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 have a business to run.” I shrug, then cringe as I look around the space. “And that business is making things for customers. I need to have the product on hand in order to make said things.”
“This is chaos,” Lorelei counters with a shake of her head. “And I know you, Breena. You can’t take chaos like this for long. It’ll drive you crazy.”
“It’s better than living in that house.” A shudder runs through my body at the thought. “And that makes me so mad. I loved that little house. But it ruined it for me.”
“I don’t blame you,” Lorelei hurries to assure me, her green eyes full of compassion. “I totally get it. That thing held you prisoner in your own bedroom and tried to kill you.”
I wince again. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“But I told you,” she continues as Lucy picks up a candle I’ve been working on and smells it, “I have plenty of room at my house. You can bring all of this with you.”
I shake my head and sip my coffee. “I appreciate the offer. I really do, Lora. But like I told Giles when he tried to get me to move in with him, I need my own space. I think I’m almost ready to put the house on the market anyway. Then it won’t matter because I’ll have the money from the sale to buy something else.”
“Wait.” Lorelei holds up a hand. “Giles wants you to move in with him? Like, not just up here but into his house?”
I sigh and silently curse myself. Why do I always say stuff I don’t mean to? “He mentioned it.”
“Like in a friendly way, or in an I-want-to-jump-your-bones-so-come-live-with-me kind of way?” Lucy asks.
“You’re incorrigible. Anyway, I’m going to call a realtor and put the house up for sale this week.”
“Why haven’t you already?” Lucy wants to know. “I’m sure it would sell pretty quickly. Houses in Salem are a hot commodity, and that cottage is adorable.”
“Yeah, we just won’t tell anyone about the evil entity that attempted to murder the previous owner,” Lorelei adds.
“I guess I hoped that maybe I could get past what happened and move back in.” I sigh and move to lean on the table before thinking better of it. “I loved that house. But I don’t think that I can ever feel safe there again, and that makes me feel like I’m so weak.”
“Not at all,” Lucy assures me, shaking her head. “You have nothing to feel weak over. It wasn’t your fault.”
“It attacked you in your home, too,” I remind her. “And you didn’t move out.”
“Not in my bedroom,” she replies. “And not in the same way. So, you just stop that right now. If you’re happy here for now, fine. We won’t argue.”
“Much,” Lorelei adds with a grin. “What are you making today? I love all your creations. You’re so freaking creative.”
“I found the cutest little crystal teacups at an estate sale,” I tell them, getting excited all over again. “A whole set of twelve. I had to have them. So, I brought them back here, cleaned them with soap and water, and then cleansed them with smoke to get any bad energy out. Now, I’m making them into candles for the shop.”
“You’re so clever at the repurposing thing,” Lucy says with a grin. “Are you adding the dried orange slices to them, too?”
“Yes, along with a cinnamon stick and a couple of whole cloves. I think I’ll add some crystals, too.”
It always makes me so happy when my cousins like what I’m making. They’d say I’m too much of a people pleaser, but I can’t help it. It brings me joy. It’s my whole purpose in life, and I stopped apologizing for it a long time ago.
“Did you two get a text from Giles this morning?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Yeah, he said he found something he wants to show us all later,” Lorelei says. “I wonder what it is.”
“Knowing Giles, it could be anything.” Lucy sniffs another candle. “But he invited us all to his house, and that doesn’t happen often. We usually meet at Xander’s because he has the most space.”
“I guess we’ll find out in a few hours,” I reply. “How’s Jonas, Lucy? Anything odd happening lately?”
“No, and he’s fine. He says everything in Hallows End has returned to normal—for them, anyway. He goes every morning to walk around town and make sure he’s seen. Checks in with everyone. But so far, there’s been nothing odd since Samhain.”
“Good.” I sigh with relief. According to the history of the thing that comes into Salem every year to kill a witch, it only happens in the fall, during Samhain. But I can’t shake the feeling that something’s still off, despite it being several months later and nearing Beltane.