Sacrifice (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 2) by S.M. Spencer Read Free Book Online Page B

Elizabeth thinks it will work.’
    ‘But why would she want him to take the risk? That doesn’t make any sense.’
    ‘Elizabeth only knows what Sam has told her, so she mightn’t have any idea of the risks involved. But when you think about it, regardless of whether it works or not, she wins. If he becomes human, then he will age and eventually die and then he’ll be with her. She will finally be able to leave, and take him with her. But if it doesn’t work, and he dies straight away as I fear he might, then she still wins, just sooner. So, you see?’
    ‘Oh, I see what you mean.’
    ‘So, you’ll speak to Sam, today?’
    ‘Yes, but first I think I’ll go see Debs. I need to take a shower and change out of these clothes. Then, I’ll ring Sam.’
    Crystal smiled, back to her beautiful, calm, collected self. She stood and came over and gave me a big hug. ‘I’m so glad you’re home, Lili.’
    ~~***~~
    When I walked into the apartment it was as if I’d just been gone for a weekend, rather than nearly two months.
    ‘Your room is as you left it. We haven’t had any guests so it hasn’t been touched. Welcome home,’ said Debs, grinning as she added that last bit.
    We sat in the kitchen, and she made us a cool drink—lemon lime and bitters she called it. The weather was very different to what it was when I’d left, and even though it wasn’t hot yet, it was certainly warming up. The drink was refreshing—I hadn’t realised how thirsty I was.
    After a few minutes she asked about the reason I’d come back so suddenly, so I had to explain. I figured I could tell her the same thing I’d told Mom.
    ‘You had a vision?’ she asked, but in a very different voice to the one my mother had used when she’d asked the same question. I could tell she believed me. And not only that, she was excited about it.
    ‘Yes, a vision. It was, well, very odd. I’ve never had anything like that happen before.’
    ‘Well, well, well. I did say you were sensitive, didn’t I? I knew you had some special talents, I just didn’t know quite what they were. So, you’ll have to tell me everything.’
    I told her the whole story—the same thing I’d told both Mom and the police. And having told it like this so many times, I began to wonder if that might not be how it really happened after all. But then the memory of that smile haunted me—that wicked smile Rachel had given me, just after she’d said her father would be locked up for killing her.
    ‘You look tired. Why don’t you go have a shower—you’ll feel better afterwards. I’ll take a rain check on the rest of this story. I want to hear more about the vision. And about how you felt, before, during and after. And exactly what happened.’
    Great, she wanted more details. But I had to put it out of my mind for the moment, knowing I’d deal with it later. I thanked her, then went to my room, closed the door and sat down on the bed. I opened my phone, found Sam’s number and pressed the call button.
    He answered on the second ring.
    ‘Hey, beautiful—I take it you’ve arrived safely?’
    ‘Yeah, of course. I’m gonna take a shower and change, then I’ll come see you.’
    ‘How about I come get you? How long do you want? Tell me when you’ll be ready, and I’ll be waiting for you out front.’
    ‘That would be awesome. Give me forty-five minutes. No, make it a half hour. That’s plenty of time.’

~ Chapter Five ~
    His shiny black car was parked at the front of the building. As I walked up, he leaned across the seat and opened the door for me. When I got in, he reached across and lightly stroked my cheek.
    He smiled, and I melted right there in my seat. His hair seemed darker and his eyes bluer than I remembered. And his face … well, he was a man, not a boy like David. I still marvelled at how I’d been lucky enough to meet him. I suddenly felt quite shy in his presence—completely out of my comfort zone. But then he spoke.
    ‘I’ve missed you. I’m