Page 34 of A Time of Witches

But the mention of her head made the pain intensify, pulsing in time with her heartbeat, and she conceded defeat. For now.

Asher put one hand between her shoulder blades and offered her the other. She accepted, unable to keep from noting the heat of his fingers against her own. He lifted her easily to her feet, his touch lingering. “Are you steady?”

“Yes, thank you.”

He nodded and dropped his hands, turning for the door, clearly eager to leave.

And could she blame him? She’d just passed out on the floor.

“I don’t usually do this,” she called, rushed after him. “Fainting, I mean. I…I thought I saw something.”

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. “What do you mean?”

“A figure?” She sifted through her memory, trying to decide exactly how to reply honestly without seeming like she’d lost her mind.

He turned toward her and frowned.

“There had been a sound before that,” she added.

His frown deepened. “There are a lot of broken windows. Sometimes the wind makes strange noises as a result.”

“It was a banging.”

“Probably the wind knocking a broken window frame against the wall.”

Lilith wanted to press, to know what he’d witnessed.

But she’d been raised not to push or pry into other people’s affairs. No one liked a nuisance. Instead, she seized the opportunity for an excuse to drop the subject. “Yeah.” She gave him a sweet Southern smile. “That was probably it.”

He nodded, the matter resolved, and strode to the door. Once outside, he flicked the key in the lock with a firm twist of his wrist and led the way to the house at a quicker pace than they’d arrived.

As if he wanted to get far away from Brackenmere Manor.

Chapter Sixteen

Lilith

Asher’s aunt was no longer in the recliner when they returned to the bed and breakfast, her knitting neatly tucked into a wicker basket.

Lilith trailed after Asher into the kitchen where he dug in the freezer. Straightening, Asher handed her a freezer pack filled with blue beads. “Put this on your head.”

Lilith accepted the ice pack, the frost melting against her fingertips. “Is this for animals?”

“And humans.”

Toby trundled into the kitchen, toenails clicking on the terracotta tile. He gazed up at her, eyeing the ice pack curiously.

The ice pack was most definitely for animals, but beggars couldn’t be choosers and she put it to the back of her head.

“It’s best you stay put until we know you don’t have a concussion.” Asher opened the fridge. “Do you like lasagna?”

“You don’t have to—”

He lifted his brows, clearly wanting an honest reply rather than an objection.

Lilith grinned. “I love lasagna.”

“It’s leftover.”