“I don’t understand-” Alex began.
“We don’t need to understand,” Ron said, interrupting her. “Amanda knows things about this situation that we don’t, and if she could tell us about them, she would. If she says this will help him, it will. Let’s help her.”
He got down on the floor and began retrieving the rings that had rolled under the far couch.
After a moment, Alex said, “Right,” and did the same.
Amanda sat back on her heels, momentarily overcome.
“Thank you…thank you both.”
Ron passed by her to place the rings he had found on the table, and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.
When they were sure they had gathered all of the rings, Amanda waited to see if some sort of feeling came over her. None did. The ghosts were nowhere in sight.
Great, now that I wish you’d appear, where are you?
The rings were varied, both in style and in the materials from which they were made. Some were fashioned from gold, others from silver, some were oval, others were square, some swiveled on hinges set at each end of their shanks. Ivory, enamel, and even braided hair were worked into their designs. Some held miniatures of the departed-several were of children. Others were designed with willows, forget-me-nots, or memorial urns. One was of a skeleton holding an hourglass, in which all the sand had run to the bottom. Others seemed to be small portions of portraits, one an eye and cheekbone, made to look as if the beloved deceased were watching the bearer. Most, though, were a variation of the winged death’s-head.
“They’re sad, aren’t they?” Alex said.
“Amanda,” Ron said, “you do realize these are worth a fortune?”
“That’s not really important to me right now. I need to find a particular ring.”
“Can I help? I know a little something about mourning rings.”
“You do?” Alex said in surprise.
“Well, yes,” he said, almost apologetically. “Derek, my grandfather, was a collector of antiques, and I helped him catalog most of his belongings. He wasn’t so great with computers, so it was a way I could help him out. He liked mourning rings and memento mori in general.”
Amanda said, “Can you tell how old they are? I’m looking for one that’s older than the time of Napoleon.”
“Can any of these be that old?” Alex asked.
“Oh, sure,” he said, starting to sort through them. “The practice of making them goes back to ancient times. Most of these are Victorian, probably made late in the nineteenth century. Queen Victoria brought them into fashion when she mourned the loss of her husband.”
He quickly sorted a large number of rings out of the mix. “These are probably Victorian.”
About twenty rings remained. Most were similar in design.
“Okay, that helps. Tyler will immediately recognize the one he needs.” I hope. “I’m taking all of these.” She put one on the ring finger of her right hand. No special feeling came over her.
“One for every finger and toe?” Alex asked.
Amanda thought for a moment, her hand going unconsciously to the simple chain necklace she was wearing. As her fingers closed around it, she said, “On this.”
She unfastened the chain, laced it through the remaining rings, and fastened it again.
She no sooner had this around her neck than Wraith came to her side, leaning against her, then went with Shade to the library door.
“Now what?” Alex asked.
“Follow the dogs.”
They didn’t have far to go-the dogs hurried into Tyler’s room. Shade scratched at a desk drawer. Amanda opened it to find a set of keys to the van. “I guess we’re going in the van,” she said, following them downstairs. The ghosts of her aunt and uncle were waiting for her. So were Brad and Rebecca.
“We’re going to be a little crowded,” Alex said.
The ghosts shook their heads.
Forty-five minutes later, she was driving down the canyon road in Tyler’s van, only the dogs with her. Most of those forty-five minutes had been spent convincing the other humans to stay behind. She got the clear message from her aunt and uncle that she should go alone. Rebecca got the message, too, and quickly became her ally, although the others saw this as more mistreatment of Amanda by Rebecca.
“Really, it’s not,” Amanda had said. “Alex, please, we need someone to keep the house and everyone in it safe.” She handed her Tyler’s cell phone. “Keep this. Start writing down the numbers he has stored in it-we may need reinforcements.”
It was a nice try, but Alex told her to keep it, and didn’t give up on insisting that she should go with her. She believed Alex would have forced her way into the passenger seat of the van, but when she opened the door, Shade bared his teeth and barked fiercely at her. Alex was clearly taken aback but offered no protest as she shut the door and let them go.
The dogs were crowded at the front of the van, Shade on the passenger seat, sticking his head out the open window, Wraith staying close to her. Wraith had hardly left her side since she had put on the necklace of rings. It made her feel sure that at least one of these rings was the one Adrian had given to Tyler.
“I’m almost at the end of the canyon road here,” she said, glancing at Shade. “I take it you’ll tell me which way to turn?” Both dogs suddenly looked straight ahead, ears pitched forward.
She looked back at the road and slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting a man who stood in the middle of her lane.
She drew in a sharp breath. “Colby!”
He sauntered over to the passenger door, opened it, and politely requested of Shade that he get in the back.
Shade cocked his head, then moved off the seat.
Colby looked at the back of the van and laughed. “A bed! How very convenient.”
“Look, Colby-”
“Yes, I know-you’re in a mad panic to get to Tyler, completely understandable, but let’s say I may be able to help you get there faster than even these two dogs can do the trick. Shade will have to hunt him out, you know, and it could take days. Tyler might still be alive but-” He paused and watched Wraith, then looked at Amanda. “Good God.”
“What?”
“She’s bonding with you. Nothing complete yet, but-well, forgive me. This isn’t to the point.”
“So tell me! Which way do I turn?”
He smiled. “Oh, there’s a small price for me to serve as your personal GPS.”
“What?” she said warily.
“Let me make love to you.”
She felt a little rise of hysteria and clamped down on it. “I’m sorry-I don’t mean to insult you, but really, I’ve never been further from being in the mood. If you can’t help me, please just go.”
“He’s torturing him, you know. Constantly. Tyler recovers and Adrian inflicts another painful injury.”
She felt herself grow light-headed. I will not faint. Wraith moved closer, and she petted her and felt calmer. “He’s your friend. Help me save him.”
“Is he my friend? You know, really, I don’t have friends. Tyler said as much to me not long ago.”
“He did mention that you go out of your way to provoke him, but he is concerned about you.”
Colby smiled. “I could almost be touched by that. But I’d really rather be touched by you. And that I touch you back. I can promise you that it will be incredibly pleasant for you.”
“Why are you asking this of me? You aren’t going to convince me that you’re really interested in me.”
“But I am.”
“Colby, that is such-”
“I am. But as for why-oh, let’s say that Tyler was right. I go out of my way to provoke him. There! How honest of me! But I really don’t want him to suffer too much pain at Adrian’s hands-such as they are.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’ll see, I’m sorry to say.”
She stared out at the road, wondering what she should do. She stroked Wraith’s fur. Every second that went by, Tyler was suffering. But she couldn’t bring herself to be with anyone other than Tyler-and even if she hadn’t cared so much about Tyler, she could not make love to someone who would make a weapon out of intimacy. She’d already been there, done that.