Page 59 of Hallows End
I read it twice and then simply sit at the table and rest my head on my arms as I cry.
“You’ve cried too often since I’ve known you.”
Jonas’s hands are on my shoulders. I simply pass him the letter and let the tears come.
ChapterThirteen
He stands on the street, in front of the house where she lives, watching. The wards are strong enough to keep him back, and that sparks an anger in him that he hasn’t felt in centuries.
Howdareshe?
Now, he has to find another way to get to her. The inconvenience will only add to the satisfaction when he takes her life, though.
He watches as those inside laugh, and a smile slowly spreads across his face.
He will wipe the laughter off all their faces.
He glances to his left.
“You’ll do.”
ChapterFourteen
Jonas
“There is no mention of the three-hundred-and-thirty-three-year deadline that Xander mentioned the other night,” I inform Lucy as she comes behind her counter to hold items for her last customer of the day. “I’ve read through my Book of Shadows and the one my aunt gave me before she passed, and it’s not there.”
Lucy chews on her lip in thought. “Maybe what Xander read is wrong. I mean, the information is hundreds of years old and could have been mistranslated or something.”
“It came from somewhere.” I can hear the frustration in my voice as Lucy turns away to help her customer. I don’t know why I’m fixated on this point, other than I don’t know how I missed it so long ago.
Again, I’ve asked myself, would it have changed anything in the moment? Probably not.
But IknowI wouldn’t have missed it before.
“Hey, I have a delivery for you.”
I glance up at the voice at the door. Lucy smiles at the delivery person.
“Oh, hi. Great, I was waiting for those. You can just leave it there. I’ll get it.”
“I don’t mind bringing it in for you,” he says. “But it’s not heavy.”
“Yeah, it’s no worries. Thank you.”
“Have a good one.” He scans the box with his tool and then waves and hurries off.
Lucy finishes ringing up the customer’s order and then walks her to the door so she can pull the box in and lock up for the day.
“I had a fun day today,” Lucy says with a smile as she carries the box to the counter and sets it down. “The customers were all interesting and needed such diverse things for their practices. I so enjoy helping them make their choices.”
“You’re good with them,” I confirm and close the book before me so I can give Lucy all my attention. “And they respect you, as they should. You know what you’re doing.”
“I studied for a long time.” She flashes a small smile. “This shop didn’t happen on a whim or because I thought it would be a fun hobby. I studied herbs and plants foryears.I spent so much time in the kitchen trying to come up with the salves and tinctures, the drinking teas and the bath teas.”
“I’d never heard of a bath tea,” I admit.
“Water is powerful, as we know. And when you add the right herbs and salt with the perfect intention to the bath, it can create an intense spell.Everyoneknows the benefits of Epsom salts, right?”