Page 10 of Hallows End

Her smile is wide and immediate. “Oh, yes. It’s a great antibiotic, but you must already know that. If you’re feeling unwell, you can put a few drops in your mouth. Sore ear? A few drops in the canal will do the trick. It’s a lifesaver.”

I wander around the shop, taking it all in and trying to tame the unexplained pull. I can feel the magic in here, and it’s like coming home.

“Do I know you?” Lucy asks and walks around a shelf to better see me.

“I don’t think so. I’m not from Salem.”

She starts to reach for me but pulls her hand back at the last second, cradling it against her chest as her eyes widen. “Oh, my goddess. You’rehim.”

“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. You’re the man I saw walking through the forest last night,” she says impatiently as she narrows her spectacular green eyes at me. “It was you.”

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep myself under control. I’ve never felt the kind of pull, the kind of connection, that I feel to this woman in all my life.

For the first time in centuries, I’m out of my element.

“What’s your name?” she asks.

“Jonas,” I reply.

“What were you doing in the woods last night?” The question is soft, not accusatory, but most definitely curious. “And where did you go when you disappeared?”

“Are you certain you weren’t dreaming?”

Her lips firm in frustration. “Trust me, that wasn’t a dream. I’m well aware of the difference.”

But rather than push and question me further, she turns her attention to the tray of herbs on the nearby table. She talks as she begins sorting the dried blossoms, putting some in glass jars and others in a bucket.

“I’m not used to finding strange men in my woods,” she says and lifts a blossom to her nose to sniff. “Strangers, on the other hand,thatI’m used to. I’ve lived and worked in Salem all my life, and we get more than our share of tourists wanting to have a paranormal experience; to meet a real witch and maybe get spooked just a little.”

“And have I?” I ask as I continue watching her beautiful hands.

“Have you what?”

“Met a real witch?”

Her lips turn up, and with the flick of her fingers, the dried flower plumps back up, turning into a beautiful, fresh bloom.

“Well then,” I say with a nod. “It would seem I have.”

“You don’t have to look far around here.” She puts the blossom in a bowl of water and then returns to the task at hand. “If you’re interested in the history of witches here, I recommend hitting up the museum.”

“Do you think they have their facts straight?”

Her eyebrows climb at the question, and then she simply says, “I think they did well with what they could understand.”

Very well put.

Nera lays at his master’s feet and lets out a long sigh before starting to snore.

“He’s not usually this relaxed with strangers in the building,” Lucy says.

“He’s a good boy.”

“The best.” She reaches down to lovingly stroke the dog’s ears, and I suddenly have a vision of her running those hands overme.

I clear my throat and offer Lucy a small smile. “I like your shop very much.”