Page 33 of Hidden Raphael
Awhooshraced past her.
Ice raced up her spine. What happened? Was there a haunted house soundtrack she should turn off? She turned around again, unsure. Nothing waited in the hall. "Meg? Raphael?"
Should she call out Rafe? She smiled then shook her head. What was with his new nickname? Had that slipped last night in his rush to assure her that Roger was dead? Did he trust her?
Nothing stirred. Perhaps she’d imagined the sound. She shook off the nagging feelings and finished with all the locks.
No one came out into the halls to stop her as she unlatched the last lock and smiled to herself. Yeah. She turned around and scanned the entire castle in her view. She was alone.
A moment later she stepped outside and stared at a small wooden plank that led from the front door over a mound of blackness that circled. Seriously? How medieval was this place?
How did you lower the drawbridge? In movies it took multiple people.
Perhaps Raphael had hooked up an easy-to-push button back inside. She gazed through the tiny slit where long ago archers must have guarded the main entrance. Her eyes lowered. He had a moat? Seriously. Was that what they were called? She glanced at the black water. There had to be something electronic that lowered the drawbridge. Hotel guests would not swim across.
A raindrop hit the top of her head and Kimberly stared up at the sky. A dark cloud threatened to erupt above her head. Where had that come from? She licked her lower lip, then shivered.
The temperature dropped too.
The winter-ravaged island had a surreal feeling to it, and the castle and moat made it seem as if she’d been transported backward in time. She shook her head.
The only thing modern here were Raphael's weapons. His weapons were part of his life as a soldier, and he was here to heal himself. She understood needing time off from life.
If she wanted to be alone, she'd not bring Meg as backup. Kimberly stepped back toward the door. Meg might have been a servant from his childhood who’d latched on and demanded to come. Kimberly shook her head. The maid was protective over a meaningless kiss.
She touched the edge of the medallion and closed the door behind her. She reached up and began the procedure to secure all the locks, though who would get in without the drawbridge being down?
Kimberly stretched on her tiptoes but finally got the last one. Raphael was much taller.
She swallowed and shook her head. So much for ignoring the man. Perhaps, if she understood Raphael, everything else would make sense. If she could help him move back to the twenty-first century and forget whatever possessed him to hide in his fortress, he'd be better off. He deserved a happily-ever-after. He was a decent man.
She swung her arms to her side and strolled back down the hall. Perhaps he didn’t need to be alone all the time. She should thank him. He'd be in the library, if she guessed right.
Kimberly kept the lyrics to a popular song in her head and hummed the melody. Today was still a good day.
As she neared the library, she heard a crack in the rafters and flinched. What was that?
Then she heard the roar of thunder and her pulse quickened. Rain never used to scare her. Perhaps this was left over from the past few days. She was fine.
Another crack echoed in the hall. Kimberly clutched her necklace.
Kimberly rolled her shoulders and told herself, "Don't be stupid. Not now."
The bleakness of the place rubbed against her skin and left her clammy. She forced herself to knock on the library door rather than barge in.
No answer told her to come in. She opened the door.
The darkness of this room made her wish she had her candelabrum. Where were the lights? She stepped further in, but then the doors slammed shut behind her. In total darkness, she felt around the wall for the switch.
Goose bumps rose on her arms.
She clenched her hand. This house was safe. She was safe. Nothing would harm her here. Then she continued to search the wall. At last her fingers found the switch. She flipped it on as something cold raced up her spine.
The brightness of the room meant no secrets. She turned around, and no one was there. She giggled then called out, "Raphael? Rafe? Are you here?"
No answer. She rubbed her arms to get rid of the goose bumps. Where was he?
She walked to the end of the room and peered past the L-shape. He wasn't here.
