Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“I know.” I’m shocked that tears don’t even threaten. “I know it will be okay. Now, turn back here, Breen, so I can finish your hair and then start on mine. We have to leave in an hour.”
It takes me exactly that long to finish Breena’s hair, tackle my own, and then put my makeup on.
But by the time we’re all done and standing in front of a big, full-length mirror, I do believe it’s been well worth the effort.
“We’re hot,” Lucy decides, taking stock of us.
“Superhot,” Breena agrees.
I nod, looking us up and down with a critical eye.
Lucy is in a green, flowy gown that’s just to die for. Breena’s gown is purple and is perfect for her light blonde hair and fair complexion.
And my dress is red. Flowy like Lucy’s, but mine has long bell sleeves and pretty embroidery around the hemline. I’m wearing a gold cuff bracelet my mother gave me years ago, along with a black tourmaline necklace.
“The guys might swallow their tongues.” I grin in satisfaction just as the doorbell rings. “And here they are.”
With our small clutch bags in hand, we make our way downstairs, and Breena opens the door.
Jonas and Giles wait on the other side, and Breena immediately laughs.
“Uh, babe? You live here. You don’t have to ring the bell.”
“I wanted to make sure it was safe before we just barged in,” he replies.
I’m happy to hang back and watch both men take in the gorgeous sight of their girls. Their eyes sweep up and down, and the smiles that form on their lips are pure happiness and lust.
It’s really pretty great.
Suddenly, I see Xander hurrying up the walk. Once he climbs the steps and sees me in the foyer, he stops dead in his tracks. He doesn’t grin. His black-as-night eyes narrow, his jaw firms, and, sticking a finger in the air, he twirls it, instructing me to turn in a circle.
I quirk an eyebrow but do as he asks, rotating in a very slow, very deliberate circle.
When I meet his gaze once more, those smoldering eyes are intense as he says, “I’ll be heading to jail tonight.”
I smirk and walk to him, dragging my hand down his black lapel. “You look so handsome in a suit. It makes your shoulders look even broader than they are, which is saying a lot.”
“All three of you look sharp,” Lucy agrees. “I’d say we all clean up nicely.”
“I’ve never been to a ball,” Jonas admits as we walk down to the waiting cars. We have to take two vehicles tonight. “What, exactly, do we do there?”
“We dance,” Lucy replies, then laughs at his horrified expression. “Drink bad punch. Socialize. Check out everyone else’s pretty clothes.”
“It’s pretty much horrible,” Giles adds, slapping Jonas on the shoulder. “But it’s just one night.”
“It’s not awful,” Breena says with a laugh. “It can be fun.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a man refer to the ball as fun,” Xander adds, sticking to Giles’s side. “But we’ll tolerate it. For you.”
“How chivalrous of you,” I reply before we climb into our vehicles and head out. They’re holding the ball at the old town hall. We won’t be able to drive all the way there because the streets downtown have been closed to foot traffic, but we’re able to get pretty close.
The walk wouldn’t usually take long, except we get a lot of curious looks, and several tourists stop us to ask for a photo, so it takes a few minutes more than normal to get there.
Once inside, we immediately find out parents, who are huddled with some of the other members of our coven, laughing and telling stories.
I love seeing them all together in their gorgeous, flowy gowns. Of course, my mom and Hilda are both wearing witches’ hats.
“Do you understand,” Xander begins, his lips against my ear as his hand rubs up and down my hip, “how incredibly beautiful you are, Lorelei?”
I smile up at him, my heart almost bursting when I see the love in his eyes as he gazes down at me.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that you think so.”
“You’d bring the gods to their knees.” He rubs his finger over the tourmaline at my neck. “Thank you for wearing this.”
“Where’s yours?”
He pulls a hand out of his pocket and opens it to reveal a big chunk of the stone in his palm.
“Thank you.”
He nods as he places it back into his pocket.
For the first time in a long time, I can honestly say we have fun. We dance, we laugh, and we talk about things that have nothing at all to do with a curse or a killer.
We simply enjoy our community and our love for each other and have fun.
I didn’t realize until tonight how badly I needed this. How badly we all needed it.