Merril gripped her hand and offered her a half-grin. “No, I want this. I’ve wanted this for what seems like forever. I’ll be damned if I’ll let Kevin and Renata come between us again. Kevin made his choice. Nothing I do will change that.” His voice lowered, and he spoke only to her. “My love for you and our life together is the only good thing I can see right now.”
Tom and Kelly slipped out the back door as Merril and Nichole spoke.
Jason and Merril exchanged a long look, and Jason gave a slow nod of his head. “Let’s look at the porch, Jim.” Jason stood, and Jim followed him outside.
“I’ll be upstairs if you need me,” Amy stated. She dried her hands then disappeared up the stairs.
Nichole sat back on her heels and waited. Sympathy, tinged with guilt, wracked her heart.
How much worse for Merril?
Both sorrow and anger shadowed his eyes. When his gaze rose to meet hers, he swallowed twice and cleared his throat. “Kevin and I were never close. Most of the time, we weren't even civil to one another.” He released her hands and rubbed his forehead. “Christ, the last time I saw him, I tried to beat him to death.” Merril’s stare was sightless as he lowered his hands to his knees. “Until then, I had hoped he and I would someday come to understand one another.”
Nichole rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around him. “You can hate someone and love them at the same time.”
He pulled her close and rested his cheek against her hair. “I know.” His whispered voice was a low rumble in his chest.
“You had a difficult relationship with Kevin, but there were good times, too. I even remember a few of them.” She spoke into his shirt. “Your father’s death changed him.”
“It was more than Pa’s death. Kevin’s world collapsed, and he couldn’t find a way back.”
“Have you even had time to mourn your father?” Nichole slid into the chair beside him. “You suffered his loss as well and now Kevin—”
He shook his head “No.” He stopped her before she could continue. “I know I need to grieve, and I will. But not today. Not tonight.”
Nichole leaned across the table and touched her lips to his. “I’ll be with you.”
“Nichole, can you come look at these dresses?” Amy called from upstairs.
“Go find a dress, sweetheart. I’ll head outside and help Jason. Jim needs to take it easy.”
They both rose, and Nichole wrapped her arms around Merril’s waist and hugged him close. “Don’t leave without telling me,” she instructed, then released her hold and ran up the stairs.
* * *
The front porch had been cleared, the broken lumber stacked beside the steps, and the house straightened to Amy's satisfaction by the time the Justice of the Peace arrived.
Jason’s dour mood was no match for Nichole's excitement, and once Kelly started decorating, even Jason began to smile.
Amy and Kelly had pushed the kitchen table out of the way and tied late blooming lilacs and snowball hydrangeas, cut from the backyard bushes, down the staircase railing.
The Justice stood at the far side of the kitchen, across from the stairs, with Merril, Jim and Tom to one side, Amy and Kelly on the other.
At the top of the stairs, Nichole clutched Jason's arm and looked down the steep incline. From where they stood, no one below was visible, only the empty space where she and Merril would stand. She turned to Jason and studied his profile, so like her own. “Are you still mad at me?”
He turned his head to look at her, and smiled. “No. Are you?”
Nichole shook her head and whispered, “I love you, Jason.”
“I know,” he said, and kissed her forehead. “I love you too.”
“We’re ready down here,” Jim called up the stairs.
“Don't let me trip.” Nichole tightened her hold on Jason’s arm.
“I’ll go first.” Jason started down the narrow stairs with Nichole's hand on his shoulder.
Since none of the men wore formal attire, Nichole refused Amy's offer to borrow a fancy dress. Instead, Nichole chose the lavender skirt and jacket with a white frilled blouse, and carried a bouquet of purple lilacs and white snowball flowers.
At the bottom of the steps, Jason waited for her to take his arm. When they reached the Justice, Jason placed her hand in Merril’s. Jason kissed her forehead again then moved back to stand beside Amy.
Nichole smiled at Jason and Amy, but her gaze was drawn up to Merril’s. No grief or guilt marred the joy in his eyes. His grin sent her pulse racing.
The Justice performed the short version by request.
Nichole had asked the Justice to omit the word obey, and instead say cherish, before she had gone upstairs.
Both Jason and Jim chuckled when the Justice reached that part.
Merril surprised her with a ring. As he slipped it on her finger, she ground her teeth and tried to stop her tears.
When the Justice declared, “You may now kiss the bride,” Jim and Tom gave a loud hoot, while Amy clapped her hands.
Jason had to give Kelly his handkerchief to dab his tears.
Merril intended a brief kiss, but Nichole wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly.
Jason cleared his throat, and Nichole pulled away with a laugh.
Merril drew her back into his arms. “I have another surprise for you.”
“You do?” Nichole grinned at her husband through tears of joy.
“Tom and Kelly reserved us a room for tonight at an inn on Park Avenue. We’ll have a wedding dinner there, just the two of us. We’ll leave in the morning with Tom.”
“How wonderful! Are you sure we have the time?” Nichole’s face flushed with thoughts of their wedding night. She had dreaded spending tonight in the saddle or camped beside the road with Tom. Now, she would have time with Merril. Her husband.
“Lloyd can handle the ranches for one night. We need this. We deserve this.” He lowered his head and kissed her again.
Kelly laughed. “You two lovebirds need to keep your clothes on until you get to the inn.”
Nichole hesitated. “Let me change first. I don’t want to wear this on the ride tomorrow.” She left her bouquet on the table and hurried up to their room.
She removed the lavender skirt and jacket, folded them into her empty trunk, and dressed in a dark brown skirt with a matching jacket and tall boots. She paused, then took the photograph of herself, Merril, and Kevin from the mantel and placed it on the lilac-colored skirt in the trunk.
Just as I found it.
She closed the lid and hurried down the stairs.
Their saddlebags were packed and on the borrowed horses, ready for the ride to The Shilo in the morning.
At the front door, Nichole turned and gave Jason a swift hug, then embraced Amy and whispered into her hair. “I left my traveling case in my bedroom. Please store it in the attic, just as it is.” Nichole stepped back, Amy’s hands clasped in her own. “The rest of my clothes are folded on the bed. Would you bring those with you, when you come home?”
Amy stared several moments into Nichole’s eyes. Then she nodded. No questions asked.
Nichole squeezed Amy’s hands and let go. “Thank you.”
“Be safe on the road.” Amy stepped beside Jason. “We should see you in about five days.”
Nichole nodded and walked to where Jim, Tom and Kelly stood talking with Merril.
“Are you ready?” Merril asked as she approached.
“One last thing.” Nichole paced away, turning her back to the men. Without warning, she tossed her bouquet of flowers over her head at the group. All three men reached for the flowers, but Jim, with his long reach, gave a grunt of pain as he plucked the bouquet from the air.
Nichole’s laugh faded when she spun around and saw the grimace on Jim’s face.
“What the heck was that about?” Jim returned the flowers to Nichole.
“A foolish thing that brides do. I’m sorry, Jim.” She hugged him. “Take care o
f yourself and hurry home. I need you.”
“I know ya do, gal. Go on, now. Have a good evening with your husband.” Jim winked at her as Merril helped her mount. She waved at Amy, then smiled at Merril as they rode toward Park Avenue.
Chapter 10
Alyse James
Alyse woke the next morning with a mixture of excitement and dread in her heart. She hated to leave her grandmother, but the urgent need to find her sister compelled her. In the storage closet, she found her old trunk and pulled it back to her room. All the clothes she owned fit easily into the old traveling case. Alyse added an extra pair of shoes, two sets of gloves and hats, plus two nice shawls Mémé had made for her last spring. Her travel attire was a simple dark blue dress with stout shoes and dark stockings. She laid her greatcoat across the bed. It continued to rain, and the ride to the train station in Toronto would be a wet one.
When she finished packing, she walked down the hall to the main room. She could hear her grandmother’s chant in the kitchen. Through the front windows, she saw Uncle Bern harness the horses to the wagon. She stopped before she entered the kitchen to watch her grandmother complete her spell.
Chantal’s grimoire laid open in the center of the workspace. All around the book were cloth circles cut from satin, three of blue and a dozen or so of white. Alyse could tell her grandmother cast protection spells by the ingredients she placed in the center of each circle. Chantal normally kept her spellcraft ingredients on the family altar to infuse them with power.
The blue satchels were for protection while traveling. She knew those would be for her and her uncles. The white ones were for pure protection and warding. A warm golden glow infused the work surface as Chantal added cloves and pine to each pouch. Tiny scrolls marked with protective runes came next, with an additional scroll for each of the blue satchels, then she placed several crystals in the center of each circle, chanting soft words the entire time.
As she finished, she held her hands over the satchels and asked for the Goddess's Blessing. The golden glow intensified for a few moments then faded away. Chantal dropped her hands to the counter and leaned wearily over her work.
“You think it’s coming here? The demon?” Alyse asked.
Chantal pushed an errant strand of white hair out of her face with the back of her wrist and looked at Alyse. “I think it’s a possibility,” she said in her low husky voice. “There’s an equal chance it will go after your sister first. I hope he comes here. At least I am prepared. Amylia—Amy knows nothing.”
“You must come with us,” Alyse insisted. She halted at the line of salt on the floor.
Chantal shook her head and began tying up the small bags. “I cannot travel as quickly as you and your uncles can.” Each circle of cloth had a braid of yarn woven through openings along the edge. Chantal pulled the yarn tight, tied a knot and set the satchel aside to move on to the next. “Should the demon come here first, I plan to delay him, even if it is just for a few days. I can give you time.”
She stopped tying the pouches and looked at her granddaughter. “You need time to reach your sister, to teach her what you already know. Time to train with her.” Chantal stepped toward Alyse and gripped her shoulders. “This demon will find you, my dear. Never doubt it. It’s coming for you and your sister. It has but one purpose, to find and destroy you. You need to be strong.” Chantal released Alyse and lifted one of the blue satchels and pulled the closure tight. “This one is for you.”
The scent of clove and pine and the forest after rain reached Alyse. The items inside pulled the satin bag lengthwise, making it about the size and shape of her thumb.
Chantal chose a silver chain from a bowl on the counter and drew it through the braided ties, then clasped the chain closed. She held out her hand to Alyse.
Alyse crossed the line of salt that encircled the workbench and stood beside her grandmother.
Chantal placed the satchel in Alyse's open palm and held her granddaughter’s hand between her own.
Familiar with the ritual, Alyse covered her grandmother's hands with her other hand. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep cleansing breath, as she waited for Chantal to begin.
“Lord and Lady, I call to thee,
and to the four elemental spirits of this world –
Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.
Attend me now Spirits.
I summon thee, and invoke your protection,
for this one so dear to my heart.
Banish all evil and protect her from harm.
Let my will be done.”
“Let it be done,” Alyse repeated. She could feel the heat in her hands, and knew if she were to open her eyes, a golden glow would surround their clasped hands. She waited until the warmth faded, then gazed into her grandmother’s eyes, so much like her own.
“I love you, dear heart.” Chantal lifted the chain, placed it around Alyse's neck, and tucked the satchel out of sight beneath Alyse’s blouse. She kissed her granddaughter’s cheeks.
Chantal turned back to the workbench and closed her grimoire. She lifted the large book, slid it neatly into a plain white cloth bag, and cinched it shut. “You’ll take this with you. I know you are familiar with it.” She winked at Alyse. “Also, I have a package for your sister, and one for your mother. They’re in the main room on the settee.”
“It feels wrong to leave you here, Mémé,” Alyse complained as she took the grimoire from Chantal.
“You’re not leaving me yet. I’ll come with you to the train station. Now, mind the circle, pack the book and those packages in your trunk before your uncle carries it outside. Bay, come here, please.”
Bayard sat his niece's luggage down and turned to his mother. He noted the satchels, bowed his head, and stepped into the protective ring to receive his blessing.
Alyse found the packages addressed to her mother and sister wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with twine. As she picked them up, she realized she would meet her mother and sister very soon. Nervous excitement bubbled in her chest, despite the doom of the prophecy. She put the packages and the grimoire in her trunk. After she closed the lid and fastened the leather buckles, she laid her hands on it and fashioned a quick deterrent spell. It would make opening her trunk undesirable to anyone but herself.
Bayard walked up to her as he slid his satchel into his coat pocket. “Are you ready for this, niece?” He picked up her trunk by the leather handles on either end.
“Are you, Uncle Bay?” Alyse asked.
Her uncle winked at her and smiled. “Sometimes, it seems like I've prepared for this my entire life.”
“At least you knew about it,” Alyse muttered.
Bay shook his head. “Do you think that makes it better, or worse?”
“I don't know.” Alyse shrugged. “I think it would have been better to know.”
“And I think it would have been better not to know,” Bay responded with a smile.
Alyse held the door open for her uncle
Bay shouted to his brother as he stepped down from the landing into the yard, “Ho Bern! Mum wants you.”
Uncle Bayard stepped out into the misty rain and across the muddy yard to the wagon. He passed Bernard without glancing up. The brothers always dressed similarly, both preferring dark trousers and vests. They wore bowler style hats over their thinning brown and gray hair.
Although they looked identical to most people, Alyse could tell them apart. She felt familiar head bumps on her calf and shin as Anaïs and Sabine made themselves known to her, winding in and out between her legs. She bent her knees to stroke them, and they continued to move around her, butting their heads and letting her know they required her attention.
Chantal watched from the kitchen, with a bittersweet smile on her face. “What are you going to do with them?”
The black cats found a way to knock Alyse onto her rump and jump into her lap. Alyse laughed at their antics. “I should leave them here with you, Mémé. I don't think they would appreciate being locked
up on a train.”
“They don't need to travel by train, dear heart. They’re fairies beneath their fur.”
The animals stopped their antics and turned to regard Chantal.
Alyse’s hand hovered over her pets’ fur, and her gaze rose to her grandmother’s. “Mémé, they are cats. Are you teasing me?” Alyse grinned.
“Not at all, dear. It is they who tease you. You love them as cats, so they remain cats. Now, however, I would send them straight away to your sister. It would be best for them, I think.”
Alyse looked down at two sets of yellow eyes. They blinked solemnly back at her.
“Do they know where she is?” Alyse wondered aloud.
“I imagine they have always known, if not always, then at least since you twyned. They should be able to find her.” Chantal nodded at the felines and cinched another satchel.
The door opened, and Bernard came inside dripping moisture from his greatcoat.
“Bay said you wanted me, Mum?” He noticed Alyse on the floor with her cats. “I thought they'd be gone by now.” He passed Alyse and the cats and stepped carefully over Chantal's circle.
“How will they go? How do I send them?” Alyse wondered to her grandmother and uncle.
“They were barn owls when you were a baby,” Bernard commented as Chantal prepared his satchel.
“I've seen them as rats, raccoons and starlings, dear. They will know the best way to travel.” Chantal took Bernard's hand and closed her eyes.
“And you never told me.” Alyse scolded her pets.
You’ve never been mine at all.
Anaïs licked her paw and began to groom her head, while Sabine kept her full attention on Alyse.
“Will you go to Amy and stay with her until I get there?” she asked them, not sure what to expect.
Sabine lifted her paw and batted Anaïs on the head.
Anaïs paused her grooming and looked at Alyse.
With two sets of yellow eyes trained on her, she ran her hand down each beloved animal’s fur. “You should go now. We’re all leaving. I don't want you here alone,” Alyse explained.
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