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West looked at me like he had more to say but decided against it. “You’ll let me know if you learn anything about the sleep issue?”
“I said I would. Whatever you may think of me, you should know I keep my promises.”
He jerked his chin slightly in acknowledgement. “Talk soon.”
“Don’t let the door hit you in your hard ass,” I muttered.
I watched him leave from the safety of the foyer. Only when he disappeared from view did I let my guard down. I sank onto the bottom step of the staircase and dropped my head in my hands. No matter where I went, someone with influence was always ready to kick me to the curb. It didn’t matter to me when I expected to hide in the Castle and not mix and mingle with the locals, but that plan was scuppered the second I made a deal with Steven Pratt to find his missing sister. Obviously, I didn’t regret saving Ashley’s life. I only wished the ramifications hadn’t been so great. Now West’s support was more valuable than I cared to admit.
I yanked my coat off the end of the banister and marched out of the house.
“Where are you off to again?” Nana Pratt asked from the front porch. It seemed her pumpkin patch practice was over.
“For a homebody, you sure go out a lot,” Ray added.
“You should pick up a few bags of mulch while you’re in town,” Nana Pratt said. “You can’t neglect the outside completely.”
Hands balled into fists, I swiveled toward them. “I’m not neglecting anything. I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances. Be quiet now, both of you, until I command otherwise.”
I ignored their stunned faces as I continued to the gate at a steady clip. They couldn’t call after me even if they wanted to. I’d exerted my power, and there was nothing they could do about it.
CHAPTER10
Discomfort snaked through my body as I approached the Bridger farmhouse. The last time I set foot on this property, witches died. Although I knew it wasn’t my fault, the uneasy feelings lingered.
I drew a cleansing breath and knocked on the door. I half expected Phaedra to greet me with a shotgun the way her mother, Penelope, had. Instead, the interior door swung open, and Phaedra regarded me with mild surprise. I understood the response; I was surprised to be back here too.
“Lorelei, what are you doing here?”
“Hi. Sorry to drop by unannounced.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Not entirely. I could use your help.”
She opened the exterior door. “Tea? I just made a pot of lemon ginger.”
“Sounds perfect.” I followed her to the kitchen, blocking the memories that shot to the surface. Phaedra’s mother, two aunts, and two sisters had perished in a single night on this very property. Granted, they were responsible for the creature that killed them, as well as the deaths of others, and the attempted murder of Ashley Pratt, but still. It was a lot to revisit.
Phaedra stood at the butcher block countertop and poured the tea. “How’ve you been?”
“Busier than I’d like. You?”
“Getting used to solitude in what was once a noisy household.”
“That can’t be easy.”
She joined me at the farmhouse table. “I’ve been thinking of adopting a few cats. Fill the place up.”
Painted flowers adorned the teacups. They looked pretty and innocent, like their new owner.
“No hemlock in here, right?” I asked, only half joking.
Her eyebrows drew together. “You saved my life. Why would I hold a grudge?”
“Because of what happened to your family.”
“They brought it upon themselves. I don’t blame you. I thought I made that clear.”
