by Teresa Roman
“So you guys all get to know that our aunt got married, but I don’t?”
“The thing is, after Delilah moved, Dad asked us not to talk about her with you. He said you missed her a lot and that mentioning her name would just get you upset.” That wasn’t the only reason Dad didn’t want my brothers to mention her. He’d known she was a witch and was probably relieved when my aunt decided to leave Beaver Falls and take her secret with her. “I guess I got so used to not talking about her around you that it never occurred to me to tell you.”
“Did you go to her wedding?”
“Lisa and I didn’t really have a wedding. We got married at the courthouse a few years ago,” Delilah said. “Neither of us wanted to make a big deal out of it. We’ve been together for so many years that we already felt married. The only difference is that now it’s official.”
I shook my head in disbelief, resentful that my father and brothers had chosen to keep me in the dark about something I had every right to know. But there was no point in dwelling on it. “You said I could stay here for a while. Does that offer still stand?”
“Of course it does.”
“And you’ll teach me what you know about magic?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t have the books Maria gave me anymore. I left them behind at the castle.”
Delilah smiled. “You saw my attic. I have plenty of books.”
“I think it’s a great idea. Nicolai probably won’t think to look for you here,” Finn said. “But if you’re going to stay, that means we need to go back to my house so you can get your clothes and your car.”
“Are you sure your wife won’t mind?” I asked Delilah.
“She’ll be thrilled to get to know my favorite niece.”
“I’m your only niece,” I said, grinning at her clever joke.
Delilah put her hands on my shoulders. “It would make me happy if you stayed, but only if this is where you want to be.”
Before I could answer, the front door opened. I turned my head to see who had come in. A woman walked into the room. I figured she must be Delilah’s wife. She was dripping in sweat and dressed like she’d come from the gym or from jogging. Her hair was braided, and those braids were pulled back into a ponytail. Her skin was flawless. The only thing that gave her age away was some silver strands of hair at her temples. I wondered if Lisa was as old as my aunt, who was already in her fifties, though they both looked at least ten years younger than that.
“Hey, Finn,” Lisa said with a warm smile. “I would’ve skipped my run if I’d known you were coming over.”
“It was an unplanned visit.” My brother glanced at me. “You haven’t met my sister yet.”
“Hello.” I got up from the couch and walked over to Lisa with my hand out. “I’m Willow.”
“Dee told me she has a niece. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said. Lisa wiped her hand on her shorts before shaking mine. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need a shower.”
“Willow will be staying with us for a bit, so you’ll have plenty of time to catch up.” Delilah turned her head in my direction. “That’s if you still want to.”
I nodded. Delilah’s house felt like the place where I was supposed to be. For how long, I wasn’t really sure. I did know one thing, though. Being with my aunt would give me a chance to learn more about magic. And maybe, just maybe, magic would also help me to stop thinking about Nicolai. Because until I did, I had no idea what to do next.
Chapter 7
Nicolai
“She’s with one of her brothers,” I insisted.
“Yes, but which one? Willow has three of them spread out across this state,” Maria replied.
Being in the library brought me back to the moment I’d first met Willow, which made it hard for me to think straight. “I don’t understand why it’s taking so long to figure out where she went.”
“Your frustration is interfering with the energy I need to find her.”
Maria stood beside a desk with a map laid out on top of it. She held a crystal that was suspended on a chain over the map. I’d seen Maria scry before, and it hadn’t seemed that difficult.
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Then leave,” Maria said. “Give me a few minutes of peace and quiet, and I’m certain I can find Willow.”
“Fine.” I walked away before I lost my temper and wandered aimlessly down the castle’s long hallways, stopping only as I realized I’d just passed the room Willow had been using when she’d been staying at the castle. I hadn’t slept in it since the night before Willow had left me. I pushed the door open. Her scent hit me as soon as I stepped in the room and became more vivid as I sat down on the bed. I thought back to the nights I’d spent lying here with my arms wrapped around her. The knife in my heart twisted. She’d come to stay at the castle right after her father’s murder. Willow had been in so much pain that she’d wanted to make love. She’d said it would help her forget, but I’d told her no. I hadn’t wanted to take advantage of her in that way. I almost regretted that decision now. Or maybe being with her in that way would’ve made the pain I felt now even worse. Either way, she was gone, and I had no idea if I’d be able to get her back.
Sadness washed over me. I walked out of the room and down the hallway, trying to calm myself. Before long I reached my bedroom, but my despair had only grown. I stared at my reflection in the mirror above the dresser and barely recognized what I saw. This was Frederic’s doing. I was glad he wasn’t in the room with me, because if he were, there was no telling what I’d do. Before I could stop myself, I swiped my arm across the top of the dresser. Everything on it tumbled to the floor. I let out a loud roar. Seconds later, Alexander rushed through the door.
“What the hell?” His eyes widened as he took in the scene. “Nic, you’ve got to pull yourself together. She’s just a girl.”
“You know she’s more than that to me.”
“Father has chosen a bride for you. We should return home. Once you meet her, I’m certain you’ll stop thinking of Willow.”
“And you know this how? You’ve never loved anyone. Women have never been more than playthings to you.”
“That’s not true.”
“You’re a liar,” I said, rushing past him and slamming the door on my way out of the room.
Some air would calm me down. I headed downstairs, through the foyer, and down the great hallway. I was almost to the door when I heard Maria call my name.
I looked over my shoulder. “Did you find her?”
She shook her head. “Nothing seems to be working. It’s almost as if Willow has blocked me, but I have no idea how. It’s not something I taught her to do.”
“Willow is a powerful witch. You’ve said that yourself more than once.”
“She is, but—"
“Her intelligence is one of the things I most admire about her. She must’ve figured out how to block you on her own.”
Maria let out a deep breath. “I just need to clear my head a bit, that’s all. In another hour or so, I’ll try scrying for her again. I’m sure it will work.”
She sounded convinced, but I knew better. Wherever Willow was, she did not want to be found. Grief and frustration consumed me. I let out a howl. No. Strong emotions could trigger my transformation from human to wolf. For two long years, I’d been stuck in my human form, hating that my shape-shifting power had been taken from me by a curse, but now I resented my ability. I needed my human wits about me if I was to find Willow, but since she’d left, I struggled to keep control of my emotions.
No, not now!
Despite my reluctance, I shifted. With another howl, I ran outside, desperate for some sort of release from my pain.
The castle’s grounds were surrounded by a large wooded area. My brothers and I knew to stay on our property for fear of being spotted by a local. Thanks to hunters, wolves had disappeared from the area over a hundred years ago. With acres of land at my disposal, I still ha
d plenty of room to run until I was too worn out to think about how angry I was. Still, by the time I returned to the castle, it was almost nightfall.
I’d hoped for good news, but Maria didn’t have any to give. “What should we do?” she asked after informing me of her failed attempts to pinpoint Willow’s whereabouts.
“Let’s start with her brother Finn. He’s the oldest and the one Willow is closest to,” I replied. “If Willow isn’t with him, then perhaps he knows where she is. If not, we’ll try Owen next, then Riley. At least one of them has to have heard from her.”
“It’s a good plan,” Maria said. “But before we leave Beaver Falls, I think we should talk to Grace again. Except this time in person.”
“She won’t tell us anything,” I muttered.
“You leave that to me.” Maria lips curled into a self-satisfied smile. “I will get her to talk.”
I stifled a groan. My hope for winning back Willow’s heart further dimmed. She would hate us for using magic on her best friend. But what other choice did I have? I needed to talk to Willow and tell her that whatever Frederic had said to her was dead wrong. Perhaps it would be enough to get her to change her mind about us, but even if it wasn’t, I couldn’t return home to Sarabia without first making sure Willow would be safe.
She’d want to know how I found her, and I’d answer her questions truthfully because I would not lie to the woman I loved. Despite the possible cost, I couldn’t change course now. Whether Willow wanted me to or not, I had to find her. It was too late in the night to expect anyone to receive visitors, but come morning, my search for Willow would commence.
That night, I slept fitfully again. Sunrise took forever to arrive. I spent the early hours of dawn packing a bag. Just after nine, Maria and I headed out.
“Grace is probably at work,” I said. “She helps manage an assisted living facility. I remember Willow telling me that.”
I turned to Google for help. Since Beaver Falls was such a small town, there really was only one place to check.
Unfortunately, Grace hadn’t shown up for work that morning. Her coworker seemed concerned. “She’s always here before I am. It’s not like her to be late without calling. I hope she’s all right.”
“Maybe she just overslept,” I said trying to hide the ominous feeling that had come over me. “Do you by chance have her address? I’d like to go check on her and make sure she’s okay.”
“Not to be rude, but I can’t just give her address to a complete stranger.”
I smiled, hoping to charm the information out of Grace’s coworker. “I’m Nicolai, and this is my friend Maria. My brothers and I live in the castle up on the hill.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “No way. Grace never told me she knew you guys.”
“Well, we’ve only recently become acquainted.”
Grace’s coworker stared at me for a moment more before jotting down an address and handing it to me. I wasn’t sure if she’d given it to me so easily because she was awestruck by meeting someone who lived in the castle or because Maria had somehow magically compelled her to.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Maria said as we headed back to the car.
I didn’t, either, but I couldn’t bring myself to say those words out loud. I drove faster than I should have, too desperate for answers to follow the speed limit. A few minutes later, I pulled into Grace’s driveway. Maria and I got out of the car. I rang the doorbell, but there was no answer. I tried knocking next. Still no answer.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” I asked, trying my best to hide my agitation.
“Yes,” Maria said.
Grace lived on one side of a duplex. “Shall I knock on her neighbor’s door?”
Maria shook her head. “No, let’s just go inside and take a look around.”
I didn’t stop Maria from using magic to unlock the door and added breaking and entering into the house of my mate’s best friend to my ever-growing list of regrettable actions.
We’d only barely stepped inside when Maria froze. “I have a bad feeling,” she said.
So did I. Sniffing the air, the scent of blood assaulted me. I tracked it to the bathroom, where I found Willow’s best friend in the bathtub. Blood had turned the bathwater red. I reached into the tub and grabbed one of Grace’s arms, intending to check a pulse, but as soon as I saw the deep gash on Grace’s wrist, I knew there was no use.
“She killed herself?” Maria said.
“It appears that way,” I replied, hardly believing what I was seeing.
“How long do you suppose she’s been dead?”
“An hour at the most.” I hung my head, cursing under my breath. If we’d gotten here earlier, Willow’s best friend would still be alive.
“Willow will be devastated,” Maria said.
“Yes,” I agreed. She was still grieving the loss of her father. Losing her best friend on top of that would gut her. Willow wasn’t close to many people. The few people she cared for, she did deeply. “She will.”
Maria turned to leave. I grabbed her arm. “Where are you going?”
“To call 911. We can’t just leave like nothing happened.”
“Of course we can’t. I know that. But the police will have questions. How are we going to explain being the ones who found her?”
“We’ll tell the truth. That we came here to visit Grace. When she didn’t answer the door, we let ourselves in. Most people in Beaver Falls don’t lock their doors. The police know that.”
I let out a deep breath. Maria was right. We couldn’t just leave without calling the police. I let go of Maria’s arm and followed her into the living room. A few minutes after she called 911, the sound of sirens pierced the quiet.
I assumed it wouldn’t take very long to answer the questions the police had, but I was wrong. By the time the police gave me and Maria the green light to leave, it was almost noon.
“What now?” Maria asked as we headed back to the car. “Should we keep asking around town?”
I shook my head. “Willow wasn’t one to trust many people. Grace was her best friend. If Willow told anyone where she was going, it would’ve been Grace.”
“Are you as suspicious about Grace’s apparent suicide as I am?”
“I was worried you’d say that.” I didn’t know Grace well, but she hadn’t struck me as someone who wanted to end her life. If she hadn’t died by her own hand, it meant she’d died by someone else’s. Beaver Falls wasn’t the type of place where that sort of thing happened. An eerie feeling crawled through me. “Do you think Grace’s death is somehow connected to Willow?”
Had Peter’s accomplice come to Grace’s home for the same reason Maria and I had?
“I don’t know.”
“Well, if it is, then we need to find Willow now.”
Maria nodded in agreement.
Our search had taken on a new level of urgency. Which meant there wasn’t time to return to the castle to tell my brothers what was happening. I would just have to call them from the road. I shook my head. With Grace dead, I had one more reason to find Willow. I had to be the one to tell her about her best friend. I didn’t want her to hear the news from a stranger.
“So, what’s next?” Maria asked.
“We won’t learn anything of use by staying in Beaver Falls. Willow is closest to her brother Finn, and he lives in Syracuse.” I turned onto the road that led out of town toward the highway. “So that’s where we’re going.”
Chapter 8
Willow
My clothes and car were still at Finn’s house. I also wanted to give Claire and my nephews a proper goodbye, which meant we had to return to Syracuse. That evening, after a dinner of roast chicken and salad, I kissed Sam and Miles on their foreheads, thanked Claire for her hospitality, and said my goodbyes.
Finn walked me to my car. “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t.” I hugged him. “Thanks, Finn. For everything.”
“If you need so
meone to talk to, you can all me anytime. Don’t forget that.” He ruffled my hair. “Stay safe.”
“I will.” With Peter out of the picture, safety was less of a concern. I was more worried about keeping myself sane. Time was supposed to heal wounds, but I wasn’t so sure that was right. Nothing seemed to make sense without Nicolai.
I got in the car before I started crying. By the time I made it back to Delilah’s, night had already fallen, but my aunt was still up waiting for me. I left my suitcase at the foot of the stairs and followed Delilah into the living room. Lisa was watching the news with a stern look on her face.
“Lisa is a scientist,” Delilah explained. “She gets pretty riled up by all the self-professed experts that get interviewed on the news.”
“It’s because yhey’re a bunch of idiots.” Lisa clicked off the TV and looked up at me, her expression softer. “I’m glad you made it back.”
“Thanks for letting me stay.”
“Of course.” Her warm smile made her eyes sparkle. “You’re family, which means you’re always welcome.”
“Did you have dinner yet?” Delilah asked.
I nodded.
“How about dessert, then? I made some brownies. You can’t turn down chocolate.”
I wasn’t in the mood for dessert. Partly because I didn’t have much of an appetite, but also because I was itching to check out Delilah’s attic again. Still, I didn’t want to be rude, so I said, “Sure.”
Lisa and I followed Delilah into the kitchen. She filled three plates with warm, gooey brownies and a scoop of vanilla ice cream and brought them over to the table.
“So, Ithaca,” I said as Delilah sat across from me at the table. “What made the two of you decide to move to here?”
“Lisa was just finishing up her PhD when we met. Right about the time she got offered a professorship at Cornell, I started getting these awful, hate-filled letters. Up until then, I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave Beaver Falls, but, after the letters, it wasn’t hard for Lisa to convince me to move in with her. College towns like this one seem to be a lot more open-minded. No one cares that their female geology professor has a wife.”
