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I assured her Casper could take care of himself, but privately I wasn’t sure he would come out of this unscathed. Although he couldn’t actually be killed, he was capable of suffering serious injury. I was beginning to worry when I saw him striding in our direction. Fresh blood dripped from his hand.

“Are you all right?” I asked. “Your hand…”

“Is fine.” He stuffed it into his pocket.

I knew that Casper’s wounds healed unnaturally quickly, but I could never quite believe it until I saw his smooth unscarred skin with my own eyes.

Casper asked, “Is Jenny ok?

“She looks fine to me. Oh, and by the way, I’m fine too. Thanks for asking.”

Before Casper had a chance to apologize for not asking after my welfare—well, I assumed that’s what he was going to do—Jenny muttered, “I still don’t understand why Leith attacked Allegra.” She glanced at me curiously. “You haven’t had a sex change have you? I mean you look like a women but you’re tall and…”

“I am a woman thank you very much.”

“Perhaps,” said Casper, “he chose Allegra because she is a warrior.”

Jenny nodded. “Maybe. That would make sense. A warrior against paranormal evil. Yes.”

It’s not how I’d describe myself. Oh sure, I can handle myself in a fight, but I’m hardly a warrior.

Casper interrupted my thoughts. “We should be heading back to Beag Glen.” He turned to Jenny. “We’ll see you safely home first.”

But Jenny refused to go home until she had inspected the cairn. “One of the stones fell when Leith attacked Allegra. It must be replaced.”

“You could do it tomorrow,” I said.

She was horrified by my suggestion. “It must be done immediately.”

“Okay.” Never get in the way of a woman’s devotion to her supernatural being. “We’ll wait here until you’re done.”

“There’s no need,” she said. “I’ll be fine. I’m not frightened of Leith. He won’t harm me.”

I wasn’t too sure. He seemed to have gotten tired of waiting for a male heart.

“Jenny,” I said. “I really think we should wait until you—”

Casper put his hand on my arm. “Jenny has something to do here,” he said, “and we have to get back to Furness.”

I decided to trust Casper. He probably knew what he was doing. He always had in the past.

As we walked down the hill I said, “What happened to Leith?”

“How do you mean?”

“Is he dead? No, what I mean is—” What did I mean? What happened when an angel fought a heartless ghost? I’d never seen that before.

“Leith retreated to his cairn,” said Casper. “But I don’t think he’ll stay there for long.”

Neither did I, but Leith wasn’t my problem. Right now I was more concerned about Casper.

As we reached the car, I said, “Show me your hand.”

He did. It was already completely healed. Even I was astonished.

“Why did you grab the dirk?” I asked. “You could’ve grabbed Leith’s wrist.”

“I could have,” he conceded, “but that wouldn’t have given you the best protection. You might have been seriously injured.”

I touched his palm. “Did it hurt?”

“You know it did, Allegra. It might heal quickly but I feel the same pain as a mortal.”

I shuddered to think how much pain he had suffered on my behalf. Saying thanks didn’t really seem adequate but I did it anyway.

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Now show me your injury.”

When Leith had backhanded me, I had fallen against the cairn and bumped my head. Exploring the injury with my fingers I could feel a golf ball sized lump. It hurt, but as I told Casper, “It’s nothing.”

“I didn’t mean your head injury.” He pointed at my chest.

Glancing down I saw the place where Leith’s dirk had sliced my sweater. The pale wool was stained with blood.

“Let me take a look,” said Casper trying to lift my sweater and the shirt beneath.

“Not out here.” I pushed his hands away. There were people in the village street. “Wait till we get back to Mac’s.”

“Can you drive?” he asked. “Are you concussed?”

“I’m fine. Don’t fuss.”

“Isn’t that what you want?” he asked easily. “You seemed pretty upset when I asked after Jenny’s welfare and not yours.”

There was no answer to that so I ignored it