With a wave, she zipped out the open window into dawn’s early light. I frowned and hurriedly closed and locked the annoying casement. While I didn’t mind Merri’s visit, I did not want another repeat of Piepen’s.
The moment I had that thought, it dawned on me that my mouth didn’t taste like skunk anymore. I laughed and twirled around the room. All I’d needed was a good night’s sleep. My mom had been wrong, and Fenris had been right. Things did look much better this morning.
In a good mood, I picked out what I wanted to wear, tossed the clothes on the bed, then broke the hanger and shoved the length of plastic between the sash and the jamb of the troublesome window. When I tried to lift the sash, it didn’t budge. Hopefully, that would be the end of my night time visits.
It didn’t take me long to get ready and jog down the stairs. I passed through the blissfully empty dining room and entered the kitchen. Mrs. Quill sat at the island with a cup of coffee and a large grocery bag in front of her.
“Good morning, Eliana.”
“Morning.”
“Can I speak with you for a minute?”
I wanted to keep walking, but respect for the woman who’d given me shelter for so many years won out.
“Sure.”
“I understand why you didn’t tell me the truth yesterday, and I’m sorry for the distance I’ve caused between us. I know what’s been done can’t be undone, but I want you to know I love you. Unconditionally and completely. And I will always be here for you.”
I took pity on the hurt in her eyes and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around me and pressed her lips to my temple.
“Forgive me, my darling. I’ve made such a mess.”
“I hear that happens with some mothers and daughters.” She sniffled ominously, and I quickly changed the subject. “Have you heard from Oanen lately?”
She released me with a smile.
“I have. Megan’s curious about the gods, so they went to Cyprus to explore Aphrodite’s history.”
“Wow. That’s incredible.” I thought of my travel book with longing. Cyprus had been one of the dog-eared pages.
“It is.” Mrs. Quill studied me for a moment, and I could see she was weighing her next words. “Is there a reason you told Oanen and Megan to stay away?”
“Oanen has a big mouth.”
“He’s worried. We all are.”
“You should be. Ashlyn’s missing, and whoever caused it is going to get a one-way ticket to hell once Megan gets here. Since she holds the Council responsible, I wanted to give you all a chance to find Ashlyn. Not that anyone seems to care. Instead of focusing on Ashlyn, Adira’s hellbent on making me wish I was the one who disappeared.”
Mrs. Quill’s expression turned to pity.
“Raiden and members of his pack, who he trusts implicitly to protect Ashlyn should they find her, have been searching night and day. Lander is hunting by air as well. And, Adira’s put out the word that we want to hire a druid for a location spell. We won’t stop until we discover what happened to her. No matter how it might look, we do care.”
She stood and slid the bag toward me.
“Let me know when you need more chocolate. I’ll get it for you, no questions asked.”
She gave me a tender smile and left the kitchen. I stared after her. At least I knew they were doing something. But I could see in Mrs. Quill’s eyes that even she knew their methods were unlikely to find anything. It only affirmed my decision to meet with the druid later today.
Before leaving the kitchen, I opened the bag Mrs. Quill had given me and inhaled the scent of chocolate. It smelled heavenly but didn’t make my mouth water. Had it been filled with lemon cake, I would have dived in headfirst. As it was, I stashed the bag in one of the cupboards and headed out the door.
I sent a quick text to my mom to let her know that I was on my way then followed her directions to an older house on the northern outskirts of town. The bungalow style home had crisp, white trim that contrasted its dusky blue siding. Even with snow covering the majority of the yard, I could see signs of neat landscaping.
Dad opened the door and watched as I parked. The moment I stepped out of the car, he called to me.
“I hope you’re hungry for waffles, baby girl.”
“I am if you’re making them.”
