“I talked to Isaac about the Pricolici,” David starts, and I assume Isaac is the retired hunter who mentioned them in one of his hunter journals. “We can kill every one that comes your way, but it won’t stop them. The demon who sent them will just create more. The only way to stop the Pricolici is to track one back to the demon who’s sending them, and then kill the demon.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Who is that?” Leslie’s eyebrows go up as she checks out Ethan, who’s standing by his Jeep, talking to his dad on the phone. I just finished teaching the riding lesson and am picking up the ground poles we had set up in the outside arena. “Please tell me he’s single.”
“You’re married,” I remind her.
“Right. Dammit.” She tightens the girth on Sundance’s saddle and gets on her horse. “He came here with you, though, right?”
“He did, and his name is Ethan.” I drag the last pole to the fence and line it up with the others. Sweating, I take my sweater off and hang it on a fence post.
“Are you two…” She raises her eyebrow and holds up one hand, making a circle with her thumb and pointer finger, and thrusts her other pointer finger in and out.
“No.” I look over at Ethan.
“Really? I’d be all over him. That is one fine-looking man. If you don’t want to hit that, I will.”
“Husband, Leslie. You have a husband.”
“Do I? Because I don’t remember getting married.”
“I was a bridesmaid at your wedding,” I go on. “And it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s more that the opportunity hasn’t arisen.”
“Make it arise tonight,” she says, wigging her eyebrows again. “Though taking things slow is a good idea too. Sex can complicate things.”
“Yeah, for sure.” Things are already more than a little complicated too. Not really so much between Ethan and me, but with my life in general. I survey the woods, looking for Bob, and then go to the parking lot to talk to Ethan. He’s off the phone now and he pushes off the Jeep when I draw near.
“I’m done with my lesson,” I tell him. “Would you like to formally be introduced to Mystery?”
“I would very much like that,” he replies, lips curving into a half-smile. He comes with me to the back pasture to get Mystery, and I introduce him to Leslie on the way. We bring Mystery into the barn and Ethan helps me brush him.
“Do you want to get dinner again?” Ethan asks, running a brush over Mystery’s neck. “We can go to that sushi place you wanted to go to yesterday.”
I look over Mystery, eyes meeting Ethan’s. “We do need to eat, though I’ll have to change first. The place isn’t fancy, but I need to not show up in grass-stained breeches.”
“Too bad, because your ass looks really damn good in them.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” I give my hips a little shake and laugh. Once Mystery’s tail is combed out and braided, I put him in his stall.
“Cold?” Ethan asks when he sees goosebumps break out on my arms.
“I left my sweater hanging on the fence of the arena.”
“I’ll get it for you,” Ethan offers.
“Thanks,” I tell him and go down the barn aisle, heading to my tack locker so I can get Mystery a treat. I’m almost there when that creeped-out feeling washes over me. I whirl around and see the blonde-haired ghost walking out of the barn.
“Hey,” I say quietly, and the ghost turns, looking right at me. He can hear me, and if he can hear me, then he can answer my questions. “Wait.” I turn on my heel and follow him out of the barn, going through a side door that leads to the path taking you to the trails. “Hey!” I call again. “Who are you?”
Feelings that aren’t my own push down on me, making me so dizzy vomit rises in my throat. Sharp, intense pain radiates from the center of my forehead, and something moves in the bushes just yards from me. I get a glimpse of it right before the pain intensifies even more, and my eyes fall shut as I double over from pain. When I straighten up and open my eyes, darkness surrounds me. I’m in the forest again, my heart is racing, and I can barely catch my breath.
But I can’t stop. I can’t give up. If I give up, then she wins. All I have to do is make it to the barn and I’ll be safe. I stumble forward, feet catching on fallen leaves and broken branches. The world spins, and pain webs through me again. Red-hot knives are dragged down my wrists, and warm blood drips down my arms.
I open my mouth to scream, and no sound comes out. I’m shivering, so cold everything hurts…until it doesn’t anymore.