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Within minutes--maybe even seconds, I really lost track of ti up the steps met my ears, and thankfully, it was"Hurry up!" I hollered

Then everything happened at once Preacher burst into the roo his head off; Seth woke up; Nyx screamed And in one fluid motion--so fast I didn’t even see hith, I flew hard across the rooainst the wall, and Seth disappeared out of the already openThe moment my body landed, I pushed up and ran toward the"Seth!" I called out frantically, and searched the area of cobbles below hisVacant Chaz ju, and I searched up and down River Street in the waning light "Seth!" I called again It was no use He was gone And I was in sickening shock I didn’t think beyond that; I pushed off the sill and ran for the door, screa my brother’s name "Seth!" No way could he haveDarabbed o!" I said, unthinking, and pulled hard against him He held fast, and I went nowhere Overcoainst hi on, Preacher?"

"Girl," Preacher said gently "Shush now" Somewhere behind me, Nyx wept softly He touched my chin, and I turned and searched his dark eyes He asked ency Obviously, he knew so him out "You co I looked at was the sa and no one I don’t knohy I felt that so fast, but I did; all from just five words spoken from the mouth of a wise Gullah root doctor Sensations of fear, panic, anxiety, rushedbrother had flown out of a two-story building and disappeared

Knohat her ansould be, I glanced at Nyx "Will you close up for me and wait here, in case he coht," Preacher said from the hall, and my stomach dropped "It’s time now Come," he commanded I drew in a deep breath and nu behind hiht

Part 4

INTRODUCTIONS

I had absolutely no idea where ere going, but I followed Preacher with blind faith and silence, out into Savannah’s humid dusk I almost felt like I was out of my body, invisible to everyone around me All I could think about was my brother; all I really wanted to hear was that Seth would be okay I doubted seriously I’d hear it right now Preacher moved wordlessly, and he’d speak when he was daht tears and panic I felt like screas I kept my mouth closed, but , I kneouldn’t do ood to ask the old conjurer where ere headed; he’d either ignore it dere, so I simply kept up A fair number of people were out and about as we crossed Bay Street; we hurried past a walking ghost tour heading toward the Kehoe House People were sitting on park benches or strolling through the squares--none of the very unnatural had just occurred

The threat of rain hung heavy in the air, and I could taste it and the ever-present brine on ht crossed my mind than distant thunder rolled overhead Shadows stretched long over the squares as la see, with long, outstretched ar y witch’s hair than one of Savannah’s icons The world arounda seashell up to my ear I shook off the weirdness as best as I could, and hurried along with Preacher

We walked, nonstop and silent, all the way to Taylor Street, where the old Gullah turned right When we hit Monterey Square, he crossed the street and stopped at the large white-brick historic three-story building on the corner Black wrought-iron balconies on the second and third stories faced the square; the house was canopied by mammoth, ate hung a brass plate that read HOUSE OF DUPRÉ, 1851 Sure--the Dupré House I’d seen it a hundred ti about it or its inhabitants, and I couldn’t understand why or how they’d be able to help my brother, unless they were soh, he had connections, and I trusted anything--and I --he deemed necessary Maybe the Duprés were into soic? I hoped to hell so

As if Preacher had heard hts, he stopped at the front step and turned to h out now that I could see only the whites of his eyes, his silver hair against his ebony skin, but I knew he studied ht?" he asked

The odd question stunned me, but I answered "Yes, sir"

"You didn’t skip any ht?"

I knew better than to question right now When Preacher was dead serious about soht noas serious--no matter how bizarre the question was "No, sir, I didn’t skip anyWhat the freak do you need to know that for? I wisely kept the coirl," Preacher said softly, "and it’s killin’ you to keep dat purty mouth shut You wanna knohat it is we’re doin’ here, and how dese folk can help your brodder--I know dat much You wanna knohy your brodder was floatin’, and how he jumped and ran off But I tell you now--don’t shoot dat mouth off in dere, even if you want to You keep deht shut, and don’t make much movement, and for God’s sake don’t hit nobody if dey put dere hands on you What you’re gonna see and hear in dere? It won’t settle in your brain or in your heart right away, and I’m askin’ you to just accept it" He placed a hand on , warm "Promise me dat, Riley Poe"

If I wasn’t shaken before, I was now I don’t think I’d ever heard randfather say so many words at one ti for me and Seth, and that hat all this was about--Seth "Yes, sir," I answered quietly Just the fact that Preacher warned uard instantly up He knew I had a thing about people--strangers--touching me I had reflexes I couldn’t help Besides Why would anyone in the Dupré House touch me? I drew a deep breath and let it out slowly "I promise," I said, and hoped like hell I could keep it

Preacher gave a single nod, then turned to the door; he didn’t have to knock or ring a bell The ht beside hi slabs of solid oak and brass opened, and an older ray suit stood in the entranceway Tall and wiry, with close-clipped gray hair, he gavefor you in the study, ue French accent He didn’t verbally acknowledge auzy flower-print skirt that came just above my knees, a ripped white tee, black leather ankle boots, and a wide black velvet choker "This way," he said, and inclined his head He started up the foyer, back raht, and turned into a room off thesharply against the parquet flooring, breaking a deafening silence Antique vases, ancient oil portraits, and pristine turn-of-the-century furniture adorned what small portion of the house I could see The moment I stepped into the rooathered, and all sets of eyes rested on irl, who seeant, petite older woaze scanned the roouessed, and then I saw the hot guy who’d stared at h Inksomnia’s storefrontHe stood near the back, the farthest away frouys--I knew thely un-bothered by it, he was propped casually against the wall, ar over eyes that, even from this distance, I could tell studiedfaded jeans with a ragged hole in the thigh, a leather belt, and a snug white tee covered a lean, well-defined body Then I noticed his jaw, his profile, and faed as another profile, in shadows as I was held against a wall, rushed over me It was him What the freak? But before I could de on, a man’s voice pulled my attention away, effortlessly, as if I had zero control It was srave;re," the elderly man said as he slowly rose froback chair near the hearth His gaze locked directly onto mine as he drew closer, and I found it difficult to think of anyone or anything else except hiracefully, it allided across the ave a srave; la rave;"

I stared blankly at the man, and just as I was about to tell hi, I felt Preacher’s hand n to keep my mouth shut

"Oh, Gilles," said the petite woave le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">