Page 35 of Twilight Longings

Izabella cleaned up the bowl, herbs and knife. Then, with a nod, Kincaid followed the witch out of the room, and shut the door behind him.

When they were alone, Kadie wriggled out Saintcrow’s arms and scooted to the far side of the bed. He was trying to think of a way to explain what had just happened when Kadie again asked, “Who are you?” in a raspy voice.

A dozen answers ran through his mind but all he said was, “Rylan Saintcrow.”

She stared at him blankly. The name meant nothing to her. Folding her arms over her chest, she said, “Who am I? Where am I?”

Saintcrow swore softly.Damn. The medallion had cured her body but had erased her memories. Leaning forward a little so as not to spook her, he drew a deep breath.

Not only were her memories gone, but she was human again.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rosa threw herself into Jake’s arms when he appeared in the living room of the furnished house they had rented not far from her parents’ home. “I’m so glad to see you!”

Lifting her off her feet, he swung her around and around, making her laugh. Gradually slowing, he held her tight and kissed her, long and slow. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. How’s Saintcrow? How’s Kadie? When can we go home?”

Sitting on the sofa, Jake tugged her down beside him. “I’ve got a lot to tell you, but let’s get everybody over here so I only have to say it once.”

Rosa frowned at him. “Don’t tell me it’s bad news?”

“Not exactly.”

Picking up her cell phone, Rosa sent a group text to the family.

Twenty minutes later, Micah, Holly, Ethan and Sofia materialized in the room. They all sat down and looked at Kincaid anxiously.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Micah said.

“Izabela used the Methuselah Stone and freed Kadie from the curse,” Kincaid said, his gaze moving from one to the other. “That’s the good news.”

“Thatisgood news!” Sofia exclaimed. “How soon can we go home and see her?”

Kincaid held up his hand. “Not so fast. The bad news is that Kadie’s lost her memory. She doesn’t remember Saintcrow or anything else.”

“Oh, no,” Rosa murmured. “That’s terrible. Poor Kadie. And Saintcrow. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for him.”

“Don’t you think her memory will come back?” Holly asked. “Lots of people get amnesia and get better, in time.”

“Yeah,” Kincaid said. “But she didn’t have amnesia. She was the victim of a nasty curse.”

He held up his hand again when Ethan started to speak. “There’s more. She’s human again.”

Rosa and the others stared at him.

“Human again?” Micah asked. “How on earth is that possible?”

Kincaid shrugged. “No one knows.”

“Does that mean the Medallion can cure vampirism?” Holly asked.

“I have no idea.” Kincaid’s gaze settled on each of them. “Any of you thinking of trying it out?”

There was a long moment of silence. Then, one by one, each of them shook his or her head, even Ethan, who had been turned without his consent.

“So, is it safe to go home now?” Rosa asked. “Maybe seeing all of us would help Kadie regain her memory?”