ghost. That’s why Damen planned on performing the exorcism regardless. We’re hoping to sever that bond.”
I glanced at him—this was the first I’d heard of this—but he didn’t look at me.
“That means that Rosalie probably wasn’t the original owner,” Brayden said, stroking his chin.
I shifted my weight as I thought. “We still don’t know how she died.”
“And we still don’t know who gave this ring to her,” Brayden said, looking at Anthony. The other man stood with his arms crossed, and Brayden spoke to him and added, “I bet it was the ghost we’re trying to contact.”
“That was the next step,” Miles looked at the ground. “Julian was going to look into it before the ritual, but—” And there was a hint of disapproval in his tone this time. “They were determined to move forward no matter what they found.”
Anthony pressed his lips together and nodded, holding out his hand. “Give it here,” he told me. His eyes met mine, and my mouth went dry. At this moment, he was very much like Julian.
“I’m on your side,” he told me, his smile a bit sad this time. “I’ll find out what I can.”
“O-okay,” I answered, moving my hand closer to his. If he stayed far, far away from my memories, everything would be allright. He glanced at me, then bridged the gap between us and reached for the ring to pluck it out of my hand.
My heart lurchedas the ground fell away. I fell into the darkness. A horrible buzzing—the ear-piercing sound of a million overlapping voices—radiated through the air, and pinpricks of light rushed past me.
Then, before I could reach for one, a window of brightness flew directly at me, and my feet were on solid ground once more.
“Bianca?” Anthony’s muffled voice was the only word I could make out as he gripped my arm.
I opened my eyes, meeting his curious yet somewhat alarmed expression.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice clearer. If I wasn’t mistaken, he seemed somewhat afraid.
“I…” I glanced around the room, unsure where this damp, dirt-covered room even was. “I don’t know,” I told him.
Then I spotted Rosalie.
She was much different than when I’d seen her last. She was huddled in a corner of the dark space with us. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, and iron chains encircled her wrists and ankles. My skin hummed in sympathy at the sight of her dark bruises.
What had happened? She was supposed to have moved on.
I started to her, but Anthony stopped me, gripping my arm.
“It’s a memory,” he told me, features grim. “There’s nothing you can do here.”
A sense of dread began to fill me, and I touched my knuckle to my lips as Anthony dropped his hand back to his side.
I was shivering as the waves of her terror crashed against me, drowning out my own emotions.
Rosalie’s head snapped up, and for an instant, it felt like she was staring at me. But as Anthony turned, I, too, saw the presence passing between us.
My breaths escaped in the same short gasps as the girl before me as the shadowy figure of a man knelt in front of her.
“Bianca?” Anthony suddenly stood beside me, his hand hovering above my back. He hesitated as he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I—I can feel her emotions and pain.” My voice was shaking. “Is—is that normal?”
“You being here is not normal, but…” He frowned as he looked between us. “Youarea medium with empathic abilities. I suppose it’s possible.”
I was trembling as the dark form began to take shape.
“She’s going to die,” I said, looking at Anthony. “Isn’t she?”
