Page 6 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part Two

“Because he does that stuff, too.”

“I see.”

“Don’t you dare take that judgy tone with me, Keir. I was just an American student until recently.Veryrecently. I don’t look down on other people.”

“Uh-huh.” He could’ve made a better effort at sounding sincere. “So far as I can tell, he does everything at the pub except own it.” He looked at Evie. “And Rita likes to say he does it with a smile. She likes him.”

“I’m sure she does. She basically likes everybody. Even vampires.Even werewolves!That doesn’t explain why he was included in this cadre of secrecy about my mother’s condition while I wasn’t.”

“She told you she likes werewolves?”

Keir’s brows were knitted together so tightly she was sure he was going to be the first sephalian to ever get frown lines. Everybody would be able to tell the three brothers apart. The one with the frown lines must be the married one.

“No. Of course not,” Evie answered with just enough exasperation to register annoyance. “Consider that an exaggeration. A tad less intensity would be welcome. Back to the part about me not being included.”

“Right now, your mum would say let’s not make this about you.”

Evie hated that Keir had a point. She took a deep breath. “What is her condition? Why isn’t she waking up?”

Keir closed his eyes for a moment to keep from raising his voice. “We don’t know. Esme is thinking it might have something to do with Medusa.”

Evie was shaking her head in confusion. “Medusa.TheMedusa? From Greek mythology?”

“Oh, here we go again. After everything, how can you not know that stories handed down in Greek tradition aren’t myths?”

“I guess I hadn’t thought about it until now. I don’t encounter Greek gods or members of their respective entourages. But to the point, why Medusa?”

“She’s escaped the place where she’s been confined for the past couple of millennia, is evading capture, causing havoc with humans, and the Greeks have petitioned your mother to deal with it.”

“What?!?”

“Yeah.”

“Bastards.”

“True enough.”

“When you say Medusa is causing havoc, what form is this havoc taking?”

“Nightmares.”

Keir watched the color drain from Evie’s face as she put the puzzle pieces together. She reached for the arm of the leather chair and sat down quickly.

“Olivia!” Keir yelled. “Bring bergamot tea for the queen.”

“Evangeline,” Keir said quietly. “Only one of you is allowed to be out of commission at a time. Do you understand?”

Evie nodded. “I’m fine, Keir. Just give me a minute to think. I have to figure out a way to wake her up. Has somebody called a doctor?”

“Doctor?” Keir and Lochlan said in unison like they’d never heard of such a thing.

“Yes,” Evie said trying for patience. “It’s a human healer.”

“We know what that is, Evie,” Keir defended. “What would you think a doctor might do?”

“Well, for one thing, he might confirm brain activity.”

“Esme said she’s just been forced to stay asleep,” Lochlan said.

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