Witch out of Water
Page 31
“Hey, Bas.... come here!” Daciana urged. “Wilhelm left us a note, and there’s another hourglass on the table. It’s a lot smaller, and the sand is already streaming.”
I hurried to join her at the table, just beyond the small kitchen area. The larger hourglass sat dormant next to my chair from the night before, its last grain of sand having reached its destination. As for the new much smaller time-keeping device, the latest correspondence soon spelled out what it represented.
Dearest Daciana and Sebastian,
We hope this note finds you rested and ready for the day’s events! You have an hour to prepare, and if you haven’t already, you’ll find a full shower next to the water closet, and appropriate clothing for your first day’s adventure laid out upon the bed left unoccupied last night.
Inside the oven is your breakfast, keeping warm. The pancakes, eggs, and bacon were freshly prepared just minutes ago.
Once you’ve eaten, showered, and taken care of your other personal business, please leave the garments you arrived in atop the bed you slept in. Oh, and Sebastian... please also leave your backpack—including your journal and iPad—on the table. These items will be kept in safekeeping, and depending upon your progress, we will allow you to access them again in the coming days.
Lastly, when setting out on your journey, you will notice a stairway carved into the side of this mountain, just to the left of the cavern’s ledge. Follow it down to the mountain’s base, where a gravel path awaits.... Do your best to stick to the path, as it is the surest way to reach our castle.
We will be watching and pulling for your success!
Faithfully yours,
Wilhelm and Sorin
For those curious—yes, the handwriting was exactly the same as the previous notes and messages I had received during the past ten days. Even the same glistening golden hue for the individual letters, which glowed hotly before the note disintegrated into glimmering dust once we had finished reading it.
Believing we had maybe fifty-five minutes left before everything else around us faced a similar vanishing act, we retrieved our breakfast (which was awesome, by the way), and then showered and dressed.
Interestingly, the wardrobe provided us was something suitable for a tropical climate—namely shorts and t-shirts—unlike the coolness we experienced the night before. By the time we prepared to exit the cave for good, humid warmth embraced us, reminding me of late spring in Tennessee. Perhaps yesterday’s chill was an aberration in this new world... we should soon know if that’s the case, or not.
But, before everything around us suddenly disappears, I need to wrap this up. Sorry, if I’ve left out anything important.... If so, I will make it up to everyone in my next journal. Provided we come through famously as expected.
Until then, Daciana joins me in saying “so long for now.”
Wish us luck.
Yours affectionately,
Sebastian Radu
The End
To be continued in:
Wizard on the Run
Clash of Covens, Book Three
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About the Author
Aiden James is the bestselling author of Cades Cove, The Judas Chronicles, and Nick Caine Adventures (with J.R. Rain). The author has published over thirty books and resides in Tennessee with his wife, Fiona, and an ornery little dog named Pepper.
To learn more, please visit AidenjamesNovelist.com, or look for him on Facebook (Aiden James, Paranormal Adventure Author) and on Twitter (@AidenJames3).