Page 32 of Forever Found

He took the camera from her. “Thank you,” he said, then cupped his hand behind her head and drew her forward to place a big kiss on her forehead. He gave a shaky grin. “It’s good luck to kiss a witch, isn’t it?”

“I’ve never heard of that, but it sounds good to me,” Nora said with a happy grin.

He spun around and headed out the door, allowing the camera to lead him. It was as if he were clinging to a magnet as it was drawn to iron.

The morning sun shone on his wings, warming them. He looked down at his shadow as he soared over the buildings. The camera was leading him east. He tried to figure out where it was taking him, recalling the bonfire celebration and the pictures Lyndsey had taken of him and Caleb. Suddenly, he had a feeling he knew where she was—the very place in those photos.

The camera pulled him forward, and, sure enough, the sensation grew stronger as they approached the clock tower. David landed on the balcony that encircled the tower, coming to a halt between the balustrade and the outer wall. He paused and listened. A glass double door was positioned below the clock for easy access to the mechanics both inside and out. He stood outside it, then leaned forward enough to view inside. Caleb peered into the clock face on the opposite wall.

David tried the door handle. It was unlocked. He guessed there wasn’t a point to restricting people when they were five stories high.

Easing inside, he set her camera on the stone ledge by the door. He drew his sword, unsheathing the tempered steel as it expanded in length until it was longer than his outstretched arm. There were carvings on the hilt and halfway down the blade, the story of his right to protect good from evil. He took a deep breath. Lyndsey sat on the floor, her head resting forward on her knees. She had to be okay. Caleb better not have hurt her.

She glanced up, meeting his gaze. He brought his index finger to his lips, signaling silence.

David burst into the room, wielding his sword. His gaze darted around the dim, shadowed interior; the gray stone walls absorbed what light there was. He spotted Lyndsey huddled in the corner. She moved, her gaze lifting to his, her eyes appearing tired with blueish circles beneath them. Relief shot through him, so intense it bordered on painful. She was all right.

Shock spread over Caleb’s face. He shot forward, placing himself in front of Lyndsey. A lime-green mist swirled from his hands, filling the space, making it hard to see and smell. “No. She’s mine.”

David raised the sword and brought it down in an arch, aiming for the spot where the demon’s throat should have been. Instead, he sliced through the air. Flashes of black broke through the haze as Caleb flipped head-over-heels with a smooth aerial move, landing safely, yet farther away from Lyndsey.

He took the opportunity to maneuver his body between them—anything to make it harder for Caleb to get his hands on her was good.

But Lyndsey didn’t stay put. She crouched and traveled to the window where he’d entered.What was she doing?Maybe she would exit. That would be great. “Get out of here,” he told her. He didn’t want to take his eyes off Caleb, but he wanted to keep track of her.

She snatched her camera from the ledge, then whirled around and took aim at Caleb. Flashes of light came from the camera, lighting the inside of the tower. The mist illuminated with strobed blasts of light as if at a music concert.

Caleb’s form seemed to change and shift into a horrible monster with a vulture-like head and long spindly arms. It jumped toward Lyndsey. Caleb swung his sword, striking the beast.

Instantly, the demon turned into black ash and fell to the ground, ash strewn on the cement floor, with several particles bursting into flame and burning out. The mist immediately began to dissipate and clear.

“Oh my God.” Lyndsey’s hands trembled on the camera. “You…you killed him.”

He commanded the sword back to its normal size, then thrust it back in its sheath on his hip. “He was already dead. I just put him out of his misery.” He reached down and stilled her hands, then pulled her up and drew her to him. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?” He took a step back again to look at her.

She shook her head. “I’m… I’m fine. Simply scared.”

“That was cool what you did with the camera. It was like it had an energy force of its own.”

She shrugged. “Sometimes, my connection with the camera amazes me.”

He wrapped an arm around her back, guiding her out the door into the sunlight.

“How did you find me?” she asked.

He’d imagined rescuing Lyndsey, of her being always his—forever found. Now they had a chance.

He peered at her camera she’d slung over her shoulder, and she followed his gaze. “My camera? Thank you for bringing it.”

“Nora put a spell on it—a special honing salve so it would lead me to you.”

“At leastthatspell worked.” She rested her hand over her camera, feeling a strong pull. “I hope it’s not ruined.”

“It will wear off,” he explained with a soft chuckle as they took the elevator to the ground floor. “Unlike me. You won’t get rid of me so easily.”

Standing outside the clock tower, she threaded her fingers in his hair and drew his head down, kissing him. She pulled back, gazing into his eyes. “Who said I wanted to?”

Justin and Val came running up the sidewalk. “You’re okay,” Justin said, sounding amazed and relieved.