the soul are something we can never know,â he offered peacefully. âAnd I didnât mean to sound as if I was judging you, Kisanthra. I do think it a possibility that manâs soul clutched your heart in death. You said heâd told you heâd never let you go?â
She nodded. How creepy to think that her boyfriend had been so obsessed with her that even in death he had tried to possess her?
âYou think it could be Keithâs handprint on my heart? Does that mean weâre still connected somehow? How long does a soul stay in Purgatory? This is even weirder than vampires. Itâs freaking me out, Bron.â
He clasped her hand, and she met his soulful blue eyes. Hero eyes. Eyes that showed more compassion than he was probably comfortable physically showing. And why all of a sudden did she crave that physical connection from him? If she could have leaned across the table and pulled him into a hug, she would have.
âI donât think he can cause you any more grief,â he said. âItâs the living creatures who might like to get their hands on an entrance to Purgatory of which you have to be cautious.â
âThatâs so not reassuring.â He smiled and that lightened her heavy heart, and she laughed terribly. âPromise you wonât leave me alone until itâs clear Iâm not in danger?â
He nodded. âI give you my word.â
âYes, youâve said that. But how can I know if your word is good?â
He pushed the untouched plate of boysenberry pie toward her. âIâll offer you the last piece as a sign of good will.â
She chuckled and dug into the rich purple dessert. âPie does cover a world of aches and pains.â
âThanks for telling me about your accident and the relationship with your former lover, Kisanthra. It may indeed provide some help with this mission, though at the moment Iâm not sure how.â
Now she laid her hand over his. âI prefer Kizzy.â
He winced. âIt sounds so...â
âYouâre a little old-fashioned, arenât you?â
He shrugged. âGuilty. These young, strange names are too modern for my tastes.â
âSeriously? Youâre not that old.â
âYes, butâ Itâs beautiful. I will give Kizzy a try.â
âItâs easy. Like fizzy or tizzy or dizzy. Should we see if they have to-go cups, so we can take more coffee with us for the drive?â
âSounds like a plan.â
âOff to adventure,â she said. âDo you have an extra stake?â
His raised his eyebrow and waited for the punch line.
âI should probably practice my thrust and stab while weâre driving.â
âIâd expect nothing less from you. Iâll see what I have.â
Chapter 6
B ron tossed the broken tracking device into the garbage can outside the gas station. Heâd forgotten to throw it at the truck stop, and twenty miles later KisanthraâKizzyâhad him pull over to use the restroom, so it was a good thing heâd remembered it now.
An antiques store across the highway beckoned with red flags fluttering at the four corners of the old barn building. Kizzy had said sheâd like to check it out. And heâd agreed. He didnât mind sorting through antiques. It was a kick to recognize the things heâd once used in daily life. And they werenât in a rush. Unfortunately, they had time to waste as he waited to see what might come after Kizzy.
His eyes tracked the sky, seeking any sort of flying creature that may have had a bead on the tracker, broken or otherwise. He didnât know how witch magic worked, but the fact it had led him to her meant it was so powerful that it probably could still function even after the crystal device had been broken.
Could he take her home and walk away? He didnât think it was going to be that easy. And that wasnât any kind of emotional thing. He just