“Are you still here?” her father asked, then sighed and put down his paper. “Your sister is a very powerful witch, and I don’t think she’ll want to be bothered with a plain human like you. We have some vital business to discuss, and since it has nothing to do with you, I don’t see the need for you to be around.”
“But couldn’t I just meet her for a few minutes?” Cassie begged, then realized how she sounded and was sorry.
“Have some dignity, Cassie; this discussion is closed. Get your breakfast and go to your room. I’ll have your meals sent up from now on. It shouldn’t be that hard; just pretend you’re sick,” her father said, then picked up the paper and disappeared behind it.
Cassie set down her plate, no longer hungry, and walked out of the dining room as calmly as she could. She really wanted to run from the room but resisted the urge to preserve what was left of her dignity. When she got to the stairs, she took them two at a time, but did so quietly, only giving into her tears when the door to her room was firmly closed.
The tears didn’t last long though, soon replaced by anger. She jumped up off the bed and began to pace the room; letting her anger boil and bubble, she let herself enjoy the white-hot feeling. Making a list of all the things she was angry about in her head, she walked over to the window and looked out.
She was angry at her father, who had not only taken away her chance to get away from the castle but banished her to her room like a prisoner. She was angry at her sickness, angry that it took her strength, that it made her a prisoner just like her father. And she was angry at her sister for showing up and disrupting her life just when it was going to get interesting.
Through the window, she could see the castle grounds and the village that lay below, but she knew that there was so much more out there. Places to explore, people to meet, and for the first time in her life, she was unwilling to be a prisoner to anything or anyone.
She’d been dressed in slacks and a blouse just the way her father liked, but she was done pleasing him, so she went over to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt and changed her clothes. Then she grabbed her riding boots from the back of the closet, hoping they still fit after all these years.
After she locked her bedroom door, she went to the back of the closet and slipped the panel open, stepped into the dark passageway, and put it back in place. When she finally emerged from the shrubbery on the side of the house, she was dusty but triumphant, and the feeling of the sun on her cheeks only made her feel better.
Starting today, she was going to live her life differently; she was going to do what she wanted for a change, and right now she wanted to ride. It had been a long time since she’d been up on a horse, but once she’d spent most of her free time riding around the castle grounds.
But eventually being stuck on the same boring trails had become tiresome and she’d stopped riding, her father’s insistence that she not leave the grounds spoiling the fun. Now, she wasn’t even going to ask; she was going to get on a horse and go straight out the gates, maybe even all the way to the village.
Feeling confident, she headed for the barn, anticipating the thrill of freedom. When she got to the barn, she slipped inside and took a deep breath, the smell triggering memories of her childhood. She wandered around the barn, amazed that it had changed so little, when she heard someone moving around in the back.
“Hello, is anyone here?” she called, expecting to see Magnus come walking out of the back, but instead a tall man came striding out.
She couldn’t see him completely at first, only an outline of a man who was clearly much taller than Magnus. “Oh, hi, I’m Cassie,” she said, suddenly tongue-tied.
“Hi, I’m Daniel,” the man said, stepping out of the shadows.
When his green eyes traveled over her body, her heart skipped a beat, and for a second, she couldn’t breathe. There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, and her palms had become sweaty. Alarmed by her response, her first instinct was to flee, but then Daniel asked, “Did you want to ride?”
***Daniel***
Daniel hadn’t expected to see anyone from the castle that day; in fact, he’d been told that although Deacon liked to have expensive horses in the stables, they were rarely ridden. But the girl standing before him clearly planned to do just that, if she ever managed to speak.
For a second, he thought she was going to flee, but finally, she said, “If it’s not too much trouble.”
When Vanessa told him about Deacon’s second daughter the night before, he’d been surprised, and pretty sure that no one else knew about her. “What do you mean he has another daughter? Annabelle didn’t say anything about that,” he’d said.
“You’re telling me. I was the one who found out first; it was all I could do not to give myself away,” Vanessa said, laughing. “But I don’t think she has anything to do with what’s going on; she’s a sick thing from what I hear. No one’s sure what’s wrong with her, she just suddenly gets weak, weak enough that she’s stuck in bed for days.”
He’d written her off after that, but now she was standing in front of him, and he was curious about her. Charlie had a presence about her, a feeling of inner strength that he didn’t feel in Cassie, and he felt a little sorry for her. Just looking at her, he could see that she wasn’t anything like her sister or her father.
“It’s no problem,” he said, giving her a big smile. “I’ll just saddle a horse really quick and you can be on your way.”
Daniel couldn’t miss the blush that crept up her cheeks, but she managed to smile back at him and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Which one would you like to ride?” he asked, gesturing to the full stalls.
Cassie looked panicked. “Oh, I don’t know, it’s been a while since I rode,” she said, backing up a few steps. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”
“Nonsense, it’s a beautiful day; everyone should be out riding today. I’ll pick for you,” he said, choosing an older mare he knew would be gentle.
“I would like to ride, and she looks nice,” Cassie said, color staining her cheeks again.
Daniel nodded. “She’s a sweet old girl, should give you a nice ride, just don’t gallop or jump her. I’m afraid she’s past those kinds of things,” he teased, throwing the saddle onto the horses back.
Cassie looked horrified. “I’d never do anything like that; it’s too dangerous.”
Daniel turned from tightening the cinch and looked at Cassie, who had a serious look on her face, making him think of a little kid repeating their parents’ warnings. Standing there, her hair stuffed into a baseball hat, her tee-shirt hanging to her knees, she did look like a little girl, and he wondered just how sheltered she’d been.
His mind filled with questions, but he could sense that she was still close to fleeing, so he kept his silence and finished saddling the horse. When he was done, he asked, “Would you like me to help you up?”
Cassie got that horrified look on her face again and shook her head. Then to his amazement, she vaulted up into the saddle like she’d been riding for years. “Well done,” he couldn’t help but say.
She blushed again and said, “Thank you again, I won’t be gone long.” Then she kicked her heels into the horse’s sides and took off down the road at a fast trot.
“You’re welcome,” he said, but she was already out of earshot, headed for the front gate.
He wondered where she was going on her ride; he’d only been here a few days and didn’t have any idea what lay beyond the gate beside the village. But to his surprise, when she got to the gate, she turned the horse and began to follow the stone wall that wrapped around the property.
***Cassie***
Cassie rode away from the barn with no destination in mind; her meeting with Daniel had left her rattled. When she got to the front gate, she realized where she was and turned the horse and began to follow the property wall. Glancing behind her, she hoped that her father hadn’t seen her.
She’d planned
to go out behind the barn and find a path, not ride right out in the open. Defying her father was one thing, but doing it so openly was more than she’d planned, and now she wished she’d never gotten it in her head to go riding.
As soon as she got into the trees, she stopped her horse and looked back at the castle, relieved to see that no one was around. She was just about to start down the path when she heard a car coming down the road and waited, sure that it was her sister.
When the big black car came through the gate, she backed the horse up a few more steps but stayed in the trees, too curious to do the smart thing and leave. She wanted to at least get a look at Charlie, the sister she’d never known, and would never know.
When the car stopped in front of the big front doors and her sister stepped out, a feeling of recognition washed over her. She’d dreamed about this woman, seen her hovering in her dreams for years, but had always assumed she wasn’t real. Now sitting in the trees looking at her sister, she realized that she’d been dreaming about the sister she’d never known.
She watched Charlie climb the steps, a handsome man beside her, and wished she could rush down the drive and introduce herself but wasn’t brave enough to defy her father. She’d have to be content with watching from a distance, lurking in the secret passageways.
When her sister got to the top of the steps, she stopped, then turned and looked over to the spot where she was concealed in the trees. Backing up a few more steps, she turned the horse and fled, afraid that Charlie had been able to see her. She crashed through the trees until a branch hit her face, the sting bringing her back to her senses.
Wanting only to go back to her room, she headed for the barn, wishing she’d never gone riding. Now, Charlie might say something about seeing her, and her father would know that she left her room, and the last thing she needed was his anger. When she got to the barn, it was deserted, so she unsaddled the horse herself then snuck back to her room.
Chapter Five
***Daniel***
Daniel followed Vanessa down the dark passageway hoping she knew where she was going. When she stopped abruptly, he nearly ran into her and knocked her off her feet, but he wrapped his arms around her and steadied her.
“Sorry, I can’t see much in here,” he apologized.
“Don’t you have some kind of super senses or something?” she asked in a whisper.
“Yes, but I wasn’t using them; you said you knew where you were going.”
“Well, I might have lost my way. I’ve only been in here a couple of times,” Vanessa said, shrugging her shoulders.
Daniel took a deep breath and let his gift flow through him just enough that his senses were heightened. His eyes focused in the darkness, making it fade; his ears picked up the sound of voices, and instinctively he knew which way to go. Vanessa followed him, as he took one turn after another until finally they found a long passageway and the sound of voices got louder.
He looked for a door, but couldn’t find one, then spotted two rays of light on the back wall of the passageway. Following it back to its source, he saw two holes in the wall, placed at just the right height for someone to look through. They were still low enough that he had to bend over a little bit to look through them, but when he did, he had a perfect view of Deacon, Charlie, and Steven sitting around a cold fireplace.
They were all sitting silently, and he wondered what he’d missed. But then the cook came bustling into the room, a tea tray in her hands; she set it down and then looked over at Deacon. “Should I pour?”
Charlie spoke before her father could. “Thank you, but I can handle it,” she said, scooting forward on the couch and reaching for the teapot.
The cook looked once more at Deacon, who nodded excusing her from the room. Daniel watched as Charlie made a big show of pouring tea for the three of them. First she filled a cup for Steven and handed it to him, then she filled her father’s cup and her own, which she picked up but didn’t drink.
When it became clear that Deacon wasn’t going to drink his tea, she and Steven set theirs back down on the table and waited for him to speak. Finally, he said, “I’m a bit surprised to see you here; very few people would be brave enough to invite themselves into my home.”
Charlie let his statement hang in the air for a moment. “I’m sure you are, but I thought it was time that I met my father,” she said, her face stoic.
“What makes you so sure I’m your father?” Deacon asked, a sneer on his face. “It could have been any number of men.”
“But your name was on my birth certificate,” Charlie countered.
Deacon’s body tensed, but that was the only sign that he hadn’t know that little fact. “That proves nothing.”
Charlie shrugged her shoulders. “I’d be happier if I thought that you weren’t my father but I’m afraid it’s the truth. DNA doesn’t lie.”
Deacon tensed again, then said, “If you’re looking for some kind of a tearful reunion, that’s not going to happen.”
Charlie smiled at him. “You made your feelings for me more than clear when you gave me away.”
“I did what I had to, and that’s all I’m going to say about the matter,” Deacon said, then added, “Now if we’re done with all that, I’ll take the amulet.”
Charlie stared at him for a second. “Do you honestly think I’m going to give it to you?”
“I think you’d better, or you’ll be sorry,” Deacon said, pinning his eyes on Charlie.
Steven tensed up, but Charlie put her hand on his leg, and he relaxed. “Do you really think you can do anything to us? I’m not stupid; we’re protected, and in case you’ve forgotten, I come from two very strong witches.”
“Then what are you doing here?” Deacon snarled.
“I’m here to reclaim my past, and like it or not, you’re part of that past. I want to know what happened to my mother. I want to know why I ended up living with those people and you’re going to fill in those blanks,” Charlie said, her voice even but full of the power flowing through her.
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I’m gone, and so is your only hope of restoring your health,” Charlie said, a triumphant smile on her face.
Daniel could hear the gasp that came out of Deacon through the wall. “How did you know that?” he asked, getting to his feet.
“You’ve aged. I saw it the minute I walked through the door. Something went wrong in Colorado, didn’t it? Did your demon take some of you with him back to the underworld?” Charlie asked, making Deacon whip his head around to look at her.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Charlie held up her hand. “I know all about what happened last summer. You need to face the facts; the amulet is gone, it can never help you again.”
Deacon sank back into his chair, apparently beaten. “I’m a sick man, Charlie. I need that power to restore my health.”
Charlie didn’t seem at all affected by his statement. “Then you’ll tell me about my mother, and I’ll think about helping you,” she said and got to her feet. “We’ve arranged for rooms in the village; when you’re ready to talk, let me know.”
Deacon jumped to his feet. “No, you should stay here. There’s plenty of space,” he said, then rang a bell, which made Vanessa jump.
“I have to go,” she whispered and took off down the passageway in the opposite direction.
A few seconds later, he heard a panel slide open and then she appeared in the doorway. “Yes, sir,” she said, slightly out of breath.
Deacon walked over to her. “What have you been doing? You’re a mess,” he said, gesturing to the dust and cobwebs that covered her uniform.
She brushed off the worst and said, “I was cleaning in the attic,” as smoothly as if it had been true.
“That’s enough cleaning,” he said, waving his arm at her. “Do we have a room in the east wing ready for guests?”
“Yes, sir,” Vanessa said, looking down at the floor.
“Good, then take my daughter and her fia
ncé upstairs. When you’ve shown them to their room, take care of their luggage,” Deacon said, his voice harsh.
***Cassie***
Cassie backed away from the peepholes, shocked by everything she’d just heard, and wished she’d stayed in her room instead of letting her curiosity get the better of her. Now her head was spinning with questions: questions only her father could answer, questions she could never ask him.
Her sister had said so many confusing things, had made it sound like her father had abandoned her, a story much different than the one he’d told her at dinner the other night. She’d never questioned the story he’d told her about her mother, about the way she’d left Cassie on his doorstep one night in the middle of a storm, but now she wondered.
The mother she remembered would have never done that, and for a little while she’d fought his story, but then she’d gotten sick, and her entire world had crumbled. Her father had been there to pick up the pieces, and she’d stopped fighting for the truth. Her father’s truth had become hers, but she’d never stopped dreaming of her mother.
Pushing doubts about her mother from her mind, she headed for her room and the comfort of her window seat. But just as she was about to make the last turn, she heard the scuffle of feet and someone clearing their throat. Not sure when her curiosity had gotten so strong, but unable to stop herself, she headed in the direction of the sounds.
She knew it probably a stupid thing to do, to follow someone through the passageways, but she couldn’t stop herself. Several times she thought that she’d caught whoever was ahead of her, but then she’d come to another turn and be forced to stop and listen again.
When she finally came to a door in the wall, it was shut, but she pushed it open anyway hoping to at least catch a glimpse of whoever had been with her in the passageways. But there was no one there when she emerged from the bushes onto the lawn. Disappointed, she went back through the door and headed for her room, thinking that she’d need a shower not only to get rid of all the dust she’d picked up, but to clear her head.
Daniel (Fairplay Shifters Series Book 6) Page 3
