Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Oh no, my dear—the spirit of Milas James would only be able to kill your Heartmate—if you had one.” She leaned forward across the table. “Do you?”
“I don’t know,” I said miserably. “I think so, but I’m not exactly sure what a Heartmate is.”
Goody Albright widened her eyes dramatically.
“Why, it’s the one you’re meant to be with, of course! The one true love of your life!”
“But how do I know if the guy I’m with is the one true love of my life?” I demanded.
“Well, let me see…do you love him to distraction? Do you want to be with him always? Does he satisfy you in every way?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at me.
I could feel myself blushing as I nodded.
“Yes, but that still doesn’t tell me anything. You might feel those things for someone you were just infatuated with,” I pointed out.
“Well, there is one more tell-tale sign—did you feel the Heartshock the first time you touched him?”
“The what?” I frowned
She waved her teacup vaguely in the air.
“It’s a kind of tingling shocking feeling.”
“A shocking feeling?” I frowned.
“Oh, I’m describing it badly! It’s not just a shock—it’s more like a kind of sexual static electricity,” Goody Albright explained. “I mean, you feel it in your lady bits, if you know what I mean, my dear.”
Suddenly I remembered that first handshake with Rath—the way I had felt a kind of tingle go up my arm and then spread through my whole body, making me feel extremely aroused for no apparent reason.
“Oh, no!” I groaned, putting down my teacup to bury my face in my hands.
“You did feel it, didn’t you?” Goody Albright gave me a sympathetic look. “Is it Rath? Is he your Heartmate?”
“I’m pretty sure he is,” I admitted. “But I don’t want anything to happen to him! I can’t let him get killed the way my Father and Grandfather and all the other men in my family were killed!”
“You have to keep him away from that door!” Goody Albright exclaimed. “And find a way to get rid of that evil spirit—I know you can do it! Your Grandma believed in you, my dear! She always said you were the one to break the curse.”
“That’s why I came to see you.” I told her about the banishment spell and how I needed some black beeswax candles to work it.
“Hmm…” She frowned. “I think I have something like that—just give me a minute.”
She put down her cup and left the table but she was back pretty quickly with three long black candles that smelled like honey.
“Here you go, my dear! I hope these help. Since you are the one the prophesy spoke of, you should be able to banish that nasty spirit.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said grimly, tucking the candles into my purse. “Because I don’t want anything to happen to Rath!”
“He’ll be all right,” she said soothingly. “Didn’t you say he was out of town? That should give you plenty of time to take care of the problem.”
“Yes, he’s gone for a couple of days,” I said. “I’d better get going though—I want to do this spell and see if it works.”
“If it doesn’t or you run into any trouble, don’t hesitate to come back and ask for help,” Goody Albright said to me.
“Thanks, but it’s my family’s curse—I think I have to be the one to deal with it,” I told her.
She gave me a sympathetic look.
“You know, I’m afraid you’re right. But I’m always here if you need advice or someone to talk to, my dear. You remind me so much of your Grandmother when she was young,” she added and sighed wistfully. “How I miss her!”
I missed my Grandma too, but I knew now that she had allowed herself to fade so that I would be drawn here, to Hidden Hollow. And she wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t believe that I could break the curse—I was sure of it.
Armed with that thought and the three black beeswax candles, I waved goodbye to Goody Albright and left The Red Lion.
I fully intended to work the banishment spell as soon as I got in the door of my house, but when I got home I had a surprise.
Rath was already there, waiting for me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“Hey, there you are! I got home early and I thought I’d come see you.”
Rath was standing in the doorway and he had removed his “human suit” so his skin was its normal green. He was wearing his usual jeans and a t-shirt. The front door was open behind him which was strange, since I had locked it behind me. But then I remembered that he had a spare key, because my Grandma had left him as the caretaker.
Still, I was worried to see him in the house when the black door was there too.