Away from the main clearing, a fire had been built, and as people grew exhausted, they left the circle to gather around the blaze. As I stared into the flames, the image of an embracing couple formed. They were naked and entwined, their bodies pulsating to the beat. I could see the sway of Mariama’s hair against her bare back, the gleam of her skin in the firelight. She splayed her fingers over Devlin’s heart, and he put his hand over hers, whether to shove her away or pull her to him, I couldn’t tell.
She turned to stare at me as she always did in my dreams. But this time there was no seductive smile or taunting invitation. In that moment, I saw nothing but rage in her face, and it frightened me in a way that it never had before because I wasn’t just worried for myself. I was terrified for Devlin.
Robert Fremont appeared at my side. He, too, stared into the flames.
“You see them, too,” I said.
“Yes, I see them.”
“She’ll never let him go, will she?”
“Not unless you find a way to stop her.”
“How?”
Flames danced in his dark glasses as he turned to me. “Tell Devlin what she’s done.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know.”
Yes, I did know. The evidence had been there all along. I just hadn’t wanted to see it. I hadn’t wanted to believe that anyone could be capable of such an abomination, of such an unspeakable act of cruelty. “You met Mariama the day before you were shot in Chedathy Cemetery. It was her perfume you smelled on your clothes when you died,” I said numbly.
“Yes.”
“You argued. You told her that you had no room in your life for a wife, much less one with a child. And when she left you, she purposefully drove her car through that guardrail. Ethan Shaw told me that she called for help from the sinking vehicle. But she couldn’t have because there is no signal on the bridge or in the water. She must have placed those calls from the cemetery. She already knew what she was going to do when she left you. But why has no one questioned any of this until now?”
“Why would anyone question a call for help? Everyone thought it was a tragic accident. Even John.”
“But you knew better.”
“I knew
“She took Devlin’s daughter from him,” I whispered. “The only thing that would have mattered to him.”
“And now she feels threatened by you,” Fremont said. “Shani is her tie to the living world and you’re the only one that can set the child free.”
“How?”
“By convincing John to let her go.”
“I don’t know if I can do that.”
“No one, least of all Shani, will have peace until you do.”
A tall figure came out of the shadows and walked toward me, topaz eyes gleaming in the firelight.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“I came to see you.”
“Am I dead?”
“You’re not dead, not yet.”
“But you blew gray dust in my face.”
“That was merely a harmless charm,” he said. “This is gray dust.” He took a vial from his pocket and I saw the shimmer of a very fine powder as he handed it to me. “Take it,” he urged. “You’ll need this for your journey.”
I wanted to ask what good the powder would do me in a dream, but instead I accepted the vial and put it in my pocket. “You’ve had me followed,” I said. “Why?”
The topaz eyes glittered. “Because of who you are. Because of what you are. You have so much untapped power, and you have no idea how to use it. But you’ll soon understand. I’ll teach you everything.”
“And if I refuse? Will you kill me the way you killed Tom Gerrity?”
“Do you think I killed him?” He sounded amused. “Why would I bother with someone so inconsequential?”
“To pin the murder on Devlin.”
“I have no interest in John Devlin. Unless he gets in my way again.”
“Again?”
“He once took something very valuable from me. And now at long last I’ve found a way to get it back.” His gaze moved past me, and I whirled to see Shani at the edge of the woods. She held her hand out to me, but when I started toward her, she vanished.
Darius bent and put his lips to my ear. “You can’t help her in a dream. You’ll have to cross over. And I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I heard Devlin calling my name and turned dreamily toward the sound, blinking to bring him into focus. He was staring down at me, and I realized now that he was shaking me.
“Amelia! Can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can hear you. How did you know where to find me?”
“Essie sent me to look for you. She was worried about you.”
“You drove all the way from Charleston to look for me?”
“I was already here,” he said. “We just missed each other at Essie’s house.”
“Oh.” I realized then that the pounding and dancing had stopped. The woods were completely silent as I lay on the ground peering up into the trees. “Did you hear it?” I asked Devlin.
“Hear what?”
“The nightingale. It always sings when Darius is around.”
His voice hardened. “You’ve seen Darius?”
“He blew powder in my face and then he came to me in a dream. Do you think he brought the nightingale back from Africa?”
“It’s just another of his tricks. Here, ” Devlin said, taking my arm. “Can you sit up?”
I tried, but the trees started to spin, and I lay back down. “I need a moment.”
“Can you at least tell me why you came down here?”
“I’m trying to find out who killed Robert Fremont.”
“Why?”
“I…don’t want you blamed for his murder.”
“You let me worry about that.”
“But I can help you,” I said excitedly. “I’ve found your missing gun.”
“What?”
“It’s true. I saw Rhapsody remove a box from a tree hollow. There was a gun inside. I don’t know much about weapons, but I’m certain it was yours.”
He said in a strange voice, “Maybe you were still dreaming.”
“No, that was before Darius came. I remember it clearly.”
“And where is this tree hollow?”
“In the cemetery. I can take you there if you want.”
He helped me to my feet. “Are you strong enough to walk?”
