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)
Merlin just blinks those big eyes at me and doesn’t move.
“What a stinker.” I shake my head and turn to Lucy. “What are you making?”
“Jonas’s favorite. Fish and chips.”
“Yum. I didn’t know that was his favorite. I didn’t realize they had fish and chips in colonial America.”
“They didn’t,” Lucy says with a laugh. “This is a new favorite.”
“Ah, I see. How was your day?”
“Really good, actually,” she tells me. “It was just a normal day, and I’m not going to question or complain about it.”
“Same here.” I pluck a grape off a bunch in a fruit bowl and pop it into my mouth. “Just a regular, run-of-the-mill day. It was kind of nice.”
Lucy pauses and looks over at me. “Why do I feel like it’s the calm before the storm?”
I shrug as she turns back to the stove, and I reach for another grape. “Well, it very well might be, but in the meantime, I’m going to enjoy it. Where is Jonas, anyway?”
“He’s in Hallows End,” Lucy says, reaching for another potato to cut into french fries. “He goes every day around this time to check on things. So far, everything’s been normal over there, so that’s good.”
“Yeah, one less thing for Jonas to worry about.” I eat another grape. “I just ate not long ago, but these grapes are delicious. So sweet.”
Lucy glances over and then frowns. “Those aren’t grapes. They’re flowers.”
“Whatever. I know what grapes taste like, and these are grap—” I look down at my hand and see that I’m not holding a grape but a lilac flower. “What in the world? They were grapes three seconds ago.”
“No, I don’t have any grapes in the house. And I never keep fruit on the table. It’s always a bowl of flowers. You know that.”
I blink up at her, but I don’t understand. “What?”
“Well, it was a normal day. Breena, are you okay?”
“Sure. Of course, I am.” I lower myself into a kitchen chair and pluck at my lips. “I’m numb. I can’t feel my face.”
“Damn it, Breena. Did you only eat the lilacs? That wisteria is poisonous.”
“Wisteria?” My stomach starts to lurch, and I know I’m in trouble. “Oh, no.”
“Yeah, oh, no. Come on, let’s go throw up.”
Lucy takes my hand and helps me into the bathroom. I hug the toilet as all of today’s food comes back up.
I can hear Lucy talking behind me, but I can’t make out the words. I feel dizzy and disoriented.
“Ambulance is coming,” she says into my ear. “On the phone with poison control. Damn it, Breena, don’t you black out on me. This plant won’t kill you, but it will make you really uncomfortable for a while. I need you to drink some water.”
I shake my head. I’m dizzy, and I feel sick. My mouth burns. I just want to go home, and I want Giles.
Where is Giles?
“Giles.”
“I’ll call him, but first, you need to drink this water. It’ll help.”
“No.” I shake my head again, or at least I think I do, but she’s still holding the glass to my lips. I take a little sip, and it burns my mouth, making me cry out.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Lucy kisses my forehead. “I hear the ambulance. We’ll get you to the hospital, and they can help you.”
“So sick. Hurts.”
“I know. I know. And I’m so sorry. In here!” I hear people running and Lucy talking, and then I’m on a gurney, being wheeled out to the ambulance. I see Jonas come running up, his face ashen and full of concern as he reaches Lucy, who’s talking to him, likely telling him what happened.
“I’d like to come with you,” Jonas says to the EMT. With a nod of permission, Jonas jumps in next to me. “Lucy is calling Giles now. I’ll stay with you.”
“Thank you.” I reach for his hand and hold on tightly. “Scared.”
“I’m sure you are, beautiful girl. You’re going to be fine. We’ll get this all taken care of.”
We’re already moving quickly through town. The hospital isn’t far from Lucy’s house, and it only takes what seems like seconds before we’re pulling into the emergency bay.
More moving and people shouting. Jonas explains what happened to the doctor since I can’t talk and am still so disoriented.
“Giles,” I whisper and then see Lucy come into the room. “Giles?”
“I can’t get him to answer the phone,” she says, but she pastes a smile on her face. It doesn’t matter, panic still sets in, and I flail about until someone has to forcibly hold me down. “Stop that, Breena. He’s probably just in the shower or something. Xander is on his way to get him.”
Tears leak from my eyes and run down my cheeks. I’m so uncomfortable, I want to climb out of my skin. Everything burns. Everything’s spinning. I’m nauseous and suddenly feel like I’m going to crap my pants.