Ethan refilled my glass of wine. I accepted it, thanking him with a smile. Gods, I missed him. He always tried to take care of me. Which was shocking, considering how we began. I didn’t think he’d ever want anything but sex, but he proved me wrong. Or it could just be a ruse. Either way was fine. I enjoyed everything he had to offer. I smiled, earning a raised eyebrow from Mikey.
“Jenna will be fine now that I placed the runes in her skin. They’ll be there permanently, and she’ll be safe from death,” Carlos said and took a drink from his beer.
“If it stops death, why don’t more know about it?” I asked.
Carlos shrugged. “I came across it during my adventures overseas. By complete accident, I met a man who was possessed. As a gift for helping him, he told me one of the secrets people have been looking for. He said it wouldn’t work on everyone, but those who possessed a pure heart could be saved.”
Mikey chuckled, slapping a hand on the counter. “Jenna? Pure of heart? I don’t think so. That girl is wild.”
Carlos looked at him. “Sexual desires have little to do with how pure your heart is.”
“Sometimes. I know some pretty dark individuals.” Mikey waggled his eyebrows.
Shaking my head, I set my wine glass down. “I think Jenna always has good intentions. This just seemed to really affect her, considering she was attacked in her own home and didn’t know how long she had to live. I can forgive her for everything that’s happened as a result. I don’t blame her one bit.”
When his cell vibrated, Carlos glanced down and sighed. “I have to take care of another demon possession in Ohio. This is a new one, so maybe I can save him before it’s too late.”
He almost said it like it was just another day in the office. We watched him leave. Soon after, Mikey left, albeit reluctantly, after I told him he didn’t need to stay to watch over Jenna. He was really starting to stress me out. First Maggie, now Jenna. Though I thought he’d harbored feelings for her all this time. Maybe the spell just enhanced the ones that were already there. But he needed to act quickly. If he didn’t, Carlos might just swoop in.
THE NEXT DAY, I WOKE with a nasty headache. Ethan was off doing who knew what, but considering the amount of pain I was currently in, I knew I wouldn’t be good company anyway. Deciding maybe fresh air would help, I took two painkillers, then dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I should head into work, but the papers on my desk could wait a little bit longer. I needed to relax and give the medication some time to kick in.
Deciding to head to the beach, I put suntan lotion, a towel, a few water bottles and a book into a bag. It was a good thing I could disappear and reappear where I wanted; otherwise, I’d be stuck going to the river near Heaven. That wasn’t always the safest, considering there were a lot of homeless people in the area. Drug deals often took place there, and dead bodies had even been found. It wasn’t a place I thought of as relaxing.
Checking on Jenna, I found she was still fast asleep. I left a note on the counter, telling her she could stay as long as she wanted, that I would be back in a couple hours.
Taking a deep breath, I pictured the ocean around Florida. Seconds later, I found myself standing on the sand, staring at the water. There weren’t that many people around. I should have considered myself lucky that someone didn’t see me suddenly appear. I was usually more careful, but I hadn’t been in the area for a few years and didn’t want to guess my landing spot wrong.
After laying down a towel, I kicked off my shoes so my toes could sink into the sand. The breeze felt good, the sun warm. It was a perfect day. Sighing, I sat on the towel and tilted my head toward the sky, closing my eyes.
“Gorgeous day, is it not?” a woman asked.
I opened my eyes and looked at her. Wearing a bathing suit that barely covered her body, she sat on a towel right next to me.
I swallowed hard, trying not to stare. She was stunning! Her blonde hair whipped behind her in the breeze as her blue eyes focused on me. A pair of large sunglasses sat on top of her head.
“Uh, yeah. Beautiful day,” I replied, looking away. I was tempted to pick up my towel and move farther down the beach, but I didn’t want to insult her.
She started spreading some lotion on her already tan skin. “Sophie, I’m very concerned about you.”
My head whipped toward her, eyes narrowed. “How do you know my name?”
The woman smiled. “I’ve been watching you ever since you were a baby, my sweet granddaughter.”
I gasped, then whispered, “The Lady of the Lake?” Was this some sort of trick? She just shows up after all these years?
“Please, call me Mary.” She reached up and brought down her sunglasses to cover her eyes, staring straight ahead.
“I thought you were dead or something.”
I couldn’t believe this. Do I kiss her hand? Ask for a hug? I mean, she was my grandmother, even though she really didn’t look it. Plus, where the hell had she been all my life? My mother never even mentioned she was around.
Mary threw her head back and laughed. “Me? Dead? I think not. It’s hard to kill me, and not many find a reason to do it anyway. I mostly stay in the background, enjoying life.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “The men are irresistible these days. It’s amazing what a shower will do.”
I laughed, nodding in agreement. “Well, it’s good to meet you. I never thought I
