Page 52 of Hallows End
“That leaves us with two whole years to get this right,” Lorelei insists. “We have plenty of time.”
I can’t help but laugh. When all eyes turn to me, I take a breath and shrug. “You have no idea how quickly time passes.”
“But time doesn’t really exist,” Giles adds. “It’s something we use here in this realm, but it doesn’t exist, so it shouldn’t factor in.”
“I like that philosophy, but the truth is, we do use time in this realm, and it absolutely does factor in here,” Xander replies. “And I agree with Jonas, time goes fast. Two years sounds like a long time, but it’ll move quicker than we want it to.”
“Great,” Breena mutters. “So, not only do we have to catch a killer, but we also have a deadline on lifting the curse. No pressure or anything.”
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If you don’t want to—or can’t—help me, I understand.”
“Oh, no,” Breena says and stands to reach out to me, taking my hand. “That’s not at all what I meant. Wewillhelp. It’s just frightening. And, honestly, intimidating. But it’s going to happen, Jonas. You’re our family now.”
“You are perhaps the kindest soul I’ve ever met, Breena.”
Her cheeks flush from the compliment, and then she returns to her computer.
“I have a woman I can reach out to in Louisiana.” Lucy pulls at her bottom lip. “She’s possibly the most powerful being I’ve met, and she’s just wonderful. I’ll call her first thing in the morning.”
“Miss Sophia?” Xander asks quietly.
“Yes.”
“Good thinking. Giles, were you able to get that tiger’s eye sphere we spoke about last night at your shop?”
“Yes,” Giles replies, fishing around in his satchel for the crystal. “I knew that a friend of mine in Boston would have it. So, after we spoke, I called him and then drove over to pick it up.”
“Excellent, thank you.”
“After you came to Breena’s?” Lucy asks, and Giles frowns at her.
“I wasn’t at Breena’s last night.”
Now, both Breena and Lucy scowl at the man.
“You knocked right on my door, Giles,” Breena says, addressing him for the first time. “Right after you tried to call me.”
“Ididtry to call,” he admits. “Because you won’t freaking talk to me, and it’s damn frustrating. But I can assure you, I wasnowherenear your house. I had to go into Boston, and traffic into the city is always a bitch.”
Lucy and Breena share a look that’s full of confusion.
“What happened?” Xander demands.
“We were in my house,” Breena begins, “talking and such, and my phone rang. I dismissed Giles’s call, but then there was a knock on the door. It was Giles. It didn’t really surprise me because I’ve been dodging him for a few days.”
“Wearegoing to talk,” Giles assures her, but she ignores him, and Lucy picks up the story.
“Breena wouldn’t invite him in. Oh, my goddess, Breen. Yourefusedto welcome him in, and he even mentioned it.”
“What did he say?” Xander asks.
“’You won’t invite me in?’That’s what he said. And Breena said no and told him to go. Thank the goddess you didn’t invite him—orit—in.”
“What was it, if it wasn’t Giles?” Breena demands. “I know what Giles looks like. I’ve had a crush on him for my entire adult life, remember?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Giles murmurs under his breath.
“This isn’t the first time one of you has had contact with this,” I say. “Lucy, you saw the dog in the night when you were walking with Nera.”