Page 64 of Phantom’s Mate

He smiled, but his smile was so sad.

DB said, “Are we doing this Secret Santa thing soon? Because all this mush is giving me a rash.” But she knew he didn’t mean it. He was looking at the Christmas scene with something like longing on his face.

He doesn’t belong anywhere either, she thought. At least, he thinks he doesn’t.

Nick playfully cuffed him on the shoulder, and Britt said, “Go ahead.”

After making sure no neighbors were watching, DB made a small slit in the air and slipped the package through, setting it on the Welcome mat. Inside, besides the purse and the letter with the locket, there was a copy of a newspaper article that Remy had found and printed out, about the accident. So her sister would know what had happened to Britt.

“Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this,” Britt said, gazing at the box. “She’s having a baby, and she has a nice husband and it’s the holidays. I don’t want to ruin it with ‘Oh, look, you have a sister. Never mind; she’s dead. Merry Christmas.’”

Nick said, “Of course it will make her sad. But your cousins’ names and addresses are in there too, so she’ll still have her family. And anyway, if it were you, wouldn’t you want to know?”

She would. She knew she would. And her sister was no stranger to sadness. If she’d made it this far—to a partner and a happy family despite being abandoned by their mother—then she was stronger than Britt had ever been.

“Hello,” said DB, waving his hand to get their attention. “Ring the doorbell, don’t ring the doorbell, what?”

“Give her a minute, you little brat,” Nick said affectionately. “Humans have emotions. Unlike teenage dragons.”

“Yeah, yeah,” DB said. “I don’t suppose you brought any of those snack cakes you promised me. I could eat them while I’m waiting.”

“Sorry,” Nick said. “Ghost, remember? You’ll have to get them from Titan when we get back.”

Britt wiped her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “I’m ready.”

DB reached through the slit in the air again, and rang the doorbell. Then he closed the interdimensional doorway.

Olivia opened the door herself, looking surprised when she didn’t see anyone. Then her eyes dropped, automatically looking for a package, and saw the box lying there.

She frowned, then picked it up and opened it, pulling out the envelope with the letter and locket inside. She looked at the locket, then opened the letter and began to read. Her hand went to her mouth, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Her husband was at her side in a second. “What is it? What’s wrong? Here, you shouldn’t be standing in the cold.”

They closed the door, but Britt could still see them through the window. “We could go in,” Nick whispered. “You could hear what she’s saying.”

But somehow she just couldn’t. It felt too intrusive. So they watched as Olivia and her husband read the letter and the news article, and then her husband put the locket around Olivia’s neck.

She closed her hand around it as if it were something incredibly precious. Her husband kissed her tears away in an infinitely tender gesture.

Britt moved through the wall then, inside the house. Faintly, she could feel the warmth, smell the freshly baked cookies.

She leaned over and brushed a kiss on her sister’s cheek. And Olivia’s hand went to her face, with a look of wonder, as if she’d felt it.

Chapter 31

Nick stayed quiet, letting Britt watch her sister as long as she wanted. Finally she turned away, floating back through the wall and slipping her hand into his.

But before DB could take them back to Wild Blood territory, the air in front of them shifted, images flashing by too quickly to see, like a slot machine turned on its side.

The image stabilized, and in front of them was an arched double door, glowing golden.

The doors split and swung open, and light spilled out—so bright Nick had to shade his eyes. Dimly, he could see the outlines of four people—two together, and two other separate figures.

Nick froze in place, his greatest hope and his worst nightmare coming true at the same time.

The light was for Brittany. Her unfinished business was fulfilled; she’d given her sister the chance to reconnect with her family. Now she would move on.

She turned to him. “Nick—”