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She felt a rush of heat fill her cheeks and immediately regretted bringing it up. She had to remember she was making out with a ghost. A ghost! Or something like a ghost. They still hadn’t figured out exactly what he was.

“I… think we should get some dinner. Being close to you is making me forget myself.”

“You need never be ashamed or embarrassed with me,” he said tenderly. “That being said, I could do with a nice meal.”

“Should we order in or eat out?”

“Definitely eat out,” he replied with a smile so sparkly and beautiful, Willow felt her heart crack a little.

“Okay, let me just grab my purse and we’ll figure out where we want to go.”

Montgomery waited by the front of the shop while she ran upstairs to get her coat and purse. She rushed to get back, only having been gone for a minute. But when she returned, he was on the floor.

“Monty!” She flew to him and knelt down in a panic. “Monty! You better stay with me, or I swear I’ll—”

“You’ll what?” he mumbled. His eyes opened in slits, and he looked like… well, he looked like exactly what he was. Death warmed over. Groggily, he turned his head to face her hovering over him.

“What happened?” he said wearily.

“I think you collapsed,” she said, her voice still shaky with worry. “Are you okay? I’ll call Gladys.”

“Don’t call Gladys. I just blacked out for a minute, that’s all.”

“Was it a stroke? Blood pressure? Imbalance of the humors?”

Montgomery tried to smile, but he seemed too weak. Willow ran to the bar, wetting a towel, and returned to fold it over his forehead. This gave him some reprieve, and after a short while, he tried to get up, but couldn’t do so without her help.

He leaned on Willow’s shoulder as she walked him to the office where he had a cot for sleeping.

“I hate this for you,” she said. “Can you make it upstairs to rest in my bed?”

“I would,” he replied cheekily, “but how do I know you won’t take advantage of me?”

“I might, but not until you feel better.”

At least he felt well enough to joke. As soon as she got him tucked in, she was going to call Esme and Gladys despite his wishes to the contrary.

He hobbled into the office, insisting the cot was more than adequate, and waited on the desk chair while Willow made up his bedding.

“Your kiss,” he said as his head hit the pillow. “excited my delicate nature. I dare say, Miss Ravensong, you have made me swoon.”

“Next time I’ll bring my smelling salts,” she replied. “Now try to rest. I’ll order some chicken soup from Bo’s.”

She swept a lock of his hair from his forehead and kissed him gingerly. And after he had eaten and fallen asleep, she wept with debilitating worry.

It was there, written in the book plain as day.Restorerbus Elemotis. Or, in simple terms, the Lilies to Roses spell. Lilies, Willow figured, because they represented death, and roses because of the red bloom of life.

Ingredients:

Wisp Essence

Ent Root

Witch’s spit (that one shouldn't be too hard to come by)

A rose grown under a harvest moon

A sampling of the thing you love most