GhostlyPersuasion (21 page)

With one last push, Riona recited the banishing spell. Etain
froze in place, along with all the debris she had spun up around her. Etain’s
eyes widened and her spirit body began to fade out.

Within seconds, Etain was completely gone and the debris
fell to the floor.

Oh thank God.
Katie sighed in relief.

“Is that it?” Seamus asked.

“She’ll need to open the circle once she’s sure it’s safe so
don’t move yet,” Callum answered.

Riona closed her eyes and murmured a few words under her
breath. A light breeze brushed past Katie’s face.

“Etain is gone,” Riona reassured them. She walked around the
circle in the opposite direction as when she created it and gave thanks to
someone or something as she made her way around.

When she had completed the loop, she looked to Katie. “Thank
you for your help.” She nodded to Callum then Seamus. “You two as well.”

“Etain’s really gone, then? For good?” Seamus asked.

“Yes. Her spirit has moved on to the next plane,” Riona told
him.

He nodded but didn’t say anything. Katie went to stand next
to him. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed. He returned the gesture and
smiled down at her.

“So, I guess that means we don’t have to worry about being
interrupted later,” Seamus whispered to Katie.

She grinned. “Unless it’s room service.”

“We don’t have to answer the door for them.”

“True.” Katie’s heart swelled with love. It was hard to
believe they had broken Etain’s curse. Seamus was free from that dreary
existence and from Etain herself. She pushed aside all nagging thoughts of what
tomorrow might bring and what she’d do if or when Seamus moved on to explore
all that he hadn’t been able to.

“I need to do one more thing then we’ll get out of here and
let the staff put the room to rights again.” Riona interrupted Katie’s rapidly
deteriorating line of thought.

“What’s that?” Katie asked.

“I need to cleanse the room and us,” Riona said.

“How do you plan to do that?” Seamus was obviously leery of
her answer.

Callum stood nearby with his arms folded across his chest
like a warrior who’d been told to stand down. Seamus’ discomfort made his lips
twitch into a half-grin.

“Relax. It’s nothing invasive. I just need to burn some
white sage. The smoke will dissipate any negative energies.”

“That’s it?” Seamus asked.

“That’s it,” Riona reassured him.

Katie patted him on the arm. “We’ll get you comfortable with
all this hocus-pocus before you know it.”

“What I’ve seen you two do hasn’t been bad but I could go
the rest of my life without ever seeing Etain’s brand of hocus-pocus again.”

“Etain had no idea what she was doing,” Katie reminded him.

“And even if she did, the intent behind her actions was
purely selfish. She didn’t care who was harmed or in what way as long as she
got what she wanted.” Riona shook her head. “That is not our way.”

“Let’s get this room cleansed. I’ve got a list of things to
work on for Áine before I can go home tonight,” Callum groused.

“Of course.” Riona rummaged through a bag that had been
sitting on the floor near the door and pulled out a bundle of dried herbs and a
lighter.

She lit the herbs and worked with it until it created a
steady flow of smoke. Riona then walked around the room, wafting smoke around
all the areas Etain had been. As she cleansed the area, she murmured some kind
of blessing. Once the room was finished, including all the dark corners, she
circled each of them with the smoke.

When Riona was done she extinguished her bundle of herbs and
set them aside.

“Is that it?” Katie asked.

“That’s it,” Riona said with a grin.

“Shall I open the windows?” Callum asked from across the
room.

“Yes, please,” Riona answered as she set about righting a
few pieces of furniture. Callum had already picked a few pieces up and put them
in place.

“Do you need us to help with anything else?” Katie asked.

“No. You two go ahead. I’m sure Seamus needs some rest,”
Riona told them. “Would you mind telling Mabel that she and her staff may come
in now as you leave though?”

“Certainly.” Katie waved to Callum. “It was good to see you
again, Callum. But perhaps next time it can be under more normal
circumstances?”

“Perhaps,” he said cryptically.

The distant look in his eye reminded Katie of when her
mother was “seeing” things. She wondered for the tenth time that day if he had
his own gifts and, if he did, what they were. Maybe Riona would tell her later.

Meanwhile she needed to make sure Seamus was fully
recovered. And she knew just how to do that.

She took his hand and pulled him to the door. “Come on.
Let’s go take full advantage of room service and that oversized bed.”

“Sounds good to me,” Seamus said with a twinkle in his eye.

Standing at the top of the cliffs, looking out onto the
ocean, Katie watched the timeless battle. The water surged and broke against
the rock and sand time and time again, relentless in its assault. But the
beaches and the rocky cliffs refused to relinquish their hold.

Despite the pounding of the surf, the area was peaceful. And
beautiful.

Katie could well see why her mother had loved it here.

She leaned back, silently asking Seamus to hold her. Without
fail, his arms wrapped around her and he placed a kiss on top of her head.

Finally she turned around and whispered, “Okay. Let’s go
down.”

He didn’t need to say a word, just placed a gentle kiss on
her lips. Katie smiled at him, thankful he was there with her.

Together they found the rocky path Riona had told her about.
The one leading down to the beach below the cliffs.

Waves lapped at their bare feet as they walked along the
water’s edge, looking for a spot that felt right to Katie. She slowed then
stopped along a patch of beach that lay almost in the shadow of the highest
part of the cliff. It was far enough back the water didn’t rush upon the sand,
but was still damp from the last high tide.

Katie looked at Seamus. “Here, I think.”

He nodded then stepped to the side, upwind, giving her
space.

“You don’t have to stay if you’re uncomfortable. I know
Riona said it’s not a spell, but I will understand if you don’t want to be
around when I do this,” Katie said for the fifth or sixth time.

“I want to stay.”

“Thank you,” she said then focused her attention on the
instructions and the blessing Riona had made her memorize.

Katie held the container with her mother’s ashes in her
hands.

“Blessings to the water before us.” Katie turned and faced the
cliffs. “Blessings to the land below our feet.” She turned so she was facing
the water again then raised the container up to the sky. “Blessings to the sky
above.”

She positioned the container in front of her but away from
her body then spoke the words Riona had given her.

A daughter thought lost

Returns home at long last

She found love at the wrong time

But never erased it from her past

What she couldn’t have in life

Let her find now amassed

Katie opened the lid on the container then poured out the contents,
letting the wind carry her mother’s remains away. Once the container was empty
she reached for Seamus’ hand and watched as the cloud of ash floated in the air
and down the beach.

Before the cloud disappeared from view, the wind changed
direction and blew the ashes back in their direction. The cloud twisted and
appeared to form a more defined line then headed to where they stood.

Seamus stepped in front of Katie as if to protect her.
Instead of hitting them, the stream dipped to the ground and circled around
then spiraled upward. It hovered above their heads for a moment then sifted to
the ground in front of them.

As the ashes settled, they formed a new shape… The shape of
a woman.

Katie gasped. “Mom?” she whispered.

“My Katie Bird,” the figure said.

Seamus slipped his arm around Katie’s waist, offering his
silent support.

“Thank you for bringing me home again. I’m sorry your
journey has been so difficult.”

“Is it really you?” Katie reached her hand out to the smoky
figure, unsure what to believe.

“Your homage to the elements and our connection to Tullamore
has allowed me a chance to talk with you. For just a moment.”

Katie could barely see around the tears pooled in her eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about your father,” her
mother’s figure told her.

“I know why you didn’t,” Katie said.

“I believe had he known about you, he would have loved you
as much as I did.”

Katie nodded through her tears.

“I wish I could stay for the wedding,” the figure said as it
dissipated.

Seamus mumbled, “We haven’t talked—”

Katie looked up at Seamus and smiled. “I do too, Mom.”

The figure faded more. “I must go. Connor waits for me.”

“Connor?” Seamus asked.

Katie and Seamus turned to look where the figure was
pointing. High on the cliffs they saw a man standing near the edge.

In her heart, Katie knew who he was, but when she turned to
ask, her mother’s figure faded away. On the wind, she heard her say, “Name the
baby after your father, Seamus. He will be pleased.”

As they watched, her mother’s spirit appeared on the cliff. The
couple embraced like lovers who had been apart for far too long. They shared a
kiss then her mother looked down at them and waved. Finally the couple turned
and walked away from the cliff, their arms still around each other.

Katie knew when they climbed to the top of the cliffs, they
wouldn’t find anyone there.

“Are you all right?” Seamus asked.

“Yeah.” Katie wiped the tears away and smiled. “So you got
to meet Mom after all.” She sniffed. “Sort of.”

“Did she really say what I thought she said about my da?” he
asked hesitantly.

“I’m afraid so.” Katie watched Seamus’ expression, trying to
gauge what he was feeling.

Seamus put his hand on her belly. “Do you think she’s
right?”

“Mom had a way of knowing things,” she said quietly.

Katie saw Seamus’ throat move as he swallowed hard. “I never
thought—”

“Are you okay with the idea of a baby?” she asked. “I mean,
if it turns out to be true. Because we don’t know for sure or anything.”

“Okay?” he asked. “I would be more than okay, Little Katie.
I would be honored for you to be the mother of my child. Or children if we were
so blessed as to have more.”

Tears pooled in Katie’s eyes again.

Seamus pulled her closer. “I would be doubly honored if you
would marry me.”

Katie thought her heart would explode with happiness but her
mind cautioned her with two lingering doubts. “Are you sure you don’t want to
wait until we find out for sure? I mean about the baby?” She shrugged.
“Besides, you’ve just returned to the land of the living, I’m sure you’ll want
to explore it a bit before you settle down with a wife and kid.”

“I want to marry you, Little Katie, whether you are carrying
my child or not.” He took both her hands in his and pulled them up to his lips.
He held her gaze as he kissed the backs. “I’ve waited more than three hundred
years to find the woman I wanted to be with and I’m not about to let her go
now.”

The last of her doubts washed away with the tears that
rolled down Katie’s cheek. “Then yes. I will marry you.”

Seamus crushed Katie against him and took possession of her
lips. Just as he possessed her heart.

Dena Garson loves to read romance—the hotter the better.
When one of her BFFs said “one of us should be writing this stuff”, she took up
the challenge. If she isn’t writing, she’s designing jewelry but somehow she
still manages to make it into the office on a regular basis.

Dena welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
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at
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Ghostly Persuasion

ISBN 9781419947278

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Ghostly Persuasion Copyright © 2013 Dena Garson

Edited by Beverly Horne

Cover design by Syneca

Cover photography by romancenovelcovers.com, Matt
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Electronic book publication July 2013

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