Something smelled floral. And there was a rosy glow.

Gratefully, I awoke. Gracious, what a nightmare. Or did I die and this is after?

My eyelids seemed sticky, but I blinked them open. Now, in that moment, I had few expectations. I could have seen almost anything and retained my composure. But the last thing I expected to see was an up-close vision of Resa Rockthwaite's face, eyes closed, with long lashes like kitten fuzz, and lips slightly parted and only inches from mine. A rosy glow surrounded us.

A sappy, beatific smile stretched my face. "Wow!" I breathed. The sight was that spectacular.

"Rik!" Trixie's voice squeaked. Her hands snaked between me and Resa to cup my head and rock it over. Sure enough, there she was, my li'l sis. I grinned at her. A smile trembled on her lips, but overall, she looked sort of sickly and her face was a mess.

"Just a sec, Trixie," Resa murmured. "Not quite done." In that moment, she had a throaty alto. Also in that moment, I was crushing bad.

Past the two female heads, I could see a bright star in the night sky. My stomach lurched. "Oh, no," I said. I must still be laying on the asphalt battlefield. Nearby lay dead police and— I twisted my head to look for Father Brent.

Trixie prevented it, clamping my head tight between her hands. "Rik ... He's gone."

I gave up. Slipping into meditation helped me to quell the rising tension in my body. "He was magnificent, Trixie. I ... I'm going to write a song for him."