I had to call Hank to let him know I was running behind. Judge Sinclair didn’t want to reschedule for another day. I couldn’t blame her. The faster we got this over with, the better. She held the family there while I made the drive over to River’s house.

I didn’t elaborate much to Hank and he didn’t ask. He had no problem keeping Margo longer, so I thanked him again and hung up. I confirmed he would still be at my house at 6, and he volunteered to keep Margo until then and drive her back over with him.

I thanked him profusely, something I seemed to be doing a lot lately, and hung up just as I pulled into River’s driveway.

I’d met the crone a few times, mostly at the local bookshop where I spent a lot of my time. I knew she was a powerful witch. I also knew she had a shop where she made gorgeous hand-tooled leather handbags I lusted after. I could never seem to grab the one I wanted, though. She sold them faster than I could snatch them up. So it was no chore for me to go to her house, especially if she had some of her newer work on display.

I got out of the car and the scent of jasmine hit me square in the face. Like most witches, River’s home had a plethora of plants surrounding it. Her home was painted a pretty, vivid purple with white posts surrounding the wraparound porch. Jasmine and Clematis wrapped up the posts and scrambled across the top of the roof. Right at the front of her gate, two large rosemary plants grew which made me smile when I remembered the conversation I had with Pepper.

I knocked on the door and it clicked open. I stifled a smile and pushed through. “River?” I called.

Her husky voice greeted me. “Come to the back, dear. I know why you’re here!”

Incense smoke filtered through the house and I walked through a cloud of what smelled like patchouli. Her house was full of plants, crystals and books. It made me feel relaxed and calm.

I got a little giddy as I kept going to the back of the house and realized I was heading toward her studio. The smell of leather hit me square in the face and I gasped as my gaze caught sight of the most gorgeous bag I’d ever seen in my entire life.

It was black supple leather in a satchel shape, accented with purple and green fringe. On the front of the bag a forest scene with a hand-tooled silver full moon. Wolves and stags sat on the ground staring up at the moon as if in worship.

I didn’t even let River greet me. “Is this for sale?” I asked, forgetting to breathe.

River’s gaze went down to the handbag and back up to me. “It wasn’t supposed to be.” She was a slight woman with the longest, prettiest wild silver hair I’d ever seen. Her eyes were a bright, silvery blue and she never wore a stitch of makeup. She didn’t need it. River must have been pushing 70, but she didn’t look a day over 50. She was a handsome, talented woman and she knew it.

I couldn’t help the feeling of disappointment. My face fell. “Oh,” I said. “Okay.”

A smile played over her lips. “But I can make an exception for you, Helen.”

I gasped with excitement, but River held up a hand. “As long as you let me give you a reading.”

My head tilted in curiosity. That didn’t seem...outlandish. “Is there any other catch?” I asked her, trying not to pounce on her offer and look too eager.

She lifted a thin shoulder. “There’s always the risk you won’t like what it has to say.” She smiled sadly. “I’d say for this one it’s a distinct possibility.”

My mouth twisted to the side. I really, really wanted that purse. “Well, nothing is set in stone, right?”

“Free will is always there, Helen.”

“Deal,” I said.

River held out a hand and led me over to a small table. A purple and silver cloth covered it. On top of the cloth rested a single white candle, a cone of incense, and a deck of well worn tarot cards. It might have been hard to believe, but I’d never had a reading before. Most of my time was spent indoors reading, outside reading, at the coffee shop reading, or visiting Pepper’s shop. I visited Hank a few times a year, but mostly during planting season. The only reason I knew about River’s purses was because Pepper mentioned them to me and I jumped online to look.

I sat in the surprisingly comfortable chair and folded my hands in my lap. River sat down in the chair in front of me, lit the incense with a flick of her hand, and picked up the deck of cards to shuffle them.

When she was finished, she asked me to cut the deck. I touched it, concentrated, and cut the deck where it felt right.

She took the cards back, shuffled them again and began to lay the cards out. I didn’t know a thing about tarot so I watched River’s face carefully. But she was a pro. Her face was carefully blank.

When she finished, she took a deep breath and huffed out a laugh. “There have been changes in your life over the last couple of days, yes?”

I blinked. “Yes.”

“I can see maybe a new pet? Unexpected?” She concentrated on the cards in front of her. “And a man.” River frowned and tapped another one of the cards. “Two men. Though I don’t think you’ve met the other one yet.”

My heart sped up a little bit. Maybe the other man was the one.

“One of these men will not have your best interests at heart, though it will be very difficult to tell which one. One will steal your heart. One will steal your breath. Both might break your heart.”

“Uhhh,” I said.

River held up a hand to silence me. “You will undergo drastic changes over the next several months. A new way of life will open to you. Your magic…” River paused.

“River?”

Her lips pressed together. “Your magic will...change.” She shook her head. “I can’t figure out what that means.” She motioned for my hands. I put them on top of the table. River took them in her warm hands and opened my right palm. She traced one of the larger lines on my palm. “You will have a crossroads soon. You will be forced to make a choice. About what is not clear at this time.”

River let go of my hand and refocused on the cards. “And there will be someone else, a person who wishes you harm. But they will not act in a direct way.” River sighed. “You must be so very careful and choose who you spend your time with wisely. Midnight Cove is changing, Helen Reaper. You must be ready.”

I sat back in my chair stunned. “Gosh, River. That wasn’t intense at all.”

She smiled at me, her bright white teeth glinting in the lower light. This area of the room was darker than the others. The magic here was deeper somehow. “I could sense the changes coming to you in your aura. It made me want to dig deeper. Helen, be careful. You have much joy ahead of you, but it will not come without a price.” River stood and went back over to her work table. She picked up the purse. “It isn’t quite ready yet. If you give me a week, I can make sure it’s ready to go. There were some final touches I needed to make to it.”

I stroked my hand over the supple leather. “Are you sure you don’t want me to pay for it?”

River shook her head. “Your payment was your reading. My kind of magic needs to come out. If it doesn’t it will cause major issues with my health. But approaching someone like I approached you freaks people out.”

“I’m a necromancer. There isn’t much that weirds me out.”

River laughed. “And I am glad for it. I also know you’re here for another reason.”

I’d forgotten all about the will!

She reached over, rummaged through her purse and pulled out a manila envelope. “Martin’s will.” River handed it over. “I haven’t read it.”

One of my eyebrows quirked up. “Seriously?” My lips twitched. “I suspect you may be in for a surprise.”

“That’s part of the reason. I don’t want anything to do with those heathens he calls family.”

I grinned at her then and told her I’d just left the courthouse. When I told her I’d raised Martin so the will I was holding would be the final, tears shone in River’s eyes.

“So whatever this will says, it’s final.”

“Wow,” she said. “You have an unparalleled talent, Helen. Imagine how many people you’ve helped and how many families you’ve stopped from taking advantage of their relatives.”

I reached out and gave River a hug. “Thank you. I’ll be back exactly seven days now for that purse.”

She laughed and gave me a squeeze. “I look forward to it.”

I gave her a wave and headed back to the car with the envelope in hand.

Judge Sinclair gave me a grateful look once she opened the door to let me into her office. I handed over the new will and watched as the judge opened it. Her only reaction was a slight quirk of her eyebrow.

The Klink family was fidgeting like crazy.

“What is that?” Mrs. Klink kept asking, but Judge Sinclair ignored her until she was ready to speak.

“Martin Klink has bequeathed his entire estate to one River Romanov, except for a single horse kept on the property of his farmhouse. He has bequeathed that to his two children with a note that says only, ‘Good luck.’”

I pressed my lips together to keep from grinning. What a ridiculous day this had been.

“What?” said his widow. “That can’t be true.”

“Based upon the evidence Mr. Klink gave today, this will is the most recent and true copy. This will stands.”

His children wore mutinous looks. “I do not want that horse,” his son hissed.

“Neither do I,” his sister muttered.

“We will see you back in court,” Mrs. Klink hissed.

Judge Sinclair sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I’m not sure what part of the country you’re from, but if you haven’t noticed, the rules are a little different here. This is a final ruling. I will transfer this will over to the one and only estate attorney in our town. He will be responsible for dividing the estate appropriately. You will take the horse,” she said pointedly to the children. “And you will vacate Mr. Klink’s property immediately,” she said to his widow. “There is no monetary gain left to be had.” The judge turned her attention to me. “And thanks to the testimony of Mr. Klink, I’ve already contacted the banks to have the family’s access stripped from his accounts.” She smiled at me and turned her attention back to Mr. Klink. “You will be required to return any purchases you made from Mr. Klink’s account within fourteen business days. Anything that can’t be returned will have to be reimbursed through the estate lawyer.” With a nod, it was obvious we were all dismissed.

Mrs. Klink was shaking like a leaf. The kid walked out wearing identical sullen expressions. I couldn’t help but feel a little bit bad for them. Martin Klink didn’t seem to be a terrible guy, but he certainly hadn’t been faithful.

I gave a nod to the judge and began to gather my things up.

“You did a good thing today, Ms. Reaper.”

My hand stilled. Normally people were super weirded out by my talent. What was happening today?

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“Have you ever thought of working outside your home? Midnight Cove has quite a bit of open real estate. I can imagine you’re doing pretty well, but opening a shop might open up a whole new world for you.” Her glasses slid down to the edge of her nose as she studied me.

Opening a shop in town gave me the hives. I wanted to, but it was hard to leave the comfort of my home. I shook my head. “I like working from the house.”

“Well,” she said, as if she suspected the reasons why I didn’t want to branch out, “there’s plenty of room for you if you decide to later.”

I finished packing up the rest of my things and bid her farewell.

I needed to cancel my next appointment because I was already late and I still hadn’t eaten lunch.

I rushed out of the courtroom and to my vehicle. My next appointment wasn’t terribly pleased, but I was able to squeeze her in the next day. I rarely had to reschedule but today’s case was so ridiculous it ran hours past when it should have. I drove to one of my favorite places, ordered two buttermilk chicken with corn salsa tacos and got it to go. All I wanted to do was get home, slip my shoes off, and inhale some tacos. Plus, I wanted to read a couple of chapters in the new paperback I’d just picked up. I had about three hours before my next appointment.

I pulled into the long wooded drive toward my house. This was one of my favorite things about it. It obscured my residence, so unless you knew there was a house back here, you’d probably drive right on by. It led about a quarter of a mile down a rock and gravel road until it opened up into a large clearing. There sat the cute little house I loved so much and...Hank’s truck.

My heart did a funny little skip of a beat, but it was quickly followed by anxiety. Had something happened to Margo? I pulled up to the drive, shut off my car, and grabbed all of my stuff. Just as I was exiting, Margo ran up and drooled all over my skirt.

“Aaack!” I yelled. She looked totally fine. “Hank?” I called.

He lumbered over to me with his slow easy walk and I swallowed hard as my gaze drifted up from the chest so accentuated in that white t-shirt he was wearing up to those warm eyes. He was, of course, scowling at me.

“Everything okay?” I asked as I slid out of my vehicle wincing at the long line of drool Margo had given me as a welcome home gift.

“Fine. I had a couple of appointments cancel today so I thought I’d come by early.”

And not text. Or call. I bit back a grumbly response. “Come on in. It’s been a weird day and I need to eat something.” I unlocked the door and allowed him to walk in before me. Not because I wanted to see his backside encased in snug denim. No sirree.

But it was oh so nice. I chewed my bottom lip and let my gaze linger a little bit too long before I shut the door behind me. Hank made himself at home in my kitchen.

“Devil’s?” he asked. “I love that place.”

I did not want to give up a taco, but that was polite, right? Sharing your oh so delicious tacos with friends? “Would you like my taco?” I asked Hank.

He blinked at me.

I blinked back and horror slid into the pit of my stomach. “Oh. Um” I forced out a laugh. I shoved the bag at him. “A taco. Not my taco. Well, technically, it is my taco. But not that taco.” I pulled out the contents of the bag and shoved the foiled food at him. “This taco.”

He took it. “If I ever wanted your taco, Helen Reaper, I would not ask so politely, but I would still ask. But yes, I will accept this taco.” Amusement seeped into his face, lighting it up like the North Star.

Woo boy. Hank was one handsome devil. And somewhere under that tough exterior lurked a sense of humor. Who knew?

My face burned with embarrassment, but I was never one to let witty repartee go by unanswered. “If I were to ever give you my taco,” I assured him, “I would ensure it was hot and ready. This one is merely lukewarm. A poor excuse for a taco.”

Hank swallowed hard. Our gazes clashed together like thunderclouds. “Are we still talking about tacos?” he whispered.

I slowly opened the foil wrapper. “I don’t know. Are we?” I winked at him and took an enormous bite.

I felt his gaze on me longer than was comfortable. Hank didn’t like blondes, I had to keep telling myself. Even though that felt suspiciously like very hot and dirty flirting. The man did not like blondes. I got myself and Hank a glass of ice water and we munched down our tacos silently. I wasn’t going to get those two chapters in today, but that was okay. The company was pretty nice.

“It’s going to take me awhile to study your property,” he said after he wiped his mouth and took a long drag of water. “Is that going to bother you?”

“I need to talk to you about that. I have some land here. Were you just wanting to do the front landscaping beds?”

His gaze sharpened with predatory interest. “How much land do you have?”

And here’s where things got tricky. No one except Pepper knew how much land I had. I kept it pretty quiet because I was a single girl and there were things in Midnight Cove that didn’t just go bump in the night. I didn’t want anyone trying to take advantage of me or to fully discover exactly how much land I had. But Hank? For some reason I felt like I could trust him.

I usually didn’t feel like that with anyone except for Pepper. It wasn’t just that Hank was cute, because he was. I sensed a quiet soul within him. Someone trustworthy and honest.

Plus...permaculture. Could he really be a bad guy if he chastised me about plants and saving the Earth? Possible but doubtful.

“Ummm,” I hedged.

Hank’s gaze narrowed. “Helen, I’m a gardener, not a businessman. The only thing I want to do to your land is make it beautiful. And functional.”

I snorted. “I don’t tell a lot of people. I saved up a lot of money to buy this property.”

He shrugged. “This used to be Old Man Haverstock’s property, right? I don’t think he had much land. Maybe an acre?”

“He was notoriously private. There are seven acres attached here.”

Hank’s brows drew together in surprise. “Wow.”

“I haven’t walked all of it yet, but I’ve gone about 2 ½ acres so far.”

“Helen,” Hank’s voice was full of disapproval. “You don’t know what’s on your property?”

“Some of it.” I shrugged. “The rest didn’t seem pertinent at the time. I own it. It’s not going anywhere.”

“You should always know what you have,” he said. “Otherwise how are you going to know if it’s missing?”

I tilted my head. “A regular philosopher you are, Mr. Gardener.”

“Especially if you’re a young woman alone. “We’re going to walk the rest of your property today, okay?”

“I have another appointment. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take.”

“I’ll wait,” Hank said. “I’ll still need to draw up some sketches of your house and land. It will take me awhile.”

“Hank, when I do a raising...it’s private.”

He shrugged. “That’s fine. I won’t watch.”

I opened my mouth, then shut it. “I work outside. There’s an area in the back with a slab and some other things around it. If you could stay out of that area around 4:30 I’d appreciate it.”

Hank nodded and stood to rinse his cup out. “I’ve got my notebook in the truck.” He patted Margo, who had been suspiciously silent, on the head and walked out.

“That man is weird,” I told the puppy.

Margo gave me a strangled whine. “Hush now. You know it’s true.” I tossed a piece of chicken at her and she grabbed it right out of the air. “Good girl.”

I cleaned up the taco mess, slid off my shoes, and curled up on my couch with my paperback. I could read for a solid thirty minutes before I needed to freshen up for my next appointment. Margo jumped up beside me and rested her head on my lap.

“Helen?”

I startled awake and saw a pair of curious warm eyes staring at me.

“Don’t you have an appointment?”

I let out a hissed curse and scrambled off the couch, Margo groaning her annoyance at me. “Crap,” I muttered. “What time is it?” I looked around for my phone and couldn’t find it. My paperback had slid off my lap and onto the floor.

Hank looked amused by my chicken with the head cut off routine. “It’s 4.”

Thirty minutes. It was doable. The courthouse raising must have depleted me more than I thought. I rarely slept during the day. I yelled a thank you at Hank for waking me up and told him to make himself at home. It felt really weird to have a man in the house while I was getting dressed, but I wasn’t uncomfortable.

I pulled a white maxi dress with a long white cardigan and slid on a pair of white sandals. Over my neck I slid a chain with a large chunk of labradorite on the end. I was feeling a little bit ungrounded right now and the stone would help center my energy once I was within the ritual circle. I brushed my shoulder length hair out until it shone and rushed into the bathroom to pop my contacts out. My eyes were tired and gritty. I put on a pair of black framed glasses, brushed my teeth and swiped some peach lip gloss on. After that, I drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. It was time.

My client today was one I had seen before. This sometimes happened with older people. At a certain age, they began to lose their family and friends. Dolores was in her eighties, a spry older woman with sparkling green eyes and a laugh that sounded like she’d smoked ten packs a day for year. Her first appointment was to raise her dog for her. I’d hesitated because the dog was ten years old, but the accident had been unexpected and she never got to say goodbye. I allowed that one and gave her a discount because she seemed like such a sweet old lady.

She spent two hours playing with her reanimated pooch before she was able to say goodbye, and before she left that day she had thanked me profusely. I had a feeling if I saw Dolores on the street, she wouldn’t shun me.

But today she was here for a much bigger reasons. Dolores had lost her son twenty years ago in a drunk driving accident. Her son was in a car full of teenagers when a woman coming back from a bar had crossed lanes and hit their vehicle head on. When she told me this, I was appalled. I also wasn’t sure I could help her with it. I had never attempted to raise someone who had been gone for that long.

But I couldn't handle the grief in her eyes so I told her I would research and see if I could do it successfully. The last thing I wanted to do was traumatize someone if I wasn't able to bring their loved ones back correctly. Humans were a little bit different than animals. With animals, I didn't need to enact a binding spell. Their souls were pure and innocent. With humans, a binding spell was necessary because I wasn't sure what kind of person they had been in real life. I'd found after a couple of pretty big errors that a lot of times their families didn't know what kind of person they were either. As sad as that was, it was nailed home after I'd failed to whisper the words of binding and the person had tried to force their spirit into a new body, usually one of their loved ones standing too close.

I thought the first time it was a fluke or that I had somehow done the raising wrong. When it happened a second time, I realized I needed to always enact the binding spell just in case. Even though I liked Dolores, I would not make an exception to this rule ever again.

She would be able to see her son and talk to him, but she would not be able to touch him.

When I came out of the bedroom, Hank was nowhere to be found so I assumed he had gone back outside. I poured myself a glass of water and drank it down. The doorbell rang two minutes before the scheduled appointment time. I told Margo to stay in the kitchen because I wasn't sure how she would handle strangers.

When I opened the door, Dolores was standing there wearing a retro pink suit, white low heeled shoes, and a pillbox hat. She looked adorable. I greeted her with a wide smile and pushed open the door to let her in.

Dolores leaned in and gave me a kiss on the cheek, leaving me with the scent of her Chanel perfume. I shut the door behind us and Dolores headed straight to the living room, but not before she saw Margo wagging her tail in the kitchen.

Vibrant green eyes widened. "Helen! You got a dog?" Dolores dropped her purse on the couch and went into the kitchen to give Margo a belly rub. My dog abruptly dropped and rolled, her legs swinging through the air. Little charmer.

"Have you ever had a dog, Ms. Dolores?"

She made a tsk noise and slowly stood up. "Long ago, dear. When my children were still young. She was an adorable old beagle and had eyes only for my son." She laughed a little sadly at this. "She tolerated the rest of us, but she thought my son hung the moon."

Margo trotted after Dolores as she made her way back to the living room. She sat down gingerly and smoothed her skirt down. "Now tell me, dear, who's that delightfully handsome man outside your home drawing something?"

I smiled. "Hank. He's the gardener."

"Well," Dolores said as her voice lowered, "I've got a very disused garden patch I'd love for him plow."

I sputtered with laughter. "Ms. Dolores!"

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it, girl. If you haven't, you've got something wrong with your hardware."

I shrugged. "He's pretty grumpy."

"Who cares?" Dolores asked. "You don't need him for his personality."

"Oh my god," I whispered under my breath. I could not believe I was having this conversation with an 80-year-old woman.

The sound of a throat clearing made me freeze like a deer in the headlights.

No. Noooooo.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your scintillating conversation about both my personality and your unused garden patch, but I was hoping to borrow Helen for just a second." Hank looked at Ms. Dolores with rampant curiosity. She, in turn, gave him a beatific smile.

I, on the other hand, must have looked like a vine ripened tomato. I cleared my throat and excused myself.

Hank followed behind me. "There's something I need to show you when you get a minute," he said. "It's important."

"I'm sorry you heard that."

He shrugged and gave me a grin. "It isn't often I get to hear things like that from a senior citizen. Although, I do find it disagreeable you find me grumpy, especially about our earlier conversation about tacos."

I was going to die of embarrassment. I rubbed the space right between my brow. "I'll come out with you when I'm finished. It will be at least an hour. Will you still be here?"

"And miss anymore of Dolores' lusty comments about my manhood? I wouldn't miss it for the world."

I sighed and left him standing in the kitchen.

"Ms. Dolores?" I called. "We can head outside any time you're ready."

She tottered to the back of the house and I held the door open as she headed to the slab out back. "Don't interrupt me, Hank!"

Margo came flying around the corner and through the door right after Dolores. This was the moment Margo would either choose to stick around or run from me in terror. I grabbed the bag I kept right by the door and headed out after them.

I loved the space out back and even though it's where I did most of my raisings, it didn't feel like a place to work. As you headed out the door, you stepped right onto a large wooden deck with a pretty wrought iron table and multiple urns filled with all different kinds of plants. In one, I had two different types of jasmine, one an Arabian and the other a Carolina. In another, I had a Moonflower vine slowly creeping up the post’s porch and scrambling along the roof line. The flower only bloomed at night, but the scent was heavenly. In others I grew tobacco, even though I hadn't been very successful yet. In another I grew 4 o'clocks. If I put them in the ground, they would take over everything, but I still loved how they smelled. I walked down off the patio and into the soft green grass leading to the slab. It wasn't much or even very decorated, but my magic permeated the place. The slab rested about waist high on me and contained slots for the chime candles I used. I normally switched out the cloths I used, so today I spread a mossy green cloth down on the slab. Dolores made herself comfortable underneath the arbor several feet away. I made it so the bench faced away from the slab. I didn't want the families to see how I used my magic or the rituals I performed to resurrect their loved ones.

At the courthouse, the body was already there. The laws were a bit trickier away from the courthouse, so I was forced to use my magic a little bit differently these days. Plus, after the two times the bodies had tried to overpower their families, I tended not to bring their actual forms here.

So today would be a little bit different. Her son, Anthony, would be here, but in spirit form only. I could have gotten the body with a little extra paperwork, and Dolores really wanted me to, but with the age of it, I didn't think it would be wise.

She had reluctantly agreed so I would do my best to ensure Anthony's spirit was as intact as I could make it. The magic was a little bit tougher with this kind of work. To pull a spirit back that had been gone that long, I had to reach deeper inside the veil between the living and dead. It was tedious and meticulous and I had to be very careful nothing else escaped. This was the first time I'd ever performed a spell like this. Normally people visited me within weeks of their loved ones' departure and this meant their spirit was still lingering here.

Not so with Anthony.

I set out everything I needed and went to speak to Ms. Dolores. She sat with her hands in her lap and a peaceful expression on her face. I sat down beside her and explained what would happen.

Dolores reached over and patted my hand. "My dear, I'm old. I've missed my son for two decades and you're about to give me the chance to speak with him again. If it meant you had to burp frogs or do cartwheels across the lawn, I would be fine with it."

"I'm terrible at cartwheels," I admitted.

She laughed a little but sobered quickly. "I'm afraid."

I squeezed the soft papery skin of her hand. "Don't be. I won't call you over until your son has acclimated. This is the first time I've reached for a soul this long gone so it may take him some time before he realizes where he is. If anything seems off, I will let you know. I hope you're able to talk with him."

A tear slipped down her cheek. "I hope so, too. I'm so glad you agreed to do this for me."

"I'll try my best," I said and left her sitting there.

I walked back over to the slab and pulled out the class ring Dolores had given to me. He was wearing it the day he died and it would act as a focus for me to find his soul. I slowly lit the chime candles around the slab, slipped off my shoes so my toes could curl in the grass and pulled out my sage wand. I lit the bundle, gently blew out the flame and repeated the process of purification the same way I had hundreds of times before. But this time, I focused more attention on the inside of the slab where the ring lay and where Anthony's spirit would be secured. Once it was done and I had allowed the sage smoke to slip over me, I took a deep breath and began to slip into the alpha state.

“Anthony Gray,

Awaken and stay,

Your mother is here to meet you.

Anthony Gray,

Cross through the veil,

And allow your mother to greet you.”

Again, not my best work, but I was still trying to shake off the sleep that had dragged me under earlier, and the exhaustion from the prior raising. I kept my breath deep, slow, and steady. I repeated the chant over and over in a whisper. A light wind rustled my hair, but I kept my eyes closed as I continued the spell. When I felt the presence of a spirit, I closed the binding with a single word and opened my eyes.

Anthony Gray had been a handsome kid. It was hard to tell what color his eyes were because spirits usually were only one or two colors, usually in the gray or blue palettes. He had long, shaggy hair and a mouth that looked like it had smiled a lot when he was alive.

He blinked at me in surprise. "Where am I?" he asked in a surprisingly clear voice.

I grinned. Holy crap. I'd done it. I gave him a quick perusal, but he looked intact and exactly like the picture his grandmother had given me a few days ago.

"My name is Helen Reaper," I told him. "Your mother is here."

He glanced at his surroundings. "You're expending an extraordinary amount of energy to keep me here," he observed. "Be careful your energy doesn't run out. The spirits behind the veil are...restless."

I stared at him as my heart picked up its once slow and steady race. That sounded...ominous. "I'll keep it in mind," I said, being cautious to not show any fear. I double checked the bindings and ensured they were secure before I went over to Dolores.

She gasped as she looked at me. "Is he here?"

I nodded. "He's a little confused but lucid. Would you like to speak to him?"

As I stepped down from the arbor, I glanced to the left only to see Hank staring at me intently. There was something about the way he was looking at me. I quickly glanced away and vowed to give him a piece of my mind when this was over. For right now, I needed to keep all of my focus on maintaining my hold on Anthony. I helped Dolores down the stairs of the arbor.

As soon as she saw Anthony, I increased my grip on her arm as she went weak. "It's okay." I whispered to her.

"My baby," she whispered.

Anthony's chin wobbled whenever Dolores came into view. "Mom." His eyes widened at her appearance. "How long has it been?"

She gave him a shaky smile. "Over twenty years, darling. I was already an old lady when I had you and now look at me."

Her son grinned. I pulled a chair over so Dolores could sit. I needed to maintain contact with the ground through my feet, so I chose to sit directly on the ground cross-legged style. Normally I tried to give the clients some privacy, but the son's cryptic warning had made me a little nervous. I wanted to stay close just in case anything went wrong.

I did my best not to listen and instead let my thoughts drift as Dolores spoke to her son.

I could feel his thread tethered to my magic. As long as it was steady, there was nothing to worry about. I would know if something was going wrong.

Hank was still sketching away in his book, though every once in awhile I could feel him looking in my direction. Whether he was appalled or genuinely curious about what was going on, I didn't know. From the reaction many of the townspeople had around me, I was going for appalled. People thought death was unnatural.

But I disagreed. It was the most natural thing in the world. While death was the end on our world, it did not necessarily mean the end for the victim. There was no way for me to know what happened on the other side, and I had never once asked a spirit or a reanimated person.

There were some mysteries I wanted to remain unsolved.

I shifted my legs around and let me toes dig into the cool dirt under the grass. The earth kept me grounded and stabilized my energy. I was already feeling the tug of Anthony's spirit feeding on my energy. I wouldn't be able to hold him without a struggle for too much longer. Dolores should have rescheduled. I had another half hour max before things got weird.

When it was time, I stood and helped Dolores up. She said goodbye to him, even though her voice was wobbly. Anthony was no better. You could hear the tears in every word he spoke. He apologized for his accident as if it had been his fault. His mother chastised him for it and blew him a kiss as she allowed me to help her back to the arbor.

"I'll be back in just a few minutes," I told her once I helped her get comfortable.

"It was all I needed," she said. "This was all I had been waiting for."

"Dolores?" I asked, a little unnerved.

She speared me with her vivid green gaze. "I'd been longing for the opportunity to speak with him for two decades. You were able to give me that opportunity. My life..." she waved a hand. "It's complete."

"Just stay here," I pleaded with her, my heart beating rapidly as I rushed back down the steps.

Anthony was sitting cross-legged. "She's going soon, you know," he said as casually as speaking about the weather.

"Are you really Anthony Gray?" I whispered. I had done everything right but something about him was...off.

His eyes flashed a deep purple. "I was. Things change when you've crossed over. You slowly lose pieces of yourself. You are no longer whole." He glanced back in Dolores' direction. "Although I hope for her sake, I did a convincing job."

I swallowed hard.

Anthony smiled. "You need to relinquish me back to the veil. Immediately. You grow weak and my brothers and sisters are hungry."

With a whispered hiss and frantic hand motions, I forced Anthony Gray's or whoever he was spirit back into the veil. I felt the tear beginning to mend itself. My candles blew out abruptly.

Right before I fell, I heard Hank's frantic shout.