The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy #2)

“There’s a shadow on your bedroom window,” she murmured.

“I see it. I think it’s Molly.” Testing, Sonya lifted a hand, waved.

The shadow waved back.

“If not Molly, at least a friendly.”

Yoda let out a yip and raced to the edge of the grass. Seconds later, Sonya heard the sounds of someone driving up the road.

She slid off the wall. “I’m betting it’s pizza time.”

“I can be ready for that.”

Not just Trey’s truck, Sonya noted, but Owen’s right behind it. “Looks like it’s pizza for four.”

Mookie leaped out first, ears flying as he and Yoda had their madly happy reunion. The eye-patched Jones strutted over.

“I ran into Owen, so got an extra pie.” Trey gestured as Owen got out of his truck carrying a six-pack. “He’s got the beer.”

“We started without you.” Sonya rose up for her own happy reunion. “It was so nice out, we drank our wine on the seawall.”

“Gonna snow tonight.”

Genuinely stunned, Sonya stared at Owen. “No! No more snow. Look, it couldn’t be more clear.”

“Temps drop with the sun,” Trey told her. “Then the clouds roll in.”

“Couple inches, tops.” Owen shrugged it off as the cat came overto ribbon around his legs. “Hitting mid-fifties tomorrow, so it won’t last.”

“But it’s almost May.”

“In Maine,” Trey pointed out.

As he spoke, a window in the Gold Room slashed open. What flew out was huge, black as midnight. Wings spread, their span was taller than a man and seemed to slice the sky.

The sun caught a glint of talons, beak, sharp as razors as it swept over the lawn.

“House. Now.” Trey gave Sonya a push toward the house as he stepped in front of her.

Even as he moved, what flew went to smoke.

“Sulfur,” Cleo murmured under the wild barking of the dogs. “I can smell it from here.”

“She went with a vulture. Biggest bastard I’ve ever seen,” Owen added.

“Vulture.” Since the glass remained in her hand, Cleo downed the last of her wine. “Aren’t those the ones that hang around till you’re dead?”

“They’re still birds of prey.”

“Ten-foot wingspan?” Trey asked him.

“Right around, yeah. Didn’t get it very far, though.”

“Far enough.” Sonya heaved out the breath that had clogged in her lungs. “She’s been mostly quiet all day, saving up for something like this, I guess. I bet it just burns her ass the four of us are going to enjoy some pizza.”

“So let’s go do that.” Cleo scooped up the cat and started for the house.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Sonya agreed. “Just another evening at the manor.”