“Adele?” Ronan’s voice was ragged.
“My job here is done,” Voz said before disappearing.
Ronan moved toward the translucent image that was his sister’s spirit. “I’m so sorry, Addie,” Ronan said.
“It’s okay, Ronan,” she said. “You saved me.”
“I had no idea—”
“I know,” she interrupted him. “I don’t have much time. But I wanted you to know that I love you.”
“Right back at you,” he said.
She smiled. “You always did find the words hard to say.”
“I do love you, Addie.”
“I know you do.” She floated down the steps until she was close to Ronan. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the cheek. As she did so, a portal appeared with a glow of white light. “I have to go now. Mom and Dad are waiting for me. I can see them!”
Sierra took hold of Ronan’s hand as Adele went into the light and then disappeared.
“She’s safe now,” Sierra told him.
“How can you be sure?”
“I’ve seen that light before,” she said. “It was the real thing.” Just as what Sierra felt for Ronan was the real thing.
“Hey, I’m still up here,” Ruby yelled down at them. “We’ve got three minutes to midnight.” She sat on the top step and started crying. “I’m going to be stuck here forever. I mean … come on! What’s a girl ghost like me got to do to get a little white light around here?”
Sierra saw the male ghost’s hand on Ruby’s shoulder and for a second feared Hal had somehow returned or that her father had left the cemetery. But no, it was Johnny.
“Hey, now, what’s all this? You need to get up…” Johnny gulped a bit when he saw what she was wearing but then his face lit up with a smile as she stood beside him.
“Johnny?” Ruby whispered.
“I’m here for you.” He took her hand in his. “We’re together now. Together for always.”
Sierra wanted to correct his grammar but didn’t. She also wanted to cry and did. She couldn’t help the few tears that escaped her eyes as Ruby kissed Johnny. Then Ruby turned to Sierra and said, “Thank you.”
“You’re…” Sniff, sob, sob. “Welcome.”
“I’m leaving you in good hands,” Ruby said, pointing to Ronan.
The white light appeared behind Ruby and Johnny. They walked into it together and then disappeared.
“They’re gone.” Sierra turned and started crying on Ronan’s shoulder. Then she took a quick step back. “I’m sorry. You’re hurt.” She looked but his wounds had already healed.
“I’m a fast healer,” Ronan said.
“It’s a vampire thing, right?”
He nodded.
“Your clothes are still in shreds though. And we’ve got the treasure here.”
“While you were talking to Ruby I texted Damon to ask Zoe to put a protection spell over both treasures until we figure out what to do next.”
“I know what I want to do next. I want to take a nice long shower. Or better yet, a bath.”
“My room upstairs has a very large tub.”
“Sounds good.”
It also felt good ten minutes later to be in lovely lavender water up to her neck. She’d used some essential oils with the Bella Luna label that had magically appeared in the bathroom.
Ronan used her old bathroom off her bedroom to take a quick shower before joining her in the tub.
“You’re going to smell like lavender,” she warned him with a laugh.
“I’ve smelled of worse things.” He nuzzled her neck. “Mmm.” He turned her around so that her back rested against his chest. She sat between his splayed legs. He ran his soapy hands over her breasts, pausing to brush his thumbs over her nipples.
“We need to talk,” he said gruffly.
“This isn’t a good time,” she said, running her hands along his thighs.
“There’s no good time to have this conversation,” Ronan said.
“What conversation?” she said.
“The one where I tell you that it’s not over.”
She looked around nervously. “Gregori and Hal are back?”
“No. I meant the vampire bond.”
“But we had sex. Several times.”
“I know. And that broke the part of the bond tying you to me against your will. You may leave any time you want. Free will and all that.”
“Can you still read my mind?”
“Sometimes. It’s because I’ve come to know you so well.”
“It’s only been a few days,” she said.
“Time means something different to a vampire. And from the first moment I met you, I could get images of some of your thoughts.”