Мишель Роуэн - Hot Spell

“So she is the one who denies it.” Nathan’s lips thinned. “No wonder you’re still feeling the negative effects of the spell.”

Jacob frowned. “You’re saying we’re feeling the negative effects because she refuses to believe what we have is real?”

“My Catherine denies her heart and the result is our imprisonment in this house.” He drew in a long breath he definitely didn’t need, being dead. “I can’t continue like this. Unable to touch her, only able to see her for such a short time. It’s torture. There is only one answer and that is for us to be exorcised from this house. I know your Amanda can grant us that. It may not give us heaven together but it will finally give us peace.”

“Damn,” Jacob said. “And I thought I was acting way emo this week. You’re definitely the winner.”

“Emo?” Nathan frowned. “What is emo?”

“Emotional. Angsty. Woe-is-me, etcetera.”

Nathan’s gaze sparked. “I apologize if I fail to see the humor in this situation.”

“Obviously.” Jacob shook his head and tried not to smile. Really, it wasn’t all that funny. Well, it kind of was.

Nathan was him , after all. A darker, bitterer version anyhow. In love with a woman who refused to accept her own feelings at face value. Who would push away a chance at happiness in order to stay true to her rigid beliefs.

They were obviously both screwed.

“Please,” Nathan said. “You must make sure that your Amanda follows through with the exorcism. I can’t bear to see Catherine again, for seeing her only reminds me that we can never truly be together.”

“You really don’t think there’s any other solution here?”

“The spell that binds us is strong.”

“We’re planning to destroy the clock hoping that will break the spell.”

“You can try,” Nathan shook his head. “But the magic is already inside of us. It may do nothing at all but take us deeper into despair.”

“ Total emo,” Jacob said under his breath.

There was a crashing sound and a short scream that he recognized as Amanda’s. With a last look at the spirit, he turned away and ran down the hall to the drawing room.

Amanda lay on the ground unconscious. His stomach lurched and he ran to her side, falling to his knees next to her. He stroked the dark hair off her forehead. He could see where she’d hit her head, a trickle of blood at her hairline.

But she was breathing and her heart beat regularly which eased his mind a little. He considered carrying her to his car and taking her to a hospital, but just as he began to gather her into his arms her eyelids fluttered before opening up completely.

Her gaze went directly to his but she didn’t say anything right away.

“You hit your head,” he stated the obvious.

“Ow,” she replied.

He brushed his lips over her forehead. “Honestly, I leave you for a few minutes and you go tripping over the furniture.”

“I…I’m clumsy like that.”

“Obviously.”

“Also…” she hesitated. “Catherine pushed me when she found out why we were here.”

A surge of anger moved through him. “I’ll kill her.”

She smiled. “Funny.”

“Where is she now?”

“I’m sure she’s around. Help me up.”

He got to his feet and pulled Amanda up to a standing position.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked.

“I think so.” Amanda swallowed. “I…I had a vision. A major one.”

“While you were knocked out or before?”

“During. I thought it was a dream, but it was too vivid. I saw Catherine’s wedding day. And the aunt who enchanted the clock in the first place—I saw her, too. I actually got into her head.”

He looked amazed by this, but there was no doubt in his expression of what she was telling him. “And?”

“And it wasn’t to be cruel. It was to try to help her niece, whom she felt was making the wrong choice by marrying her husband.”

“The one who killed her?”

“Yes.”

“I’d say she made the wrong choice.”

“Yeah.” She sucked in a deep breath. “And Nathan was there, too. He was her butler. They wanted each other desperately but they wouldn’t give in to their feelings. That’s why Rose gave them a little… push .” Something else came into her mind then, a stray thought from Jacob. “You saw him? Nathan?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I can’t say that I’ll miss you being able to poke around in my head at your leisure.”

“I can’t help it when you’re this close to me.” So close she could feel the heat from his body. It was very distracting.

“Yeah, I see dead people.” He grinned. “I’ve always wanted to say that. Anyhow, he let me see him because he wanted to talk to me. He and I have a lot in common, actually.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Like the fact we’re both crazy about crazy women.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “Definitely sounds like a curse, doesn’t it?”

His grin faded at the edges. “Right. Well, he’s giving two thumbs up to the exorcism. He’s ready for it to be over.”

“That makes one of them.”

“Catherine isn’t keen on getting obliterated?” he asked, wryly. “How odd.”

“She kind of freaked, actually. Thus the pushing.”

“So she’s giving you a hard time. Doesn’t mean we hold off. We go through with the exorcism as planned, right?”

She pressed her lips together.

He studied her. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

“No, of course not. It’s just…they’re kind of like us in a way, aren’t they?”

“You see that, too?”

She nodded. “Both trapped by magic.”

“Trapped,” he repeated, and his voice had turned cold again. “Right. Well, I think I’ve personally had just about enough of that magic. I’m not going to wait until the exorcism is over. I’m going to take care of the clock now.”

She was surprised. “Now?”

“What, you wanted to wait? For what? It’s not going to change anything.”

“No, but—”

He shook his head, his expression sad. “I’m in love with you, Amanda.”

He’d said it out loud. It was one thing to hear it in his thoughts…and even then it had been slightly uncertain. This? This was decisive. He loved her .

“Jacob—” she began, not knowing exactly how to respond to that.

“I don’t think getting rid of that clock is going to make any damn difference to anyone but you. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

He turned away and stormed out of the room.

She could hear his thoughts echoing in her mind, a little harsher than what he’d said out loud.

I’m going to tear it apart and then burn it. If she wants this over, then it’ll be over. I can’t take it anymore .

She stood in the drawing room alone for a few moments as the certainty of his decision washed over her.

He was going to destroy the clock. Burn it. Break the spell.

It’s what she’d been telling herself she wanted since this began. The only thing tying her to Mystic Ridge and keeping her from a new, normal life was this strange and intense passion she felt for Jacob.

It’s not real , the familiar refrain sang in her head.

But the thought didn’t keep the panic from welling in her chest. In fact, it became a full-on wave of anxiety.

No. I can’t lose this feeling , she thought suddenly. I can’t lose him!

Still feeling dizzy from hitting her now-aching head, she started for the stairs, taking them two at a time until she got to the top. She rushed along the hallway to the familiar bedroom.

Jacob was in front of the clock, a sharp ax clutched in his right hand. He looked over his shoulder.