His words stunned me. Was Gage telling the truth? I cautioned myself from being too optimistic. There had to be a catch. If Gage helped me with Luke, what would he want in return?

Gage put his arm around me, so I had no choice but to move forward with him.

We slowly crossed the room, and as we moved, people glided out of our way. Everyone was watching us with open curiosity. Gage's expensive suit, all black and shiny, with a blood-red tie hung from his neck, looked both sinister and spectacular.

The candlelight hit the scar that marred his face. His hair was slicked back, which somehow made the streak of white hair just above his scar more dramatic. On the outside he appeared handsome—even with the scar. Unfortunately, inside he remained a sadistic monster.

Apparently, his character wasn't a problem for the women in the room. Female heads turned as he approached, and the ladies watched his every movement. Sonja had more to worry about than me. But if Gage noticed all the attention, he hid it well.

His entire focus seemed to be on me.

He patted my arm again before continuing on. "I know, I know. You don't want to get your hopes up. But I've been poring over all the books I can find, trying to come up with a solution for our little zombie problem and, since you won't ask, no, I haven't found anything yet to completely fix that problem. But I have found a spell I think might do the trick with your boyfriend.

"We'll need an empty vessel, but it's not like there aren't plenty of bodies around we could use. I don't think you want your precious boy jumping into a rotting corpse. Am I right?" He chuckled. "No, for him I think we have to find something more... fresh. Maybe someone of your choosing? I mean, you might want to have a say in whose face you'll be mooning over."

Too late, I realized I was blushing.

He smirked. "Though, according to Mildred, you don't mind the body he's currently in. Too bad Dean has that one little problem. He's gone through two rituals and has no magic to show for it, except for his 'roid rage' episodes. I must admit, I'm still not clear on how this berserker thing works. Mildred has been telling me all about it, but I'm having a hard time finding anything in my library. I'm relying on Mildred and what she can remember, but you know the old dear is getting on in age. Her memory isn't what it used to be."

"Where is Mildred?" I hadn't seen her since she'd turned us over to Gage. She claimed to be my friend, but she betrayed me. All of us. I had considered her a friend. I trusted her, counted on her to help me, and the whole time she had been playing me.

I couldn't decide if I was angrier or sadder knowing the truth.

"She's over there." Gage pointed across the room.

Mildred wore a flowing silver dress, her white hair arranged into braids woven around her head. She swayed back and forth as if dancing despite a lack of music.

I had seen her do that exact thing many times before, and she'd seemed unbalanced. Was it all an act?

I'd befriended Mildred in Silver Bell, where a serial killer had been hunting her and other patients. Mildred had pleaded with me to help find the killer. At the time, I'd thought she was worried about the patients. But now I wondered.

My thoughts started to spiral. Was that the whole point of stringing us along? To see if we could survive? To see if I could face down and kill Weatherton? What if I hadn't and Weatherton had killed us all?

Would Mildred have shed any tears over our deaths?

She stopped and looked off into the distance, her head cocked to one side. No one was that good of an actress. Losing her daughter had unhinged her, and Gage must have found her in Silver Bell. She would agree to help him if he promised to bring back her daughter.

The eerie comparison between her actions and my own couldn't be avoided. I was raising the dead because Gage threatened Luke's existence. I had gone against natural laws to bring Luke back.

Were Mildred and I really that different?

Gage was watching me. "You see, no harm has come to Mildred. I'm not a monster. People who come into my fold, I take care of them." He watched Mildred as she started dancing again and laughed. "How did you like Mildred's little party trick?"

At my obvious confusion, he continued, "Ah, that's right, she never showed you until the very end how she can pop from one place to another. It made it exceedingly easy for her to get in and out of Silver Bell." He gave an overly dramatic sigh as he glanced at Wendy. "Now that one is still an enigma. Though, I do admit I didn't realize just how beautiful she was until tonight. Her abilities as a reader just multiply that beauty tenfold."

He had a point. I'd never seen Wendy look so pretty. The makeup brought out her features, especially with her hair pulled away from her face. And the dress showed off her figure. Every guy within arm's reach of her seemed to agree. A group of them had already surrounded her.

I could tell even from this distance that she felt uncomfortable. She had a glass in her hand and was wielding it like a weapon. Anytime someone approached, she raised the glass like a sword and retreated. She was moving in a slow, uncomfortable circle around the room, always just out of reach of her would be suitors.

Sonja seemed to think Gage wanted me romantically, but he hadn't shown any interest in me beyond the magic skills I possessed. My ability to raise zombies brought a gleam to his eyes.

Except he was looking over at Wendy the same way. The hint of sadistic desire that I saw in his eyes and heard in his voice as he talked about her powers sent a shiver down my spine.

At the thought of Gage hurting Wendy, anger warmed my blood. "Leave Wendy alone."

Gage continued on as though he hadn't heard me. "Wendy's a hard one to figure out. So many secrets inside that pretty little head. I tried to get some of them out, but I admit I've had no luck. She's so much stronger than anyone I have working for me." He paused to look over my dress. "But of them all, I have to admit, you're my prized jewel." He leaned closer. "You look like a sparkling ruby in that dress. Quite exquisite."

Wait. Was Gage actually interested in me? Romantically? What a horrifying thought. He'd captured me, imprisoned me in a cell, and forced me to raise the dead. Could he think the actions of a potential suitor? Was he that delusional?

"You have so much to offer. You're just beginning to come into your powers, and there's no telling what you could accomplish with my help."

His gaze narrowed in on me, as though we were the only two in the room.

I felt like a deer being targeted by a hungry wolf. The hairs on the back of my neck rose.

"I'll provide you with training and resources that most death dealers could only dream of. I have books in my library that were almost wiped from the earth because the mage world fears their power. I've powerful allies that can teach you lost and forbidden magics. I'll reward you for your help, Colina. With me, you'll never have to fear anyone or anything again."

His expression looked so earnest. And then there it was again, the hint of sadistic pleasure in his eyes. He could pretend all he wanted, but I wasn't buying this new friendly approach.

"To sweeten the pot, I'll even pull your boyfriend out of the berserker's body. You can keep them both if you like. We all enjoy a little diversion now and again." He looked toward Sonja suggestively, an approving smile on his face.

The man was a monster. I couldn't let myself believe anything that came out of his mouth.

I wanted so badly to believe he'd found the spell I'd been searching for. As long as Luke's spirit remained tied to Dean's body, Gage could force him out and into the in between at any time. Would the same be true if Luke transferred to another body—a body he had full control over?

Was there a way tosomehow tie Luke to a new body so completely that Luke's spirit couldn't beforced out?

***