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“Oliver and Annabelle are here now,” Miss Sophia says as she and Mama join us in the library. “And they’re safe. I’ve covered the mirrors in their room just in case I missed anything, but I know I haven’t. Horace can’t get to anyone here in this house.”
“Thank you,” I say and reach out to take her hand. “Thank you so much for helping us.”
“It’s what I’m meant to do,” she says simply. “What I was born for.”
We blink in surprise and share glances.
“That’s a big statement,” Cash says.
“Isn’t it, though?” Miss Sophia just smiles softly. “I’m here for you, for all of you, to help in any way I can. First, there’s a spell I want you all to memorize. If he gets to you when you’re not here, if he gets in your head, you can cast him out.”
She begins to recite it, and Millie smiles at Lucien.
“That’s the one we use,” Millie says as Sanguine jumps into Millie’s lap for some attention. “And it does work.”
“Keep it in your toolbox,” Miss Sophia instructs us. “It’s powerful. Now, I think I’d like to go get some sleep.”
“Goodnight, my sweet loves,” Mama adds with a smile, and the two women leave the room.
“I need wine,” I announce.
“Me, too,” Brielle adds.
“That makes three of us,” Millie says and sets her familiar down so she can walk to the antique bar in the corner that holds all of their alcohol and glasses. “Lucien wanted to put this in the dining room or even the sitting room, but I wanted to have it handy in here since we spend so much time in the library.”
“Good idea,” Brielle says as Millie passes us each a glass of wine.
“While you three relax for a while—which you totally deserve—I’d like Cash and Jack to come with me.” Lucien gestures for the guys to follow him.
Jackson leans over to kiss my cheek before he joins the others. Doing what, I have no idea.
Nor do I really care at this point.
I need an hour, just one measly hour of relaxation with my sisters.
“I’m tired,” I admit with a sigh as I sip my wine. “Not in the normal, oh, it’s been a long workday kind of tired. But the kind that settles deep in your bones when your soul is tired, you know?”
“Yeah,” Brielle says and moves to sit next to me on the couch, taking my hand in hers. “I know. And it’s pretty shitty.”
“What if everything we’ve done up until now is wasted?” It’s my worst nightmare, and it’s a whisper. “You both worked so hard and defeated him twice. What if I screw this up for all of us this time?”
“Not possible,” Millie says with way more confidence than I feel. “We’re going to kick his sorry ass.”
“Agreed.” Brielle squeezes my hand. “Have you had any more dreams about Daddy?”
“Every night,” I confirm. “Like clockwork. Though it’s not quite as scary since it was pointed out that it might not even be Daddy. It could just be him messing with me. Because aside from murder, that seems to be his favorite thing.”
“I’ll give you something for tonight,” Millie says. “You’ll sleep without dreams. Give your subconscious the night off.”
“That sounds wonderful. Just don’t put it in my wine.”
“You can drink it as a tea just before bed,” Millie says and then turns to Brielle. “I’ve been meaning to ask, do you still see the old lady shadow in our house?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s not particularly thrilled that so many people are here. She just follows us all around like she’s making sure no one steals the silver.”
“You still haven’t dropped your shields enough to see her?” I ask Millie.
“Nah. I don’t need to. Brielle can see her. I’m just impressed that with as old as this house is, the old woman is our only ghost.”
“Don’t forget about the baby who cries,” Brielle reminds her. “I hear her periodically. But I don’t think that’s an intelligent ghost—more of a residual echo is all. Aside from that, I don’t see anything.”
“Impressive,” I agree. “And I can also say that when I touch things, the doorknobs and such, I don’t pick up on anything bad. I only see happy memories. Families enjoying the house. Babies being born. That sort of thing.”
“Can you see us?” Millie asks softly. “From before?”
I bite my lip because I’ve wondered how much to say about this since the first time I was here and Millie showed us the hiding place in the attic, where she found the box of treasures she’d hidden up there in her past life.
“I see all of it,” I admit softly. “Bits and pieces of scenes in each room. Especially in your garden. I know that what’s planted there now is new because Lucien added it after he rebought the house a few years ago, but you loved the gardens before. Spent a lot of time there.”
