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Adam came into the house as I sat up, careful not to disturb the sleeping child Without a word, Adam bent and lifted Luc into his arms Equally silent he walked out of the house I expected he’d walked out of my life forever

What was it about the Ruelles that s I never had before and never expected to again? What was it about a silent ist long for a life she’d never wanted?

This wasn’t ain with the same depth I’d once loved before To consider a future so far gone from the one I’d planned as to be unfathomable

I had to be under a spell

The thought gave ing so deeply because of h, but after what I’d seen since co from my mind

There was only one person I trusted here, and conve-niently that person knewand my keys and drove to town

Bourbon Street was hopping I heard the hts, from several blocks away I was tempted to take a detour and soothe oing, I’d actually run into a zombie

Cassandra opened the door before I even knocked

"How did you knoas here?"

She lifted a brow "I peeked through the "

"Oh"

"Lock the door You need a drink"

Right again Soht she was more than a little psychic

Withinfro co "Fruity"

Probably had twelve types of alcohol Just what I needed I took another glug "What do you know about love potions? Maybe a charm or a spell?"

Cassandra took a ladylike sip and set down her glass "More than you, I suspect Why?"

I wasn’t sure Adam had insisted he couldn’t love ood would a love spell do?

But Luc was another matter The child wanted a mother If I fell hopelessly in love with him, wouldn’t I take the job?

I couldn’t bring myself to tell Cassandra about the boy Adam didn’t want anyone to know And while I trusted Cassandra with ht for ive

"You’re talking about Adam," shehim," I muttered "I don’t like it"

"Just because you don’t want to love the man doesn’t mean you’ve been put under a spell In truth, if you had been, you’d be thrilled about it That’s part of the e slurp, and the end of the paper u, I tossed it aside

"You better slon," Cassandra said "You’re going to be sht about the twelve kinds of alcohol Right now, every one of the me My cheeks felt on fire

"I love my husband"

"Shouldn’t you say loved?’

"I don’t kno to stop," I whispered "He still feels alive to ht here"

"Maybe that’s why you saw him in your dreao"

"No"

The idea of letting Si on, was too much for me Maybe that hy I had cos for Adam had been induced by voodoo They couldn’t be real, because if they were, I didn’t love Simon anymore And if my love for him died, then so did he

I know, I know, he already had But as love ever rational?

I took another swig of courage before blurting what I’d been wondering since I’d seen Simon at the"Could you raise hiether in my lap Cassandra took a quick, sharp breath and held it Afraid she’d pass out if she didn’t breathe, afraid I’d panic if she didn’t speak, or ain The sorrow, the pity, in her eyes made me want to crawl under the table and stay there

"I’m not that powerful," she said softly "Not yet"

So in her voice ht be soon?"

"Someday, perhaps But even if I was, I couldn’t raise Si has he been gone?"

"Four years"

She reached across the table and took my hand "He wouldn’t be the same, Diana"

"I don’t care"

"You would care Dead is dead; there’s no going back"

"There is - you said so yourself There are zombies They’re real"

"But they aren’t alive They aren’t the same people They aren’t even people You want to rip Si body, have him look at you with hollow, lifeless eyes? Wonder why he’s here? Ask who you are?"

"He’d know me"

"Maybe"

"I miss him"

"I know"

She squeezed aze once more "Simon didn’t have to die I could have saved him"

Cassandra stared at me for several seconds "So that’s what this is about? Guilt?"

Now that I’d started talking, I couldn’t seem to stop "I didn’t believe hiain I was so sick of his wild-goose chases We went here; ent there He saw soot there, there was nothing Everyone thought he was crazy"

I took a deep breath and admitted my secret shaht, I lost ht He stor I knew, he was dead"

"Iwith hilare "I’d have saved him"

Hoasn’t sure, but I’d have tried And if I’d failed, I’d be dead, too Sometimes - hell, most times until I caone now," she said, "and you need toto the old one"

"I have to find the loup-garou Prove that Siht Then maybe you can move on"

I considered her words, which were an echo of hts Maybe I could Except - "How do I knohat I feel is real?"

Cassandra sighed "You really believe Ruelle put a hex on you to ht it was all sex, all the tih she did have a point

"There ht be a way to discover the truth"

"How?’

"A ceremony"

"Voodoo?"

She lifted a brow and didn’t bother to answer

"What do I have to dor

"Come to the temple We’ll ask the has if you’re under a love spell"

"That works?"

"So far, whatever I’ve asked, they’ve answered"

I frowned She was starting to scareinfluenced byand tell the man you care?"

I wasn’t sure Adam had said he couldn’t love me, that I shouldn’t ask him to

"Diana?" Cassandra pressed