Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Lorelei, wake up. We have to see to the baby. The storm is scaring her, honey, and I need to get the door. Lora.”
But instead of getting off my lap, she looks up at me with stark, white eyes.
“Shit. This is a nightmare.”
The baby’s cries grow louder—the child wailing as if someone’s torturing her.
“You have no power here,” I begin, my voice loud and strong. “Remove this menace, remove this blight, cast out this evil this very night. Free us from its wicked grasp, open the way, let goodness last. Cleanse this place and all within. We will prevail, it will not win.”
“Xander.”
I can hear Lorelei’s voice, but the Lora in my lap isn’t saying anything.
“Xander, wake up.”
I suck in a quick breath. When I open my eyes, Lorelei has moved to straddle me and has my face between her sweet hands as she scowls down at me with concern.
“Hey,” she says, stroking one hand down my cheek. “You were dreaming.”
“Nightmare,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Sensing that I need to stand, she wiggles herself off my lap and steps away while I climb to my feet and move to stare out the window. There’s no storm. The sun hasn’t quite set yet, and the water looks calm. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Still hearing the baby’s cries echoing in my ears, I shake my head and turn to look at her. “No. It was just a silly dream. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“I probably shouldn’t have slept for so long anyway, not if I want to sleep tonight.” She licks her lips. “Do you want to stay for dinner? I can whip something up.”
I wouldn’t say no if my life depended on it.
“Sure. I should go do my evening patrol really quick and make sure the others are okay. Do I have time for that? Will you be okay here for less than thirty minutes?”
“Of course. I’ll be fine. You go fly or do whatever it is you do, and I’ll get dinner going.”
“I won’t be long,” I promise and move to the door.
“Xander?”
I stop and look back at her, finding her watching me with concern still written all over her gorgeous face.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll be back soon.”
I want to pull her into my arms and take comfort in her, but instead, I head out to do my rounds, needing some time to clear my head.
I do this a few times a day since it has decided to dick with us again. I shift into the raven and fly around Salem, checking to see that everything is as it should be, and then I fly to Lucy and Jonas’s place, and then to Giles and Breena’s. I want to be sure they’re safe.
The raven has always been the easiest for me to shift into. It was the first form I discovered as a kid, much to my mom’s dismay. I come from a long, long line of witches, so the shifting in and of itself didn’t scare her, but she didn’t want me flying around on a whim. She worried about me.
She still does and calls me often. She and my grandmother have insisted that they travel from their retirement community in Florida up to Salem for Samhain this year.
I would rather they stayed down south where they’re safe, but when I said as much, they wouldn’t have it. And, selfishly, I’m excited to see them in a few weeks.
So, with the wind blowing around me, I soar over the little city I love so much. Tourists walk down cobblestone streets, some wearing the black witches’ hats sold all over town. I see two separate walking tours with more tourists listening raptly as the guide tells stories of people who have been gone for centuries.
Marydell Roberts stands in front of the city hall, holding a briefcase as she chats with our mayor, Albert Kinney. The conversation seems heated, at least based on how Marydell firms her lips into a fine line.
Pleased that everything in town seems to be in order, I first fly over to my home, seeing that it’s just as I left it earlier today, then head to Giles and Breena’s house. From the outside, all looks well. When I reach in with my mind, only allowed to do so because I made arrangements with Giles several weeks ago, I can see that everything is calm. Breena works at her loom, and Giles reads in a chair nearby.
I leave to fly over Breena’s former house—the one she abandoned after it tried to kill her last Samhain—and narrow my eyes.
I sense water in the house.
I’ll have to tell Breena we need to check it out.
Finally, I circle over to Lucy’s apothecary, where she and Jonas also live. Again, all is calm on the outside, but when I reach in, I see that Lucy is still upset from earlier. She’s pacing, talking to herself, and feeling hurt.