Chapter26. The Stories

I woke up with the worst headache I’d ever had. It pierced my brain so strongly, I winced as I tried to open my eyes. “Here, have this,” Braxton’s voice said through the dark in my mind. I blinked my eyes open to see him handing me a steaming mug of something. “It’s lavender tea, it’ll help with the headache,” he said, and I sat up, grimacing at the grogginess in my mind. I leaned against the headboard and took the mug, sniffing it before taking a sip. The heat was soothing, the smell calming. I sighed and put it on the wooden bedside table before looking up at Braxton in the dimly lit room, the drapes drawn, the lantern next to me the only thing giving any light. “How long have you been talking to those shadows, Lorelai?” Braxton asked, and I blew out a breath. “That was the first time they’ve actually talked to me, or manifested in any way other than red eyes. But I’ve been seeing those since the blood moon, the night of the offerings.” I shivered, and he listened intently. “And what