The House of Winter

by Isobel Bird

  “Like what?” Sasha inquired.

  “Well, we’ve always been able to tell what the other is thinking, for one thing,” answered Lucy. “We assumed that was just a twin thing, though, so we never really thought about it. But we could do other things, too, like make people do what we wanted them to. Nora was always more into that than I was, but we could both do it.”

  “How?” Cooper asked her.

  “A lot of different ways,” Lucy answered. “Dolls, charms, runes—we tried all kinds of things. We didn’t understand what any of it was when we were little. We were just fooling around. And when we got old enough to understand it better, we stopped doing it. At least I did.”

  “But Nora didn’t?” said Kate.

  Lucy shook her head. “She liked that she could control people,” she said. “I kept telling her that it wasn’t right, that you aren’t supposed to use your powers to make people do things against their will. But she thought it was funny. And she never did anything really hurtful. Not until she found the diary anyway.”

  “Why?” asked Annie. “What was in the diary?”

  Lucy stood up and began pacing. “The summer before Mary and Alice died, a gardener came to work at the hotel.”

  “Right,” Cooper said. “Nora mentioned that. She said Alice was in love with him but that he loved Mary.”

  “As usual, she gave you the reverse of the real story,” Lucy informed her. “At least partly. Alice was in love with him. His name was Porter Wills, and he was in love with Alice, too. He used to bring her roses from the garden, and she would make him picnic lunches that they would eat together by the pond.”

  “Let me guess,” Sasha said. “Evil Mary had a thing for Porter, too.”

  “Yes,” Lucy said. “She did. She hated that he was in love with Alice and not with her. She did everything she could to break them apart. Several times she even impersonated Alice. They looked exactly alike, so much so that even their parents sometimes had a hard time telling them apart. But Porter always knew when Mary was trying to betray her sister, and he never fell for her. That made her madder than anything.”

  “Mr. Greaves said that a young gardener died here that summer,” Cooper said. “I don’t suppose that gardener was Porter by any chance?”

  “He drowned in the pond,” Lucy replied. “Everybody thought it was an accident. Even Alice did at first. She was heartbroken, and she couldn’t believe her sister would do something so horrible. Mary even pretended to be sad for her. But four months later Alice stumbled across Mary’s diary, and that’s when she learned the truth. Mary had done a spell to cause Porter’s death.”

  “And that’s when she made the talisman to bind her and keep her from using her powers?” suggested Annie.

  “Right,” Lucy confirmed. “She didn’t want to hurt her sister, but she knew she had to be stopped. Alice thought the talisman would keep Mary under control long enough for her to figure out what to do next.”

  “Only it didn’t,” Sasha said. The others looked at her. “Hey,” she said, “like anybody couldn’t see that one coming?”

  “No, it didn’t stop her,” said Lucy. “She found out what Alice had done and she was furious. She made all kinds of threats. She said she was going to make Alice pay for trying to stop her. And she did. She put spells on her that made her very sick. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong, and Alice couldn’t tell them the truth. They would never have believed her. She got sicker and sicker. Then, on the night of the Winter Solstice, Alice knew she had to do something. It wasn’t just the Solstice, it was the night of their sixteenth birthdays. Alice had read in Mary’s diary that she was planning a ritual for that night—a ritual that would make her incredibly powerful.”

  “What kind of ritual?” asked Kate, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

  “Mary thought that if she killed her sister, she would gain all of her powers,” Lucy said.

  “But that’s not witchcraft!” protested Annie. “No witch would hurt any living thing as part of a spell or a ritual!”

  “I know that,” said Lucy. “But you have to understand that Mary was pretty much crazy at that point. She didn’t know anything about real witchcraft. Her only experiences with magic were the ones that involved manipulating people. She didn’t know about the Rede, or about the Law of Three. She thought that she could get what she wanted whatever it took. She’d already caused Porter’s death. I think she just convinced herself that it was all a game.”

  “So Alice went to the tower room on the evening of the Solstice?” Cooper said. “And she tried to stop Mary?”

  “You know the rest,” Lucy said. “Alice could barely get out of bed. Getting into the tower room took all of her remaining strength. When she got there she pleaded with Mary not to do anything. She tried to reason with her. At first Mary pretended to listen. She helped Alice to the walkway, telling her she needed some fresh air. When they were out there, she pushed Alice over the edge.”

  “Only Alice hung on,” Annie said sadly.

  “Alice wasn’t stupid,” Lucy answered, sounding proud. “She knew what Mary was going to do, and she let her take her to that walkway.”

  “Why?” asked Sasha angrily. “If she knew Mary was going to try to kill her, why did she do it?”

  Lucy smiled sadly. “Because she knew it had to end,” she said. “She knew Mary was too far gone. The evil magic had gotten inside of her, and it was growing blacker and blacker every day.”

  “So why didn’t she just push her off?” Sasha said indignantly.

  “You don’t know what it’s like being a twin,” Lucy said quietly. “You don’t know what it’s like to look at someone who looks exactly like you, who likes the same things you do, and who half of the time is thinking exactly the same thoughts that you are. When Alice looked at Mary, she saw the other half of herself. She couldn’t stand to see her sister being eaten alive by the evil that was inside her, and she knew that if her sister died she would be incredibly lonely, even after everything that had happened between them.”

  Lucy paused and looked away. It was obvious that she was thinking about her own sister, but no one questioned her. When she looked back at them, her eyes were wet. “In the end she did the only thing she could,” Lucy said. “She pretended to be weaker than she was. And when Mary pushed her from the walkway, Alice grabbed her and held on with everything she had left. She pulled Mary off with her, and she held her in her arms as they fell.”

  Again there was silence as everyone took in what Lucy was saying. Then Cooper asked, “Nora told me that you talk to Alice’s ghost. I assume that’s true?”

  Lucy nodded in confirmation. “After we read the diary, Nora suggested that we try to contact the sisters,” said Lucy. “I didn’t want to do it at all, but Nora can be really stubborn when she wants to be. Finally, I gave in just to shut her up. So we did a séance in the tower room. That was when Mary appeared. She told us that the diary was actually Alice’s, and that it was all lies. She asked us to help her find the talisman so that she could come back to this world to finish something she’d left undone. But when I asked her what that was, she wouldn’t really say. That made me suspicious, but Nora believed every word of it.”

  “But you had the talisman,” said Kate. “How did you get it?”

  “Alice told me where it was,” Lucy answered. “A few weeks after the séance, I went down to the pond one night. I’d been having this recurring dream about being in a boat on the pond and hearing someone call to me. The person was standing on the end of the dock, and I would row toward it. But I kept waking up before I reached it and saw who it was. It was making me nuts, so I decided to actually go there and see if anything happened. That’s when Alice first appeared to me.”

  “She was the person on the dock?” asked Annie.

  “She was standing on the end of it, looking into the water,” Lucy said. “She was looking for Porter. When I saw her I was convinced I was still dreaming. But then she spoke to
me. I’ve been talking to her on and off ever since.”

  “When was the last time you spoke to her?” Cooper asked.

  “A few weeks ago,” said Lucy. “I’ve been trying to contact her but she doesn’t appear. I think as the Solstice nears and Mary’s powers grow it’s harder for Alice to come through. I think Mary still has some power over her. The last time we spoke she told me where the talisman was and what it looked like. She made it into a Christmas tree ornament because she knew that Mary would never think of that. Only then I went and handed it right over to her.”

  “No, you didn’t,” said Kate. “We did. You handed it over to us.”

  “I think this is where the apology comes in,” said Cooper. “Lucy, we can’t tell you how sorry we are. Nora really had us fooled. She said that you were acting weird because you were under Alice’s control and…well—” Cooper paused.

  “You were acting weird,” Sasha finished.

  “That’s not the most tactful way to put it,” Kate said. “But yeah. You were acting a little sketchy.”

  Lucy nodded. “I know,” she said. “And I apologize for that. It’s just been really stressful dealing with this. Nora and I have always been best friends. But ever since Mary started telling Nora that she would help her gain all of these powers, she hasn’t been the same.”

  “Let’s talk about that,” said Cooper. “What exactly has Mary promised Nora?”

  “There was a page missing from the diary,” Lucy said. “Apparently it contained the instructions for the ritual that Mary was doing when Alice interrupted her. I know Nora has looked all over the hotel for it and hasn’t found it. I looked, too, but I didn’t find it either.”

  “Maybe it’s gone,” Cooper suggested. “After all, paper doesn’t really hold up all that well over that long a period of time.”

  Lucy shook her head. “It’s here,” she said. “Mary swears it is. She wanted Nora to help her get through to this world so that she could get it. In exchange, she promised to give Nora some incredible powers.”

  “But now Mary is back here,” Annie pointed out. “If what Cooper saw was real, anyway.”

  “Oh, it was real,” said Cooper. “Trust me, I wouldn’t run from something unless it was really scary.”

  “Then if Mary is back, that means she’s probably looking for the page from the diary right now,” Kate said. “She might already have it.”

  “But why would she want the instructions for the ritual?” asked Sasha. “If it involved killing her sister—or whatever she was going to do—wouldn’t she need Alice here for it to work?”

  “Not if she had a substitute,” said Cooper after a moment’s thought.

  “What do you mean by that?” Lucy asked, her voice trembling.

  “You said it yourself,” said Cooper. “The similarities between you and Nora and Mary and Alice are pretty incredible. You were born on the same day. You have similar powers. You’re related. Maybe Mary thinks she can substitute you for Alice.”

  Lucy shut her eyes.

  “You told me you were afraid that Nora was going to try to kill you,” Kate said. “In path. Remember?”

  Lucy nodded. “I was just trying to get you to listen to me,” she said. “I never thought she would really do something like that.”

  “It’s not her,” Annie reminded Lucy. “It’s Mary. She’s using Nora to get what she wants. You have to remember that.”

  “We still have to stop her,” Cooper said. “Which means we have to find her. Do you have any idea at all where she might be?” she asked Lucy.

  “None,” Lucy said. “Although with this storm as fierce as it is, I’m pretty sure she must be inside somewhere. That at least narrows it down.”

  “We’re going to have to find her,” said Cooper. “To do that we’re going to need all the help we can get. Do you think you can contact Alice?”

  “Definitely not from inside the hotel,” Lucy said. “I’ve never been able to do that, and now with Mary back I’m sure it would be impossible.”

  “Then we have to go to the pond,” Cooper said.

  “The pond?” Annie, Kate, and Sasha said in unison.

  “Hello?” Sasha said. “Let me make the introductions. Cooper, blizzard. Blizzard, Cooper.”

  “I know it’s snowing,” said Cooper. “But we need to contact Alice if we can. And I think that if the five of us work together we have a good chance of doing it. So get your coats. We’re going on a field trip.”

  CHAPTER 15

  “If everyone will quiet down for a minute, this will be a lot easier.”

  The murmur of voices ceased and everybody looked at Bryan Reilly, who was standing in front of the Yule tree, the lights of which had been turned off to save power. The room was filled with people getting ready to go to dinner, but now they waited to see what the hotel owner had to say.

  “As many of you may have noticed, we’re having quite a storm,” Mr. Reilly said, earning laughter from the assembled group.

  “You may also have noticed our little lighting problem earlier this afternoon,” Bryan continued. This time no one laughed.

  “The power lines to the hotel have been downed by the storm,” said Bryan. “We’re in contact with the local power company by radio, and they’re aware of the problem. However, the storm is so severe that they can’t send equipment through right now, which means we’ll have to wait for this to blow through before we can get back to full speed.”

  “How bad is the storm?” someone called out.

  “That’s the strange thing,” answered Bryan. “No one really knows. This was completely unpredicted, and as far as anyone can tell, the blizzard is concentrated only in our area.”

  “Big shock,” said Cooper to Annie, Kate, Sasha, and Lucy. The five of them were standing in the back of the room, attempting to remain out of sight while they listened to Lucy’s father speak. They were holding their coats in their arms, as they had been on their way out of the hotel when they’d stumbled into the impromptu meeting.

  “You still think this is Mary’s doing?” Annie asked.

  Lucy nodded emphatically. “I know it is,” she said. “It’s the same kind of storm she raised on the night she and Alice died. It’s like her energy just causes it to happen.”

  “The good news is that our generator is running,” Mr. Reilly continued. “We don’t expect there to be any further problems, but we do ask that all of you do what you can to conserve power. That means no running hair dryers and things of that nature, and we’d appreciate it if you could use the lights in your rooms as little as possible. Other than that, things should be nice and cozy. Dinner is waiting for you, and then I know Bilbo and the others have planned some special events for this evening. So go enjoy yourselves.”

  People started to talk among themselves again as the meeting broke up. Then Bryan Reilly returned. “One more thing,” he called out in a loud voice. “This is very important. Please don’t anybody leave the hotel while the storm is in progress. I can tell you that it’s wild out there, folks. We don’t want anyone going outside and getting lost in this stuff. So please, stay inside.”

  Once again people began talking, some of them heading off to the dining room and some of them choosing to sit in the lobby with their friends. The five girls stood there for a moment, looking at one another.

  “You heard the man,” Kate said. “No going outside. You know what that means.”

  “Right,” said Cooper. “We have to make sure no one sees us.”

  Kate grinned. “I knew you’d know,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  They walked quickly down the hallway, with Lucy leading them. She turned down a smaller hallway off the main one, which took them to a door.

  “This leads to the gardens,” she said. “We can walk through there and then down to the pond. But it’s going to be tricky. The path is downhill, and it’s sure to be slippery.”

  “Everybody stick close together,” Cooper said. “If you get separated, stand still a
nd wait for the rest of us to find you. Nobody wander off. Got it?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Then let’s roll,” said Cooper. “We have a ghost to find.”

  They zipped up their jackets, pulling the hoods over their heads, and slipped on their gloves. Then Lucy pushed open the door and they stepped into the blizzard.

  It hit them with staggering force, the wind pushing them back and the snow blowing in their faces. A roaring filled their ears, making it impossible to hear anything. And now that they were away from the lights of the hotel, they couldn’t see more than a few inches in front of them.

  Lucy took the lead, motioning for the others to follow her. They lined up behind her, sticking close to one another as she pushed against the wind and made her way slowly through the frozen garden. The bushes and the remains of the summer flowers were now only rounded mounds of snow, and it felt like they were walking through some kind of alien landscape. They themselves looked like spacemen, their coats now covered in snow, as they laboriously lifted their feet and put them down again, taking slow, small steps.

  They made it through the garden and onto the path leading to the pond. As Lucy had warned them, it was rough going. The path wound down steeply, following the ridge of the hill that the hotel sat on. It was narrow, and with the snow and wind making things even more treacherous, they had to be extremely careful. More than once one of the girls slipped and fell, only to be pulled up by the others.

  Finally they reached the bottom. Before them lay the pond, its surface covered with ice and snow. To one side was a dock with a small boathouse at the end. It was toward this structure that Lucy led them, bending into the wind as it seemed to try harder than ever to force them to turn back. But eventually they reached the door of the boathouse, and Lucy, with a thrust of her shoulder, pushed it open. She stumbled inside, the others following after her.