Page 11 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part Two

Keir cleared his throat. “I meant to say her closestfemalefriend.”

He thought he saw Lochlan relax slightly and hoped he wasn’t imagining that. It wouldn’t do to have Rita wake to find he’d made a mess of her friendships.

“Call me if I’m needed,” Lochlan said on his way to smoke on the porch.

“There’s something else,” Esme said.

“Speak.” Keir ordered.

“When Jeff arrives, please show him to the bedroom.”

Keir’s eyebrows almost touched his hairline. “Jeff? I don’t…”

“I’m not free to explain just now. But Jeff might be helpful.”

There were less than a handful of people in all the worlds Keir would trust with his Rita, but Esme was one of them. He knew what Rita meant to the witch.

Esme hadn’t known what reaction to expect from the sephalian and was relieved when he capitulated so easily. With a soul-searching stare and a nod.

Esme found Evie standing over her mother, looking worried, and wringing her hands.

Seeing movement at the door, Evie looked up. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Esme replied in kind, eyes wandering from Rita’s utterly still body to the closet. “She has a favorite shawl. I was thinking it might give a bit of comfort?”

Evie’s expression softened. “The one you made her.”

“Yes.”

“That’s a lovely idea, Esme. Let’s do that.”

Pointing toward the closet, she said, “Would it be alright if I…?”

“Sure.” Evie was impressed with the care Esme was taking to soften her typically abrupt manner.

After a minute, Esme emerged with the rectangular piece of fabric Rita called her magic shawl, having no idea that her friend had, in fact, infused the shawl with a good fortune spell. At that moment, Esmerelda was trying to remember the spell she’d used and was hoping she’d given it enough oomph.

If her appeal to Jeff was successful, she would retire to her private place once he was squared away and see if she could do her part with practical magic. After draping the shawl over Rita’s chest, neck, and tucking it around her shoulders. Rita’s body jerked slightly.

“You may be onto something,” Evie said. “They told me she hasn’t moved at all. Until now.” Esme said nothing. “Would you like to sit?” Esme rounded the foot of the bed and sat in the leather chair next to the Eros statue. “So. Any ideas churning around in there. You always have another way of looking at things. That’s just what we need right now. Something, anything, that makes us feel less helpless.”

As Evie sat down on Keir’s side of the bed, she thought she picked up a flicker of something, the slightest change of expression on Esme’s face. “What do you know?” she demanded.

“Jeff will be here soon.”

Evie’s forehead scrunched up. “Jeff? What does he have to do with this?”

“Nothing at the moment, but he may be our best bet.”

“Esme, you’re not making sense. How can that bartender help my mom?”

Esme gave Evie a hard look. “If nothing else, I would’ve expected that your experiences this past year had led you to the conclusion that things are not always exactly what they seem.”

Evie sat back, feeling chastised and, perhaps, rightly so.

“At this time, I can’t say more,” Esme looked at Rita. “But when he arrives, would you give us the room? Just for a short time?”

Evie looked at Esme for a long time. “I could command you to tell me what you know. Iamyour queen.”

“First, I amnotyour subject, Your Highness.” The title sounded every bit as sarcastic as Esme meant it to. “Second, you better hope to whatever gods give a care that your mother never finds out you said that to me.”

Evie’s shoulders slumped. “Don’t tell.”

“Okay.”

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