The Castle: Prequel to the Guardian Angel Series

by Melissa Johnson

  ***

  Beneath her cheek, Heather felt the softness of cool, damp grass. She heard the bleat of sheep before a voice called out.

  “Oh, dear! Did you fall in the Ha-Ha?”

  Heather raised herself up on her elbows and looked up the grassy slope. A woman in a bright red riding costume sat side saddle on her horse, blonde curls falling loose about her face beneath a black hat. Without waiting for her to answer, the woman dismounted and began to slide down to her.

  “My Lady!” Someone called from behind her.

  “I’m fine, Jamie! Are you hurt?” she asked when she was halfway down. “These things are dreadful aren’t they?”

  Heather stared at the woman’s fancy heeled slippers when they were at eye level. Purple leather. Marigold would love those. Shock, she realized vaguely. She must be in shock to notice such trivial things.

  Eric. She had to get to him.

  “My, you are certainly dressed in a peculiar way! I find myself most curious, my silent friend.”

  Heather noticed the woman had stopped scooting down the hill and now sat on the ground next to her, seemingly content to carry on a one-sided conversation.

  “Do you think you can manage to sit? No?” she said after a moment. “Don’t worry then, Jamie will get you to the house.”

  She patted her hand and Heather grasped her fingers, looking up into bright blue eyes that widened in recognition.

  “Why, I know you! You are one of the fairies! My brothers teased me without mercy in my childhood, but I always knew you were real.” She smiled brilliantly. “I’m Vivian, do you remember?”

  Heather didn’t answer the question.

  “No matter. It has been a very long time.” Vivian leaned back on her elbows and crossed her ankles, as if she had a habit of chatting with whoever happened to fall into the Ha-Ha. “I don’t live here anymore and I only happened to be visiting my parents, otherwise I might have missed you.”

  “I can’t stay.”

  “Ah, she speaks! My husband...yes, I have one of those now, would say I hadn’t given you a chance to get a word in edgewise. Imagine that.” She squeezed her fingers. “Yes, I do understand it isn’t done to keep a fairy from flying away, but if you need a moment to rest your wings this is as good a place as any.”

  “I have no wings.” Heather whispered the denial, afraid it might be true that she’d been grounded. But she did need a moment before she tested if her powers were gone. She briefly closed her eyes, but snapped them open again when the image of Thaddeus aging was the only thing she saw. She abruptly scrambled to a sitting position, feeling the world spin around her.

  “There, see? You are recovering already. Easy now. The look of you rather reminds me of a bird I once saw fly into the conservatory window.” Vivian grimaced and slid a sideways look of apology in her direction. “No offense intended, of course. You are much prettier than that silly black bird.”

  “No offense taken,” Heather said, feeling exactly like the stunned bird Vivian described. She struggled to her feet, grateful for the hand at her elbow.

  “Must you leave already? My Jonathan, that’s my little boy, will be most upset not to have met you.”

  “I must go.” Heather took a deep breath and then another. “Although I’m not positive I can.”

  “I see. Well, I guess the only thing to do is try.”

  Heather looked down at Vivian’s hand on her arm.

  “Oh!” Vivian let go and took a step back. She looked around them conspiratorially, the feathers bobbing on her hat. “Jamie is out of sight. The coast is clear – except for the sheep. Do you need more privacy? I mean, do I have to turn my back or anything?”

  At any other time Heather might have smiled. “No, I think it’s all right.”

  She closed her eyes and concentrated with all her heart and soul on Dragon’s Keep. The last thing she heard was Vivian’s voice calling out.

  “If you ever you need a place to rest your wings…”