The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2)

“Ice burn.” Red slashed across the palm. “The door handle. It’s not bad.”

“I remember what to do. I remember.”

“Let’s have a look.” Owen took Trey’s hand, gave it a study. “No, not too bad. We’ll fix it up. Why don’t you let these guys out,” he said to Cleo as they started down to the main level. “They can let off some of this middle-of-the-night energy.”

“Did anything happen upstairs?” Trey asked.

“The usual.” Since it was over, Cleo indulged in a quick shudder. “Smoke billowing, door glowing and pulsing. Shrieking, moaning. Pye was in front of that damned door, hissing. And Owen started singing.

“Why ‘Yesterday’?”

“The melody. Soothing.”

“Well, it worked. Pye calmed down. Then the door opened. I was afraid for a minute Owen would go in. What was disgusting?” she asked as she opened the door for the stampede.

“Huh?” After making sure Sonya did know what to do for an ice burn, he turned back to Cleo.

“You said, ‘Well, that’s disgusting.’ I didn’t see anything inside the room. It was too dark.”

“You didn’t hear her?”

“I didn’t hear anything—well, other than the shrieking and moaning and blowing and thunder.”

“I guess it was just for me. She said Poole blood’s going to run like a river, and she’ll bathe in it.”

“That hits disgusting.” Trey breathed out as Sonya treated his hand.

“I’m having a beer. Want a beer?”

“Yes,” Trey said definitely. “Yes, I do.”

“Half a glass of wine,” Sonya told him.

“I’ll have the other half.”

“This is more red than mine was. My burn was more pink. Are you sure—”

“It’s not bad.” Trey leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

As he set Trey’s beer down on the counter, Owen took another look at the burn. “Truth. I’d tell you if he was being Mr. Stoic. It’s already calming down. Good work.”

“And while she’s working, I’m thinking.” Trey picked up the beer with his good hand, drank. “Was it closing the door that did it? The singing—that’s interesting. Or maybe all of it. You said she wants our fear, and she can’t have it. You wouldn’t let yourself be afraid. That’s not just interesting, it’s downright impressive.”

“I know that’s what she wants. I’m not going to give her anything she wants. But I had a couple of moments,” Sonya admitted. “A hell of a couple of moments.”

“Clover hit all our phones at once,” Cleo pointed out. “Either she knew what was coming, or felt it. It was right before, just an instant really before it all started.”

“She’s looking out for us.” Sonya’s stomach jittered with relief when she saw the red on Trey’s hand fading to pink. “All of us. And that helps me not be afraid.”

She straightened, drank some wine. “It looks better, it really does. One more round,” she decided. “And maybe the late-night drink will help us all get some sleep.”

Trey considered as he watched Sonya apply another warm compress. “She knew we’d open the door. You had before. Logically, we’d do that again.”

“She did that to the door handle, wanting whoever touched it to be hurt.” Sonya removed the compress long enough to kiss the burn. “And you, Owen, I think she wanted you to go in that room. To hurt you.”

“She’ll have to take a bath in something besides my blood. Since everything’s cool now, I’m going to let the gang back in, go up. I can grab a couple more hours of sleep.”

“We’ll all go up. No, this is good,” Trey assured Sonya. “We’ve got a staff meeting at eight, and you and Cleo have that drive to Ogunquit.”