She turned the key, and I heard the tick of tumblers sliding.
And then…
…and then the world filled with the scent of flowers.Sunlight burned the room to dust.
In the distance, a universe away, I heard Abbi whisper, “Oh no.”
CHAPTERELEVEN
The bakery was just as I remembered it, filled with warmth and the homey smell of bread and pies.
Tears pricked my eyes.I’d forgotten the shape of the place, how small it was, how the fresh white paint complemented the wood, how the old wooden floor shone.
Five round tables were placed strategically, allowing walking space between them.
Best of all, Lula was there beside me.
She gazed at the bakery with sorrow and desire, loneliness twisting her features.
Then she closed her eyes.“It’s not real.”Her voice shook.
“Of course it’s real.It’s yours.It’s ours.”I reached for her, but something was in the way.Something square and bulky in my arms.
The witch’s box.
“It isn’t.Can’t be.”Lula’s eyes were still closed.“You need to refuse it, Brogan.This is a memory, a past we can’t return to.This is an illusion.Close your eyes.We aren’t here.We can’t be.Not ever again.We’re in New Mexico.With the Walches.With Abbi.With Cardamom.”
It felt real, far more real than the hideout.It felt more real than the distant dream of our lives on the road.
I wanted to stay.But not without Lula.
“Fucking gods,” I muttered.
Just before I closed my eyes, I saw Lula smile.
The smell of pine and copper filled my nose, and a chill washed over my skin.We were back, or at least I thought we were back, in the safe room.
“I’m going to open my eyes,” Lula said.“Keep yours closed.”
I didn’t like that idea but did as she said.We were both winging it here, trying to feel our way through handling whatever the book was going to throw at us.
I counted heartbeats.
Finally, I heard Lu exhale.“Go ahead,” she said.“We’re in the safe room.”
I opened my eyes.Lu stood directly in front of me, the book in her hands between us.The book wasn’t even open, the key was still in the lock.
“How long were we gone?”I asked Abbi.
“You stayed right here,” she said.“I didn’t…did I miss a god?Did you get lost?”
“Not lost,” Lula said.“The book just took us into a memory.A time we both miss.”
She wasn’t looking at me when she said it, so I shifted the box to one hand and touched her wrist.
Her gaze met mine.I was surprised to see tears there.She shook her head, telling me she was fine, and I gently cupped the side of her face.
“We don’t need that time,” I said.“We have all of our forever still ahead of us.”I glanced over at Abbi who was standing just outside the circle, chewing on her bottom lip.
