Page 45 of Haunted Eclipse

She shook her head. “I’m convinced thathedidn’t even know his sexual orientation. You’d think someone who’s witchblood would be more self-aware, but apparently, he wasn’t ready to face his reality. I got out before I got hurt. He later went on to marry the love of his life—a man who owns asmall neighborhood grocery store, and I went to their tenth anniversary party last year.”

“Well, I’m glad he found his match,” I said. Love was love was love, and love between any consenting adults made me happy, as long as they didn’t hurt anybody else in the process. I had always been a hopeless romantic, reading romances from the time I was in middle school. The world seemed a bleak and scary place, and love made it so much more bearable.

“I am too,” Astra said. “I like to think that when he dated me, he found his way to his true self. We were great friends, and we had fun, but there was no chemistry there, and I like to think that, after dating me, he finally realized what he’d been running from and began to seek out who he really was. If I helped him on his journey, then I’m glad. I wasn’t heartbroken—I knew we weren’t a match. But we did have some fun times together, though never with more than a kiss here or there.”

“Well, I’m done with breakfast,” I said. “I’ll wash dishes this morning. I’ve been slacking off a bit lately.”

“I don’t mind,” Astra said. “Oh, by the way, I put some chicken in to marinate. All we need to do is bread it and fry it. I figure that, along with a green salad and some rolls might make for a nice lunch for you and Brenda.”

I hugged her. “Thanks. Now scoot. I’ll clean the kitchen, then maybe I’ll chill until she gets here. Oh,” I added, stopping her before she left the room. “What should I wear to meet Nightshade later today?”

“Something nice. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but when you meet the high priestess, it’s better to show up in clean, mended clothing. Don’t wear flowing sleeves, in case she decides to light a bunch of candles.” She laughed, then waved as she headed out the door. “I’ll be in the greenhouse, if you need me.”

I turned back to the sink full of dishes and began to rinse them and stack them in the dishwasher. Outside, the snow continued to fall.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Brenda arrived at eleven-forty-five.She paid the cab and slogged through the snow, up the walkway, which was covered again. I caught sight of her through the window and let her in.

“Hey,” I said, reaching to take her coat. “How are you doing?”

“Not bad. Still a little shaken from yesterday, but doing better.” She looked around. “What a cozy home.”

“My aunt’s done a lot over the years to make it that way. I grew up here, from the time I was seven. My aunt and her sister raised me, after my parents died. So, my aunt is making chicken tenders, salad and rolls for lunch. Will that be okay?”

Brenda nodded. “That sounds wonderful. Do you have any tea?”

“I think so.” We entered the kitchen, where Astra was starting to cook the chicken. The rolls were in the oven. My stomach rumbled. Even after the big breakfast, the smell of yeast and baking bread always triggered my appetite.

“Astra, this is Brenda. Brenda, my aunt—Astra.”

Astra gave her a wave with the tongs.

“Do we have tea?” I foraged in the cupboard. I knew my aunt occasionally drank herbal tisanes, but as for actual tea, I wasn’t sure.

“We do. It’s in the box with the hyacinths on it,” Astra said.

I poked around and finally found the lovely little box Astra was talking about. I opened it to find a stack of black tea in sealed bags. I glanced over at Brenda.

“How strong do you want it? One teabag? Two?”

“One, please, with a little milk and sugar.”

I found a large china cup with red and white stripes on it, placed the teabag in it, then carried it over to the table. After that, I plugged in the electric kettle, found the creamer, and placed it and the sugar bowl on the table.

Then, I poured myself a glass of sparkling water, added ice, and then topped it off with lemon coffee syrup, for a make-shift Italian soda. The kettle began to steam and I poured water into the tea cup, then turned it off and stood beside Brenda, who had scooted into the booth.

“This won’t really work for lunch, so let’s go into the dining room,” I said. “Follow me, please.” I led her into the dining room, where we sat at the table. “My aunt’s going to renovate—we’ll have a bigger kitchen by the end of the summer, I predict. I love the breakfast nook, but it really is too cramped. I’ve decided to stay here with her for…well…I don’t know how long.”

“It really is a cozy home. You’ve seen my house. It’s about as far from cozy as you can get. So, let’s discuss that creature in my house. Do you think it’s Edgar?”

“I think it could be. How long has it been around?” I asked.

“Off and on, since Edgar died.” She paused, then a light bulb went off and she stiffened. “Oh good heavens, I just realized something.”

“What is it?”

“The activity picked up every time that I decided to try dating again. I’d get distracted by it and wipe my profile off of the dating apps. Except this time, it wasn’t a dating app. I came to you. Maybe that’s why I’ve been having nightmares about you—maybe Edgar’s threatening you because you’re helping me.” Brenda leaned forward, tapping the table with her perfectly manicured nails. “I know I’m right.”

---