Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“I love spring,” Polly, Giles’s mom, says with a happy smile. “The flowers are just so refreshing. Winter always makes me sad.”
“Oh, no,” Lorelei says as she picks up a lilac. “This one is already starting to wilt.”
Lucy wiggles her fingers and smiles at the bloom, plumping it right back up.
“Well, that’s handy,” Polly says with a laugh and then glances at the doorway. “Hello, Agatha.”
Lucy’s head whips over to the doorway. I can see she’s hoping to see her mother, but I can tell by the way her shoulders sag that she can’t.
“If it makes you feel any better,” I say to Lucy, “I can’t see her either.”
“It seems you and I are the only ones who can’t,” Lucy says with a pout. “I thought I’d get to see her regularly after last fall, but no. She’s hiding from me again.”
“Not hiding,” Astrid says, shaking her head. “She just knows you don’t need her right now.”
“I always need her,” Lucy whispers and then shudders. “Whoa, what was that?”
“She just put her hand on your shoulder,” Lorelei tells Lucy. “And she kissed the top of your head. You may not be able to see her, but she’s with you, and she loves you.”
Lucy’s eyes fill with tears, but she smiles at Lorelei. “Thanks. I needed that.”
“I know,” Lorelei says and then looks at her own mother. “If you ever do that to me, I’ll be really, really mad at you.”
Astrid laughs and stands to take care of the boiling water she has on the stove for tea. “Do we know what kind of activities are planned for the Beltane festival this year? Hilda and I decided not to be on the committee this time.”
“There will be music,” Polly begins, “and lots of food. Some ritual magic.”
“Dancing naked under the moon?” I ask, and Polly nods her head.
“If you’d like to, of course.”
“I was kidding,” I reply, shaking my head.
“Well, going skyclad is completely optional,” Astrid reminds me. “But you have a lovely figure, darling, and you should consider it. It’s quite the liberating and spiritual experience.”
“I think I’ll pass, thanks.” I laugh and reach for another bunch of tulips, but they’re dead when I pull them to me. “Lucy, you need to work your magic on these.”
I glance up, feeling like the wind has been knocked out of my lungs.
Everything in the room is dead. Not just the flowers but also the people. All of them are slumped over, their eyes wide and skin decaying in front of me. The stench of death and blood fills the air, making me gag.
“Stop it,” I whisper. “This isn’t real.”
“Oh, darling, they’re all with me now.” Agatha catches my attention and grins at me in that horrible, sinister way I’ve come to absolutely despise. “Come along. Join us. It’s so freeing to be on the other side. You don’t have to be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid. I’m pissed off, you son of a bitch.”
Agatha’s face crumples in rage. “You’re nothing. Do you hear me? You’re nothing, and you’re going to die in the most painful way imaginable.”
I stand and raise my hands at the apparition that isn’t my aunt at all and speak loudly and with intent.
“You’re not real. This is all a lie, and lies aren’t welcome here. Be gone.” I slice my hand through the air and then continue with a spell.
“This is not your place, this is not your time, be gone from my sight at the end of this rhyme. Take your deceit, your torturous glee, return to your hell, so mote it be.”
Agatha’s face twists in pain, and then she disappears altogether.
“Darling, what’s wrong?” I blink at my mother, who’s watching me with concern.
“Huh?”
“What happened?” Polly asks. “Should I call Giles?”
“No.” I shake my head and sit. “Sorry. It tried to scare me, but I got rid of it.”
“How?” Mom demands.
“You were all dead.” I swallow hard and then shrug it off. “But I knew it was a lie. You’re not dead, and it’s gone now.”
“We need to figure out a way to get it gone for good,” Lucy says.
“I think we’ve figured that out.”
We glance at the door, surprised to see all the guys there, even Giles’s dad.
“I didn’t think you were coming today,” Lorelei says to Xander, who just frowns at her.
“We came early because we wanted to run something by all of you,” Giles says as he reaches for a cookie. “And I’m in luck with the cookies.”
“Not too many,” Astrid says, shaking a finger at him. “Dinner isn’t far away.”
Giles smiles at her and then nods at Jonas.
“The killer has been using mirrors to mess with everyone,” Jonas begins. “It happened to Lucy and me in the shop this morning, and Giles tells me he and Breena have also been dealing with it of late.”
“Yes,” I confirm. “And Lorelei, too, in the car yesterday.”