Page 75 of Hallows End

“Oh, baby, she still does,” Astrid reminds me.

“I have a question.” Jonas frowns. “You all have death wards. How did it kill her? It’s obviously not mortal.”

“The girls got the tattoos against their mothers’ wishes,” Hilda says, eyeing her daughter. “We didn’t think it was appropriate. Not the tattoo itself, necessarily, but the ward. A witch should be able to use and alter any spell they cast. They should be able to change their mind. But the tattoos are permanent.”

“We got them anyway,” Lorelei says with a wink.

“The moms have different wards,” Breena adds. “They have it woven into their hair each year on the summer solstice.”

“It made my mom cut hers out.” I press my lips together. “It told her that if she did, it would spare me. It was a lie, of course.”

“I’m so sorry you had to see all of that,” Breena says.

“That’s not all I saw,” I continue. “Tonight, in my house, it made me destroyeverything.Everything in the shop is ruined. My kitchen is obliterated.”

I feel my chest heave, and I bury my face in Nera’s fur.

“It made me kick Nera.”

I’m okay,Nera says and nuzzles against my neck.I know you love me.

“Oh, honey.” Lorelei sits on my other side.

“And then my mom was there. Lorelei, you told me that she was staying in the house to watch over things. She was there. It showed her to me. She was fighting it, and then it killed her again. But this time, it was her soul. She’s gone.”

The last few words come out on a sob as I close my eyes, still leaning on Nera. I weep.

“She’s not gone,” Astrid insists.

“She is. I saw it happen. I’m just so angry.”

“Lucy,” Jonas says. “Open your eyes, sweetheart. She’s not gone.”

I lift my head. Standing right before me as if she were skin and bone is my mom. She smiles softly, her eyes churning with emotion.

I jump up and try to wrap my arms around her in a hug, but I pass right through her.

“I guess I got a little excited.”

I turn to find Mom laughing, along with the others.

“How is this possible?” I demand.

“It was a nightmare,” Hilda assures. “It was scaring you and doing a good job of it. But it didn’t destroy your mother.”

“Oh, thank the goddess.” I want to reach for her so badly. I want her to hug me close, brush my hair back, and tell me that everything will be okay.

Even if it’s a lie, I want to hear her say it.

“I’m so mad at you,” I inform her, and she just smiles and shrugs. “I’m an adult now, Mom. You don’t have to keep teaching me lessons.”

“You’ll always be my daughter,” is all she says in reply, and her voice is music to my ears. “You’ll stay here for a few days.”

“No, I have a mess to clean up at home—”

“You’ll stay here,” Jonas interrupts and stands beside me. It’s not lost on me that everyone steps away as if they’re giving us a moment to ourselves. “It’s not safe at your house, Lucy. I saw what it did to you, and I do not trust that it’s gone. So, you’ll go nowhere near it for the time being. We’re only a week out from Samhain, and things are only going to ramp up.”

“Jonas—”