Page 13 of Stay with Me

She didn’t want to think about the truth of Isaac’s observation. It was easier to ignore. Especially today with so much at stake. Regardless, she knew Isaac genuinely cared about her, maybe was still a little bit in love with her. And she couldn’t fault him for his kindness and concern.

“You’re a good man, Isaac.” She opened the door. “Which is the sum of why we didn’t work out. You deserve someone better than me, someone like Liana.”

She hated to throw his girlfriend in his face again, but Liana needed him to be all in and not hanging his hope on a past relationship. Without waiting for his reply, she exited the lab and closed the door behind her.

The darkness of the passageway enveloped her, and she flicked on her mobile’s torchlight, sending a beam ahead. As she started toward the closet, she tried to mute her bootsteps, hoping for the whispering and voices that only yesterday had creeped her out. She knew now that those were voices from the past. She wasn’t sure how she was able to hear them. Maybe the presence of the holy water in the castle had something to do with it. Or maybe now that Harrison and Ellen had made a connection to 1382, it was easier to slip between the eras.

Whatever the case, today she understood so much more than she had previously.

When she came to the base of the stairway, she stopped in front of a square door. She lifted the latch and crawled into the tight closet that had been carved out under the stairwell long ago. She lifted her mobile, shining the light on a gap where a stone had been removed, revealing a hiding place that was big enough to hide money or jewels. Or small bottles of holy water.

She couldn’t see into the secret nook from her angle. But the unknown hadn’t stopped her before. She reached up and slipped her hand inside, feeling around.

Her fingers bumped against a bulbous glass bottle, measuring approximately eight or nine centimeters. She brushed against another. There were two. Just like Nicholas had said. Which meant he’d placed them there after she’d searched the spot earlier in the week.

A thrill pulsed through her, and she couldn’t contain a grin.

Carefully, she lifted one out, the opaque glass a faded green, similar to the other bottles of holy water she’d seen. She swirled the container and could feel the liquid at the bottom move.

A tremor worked its way through her chest and made her tremble. This was the miracle for Dawson that she’d been praying and waiting for. A miracle that would bring back his eyesight. With the renewal of his vision, he could finally return to living and working and dating. He wouldn’t have to rely upon her or Acey. He’d have his independence again... and his dignity.

She wanted to phone Harrison and Ellen and tell them about this find along with everything she’d experienced with Nicholas. They’d be able to relate. And since Ellen had been in Reider Castle, maybe she’d be able to pass along tips to streamline Nicholas’s escape.

No. She couldn’t. Harrison and Ellen were leaving on a honeymoon. They didn’t need to get involved in her drama. More than that, something inside cautioned against involving anyone else. She could keep this her secret and wouldn’t have to explain what she intended to do with the holy water.

But did she really have a right to this secret? The coveted holy water wasn’t hers to use for Dawson.

Yet if she left the bottles, there was no telling what someone else might do with them if they searched the castle again. Theymight empty the water and throw away the opportunity for a miracle. Or maybe someone else who knew their value would hear of the discovery and find a way to steal them, especially because Dr. Lionel had black-market ties to several terrorist groups.

She didn’t think his research was sponsored by any terrorists. His pharmaceutical company brought in millions of pounds in yearly profits, and he didn’t need the outside support. But if a terrorist group had a vested interest in seeing Dr. Lionel succeed, they would probably help him hide. If Isaac could discover a trail of information about any of the terrorist groups Dr. Lionel had intended to sell to, then maybe they could narrow down where he’d gone.

Whatever the case, for now, she had to keep the information about the new bottles of holy water to herself.

Quickly, before she changed her mind, she tucked one bottle into the inner pocket of her leather jacket. She pushed the other back in the stone alcove as far as it would go so no one would be able to easily see it. Only someone who climbed into the closet and crawled over and felt around for it would find it.

She sat back and dusted off her hands. For now, the second one was safest if she left it undisturbed right where it was at.

Backing out of the closet, her legs and arms trembled again. Even when she stood and latched the closet door, she was shaking. This discovery was tremendous. Life-changing, really. She could do nothing more at that moment than rush over to Dawson’s flat, give it to him, and watch the miracle unfold before her very eyes.

~ 7 ~

Sybil swung open Dawson’s doorand made her way through the obstacle course on his floor.

He was sitting up in his bed, curtains drawn against the morning light. The TV was still blaring at the same volume as the previous night—a chat show—and he was staring at it and didn’t so much as blink at her entrance.

His right eye was completely blind, but he could see blurry images out of his left. And nothing was wrong with his hearing—thank their Father in heaven for that. She guessed he kept the noise loud to drown out the sounds of real life that came from the busy street outside their flat, noises that reminded him of all he’d lost.

He held a beer can in one hand and a vape in the other.

As she stopped at the edge of the bed, she waited for him to turn his head toward her to acknowledge her presence or at the very least snap at her and ask what she wanted. But he didn’t move except to raise his vape and take a drag.

She couldn’t summon the usual frustration today, not with the bulge in her coat pocket and the anticipation that tapped an increasingly louder beat in her chest.

“Dawson.” She withdrew the green bottle. “I’ve got something for you.”

“Don’t want it.” His face was in terrible need of a shave. The overgrowth of his beard hid his handsomeness as did his overlong stringy hair.

“This is good news.”

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