Page 42 of Rekindled Prophecy

Listening to Jasper’s voicemail soothed her frazzled nerves. That is, until he said, “I finished up early here in Indiana. Wasn’t much for me to do anyway. Boring case. Thought I’d swing by there. You did say there was a wedding this weekend, right? I love crashing weddings.”

Oh, no! Jasper, no! He will murder Kael.

Wait! Shouldn’t that be what she wanted too?

Then again, I can just sit back and watch Jasper beat the bloody hell out of the dark guardian. That could be satisfying.

As usual, Jasper did not answer her return call, so she left him a message saying all was cool and topleasenot show up. The potential for public violence would quadruple if he and Kael faced off, and that was not something she wanted to explain to Maureen or the other guests.

The last message sent trepidation zipping down her spine. It was from Sofia. The elderly woman sounded distraught. She said that the blessings and protection spells were complete; however, after consulting her spiritual contacts, she learned there was still danger, something about a prophecy.

Well, of course! There’s always more danger.

And prophecies were rarely good things either.

Sofia did not leave specifics on the voicemail, but her tone gave Greylyn a sinking feeling. She hit the “Call back” button. A trilling note came over the line as it rang and rang. Finally, the antiquated answering machine picked up. After leaving a message for Sofia to call her back as soon as possible, she ended the call. However, her stomach was queasy now. The word “prophecy” hung in the air like a hot air balloon ready to pop and plummet to the earth.

In the shower, ice cold water cascaded over her skin. So cold each droplet stung. A not- so-gentle reminder to keep her body under control from here on. Jasmine-scented body wash coaxed the remnants of dried blood from her body and eased her chaotic mind. Her fingers traced where the Tenju had sliced her. A faint line of skin lighter than the rest, but even that would fade away completely with time.

Refreshed, Greylyn emerged from the shower, her skin a pale shade of blue spattered with goosebumps.

Back to work. Not going to get the job done turning yourself into a popsicle.

Toweling off, she brusquely rubbed the plush cotton towel against her skin to revive her circulation. Then quickly brushed her teeth and donned a faded pair of jeans and a v- neck white t-shirt. Before heading out of the room, she tried calling Sofia one more time. Still no answer. Hopefully, whatever had the psychic spooked would be easy enough to combat without advance knowledge. Not likely if anyone was batting around the term “prophecy.”

Kael’s discarded shirt on the back of the desk chair caught her eye on the way out the door. She had ripped it off her body so quickly, a couple buttons had popped off. Well, she did not intend to give the shirt back to him anyway. She grimaced at the memory of their close encounter less than an hour ago. The warmth of his body so close to hers, the fragrance of coffee on his breath…

Well, THAT will not happen again.

Unconvinced, she marched over to the main house in search of more coffee. Before opening the door, she stooped down to readjust the mat and look for the malfunctioning medallion that was still underneath it. Apparently, it just was not an effective deterrent to Kael. Damn! She picked it up and examined it for defects. Nothing. It was still in perfect condition. Useless for keeping dark guardians at bay, at least this one. With a sigh she pocketed the coin.

Weaving her way through the throng of extra help hired for the day’s event, Greylyn found Maureen in the dining room, clearing the breakfast dishes.

The smile on the woman’s face when she laid eyes on Greylyn was enormous.

Looks like the cat that swallowed the canary. Glad she is enjoying my torture.

With an effort to appear light-hearted and unconcerned, she strode over to the antique mahogany sideboard where the coffee carafe was still warm. Right now, the best cure for her ills was a tall cup of that black rejuvenating liquid.

“There’s more in the kitchen, along with some leftover fruit if you’re still hungry,” Maureen said with a quick wink. “Sit down and drink your coffee, sweetie, and tell me about your … um … evening … morning. Did you enjoy yourself?”

Greylyn could not help but smile at the obvious attempt to prod her into revealing details about last night’s interlude. While lounging in a side chair, she wove a tale of how much fun it was to go out to dinner with the others and to relax for a while. All very innocent and mundane details.

What the inquisitive innkeeper wanted to know had to do with only one thing – the gorgeous photographer staying in the upper story suite of the Carriage House. Kael’s play that morning sealed her fate. Everyone believed them to be in the throes of budding romance. No amount of contradiction would dissuade Maureen now.

“Okay. Okay. You want to know about Kael. Fine. But I hate to disappoint you. Nothing happened.”

The frown on Maureen’s face was priceless. With a hand over her mouth, Greylyn suppressed a laugh.

Thankfully, she was saved from further inquiry by the entrance of the young bride in a summery white sundress and sandals. Her hair was still damp and wavy, and she only wore the most minimal of make-up. Large hazel green eyes sparkled.

A glowing bride if Greylyn had ever seen one.

Kelly wasted no time. “So, um, how are you feeling this morning? I hope you enjoyed your late breakfast.” She winked at Maureen as if they shared in a conspiracy.

Greylyn stared into her coffee mug, fighting the urge to hide her face. “Fine, thanks, but I think the real question here is how is the lovely bride this morning?”

Thankfully, the ploy worked, and the Kael inquiries stopped. As the two discussed preparations, Maureen left them alone to finish cleaning up before the other guests arrived.

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