Page 55

An amused laugh. “Clearly.”

“What do you want, Wolfe?” I rubbed my eyes and pushed to a sitting position.

Wolfe knelt by the couch, eyes sparkling. “To show you something.”

I eyed him warily. “Which is what?”

He snickered, looking more and more human by the second. For a moment I wanted to roll right off the couch and into him. I could smell him, the scent of clove and whiskey rolling over me.

“You’ll just have to trust me and see.” He held out his hand, fingers wiggling.

I’d come this far, hadn’t I?

I let him pull me to my feet in one smooth, easy motion. I stretched my arms over my head, jaw-splitting yawn hovering in the space between us.

“What time is it?”

“Almost midnight.” He surveyed me, brow furrowed. “Are you all right?”

I nodded, yawning again. “I’m fine. Show me, then. I’m awake now.”

His answering grin was boyish, tipped in pure and utter delight. He gripped my wrist, skin vibrating against mine, and tugged me to the foyer. He was getting stronger, I realized.

Wolfe grabbed my jacket and handed it to me, as well as a hat and scarf.

I bundled myself up, a question poised on the tip of my tongue. Wolfe snatched a stack of blankets from the floor and yanked open the door.

“Come on.” He held out his hand for me again and I took it, bridging a divide between us that was becoming closer and closer to closing.

Night air sank through the fabric of my leggings and I shivered, teeth chattering.

“Wh-what are we doing?”

“Patience,” he scolded. “Help me with these, will you?”

I took a corner of the blanket and spread it out on the hill. Wolfe wrapped the second one around me and then yanked me to the ground. I went careening into his side, surprised to find that he was solid against me. He leaned back on his palms, catching my weight. He made no move to shift away and I stayed where I was.

He tipped his head back to the stars and I followed, sucking in a sharp breath at the sight of the sky above me. It was perfectly clear, not a cloud in sight. The moon was barely a crescent, just a slice of silver against the darkness. The Milky Way moved lazily overhead, shooting stars making their way across the galaxy.

“Oh, my god,” I whispered, awe-struck. “I’ve never seen it like this.”

He knocked his shoulder into mine. “Patty and I used to do this,” he finally said. “We’d come out when the rest of the house was asleep and we’d tell stories and talk until we were frozen. It’s a fine place to watch the sunrise.”

Suddenly, I wasn’t tired anymore.

I wanted to sit right here and freeze beside him. I wanted to watch the stars fade into the sun and witness the world regain its color.

“I haven’t been strong enough to do it,” he confessed, voice hushed. “I’ve tried before but I was never able to sit out here longer than a few minutes. I needed—” He blew out a sharp breath. “I needed a stronger tether.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I needed you.”

I shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from the cold.

“Is that what I am? A tether?”

He nodded. “I don’t know much in the way of ghosting. Hard to study what you are,” he added ruefully. “But I am stronger now. Sometimes I can pretend I’m real.” He flexed his hands. “The ruins, the candles, your blood. You’ve affixed yourself to me. The more you speak to me, see me…”

“The stronger you become,” I added, realization dawning. “Wow, it’s like you’re Tinker Bell.”

“Who?”