“This region has many…ancient spirits.  They…feed upon the weaknesses that all people possess.  Most do little harm, but some are dangerous, even deadly.  It is my task to drive these spirits from the injured and ill.” He snorted and his gaze turned away from her.  Manara’s heart cracked at that motion, and knew her future was in jeopardy.  He proved it with his next words.  “That’s just ridiculous superstition.”

 She would have felt betrayed, except for the hint of wary fear in his expression.  Whether he chose to admit it or not, Matthew Raleigh believed in more than he claimed.  There was still hope that she could reach him before it was too late.
 “Is it?”  She drew herself up, prepared to be brutally honest with him.  She had nothing more to lose, now.  “That ridiculous superstition, as you call it, was all that saved your life, Commander Raleigh.”

 He froze, and she watched panic cross his hazel eyes.  “What do you mean?”

 “When I found you, you were beneath a pile of canyon rock and sand that would have crushed the life from any other man.  There was so much blood that I feared there was not a drop left in you.  I dug you out of that rubble anyway, because the very thing that you despise brought me to you.”

 His eyes widened, and the panic skyrocketed.  “A demon?”

 “No.”  She smiled sadly.  “The spirit world.  I could have left you to the darkness that prowled that canyon and you would have died a very terrible death, I guarantee you.  There were maskims and ghùl on prowl there and you were easy prey.”

 She had his attention, she could tell by the stiffening of his shoulders even before he slowly turned back toward her.  His eyes were shadowed with uncertain memory.  “But I was alive, right?”

 Fear hit her.  She couldn’t tell him the truth.  She wouldn’t.  “What do you mean?”

 “I had these really strange dreams-at least I think they were dreams-after things went dark.”

 Manara closed her eyes and fought for even breaths.  This was the moment she hoped to avoid.  Now that it finally arrived, she couldn’t halt the small spark of relief in her chest.

 “You were all but dead, Matthew.  Had I waited even a moment longer, you would have been beyond even my skill to save.”
 His face went ashen and for a panicked moment, she thought he might faint.  She even moved a step closer to him to act as support if he needed it without being obvious.  But he didn’t need help; he didn’t even waver.  Instead, he went very still, his eyes turned dark and as unfathomable as the Underworld, his silent regard focused so tightly on her that she felt it burn through her.

 Time stretched like a taut cord between them and uneasiness settled heavily in Manara’s stomach.  She wished she could put an end to the silence, but she wasn’t sure how.  She wasn’t sure how to judge his reaction.

 Then, in a voice so quiet it shot fear through every cell of her body he finally broke the silence.  “You mean I was dead.”