Sophie turned, all sense of excitement draining from her body when she saw the look of fury on her aunt's face. Her first thought was of Katie and Brian and she climbed the first few steps with heavy regret landing on her like a lead blanket. Aunt Marilyn waited on the landing, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping on the smooth stones.
When Sophie reached the second highest step, her aunt threw her hands up in exasperation and began a tirade of reprimands.
“Are you out of your mind,” she said. “What could you possibly have been thinking? I am so beyond upset right now, I swear to you, I am not responsible for anything I do in this state. What have you got to say for yourself?”
“Auntie,” Sophie raised her hands in surrender. “I didn't mean to do anything. I don't know what happened.”
“What are you saying, girl?” Aunt Marilyn replied, her eyes narrowing. “How could have not meant to leave tonight without a word? You're trying to tell me it was an accident? I hope you aren't expecting me to buy that, because you are sorely mistaken, my dear.”
“I… what?” Sophie stammered, confused. “I'm not sure-”
“How do you think it felt, not knowing where you were? Did you consider my feelings in the slightest before taking off for hours? Talk about inconsiderate, Sophie.”
With those words, Sophie breathed a sigh of relief.
“I'm sorry,” she said, seizing her aunt's waving hands, “really. I didn't think.”
“You're darn right you didn't think,” Aunt Marilyn's voice softened. “How could you put me through that? It's not the first time I've missed you while we've been here, but never so late.”
Sophie thought back to her few visits to the woods. She had been so sure that no one noticed her absence while she was away that her aunt's words gave her a small shock. She pulled her into a tight embrace and apologized in earnest.
“I don't know why I didn't say anything,” she said. “That was stupid. I'm sorry you were so worried.”
“Well,” Aunt Marilyn pulled away and looked at Sophie with a knowing smile, “now that that is taken care of, I'd like to know where you were and, most particularly, who you were with.”
Sophie hesitated and Aunt Marilyn stomped her foot in frustration.
“Come on now, Sophie, you owe me at least that much.”
“Alright,” Sophie conceded, “I'll tell you, but you have to promise you won't make a big deal out of it because it's nothing.”
She waited for her aunt to agree before taking a deep breath and considering her words carefully.
“You remember the man we met at the dock?”
“Jude.”
Sophie smiled at her aunt's instant reply.
“Yes.”
“I knew it,” Aunt Marilyn clapped her hands. “How exciting! A whimsical, foreign affair.”
Rolling her eyes, Sophie walked past her aunt and entered the castle. Most of the lights had been turned low, and the effect was eerie as she travelled the halls to her room. Aunt Marilyn kept close on her heels, muttering to herself in excitement. When she made to walk past her aunt's door, heading for her own room, Aunt Marilyn grabbed hold of her arm and spun her around.
“Will you invite him to the wedding?” she asked, holding one hand to her chest. “He would look so handsome in a suit. You should invite him.”
“I'll think about it,” Sophie replied, trying to keep the excitement from her own voice for fear of igniting her aunt's curiosity further. “Can I go to bed now?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Aunt Marilyn waved her hand. “Have a good night. To think, my Sophie is having a vacation romance. How thrilling!”
“Good grief,” Sophie whispered, turning away. Her aunt's reaction reminded her why she had wanted to keep her meeting with Jude a secret in the first place. Forgetting to inform anyone of her whereabouts, though, had been a genuine slip-up.
With the memory of Jude's lips brushing against her own, Sophie went through her usual bedtime routine in a daze, humming and smiling absently and climbing into bed with a sense of happiness she had been missing for some time. Her eyes closed upon the awareness of a new hope brightening in her heart and the unfamiliar sensation of looking forward to another day.
Chapter 11
“There's nothing more to say,” Carol chided, looking upon a group of castle staff gathered before her with aversion. “This is simply unacceptable. My daughter is getting married tomorrow, and you want me to just sit back and watch you all screw it up? I paid good money to rent out your little joke of a castle, and I always get my money's worth.” She folded her thin arms over her chest and smiled. “I suggest you get back in there and do it properly, or I may need to contact a higher authority.”
Sophie watched with wide eyes as the six staff members collided into one another in an effort to escape her mother's loathing gaze, scuttling away like whipped dogs in a kennel. Her mother turned to her with a tight smile.
“That ought to do the trick,” she said. “Come with me, I'd like to settle this once and for all. Marilyn,” she called over her shoulder, “will you round up Bill and Tabitha? They haven't contributed to the alcohol fund.”
Sophie followed her mother out of the room and down a short stairway, keeping silent as they waited outside Katie's door.
“Come in,” Katie called from inside. As Carol pushed the door open, Katie squealed. “Wait! Brian isn't with you is he?”
“Of course not,” Carol laughed. “Not everyone in this castle is completely incompetent, honey.”
Katie was standing in the far corner in front of a tall mirror. Sophie stood on her toes to peek over her mother's shoulder. The wedding dress her sister had on was like nothing she had ever seen before, covered with thin lace and exposing entire sections of her waist and back. Sophie couldn’t decide if it looked amazing or shocking.
“Here, I wiped it down,” Holly came bounding into the room from the bathroom, almost colliding with Carol as she gushed over her daughter's gown. “Oops! Sorry. Doesn't she look stunning?”
“Absolutely,” Carol nodded. “Was there ever any doubt? Sophie, what do you think?”
“You look beautiful, Kate,” Sophie said quietly, and Katie's eyes flicked up in the mirror to meet her sister's reflection.
“Thanks,” she replied, her voice stiff.
“Come on now, honey,” Carol cooed, stroking Katie's long blond hair. “Don't be like that. Sophie came to apologize,” she looked toward Sophie with narrowed eyes, “didn't you?”
Sophie stood silently for a moment, her eyes wide with disbelief, before shaking her head slightly.
“No,” she said. “I didn't. I am sorry that we fought, Katie, but you had no right to hit me. You also had no right to accuse me of anything before even asking me about it.”
“Whatever, Sophie,” Katie replied. “I don't care anymore. Just forget it. There are much more important things for me to be thinking about than you, and I don't want to be bothered with stupid drama.”
“That's the spirit,” Carol said. “Let it all go. This is about you, after all, and you deserve everything you’re about to get.”
The two women squealed and embraced, with Holly standing to the side and squealing along with them. Sophie waited for any kind of instructions but when no move was made to acknowledge her presence further, excused herself quietly and left the room.
Hastening through the halls, she smiled to each guest she passed, all the while thinking forward to her goal for that day. When she pulled open the French doors and stepped onto the patio, a flurry of voices met her ears and she saw a group of people huddled around one of the wide flowerbeds, their backs turned toward her. She crept around the group, hoping to avoid detection.
“Oh dear, it seems as though they've got an infestation,” an older gentleman was saying. Sophie recognized him as a colleague of her father's, but could not recall his name.
“An infestation,” a lady repeated, leaning toward a younger woman, who nodded sagely.
> Sophie vanished into the cover of trees before any of the group had noticed her presence, breathing a sigh of relief when she had gone far enough to be rid of their voices.
Before long, she was deeply surrounded by trees and brush, feeling more confidence in her internal compass than she had before. Twigs and branches snapped under her feet as she plodded through the maze of trees, but her heart was light with thoughts of Jude. After several minutes of hiking, she found a narrow trail and moved gratefully onto it, stepping lightly as she wound her way deeper into the trees. Before she had a chance to wonder about her position, a voice from behind made her jump and spin, her hands flying to her chest in surprise.
“Looking for something?”
Lukas leaned against a thick trunk, his arms folded across his chest and a cold look on his face. A thin stick, pointed like a spear, dangled from his left hand and his cheek was smudge with dirt.
“Yes,” Sophie breathed, steadying her nerves. “What else would I be doing here?”
He shrugged, pushing away from the tree and moving toward her.
“You tell me,” he said.
He approached her slowly, every movement accented. His piercing gaze made her uncomfortable, as though he were penetrating her mind and pulling out every memory she possessed.
“I spoke to Fantir,” she said, ripping her eyes away from his glare, “yesterday.”
“Did I not warn you to stay away?” his voice was angry, his posture tense. “Do you value your life at all?”
“Yes, I do,” she replied, defiant. “But you were wrong about him.”
Lukas laughed darkly, his eyes full of malice.
“Was I?” he spat. “What did he say to convince you of that? A touching story, I presume. And you were foolish enough to believe it?”
“Why didn't you tell me about Annka?” she asked. The pain that crossed his face gave her short-lived satisfaction, but he did not answer. “He told me,” she went on. “He told me about everything. He knows Ziva is back, but she hasn't got the power over him that she once had.”
“You speak of these things as though you understand,” he hissed, leaning toward her. She could smell the deep musk of his sweat and freshly turned earth. “You know nothing of what occurred then, or of what power she may still hold. I suggest you run back to your pretty little family and keep your nose out of this.”
“And then what,” Sophie growled, surprised by her own intensity. “From what I understand, you've got no other option. Fantir thinks I can help you.”
“Does he? Did he explain his reasons? Unlike your new friend, I am trying to protect you from things you do not comprehend. He thinks only of his own benefit.”
“How do you know what he thinks?” she shouted in anger. “You haven't spoken to him in a hundred and fifty years!”
Had it not been for her experiences up to then, the words might have sounded ridiculous to her.
Lukas smiled, but it was not a smile that would send her heart into hysterics, as Jude's did. Instead, it made her feel furious, out of control.
“For your own sake,” he said, his voice deadly calm, “I would not assume his innocence until he proves himself worthy. This is of less importance, however, as I am concerned more about the man you have entangled yourself with. Who was it that brought you home last night?”
“How is that any of your business?” she retorted, though a small part of her warmed at his concern. “As far as I can tell, my life is not your biggest worry.”
“It is my concern if you are putting individuals I care about at risk,” he retorted. “Do not feel obligated to put yourself in that category.”
The insult cut her deep, making her skin burn beneath the surface. She fought the urge to turn away, as she had done the previous morning, though his spiteful glare made her heart race. A smile crossed his face as he watched her stand silently before him. The sight of it did nothing but deepen her fury, and she stepped toward him with her fists clenched.
“The only reason I am anywhere near you right now is to help Rausch,” she growled, her teeth clenched. “You think I enjoy wasting my time with someone as arrogant as you?”
“It seems you do,” he smiled, seemingly unfazed by her words. “Why else would you have spent the majority of last night with a man you hardly know?”
“How dare you?” she squealed, anger taking over and making her lose control. “I came here out of consideration for you. There are a hundred things I would rather be doing than standing in a rank forest arguing with someone like you. If you want to carry on with your tirade of insults, be my guest, but don't expect me to stick around.”
“I don't,” he replied. “I have not once asked you to.”
With that, Sophie turned away, angry tears burning in her eyes. She trampled through the brush and branches, her vision blurred and tinged with red. When she had gone far enough, her knees gave out and she sank to the ground, frustrated sobs tearing at her chest. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and she scrubbed them away angrily with the back of her hands.
Not only did his harsh words pierce her, but the power he had over her emotions made her feel weak and threatened. The rage he brought out, though followed by temporary relief, frightened her. After a few minutes, and when her sobs had quelled to small hiccoughs, a pair of feet appeared before her and she jumped back, her palms scraping against the rough ground.
“Calm down,” Lukas's voice hissed from above her. “I won't hurt you.”
“I know that,” she mumbled, wiping at her face with her now bloodied hands and brushing the debris from her legs as she stood. “What do you want?”
“You are going the wrong way,” he replied. His eyes were cast away from her face, carefully remaining just to the left of where she was standing.
“So?”
“We've been through this,” he sighed.
“Give me a break, Lukas,” she sighed, her voice muted and dull. His eyes flashed to her face when she spoke, but they were not cold or hard, as before. “Just leave me alone. Please.”
He gazed at her without a word before shaking his head and stepping closer.
“No,” he said quietly. “There are matters to discuss and I would rather you didn't wander the forest alone.”
“Since when?” she replied. “You were pretty clear before,” she made quotations in the air as she repeated his earlier words, “don't feel obligated to put yourself in that category.”
“I was angry,” he sighed.
“Big surprise.”
He held up his hands in defeat, his black hair flipping through the air as he shook his head fiercely.
“What would you like me to say?” he growled.
Sophie crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. The fierce anger that had overwhelmed her only moments ago was gone, and she felt exhaustion replace it. Lukas paced the forest floor in silence for a moment, before turning to her and taking a deep breath.
“You must be careful with whom you associate,” he began slowly, holding up his hands when Sophie opened her mouth to interrupt. “Listen. I may have been confined to these woods for many years, but I still hear of the rumors that pass through the town. He is not what you think.”
“No?” she replied, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. “What then? Let's see,” she held up her hand, counting on each of her fingers as she spoke, “I've got three immortal and invisible people, well, invisible to most people anyway, and I've got a psycho witch ghost who apparently cast the spell on the immortal and invisible people when they had her burned at the stake. Have I got that right? Wait, let me guess. He's a vampire, isn't he? That's popular now, right? Though it doesn't really fit with the rest of the impossible things I've encountered in the past six days.”
“Do not be foolish,” Lukas sighed. “Until this point, you have maintained a level head. Do not lose it now.”
She did not respond, so he continued.
“I have heard rumors that there are untrustworthy staff members in t
he castle,” he said. “And I am inclined to believe that your friend is part, even perhaps head, of that group.”
“What do you mean, untrustworthy?”
“I mean, they are there for reasons other than the obvious.”
“Like spies?” she tried to take his words seriously, but her emotions were frayed and weak.
“Not entirely,” he ran a hand through his hair. “More like accomplices. I believe they want her. They are hunting spirits.”
“What does that mean?” her heart was sinking as he spoke, though her mind fought against his words. “There are people that do that?”
“As far as I know, yes,” Lukas looked at her with a mixture of arrogance and pity. “Though, I have not heard much about their practices. Apparently, there are certain groups that wish to purge the world of evil. Some would call it a blessing, but I believe it to be otherwise. Your new friend seems to be a part of a newer generation of hunters, a religious group, believing themselves equipped with a higher power as a weapon to destroy those souls that might linger in our world.”
“That,” Sophie whispered, “doesn't make sense. Even if that were true, why are you concerned? Don't you want her gone?”
“More than you can fathom,” he answered, his voice rich with sadness. “But if they take her in the way I believe they will try, no hope will be left for us. Not for myself, or for Rausch. Even,” his eyes narrowed, “for Fantir.”
“You need her?”
“She cast the curse, it is only reasonable to assume she has the knowledge to reverse it. Even in her present form.”
“But,” Sophie shook her head, “if she reverses it, won't you-”
“Die?” Lukas cut her off. His smile was wistful as he watched her face. “Presumably.”
Sophie watched him carefully, unable to understand the reason behind his peaceful expression. He looked back at her, his eyes tracing the lines of her face. This time, his gaze did not make her uncomfortable.
“I thought,” she spoke quietly, “you needed my help. I thought, because I could see you, that I was important in some way.”
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