Chapter Seventeen
Nora and Ethan ran out of the house before the car had even stopped. They danced around her, trying to push each other out of the way to hug her. Even Theodora, her cat, got in on the action by weaving through their legs, almost tripping her. Ethan was the first to step back, shaking his head. “Whoo wee, you stink.”
She wrinkled her nose at her brother’s comment, knowing it was true. Her charmed gown apparently did not keep her fresh smelling. Its abilities included keeping her alive and bringing her back, which it had done very well.
Both Nora and Ethan stared at the man exiting the car from the other door. Their expressions mirrored surprise and curiosity. Of course, neither had ever met their grandfather.
He turned to face his staring grandchildren. His eyes twinkled as he held his arms wide. “There are the rest of my grandchildren. Come here.”
Ethan readily hurled himself into the man’s waiting arms with an enthusiastic, “Grandpa!”
Nora hung back a bit, biting her lip, looking a trifle uncertain. Grandfather managed to smile at Nora over Ethan’s head. “No worries. I am real, not like the dreams you’ve had.”
Nora’s hand flew up to cover her gasp. “How did you know about my dreams?” Her feet moved her closer, even if she didn’t seem to be aware of her actions.
“You told me yourself.” Grandpa tapped his forehead. He winked at Leah and mentally reminded her of the importance of barriers. “You practically shouted that you’ve seen me in your dreams, which demonstrates your exceptional psychic abilities. I’ve been trying to communicate with the family.”
Nora nodded vigorously. Ethan let loose of Grandfather’s waist, giving him a thorough scrutiny. “You stink, too, but not as bad as Leah.”
Reaching his gnarled hand out, he mussed Ethan’s hair. “The ability to speak one’s thoughts without fear of condemnation is a magnificent ability. I congratulate you, Ethan. My hygiene may have suffered from living alone too much. I will do my best to improve. I’m sure your nana will encourage me.” Everyone laughed, as he’d intended.
He nodded in Leah’s direction. “I will yield the shower to you since you are in the greatest need.”
Actually, she’d have preferred to read Dylan’s card first, but she could do that in the bathroom, since her family overwhelmingly agreed she smelled foul. At least in the bathroom, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone reading over her shoulder.
Their noisy reunion attracted some gawkers among the neighbors. The widow, who lived closest to them, muttered to herself, loud enough for them to hear. “Dressed up for Halloween. They are all a bit odd. At least they keep their lawn cut.”
Leah followed behind Nora and her grandfather, who were in deep discussion about her dreams. Ethan worked his hand into hers, surprising her a little. She squeezed his hand back, hoping she managed to convey how glad she was to be back.
“I understand that.” Nora’s voice drifted back to her. “Still, there’s this man who I am sure is calling me from the past. Some nights when I close my eyes, he’s there.”
Ethan and Leah looked at each other.
Grandfather patted Nora’s hand. “Sounds like we need to talk.”
Ethan stood on his tiptoes to whisper in Leah’s ear. “Looks like someone else is getting ready to have an adventure.”
Hopefully not, she wanted to add, but chose to say nothing. Instead, she contemplated the smooth cap of hair covering Nora’s head, a modern cut belonging to a practical woman, not someone who would enjoy the past. It wasn’t as if she’d liked the past, but then, she had learned from it.
The aroma of chicken and dumplings wafted outside from the open kitchen door. Lifting her nose, she inhaled greedily. Better get the showering done. She could tuck into the food, but first she’d like to see the card and the dragon. As if sensing her thoughts, her mother handed over the card and small stuffed animal as soon as she cleared the doorway.
She flourished the dragon. “Look! It’s golden.”
Grandfather, understanding her reason in mentioning the color, grinned. “I don’t even know the boy, but already I like him. Of course, he’ll have to go through me before dating one of my granddaughters.”
Her father cleared his throat, noisily. “Buell, you’ll have your turn after me.” Her father threw back his shoulders and puffed out his chest, she assumed in an effort to appear larger.
Rolling her eyes, she headed to her room to grab some clean clothes before heading to the shower. If either of them were serious, she doubted she’d ever go out. Her father would quiz her date on the three basic laws of Newtonian physics and the Pythagorean Theorem. Her grandfather was a different story. It was hard to be sure what he would do, especially after he scanned her date’s mind.
No wonder her mother had waited until college to seriously date. Her mother had mentioned something about her father disappearing shortly after she’d met Adam, her soon-to-be husband. No wonder he’d managed to date Mom. She suspected grandfather could be intimidating when he wanted to be.
She stood at the bathroom door and yelled, “Going in. Does anyone need to use the bathroom first?”
Ethan darted in front of her, giving a curious look to her armful of supplies. She waited, wondering why she’d said anything, but it was common courtesy when you had one bathroom. A few minutes’ wait was a very small price to pay for running water and a flush toilet. The thought of a toothbrush with actual toothpaste excited her.
The sound of flushing accompanied Ethan opening the door. He glanced at the dragon again, but surprisingly said nothing, very unlike him. Was she getting a reprieve from his usual comments due to her recent absences? More likely, their parents had threatened to take away his dance video game. Most boys favored games containing mayhem, destruction, and death. The game manufacturers labeled the games with either patriotic or sexy names to fool indulgent parents.
After finishing her own real-life game in which she had been the dreaded enemy, she found the idea of the single-player role-playing game repulsive. Music began to pulsate from the living room. Ethan was probably showing Grandfather his moves. The clatter of dishes in the kitchen signaled dinner loomed ever closer.
Closing the bathroom door, she turned on the shower, giving it time to warm up. Using her index finger, she slid it under the flap of the barely sealed envelope. Still, it remained sealed, which proved no one had read it. Considering her family, one of them could have just rested it against their forehead, but she doubted it.
The card featured a cartoon pair of animals with one tucked up in bed with an ice pack on its head. The card inscription read: Hope You Are Back on Your Feet Soon. Underneath it, Dylan had carefully written in slanting letters, I miss you. Geometry class has become even more boring, if that’s possible. Can’t wait to see you. Dylan.
He couldn’t wait to see her. Leah held the card to her chest and then read it again. She was tempted to read it once more, but that might cut into her hot-water time. Opening the vanity cabinet, she placed the card inside so an errant splash wouldn’t smear the sentiment.
Tossing the robe in the corner, she entered the shower. The warm water pelted her, both stinging and reviving her. Grabbing a loofah, she lathered it up with the piney deodorant soap and scrubbed diligently, trying to rid her body of all dirt and odor not belonging to the twenty-first century. Her body was soon red from the scrubbing and felt oddly vulnerable. Pouring shampoo in her hand, she pondered the cause of the feeling.
People tended to take showers naked, so that wasn’t it. She was missing her magickal covering. Pulling the curtain back, she peeked at the robe wadded in the corner. It didn’t appear too enchanted any longer, just dirty and wrinkled. Could it be she’d used up all the power? Maybe it had disappeared when she no longer needed it. Often, at the end of rituals, they grounded the energy, sending it back into the earth. Maybe in removing the robe, she’d grounded the magick. It made sense.
For the first time in her life, she shampooed her hair twice, as the directions stated, before using conditioner. Her mother’s response to the directions was that they only said that so the manufacturer could make more money. Her mother was right, but she had to get the smoke smell out of her hair.
She lifted her hair to the shower spray, thinking how light she felt. Her arms lifted so easily. Who knew magick had actual physical weight? If she dealt with it all the time, like Grandfather or Nana, she might become more accustomed to it. Now, it was gone, and she missed it. It seemed like the equivalent of snapping off a finger or a toe. Make that, three fingers and a toe.
A hammering at the door alerted her that dinner was ready. Not too much had changed in the few days she’d been gone. Meals waited for no one in her family. Sliding clothes over her still-damp body proved difficult but not impossible. She wrapped her long hair in a towel turban. Looking at the cabinet, she debated taking her card. Opening the cabinet, she plucked her card off the top of the toiletries. If she left it, someone might actually knock something over on to it.
Stopping at her room, she placed the card and dragon on her dresser. Theodora, perched on her bed, thrashed her tail, expressing discontent that Leah didn’t trust her. That was Leah’s interpretation, though. She was unsure her pet wouldn’t investigate her dresser. She opened a drawer and dropped the card and dragon inside.
Dinner was a noisy affair with everyone asking her questions about Arabella and Lionel. Grandfather regaled everyone with his impressions of various folks. Leah decided not to mention he’d never left his portal cabin until the last day. Before the meal was up, she found herself yawning.
“Off to bed with you, young lady,” her mother urged.
After hugging everyone once more, she stumbled off to her room, excited at the idea of slipping between clean sheets. With her door ajar, she heard her mother speaking to her father as she combed the tangles out of her hair.
“Adam, I am not sure if sending her right back to school is such a good idea. She may need a debriefing of sorts or at least time to recover.”
Leah swung her door back open. “I’m going to school. I missed enough days already. It is what I want, and it will help me to get back to normal.”
Her mother’s face reflected surprise, while her father agreed with her. “Sounds like the right thing to do.”
With another disaster averted, she was ready to sink into a deep, dreamless sleep, but she didn’t. Instead, she visited the village she’d so recently left, but instead of being a person, she felt more like a hovering presence, rather cloud-like.
The village hummed with the sound of an anvil ringing, the bleating of goats, people chattering, and the sound of wagon wheels and horses’ hooves.
A wagon came into view with a couple setting on the bench seat. The dark-haired woman rocked a small bundle. The man wore a floppy hat that shadowed half his face.
“I not thought to come back here,” the woman commented.
Leah immediately recognized Arabella’s voice. She tried to peer under the hat shadow to get a glance at her mysterious husband with no luck. Clouds, if that’s what she was, were not that maneuverable. She drifted along with the wagon, listening to the conversation.
“The only decent thing is to thank Agnes for her interference and creative lies,” the man commented.
She’d heard that voice before. It sounded different, though, deeper.
Arabella held the baby up to her shoulder, exposing a tiny white face and dark hair. “I would have been lost if Agnes had not come up with the story of my husband and such. It made a decent woman out of me.”
The story about Arabella being married hadn’t been true, then. She’d wondered why grandfather had said Arabella had been raped. This explained it somewhat, but who was the man with her?
“The baby is a mirror image of you,” he commented, slowing the horses near a small cottage. Tying off the reins, he descended to help Arabella and child alight. The woman from the crowd appeared in the doorway.
She hurried out to peer at the baby. “Have you chosen a name yet?”
“Yes,” Arabella answered. She glanced at the man, who removed his hat, revealing the clean lines of Simon’s face. “We named her Leah, after a close friend.”
Ah, now everything made sense. Simon removed something from the wagon as Agnes asked Arabella, “Have you heard the news of your old neighbor Lionel?”
“I haven’t” Arabella answered while fussing over the baby. She held up the child, who was dressed in an elaborate gown.
“Not long after you left with the golden dragon and oversized cat, his heart failed him. Some say it was the devil taking his due. I suspect he died from love of you.”
“It was more likely the first,” Arabella announced. “All the same, his death saddens me. He had so much potential.”
Simon rounded the wagon with a chicken in his arms.
“What is that?” Agnes called out.
Leah thought it was obvious, but it could have been a rhetorical question.
The woman grinned and held out her arms to accept the gift.
Simon gave her the chicken with an admonishment. “This is not a dinner chicken. This is a magickal chicken. You’ll always have plenty of eggs and never starve. Never give her away. Never boast about her, or someone will steal her.”
Agnes clutched the chicken tightly, causing it to cluck in protest. “I know how folks are around here. Things are good now. People tolerate one another. Before you know it, someone else will turn up threatening brimstone and damnation. Last thing I would do is talk about my magickal hen.”
The three nodded in agreement, then looked up in the direction she hovered, almost as if they could feel her presence.
The dream ended as she lay in a state between sleep and total wakefulness, contemplating all she’d heard. It answered her questions. Life was better in the village, at least for a while, according to Agnes. There always seemed to be someone who wanted to rile people up. Sometimes they could do it by promising eternal damnation. Other times, as in now, they just threatened to take away whatever had value. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
Her alarm rang, startling her, since she didn’t remember setting it. For a moment, she stayed under the covers, warm and safe, with the sound of Theodora’s loud purring in her ear. If she didn’t move, her mother wouldn’t wake her. She already knew her mother’s opinion on going to school today. Though she had never been a morning person, the thought of Dylan had her vaulting out of bed.
She needed time to get ready to look her best to return to school. Opening her closet to find clean clothes, she thanked the school board members who’d voted for uniforms. Leah was well aware that she might be the only girl who thought it was a wonderful thing. Her hair was clean, which was another plus. If only she could get in the bathroom before Ethan.
The sound of her brother singing killed that hope. Well, she could wash her face in the kitchen and apply her makeup in her room. If she had to put up with a little brother who hogged the bathroom for acoustics, so be it. In another year, she’d be away at college.
Leah now found even the most mundane things about school thrilling. She even gave Cerberus a big smile, causing Brianna to run into a locker. She reminded her of Sabina, obsessed about her appearance and the need for all boys to look at her. Sabina wasn’t that bad, vain, self-absorbed, but she had good traits, too. Maybe there was some good about Cerberus.
Leah accepted the homework her teachers gave her, although she was tempted to ask how long she’d been gone. That would have made her sound stupid. Excuse me, but I’ve been away in another century, and I’m unsure if time progresses the same in both centuries. Yep, that would probably get her a vacation at the residential facility that a tenth of the school regularly seemed to check into on a rotating basis. Leah believed that had more to do with the parents than the kids. Did the parents have good insurance? Were the parents tired of teenage moodiness and defiance? If so, the facility even had an admissions counselor, who looked a lot like a professional wrestler.
It was almost time for geometry. As much as she wanted to check her appearance, she bypassed the mirror stop to avoid detention. Hurrying to class, she fell in step with Dylan, who turned and stopped.
“You’re back,” he said, stating the obvious.
“I am,” Leah answered in another understatement.
Dylan grinned. “I am so happy you’re okay.” The math teacher stood by the door with his arms folded, looking less than impressed in the presence of young love.
“You’re both late,” he growled the words as a threat, causing the two of them to rush into class.
After geometry, Dylan walked her to English class, where they stood close in the hall, but not touching. Her heart beat faster than when she had been sure the oily creature was going to get her. Maybe not that fast, but close enough.
“I was wondering,” Dylan started, and then stopped when the English teacher appeared in the door.
The teacher raised one eyebrow, then said, “Believe it or not, Dylan Torres, I, too, was young once. I am going to write you a pass for your next class. Say what you need to say before I get back. Remember, this is the only pass you’ll get from me.”
Dylan looked astonished at the idea that Mrs. Barkin had been young once. He gauged her distance before blurting out his invitation. “Leah, would you go out with me this Friday?”
Her heart gave a little jump. Everything was turning out exactly the way she wanted. “I’d love to.”
“You would?” Surprise colored his voice. “I mean, I’m glad you would. I know you heard about my father being a minister. I figured that might scare you off.”
She heard the sharp heel taps of the teacher. “I am not scared, Dylan.”
The teacher appeared with a pass in her hand. “Mr. Torres, make haste to get to class.”
Dylan took off in a slight run as Leah entered the classroom, only to have Stella wave at her. She weaved around the desks to sit next to her friend.
Stella hugged her with so much enthusiasm that it caught some of the other students’ attention. “Thank goodness, you’re back. I’ve been slaving away on our essay. The good news is I finished it. The bad news is Mrs. Barkin likes it so well she wants us to present it to the class.”
Leah collapsed into her chair at the thought of a public presentation, quickly followed by the thought that plenty of people were willing to say stupid, hateful things. Why not try to make a difference for once? She and Stella might wake up a few students to help them realize they’d been guilty of participating in religious stereotyping.
Any female who could face down the abbot could deal with a high school English class. In a flash, Leah realized she could do anything as long as she believed she could.
The End
Stay tuned...book two is on its way. Revelation.
Nora and Ethan ran out of the house before the car had even stopped. They danced around her, trying to push each other out of the way to hug her. Even Theodora, her cat, got in on the action by weaving through their legs, almost tripping her. Ethan was the first to step back, shaking his head. “Whoo wee, you stink.”
She wrinkled her nose at her brother’s comment, knowing it was true. Her charmed gown apparently did not keep her fresh smelling. Its abilities included keeping her alive and bringing her back, which it had done very well.
Both Nora and Ethan stared at the man exiting the car from the other door. Their expressions mirrored surprise and curiosity. Of course, neither had ever met their grandfather.
He turned to face his staring grandchildren. His eyes twinkled as he held his arms wide. “There are the rest of my grandchildren. Come here.”
Ethan readily hurled himself into the man’s waiting arms with an enthusiastic, “Grandpa!”
Nora hung back a bit, biting her lip, looking a trifle uncertain. Grandfather managed to smile at Nora over Ethan’s head. “No worries. I am real, not like the dreams you’ve had.”
Nora’s hand flew up to cover her gasp. “How did you know about my dreams?” Her feet moved her closer, even if she didn’t seem to be aware of her actions.
“You told me yourself.” Grandpa tapped his forehead. He winked at Leah and mentally reminded her of the importance of barriers. “You practically shouted that you’ve seen me in your dreams, which demonstrates your exceptional psychic abilities. I’ve been trying to communicate with the family.”
Nora nodded vigorously. Ethan let loose of Grandfather’s waist, giving him a thorough scrutiny. “You stink, too, but not as bad as Leah.”
Reaching his gnarled hand out, he mussed Ethan’s hair. “The ability to speak one’s thoughts without fear of condemnation is a magnificent ability. I congratulate you, Ethan. My hygiene may have suffered from living alone too much. I will do my best to improve. I’m sure your nana will encourage me.” Everyone laughed, as he’d intended.
He nodded in Leah’s direction. “I will yield the shower to you since you are in the greatest need.”
Actually, she’d have preferred to read Dylan’s card first, but she could do that in the bathroom, since her family overwhelmingly agreed she smelled foul. At least in the bathroom, she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone reading over her shoulder.
Their noisy reunion attracted some gawkers among the neighbors. The widow, who lived closest to them, muttered to herself, loud enough for them to hear. “Dressed up for Halloween. They are all a bit odd. At least they keep their lawn cut.”
Leah followed behind Nora and her grandfather, who were in deep discussion about her dreams. Ethan worked his hand into hers, surprising her a little. She squeezed his hand back, hoping she managed to convey how glad she was to be back.
“I understand that.” Nora’s voice drifted back to her. “Still, there’s this man who I am sure is calling me from the past. Some nights when I close my eyes, he’s there.”
Ethan and Leah looked at each other.
Grandfather patted Nora’s hand. “Sounds like we need to talk.”
Ethan stood on his tiptoes to whisper in Leah’s ear. “Looks like someone else is getting ready to have an adventure.”
Hopefully not, she wanted to add, but chose to say nothing. Instead, she contemplated the smooth cap of hair covering Nora’s head, a modern cut belonging to a practical woman, not someone who would enjoy the past. It wasn’t as if she’d liked the past, but then, she had learned from it.
The aroma of chicken and dumplings wafted outside from the open kitchen door. Lifting her nose, she inhaled greedily. Better get the showering done. She could tuck into the food, but first she’d like to see the card and the dragon. As if sensing her thoughts, her mother handed over the card and small stuffed animal as soon as she cleared the doorway.
She flourished the dragon. “Look! It’s golden.”
Grandfather, understanding her reason in mentioning the color, grinned. “I don’t even know the boy, but already I like him. Of course, he’ll have to go through me before dating one of my granddaughters.”
Her father cleared his throat, noisily. “Buell, you’ll have your turn after me.” Her father threw back his shoulders and puffed out his chest, she assumed in an effort to appear larger.
Rolling her eyes, she headed to her room to grab some clean clothes before heading to the shower. If either of them were serious, she doubted she’d ever go out. Her father would quiz her date on the three basic laws of Newtonian physics and the Pythagorean Theorem. Her grandfather was a different story. It was hard to be sure what he would do, especially after he scanned her date’s mind.
No wonder her mother had waited until college to seriously date. Her mother had mentioned something about her father disappearing shortly after she’d met Adam, her soon-to-be husband. No wonder he’d managed to date Mom. She suspected grandfather could be intimidating when he wanted to be.
She stood at the bathroom door and yelled, “Going in. Does anyone need to use the bathroom first?”
Ethan darted in front of her, giving a curious look to her armful of supplies. She waited, wondering why she’d said anything, but it was common courtesy when you had one bathroom. A few minutes’ wait was a very small price to pay for running water and a flush toilet. The thought of a toothbrush with actual toothpaste excited her.
The sound of flushing accompanied Ethan opening the door. He glanced at the dragon again, but surprisingly said nothing, very unlike him. Was she getting a reprieve from his usual comments due to her recent absences? More likely, their parents had threatened to take away his dance video game. Most boys favored games containing mayhem, destruction, and death. The game manufacturers labeled the games with either patriotic or sexy names to fool indulgent parents.
After finishing her own real-life game in which she had been the dreaded enemy, she found the idea of the single-player role-playing game repulsive. Music began to pulsate from the living room. Ethan was probably showing Grandfather his moves. The clatter of dishes in the kitchen signaled dinner loomed ever closer.
Closing the bathroom door, she turned on the shower, giving it time to warm up. Using her index finger, she slid it under the flap of the barely sealed envelope. Still, it remained sealed, which proved no one had read it. Considering her family, one of them could have just rested it against their forehead, but she doubted it.
The card featured a cartoon pair of animals with one tucked up in bed with an ice pack on its head. The card inscription read: Hope You Are Back on Your Feet Soon. Underneath it, Dylan had carefully written in slanting letters, I miss you. Geometry class has become even more boring, if that’s possible. Can’t wait to see you. Dylan.
He couldn’t wait to see her. Leah held the card to her chest and then read it again. She was tempted to read it once more, but that might cut into her hot-water time. Opening the vanity cabinet, she placed the card inside so an errant splash wouldn’t smear the sentiment.
Tossing the robe in the corner, she entered the shower. The warm water pelted her, both stinging and reviving her. Grabbing a loofah, she lathered it up with the piney deodorant soap and scrubbed diligently, trying to rid her body of all dirt and odor not belonging to the twenty-first century. Her body was soon red from the scrubbing and felt oddly vulnerable. Pouring shampoo in her hand, she pondered the cause of the feeling.
People tended to take showers naked, so that wasn’t it. She was missing her magickal covering. Pulling the curtain back, she peeked at the robe wadded in the corner. It didn’t appear too enchanted any longer, just dirty and wrinkled. Could it be she’d used up all the power? Maybe it had disappeared when she no longer needed it. Often, at the end of rituals, they grounded the energy, sending it back into the earth. Maybe in removing the robe, she’d grounded the magick. It made sense.
For the first time in her life, she shampooed her hair twice, as the directions stated, before using conditioner. Her mother’s response to the directions was that they only said that so the manufacturer could make more money. Her mother was right, but she had to get the smoke smell out of her hair.
She lifted her hair to the shower spray, thinking how light she felt. Her arms lifted so easily. Who knew magick had actual physical weight? If she dealt with it all the time, like Grandfather or Nana, she might become more accustomed to it. Now, it was gone, and she missed it. It seemed like the equivalent of snapping off a finger or a toe. Make that, three fingers and a toe.
A hammering at the door alerted her that dinner was ready. Not too much had changed in the few days she’d been gone. Meals waited for no one in her family. Sliding clothes over her still-damp body proved difficult but not impossible. She wrapped her long hair in a towel turban. Looking at the cabinet, she debated taking her card. Opening the cabinet, she plucked her card off the top of the toiletries. If she left it, someone might actually knock something over on to it.
Stopping at her room, she placed the card and dragon on her dresser. Theodora, perched on her bed, thrashed her tail, expressing discontent that Leah didn’t trust her. That was Leah’s interpretation, though. She was unsure her pet wouldn’t investigate her dresser. She opened a drawer and dropped the card and dragon inside.
Dinner was a noisy affair with everyone asking her questions about Arabella and Lionel. Grandfather regaled everyone with his impressions of various folks. Leah decided not to mention he’d never left his portal cabin until the last day. Before the meal was up, she found herself yawning.
“Off to bed with you, young lady,” her mother urged.
After hugging everyone once more, she stumbled off to her room, excited at the idea of slipping between clean sheets. With her door ajar, she heard her mother speaking to her father as she combed the tangles out of her hair.
“Adam, I am not sure if sending her right back to school is such a good idea. She may need a debriefing of sorts or at least time to recover.”
Leah swung her door back open. “I’m going to school. I missed enough days already. It is what I want, and it will help me to get back to normal.”
Her mother’s face reflected surprise, while her father agreed with her. “Sounds like the right thing to do.”
With another disaster averted, she was ready to sink into a deep, dreamless sleep, but she didn’t. Instead, she visited the village she’d so recently left, but instead of being a person, she felt more like a hovering presence, rather cloud-like.
The village hummed with the sound of an anvil ringing, the bleating of goats, people chattering, and the sound of wagon wheels and horses’ hooves.
A wagon came into view with a couple setting on the bench seat. The dark-haired woman rocked a small bundle. The man wore a floppy hat that shadowed half his face.
“I not thought to come back here,” the woman commented.
Leah immediately recognized Arabella’s voice. She tried to peer under the hat shadow to get a glance at her mysterious husband with no luck. Clouds, if that’s what she was, were not that maneuverable. She drifted along with the wagon, listening to the conversation.
“The only decent thing is to thank Agnes for her interference and creative lies,” the man commented.
She’d heard that voice before. It sounded different, though, deeper.
Arabella held the baby up to her shoulder, exposing a tiny white face and dark hair. “I would have been lost if Agnes had not come up with the story of my husband and such. It made a decent woman out of me.”
The story about Arabella being married hadn’t been true, then. She’d wondered why grandfather had said Arabella had been raped. This explained it somewhat, but who was the man with her?
“The baby is a mirror image of you,” he commented, slowing the horses near a small cottage. Tying off the reins, he descended to help Arabella and child alight. The woman from the crowd appeared in the doorway.
She hurried out to peer at the baby. “Have you chosen a name yet?”
“Yes,” Arabella answered. She glanced at the man, who removed his hat, revealing the clean lines of Simon’s face. “We named her Leah, after a close friend.”
Ah, now everything made sense. Simon removed something from the wagon as Agnes asked Arabella, “Have you heard the news of your old neighbor Lionel?”
“I haven’t” Arabella answered while fussing over the baby. She held up the child, who was dressed in an elaborate gown.
“Not long after you left with the golden dragon and oversized cat, his heart failed him. Some say it was the devil taking his due. I suspect he died from love of you.”
“It was more likely the first,” Arabella announced. “All the same, his death saddens me. He had so much potential.”
Simon rounded the wagon with a chicken in his arms.
“What is that?” Agnes called out.
Leah thought it was obvious, but it could have been a rhetorical question.
The woman grinned and held out her arms to accept the gift.
Simon gave her the chicken with an admonishment. “This is not a dinner chicken. This is a magickal chicken. You’ll always have plenty of eggs and never starve. Never give her away. Never boast about her, or someone will steal her.”
Agnes clutched the chicken tightly, causing it to cluck in protest. “I know how folks are around here. Things are good now. People tolerate one another. Before you know it, someone else will turn up threatening brimstone and damnation. Last thing I would do is talk about my magickal hen.”
The three nodded in agreement, then looked up in the direction she hovered, almost as if they could feel her presence.
The dream ended as she lay in a state between sleep and total wakefulness, contemplating all she’d heard. It answered her questions. Life was better in the village, at least for a while, according to Agnes. There always seemed to be someone who wanted to rile people up. Sometimes they could do it by promising eternal damnation. Other times, as in now, they just threatened to take away whatever had value. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
Her alarm rang, startling her, since she didn’t remember setting it. For a moment, she stayed under the covers, warm and safe, with the sound of Theodora’s loud purring in her ear. If she didn’t move, her mother wouldn’t wake her. She already knew her mother’s opinion on going to school today. Though she had never been a morning person, the thought of Dylan had her vaulting out of bed.
She needed time to get ready to look her best to return to school. Opening her closet to find clean clothes, she thanked the school board members who’d voted for uniforms. Leah was well aware that she might be the only girl who thought it was a wonderful thing. Her hair was clean, which was another plus. If only she could get in the bathroom before Ethan.
The sound of her brother singing killed that hope. Well, she could wash her face in the kitchen and apply her makeup in her room. If she had to put up with a little brother who hogged the bathroom for acoustics, so be it. In another year, she’d be away at college.
Leah now found even the most mundane things about school thrilling. She even gave Cerberus a big smile, causing Brianna to run into a locker. She reminded her of Sabina, obsessed about her appearance and the need for all boys to look at her. Sabina wasn’t that bad, vain, self-absorbed, but she had good traits, too. Maybe there was some good about Cerberus.
Leah accepted the homework her teachers gave her, although she was tempted to ask how long she’d been gone. That would have made her sound stupid. Excuse me, but I’ve been away in another century, and I’m unsure if time progresses the same in both centuries. Yep, that would probably get her a vacation at the residential facility that a tenth of the school regularly seemed to check into on a rotating basis. Leah believed that had more to do with the parents than the kids. Did the parents have good insurance? Were the parents tired of teenage moodiness and defiance? If so, the facility even had an admissions counselor, who looked a lot like a professional wrestler.
It was almost time for geometry. As much as she wanted to check her appearance, she bypassed the mirror stop to avoid detention. Hurrying to class, she fell in step with Dylan, who turned and stopped.
“You’re back,” he said, stating the obvious.
“I am,” Leah answered in another understatement.
Dylan grinned. “I am so happy you’re okay.” The math teacher stood by the door with his arms folded, looking less than impressed in the presence of young love.
“You’re both late,” he growled the words as a threat, causing the two of them to rush into class.
After geometry, Dylan walked her to English class, where they stood close in the hall, but not touching. Her heart beat faster than when she had been sure the oily creature was going to get her. Maybe not that fast, but close enough.
“I was wondering,” Dylan started, and then stopped when the English teacher appeared in the door.
The teacher raised one eyebrow, then said, “Believe it or not, Dylan Torres, I, too, was young once. I am going to write you a pass for your next class. Say what you need to say before I get back. Remember, this is the only pass you’ll get from me.”
Dylan looked astonished at the idea that Mrs. Barkin had been young once. He gauged her distance before blurting out his invitation. “Leah, would you go out with me this Friday?”
Her heart gave a little jump. Everything was turning out exactly the way she wanted. “I’d love to.”
“You would?” Surprise colored his voice. “I mean, I’m glad you would. I know you heard about my father being a minister. I figured that might scare you off.”
She heard the sharp heel taps of the teacher. “I am not scared, Dylan.”
The teacher appeared with a pass in her hand. “Mr. Torres, make haste to get to class.”
Dylan took off in a slight run as Leah entered the classroom, only to have Stella wave at her. She weaved around the desks to sit next to her friend.
Stella hugged her with so much enthusiasm that it caught some of the other students’ attention. “Thank goodness, you’re back. I’ve been slaving away on our essay. The good news is I finished it. The bad news is Mrs. Barkin likes it so well she wants us to present it to the class.”
Leah collapsed into her chair at the thought of a public presentation, quickly followed by the thought that plenty of people were willing to say stupid, hateful things. Why not try to make a difference for once? She and Stella might wake up a few students to help them realize they’d been guilty of participating in religious stereotyping.
Any female who could face down the abbot could deal with a high school English class. In a flash, Leah realized she could do anything as long as she believed she could.
The End
Stay tuned...book two is on its way. Revelation.
