excerpt from the end of Chapter 2

Tara's resurrection

'

She finished the spell, the words tingling her lips, but she kept her head down, afraid to look up. Afraid even to breathe.

The voice was half purr, half question, small and tentative.

"Willow?"

She looked up, eyes widening as she drew a sharp breath. Both hands flew to cover her mouth, shaking,and tears sprang to her eyes, sliding quickly down her cheeks. Tears of repressed anguish, of unimaginable gratitude, and impossible joy.

Tara had never looked more beautiful.

She stood, blond hair framing her face, cinnamon dress clinging to her curves, and walked over to kneel beside Willow's chair. Tara reached up to wipe away Willow's tears even as her own began to fall.

"Sssh, baby.Sshhh.It's okay."

Willow grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace, pressing her face into Tara's hair and inhaling the scent of her-that scent that was only hers, that could not belong to anyone else-and then she knew this was no dream, no illusion.

She shook,crying,and Tara cried with her. Tara cupped the back of her head in her hands and then their lips met in a succession of quick, sensuous kisses. They breathed each other's breath, tasted the salt of each other's tears, and Willow knew that some universal error had been corrected. She had been only a fragment of herself, and now she was whole again.

They were interrupted by the waiter, who stood a few feet away pretending not to look at them even as he cleared his throat.

Startled, Willow looked up and realized that everyone in the restaurant was staring at them. Whatever magick Catherine had used to deflect attention, it had faded.

Tara laughed softly, covering her mouth to hide her smile, one of a thousand habits she had taken with her when she died. Just seeing that single gesture broke Willow's heart all over again.

Blushing , Tara slid into the chair opposite Willow's.

Willow took her hand and glanced up at the waiter."Check, please?"

'