Sarah Gilman - Ghosts of the Falls

“Jade?” He stared, his corporeal body as numb as his incorporeal one. “What…what did you…”

Jeremy stuttered something similar, from what Dutch could tell through the ringing in his ears.

Jade held up a hand. “It’s not what it looks like. I’m okay.”

“What, exactly, is it then?” Aaron said, his voice shaking, still on his knees. Dutch had lost his concentration on the exorcist’s vocal cords.

Jeremy stood still and wide-eyed. “Jay-Jay,” he whispered. “What did you do?”

Jade’s tone firmed and she leaned toward Aaron. “First, I chained my spirit to Dutch’s—not a full slave bond at all, not even enough to cause us any discomfort, but enough that if you exorcise him, you’ll destroy me, too. Enslaving him would enslave me. Understand?”

Aaron nodded, his face so pale he could have been a ghost himself. Dutch figured being as familiar as Jade was with their great grandfather’s work, Aaron wouldn’t doubt she was right.

“Good. Second.” She straightened and met all their gazes. “Yes, I left my body to accomplish bonding myself to Dutch, but no, I didn’t kill myself. It was a risk, but I’m fine.”

Jeremy sputtered something unintelligible and sank to the ground.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Aaron got to his feet. He gripped Jade’s arms but she didn’t struggle, so Dutch resisted any vengeful spirit moves. “Do you have any idea how dangerous—”

“I know exactly, and I was as careful as time allowed. I had to show you how serious I am about you leaving Dutch alone. I needed to make absolutely sure you couldn’t exorcise him, enslave him, or anything else.”

“Such an incantation could have killed you . Ripping your soul from your body? It hasn’t been studied or practiced. What if you’d stopped breathing?”

“My body is safe in my car. Breathing. I know it could have killed me,” she said evenly, eased out of Aaron’s grip, and turned to Dutch. “But I would still have had a body and a heartbeat.”

“Jade,” he said, his throat tight.

She hooked an arm through his and spoke to her brothers. “I would like to stay here awhile. As a spirit myself, benefitting from the powers of this place, I’m an even stronger exorcist, and I stand to learn so much about the spirit world. I might finally be able to write an incantation to help spirits move on without destroying them. Both of you know how much that means to me, even if it means nothing to you.”

Aaron sighed. “I know I’m an asshole, Jade, but you’re my sister and that does mean something to me.”

Jeremy nodded.

“Don’t scare us like this again,” Aaron said, his voice broken.

Jade hugged him. “If you give me the same courtesy. Do you have any idea how scared I was when I heard you were going to enslave Dutch?”

Aaron’s throat worked. “Let’s call it even, then.”

“I happen to like Dutch very much.”

His breath left his body. Could he be that lucky? After so many years of being alone?

“Hmm.” Aaron scowled, but after a second, the corners of his mouth curved upward the slightest bit. “Derrick Hutchinson, you treat my little sister right, or I’ll find a way to break that bond and exorcise your ass.”

“I’ll help,” Jeremy said from his position on the ground with his head between his knees.

“Brothers,” Jade muttered.

“They love you. I can’t blame them.” Dutch’s hands found her hips. He bent his head and whispered in her ear. “Because I like you very much, too.”

…

Standing in front of the cabin’s bathroom mirror, Jade dissolved her corporeal body. She took form again. She disappeared. She reappeared.

“Neat.” The idea of being all but dead, her body in indefinite stasis, disturbed her to the point that she simply had to focus on other things, and the ability to blink in and out proved to be a great distraction. Being a spirit would take some getting used to, but she had no regrets.

Dutch materialized at her back, his arms around her waist. He brushed his lips across her nape, and her whole body warmed. “It’s done. They’re on their way back.”

She nodded, relaxing. After her reunion with her brothers and a lengthy discussion of the probable preternatural qualities of the gorge, they’d decided to pay off the park for long-term, exclusive use of the most remote cabin on the property—so Jade could do her work and not worry about hiding her body. No one wanted to risk removing her body from the area—the hot spot that fueled her and Dutch’s abilities—and accidently harm Jade in the process.

Dutch’s embrace tightened. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m okay.” She ran her hands over his arms, gathering her thoughts. He felt as real as ever under her touch—there was no difference between her living body and this one. “Are we trapped here?”

“No. I tested it once and traveled thousands of miles with no trouble, and I’m sure I could have kept going.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “Then why stay here and let loneliness consume you as it did? You could have kept living. Gotten a job, made friends…”

“Perhaps,” he said, but he shook his head as he spoke. “I considered that course at one time. But I wouldn’t have aged, so I would’ve had to uproot myself every few years. Severed ties. Like dying over and over again.” He sighed. “It didn’t appeal. Even with you…”

She turned within his arms and kissed him. “I now have the sort of access to the spirit world that a living exorcist could never attain. This is a chance to prevent the exorcism of innocents by providing my brothers with information. But that’s not the only reason I chose to do this to myself.” She rested her hands on his chest. “I also have the chance to stay with you and, if it works out as I hope it will, we won’t have to worry about me aging. And since we’re not trapped here, I can take you out and show you firsthand all that’s happened in a hundred years. I promised you many more nights, and I make good on my promises.”

He cocked his head and ran his fingertips down her throat, warming her entire body with the lightest of touches. “Why do you want to stay with me?”

“So we can get coffee. Have dinner. Go for walks together.” She arched an eyebrow. “Make love every night—”

He crushed his mouth to hers and pressed her against the wall. “That,” he said between fevered kisses, “sounds like life.”

Tremendous thanks go out to all the editors and staff at Entangled Publishing who made this book possible, especially Marie Loggia-Kee and Liz Pelletier.

Thank you so much, Jeanne Haskin, for providing your always spot-on opinion and a second set of eyes, even in a pinch.

Sarah Gilman writes paranormal romance. Her fascination with all things winged extends back to childhood, when images of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis captured her imagination and never let go. She lives in Vermont with her supportive husband and two spoiled cats.