Never Look Back
Page 19
She turned to the mirror. The scene inside of it was rich with color, with movement. The water in the stream was flowing, and the leaves on the trees were swaying.
"I'll think of you always," she said.
"And I'll think of you." He kissed her again, then walked toward the glass, where Vanessa appeared in the distance, wearing a long white dress that fluttered in the breeze.
"Do you see her?" Allie asked.
"Yes." When he put his hand against the glass, it rippled. He turned back to look at Allie, and she smiled, letting him go to his wife.
The woman who'd been waiting a century for him.
He stepped into the mirror, and Allie watched until he and Vanessa were gone, until the image faded, until there was nothing left but her own reflection.
* * *
The following morning Allie awakened to a pleasant aroma. She slipped on her robe and walked into the kitchen, where she found Olivia and West fixing pancakes.
Her sister glanced up. "They're blueberry."
"My favorite." Allie feigned a smile, knowing they were trying to comfort her. She'd slept alone last night, missing Raven and thinking about Daniel.
She glanced at the microwave clock. It was too early to visit Daniel at the hospital. She would have to wait to see him, to hold his hand, to tell him that Raven and Vanessa were together.
Samantha meowed at her feet, insisting on her meal. She fed the cat, then sat down to eat with West and Olivia. Sunlight streamed into the room, scattering shadows from the blinds.
"We're proud of you," her sister said.
"For getting rid of Zinna?"
"For everything." Olivia met her gaze. "We love you, Allie."
Her heart squeezed. "I love you guys, too."
Olivia cut into her pancakes. "Are you going to see Mom again?"
"You bet. I'm going to waltz into that prison and tell her face-to-face that she lost the game. That Zinna is gone for good."
But first, she needed to see Daniel. He was her priority. The man who'd helped her every step of the way.
After breakfast, she got ready to go to the hospital. She arrived at the ICU, and when she approached Daniel's bed, her breath lodged in her throat. He looked the same each time she visited him. He wasn't getting any better.
In a quiet voice, she told him about Raven and Vanessa. He didn't stir. But she didn't expect him to.
Fearless was lost in his own world.
Allie fought a wave of tears, then flinched, sensing someone else's presence. She looked up and saw Joseph Whirlwind.
Her father.
He stood on the other side of Daniel's bed, dressed in buckskin regalia, with a lance and a shield, weapons for the Ghost Road.
"Daddy," she whispered, gazing at his transparent image.
Was he here to take Daniel with him?
"He isn't ready for the Ghost Road," she said, touching the patient's wrist. "He doesn't have any tattoos."
Joseph slipped something around Daniel's neck, and she realized why her father was here. He'd just given Daniel Raven's amulet, an item that had been passed on to him from the underworld.
She thought about the original portrait she'd painted of Raven, of the wings she'd created for him. He'd become an angel after all. He'd kept his promise, finding a way to protect her and Daniel.
She reached for the talisman and discovered that it was as transparent as the ghost standing on the other side of the bed. She could see its hazy image, but she couldn't touch it.
Only that didn't matter. The power from the amulet was real. It had reunited Raven with his wife, and now it was lending itself to Daniel and Allie.
She smiled at her father, and he began to fade, heading for the Ghost Road.
He left Daniel behind, but Fearless was no longer still. His eyelids fluttered, and her heart leaped to her throat. She touched his cheek, waiting for him to look at her, to see the woman who loved him.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5936-6
NEVER LOOK BACK
Copyright © 2006 by Sheree Henry-WhiteFeather
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
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Table of Contents
SHERI WHITEFEATHER
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17