Page 65 of Hallows End
I stand and pace the small kitchen, then go stand by the window and watch as the sun begins to set to the west. “It can’t be.”
“What is it?”
I turn and stare at them, stupefied.
“Louisa is in Hallows End.”
ChapterFifteen
Lucy
“We’ve had such a lovely autumn,” Breena says as she lifts her pretty face to the last of the sunshine falling in deep golden rays over her skin. “I know we’ve had a few days of rain, but for the most part, it’s been warm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the flowers still blooming this close to Samhain.”
“Winter will be here soon enough.” Lorelei takes a bite of her bruschetta. “And it’s usually long and dark. That was one thing that didn’t suck about California, the sunshine.”
“But you’re happy to be home, aren’t you?” I ask her.
“Oh, yeah. Home is where the heart is.” She stretches her legs out in front of her. We’re sitting on a huge quilt that the three of us made together as teenagers. I’ve hung on to it and use it often for picnics like this one. “But if Xander suddenly moved away, I wouldn’t be sad.”
“You’re doing really well together, all things considered,” Breena says. “You hardly ever snipe at each other, and you haven’t punched him even once. I consider that progress.”
“No physical altercationsisgood,” I agree and laugh when Lorelei narrows her eyes speculatively. “Oh, no, now she’s thinking about slugging him.”
“I already did that once,” she says and then jerks a shoulder. “Anyway, enough abouthim.I have to tell you guys that I’m havingsucha good time rediscovering everything that I used to love about the Craft.”
“Oh, that makes me so happy.” Breena rests her chin in her hand. “Tell us everything. What have you been up to?”
With a smug smile, Lorelei looks around my yard to the fountain I have running in the middle of my vegetable garden, which is about done for the season now, and wiggles her fingers.
To our delight, the water runs much faster and then bubbles up and over the side to slosh onto the ground before I hear her whisper, “down,” and it all calms to the way it was before.
“You’resogood at that,” I say, shaking my head. “You always were.”
“I’m relearning,” she admits, returning to her food. “And I’m discovering things about my magic that I didn’t know was there before.”
“Fascinating,” Breena says. “Like what?”
“I don’t even know if I can describe it to you. It’s just…I never realizedhowpowerful I was until I came home and started studying again. And I know well enough to understand that I can’t ever go back. I’ll use my powers for the rest of my life. No more turning my back on them, even if Xander makes me want to scream.”
“He isn’t the center of your powers,” I remind her gently. “That’s always and forever onlyyou.”
She nods and looks back at the fountain. When the water splashes once more, the three of us laugh.
Nera runs over to inspect the water and then takes a drink, which has us laughing even more.
“Poor Nera,” Lorelei says. “Come here, good boy.”
My familiar hurries over to her and then falls onto his back, right in the middle of the quilt so he can soak up attention from all three of us.
“You know, you never told us what you and Giles talked about the other day when you went on your walk,” I remind Breena and watch as her cheeks flush a bright pink. “Oh, it must have beenreally good.”
“Speak,” Lorelei demands, still rubbing Nera’s belly. “Tell us everything.”
“We didn’t really say much.”
“Right. The blush on your face saysthat was a boring conversation.”
“He wanted to know about the whole crush thing, and he apologized because he didn’t know earlier and was worried.”