Page 31 of Sigils & Spells

Cait

Daylight streamsin through the window as I sit up and look around the room. Somewhere in the distance, birds are singing. I take deep breaths to steady my nerves after yet another vivid dream. There doesn’t seem to be a clock in here, so I get up to fetch my cellphone from my purse. I can’t see it anywhere. My suitcase is still sitting on the stool where I left it, but my purse doesn’t appear to be here. I close my eyes and try to remember if I had it with me when I came into the house. I don’t think I did. It must still be in the car.

There’s nothing I can do about it right now, so I start to get ready for the day. When I go into the bathroom, I realize there’s no shower. I don’t want to run a bath. The enormous tub looks like it would take ages to fill. In the absence of other options, I grab a cloth and give myself a quick wash at the sink. It’s not ideal, but it will have to do.

When I’m finished, I return to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror at the dresser to do my hair. I scoop it up into a ponytail and apply a little raspberry-flavored lip gloss. Then I dress in my standard uniform of jeans and a casual white shirt. I slip my feet into my checkered Vans and go to open the drapes.

The view is stunning. Yesterday’s fog has lifted and I can see nothing but green fields in one direction and a dense forest in the other. The sun is already bright, which makes me think I’ve slept longer than I intended.

As I head downstairs, I catch a glimpse of Dunshee Hill through the window. It casts a pretty big shadow over this side of the house, but it’s farther away than I believed it was last night. There’s something familiar about its distinctive shape, the almost flat peak that makes it look like a dormant volcano. A sudden chill creeps over me, though I can’t explain why.

Shaking off the inexplicable feeling of dread, I make my way downstairs in search of my hostess. The house really is beautiful, but most of it is decorated in darker tones than the bedroom I slept in last night. The corridors are lined with wood paneling and the carpet is a dark green, giving it an oppressive feel.

I follow the sound of voices and find Rowan and Valenna sitting in a large dining room. It’s incredible. A large wooden table fills the space. There are chairs around it to seat twenty people. Opulent red drapes frame enormous bay windows looking out over the hill. The most impressive feature, however, is the massive gold chandelier hanging over the table. I’d bet my life it’s the real thing and not some gilded reproduction.

“Come in and sit down.” Rowan beckons me into the room as she rises to her feet. “Would you like some breakfast? How about a nice omelet?”

“An omelet would be great. Oh, and some toast if you have it.”

I’m absolutely ravenous this morning.

“It won’t be a minute.” Rowan heads for the door. “Help yourself to some tea or coffee while you wait.”

As I reach for the silver coffee pot on the table, I notice the time on the clock on the wall opposite me.

“Nine thirty! I never sleep this late.”

“Something about being her must agree with you,” Val says.

“I’m not sure about that.” I’ve had an odd, unsettled feeling from the moment we first got here.

“Oh?” Val studies me closely as I pour my coffee. “Did you have another disturbed night?”

“No, just a vivid dream.” I really don’t want to talk to her about the man who’s been haunting my sleep. She’ll probably want to analyze each detail, to find some deep-rooted reason for my nocturnal disturbances. I sip my coffee and then change the subject. “So, when will the others get here?”

“Around lunchtime.”

That’s later than I expected. The weekend will be half over before they get here.

“So, what do we do until then?”

“Well, I thought after breakfast you might like to take a walk up Dunshee Hill. The views from the top are spectacular.”

“Okay, yes, I’d like that.”

“What would you like?” Rowan asks as she returns to the room. She places two plates down in front of me, one with a fluffy omelet on it and the other with two slices of toast. I’m not sure how she managed to whip this up in the short time she was out of the room, but I’m not about to query it when my stomach is growling.

“Cait and I are going to take a walk up Dunshee Hill.”

“Good. You will have an excellent guide in Valenna.” Rowan sits at the head of the table. “She knows its history well.”

“As does Rowan,” Val tells me as I take a bite of the delicious omelet. It’s seasoned just right with the merest hint of salt and pepper. “She’s lived here all her life. She’s never strayed from this place.”

My eyes widen as I swallow a mouthful of food. “You’ve never left here?”

Rowan shakes her head. “My soul is bound to this place. Why would I ever leave?”

It seems odd, but I guess it’s not for me to judge. I haven’t exactly traveled the world either. In fact, apart from a family holiday to Paris when I was a child, I’ve never been outside of the UK.

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