7

[Cassie]

Her dreams were full of shattered glass and showers of light. Every path she followed led to more destruction, and darkness dogged her heels. She woke up drenched in sweat, and threw open her window. A cool breeze lifted the curtains gently, and as they rose and fell, Cassie found herself mesmerized. She didn't know how long she sat there, but when she came back to herself, sunlight was pouring through the crack in her shade. Her phone was blinking, and she counted two text messages and one call from Adam. She read the messages and her brows lifted slightly.

"Rob and Karin want to meet your grandmother. Can they come at 9?"

Who the hell were Rob and Karin?

His voicemail answered that question. Karin was the flier lady and Rob was her brother, and they were answering her call for help. And there were things she needed to know about them, but that could wait until they arrived.

Cassie looked at the clock and it said 8:30. "No freaking way," she muttered, shoving her phone aside and grabbing some wrinkled but clean clothes from the basket near her bed. In her haste to get moving, she tripped and barked her shin on the bed frame. Cursing inwardly, Cassie ran to the bathroom and started up the shower, which took several minutes before it even approached tepid. When she could finally stand the temperature, she jumped in and practically darted between the miserly drops from the water-saving showerhead. Her hair was still full of soap when she heard her phone ring from the nearby counter. There was no way she could get to it in time, so she finished up and wrapped herself in a towel. It was Adam - again - and he wondered if they should reschedule.

She texted him back.

I'll be ready. Just woke up.

Knowing he would ask how she was doing, she added:

And I'm fine. Will you stop worrying already?

His response was an emoticon with its tongue out. With a smile, she got dressed in record time and ran a comb through her damp hair. She ran down the stairs and saw her grandmother sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee and staring at the newspaper. It was what she did every morning, and she never read a thing. Cassie only knew this because she asked about some of the headlines and Jane always seemed confused. This morning, Cassie smiled at her as she poured coffee. "Grandma, some people are coming to visit us this morning."

Her grandmother looked up, and Cassie didn't miss the tiny spark of interest that flared in her eyes before fading back to dullness. "Oh, are they friends of Amelia's?"

Cassie frowned. "No, I don't think so. But they might be able to help you."

Jane waved her hand. "I'm absolutely fine, Cassie. My doctor ran all the right tests, and they didn't find anything."

"Maybe they didn't run the right ones."

Her grandmother made a scoffing sound and folded the newspaper. "Of course they did. Dr. King is one of the best doctors in this region."

"I'm sure he is, but maybe you need a different kind of help."

Jane's face crinkled pleasantly. "What do you mean?"

Cassie was saved by the front doorbell, and she whispered a silent blessing at Adam's promptness. Her boot heels clicked loudly on her way to the door, and she stopped short at the sight of Adam and two blonde giants. The woman was at least six feet tall, and the man towered over her by a good six inches. "Hello, Cassie, I'm Karin Balcoin and this is my brother Rob."

She couldn't have heard that right. Cassie looked over at Adam in confusion and his nod confirmed everything. "You're related to John Blackwell?"

"Indirectly." Karin looked around Cassie's shoulder to where Jane was standing. "May we come in?"

Remembering her manners, Cassie stepped aside. "Of course."

Jane's face was wreathed with a lovely smile, but her cornflower blue eyes were empty. "Have we met?"

Karin stepped forward. "I'm Karin, and this is my brother Rob."

Jane shook both their hands and offered them coffee, which they gladly accepted. Once they were all ensconced around the kitchen table, Cassie said to Rob, "So you think you can help?"

Rob's blue eyes took her measure before sweeping his gaze around the room. "Maybe."

They sipped their coffee and exchanged empty pleasantries about the weather and the Mariners lousy record. Finally, Rob extended his arm to Jane and said, "I've heard you're quite the gardener. Maybe you can show me around."

Cassie watched them retreat and sighed. "So tell me, Karin, are you getting any vibes?"

Karin looked out the window before turning back to Cassie. "She's not present."

Adam looked at Cassie and raised his brows slightly. "Meaning what?"

"Her soul is already withdrawing. While we were talking, your grandmother's essence was draining out of her."

Cassie's mouth opened slightly. "So she's like...walking dead?"

"Exactly."

Adam's lips pursed. "So Jane is basically a shell?"

Karin nodded. "She doesn't have much time. If Rob can figure out what was done to her, we may have a fighting chance."

Cassie considered that for a moment. "Who could have done this?"

Karin's pupils darkened. "I have an idea, but you won't like it."

Adam's fists bunched up. "Tell us anyway. What have we got to lose?"

"Everything you've ever loved," Karin said, her voice lowering to a whisper as the door opened.

Cassie looked over at Adam and they both shrugged. The determined glint in his eyes told her he would get to the bottom of it, no matter the cost.