Boundary Born (Boundary Magic Book 3) - Melissa F. Olson Page 0,22

a martyr. A full person, with faults and mistakes and baggage.

“Should I tell him that I can talk to you?” I asked her. “I could pass along messages, I guess . . .”

She shook her head. “Thank you, but it would be too hard on him. He wouldn’t be able to move on, assuming he even can after Morgan.” She brightened. “But I liked what you told him before, about being able to sense that I was proud of him. That was perfect.”

I swallowed hard. She knew it, of course, but I had to say it anyway. “I miss you so much, Sammy.”

“I miss you, too.” She cocked her head for a moment, like she was listening to something, and then screwed up her face.

“You’re out of time,” I guessed.

“Almost.”

“Any advice? In the movies, spirit guides give advice.”

“How would you know? You haven’t been in a movie theater since the millennium,” she countered. More seriously, she added, “Remember the griffin, Lex. Remember why it’s yours. And don’t be afraid when you finally figure out your mission. I’ve got your back, and so will John.”

“Sammy, that’s so cryptic—”

“I know, but that’s how it has to be,” she interrupted, talking fast now. “You think I like speaking in riddles?”

“Hell, yes, I do.”

She didn’t even acknowledge that. “One more thing,” she rushed to say. “Emil, you have to ask him what he—”

Abruptly, she blinked away.

Chapter 9

“Son of a bitch!”

My eyes flew open and I grabbed the throw pillow beneath my head and flung it as hard as I could at the armchair, causing several dog heads to lift in confusion as they assessed the room for threats.

I threw a second pillow. Ask Emil what he what? What he wants from me? What he plans to do now that we’ve met? What he looks for in an ice cream topping? “Dammit, Sam!” I said aloud.

I’d done enough research on boundary magic by now to know that back in the day, it was mostly used for predicting the future or seeing things you couldn’t see from your own vantage point, like an event on the other side of the world. But how did talking to ghosts help if they only spoke in riddles that I put together after it was too late?

What bothered me most about Sam’s “advice” was the part about figuring out my mission. I’d done that, hadn’t I? Charlie was my mission. Keeping her safe, keeping her alive, that was all that mattered. So what was Sam talking about? Something else I was supposed to be doing at the same time? But then why would John be involved?

I eyed the couch, but I was out of throw pillows to chuck. There was nothing to do but get up and get dressed for work.

The rest of the day was blissfully uneventful. I called Quinn’s body shop, and his contact promised they’d have the Jeep as good as new by late afternoon. They would bill Maven directly, and even drop off the Jeep in its usual parking spot behind the coffee shop. I was a little amazed at the speed and service, but for all I knew Maven had pressed everyone at the garage to give her special treatment.

I had an afternoon shift at the Depot, but business was slow with all the students obsessing over finals, and I got to spend a quiet afternoon restocking shelves and solving simple problems for the cashier. Customer’s coupon won’t scan? No problem. Give me bad coupons over snake monsters and paternity issues any day.

In between customers and restocking, I couldn’t stop thinking about Emil’s visit. Even setting aside whatever Sam had been trying to tell me, I had no idea what our biological father wanted from me. If his goal had been to let me know he wasn’t a deadbeat who’d abandoned Sam and me, the message had been received. But what if he wanted a relationship? How would that even work? I’d heard of adopted kids who found their biological parents (or vice versa) but those stories were always about children or petulant teenagers, not witches in their thirties. If Emil wanted to spend time with me on holidays or . . . I don’t know, go to baseball games or something, I had no idea how to handle that.

Besides, I had a family. A really great family. And two jobs, and a vampire boyfriend. Even if I wanted to spend time with Emil, where would he fit into all of that? I could just