“Oh, sweetheart,” Jonathan cried. “My Sabrina.”
“Dad, why are you crying?” Twin tracks of tears ran down his cheeks. “What’s wrong?” She followed her father’s gaze, realizing why he was pale as a ghost. Blood drained from her own face when she saw it—all the plants along the one wall in her apartment were withered and dead. They had been healthy and thriving, but now they looked like they hadn’t been watered in weeks. Her prized orchids, too, were wilted and dead. “No!” Oh God, what happened? Did she do this? A small voice in her head said, yes. “What did I do? What did I do?”
“I’m sorry, Sabrina,” Jonathan choked. “It’s my fault.”
“Sabrina.” A warm hand landed on her shoulder. Cross’s voice and his presence were like a soothing balm, and she instinctively leaned into the touch. “Sabrina … do you trust me?”
“Yes.” God, she didn’t know why, but she did. Maybe because it felt like the way she knew the world to be was a lie, and Cross was like a steady beacon.
“Sabrina, you can undo this.”
Her head snapped up. “This?”
He nodded at the plants. “Bring them back.”
“Bring them back? You mean, the plants …” What was he saying? Did he believe all this?
“I believe in you, Sabrina.” His hands cupped her face. “Just … think of the plants. Think of life. Life that flows through you. Close your eyes.”
She didn’t know why, but she did. “Okay.”
“Imagine the life from your own body, flowing out … flowing out of you …” Cross’s voice was mesmerizing, making her feel all warm inside. Unlike the earlier sensation of cold and darkness, she now felt warmth. Brightness.
She opened her eyes, her entire apartment had filled with a bright, white light. And it was so warm. Like the roof had opened up and the sun shone down on them. “It’s so …”
She sucked in a breath as the light dissipated and her vision went back to normal. A sharp cry left her mouth. “Oh God.”
All her plants—every single one—were back to life, as if nothing had ever happened to them. She looked at her father, who had gone ashen, then back to Cross. His blue-green eyes turned dark and stormy, like a sudden storm appearing out of nowhere over the ocean. “How did you know I could do that?”
The events of that night were so clear in Sabrina’s mind. She didn’t know how, but she just knew it happened, even though she had no recollection of it until this moment.
Her plants … her father said he got rid of them because they all died while she was recuperating from the accident. But they were alive … she brought them back. Did he take them away for another reason? A thought entered her head when she thought about that accident. An ache bloomed in her chest, and a suspicion was beginning to nag her brain.
“Do you remember?” Cross’s voice was gentle as a breeze. “The plants.”
“Yes.” Oh God. “But they’re plants.” Her gaze turned to the poor horse and to Logan, who was kneeling down next to it, stroking its neck. “She’s an animal. Surely it’s different.” And frankly, she couldn’t bear the thought of failing if she attempted it.
“Life is life.” Cross placed a hand on the small of her back and led her toward Georgie. “You can do it, Sabrina. Just like you did before.”
“Get the fuck away,” Logan growled, as he stood up to full height. While not as tall as Cross, he was easily wider, and the veins popping in his neck made him look even more fierce. “You’ve done enough, witch.”
“Let her try,” Cross urged.
“There’s no harm in letting her try to fix it,” Silke said. “Please, Logan.”
With a gruff snort, Logan took a step back. Though her hands were shaking and doubt filled every nook in her mind, Sabrina knew she had to try and make this right.
I’m sorry for what I did, she said to the horse silently. I’ll do my best to make it right. Holding her hands over the animal, she tried to recall what happened that night in her apartment. She imagined the life flowing from her, out of her and into Georgie. Warmth moved over her skin, and the edges of her vision became fuzzy until the entire room was filled with a white light and everything went quiet. A comforting, snug feeling flowed over her, like a cashmere blanket being wrapped around her body.
A soft nicker made her jolt, and she scrambled back and tripped over her feet. Hands caught her before she landed on the ground, then hauled her upright.
“Mother of mercy.” Silke took in a sharp breath before covering her mouth. “She’s …”
Georgie had rolled up to her feet and was now standing on all fours.
“What. The. Fuck.” Logan stared at the horse, wide-eyed and wary. Georgie snorted at him, taking a careful step forward. Her nose nudged at his shoulder, but he seemed frozen. Finally, he blinked and rubbed the horse’s nose.
“See, I told you.” Silke sniffed and rubbed the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Sabrina did it.”
“She still killed her first,” Logan growled. “Georgie would never have attacked her in the first place. These horses … they can smell evil a mile away.”
God, was he right? Was she evil? She stared down at her hands. But how could she have done all that?
“Logan, please,” Silke said. “Stop it. Everything’s all right.”
“Nothing is all right!” Logan squared his shoulders and glared at Sabrina. “Not until she leaves. What if she does it again? What if she can’t bring them back?” He turned to Silke. “What if it was you? Or Ransom? Or little Annie or one of the staff?”
“She won’t.” Cross stood in front of her protectively. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“The only
