“Well, not exactly, but I sacrificed a few hundred years of haunt
ing rights for a little justice and retribution.”
“Justice?”
“Cain Davot’s real name is Ewan Findlay, and he was responsible for my death.”
Grayson’s eyebrows lifted.
“Ah, you see it now. Yes, and as you sow, so shall you reap.” She rolled her eyes. “That was one sermon I did take notice of.”
She grew more serious. “After I’d gone, he became even more selfish than he was before. He sought to ally himself with the dark Lord. Decadent in his tastes, he was greedy for wealth and power. He traded his soul for three hundred years more of it, and traveled the world wreaking havoc and bringing a bad name to our craft. Alas for him, that time is nigh.
“Because my life was wrongly ended at his behest, I earned the right to haunt for as many years as he was alive. I didn’t want that, so I sacrificed my rights to haunt for a shorter amount of time, if I could be the one to guide him to his end.”
What she was revealing was fascinating to him in so many ways. “Why didn’t you appear to me, as I asked you to, and tell me this then?”
“The time wasn’t right. You know how these things work, scholar. Besides, it was Zoë he wanted to use. She became receptive to me because of you and because of her grief about her mother, so Zoë had to be my bait.”
Grayson narrowed his eyes. “You’ve had fun with us all.”
“Well, now, you seemed to be enjoying it, for the most part.” Again mischief sparkled in her expression. “You have done a good job of protecting your kind. You would have been here even if I hadn’t, is that not the way of it?”
“I suppose so, but Zoë didn’t ask for any of this.”
“Scholar, I am surprised at you. Nothing worth having is ever easy, you should know that.” She gave a sigh that sounded as if she was teasing him, but he wasn’t sure. “Zoë had her own journey to travel. She was willing to take risks because of you. Otherwise I wouldn’t have allowed her to be drawn into this by him. Desire garnered her interest and love made her stay, she told you as much herself.”
Grayson stared at her. To hear it said aloud, that Zoë cared for him that deeply, made him strong. “I intend to undo the magic that he has done, to free her from his spell, but Zoë wanted me to speak with you first.”
Annabel was looking at him as if she was amused. “Do you really think I would be so foolish as to let him build an enchantment so powerful over a blameless soul such as Zoë?”
Grayson was unable to fathom her meaning for one long moment. “What do you mean? Are you saying he hasn’t cast a possession spell?”
“Oh, he has tried, but I arranged for each and every poisoned enchantment to be undone, as he cast them. Zoë is bound to me and Carbrey at the present time because I need her help, that is all. It will all be over this very night.”
Davot had no power over Zoë, but a long-dead witch did. Grayson felt marginally better but no more, because he was far from sure that he wasn’t being duped here.
“Right now, I will strike a deal with you,” she said, folding her arms.
Grayson tensed. He half wished he hadn’t asked her to strike a bloody deal.
“Let Zoë finish this, and I promise you she will be safe. But you must write a book about me, scholar, now that you know the full story. It would be nice to be remembered more kindly.”
She winked at him, and Grayson saw that despite the fact he’d been put through the wringer over this, she was offering him a gift. Zoë’s instinct about Annabel had been correct, but still he couldn’t shirk the feeling that this was all an elaborate trick. Not until he had Zoë back and all suggestion of possession was a million lightyears away from them.
“This is nearly over,” Annabel repeated. Her expression grew deadly serious. Then she drew his attention to the window. “They are coming for her. Time is short now.”
“What do you mean this is nearly over? Explain, please.”
She strolled to the table, and sat back down on it. “’Tis odd. I did not recall a body being so heavy as this.” She ran her hands over the outline of her borrowed form, frowning, as if curiously dissatisfied. “Still, it makes no odds, for my place is not here.” She shrugged. “It has been fun, but I’m longing to be back with Irvine.”
Grayson was beside her, ready for any tricks she might have. But she settled back down on the table in the very position she had arrived into the body.
With one hand, she reached up and squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you, scholar, for your work here. Now hurry, call her back. She will come to you and it is for her to help me finish this.” A smile played around her mouth, and then it faltered. Her spirit was fading. “Call her. She will always come back to you, Grayson Murdoch of Abernathy.”
Her words echoed around his mind as he leaned over her. Holding her around the shoulders, he shook her. “Annabel, tell me what it is we have to do!”
Her eyelids fluttered up. “Go back to the cottage.” Her voice was faint, so faint he could barely hear her. “I can manifest there. Destiny’s lass knows the way. She must lead him there, she must give me what I need to end this.”