Page 90 of Hallows End
With that, Giles nods and leaves, and when Breena closes the door behind him, she leans against it and closes her eyes.
“Holy shit, Breen,” I say with a big grin. “You’re having a romance withGiles.”
But when she opens her eyes, my smile fades.
Tears spill over onto her cheeks, and she quickly wipes at them as if she’s embarrassed and doesn’t want us to see.
“What’s wrong?” Lorelei asks, sitting up at attention.
“Nothing,” she says, but the sniffle gives her away.
“Right. Because we always cry when Giles leaves a room.” I frown at Breena and cross my arms over my chest. “Did he whisper something to you that you didn’t like?”
“Do we have to beat him up?” Lorelei demands.
“No.” Breena sighs and then lowers herself into a chair, looking defeated. “He didn’t do anything, and itwassweet that he came to check on me.”
“So why the tears?”
Breena sniffles once more and then turns her gaze on the window. “Because although I’ve had a crush on him forever, I know in my heart that he’s not meant for me. And it just hurts.”
“Breena, you don’t know that,” Lorelei says, but Breena shakes her head sharply.
“Stop.” Her voice is hard. “Don’t placate me. I know what I know. And I’ll be fine, but I want just one stupid moment where I get to cry over it a little.”
“Then you should cry,” I say softly and reach over to take her hand. “If that’s what you need to do, then do it.”
ChapterTwenty
Jonas
The illness seems to have finally passed.
It’s almost noon when I knock on Louisa’s door. The rest of the coven is recovering nicely, with no fevers, healthy appetites, and color in their cheeks.
It was a long night—perhaps the longest of my life—but I’m relieved that the worst seems to be over.
John answers the door, looking rested and happy today.
“Good morning, Jonas.”
“From the look of things, you both had a better night.”
The other man nods and closes the door behind me. “She has improved so much. I told her she should rest and not cook the midday meal, but she insisted.”
“I feel well enough to dance,” Louisa says with a bright smile, but when her eyes meet mine, I see the worry in them. “We have things to discuss.”
“I believe we do.”
And I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to talk with my old friend that I’m afraid I might cry.
“Come.” Louisa points to a chair. John kisses his wife on the cheek before leaving the house to see to matters outside. I suspect they arranged this before I arrived. “There is time while the chicken cooks. How much time has passed since we cast the curse, Jonas?”
Louisa watches me with sober, concerned eyes.
“More than three hundred years,” I reply with a sigh.
Louisa sits back, stunned, and then tears fill her eyes. “What? Jonas, how? How is that possible? It was only supposed to be a couple of years, at the most. Hallows End hasn’t changed.”