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)
“Lucy makes them in her apothecary,” I inform her with a smile. “She’s so talented.”
“All our girls are talented,” Mama insists. “What else are you making for Beltane?”
“All kinds of things. Come into the craft room, and I’ll show you.”
“Oh, my goddess,” Mama murmurs when we walk into the former sunroom. “Breena, this is beautiful.”
“I know. It’s kind of a dream, honestly. It’s the perfect workspace for my crafts. It’ll be hard to leave it when the time comes to buy another house.”
“Hmm,” is all she says.
“We went to get the loom,” I tell her. “Giles went with me, thank the gods. There’s still some scary stuff happening over there, Mom.”
“What kind of scary stuff?” she asks, frowning at me. “The energy left.”
“Yeah, but I think it opened a doorway of some kind.” I swallow hard. “There were shadows, really icky energy, and…it’s just not my place anymore. That makes me so mad because that house was my sanctuary. It was my home. I created there, dreamed there, and I planned to live there for a very long time. All that was taken from me. I know it could be so much worse and would have been if not for the ward on my neck.”
I reach back to rub my hand over my nape where the tattoo is.
“But damn it, it took my home.”
“And it’s perfectly natural to grieve for it,” Mama says as she busies herself preparing wicks for the candles. “You know, we need to bring the coven together to cleanse that house before you try to sell it. You can’t put it on the market as it is.”
“No, I know. I was going to ask everyone at Beltane if they’d help me with it. I can’t afford to keep it, but I can’t in good conscience pawn it off on someone the way it is either. It’ll have to be torn down if we can’t purify it.”
“I think we can cleanse it well enough for someone,” Mama says. “It’ll be okay, pumpkin.”
I grin at her. “Aren’t I too old to be called pumpkin?”
“Never.”
“You know, I think I’ll make us some tea for while we work.”
I turn toward the little coffee and tea bar I set up in one of the kitchen’s nooks, and before I can walk over there, the light above the station flips on.
“Is someone here with us?” Mama asks.
“Yeah, that’s Molly. She’s the resident ghost, but she’s a good one. She’s been really friendly.”
“Fascinating,” my mom replies. “You’re having all kinds of new experiences in this house, Breena.”
“No kidding.” I set the pot on the stove and ready the cups, the tea bags, and the honey. When the water boils, I pour it, then get the spoons stirring.
On their own.
“You’ve always been good at that spell,” Mama says as I pass her a mug.
“You and the aunts taught us when we were little. I think it was the first magical working we ever did.”
“It’s a simple one.” She shrugs and takes a sip.
The light above the station goes out.
“She’s a helpful ghost.”
I grin. “Yes, she is. I think she likes me.”
“What’s not to like?”
“Thanks for coming today.” Several hours later, I walk Mama to the door. “I needed it.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get more done, but we were too swept up in gossip.”
I laugh and hug her close. “It’s okay. Sometimes, that’s all you need to accomplish in one day—spending time with your mom.”
She frames my face in her hands. “I love you, sweet girl. You’re safe here.”
“I know. I feel it.”
I open the door for her and see Giles just pulling into the driveway.
“Oh, good, I get to say hello to Giles.”
I wait on the porch as Mama walks down to her car and says hello to the man I’m currently living with.
He smiles happily when he sees her, his whole face lighting up in welcome, then plucks a pink rose out of the bouquet in his hand and offers it to her.
To her utter delight.
He’s a handsome man, so tall, broad, and strong. But his brain has always fascinated me the most.
He’s just so smart.
When he kisses my mom on the cheek and then turns to walk up the steps to me, the twinkle in his eyes makes me weak in the knees.
“I brought these for you.” He offers me the flowers. I accept them before waving to my mother.
“You’ve brought something home to me every day this week.” I bury my nose in a blossom to fuss over it a little. “Yesterday, it was my favorite coffee. Today, it’s flowers. Are you trying to romance me or something?”
“Well, look at that.” He leans in to kiss my cheek. “She’s finally catching on.”
I laugh and lead Giles into the house and back to the kitchen so I can put the flowers into a vase with some water.