Shattered Illusions (3 page)

"Who are you? What do you want?" Liam echoed
her questions, irritating her further.

A long brittle silence stretched between
them. The intruder didn't say anything, but stood there staring,
the weapon poised and ready to be used. Whoever he was, he mocked
them. They were three against one. How did he think to win?

"Who's there?" Liam asked again.

"Do you really believe he's going to answer
you when he hasn't breathed a word so far?" She shook her head at
him.

"I'm scared." Tara's voice shook.

Scared? Just wait until she got her hands on
Tara. She would show her sister scared.

Tara had inched her way over to Liam and
looped her arm through his.

A crimson haze blurred her vision as fury
pounded and rippled in time to her beating heart. She was standing
right next to them and they didn't care. She had seen too much,
witnessed too many tender scenes that they carelessly displayed.
She shot them both a cold, dark look before she turned and ran
toward the intruder. She didn't care what happened to her. She
could die this night and it wouldn't matter. She was already dead
inside. She lost her husband and her sister in a moment of
truth.

The intruder ran toward her, but
determination like a rock perched inside of her and she wouldn't
back down. The intruder was poised and ready to strike, but Brona
was prepared, too. She lashed down with all her strength. She
slammed into something hard and unyielding.

Dazed, she fell backwards as her world closed
in on her. Flashes of her life came at her like bits of shattered
glass.

She remembered the day.

Pelting rain, the ground slick where she
walked. She slipped on the terrain she had walked a million times
over. Brona reached out and tried to stop her fall, but the side of
the cliff was like smooth glass and there was nothing to stop her
descent. She hit the rocks below, her body broken and blood pooling
beneath her head, the coppery smell making her nauseous. Spray from
the ocean hit her, drenching her further. She couldn't move.
"Liam!" She thought she called, but no sound left her lips. A wave
washed over her, but she was beyond caring that the tide had risen.
She closed her eyes as she slid beneath the surface.

"No!" Brona screamed as the fateful day came
crashing down on her like the waves that had ended her life. It had
been raining, a storm like tonight. She went for her usual walk
near the cliffs. Soft and muddy terrain had caused her to slip. She
fell to her death. That's why nothing made sense tonight. Why she
saw blood where there wasn't any. She was remembering her last
moments. The blood had pooled beneath her head. Not here, but on
the rocks.

She wasn't supposed to be here. "Oh my
God."

Chapter Seven

The lights came on and Brona was face to face
with Liam, who had crouched down to inspect the rug. "We must have
a leak. The floor's soaked," he said as he picked up a shard of
glass.

Brona looked down at herself, realizing she
wasn't wet any longer.

"What happened?" Tara asked, hugging
herself.

Liam glanced at the wall where the beautiful
mirror had once hung. "I guess we were only seeing our reflections,
not someone in the house. But as to why the mirror shattered— I
don't know." He shook his head.

"Liam," Brona whispered and reached for him.
He inhaled deeply and stood, his eyes wide with fright.

"What is it?" Tara asked, grabbing his hand.
"Did you cut yourself?"

"What?" He looked at her. "Uh, no." He pulled
his hand away. "I thought I felt something, a blast of air maybe …
something cold," he said tentatively.

Brona stood, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm truly dead," she said, testing the words for the truth. "My
dear sweet Liam, you can't see me." She turned her attention to her
sister, who stood no more than a few feet away. "She doesn't know
I'm here, either." All of a sudden, the dreamlike lunacy of the
situation was beginning to make sense.

"She's still here, Tara," Liam whispered
hoarsely. "Brona is still here. I feel her."

Tara's gaze met his, sorrow evident in her
eyes. "Oh Liam, I miss her too, but she's been gone three years
now."

Brona gasped at the news. Three years? Her
brows drew together. How could it be so long? She looked at her
husband. His wavy blond hair wasn't brushed and his eyes were
bloodshot. Was he not sleeping well? He looked sad and hopelessness
clouded the depths of his blue eyes. Brona glanced at her sister
who also had the dark hair and gray eyes of the O'Malleys.

Tara hadn't betrayed her, but had tried to
comfort Liam with his grief. She had fallen in love with him. She
couldn't begrudge her. Liam was a good man.

Liam turned his head toward Tara. "I know
she's gone, but her spirit isn't at rest. That's what I'm trying to
tell you. Sometimes I feel as if the sadness is drowning me." He
leaned down and picked up another shard of glass. "We bought this
mirror together." He chuckled. "She had to have it and I could
never say no to her. We had it packed and shipped from Dublin. I
thought it would be broken to bits by the time it arrived, but it
arrived in perfect condition." He inhaled deeply. "Now look at it,
Tara. Brona would have my head for letting it break."

Tara placed a hand on his shoulder. "Oh,
Liam." Her voice caught in her throat.

Brona leaned down so she was eye to eye with
Liam. She'd been haunting this poor man and he couldn't move on.
"I'm so sorry, Liam. I love you so and I didn't have a chance to
say goodbye. I never meant to hurt you." She had to let him go. If
she moved on, perhaps he would too. She touched his hand and he
flinched, though he didn't pull away.

"No more shattered illusions, my dear Liam,"
Brona told him in a breathless whisper.

Oddly, peace settled over her now that she
understood what had happened. She glanced at where the mirror had
once stood. There was a light and within the brightness she could
see a stairway leading up.

"Do you hear it?" Liam asked, looking up at
Tara.

Tara's brows drew together. "What? I don't
hear anything."

"That's just it. The storm's passed," Liam
said, making Brona aware how silent the night had become.

Brona lips curved into a smiled. "Yes, my
love, the storm has passed. She leaned forward and kissed Liam
goodbye.

The End

About the Author

Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California
with her husband, three fascinating children, and houseful of
demanding pets. Jack, her Chorkie, is her writing buddy and sits
long hours with her at the computer.

When she's not time traveling, fighting
outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates pre-made book
covers to order at Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its
Cover". You can also check out her published cover art designs at
Western Trail Blazer, Rebecca J. Vickery Publishing, and Victory
Tales Press.

Whether your reading fancy is paranormal,
historical, or time travel, all her stories capture the rich array
of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human
phenomena—falling in love.

Visit the author at her website:

http://www.kmnbooks.com

Blog: http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenmichellenutt

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KMNbooks

Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/karenmnutt/

Gillian's Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By
Its Cover"

http://judgeyourbookbyitscover.blogspot.com/

Other Novels by Karen Michelle Nutt

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