Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 68024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68024 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
She raises an eyebrow, and it makes me smile. “So, you think you can just boss me around now or something? Just because I’m in love with you?”
And, just like that, my heart stops, and the breath leaves my lungs.
Those green eyes of hers grow big as if she’s shocked that she said the words out loud.
My fingertips dance down her cheek and then over her neck, finally plunging into her beautiful, thick hair.
“The love I feel for you is at once life-affirming and terrifying, Luciana. It is with every fiber of my being that I love you. I’m entirely under your spell, and my heart is yours to keep.”
Tears glitter in her eyes as she swallows hard and then offers me a watery smile.
“Well, that might be the most romantic thing anyone has ever said in the history of the world.”
“I mean every word of it. I have waited centuries for you.”
“Damn.” She swipes at a tear. “Seventeenth-century men know how to treat a woman.”
I smile as she cleans up the tears and then takes my hand to press it to her cheek.
“Be careful today,” she says. “I’ll be in the shop with Nera until closing, and then we will go to Xander’s.”
“I’ll be there in time to join you for that,” I assure her. “And you be cautious, as well.”
“Oh, I am,” she promises. “I’ll be on my toes. Now, I’m going to sneak out before the village becomes too active.”
I pull her in for a quick hug. “Thank you for coming.”
“If you call for me, I’ll come. That’s just how it works.”
With one last squeeze, she pulls back and then winks at me.
“I’ll see you soon.”
I step out to watch her hurry to the tree line. At the bridge, she turns and blows me a kiss, and then she’s gone.
I’ll see you soon, she says once more in my mind.
Very soon, indeed.
“I brought pizza,” Giles announces as he walks into Xander’s home library. He sets the stack of boxes on a table and pushes his glasses up his nose, eyes immediately searching for Breena.
Breena frowns at the book she’s reading.
“I’m so hungry,” Lorelei says with a grateful smile and opens the top box. “Who likes anchovies?”
“I do.” Xander shoulders her out of the way to take a slice.
“The others don’t have fish,” Giles assures her. “Okay, so, what are we doing?”
“Just chilling,” Lucy replies with a sweet smile. “Getting to know each other better. Discussing what we’re going to wear to Friday night’s dance.”
Giles’s eyes narrow. “You’re a smartass, Lucy Finch.”
“We’re researching,” Xander says with his mouth full. “I have a few books over there to go through, all from the eighteen hundreds. Basically, we’re searching for anything that might mention the curse, the town, or anything we think might correlate with what’s going on in Hallows End.”
“Essentially,” Lorelei adds and licks tomato sauce from the corner of her mouth, “we’re searching for a needle in an ocean of hay. That’s more than a haystack.”
“I’m also hitting up message boards.” Breena opens her laptop. “Reaching out to people I know but being careful in how I word things. Don’t worry, I won’t set off any alarms or anything.”
“I trust you,” I assure her and eye the pizza.
“Grab some,” Lucy suggests. “Bambolina is the best.”
“I honestly don’t usually eat in Salem,” I admit.
“Why? The food’s great,” Lorelei replies.
“Mostly out of solidarity. I have a sense of loyalty to those in Hallows End who eat the same things, day in and out. It’s hardly fair that I can come here and eat this kind of food and they cannot. However, I’m starving, so I’ll eat.”
I snag a slice and return to my chair.
“Now that everyone’s here, we can fill you in on what happened this morning,” Lucy announces and shoves the last of her pizza into her mouth.
I can’t resist reaching over to brush a crumb from her lips.
“Tell us,” Breena says.
I relay everything that transpired from the minute I crossed the bridge into Hallows End until Lucy returned to her home afterward.
“She’s been pregnant for three centuries?” Lorelei demands and swallows hard.
“That’s what I said,” Lucy agrees.
“I don’t like that things are different.” I shake my head slowly. “It has been exactly the same since the night I cast the curse. There’s never been a deviation. Until today.”
“Maybe because we’re working and digging into it? Perhaps we…unstuck something,” Breena suggests. “Like when you’re trying to loosen something, and you wiggle it around until it starts to give.”
“I think that’s exactly what’s happening,” Xander says, speaking for the first time. “Also, Jonas, did you realize that you have three hundred and thirty-three years, to the minute, to break the curse?”
I scowl at the other man. “That can’t be accurate.”
“From what I’ve read, it is. The curse remains in place for those three hundred and thirty-three years, and then it’s simply done.”