Holidays are Hell(18)

"You don't know that," I said contrarily, pulling away. "You're stuck in purgatory."

But instead of taking that as a brush-off, he nodded as if he liked it.

"You do know the intent behind your brother's challenge was to prove to you how skilled you are at earth magic, so you will follow that path?"

My mouth dropped open and I looked at Robbie. "The dirt bag," I whispered. "Well, I'm not doing it," I said while Pierce puzzled over the modern phrase. "We don't know if my dad would have approved or not, so the deal is off. I'm not going to Portland. I'm going to stay here with my mother and become the best damned runner since my dad."

Crap, I'm swearing again, I thought, then gave Pierce an apologetic smile. "What do you think I should do?"

The small man leaned forward, startling me with his intensity. "I believe," he said, inches away, "that if you don't follow your passions, you die slowly."

He was holding my hand again. A slow quiver built in me, and I pulled my hand away before I shivered outright. The office chatter seemed to grow loud, and Pierce resettled himself.

"My apologies," he said, clearly not sorry at all. "I've overstepped my boundaries."

Yeah, like I don't want you to? "It's okay," I said, boldly meeting his gaze. "I've held hands with guys before." And kissed them. I wonder what it's like to kiss a ghost? God, he had a beard. It would probably be all prickly and nasty. But maybe it was soft?

Yanking my thoughts back where they belonged, I looked down the open walkway to Robbie. He was clearly upset as he talked to the man, his arms moving in sharp angry motions. "I wonder what they're saying," I murmured.

Pierce still had that devilish look, but I liked it.

"Let me see if I can commune with the ever-after," he said. "I've a mind to speak a charm to hear them, though it's wicked to do so." But almost immediately his enthusiasm faltered. "I can't find a line," he said, touching his beard as if nervous. "Being a spectre, one might think it would be easier, not forbidden."

Well, nuts to that. I want to know what Robbie is saying. In a spontaneous motion, I grabbed Pierce's wrist My focus blurred as I searched for the nearest ley line, finding the university's glowing in my thoughts: a dusky red ribbon of power all witches could tap into regardless of where their talents lay.

Reaching out a thought, I connected to it. Warmth spilled into me in a slow trickle, running to my chi and making my skin tingle. Forcing my vision to focus, I looked at Pierce. My pleased smile faded. Crap, I'd done it again. The small man was staring at me as if I had just taken off all my clothes and was dancing naked on the desks.

"So you can do the spell…" I said in a small voice, and took a breath as if only now remembering how to breathe. "Didn't you share lines in your time?"

"Not often," he said, setting a hand atop mine so I wouldn't let go. "But I'm not there anymore. Thank you. Let me… do the spell."

He steadied himself, and while I felt like a whore on the corner, he flicked a nervous gaze at me with his beautiful, deep blue eyes. "Well?" I prompted.

"I'm not of a mind to hurt you," he admitted.

"Then don't pull so much," I said, glancing at Robbie. God, did he think I was a child?

"Um, yes," he stammered, and I shifted my shoulders when I felt a soft draw through me.

"You're fine," I encouraged, and he pulled more until my hair was floating from static. Intrigued, I watched Pierce close his eyes as if. trying to remember something. His lips moved and I heard the faintest hint of Latin, dark and alien sounding. His free hand sketched a quick figure, and then my ears popped.

"A moment," he said, his hand atop mine tightening to keep me from breaking the link.

My gaze shot to Robbie. "Oh, wow," I breathed as his voice came clear, as if I was listening to a phone.

"Wow. Yes," Pierce repeated, smiling from behind his beard, and we turned to listen.

"But I know he took her," Robbie said forcefully, his lips moving in time with the spoken words. "Can't you just get a car out there or something?"

The I. S. officer he was with had his back to us, but I could see he was typing. "Mr. Morgan. I assure you we're giving the matter our full attention."

"Are you?" my brother said. "She'll be dead by sunup if you don't do something. He's done this before. He just made the mistake of taking someone who would be noticed this time."

The man in his wrinkled suit clicked a window on his computer closed. One hand on the mouse, he gave my brother a long look. "And you know this how?"