William (The Valentines) - By Sam Crescent Page 0,31

life.” She held her hands up, trying to reason with him.

“But you could do it.”

“No, I can’t.”

“I’m begging you.”

“I can’t do it. She would last a few days but then she would start to decay, William. My power is to raise the dead for a few minutes, a couple of hours at the most. What you are asking is for me to abuse my power.”

The corpse would decay and the soul that was left would turn to nothing more than a zombie, craving human flesh. It would be ugly and dangerous. The longer a dead spirit stayed within the body, the harder it was to extract it and send it to the afterlife.

“But she’s walking around there, alone and lost.” Tears dripped from his eyes, falling onto Katie.

“Come on, Brother.” Robert approached him.

Poppy wanted to help. She connected with her spirit self. If nothing else, maybe she could get Katie to give William a final message. Anything to help him in this time of torturous need.

Her spirit self searched for the missing link. If Katie was walking around, waiting to deliver a message, she would be able to find her.

But Katie was nowhere to be found.

Poppy opened her eyes and moved to William’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Katie has moved on. She is not waiting or alone. She has been embraced by the afterlife and taken into their love.”

A crossed-over spirit was even harder to bring into a body.

“William, she deserves to be buried with respect. We’ll take the body and lay her to rest like a mate.” Adam pressed his hand on top of Poppy’s to show his support.

“A mate? We didn’t even get time to finish the ceremony.”

William looked up, not seeing the people with the concerned faces, with the love and upset shining out of their eyes.

He looked past them, feeling only the dead weight in his arms.

Katie would have made a wonderful mate.

This was all James’ fault. His thirst for greed, power and position had killed William’s mate. He closed his eyes and saw visions of Katie in his world. In his arms, smiling, laughing and being the woman with attitude whom he’d come to love.

Katie had been taken away from him and he knew what he had to do.

Getting to his knees, he braced himself, taking Katie in his arms. He would put his woman to rest, then he would avenge her death and hopefully afterwards he would join her.

If she couldn’t be with him here and now, then he would be with her wherever the hell she was.

Ignoring his family, he walked out of the door, resigned to his fate.

After tonight, he was going after James.

James was going to die.

Chapter Eleven

Everything was so wonderfully crisp and white. Fresh, light and wonderful. Katie opened her eyes and gazed at the fluffiest clouds imaginable. Sighing, in pure heaven, she stretched, feeling the burn as untried muscles protested slightly.

She giggled.

“William?” she called. But there was no reply.

Sitting up, Katie frowned. The room was decorated in the purest of whites. A single mirror lay frozen across from her. Katie noted her pale complexion. Her amber hair had flowers dotted through it.

Katie spun and saw an angel.

She was sitting on a window ledge with her legs crossed. Her blonde hair lay in waves down her back, all the way to the floor. Her eyes were clear blue and her voice musical.

“Am I in heaven?” Katie asked, glancing around wondering where everyone else was.

“Well, yes, you are.” The angel turned, putting her feet on the floor and moving towards her. “Well…you are, but at the same time you’re not. Wow. It still amazes me how languages don’t make sense in this realm.” Shaking her head, she moved closer until she was only a foot away.

“Where am I?”

“I’m Tara,” the angel said, giving Katie her hand.

Katie looked at the hand being presented to her. Taking it, she gave it a quick shake.

“Huh, human protocol. Interesting.”

“I’m Katie.”

Tara laughed. “I know silly. I mean, I am an angel.” She pointed at the halo and the wings.

“Okay, I’m confused. Where am I?”

“Well, you’re in heaven but you’re in the Seeing Room. Here, come and see.” Tara took her arm and led her over to the mirror.

The mirror lay blank, showing nothing.

“I don’t get it,” Katie said.

“Really? In your time down there you seemed pretty intelligent to me,” Tara accused, folding her arms. “Oh, for God’s sake.”

“You know, for an angel you take the big guy’s name in vain a lot.”

“The ‘big