A wave of anxiety washed over me as he turned to go. I wasn’t sure I was entirely ready for whatever Nan had in mind. Yet like a doctor about to administer a shot, she seemed determined to proceed with her plan whether I approved or not.
Ren smiled at me encouragingly before mounting the stairs and disappearing into the floor.
“They used to call a room like this a widow’s walk, did you know that? Not that my family ever had use for it. They weren’t sailors but it’s useful to see what’s coming in from the sea or otherwise.” She stated allusively.
“No, I didn’t know that. This is an incredible house.” I gushed finding myself falling easily into conversation with her.
“My father’s the one who turned this room into a study.” She said, scanning the room thoughtfully.
“A little stuffy for my taste but it’s where the books live and they like it here.” She whispered, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
“There’s a little viewing deck through those doors, would you like to take a look?” She offered.
The meandering climb to the widow’s walk was exhausting but there were no windows in the study, every last inch of wall space housed books. Consequently, I didn’t know what to expect of the view when I stepped through the dainty French doors onto the platform.
Instantly, the crisp air whipped my face. When I lifted a foot to cross the threshold a strong gust nearly forced me back into the room. Determinedly, I pressed my weight against the wind and landed safely on the platform, which was narrow, two feet at best, and protected by a peeling wrought iron railing. As my fingers curled around the cold bar, I braced myself against the wind and lifted my head to appraise the view.
A sea of black trees swayed in the wind like seaweed in a current. Beyond the trees, the endless vista of ocean shimmered as waves shattered moonbeams, sending shards of light across the water. My mind soared over the trees carried by the raucous breeze out to sea like a gull.
The aged rail creaked beneath my palms. I looked down to the trees below considering the dark swirl of branches some bare, others laden with brittle leaves. The weak light distorted their distance. Transfixed by their hypnotic dance, I envisioned a league of thin tendrils reaching from the tops of the tremulous heap, snaking searchingly toward my perch.
Nan’s hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality. I rubbed my hands against my arms to banish the chill. Her eyes searched mine.
“We should get started Eliza. We don’t have much time.” She said direly.
My gaze gripped hers. “Do you really think you can help me?” I asked, desperation in my tone.
Nan held my gaze firmly and smiled sympathetically.
“I do believe what I’ve found will work and faith alone can bring success. Follow me, Eliza.” She said optimistically before turning and walking deliberately toward the middle of the room, grabbing a sheet of paper off the desk as she graced its edge.
My lips drew together tightly. What Nan offered was hope, not necessarily a solution.
“This is just as good a place as any, I guess.” She said softly and sank to the carpet crossing her legs.
I followed her to the spot on the floor and flopped down beside her.
“This spell was designed to protect one from any Shadow, even if we do not know who or what is behind it.” She said distractedly, while squinting at the piece of paper through her reading glasses.
She peered at me over her glasses.
“Eliza, why don’t you sit across from me? It will be important for us to maintain eye contact during parts of the…mmm…exercise.” She instructed.
I slid across the floor from Nan and mirrored her position.
“Shall we begin?” She asked solemnly. All traces of joviality disappeared as she turned inward in concentration.
Timidly, I nodded in agreement not that she was paying attention any longer. Nan reached across our legs for my hands. In response, I weakly offered my clammy palms. She grasped them gently between her fingertips and thumbs. Her skin was dry and warm, showing no physical signs of duress.
Her gaze fastened on mine intently, eyes opened wide, though it appeared she was seeing something other than my face. Then her voice sliced through the silence, flowing across the distance between us like a soothing stream. She instructed me to concentrate on the energy she sent to me through our clasping hands. I closed my eyes, hoping my trust in her was warranted as I made myself vulnerable to her will.
When she spoke again, a foreign voice seeped through her lips. The lilting sound reminded me of wind fluttering the leaves of a summer tree. I struggled to maintain focus on our hands but the soft tenor of her voice dulled my senses like a drug. In my mind’s eye, a tree swayed in a hot dry breeze, the sun low in the sky danced on its leaves. As I sucked in a breath, heat and dust filled my nostrils. The air singed my lungs like I’d inhaled something potent. Then the surface of my skin warmed, as if the high rays of the sun beat upon it.
As the voice trailed into a whisper, the sky behind the tree darkened, fading to night. With the loss of the sun, the warmth radiating upon my skin disappeared replaced by the chilly night air.
With a shiver, my eyes flew open to find Nan’s eyes alive in the present once again. Her hands peeled away from mine. The sensation of release was powerful, as if a weight pressing in on my body from all directions had suddenly been lifted. I felt light, like I was floating in the sea.
“Were you speaking a moment ago or was that music?” I asked dazedly.
“It’s a spell borrowed from fairies. It’s their dialect and I daresay, harbors some of their qualities.” She sighed in exasperation.
“I certainly would have liked to use a spell with more commitment, so to speak, but this was the best fit for the circumstance and I thought it best not to stray too far from our target.” She stated resolutely.
“Oh…” I said surprised, my senses still dull from the experience. Witches were one thing, Shadows another, but now fairies?
Nan rose then and reached down for my hand once again, this time with less reverence.
“Now we must travel. Come along. I’ll take you to my real study.” She stated emphatically.
I extended my hand and allowed Nan to pull me forcefully to my feet. A small giggle gurgled in her throat as I hopped up unsteadily.
“Humph, you’re heavy for a tiny little thing, Eliza. Are you steady now? I don’t mean to rush you.” She said before inspecting my face.
Blood rushed to my limbs and head, reviving me. Despite the rush of energy, I swayed unsteadily on my feet.
Nan’s face drew close to mine when I failed to respond to her question. Her dark eyes inspected mine through her reading glasses, which magnified them to an unnatural size making her look like a curious owl.
“Eliza? Do you need to sit down?” She asked loudly.
I shook my head, laughing at her unnecessarily loud tone of voice.
“I’m fine. Just got a little head rush. That was really weird you know.” I said squinting at her.
She gave a tired smile, then chuckled.
“Yes, I bet it was weird for you. I must remind myself that you’re a novice, Eliza. You seem wise, though I suppose wisdom comes in many shades.” She said smiling sympathetically, then began to descend the stairs.
Nan tread slowly. Leery of my unsteady state, she peered frequently over her shoulder as we crept down the winding staircase.
I followed her footsteps carefully. My head felt like a balloon attached by a string to my body, capable of leading me but lacking exactness.
“So… you said fairies, right?” I asked. The rabbit hole I’d fallen into challenged the imbedded instincts that enabled me to sort fact from fiction, truth from lie.
“Yes, yes, they exist, the frivolous little bastards.” Nan muttered unapologetically.
Startled by her crass response, I choked back a giggle.
“I take it you don’t hold them in high esteem.” I commented.
We had now reached the first landing. Nan paused in the large space, poised at the crossroads of hallways.
“I hate to be negative, Eliza. Negative energy, even privately, can come to no good. That is for sure. Besides, fairies have their good qualities. For example, the spell they created for protection against wicked Shadows is brilliant and perfect for your particular situation. I found nothing more fitting in all of my research than the fairy spell.” She explained emphatically.
“It’s just that fairies tend to be narcissistic, selfish, and dangerous. I’m being harsh, but you should know, Eliza. When the time comes that you meet a fairy, you will be wise to mind your guard.” She instructed gravely.
I nodded solemnly and promised to heed her warning.
“Enough about fairies, now. We must complete one last task in order to seal the spell. Follow me.” She said with a twinkle in her eye before escaping down one of the hallways.
I followed her quick footsteps passed door after closed door. The hallway was lit with intricate gold sconces affixed along both sides of the hall. The walls were covered with deep red wallpaper adorned with gold painted scarabs, dragonflies, and wasps. The sconces cast strange shadows on the walls creating the illusion of movement, as if the gilded creatures crawled the walls.
It occurred to me that at the beginning of our journey the hallway had appeared straight, though the end of the passageway was too dimly lit to identify our destination. Yet, we now seemed to curving gently to the right, following a rounded wall. I glanced behind me to find that the landing had vanished into darkness. As I looked forward, the curvature of the hall obscured what lay ahead. With only the swishing and padding sound of Nan’s quick gait and my uneven footfalls behind her to keep us company, I grew uneasy. It was a great relief to finally see a glass door at the end of the hall.
“Ahhh, here we are.” Nan said breathily from the exertion of the walk.
She grasped the old metal lever handle of a doorknob and swung the glass door wide open. The scent of loamy earth, oxygen and nectar swam into my lungs. My heart beat faster with excitement. Nan stepped aside and held the door open for me gesturing proudly to the room ahead of her.
“Please, go on in, Eliza. Welcome to my real office.”
I climbed the pair of stairs that separated the greenhouse from the hall and stepped inside. I lost myself in wonder at the variety of plants growing in every available space. Vines clung to the walls and crawled up the pipes of the aerial irrigation system. All manner of blooming things thrived on tables and hung from baskets suspended from the ceiling.
Frosted glass panes, currently the color of the night, formed the ceiling of the large enclosure. Rows of hanging globes emitting light like the sun, hung from metal beams along the roofline.
The sound of the door slamming shut startled me and I turned around to meet Nan.
“Well, then, as you can see this is my greenhouse. Why don’t you take a spin around the place while I gather a few things?” She urged.
“Ok, thanks.” I murmured before ambling off down a winding aisle between two raised beds.
One of the beds held long narrow troughs and contained what I immediately recognized as an herb garden. Jane wasn’t a gardener but the niece of a chef could certainly identify herbs. Rosemary, lavender, thyme, tarragon, sage, basil, and cilantro flourished in rows. I leaned over the bed and gently massaged a lavender leaf then brought my nose to the plant, inhaling its fragrant aroma.
With the scent of lavender lingering in my nostrils, I strolled between stacked tables of succulents, cacti, orchids and leafy plants holding buds and berries before I reached a section of the greenhouse that was quite odd and fascinating. I found myself standing before a row of small tables topped with a variety of terrariums. Within each glass enclosure thrived an array of plants, some laden with flowers, others fibrous and woody, vibrant mosses nestled in beds of rocks, and delicate vines curled around tiny stakes.
Beyond the tables stood several larger terrariums atop intricate wrought iron stands. Elegant patterns of leaves and vines were engraved on the thick iron between the glass panes. The design of the ironwork coupled with the size and maturity of the plants that lived within the cases suggested that they were old. Intrigued, I drew closer to the large stands weaving carefully between the architecture of glass and plants that guarded them.
One terrarium in particular drew my attention. A vine twisted elegantly around a lattice constructed of thin wooden sprigs. The leaves of the vine were round and came to a point, yet it was the tiny flowers that drew my attention. They hung delicately from the vine like pale purple bells. I moved close to the glass to study the flowers more carefully, marveling at their beautiful color and shape.
As I inspected the terrarium more carefully, the design engraved on the iron bars caught my eye. A vine with the same leaf shape was cut into the metal and as the vine climbed the iron bar I discovered to my horror that in place of the lovely purple flowers hung tiny human skulls below the leaves.
The gasp that escaped my lips was returned with a sound from behind me.
“I see you’ve found my secret garden.” Nan commented lightly.
I spun around to meet her, suddenly suspicious of her gardening practices.
She averted her eyes from my fearful gaze and took a step closer to the terrariums. As she neared I scampered backward, nearly avoiding crashing into one of the tables topped with glass cases.
“Don’t be alarmed, Eliza. Haven’t you ever heard the expression, ‘keep your friends close but your enemies closer?’” She asked as she turned her intense dark eyes on mine.
“Umm, I guess so.” I muttered timidly.
“This plant was cultivated by my grandmother, it’s a weed actually. It could just as easily grow in the garden but she contained it to study its properties and usefulness.” She stated in a scholarly fashion.
“It’s called Atropa Belladonna or deadly nightshade, hence the warning on its case.” She gestured toward the decorative iron bars.
“You’ve heard of it, I’m sure?” She inspected my expression once again, searching for understanding.
“Sure, I’ve heard of it. But why would your grandmother or you want to study it?” I asked.
“Eliza, there is more to being a witch than innate gifts. There is a reason it is called a ‘craft’ and harnessing the power of the earth is part of the practice.” She stated emphatically.
“For example, deadly nightshade, gained its name for its ability to kill, obviously. However, the toxin it possesses was also used to prevent pain during medical procedures before modern anesthesia and if taken in very small doses it has the same effect as a mild painkiller. So you see, Eliza, it can be a friend or a foe but in order to maximize its potential we must understand its behaviors.” She explained patiently.
“Is that why you brought me here? Do I need to take something to seal the spell you cast on me earlier?” I asked nervously, hoping she was not about to feed me poison, even if it was a small dose.
In response, Nan reached into her pocket and produced a small mesh bag, tightly bound with delicate silky thread.
“No, no… you don’t need to ingest anything for this particular spell. Quite honestly, I wish it were that easy.” She said curtly before extending the small satchel to me and placing it around my neck.
“This is a talisman I made for you to enhance the potency of the protective spell. You must listen carefully Eliza, it is very important that you keep this talisman on your person at all times, no exceptions. The spell is like a wandering spirit. It needs help remembering where it should rest. This talisman will serve as a beacon. It can get wet, in case you were wondering.” She instructed practically.
I fingered the small satchel inspecting its contents. It looked to contain a small mass of dried leaves, nothing more. I wondered how a bundle of dried plants could possibly protect me from a Shadow that wanted to suck me from one world into another but reminded myself to have faith.
&nb
sp; “Alright then, I suppose our work this evening is done.” Nan said and placed her small wrinkled hands on my shoulders maternally.
I looked up to meet her warm gaze. “Thank you, Nan. I appreciate your help.” I said softly.
As we began to weave slowly through the narrow aisles of the greenhouse, I heard Nan suck in a breath as if she had something she wanted to say but was unsure of whether she should say it or not. I glanced toward her, wondering what she could be thinking.
“You know, Eliza. I could train you, that is, tutor you in herbology, spells, and casting. They are the few areas of witchcraft that one only has the opportunity to learn if one has access to a witch who possesses the knowledge. Would you be interested in learning more about these things?” She asked temptingly.
While I was still a bit spooked by the sinister inhabitants of her garden, I was more intrigued by the opportunity to learn about the acquired aspects of witchcraft.
“That would be great.” I answered.
“Excellent. We’ll start next week. Stop by on Monday after school.” She said quickly.
“Everything go ok?” Ren said from the doorway.
I turned to greet Ren. Thankfully, this time, I’d felt his approach before he appeared.
“Of course, everything went just fine.” Nan said.
“It’s getting late, I think you better let me drive you home, Eliza.” Ren offered with a grin.
Considering the long dark walk home, I acquiesced to Ren’s suggestion of a ride and waved at Nan as he led me out of the greenhouse.
“See you Monday, Eliza.” She said with a wave.
The fingers of my free hand floated up to the talisman resting on my chest. I chanted a silent wish that the spell would save me from the predator that hunted me as I followed Ren along the strange hallway, down the staircase and out the door to his car.
* * *
The cold dry air of the night tingled on my cheeks. I walked stiffly beside Ren toward his car parked in the graveled round driveway at the front of the house. My mind felt slow and saturated from the evening’s events. I remembered that I should be pelting Ren with questions about exactly what just happened in his house but was too sluggish to act on the thought.
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