“She kind of hinted that I was to keep you from, I don’t know, losing your mind or something. But I don’t think she believes in magic. Even though she said she believed what I said happened.”
“First, I’m not losing my mind, darling, though you may soon doubt that. And Sean wasn’t crazy either.” He gazed into the distance, leaving her again for a second. “He and I were a lot alike. Neither of us had fully outgrown the legends of our youth, but then we were just lads your age when he disappeared. We still wanted the old country to be full of mystery and magic. Of course, he thought we could learn the old arts.”
“So, is that when you started learning magic?” She pictured her grandfather trying to pull things out of thin air. The idea of real magic, magic that did more than offer up illusions, it was hard to grasp.
“No, I wanted to believe then, but Sean set out to see if he could learn the things we had heard and read and pretended at in our youth. I think before he disappeared, he had stumbled into something.” He looked over the top of his glasses at Riley. “This castle was a lonely place, lonelier then, even with all the people. Sean spent all his time studying the books from his father’s library, some occult volumes that are still up there. He wanted it so badly. And he was whip smart and dedicated like it was life and death. Which now I wonder if it wasn’t.”
He grimaced. “I was there the day before he disappeared. It was January. A few flakes of snow were coming down, and I remember how Sean marveled at them, their rarity and beauty. We had just come from a party at John Mangan’s, a cousin of Sean’s. He’d had the punch and toasted the coming year with the rest of us. He never drank like the other boys, and I thought he was trying to loosen up a bit. How little I knew then. But I began to worry when he started in about avenging his father. Said his oath was sealed it in stone.”
“I had to drag him home, holding onto him because he couldn’t stand up straight. He talked the whole trip as we walked from Mangan’s, which was the last house before you got here. The cold air had sobered him mostly by the time we got to the road, but he was still on about conspiracy and magic that he could show me. He was going to do it, he said.”
“Do what?”
Her grandpa took his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose, which was slightly pink. “I didn’t know what he meant then, and I still don’t know what it was.” He looked pained. “And I left him at the door with the doctor, who was taking care of Maureen. I wish to God I had stayed.”
Riley shuddered and he put his arm around her. They sat that way until the light was mostly gone.
“It wasn’t your fault, Grandpa.” Riley leaned into his warm side and buried her head against his shoulder. She remembered sitting like this with her dad. Her chest tightened. She pulled away. “You didn’t know. And something could have happened to you too.”
“No, I’ve always known the fault was mine, mostly because I did know that Dr. Brown was a conniving little shrivel of a man, and I let him have Sean in such a state. I practically served him to him. No.” He shook his head. “I’m responsible for the loss of my best friend. I’ve never forgiven myself.”
“You think this Dr. Brown killed him? Like with magic?”
“I don’t know, though many thought it true. All I know is that I never saw Sean again. Dr. Brown told everyone he had gone to the states to attend college. There was something evil about the whole thing.” He put his glasses back on and rose. “I’ve searched every school for his name and came up empty. That leaves me here. I’m afraid that the truth can only be ugly.”
“You think he died here?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I sometimes think I feel his presence here. But that might be wishful thinking. Wanting to find him, you know?”
“Like his … body?”
He paled. “Anything to get closure. For me. For him. I owe him that.”
He took a box of matches from his pocket and lit the candles on the dresser. The flames reflected in the mirror gave the room an eerie glow.
“I’m sure you’re exhausted. I put a pretty strong light there by your bed.” He pointed to the red flashlight standing on its head. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. I have friends who can help us. I’m not much myself, I’m afraid, but I always knew there was something in our line. I thought Gillian perhaps … then she married your father and had you and was … lost to her old man’s crazy talk.” He ran a hand over his face. “We’ll just say goodnight then.”
Riley glanced at it and up to the lamps on either side of the headboard. “But you owe me a story, like the ones you told mom.”
He nodded. “Tomorrow, I promise. Tonight, just get some rest. I’m right beside you if you need me, and should you want the bath, this room was updated with a bathroom over here.” He walked over to what she had assumed was the closet and swung the creaking door open. “Just don’t flush until tomorrow. I’m not sure how to work everything in this wing. Different lines. And don’t be alarmed at the noises. It’s an old castle, and that’s just what it does.”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“I’m so glad you’re here and safe. I’ve set wards. My good friends have added their own strength to them. You can rest easy.” He kissed the top of her head. “Sweet dreams, darling. Blow out those candles before you get to bed.”
“Night, Grandpa.” The sound of her voice reverberated in the room. All around her the shadows wove in and out of darkness. She tried to imagine what it had been like for Sean to wrestle with the loneliness and found she could feel it sharply in her chest, how the walls suffocated hope, how the world faded from memory.
Her own life had taken a turn she couldn’t correct. If what Tsura had told her was true, she needed what help she could find fast. It was overwhelming. Her chest was tight, and her whole body was tired.
She touched her necklace. She missed her family, her home, her old life.
A warm tear slid down to the corner of her mouth. She licked its saltiness away and leaned nearer the flames.
“Night, Sean.” She whispered and blew out the candles.
A draft stirred the curtains caressed her face briefly.
“Sean?” Her mind went to ghosts. It wasn’t a pleasant idea. She listened, straining to hear anything in the silence.
The castle was eerily quiet. The creaking and groaning of wood and stone adjusting against one another had ceased. She thought she would not close her eyes, but jetlag and a full belly let her drift quickly.
Until she sat bolt upright at midnight to the sound of her name.
7
Riley tried to slow her breathing and listen.
There was nothing, then a faint whisper of sound far off, almost like a voice. Her whole body stiffened. She tried to reason with herself. It was only the wind. It’s old, she repeated to herself, old, old, old. She clenched her teeth and refocused her breathing.
Again, the sound came. It was not a voice, not Sean’s ghost… Was it? If it was, what would she do?
The sounds were closer now. She strained her ears. Missed. Had she heard a word? She dared not move. Something would definitely hear her.
Stop it, she commanded herself. If a ghost was what she had to face for her grandpa, she would just have to face it. She threw back the covers and went to the window with a boldness she did not feel, holding herself straight and setting her jaw.
The moon was obscured by clouds moving slowly across its face. All she could see was the field and driveway illuminated below. She was searching the shadows when something in them moved.
She gasped, groping at the wall beside the window to steady her jelly legs. Whatever it was began a hurried descent down the roof line toward the kitchen and jumped off the roof. It landed in the yard, barely a foot from the fountain. The moonlight bathed the beast in soft relief. It walked the narrow edge of stone that encircled the waters, a stealth of fur and shadow. Riley’s breath whooshed out... What she had taken for a gargoyle come to life had been a cat. She leaned against the wall and c
hided herself for her overactive imagination.
As if sensing her, the cat looked back up where it came from and swished its tail before disappearing into the field. Riley pulled away from the wall and wiped her sweaty hand on her nightgown. She climbed back into bed and listened to the creaks and groans order themselves into an orchestral movement. She raised her hand to her cheek, surprised that her fingers were still warm, and brushed her hair out of her eyes. She let her mind go as blank as was possible for her, willing herself to visualize rippling water caressing mossy stones, and breathed slowly and deliberately.
It worked, as her father had said it would in his meditation trainings. Her fists unclenched, her jaw relaxed, and her eyes drooped. Her mind kept nagging at her, but her body had taken over. There was something she was supposed to do, but she couldn’t remember now. Nor could she open her eyes or tell where the faint harp music came from.
She became aware that she was dreaming as she watched herself walk down the long corridor. The white dress she was wearing billowed out behind her slow-moving other self in a gauzy cloud. Red rose petals began streaming down, landing on her, staining the fabric with blood until the dress was a deep scarlet. Her dream self began to run toward the end of the hallway, reaching out for the door that seemed farther and farther away. She cried out, trying to stop herself.
“Sean!”
Riley fell out of the bed and hit the floor hard from the unfamiliar height. She grabbed at the dresser to steady herself. When her fingers brushed the music box, she recoiled. It was warm. Or was she? She could be coming down with something from being out in the rain. She checked her forehead, damp, but cool, and then touched the box again. It was cool, the metal catch cold as ice.
“Riley, you’re up, are you?” Her grandpa called at the door, knocking afterwards.
“Yeah.” She looked up into her own face staring at her in the mirror. She looked like medusa with her curls ready to strike. “Just fixing my hair. Come in.”
He brought in a tray of tea and scones, both steaming in the cold air of the room. He set the tray on the dresser and lifted the lid off the butter. Riley gathered her hair into a ponytail and willed her bangs to stay put.
She started to ask about what she might have heard last night but thought better of it. There was nothing to tell really when she thought about it. And he looked particularly happy. He smiled.
“I brought you a sausage scone and a cranberry one. Got to have a savory and a sweet.”
Riley took a bite of the cheesy sausage scone. “Gee, Grandpa, this is really good. You made these?”
He adjusted his glasses and grinned. “Almost as good as. My friend, Aileen, the one with the shop, she brought them over. I heated yours a bit since you were still sleeping when she got here.”
“What time is it?”
“Oh, rounding out to ten, I guess.”
Had she really slept that long?
He fished out his pocket watch and wound it before pouring some tea into a fragile looking white cup. “Ten on the money. Sugar or cream?”
“Um, both.” Riley spoke around a mouthful of cranberry scone. “Are you leaving?” She pointed to his feet. He was wearing what he called his muck shoes for walking.
“Yes, I thought you and I would accompany Aileen back into town, if you’re up for it. You can snoop about a bit and buy a few things you need, but for now I’ll let you get dressed. Just a few moments, and we’re off. So, hurry up. They should have the power on by the time we get back, and then we can explore some, eh?” He waited for her to take another sip of tea, and then gathered her cup onto the tray. “Be waiting in the kitchen.”
She made herself as presentable as possible and left her room in a state of disarray her mom would not like. The hallway looked less threatening in the daytime. She’d started to walk down the hall, but, remembering her dream, thought perhaps a little electricity would be worth waiting for. She satisfied some of her curiosity by opening the little door to the dumbwaiter between the two bedrooms. There was nothing there except cobwebs floating in the draft.
Like everywhere else she turned or stumbled.
She managed to bump into both the railing on the stairs and the small marble table in the foyer. She hadn’t been watching where her legs were so much as she was peering into nooks and crannies.
A welcome rush of warm air greeted her as she entered the kitchen. Her grandpa was sitting at the table, swirling his tea cup. The woman, Aileen, took his cup in her bejeweled hands and stared into it intently. Riley noticed that the rich fabric of the woman’s dress didn’t match the muddy boots underneath. The dress almost looked medieval with its low-cut front and flowing peasant sleeves. Riley glanced down at her own shoes. She wore the lined ones her mother insisted upon. Judging by how cold her room had been this morning, she would soon be very glad for them. But she felt frumpy and less than well-dressed beside the glamorous woman. She reminded Riley of Tsura, though in a more motherly way.
“Ah, there’s my lass. Riley, this is Aileen. Aileen, Riley, my granddaughter.”
Aileen held the teacup out to Riley. “Oops, forgive me, dear. I’m a little caught up in myself. Carter’s leaves are so jumbled this morning.”
She put the cup down and extended her hand again. Riley took it, expecting it to be heavy from the rings, but her handshake was light and brisk.
“I trust the yew gave you pleasant dreams, then? We expected it would.”
The woman’s keen gaze swept over her.
Riley felt the woman’s searching, almost like a touch. Her mind went to what Tsura had said about shielding, and she tried to think herself shielded. The feeling passed, and the woman was smiling at her like she was waiting for Riley to say something.
“Thank you for the scones. They were delicious.”
Aileen clapped her hands. “Very welcome. Just a wee snack for you and your gran-da, so’s I had the grandest of intentions and not just coming for to look you over like a nosy old crone.” She fanned her jeweled fingers across her face and tapped at her bosom. “Sure, and you are a beauty as Carter has said. Let me look at you.”
Riley glanced at her grandpa who shrugged and smiled.
Aileen leaned over and patted his hand. “I knew you would be, taking after your gran-da and all. Just look at the smile of him. Radiant.”
Riley wasn’t sure, but she thought her grandpa was blushing. Aileen made a sucking sound with her teeth and turned to Riley. “My dear, it is nice to meet the person to go with all the praise. Your gran-da here thinks you maybe hung the moon if not the stars to boot.”
“Thank you. Nice to meet you, too, Miss ...uh, Aileen.”
“Just Aileen, thank you.”
“Aileen,” Riley repeated.
“Would you like me to be reading the leaves for you? I’m finished with Carter’s.” She patted his hand again.
“Oh, I…”
“Why, she would,” her grandpa answered for her and got up to retrieve her cup from the tray he had left at the sink. “It’s a real treat to find someone with Aileen’s gifts.”
He poured most of her remaining tea into his empty cup and passed it to Riley. “She can help. Trust her.”
Riley felt on display. The woman was still smiling. She nodded encouragingly.
“Take that last sip and give it to me. That’s it, dear.” Aileen pressed her hands together and closed her eyes. “Let me focus on you.”
Riley brought the thin porcelain to her lips and took a careful sip. The tea was cold and bitter, but she swallowed it, along with a few pieces of leaf, and handed the cup to Aileen.
“It’s a bit cloudy,” Aileen said, squinting.
“I had cream.” Riley smiled, but Aileen ignored the comment.
“Give me your other hand, my dear.” Aileen sat looking into her cup and holding Riley’s hand without moving.
“Well, that explains your aura.”
“What about my aura?” Riley glanced at her grandpa and arched an eyebrow. Tsura h
ad mentioned the same thing. How did they know, and what did they see exactly?
“Oh, yes. First I saw you, I couldn’t quite understand what it meant. I thought perhaps the yew had a hand in it, bringing dreams to you, but it’s a little clearer now.” Aileen squeezed Riley’s fingers just as her mother sometimes did when she wanted to comfort her. Riley shifted her weight and coughed. She would not tear up.
“There are so many energies drawing to you. There are paths opening and closing and shifting around you. And you’re coming into your own.” Suddenly, Aileen jerked as if struck. She locked eyes with Riley. “I see empty eyes searching.”
Riley’s fingers shook in Aileen’s hand. The nightmare played itself out in a horror reel again. She willed it gone, but she could still see him, feel the flesh give as she stabbed him. Aileen covered Riley’s hand with both of hers, and the visions faded. Riley felt soothed for a moment and then anxious as Aileen spoke again.
“My dear, you are special. With a special fate. The path you choose, you must go alone, I think. At least I see no person there with you.” She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. The rest I can’t see, like a wall in front of me. I must be losing my touch. Or you are shielding from me.”
A look passed between her grandpa and Aileen. It was like they were having a conversation she couldn’t hear.
Aileen finally broke the tension, speaking softly, “The path is Riley’s destiny. She’s meant for great things.”
What destiny? She didn’t want any destiny other than getting her father back and having a normal life. All this stuff was too much. Her emotions were surging like a strong tide. She wanted to run.
Aileen was by her side, putting an arm around her shoulders. “A bit too much then? It’s quite alright, dear. Let’s get ourselves out and test the waters as it were with you. You won’t have to do everything alone. We’ll be here with you. We old ones stick by our own.”
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