Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 120230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120230 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
“So you imagine phantoms where none exist,” I muttered aloud, rubbing my palms over the tops of my thighs. Because Nix could’ve just had an awful, unstoppable accident. Kaea could’ve just made a rare mistake in what he’d eaten on the trail. And the first sighting of the doll could’ve been a well-intentioned mistake on the part of a cleaner, the second a prank gone horribly wrong.
There were innocent explanations for every single “suspicious” incident. Except . . . Darcie’s head wound. I’d forgotten that. Another accident. What were the chances we’d suffer two bloody accidents in the space of mere days? That was when I remembered Kaea’s shoe, that slice that had been a cut, not an accidental tear or a manufacturing fault.
A creak on the steps behind the door.
I stood up so fast my knees protested. But I was glad of my rapid reaction when Vansi emerged from the cellar. She walked straight into my arms, held on tight. No more tears now, just a sorrow so profound that it had altered the geography of her face.
“Will you help me put him back to rest?” She spoke against my shoulder. “I want to be gentle with him.”
“Of course,” I said roughly, the scent of her hair a familiar mix of vanilla and citrus. She’d used the same shampoo since she was fifteen. A drugstore brand that she swore worked better than any fancy formulation on the market.
I hugged that scent to me as we walked down the stairs, but I had no need of the armor. Phoenix hadn’t begun to decay. It was too cold.
This time, I didn’t attempt to roll him. If I did, I’d expose the bloody part of the sheet. Instead, I suggested we just tuck the blanket over and around him, covering his face and sheet-clad body. “This way, you can come and see him anytime you want.”
Vansi nodded, but when it came time to cover Nix’s face she hesitated and touched his cheek with trembling fingers. “See you in the next life, my darling.” She took great care when she folded her end of the blanket over his cut and bruised face.
I’d ended up with the far longer edge, now folded it over him once.
“He loved the snow.” Vansi didn’t move, her gaze on the blanket. “We were hoping that he could get enough time off next winter that we could do a ski trip. It’s been two years since we got to hit the slopes—winter’s such a busy time at the hospital.” Her breath caught.
Rising, I reached out to help her up, too. “It’s too cold to stay here any longer, V. Nix wouldn’t want you to get sick.”
“He could be so overprotective, couldn’t he?” She wiped the back of her hand over her eyes. “One time this winter, he literally put a scarf around my neck while muttering at me like a mother hen.” Her lower lip quivered. “No one is ever going to love me like Nix did.”
Her legs trembled as we walked away. But she kept on glancing back every few steps until we were at the very top and Phoenix’s body lay in the darkest shadows. “Can we leave on the light?” she asked, her grief a weight palpable.
“Of course.” Gently walking her out, I closed the door behind us. “Remember your first date? How awkward he was?” I’d been shanghaied by her into making it a double date because she was so damn nervous.
My “date” had been Kaea.
Vansi’s smile was wet. “He crushed all the stems on the flowers he’d brought me.”
“And dropped his ice cream.”
“And the whole while, you and Kaea pretended not to see any of it.” Her cheeks creased. “You were both such kind friends to us that day.”
Soft laughter. “We had a good life, didn’t we, Luna? Some people never find the love of their life and I found him in my teens. We had more than a decade together.”
“Yes, you had a wonderful life.” Wrapping one arm around her waist, I hugged her close. “He loved being your husband. I’ll never forget how he looked at you on your wedding day.”
It had been the epitome of a “big, fat Indian wedding” full of sparkle and gold, but the most luminous things had been the bride and groom’s smiles. It had been clear to all and sundry that they were delighted to be together. Not a single tear had been shed on the bride’s part during her leave-taking ceremony—an incident that one of her elderly aunts had termed “disgraceful!”
We were still smiling and murmuring about the wedding when we walked into the living room to find it devoid of anyone but Kaea and Darcie. Kaea slept peacefully enough—though that he’d been asleep for the entire day was worrying in itself—while Darcie stood near the fireplace staring down at the flames.