Light of the Spirit Read online

  LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT

  Book #4 of the Muse Chronicles

  by

  Lisa Kessler

  Light of the Spirit – Copyright © 2017 by Lisa Kessler

  Kindle Edition

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Visit Lisa’s website: Lisa-Kessler.com

  Sign up for Lisa’s newsletter: goo.gl/56lDla

  Edited by Double Vision Editorial, Danielle Poiesz

  Cover design by Fiona Jayde Media

  Interior Design by – BB eBooks

  Vase Icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com is licensed under CC BY 3.0

  Manufactured in the United States of America First Edition September 2017

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  The Muse Chronicles

  LURE OF OBSESSION

  LEGEND OF LOVE

  BREATH OF PASSION

  LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT

  DEVOTED TO DESTINY

  The Night Series

  NIGHT WALKER

  NIGHT THIEF

  NIGHT DEMON

  NIGHT ANGEL

  NIGHT CHILD

  The Moon Series

  MOONLIGHT

  HUNTER’S MOON

  BLOOD MOON

  HARVEST MOON

  ICE MOON

  BLUE MOON

  WOLF MOON

  NEW MOON

  The Sentinels of Savannah

  MAGNOLIA MYSTIC

  Stand Alone Works

  BEG ME TO SLAY

  FORGOTTEN TREASURES

  ACROSS THE VEIL

  Dedication

  This one is for my grandmother, Natalie Webb, who has been a light for so many!

  And also for my daughter Panda and her best friend Alyssa…Memories of filming your science project video still make me laugh!

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Acknowledgments

  Other Novels by Lisa Kessler

  About the Author

  CHAPTER 1

  Cooper Hanover took a seat in the back row of the small black box theater with no idea what to expect. In a million years, he never would have guessed he’d end up there.

  What the hell was he doing at an improv comedy show? He usually spent all his time working and studying. He didn’t have spare time to waste on laughter. But Lia had visited him in the hospital when his own family hadn’t even shown up. It was her face he’d seen when he woke up in the ER. And before he was discharged, she gave him a ticket. So he needed to come see her show. It was the right thing to do.

  She was also beautiful and kind, which didn’t hurt. The second she walked onstage, any concerns he had flew right out the window. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

  Her dark-brown eyes still haunted his dreams, and her smile brightened the shadows in his soul. Her thick brown hair was cut short—but not too short—framing her warm features. Being near her somehow eased the burdens he carried on his shoulders every day, yet he barely knew her. No other woman had ever affected him the way Lia did. There was just something about her.

  “Hello, everyone.” The spotlight embraced her as she shielded her eyes to peer out into the crowd. “I’m Lia. I lead the Make ’Em Laugh improv troupe, and we’re so glad you’re here tonight.” She dropped her hand to her side, her grin igniting smiles all around the room. “If you’ve never been here before, this is an interactive show. Your participation will make or break us.” She opened her hands. “Okay, so, can I get a type of animal?”

  “Panda bear!” someone to his right offered louder than the others.

  “Perfect.” Her eyes sparkled as she scanned the room. “And how about a show tune?”

  “‘Hello, Dolly’!” someone in the front row shouted.

  “Great one.” She glanced at the troupe to her right. “I’m feeling a kick line tonight.” She looked back to the audience and called out, “And an odd job?”

  An older guy raised his hand. “A whittler.”

  “Oh, I like that!” She turned to the troupe. “Let’s do this.”

  The troupe carried a large trunk of props onstage, and Lia grabbed a stick, transforming it into an imaginary stalk of bamboo. Her body movements and facial expressions took on the wonder of a panda, while another troupe member kept a straight face while trying to teach the panda to whittle.

  The lyrics of “Hello, Dolly” were quickly modified to “Hello, Panda,” and the unscripted, slapstick jokes flew until the walls shook with laughter. Cooper remained stoic in the back row, his attention laser-focused on Lia. It wasn’t that he didn’t think they were funny; it just took a lot to make him smile.

  The scene finished, and the troupe bowed. When the applause died down, Lia stepped forward. “I need a member of the audience for this next skit.” She scanned the crowd until her gaze locked on his. Her expression brightened, and his gut twisted as she pointed at him. “I think I found my volunteer.”

  Cooper shook his head, but she was already weaving through the audience toward him. When she reached his seat, her intoxicating scent swamped his senses. She smelled like lavender and sunshine. As if that damned smile alone wasn’t tough enough to resist!

  He looked up at her, shaking his head. “Sorry.”

  “I swear I won’t make you wear a chicken suit.” She chuckled, rolling her eyes.

  Shit, he hadn’t even considered that. “Not my thing,” he tried again.

  “It’ll be fun. I promise.” She smiled at him again, and the crowd started to cheer him on.

  Dammit. He grudgingly stood as applause filled the theater. He never should have walked through that door. He wasn’t a spotlight kind of guy. As a paramedic in Crystal City, California, he helped people when they needed it most; he didn’t do it for gratitude or fame. It was a calling. So standing on a stage with a bunch of strangers watching was miles from his comfort zone.

  Lia grinned up at him, and the thumping of his heart drowned out his inner monologue. Hell, she even coaxed a small smile out of him.

  “Okay,” she started, “all you need to do is sit at this table, shuffle those cards, and read them aloud for us. Easy peasy, right?”

  He wasn’t so sure, but he did as she’d asked.

  She guided him to a card table with a stack of notecards and a stopwatch sitting in the center. He took a seat, and while he shuffled the cards, she turned to the audience. “There are ten situations on those cards. Each troupe member contributed two, so we don’t know what most of them will say. Our intrepid director—” she gestured to Cooper “—will call out the directions on the card and hit the stopwatch.” Her eyes met his. “Three minutes per scene.”

  He nodded, his muscles unclenching a little. He could do this.

  After shuffling,
he flipped the first card and cleared his throat, projecting his voice through the room. “You’re passing through the sales booths at a fair, but you can only speak in song lyrics.”

  The troupe members quickly took spots on either side of the stage, leaving Lia in the center. She grinned. “Hello again, hello.”

  The first salesperson started barking out the amazing features of a Vitamix machine, and Cooper wondered how Lia would get herself out of it, but nothing rattled her. She tugged her empty pocket inside out and offered up a line from Pink Floyd’s “Money” without batting an eye, and she moved on to the next invisible booth.

  Cooper almost chuckled. She never missed a beat, and when the timer went off, another troupe member took the lead in a new scenario until he finally reached the last card in the stack. When they finished the final challenge, Lia came over to the table and took his hand. Warmth crept up his arm as he stood.

  “Let’s give a big round of applause to our volunteer!” she exclaimed.

  He took an uncomfortable bow and went back to his seat to watch the rest of the performance.

  When the show ended and the crowd dispersed, he waited as Lia helped clear off the stage. When she finally made her way up to him, she sat beside him, perched on the edge of the chair. “Did you enjoy the show?”

  He nodded with an unexpected chuckle. “You guys were amazing.”

  “Thanks.” With a playful spark in her eyes, she nudged his shoulder. “I didn’t think you’d ever walk through that door.”

  He hadn’t, either. “Tomorrow I’m back on shift for the first time since the fire, so I figured if I didn’t come tonight, I might not get another chance.”

  She and her friends had been renovating the abandoned theater across town, and an arsonist had nearly killed them all. After responding to the call, Cooper had finished the day in the hospital himself. For the first time in his life, he was dreading getting back in the rig.

  Her expression softened, color flushing her skin. “I’m glad you came to the show.”

  “Me too.” And he meant it. Lia had been the only sunshine in his life since that fire. And he wasn’t ready for the night to end. Not yet. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “Can I treat you to a coffee or something?”

  “That’d be fun.” She stood, smiling. “Let me grab my stuff.”

  As she started down the aisle, Cooper shook his head and dropped his eyes to his shoes, huffing out a small laugh. He couldn’t believe he’d just done that. He needed to be up early tomorrow. He had no business going on a date. He raised his head as Lia neared the stage and instantly realized he had no regrets.

  A woman approached Lia with a big grin. “Great show tonight, Lia.”

  “Thanks, Selena. And thanks for running the lights for us!” She embraced the woman and turned her head left and right, clearly scanning the room. “Where’s Rafe?”

  Selena chuckled. “Already in the car.”

  Lia glanced toward the parking lot. “He’s really serious about making sure you get enough sleep, huh?”

  Selena rested a hand on her belly. “I’m not even showing yet, but he says creating another human requires plenty of rest.”

  “It’s sweet. You get going, then. Tell Rafe I loved his skit with the invisible dog. We made a lot of folks happy tonight.”

  “Will do. See you tomorrow.” Selena waved and hurried out of the theater.

  Lia headed backstage and came back a minute later with her bag slung over on her shoulder. “Sorry about that.”

  “No worries.” He stood and followed her out, not having a clue what the hell he was doing. This whole night had been unplanned, and Cooper always planned everything.

  When he left his place earlier tonight, he was just going out to grab a burrito, but when he opened his wallet to slide out a few bills, the ticket voucher she’d given him came out, too, as if someone was reminding him to see her.

  Now he was glad he’d taken the hint.

  The coffee shop was a block south of the improv club. Lia locked her bag in the trunk of her car and slid her cell into her pocket. When she turned his way, Cooper offered his arm. “Ready?”

  She placed her hand on the crook of his arm. “Yes.”

  While they waited for the light on the crosswalk, Lia squeezed his forearm. “Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, I’ve never gone to coffee with an audience member after a show before.”

  “I hope I’m more than just an audience member.” He glanced her way, unable to bite back a smile. “We’re close. You’ve already seen me in a backless hospital gown.”

  “True, but you never got out of bed while I was there, so it wasn’t like I witnessed an unintentional flashing.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “If I had known an unintentional flashing would’ve raised my standing with you, I would’ve gotten out of the bed.”

  “Well, now you know. All my best friends are flashers.”

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much. She was pure magic.

  Lia stepped off the curb, grinning as they crossed the street. “Seriously, though…I was starting to think I’d never see you again after you left the hospital.”

  “I’ve had a lot on my mind.” He opened the door to the coffee shop. “But I’ve definitely missed your smile.”

  In response, she treated him to one that had his heart pounding as she passed by and got in line at the counter. He stood behind her, trying to focus on the menu, but having her so close again made it hard to think of anything else.

  Once they finally ordered, he found a table in the corner and sat across from her. He rubbed the back of his neck, a burning sensation flaring to life. He should’ve put on some sunscreen before jogging on the beach earlier. Too late now.

  “Until I met you, I didn’t know anyone could earn a living making people laugh.” He shook his head. “Okay, comedians in movies make plenty of money, but you know what I mean.”

  “I wish making people laugh paid my rent.”

  The barista called their names, and Cooper got up to retrieve their drinks. When he returned, Lia took her mug, her full lips curving into a sexy tease of a smile. “The improv troupe is my passion. My job is cutting hair at a salon downtown.”

  He hadn’t been expecting that, but the more he thought about it, the more it fit. Lia was good with people, with making them laugh. Even him, and that was saying something. He took a swallow of his coffee. “Do you like it?”

  She shrugged. “Usually, but it’s hard to change the world through perfect highlights and a stylish cut.”

  A smile crept up on him. “You have big dreams.”

  “Definitely.” She sobered. “But the fire set us back.”

  The fire. His life had changed forever that day when she’d come out of the burning building with a two-inch gash on her forehead. There wasn’t even a scar there now. And he hadn’t stitched it… He remembered seeing her, his hands tingling as a strange pull drew him toward her, his heart stuttering. He didn’t know how else to describe it.

  “How’s Reed?” he asked. The firefighter had been carried over to Cooper’s rig, his lung collapsed by a projectile from the fire. It punched a hole in his chest that should have killed him.

  “He just started back at the station. It’s a miracle.” Her gaze met his, unspoken questions in her eyes.

  Reed had made it back to work before Cooper, and Reed had been the one with physical injuries. Cooper’s had been harder to see. Even after being discharged from the hospital, he couldn’t face getting back into the rig. The fear sickened him. He’d never been afraid of anything before. Maybe Lia sensed it inside him.

  After all, she had been there when Cooper had brought Reed back from the dead.

  He set his mug down, rolling back his shoulders. “Glad to hear it.”

  She reached across the table to touch his hand. “Did you ever get your memory back from that afternoon at the fire, before you lost consciousness?”

  “No.” He grou
nd his teeth, aching to tell someone the truth, but he didn’t. How could he? Reed’s heart had stopped and resuscitation efforts weren’t working. Lia had pleaded with Cooper to try one more time, but the paddles hadn’t shocked his heart into a rhythm. Reed was bleeding out.

  And suddenly, blinding light had surrounded Cooper and entered his body, shooting through every vein and blood vessel. He had no rational explanation for it, even now, but somehow, he’d guided the light to the injured artery, closing the wound. Another pull came like the one he’d experienced when he’d healed Lia’s forehead, but the one while working on Reed had been ten times stronger, draining Cooper until he could no longer stand. According to his partner on the scene, he had lost consciousness and had a seizure.

  In the hospital, none of the specialists had found a cause for his loss of function, and he couldn’t tell them what he’d experienced without sounding like a madman. Saving the firefighter had nearly killed Cooper, and he had no idea what had brought on the unexplained healing.

  And tomorrow he’d be back in his rig saving lives. What if the light swamped him again? Would it kill him this time?

  He stared into her eyes, memorizing the warm chocolate of her gaze. If tomorrow was the end, at least he’d go out with the memory of her face.

  She lifted her hand away from his. “Well, whatever happened that day, both of you are safe. That’s all that matters in the end.”

  Lia had stopped by to see Cooper a number of times while he’d been in the hospital enduring every test the doctors could throw his way. He couldn’t blame them. After the seizure, they’d wanted to check for a brain tumor, aneurysm, and epilepsy. Her visits were the only bright spots in long days of medications, scans, and visits from doctors. Since they’d finally discharged him a couple weeks ago, the only part of the ordeal he missed was seeing her.

  And although the ordeal left him shaken, he’d do it all over again if she needed him without a single second of hesitation.