Page 226 of Sigils & Spells

The woman smiled and rose to her feet. A dainty gold necklace peeked out from the collar of her shirt and Ravyn froze. It was the same Celtic knot that had appeared on Aoibhe’s face a few days before. The symbol had faded after their conversation, and Ravyn hadn’t seen it again. But it had been there—the same symbol.

“What does your necklace mean?” She quickly added, “It’s pretty.” Celtic knots were very popular, right? Perhaps it meant nothing.

The dean tucked the necklace back under her collar as she crossed the room and opened the office door. “It’s called aTriquetra. A trinity knot.” After a brief pause, she said, “The ancient Celts believed all important things came in threes, including unity, protection, and everlasting life.”

Another student sat in the hall, awaiting their meeting about their paper. Ravyn couldn’t pry for any other clues about the dean, but there was definitely something peculiar about her. She glanced at her watch and groaned. It was a mystery that would have to wait until after lunch and her first midterm.

CHAPTER10

The Halloween dancewas in a week, and Daniel wasn’t sure if he was excited or stressed out. Maybe both. With the stress of midterms out of the way, the second half of the semester had been going a little too fast. He and Ravyn had gone out to eat on the mainland every Saturday since, but this week he was on his own. She and Aoibhe were dress shopping, and apparently it was a “no boys allowed” excursion.

It didn’t make it better when he’d proudly proclaimed he wasn’t a “boy” because he was a “man.” He’d only been laughed at to the point he wasn’t sure if it waswithhim orathim.

Which was why he planned to call his twin today, on this lonely Saturday, since he had nothing better to do other than homework. That and—with Halloween approaching—he worried more and more about the silence from his brother. They used to be so close, and then after last Halloween, the distance had done nothing but grow.

“Is everything all right?” Dylan asked when he picked up after the third ring.

Trepidation coursed through Daniel. “Why wouldn’t it be? I call you all the time.”

A long pause preceded, “Just making sure. Bad feeling in my gut, like something is coming. Not sleeping well.”

“Are you having nightmares again?” Daniel scooted back on his bed against the headboard. He should have called to check on Dylan sooner. Instead, he’d been worried about his relationship with Ravyn and school, both of which were important, but so was family. Was anyone ever really able to perfectly balance everything that mattered though?

Perhaps he was being too hard on himself.

“Yeah,” Dylan said, and took a deep breath. “The same ones again. Creepy hooded figure in the shadows, and then I turn around and there’s a headless figure on a horse. I run, only to witness some cult. Druids, maybe. I don’t know for sure.” He paused, then softly, barely more than a whisper, he added, “They cut off a woman’s head while in the middle of these standing stones with a big idol of some Celtic deity. She looks like Penelope every time…”

If he hadn’t been sitting, he would have fallen over. “You never told me all the details.” Especially not that the woman killed in his nightmare looked like his girlfriend. “Just that there was a Headless Horseman in it.” Their mother had dropped a glass decanter full of juice at the mention of his dream last year. It had been that dream and their mother’s reaction that had inspired Daniel’s interest in the Horseman, and led to recollection of the Dullahan folklore. “Do I need to come home?” He was sure Ravyn would understand.

“No. You are safest where you are.”

What the hell did that mean? “Dylan, I—”

“I’m serious, okay.” His tone left no room for argument.

“I’m going to figure out what you and Mom are hiding. Even if it has to wait for Christmas break.” It was true he’d been a little preoccupied this semester and hadn’t visited enough, but the break between semesters would give him a good bit of time at home.

Dylan sighed heavily. “We aren’t hiding anything.”

That was a lie, but his brother obviously wasn’t going to share anything with him at the moment. “Be careful. If you need me, I’m only a call away. I can be there in about seven hours, depending on traffic.”

The first bit of warmth during the entire call came through the phone. “I love you, baby bro.”

“Dude. We were born the same day. Just because you technically were born first doesn’t make me your baby brother.” They had this argument a lot, but it was always in good fun. The normalcy it brought now was needed. Comforting.

“Yeah, well, whatever.”

The call ended not long after that. For the first time in their lifetime, he felt disconnected from his twin. He didn’t welcome it one bit.

*.*.*.*.*

Ravyn glancedat the text from her mom and frowned.

Tarot readings the past week have been dire. You need to come home. At least call us. Samhain is a terrible time to be around the unsuspecting.

No, she wasn’t going to let her family take away her first happy Halloween experience. So the veil between the mortal realm, spirit realm, and beyond was thinnest on that night. Hadn’t it always been? Besides, she was almost to Daniel’s dorm, and she’d missed him all day! A conversation about doom, gloom, and curses wasn’t a good mood setter.

Her phone vibrated again and she looked, unable to stop herself.

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