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“I’ll bet. Want a drink? I have a pot of mint tea brewing. Ashley usually takes her break around now.”
“Sounds good to me.”
As we exited the library, Ashley entered the house through the kitchen door, clutching a wire basket of eggs. Her hair was now a light blonde threaded with strands of pale pink. She’d styled it in two braids that made her look a couple years younger than her nineteen years. She was dressed sensibly in a fleece hoodie, jeans, and boots.
“Hey, Ashley.”
The corners of her mouth turned upward. “Hi, Lorelei. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I stop by on occasion.”
Phaedra smiled sweetly as she poured the tea. “When she needs something.”
Her response took me off guard. “Would you like me to visit when I don’t need something?”
She carried a tray with three teacups to the table. “I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“You have company,” Ashley said, swinging the basket onto the counter. “Or does paid help not count?”
“You count,” Phaedra and I said in unison. It seemed we were both eager to let the young woman know she mattered. I suspected Phaedra’s reason was similar to mine; the loss of family had a way of warping your perspective. Over time, it was easy to forget you were loved unless there were others willing to step in and remind you.
Phaedra distributed the three teacups, and I sat.
“How’s the job?” I asked.
“I love it. Of course, Steven was convinced I’d bail on day one.”
“Because of what happened to you here?” I asked.
“No.” She held up her dirty hands. “Because manual labor isn’t exactly my strong suit. My manicure is ruined.”
“I have work gloves you can wear,” Phaedra offered.
“No, thanks.” Ashley turned on the faucet and washed her hands in the sink. “Turns out I like dirt. There’s something about the feeling of the earth on my skin that appeals to me.”
Phaedra glanced at me with a knowing smile. “Careful, Ashley. You’re starting to sound like a witch.”
“More like a gardener,” Ashley replied, drying her hands on the kitchen towel. “Nana Pratt was an avid gardener. I can still remember her with her butt in the air, elbow deep in flowers at her house.”
I bit back a smile. Nana Pratt would hate that description.
Ashley pulled out a chair and sat. “So what is it that you need? A magic thingamajiggy?”
“I’m here to ask Phaedra about a ward.” Among other things.
Ashley balked. “Another one?”
“Not for my house. For the crossroads.”
Ashley scrunched her nose. “What?”
I looked at Phaedra. “You haven’t told her?”
She gave me a nonchalant shrug. “It hasn’t come up.”
I debated whether to include Ashley in the conversation. In the end, I decided it was best that she knew about the Wild Hunt. After all, she was now at risk, traipsing through the woods each day to get to Bridger Farm.
Phaedra jumped in first. “There’s a place in Wild Acres where creatures can access Fairhaven from other realms.”
