Luke had stopped typing and beckoned for Sadie to come sit on his lap so he could hold her. She stood apart from the group for a split second with her chin lifted before she headed to Luke’s lap.
“This is really not dignified,” she said, embarrassed and sitting stiffly, but putting a slim arm around his neck. Luke just smiled, his eyes crinkling with pleasure.
“Things came to a head with the marked houses. I suspect that I participated in that ritual. I woke up the next morning with my hair wet and in my pajamas. I cannot locate my white dress. I am certain that my aunt is an accomplice in this but she won’t talk about it. I’m certain she knows what’s going on. Right now I’m playing dumb so I can continue to have my freedom.”
“Maybe you were just dirty…” Dean offered, but when Nathalie snorted, and he took a really good look at Sadie’s pristine person, he back tracked, “but that’s impossible. I’ll shut up now.”
“My white dress is missing, which leads me to believe it wasn’t salvageable, or it was damning evidence of some sort. I take meticulous care of my things.” Sadie’s voice cracked slightly. Luke cradled her and she rested her cheek against his. It was a touching sight. “I thought it was mental—a breakdown of sorts. I thought perhaps I was sick, or I had schizophrenia or something. But Luke…”
“She was possessed.” Luke said. There was no doubt in his voice. “That thing, it, she spoke to me. I’m certain it was Willow Kellar because she looked like Sadie. I could see her overlaid over Sadie, like a double vision. Sadie struggled and overcame her and I caught her as she fainted on the library steps. There’s nothing wrong with Sadie’s mind. Her body is being invaded and controlled.”
“She’s getting stronger,” Sadie said softly, twisting her black hair around her finger. “I realized that I started to feel her at the end of June. It was just whispering then. She was calling me from far away. Now I just lost a whole day and night where I don’t remember anything.”
Nathalie was thinking. “I saw you that Sunday, from Helen’s. I had such a bad feeling…and had the same feeling when I saw you at the fair on Tuesday.”
Startled, Sadie glanced at Luke. “The fair?”
He shrugged, surprised.
“I wasn’t at the fair. I went to bed early with a migraine, so I didn’t even know about that missing time,” she said angrily.
Luke looked worried.
“I knew something was different,” Nathalie exclaimed. “I was going to follow you but I got the feeling that it would not be a good idea.”
“So we have demons, ghosts, and witches in Barrington,” Dean said, listing them on his fingers. “Why now?”
Sadie shrugged. “Well, we’ve always had witches,” and she smiled at that. But as for the rest…they were all at a loss.
“And the windmill,” Nathalie added. “I had a dream about the windmill, and Luke says his father’s been obsessing about it. Something’s up with that.”
“Let’s go see Taline and Wayman,” Dean said, grabbing Nathalie’s hand and heading to the door. “We need help and Taline said they’d have some information for us by tonight. They helped Nathalie with some pretty weird shit, so I’ve no doubt they can help us with this.”
The Fairgrounds
Ella Croft was back at the fair. So far she hadn’t had the nerve to use the love potion she’d bought, but now she’d heard about something new. A lady was selling wishes. Wishes that came true. Ella was going to get one of her very own.
The fair was busy. It seemed much busier this year compared to last year. Mind you, she’d been smaller then and was only allowed to go to the fair with her parents or her older brother, so maybe she had missed the peak times. Distracted, she didn’t see the big man barreling down on her. He was dressed in a black leather vest and pants, and when he brushed by her he knocked her over. He stopped to look down at her and all she could see was long wild black hair. At eye level, Ella could see that his fingernails were black and pointed. When she looked up at his face, his brown eyes glowed red as he stared at her intently. He seemed immense. He smelled the air and his tongue flicked out as if to test its taste. He licked his lips. His teeth were pointed like a shark’s. Ella stared in fascinated horror before Nettie came along and exclaimed over her, shooing the man away with a dark look and a threatening “begone cur.” He hissed at Nettie as he clomped off, glancing at Ella briefly before walking away, his heavy leather boots thumping the ground.
“My God, was he ever ugly,” Ella said primly, dusting herself off. Nettie looked at her worriedly.
“Did it…er…did he touch you?”
“He bumped into me,” Ella said, thankful for Nettie’s interference but impatient to be off about her business. She had a date with a wish.
“So he didn’t touch you, with his hands…on your skin?” she persisted.
Ella looked at Nettie distractedly. “Of course not…Why? Is he some sort of perv?” Ella asked breathlessly, her narrowed eyes darting in the direction the man had gone, illicit interest lighting her eyes.
Nettie’s jaw dropped in surprise and then she snorted in disgust. “You are a silly girl,” she said and walked away muttering, “imagine finding the likes of that interesting.”
Ella shrugged. “See you at the bake table, Nets.” She spied the stall she had come to visit. She checked her pocket and her money was still there, so she drifted over and waited until she caught the stall keeper’s attention.
The woman was large—her hands, her belly, her shiny smile and red apple cheeks—everything. She wore a blue dress covered with a white apron and her hair was held back by a white kerchief. She reminded Ella of Nettie. “Can I help you, my sweet?” she asked Ella in a booming voice.
“I came to buy a wish,” Ella said shyly, and quietly.
The woman laughed, and it was so happy and infectious that Ella laughed with her.
“Well, that I can do for you, poppet,” she said kindly. She reached into the large pocket of her apron and handed Ella a small vial. Ella took it and at first couldn’t see anything inside, but then in the light she saw it. It was an eyelash.
Of course! Ella felt glee and triumph as she held the vial to her chest and looked at the woman with shining eyes.
“I’ll take it,” she said in a whisper. “How much?”
The woman looked at her, her blue eyes crinkling in a smile at the expression on Ella’s face. Her gaze was sharp and Ella felt something pass through her.
“For you, just a dollar, poppet.”
A dollar! How lucky was she!!!
Ella handed the dollar over and thanked the lady again.
“Wish well,” she said in parting before turning to help another customer.
The Croft Residence
Ella did wish. She ran to the woods behind her house, close enough to be safe, but far enough that her nosey twin brothers wouldn’t find her and interrupt. She took the vial and pulled the stopper. Then carefully, very carefully, she knocked the eyelash out of the vial onto her hand. It was so little, and for a moment she wondered whose eyelash it was, but before the wind could whisk it out of her hand, she made her wish loudly to the listening wood.
“I wish for long hair to my bum!”
Within seconds Ella was twirling through the woods with her long hair flowing around her. She shrieked with glee! Who would have thought? It worked! Now it was time to put her plan into action!
The Fairgrounds
Dean, Nathalie, Luke, and Sadie had no luck catching Wayman or Taline. Both of them were surrounded by budding equestrians or interested shoppers. While Dean stopped to visit the horses, and Luke and Sadie browsed different stalls near Taline, Nathalie drifted over to see Nettie. The bake table was busy, but Nettie had everyone well in hand moving the goods. Fresh things came from the bakery every hour and everything sold. Nettie saw Nathalie and beamed with delight, her rosy apple cheeks red and her eyes twinkling. She wiped her hands on her apron and headed towards her. She leaned over and gave her a brief hug
before reaching into her starched apron pocket and taking out an old fashioned book. She smiled at Nathalie and handed it to her.
“This is for you lassie,” Nettie said fondly. “You remind me of me at your age.”
“What’s this?” Nathalie exclaimed with delight. It was beautiful. It was a book bound in soft brown leather the colour of a saddle with lighter tawny streaks of brown swirling throughout. It had a clasp and a small lock with keys dangling from the loop. It was a journal.
Nathalie was touched. “Thank you, Nettie,” she exclaimed, popping the lock and opening it. The pages were lined, white and crisp and ready for words.
“When I was young I wrote things down and kept track of things in a journal. It helped me many times when I couldn’t see things clearly. Helped me look for patterns. It’s a good habit to get into,” she said, patting Nathalie’s arm. “Sometimes some people have the luck, or the misfortune, to witness things others don’t. After what happened yesterday…” Nettie shrugged, “you strike me as one of those people.”
“So you heard.”
“Yes, lassie.”
Nathalie rubbed her fingertips over the supple cover, turning the diary around in her hands. “I’ve just had a string of…well, odd luck. I’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess.”
Nettie harrumphed. “Nothing like coincidence to get the mind going, but my experience has been that there is no coincidence. Things happen for a reason. Sometimes when you write things down the patterns become apparent and you can act.”
Dean joined them, smelling like horses. He had a goofy grin on his face. “I love horses,” he said happily, rubbing his arm.
“Did you get bitten?” Nathalie asked as she took a look at the large red mark he was favouring. “What happened?”
Dean looked down at his arm. “This? Oh, it’s nothing. Pain bit me, you know, like a love bite. Horses do that. I just love that fellow.” He laughed softly then noticed the journal. “Hey, nice book, did you just buy it?” Dean asked as he reached for it.
Nathalie laughed at her adorable boyfriend. Even Nettie’s face softened at Dean’s simple cheer. “Such a sweet line,” she said softly.
“But deluded about horses,” Nathalie added dryly.
Luke and Sadie joined them. Sadie nodded at Nettie, who nodded back. Their conversation was over now that everyone had arrived. Nathalie was sure Nettie was trying to tell her something but she had no idea what. She was going to take her advice though. After yesterday, she was going to be more diligent about keeping track of what was going on around her.
Taline called and waved them over. “I’m going to close my stall for a bit. Meet me at Wayman’s!” She put up a “back in five minutes” sign and headed to the stables.
Wayman was settling the horses for the evening. “There’s nothing else scheduled and soon it’s going to be too dark for a ride.” He looked out at the mass of people at the fair. “I wouldn’t trust any of them with my horses at this point.” He smiled his big white smile, and again Nathalie felt a bit dazzled. “A lot of alcohol floating around.”
They had no news. “We’re still looking into it,” Wayman said evasively, a twinge of frustration lacing his voice.
“If you’re worried about the word ‘demon,’ we’re way ahead of you,” Sadie said.
“Our theory is that Nathalie met a demon named Danner,” Luke said in a low voice.
Wayman looked relieved. He glanced at Taline, who nodded. “I would agree, even without having confirmed it. His full name is Dannerlich.”
“His tome is in Superstition. We’re going to ask Nathalie’s sister Rain to research him for us.”
Wayman frowned. “It is very important that Danner doesn’t find out someone’s snooping around. Keep Rain’s work, and location, a secret or she could end up in grave danger.”
“Keep your amulets on,” Taline said sternly, handing one to Luke. “They’ll protect you.”
His was similar to Sadie’s, but his stone was black. He put it around his neck.
“What does mine do?” he asked curiously, fingering the smooth stone and the iron filaments twisted around it.
Taline explained, “It’s like Dean and Nathalie’s. It’ll protect you from…well, let’s call them outside influences, spells and hexes. But this one also makes you difficult to see, if there’s malicious intent. Their eyes will just slide over you.”
“Cool,” Luke said, pleased. He felt safer.
Wayman and Taline shooed them off. “We’ve got things to do, so bye bye.”
The kids left.
“Wayman was keeping something from us,” Nathalie noted as they walked away. When they looked back, Taline and Wayman were deep in conversation.
Sadie studied the pair. She could see their muted glow with her sight, but she didn’t say anything to the other three. “I wouldn’t worry. If they are keeping anything from us, I have no doubt it’s for a good reason.”
Luke agreed. Somehow he knew they could be trusted.
“I’m so tired of worrying. Nothing is as it should be. I just want to have some fun!” Dean exclaimed with a bit of frustration. So, they agreed to meet the following evening for dinner and dancing at The Rotunda.
As they passed Beth, who was still manning her busy little drink stand, they ignored her.
The Croft Residence
When Dean got home the twins were outside playing their version of “hide and seek” which was “hide or die.” His mother was reading a book and hoping a trip to the clinic for stitches would not be in the cards that evening. His other two sisters were still at the fair with their dad. Only Ella was home, and he found her in the bathroom with a towel around her head. Dean stopped and stared at her suspiciously.
Ella gave him an interested, “are you looking at me?” stare.
“What did you do?” he asked, frowning and looking at the towel.
“Nothing,” she said and smiled angelically. “Maybe I took a shower.”
Dean snorted. “You’re not even wet.” He gasped. “Did you dye your hair?”
“No! Of course not! That’s something mom would notice.”
“Did you cut it?”
Ella hesitated.
“You did!”
“Didn’t!” she said loudly, and then sighed. She took the towel off her head and her hair fell past her waist.
Dean gaped at her. “Wow, hair extensions. That’s awesome!” Dean said, reaching over and touching her hair. “It feels so real.”
“It is real.”
His expression was disbelieving. “Can’t be.”
“Yep.”
“Really. How?” he asked. It was impossible. Ella’s hair was shoulder length this morning.
“An eyelash,” she whispered conspiratorially.
“A WHAT?”
“I got a wishing eyelash at the fair…and I wished for long hair to my bum, and it worked!” Ella squeaked. She couldn’t contain her excitement.
It took Dean a moment to grasp what she was saying. “That’s impossible.”
“Apparently not,” Ella said, bouncing back to her room. “By the way, you smell.”
“Yeah yeah. What are you going to tell mom?” he yelled towards her retreating back.
“Hair extensions!”
“Where? At the fair? You can’t afford them at Helen’s!”
“I know THAT,” she said, indignantly.
“So which stall—?”
“The one beside the potion seller,” Ella said as she slammed her bedroom door.
Dean’s heart was pounding. Another superstition…wishing on an eyelash. He was shocked, but also excited. There was no way Ella was making this up. Why would she? She didn’t know what was going on with Nathalie and Sadie. Nathalie! He had to tell her now. He tried to call her with no luck, so he showered quickly and changed into fresh clothes. He biked over to Nathalie’s, and by the time he reached the Parker’s he was sweaty again.
It was almost dark but there were no li
ghts on. He knocked on the Parker’s door but no one answered. He tried the door and found it unlocked. He walked in and heard the shower going. He locked the door behind him and vaulted up the stairs two at a time. “She never thinks about safety,” he grumbled. “Nathalie?” he yelled.
“Dean? In here!” she called back. Dean hesitated, but it was as if Nathalie could read his mind. “Don’t worry,” she yelled over the water, “my parents took Nick to the fair.”
Dean walked into the steamy bathroom and immediately began to sweat. It was hot in the little room. He peeked inside the shower and saw his beautiful girlfriend stretching in the shower, her skin heated pink and glistening with water. Nathalie looked back at him and smiled, and Dean’s body went into overdrive.
“Why don’t you get out of those clothes and come wash my back?” Nathalie asked invitingly, wiggling her round bottom at him, but Dean was already stripping. He stepped into the shower and pressed his front tightly to her back and slid his arms around her belly then lower down as he bent to kiss her neck. Nathalie shuddered with pleasure as his fingers stroked her. One of his arms came up and supported her breasts. She could feel his arousal pressing against her before he pushed it between her legs, rocking gently back and forth while she squeezed her thigh muscles tightly together. They were both moaning by the time Dean angled himself upward and pleasure changed to ecstasy.
After an hour of what seemed like wild gymnastics, first in the bathroom and then in Nathalie’s bedroom, they lay together sleepily in her jumbled bed sheets. They were chest to chest. Nathalie’s hands were kneading his butt cheeks while he held her and his free hand stroked her back. They were kissing softly. Their warm lips, swollen from their savage session earlier, were soft and their tongues slid against each other. Nathalie felt awesome cuddled up against him. He lived for these intimate moments with her. How things had changed since June when they were just friends and an hour like this would have only happened in his fevered dreams. First kissing and now lovers. This change had been an unstoppable force for the both of them. They say it’s hormones, but he knew it was love. Those feelings took over everything and supplanted everything. They were everything. Nathalie felt the same way, and he knew it.
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