Page 57 of When Bones Whisper
His brows flicked up. “No?”
“You can control yourself.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“What else would it be?” she asked. “The ball is tomorrow and if you cannot be around me, then your plan will not work.”
It wouldn’t work anyway, but he didn’t know that.
“Why did you really come up here?” he asked and she swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat.
What could she say that wouldn’t make her sound pathetic? Certainly not the truth, that being around him made her feel better, how his advice grounded her, or that his touch made her feel alive.
Perhaps because she was worried she had no way out of this and hoped the flicker of humanity in him would spare her when the time came.
What a ridiculous thing to consider.
“I’ve been seeing the ghost of one of your victims,” she said, deciding on that out of the many things that swarmed her mind. “The same one I told you about before, but she keeps haunting me. I don’t know what she wants, but I feel as if I am going crazy.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets, disappointment washing over his features. “That is something Katherine can help you with.”
She frowned. “You’re the one who killed whoever the spirit was. She looked sad, angry too.”
“Well, yes,” he said incredulously. “What ghost wouldn’t be if they were murdered?”
“I think she wants something from me.”
He took a step back, letting out a low groan, the sound rumbling in his chest. “Must you insist on helping every damned thing that crosses your path?”
Was he…flustered?
“You are upset with me.”
“Frustrated,” he corrected. After a sharp inhale, he closed his eyes, and let out a long, deep breath. “I apologize. I find it hard to be alone with you.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Try hanging rue and rosemary over your bedroom door,” he said after a brief pause. “I’ve heard it repels evil.”
“What if the spirit is not evil?”
“I really consume little else, except for you,” he confessed, leaning forward to drag a finger down her neck, rooting her to the spot. He quickly recoiled and offered her the armchair. “You are correct. I need to control myself. Soon, the bond will be broken, and things can be different.”
His words ached with something she wanted to dissect but was scared to try.
“Speaking of, is everything ready for the ball?”
“Yes,” he said, and relief flooded her. They must have still believed the spell on the entrance was intact.
“What if your plan doesn’t work?” she asked tentatively. “I mean, if the Avery witches don’t come or something else happens?”
“They will not pass on the opportunity to get close to you. I assure you, once they enter my manor tomorrow, they will not be leaving.” Her eyes closed gently and he said, “do not worry, I won’t let them hurt you,” mistaking her fear for what the witches might do to her and not what would happen if they died.
“Mortality will not give you a fresh start,” she stated, broaching the subject that had lingered since he’d said he was undeserving, since Katherine and Alexander made revelations to her about him.
“Do not say anything else,” he warned, and faced the mirror.
“What is it you see?” she asked when he grimaced at his reflection.
