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)
“We haven’t thought of it like that,” Lucy says but sighs when Xander doesn’t say anything. “You did.”
“I considered it,” he agrees. “But even with all the research I’ve done, I can’t find any evidence that that’s the case. It doesn’t mean that Lorelei isn’t correct, of course.”
“It’s just that we don’t have evidence, and no reason to think they’re the same,” Lorelei says. “I was really hoping to kill two birds with one stone.”
“That would be convenient,” I reply with a smile. “And I wish it were the case, but I can tell you that I’d never even heard of the murders until I met you.”
“It’s so odd to me that you never heard of it from the newspapers or anywhere else in all these years,” Breena says. “The cases are open, and most have gone cold.”
“We may be several hundred years out from the persecution of witches,” Giles says, “but that doesn’t mean law enforcement busts their asses to figure out the deaths of witches. Besides, in most cases, it’s looked like suicide.”
“Come on,” Lucy says, getting agitated with anger. She rubs her hands down her thighs as if they’re suddenly sweaty. “One witch found dead every Samhain is not freaking suicide.”
“What if those looking into it are under a spell?” Breena asks, speaking slowly. “They aren’t investigating because they can’t.”
“Interesting,” I murmur. “And quite possible.”
“Do you see that?” Lorelei asks Lucy as she points at the window. We all look that way, but I don’t see anything aside from the darkening sky.
“I see it,” Breena confirms. Her voice trembles, and Lucy immediately reaches for my hand.
“Oh, shit,” she murmurs.
“I don’t see anything,” Giles says.
“I don’t either,” I reply.
Xander, with his eyes narrowed, walks to the window and stares out. “What do you see, ladies?”
“A man,” Lorelei says and joins him at the window. Xander links their hands, and Lorelei doesn’t pull away. “He’s standing on the sidewalk, watching us.”
“He’s creepy as hell,” Lucy adds. “He looks…dead.”
“How so?” I ask her.
“Rotting flesh,” Breena answers. “Dirty. He looks like a zombie out of a movie. It’s really cliché, actually.”
“He might very well be dead,” Xander replies calmly.
“Do you see it, Xander?” Giles asks.
“No. It seems that whatever it is, it wants to frighten our girls.”
“It’s working.” Breena shudders. “And now it’s smiling. It still has all its teeth, though. So, a zombie with good dental hygiene?”
I narrow my eyes. I want to see it, to try to understand what’s trying to harm these women, but when I look outside, there’s no one there.
“Skinwalker,” I whisper, and Xander nods.
“It’s likely.”
“It’s the eyes that creep me out,” Lucy says.
“We’re only a few hours from Samhain now.” Lorelei looks up at Xander. “And it’s getting braver.”
“It can’t get inside,” Breena points out. “It can’t get to us in here or in any of our homes.”
“It got to me in mine,” Lucy reminds her. “After we had worked some pretty powerful magic.”
“It’s gone,” Lorelei says in surprise, pointing. “It’s just…gone.”
“What the hell?” Lucy asks. “I think I trusted it more when I could see it.”
“This is evil on a whole new level.” Xander reluctantly lets go of Lorelei’s hand and returns to his seat.
“I admit, even what I went through in New Orleans didn’t scare me quite this badly, and that was pretty fucking terrifying.”
“We stay together,” Breena insists. “Like Lorelei said, it’s only a few more hours until midnight, and that’s when it always happens, between midnight and morning. I’m not losing any of you to this sick son of a bitch.”
“Wow, you never swear,” Lorelei says and then pats Breena on the shoulder. “Good job.”
“I’m so mad.” Breena scowls down at her hands. “I’ve never been this pissed off.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Never?”
“No.” She stands and starts to pace the room, her blond hair swirling around her shoulders as she moves back and forth, anger coming off her in waves. “I want to punch something. Hard.”
“This is…different,” Lucy says thoughtfully.
She’s not herself, she says only to me.
I share a look with Xander, and he nods once.
It seems this particular evil can come inside.
“Breena, why don’t you sit down?” Xander asks softly. “I’ll pour you some whiskey.”
“I don’t want your fucking whiskey,” she shouts as she rounds on him. “I don’t want anything from you, except for all of you to just leave me alone. Just leave me the fuck alone!”
She rushes out of the room, and Giles immediately runs after her.
“It has her.” I have to work to keep my voice calm.
“We have to get it out of her,” Lucy says urgently. “Why are we sitting here?”
“I have her!” Giles shouts from the other room. “Hurry!”
Xander grabs my sister’s Book of Shadows, and we run to the living room, where Giles is holding a snarling Breena.
“Cast the circle,” Xander says as Lorelei and Lucy immediately begin to pour salt around Giles and Breena, and Xander starts chanting an old, simple spell that I remember hearing when I was a child.