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“I will not give you her room,” the landlady said forcefully. “There’s no telling what kind of negative energies might be present there. Until the room is thoroughly cleaned in every way, no one can stay there.” She tsked. “I imagine I’ll have to sage the entire house to clear it of dark energies. That Doyle stayed here for a few nights before he rented his house out by the Conor place. Yet another reason to give the house a good, thorough cleaning.”
The residents of Cloughban had never flaunted their gifts. Not in her presence, at least. Echo didn’t know what most of them were capable of. What were Maeve’s gifts? Beyond making killer scones.
The landlady turned, glanced past Gideon and Hope and said in a sweet voice, “I’m a witch, dear. Just your ordinary, everyday witch.”
Echo sighed. A witch as well as a mind reader apparently. This was not an easy town to keep secrets in. How had Doyle and Maisy done it?
Maeve answered that thought. “Oh, they were much better at hiding their feelings and thoughts than you have ever been. If you stay awhile, I’d be happy to help you with that.”
Would she be here for a while?
“I don’t know, dear. I’m a mind reader, not a psychic.”
Hope snapped, “Whatever you two are doing, stop it.”
Gideon cast a censuring glance Echo’s way. “We’re all tired. Let’s get some sleep and we’ll head out in the morning.”
Would she head out in the morning? Was this her last night in Cloughban?
Maeve escorted Gideon and Hope to a room at the end of the hall. Hope turned and hugged Echo tightly. There was love in that hug. They both needed it at the moment.
“Does it ever stop?” Hope whispered.
“No,” Echo said, the word not much more than a breath. There would always be bad people who wanted to use those who had paranormal abilities for their own profit or entertainment. And for someone like Cassidy...how could Ryder keep her safe from a world filled with people who would either hate her or crave her for the abilities with which she’d been born?
Gideon lifted a hand and gave her a tired wave instead of a hug. She returned the gesture. He’d always treated her like a little sister, had always protected her. He kept her safe, counseled her, scared away inappropriate boyfriends. But she was a grown woman now, and he couldn’t protect her from everything and everyone. Though she imagined he would try if given the chance.
He had a family to take care of now. Hope and Emma and Maddy. If she ever needed him he’d come running, but it was time for her to make her own way. She needed to learn to save herself.
The door to their room closed. She imagined they’d both be asleep in five minutes, or less. Echo glanced at the door to her own room. With the exception of finding the threat to her parents there—Maisy’s doing, she now knew—it had been a good home, for a while, with a comfortable bed. She was exhausted. She could use ten or twelve hours of sleep.
An unpleasant thought slipped into her head. Had that been Doyle’s room when he’d stayed here? Was she sleeping in the same bed he had, under the same roof? Did she look out of the same window at night? The idea made her shiver. Still, she needed sleep...
She also needed Ryder, the man who had made it very clear that he didn’t want or need her.
“Men rarely know what they want or need until we tell them, dear,” Maeve said as she headed downstairs.
Echo watched her go. Witch. Mind reader. If she stayed here, if she became a part of this town, she’d be in for a life of surprises. If she stayed she’d be asking for everything she’d come here to rid herself of.
Maeve reached the end of the staircase and turned about to head toward the kitchen. Two steps, and she was no longer in view. If she was still able to read Echo’s thoughts, there was no longer any indication.
For what seemed like a long time Echo stood at the top of the stairs. This was an important decision, perhaps the most important of her life. Run and hide or fight? Take the easy way out or take what she really wanted?
She’d gotten what she came here for. While she had not rid herself of the visions they were now more manageable. She could sense when one was coming on, and she was much more in control while in the visions. Control was possible. She still had more to learn, but maybe she’d make a decent prophet, after all.
The weather issue was, she suspected, connected to the stones. Once she was away from this place—if she was away from this place—that ability would probably fade. Probably. She hoped so! Her worry on that front came and went quickly. If she went home with a new power, she’d learn to control it as she had learned to control the visions.
The enhanced empathic ability would likely remain. She wasn’t sure she liked that one much, but like the rest there wasn’t much to be done for it. She’d manage. She’d study and train and one way or another she’d make it work.
The question was, would that happen here or in North Carolina? Would she continue to learn and study with Ryder or without him?
* * *
Rye had tried to convince Echo to leave Cloughban immediately—now, tonight—but she was nothing if not stubborn. If he could see into her mind the way he once had, give her a little push, convince her in a subtle, magical way that she didn’t like him all that much...
But he couldn’t.
Not a full hour ago, Echo had gr
