Page 5 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part Two

“What?” she said, trying to take in the scene. “What’s wrong with Mom?” She looked at Keir accusingly.

“She can’t be awakened,” he said as matter-of-factly as he could manage.

Evie allowed herself a few seconds to take in the scene and adjust to the current crisis. “Then who called me?”

“You mean who squeezed the medallion?” Keir asked.

“Yes, Enforcer. Who did that?”

He shrugged. “Was I.”

“You?”

“Yes.”

“Huh. I didn’t know that would work.”

“Seems it does.”

“Well, I suppose that’s a good thing. In case of emergency and all. Which, I guess, this is.”

“That’s my take.”

“So, what should I do?”

“Evie,” Keir said evenly, “of the two of us, there’s only one queen here. You’re the better person to suggest what you may have to offer.”

Evie gave him a dirty look before turning her full attention to Rita. “I should try to wake her up.”

“An excellent suggestion. None of the rest of us had thought of that.”

“Gods, Keir. It’s no time for sarcasm. Wait a minute. How long has she been like this?”

“We summoned you just as soon as we’d confirmed it to be an urgent matter.”

“We?”

“That’s right.”

“Who is we?”

“Lochlan. Ivy. Esme. Myself. And possibly Jeff.”

“Jeff? The bus boy?”

“What’s a bus boy?”

“Come on. We don’t have time for word games.”

“I’m not playing word games, Your Highness. I can’t know what I don’t know.”

“It’s a person who works in food service and cleans up.”

“Ah. A waiter’s assistant.”

Evie had to admit that sounded considerably more dignified, not to mention respectful. “Whatever you prefer. Jeff, the waiter’s assistant by any name. Except heisthe waiter, isn’t he? Does he assist himself?”

“So, why’d you call him bus boy?”