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)
“See? He’s right here,” Lucy says, pointing to me.
“Giles!” Breena sits up and reaches for me. I pull her into my arms. She clings to me as if she thought she’d never see me again. “Oh, my goddess, I thought something horrible happened to you.”
“Hey, I’m fine, baby. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” I rock her back and forth and look up at Lucy, who’s pale and looks like she might be sick. I wink at her, and she tries to offer me a smile, but I can tell it’s forced. I tip Breena’s face up so I can look at her. “I think you’ve given everyone a scare, sweetheart.”
“Scared me, that’s for sure,” Lucy says, trying to keep her voice light. “And I don’t think it’s something I’d like to go through again. Twice is enough for me.”
“Twice?” Breena asks.
“Yeah, once during Samhain last year and then again today. Sure, this was less dramatic, but it was no less scary.”
“What happened, exactly?” Lorelei demands as she climbs onto the opposite side of the bed from me and takes Breena’s hand. “And don’t leave anything out. I want to know everything.”
“Merlin came to Lucy’s house earlier today,” Breena begins and swallows hard. “Giles and I couldn’t find him at the house, and we looked everywhere. But then Lucy called to tell me he was here, so I came over to get him. Lucy and I were chatting while she made fish and chips for Jonas, and I started eating grapes from a bowl on the table. They were so good, I couldn’t stop eating them, but they weren’t grapes. They were poisonous flowers, and I got violently sick. My mouth burned, and I couldn’t stop throwing up. I was dizzy and just so nauseous I couldn’t stand it. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital. Jonas rode with me in the ambulance. Then, when we were in the room at the hospital, and I was freaking out because no one could find Giles for me, Jonas was talking to me in my head to help calm me down.”
She looks around the room, likely seeking out Jonas, and finds him standing in the doorway. She offers him a sweet smile.
“You were the only thing that could keep me calm. Gosh, I love you, Jonas.”
“I love you, too, precious one.” He smiles gently. “What else do you remember?”
“I just wanted Giles, but no one could find him. Lucy said that Xander went to get him, but they never came to the hospital, and it felt like we were waiting forever for them. And then I heard Giles in my head, calling out for me, telling me he needed me. Then everything changed, and I was in this bed, not the hospital bed. But Lucy and Jonas were still here. I’m so confused.”
“Okay.” I pull her against me again and pat her back soothingly. “Why don’t you tell us what you saw, Lucy?”
“Well, Breena just showed up out of the blue at my back door. I was happy to see her and waved her in, but she didn’t come inside. She just passed out right there on the porch. Jonas was just coming back from Hallows End, and he brought her up here. I tried to call you, Giles, but you didn’t answer, so I called Lorelei, and she offered to swing by and get you. And she did.”
“But you called to tell me to come get Merlin,” Breena says to Lucy, who’s already shaking her head.
“Actually, just after you left, Merlin hopped onto the couch with me,” I tell Breena, frowning. “And when I was about to call out to see if you were already home, you texted me and told me you were going to stay and chat with Lucy for a while.”
“But I didn’t—”
“I know,” I continue. “I realize now that you didn’t text me at all. After Merlin curled up with me on the couch, I fell asleep and had a doozy of a nightmare. I woke up when Lorelei banged on the door to get me.”
“He looked really shaken,” Lorelei adds. “The only time I’ve ever seen him look that bad was when everything went down last year. His eyes looked so haunted.”
“Did you have a nightmare?” Jonas asks.
As I remember it, I let out a shaky breath and tell them about it. “Yes, you could call it that. I was being pressed to death, as Giles Corey, in 1692.”
“So much for our normal day,” Lucy says grimly. “That sounds like a pretty shitty dream to me.”
“It wasn’t fun,” I agree. “And it all just felt so real. That’s the second time I’ve had that vision of Giles. This is the first time I was actually the man himself, though, and not just a spectator.”