"Hello, Mattias," I said politely. "You look well."
"You have come back for me," Mattias said, nodding. He was as handsome as ever, an obvious throw-back to his Viking ancestors, but he left me feeling as cold as a dead flounder. "It is only right that you do so, wife."
I grimaced at the last word, not wishing to be reminded that in the eyes of the Brotherhood, we were legally married.
"You will tell these vermin to release me," Mattias continued, his incarceration obviously doing nothing to eliminate some of the hatred he felt for the vampires. "I have endured their company long enough."
"Oh, my," Esme said, her cheerful face suddenly turning dark as she glared at him. "You are a very rude young man to speak of dear Christian and the others in such a manner."
Mattias's expression of surprise as Esme chastised him was comical. "I... Who... You're a spirit?"
"Yes, I am, and I am very fond of Christian and Josef. Very fond of them! If I weren't a lady, I'd take you out back and give you the thrashing you deserve for referring to the Dark Ones as you have." Her large grey curls bobbed angrily as she spoke.
Mattias's eyes widened at the threat.
"That's enough, Esme," Allie said, pulling out a little yarn bobble, the kind found on the tips of winter hats. "Bobble time."
"I have not yet finished giving this young man a piece of my mind," the ghost answered.
"Yes, you have." Allie held her other hand over the bobble and mumbled a few words. To my amazement, Esme dissolved into nothing.
"How did you do that?" I asked, profoundly curious.
"I'll show you later, if you like. It's the best thing I ever learned." She smiled at her husband. "Well, almost the best."
He looked distracted for a moment before he recalled himself and turned to me. "As you can see, the reaper has not been starved or tortured."
"Yes, and I'm very gratef-"
The door opened again, and Rowan and Andreas appeared with another person slumped between them. They hauled the man in and let him fall to the floor.
The words dried up on my lips as the crumpled heap of man raised his head.
"Pia," a familiar voice croaked.
I was on my feet and running toward him before the word could even form in my mind... Kristoff. "What happened to him?" I cradled Kristoff's head against my chest protectively as I hastily searched his upper torso for signs of injury.
Kristoff made a plaintive noise. It resonated within me, bringing to the surface all sorts of emotions that I had no idea lurked beneath. I wanted to protect him, shake him, demand he speak to me, give him comfort, and tear off all his clothes and have my wanton way with him.
It was an effort, but I managed to tamp down the wave of emotions. "Dear God, what happened to you?"
Eyes that I knew could shine a brilliant teal were now dulled with pain. Waves of anguish rolled off him, suffering etched in every line of his now horribly gaunt face.
"Pia, don't," he groaned, trying to push back out of my embrace. "I can't fight it if you touch me."
"Fight what? Good Lord, Kristoff, you look like death warmed over. Haven't you been eating at all?"
He closed his eyes, his face a mask of pain as he again struggled to get away from me. I wrapped my arms tighter around him.
"Animal blood."
"That obviously isn't doing you much good. Why didn't you tell me you needed some blood?" I asked.
He shook his head and wouldn't answer.
"Why did you bring him here?" Mattias demanded of Rowan. He gestured toward where I sat. "That one seduced my wife!"
"Oh, be quiet, Mattias," I said, brushing the hair back from Kristoff's brow.