Lost in Time (Blue Bloods 6)

Not-Kingsley winked at Mimi. “Suit yourself. But you’re not going to be able to keep going downward without your friend. I’m pretty sure we’ve claimed him,” he said, motioning to the terrace, where Oliver was kissing the girl who wasn’t Schuyler.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake! This has gone far enough!” Mimi tossed her champagne glass to the ground and stomped over to give her Conduit a piece of her mind.

“Oliver Hazard-Perry!” she yelled, feeling embarrassed for him. Oliver and the wraith were seated on a lounge chair, wrapped up in a tight embrace, and the heated action had almost reached the “get a room” stage. If Mimi didn’t know better, she would have sworn the wraith was about to stick her fangs in Oliver’s neck. “We need to move on, bud,” she said, shaking him.

Oliver opened his eyes. He looked drugged and dazed, as if Mimi had woken him from a wonderful dream.

He shook his head slowly. “I can’t leave. I’m getting married today.”

“That girl isn’t who you think she is. You know that. I know you do. You’re not an idiot,” Mimi snapped.

“She has no idea what she’s talking about. She never did,”

Not-Schuyler said, with a contemptuous toss of her head.

“Stay here and grow old with me, Ollie. Just like we always talked about.”

“Let him go, siren,” Mimi said.

“Don’t listen to this bitch. I know you hate her. We’ve always hated her.”

Oliver sighed heavily and pushed her away. “No. We didn’t. We never hated Mimi. We might have been a bit afraid of her, or intimidated by her, and I know you pitied her at the last. But we never hated her.” He turned to Mimi. “We didn’t hate you, Mimi. Schuyler doesn’t hate you.”

Mimi nodded as she helped him off the chaise. “I know.

That’s why I provoked it. I thought it would help if this thing said something Schuyler would never say. Come on.”

The doppelganger glared at Oliver. “You dare defy the desires of a siren?”

“Yes,” he said, finding his voice.

The siren screeched her disapproval and dug her claws in-to his arm.

“RELEASE HIM!” Mimi roared, as Oliver tried to pull away, blanching at the sight of his beloved’s face morphing in-to a harridan’s mask.

The siren shrieked in anger.

Mimi removed the needle from her bra so it turned into her sword, and she swung at the harpy. The blade glinted with silver sparks.

The siren hissed and spat acid, but recoiled at the weapon as Mimi thrust it forward. Mimi held the blade at the creature’s throat, and finally it dropped its hold on Oliver, disappearing into silver flame. In a blink, the skies overhead turned bla

ck, and booming thunder roared in the distance.

Lightning cracked, and rain began to fall in stinging shards.

The illusion had been broken, melting into the shadows once again.

Oliver and Mimi walked quickly through the scattering crowd back to where the mustang was parked by the entrance.

Mimi rolled up the roof hurriedly before they were drenched.

“You all right? I know it’s a hard one,” Mimi said as she pulled out of the lot. This was only the first test, the first temptation. She knew the path would be difficult, and that Helda would not let go of Kingsley’s soul so easily.

Oliver rubbed his arm where the creature’s claws had dug into his skin. He was beginning to realize that he might have bitten off more than he could chew with this little adventure into the underworld. But it was with relief that he saw they were wearing their old clothes again. The hideous wedding mirage was truly over. “Where were you?”

“They tried to tempt me with some fake version of Kingsley.”

“Why was it so easy for you to walk away from him while I couldn’t?”