Witched to Death (8 page)

A
weird thing
happens when you die. Or at least a weird thing happens when I die. There’s a period of time when I’m not exactly sure what’s happened. When I float in and out of consciousness, catching random images and snatches of conversation.

But there’s no pain.

There’s no sorrow.

Only a sense of everything is the way it should be.

It was weird, because I definitely didn’t want to die. Either time. But given the alternative, I was happy to give up my life for others. And in this case, I’d given up something that wasn’t mine, something that wasn’t permanent for someone I was certain I’d loved. Someone who’d given me a precious gift and a new truth: That I’d been loved and had been worthy of love. Dying again had left me with a reason to remember to love, even in the afterlife.

“She saved me,” Diesel said. His voice was clear as a bell, though I couldn’t see him.

But then the whiteness faded and I stared down at the front of Zelda’s house. A redhead dressed in a ruffled jean skirt, a matching acid-washed jean jacket, and fingerless gloves was out front expertly shackling Ophelia with ropes of magic. There was no question she was Baba Yaga, the leader of the witches and the most powerful witch in the world. No one could mistake her even while she was dressed in her eighties-rocker outfit.

Ophelia struggled against the magical chains, her face contorted in rage, but Baba Yaga only tilted her head, watching the witch have a meltdown. Then she snapped her fingers, sending the unhinged witch to what I assumed was the magical prison.

Good. She wouldn’t be bothering Diesel again.

Sassy was standing on the porch, hugging Jeeves, tears streaming down her face. Zelda and Mac stood near the witch leader, both of their expressions somber. But Diesel was nowhere to be seen.

The whiteness took over again.

“He’ll shift again. It just takes time,” a deep male voice said.

“It seems like there’s more I should be doing.” That was Zelda. Her voice was unmistakable.

They were talking about Diesel.

My heart ached for him. He still couldn’t shift. How long had it been? I had no way of knowing. Time stood still in my limbo afterlife.

“I could bring her back again,” Zelda suggested.

“Do you think that’s wise?” Was that Fabio?

“He needs closure. Without it, he’s never going to be the same,” Zelda said.

“But he can almost shift. You saw him. I’m sure in time he’ll get there.” Yes, that was definitely Fabio.

“You call that almost shifting?” Zelda asked him. Then she said something else, but their voices faded away.

I floated for I don’t know how long, then the whiteness cleared, and I felt a tug in my belly. It was a grounding force, calling me back to something important.

Someone important.

Strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a fierce hug as the faint trace of oak and fresh air filled my senses.

“You made it,” Diesel said, his voice gruff, full of emotion.

“Diesel?” I said, my words barely audible even to my own ears.

“Hey, Ida May.” He loosened his hold on me and leaned back to stare at me. “You’re really here.”

I glanced around, finding we were once again back in the clearing with Zelda and Mac. And I was once again naked and fully a flesh and blood human. “What am I doing here? Have you been cursed again?”

He let out a small chuckle. “No. Not cursed. But not myself either. You see, my heart was broken.”

“Because of me?”

“Not exactly.” He set me on my feet and Zelda stepped up, handing me a pair of boots along with jeans and a sweater.

“Thanks.” I took the clothes and hastily dressed, still a little disoriented.

“Ready?” Diesel held his hand out to me.

I met his hopeful gaze, and suddenly everything became clear. Zelda had brought me back… for him. I smiled and took his hand. “Ready.”

He let out a short sigh of relief, then pulled me in and kissed me on my temple. “Welcome back, Ida May,” he whispered.

“Thanks,” I said, but I met Zelda’s watchful gaze and knew this was once again temporary. Then I glanced around at the forest and frowned in confusion. There weren’t any signs of charred foliage, no carnage left over from the blaze Ophelia has started. “I didn’t imagine the fire, did I?”

Zelda shook her head. “No. You didn’t. After Yaba Daba Doo Doo came and hauled the evil witch of the south out of here, she waved her sparkly wand and fixed it. Her magic is quite something.”

“Geez, I guess so.” But then so was Zelda’s if she managed to bring me back not once, but twice. “And everyone else? Are they okay? Sassy? Jeeves? Fabio?”

“Everyone is fine, Ida May,” Diesel said. “At least now that you’re here.”

As I glanced up at him, seeing the relief in his eyes, I knew he was talking about himself. Before I’d come back, he’d been the only one who hadn’t recovered. I squeezed his hand and moved in closer, knowing our time was limited. I just hoped somewhere along the line, we found a way for both of us to say goodbye.

“
W
hy did you do it
?” Diesel asked, pulling me tighter into his embrace as the wind picked up, blowing dry brown leaves across the clearing.

“Do what?” We were sitting on the porch swing on his back deck, bundled up together under a thick quilt.

He ran his fingers through my curls, taking his time before he answered. When he finally did, he said, “You sacrificed yourself for me. I need to know why.”

I sat up, eyeing him and smiled, almost amused. “You need to know
why
?”

He frowned. “Yeah. I don’t understand. I was there, protecting you… and then you stopped her. Why?”

I tilted my head, studying him. “Because. It was you. She was going to take your life and it wasn’t your time.”

“And it was yours?” He threw the blanket off and got up, pacing. “How do you know that? Did you know I still can’t shift properly? Without you here, after losing you, nothing is right. I don’t think it was your time either. And that’s why I asked Zelda to bring you back… even if it’s only for a week, a day, or even an hour. There are things to say.”

I sat back in the swing. “Okay, then, let’s say them.”

He smiled at that, then came to sit next to me again. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve enjoyed having you around these last few days?”

I glanced inside the house, my gaze landing on the bedroom door. “I have some idea.”

“Ha.” He clasped both of his hands over one of mine. “You were my first love, Ida May. The one I never got over.”

His words touched a place deep inside my heart. Words I’d once longed to hear and treasured now, knowing he was expressing his truth. I gave him a gentle smile and spoke another truth we couldn’t ignore. “But I’m not the last, Diesel. You have to know that.”

“No, I don’t know that. And you don’t either,” he said, almost defensively.

“Yes, I do. Shifters mate for life. It’s a magical connection. And while I won’t deny there’s something special between us, it’s not a magical relationship. It’s not forever. If it was, we’d have known it all those years ago. And you’d have never left me in New Orleans to go back to your pack.”

“That doesn’t matter to me. I—”

I held my hand up. “It matters to me. I sacrificed myself because I love you, Diesel. I always have and I always will. You were my friend first, remember? But it wasn’t your time. It was mine. It still is.”

He was silent as he stared out into the woods. “Life sucks.”

I laughed. “No truer words were ever spoken.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

I got up, tugging on his hand until he stood next to me. “Listen. There’s something else you should know.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “What’s that?”

“When I leave here, and we both know that’s going to be sooner rather than later, I want you to be open to finding your mate.”

He glanced down at me. “You do?”

“Yes,” I said adamantly.

“Why?” There was genuine curiosity in his tone.

“Because, Diesel,” I turned into him, resting my hands against his chest, “you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be in love and to be loved.”

“And what about you?” he asked, smoothing my hair back from my face.

I smiled up at him. “My mission is a little bit different. I’ve loved a lot of people in my short life. Now I spend my time watching over a certain medium, making sure she laughs, loves, and enjoys
her
life. It’s enough for me.”

“You’re remarkable,” he whispered and brushed his lips over my temple.

“I know.” I laughed and grinned up at him. “But so are you, and right now, all I want you to do is show me exactly how remarkable you really are.” I cast a suggestive glance down his body and when I looked up, I was rewarded with scorching desire shining in his eyes.

“Ida May, my gorgeous girl, nothing would make me happier.”

I
woke early
in the morning, sated, with a perma-smile claiming my lips. The echo of Diesel’s touch still seared my skin, and the taste of him still lingered on my tongue. I rolled over, reaching for him, but found the bed empty.

Frowning, I lifted my head and cocked an ear, listening for him. Nothing. No water rushing through the pipes, no sounds of breakfast preparations, no coffee aroma wafting from the kitchen. Only a heavy silence.

Curious, I wrapped myself up in Diesel’s robe, stuffed my feet into his oversized slippers, and shuffled out into the living room. The pale light of the early morning sun shone through the windows, illuminating the falling snowflakes that had blanketed the earth while we’d slept.

A sense of peace washed over me, and I moved to the back door, taking in the magical scene. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d seen actual snow fall before. Maybe once as a kid during an especially cold winter. It was rare for snow to fall in New Orleans, and if it did, it never stuck around. But this, what was happening outside was a wonderland. Full of possibilities and hope.

“Hey,” Diesel said from behind me as he slipped his arms around my waist.

I jumped, startled by his stealthy approach. “Where did you come from?”

He pointed to the chair across the room. “I was watching the snow fall, enjoying the silence when you emerged from the bedroom.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, leaning against him. “I didn’t mean to spoil your morning.”

“You didn’t.” He nuzzled my neck. “In fact I was hoping you’d wake up so I could share this moment with you.”

I turned in his arms and gazed up at him, contentment filling me all the way to my toes. “You could’ve woken me up.”

“You just looked so peaceful. If you hadn’t gotten up, I would’ve eventually come for you.”

“Come on,” I grabbed his hand and started tugging him toward the back door.

“What are you doing?” he asked, laughing.

“Living.” I grinned over my shoulder as I threw the door open and ran outside.

Diesel followed, easily catching up with me.

I let out a squeak of surprise when he grabbed me around the waist, swinging me around in a happy circle until finally he set me back down on my feet. He glanced down and frowned. “You aren’t wearing proper shoes.”

“So? It’s all part of the experience, right?” I reached up and clasped my hands around his neck, threading my fingers together. “Diesel?”

“Yes, gorgeous girl?”

“Kiss me.”

A slow smile claimed his lips. “My pleasure.”

Standing there, with my toes freezing in the snow, Diesel lowered his lips to mine, and kissed me with the passion of a starving man. I gave everything I had back to him and when we broke apart, everything had heated, even my toes.

Our eyes met and suddenly I felt like something passed between us. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?” I asked.

He lowered his head again, and this time when he kissed me, it was slow and tender and full of love. It was sweet and my heart swelled until I thought it would burst.

And this time when we parted, he stared down at me for a moment, his eyes shining. Then he let me go and walked to the edge of the forest.

I stood perfectly still, not at all surprised when he stripped his clothes off and shifted into the most beautiful silver wolf I’d ever seen.

He glanced back, his eyes glowing that familiar gold color.

I lifted my hand and gave him a tiny wave, my heart swollen with love for him, knowing he was whole again.

He hesitated, and then as if on impulse, he ran back over to me, nuzzling my hand with his muzzle. I kneeled before the wolf, wrapped my arms around him, and as I hugged him I whispered, “I love you, Diesel. Live a full and wonderful life.”

The wolf pressed his body against mine, then turned and ran, disappearing into the trees.

And as the snow continued to fall in the silence of the morning, the cold disappeared and my body started to tingle and fade away until all that was left was the robe and the slippers.

The human Ida May ceased to exist. I was once again the sassy ghost from New Orleans. Only now I carried with me something precious.

The gift of love.