“It wasn’t that,” I say, shaking my head.
“Well, regardless…with everything that’s happening right now, I think the sooner we get back there, the better.”
“Why’s that?”
Cat exhales loudly. Her eyes flit to the space above her phone and she looks back to the camera. “Colt’s here. He’s wondering if he can talk to you, too.”
My insides recoil, but I nod. “Sure.”
Cat sets the phone on her nightstand so they can both be in view.
“Hey, Autumn,” Colt says, tipping his chin upward.
“Hey.”
Colt clears his throat and says, “Look, I hope I didn’t upset you or anything.”
“No, we’re good. I just got overwhelmed with all of the history and stuff. Don’t worry about it.”
He leans back a bit, relief flashing through his features. “Good.”
“Cat, you were saying something before Colt came in. What’s happening now?” I ask, happy to have some of the awkwardness dissipate between the three of us.
“There are rumors about those missing girls. They believe there’s concrete evidence pointing authorities to a magical creature—it’s called a Vodník. And it’s been here in Windhaven before.”
Cat and Colt exchange a significant glance and I can’t help but feel agitated by their insider knowledge—whatever it might be.
So much for the truth shall set you free.
“Okay…?” I say, waiting for more details.
“Well, obviously, it wasn’t caught. But they thought it was gone. If it’s back, that means bad news—really bad news for those girls. Vodníks are underwater ghouls that drown humans to collect their souls. Forever.”
My eyes widen. “That’s horrible. Are you sure?”
Cat nods. “They’re pretty rare, but they’re not to be trifled with.”
Colt shudders. “You should know…the last time—”
“The last time—” Cat says, interrupting, “powerful magic was cast to expel it, but something must have happened to allow it to come back. Maybe too much time had passed since the last time the protection wards were put up. Or maybe something…” Cat pauses to cross her legs. “Look, all I’m saying is, with the pond nearby, we need to be careful until it’s caught—or cast out.”
“You aren’t kidding. That would be horrible. What are people doing to track this thing down, or cast it out?” I ask, my heart racing.
Cat shakes her head. “Dunno. That’s all the intel we got. I overheard Mrs. Karlgaard saying something to Ms. Cain Friday afternoon.”
“Autumn, I think you’d benefit from a little more history at the library,” Colt says, his eyebrows furrowing. “Like Cat was saying, there is powerful magic in place, but we think the way around it is for you to uncover the truth yourself.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Cat nods. “Let’s make a plan to go there tomorrow. I’d say today, if the damn thing were open on a Sunday. Small town, though…”
“Right.” I nod. “That’s okay. I have homework and stuff.”
“Okay, well, let us know if anything else weird happens,” Cat says. “Or if you see Abigail again.”
“I will. Thanks,” I say. “Have a good rest of the day, you two.”
Hitting the red button, I end the call and set my phone on the nightstand.
On one hand, I feel better about the two of them and glad the air has been cleared a bit. On the other hand…this thing about the Vodník is a bit creepy.
Could that be what I saw at the edge of our pond the other day?
Flitting my eyes to the little door, I let out a puff of air.
I really should do something about the door—cover it up again with my dresser or something, but I just can’t be bothered.
My entire body feels drained and all I want to do is climb into bed and ignore the rest of the world for now. I don’t even get undressed or anything. Instead, I pull back the covers and crawl into bed, pajama bottoms and all, which is something practically unheard of. For a few minutes, I lay there wide awake before I finally roll onto my left side so I can watch the sky get lighter.
After ten minutes staring out the window, watching the trees blowing in the breeze, I feel the inklings of sleep starting to draw me back in. My eyelids feel heavy and I finally start to sink into my bed, letting the comfortable mattress cradle my body.
Just as I start to nod off, a strange scratching sound enters my consciousness. At first, it doesn't register, not really. But the longer it goes on, the more my brain starts trying to work out where the sound is coming from. The next thing I know, I'm wide awake with my eyes slammed shut. For whatever reason, I'm not strong enough to face whatever’s making that sound.
Without a doubt, it's not a natural house sound. Maybe it's gigantic mutant mice…or maybe it's something else. Whatever it is, it's not going to let me go back to sleep.
Gathering the courage to sit up in bed, I continue to keep my eyes shut as I listen for the source of the sound. When I pinpoint the direction, I open my eyes. Swallowing back a scream, I place my fingers over my lips and stare in shock. An eerie, reddish glow emanates from beneath the tiny door, illuminating its edges. I clutch my blankets close to my chest as I try to cram my heart back into my body.
Just when I get brave enough to throw my legs over the side of the bed and have a closer look, a shadow moves on the other side of the door, then disappears.
Chapter 19
Legacies and Curses
Monday classes blur by with a ferocity I’ve never experienced before. My brain is a whirling mess of questions, and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to calm it. After the shadow beneath the hidden door, I don’t know what to do. My bravado to check things out has all but vanished because now I have no idea if it’s even safe to stay in my room. What if the Vodník is camping out in there? Worse yet, could my dad be protecting a creature that captures souls? And if it is the Vodník, what in the hell am I supposed to do about it?
Before I know it, I find myself following Cat and Colt to the county library to do some more digging. Colton leads the way, back down to the older portion of the library.
“I didn’t think you’d ever want to be back here after what happened on Friday,” Cat says, plunking her backpack down on the table we vacated the other day.
“Yeah, it was a bit much,” I say, entering the space and walking to one of the large tables in the center of the room.
Colton’s eyes burn into me and I can’t help but feel self-conscious. I run my hand through my hair, trying to tame some of the flaming flyaways.
Taking a deep breath, I drop into a chair. I flit my gaze from Colton to Cat and back again.
“Look, I don’t know how this is going to sound, but I gotta get it out there because I feel like I’m going crazy,” I begin.
Colton takes a seat at the table, but Cat hovers closer, choosing instead to lean against the table.
“What’s going on?” Colt asks, leaning forward.
“Well,” I begin, getting back up and to pace, “I honestly don’t know where to start.”
“Start at the beginning,” Cat suggests.
“The beginning…” I laugh. “I’m not even sure where the beginning really is.”
“Okay…” she says, throwing an ominous look at Colton.
“It’s been a long time since I was here in Windhaven. Like, a really long time, I was seven. Anyway, when I was last here, I hated it. I hated everything about it. I hated my dad. I hated the manor. Everything. It was stifling and boring…” I say, my voice trailing off as my memories swirl. “This time, things are different. It’s like my original memories of being here don’t make sense. The house is actually kinda cool. My dad’s been nothing but awesome, and it’s been anything but boring.”
Both of them watch me expectantly as I look up to meet their gaze. Neither of them say a word; they just wait for me to continue.
I rest my hands on the back of my chair and lean in.
&n
bsp; “One of the first few days I was here, I saw—” I say, shaking my head. “I thought I saw a woman sprawled out on the floor, like she had fallen from the second floor landing. Then you showed me the picture of Abigail and I realized, it was the same woman.”
“Is that the first time you saw her?” Cat asks.
I nod. “But I think I may have heard her before then. It’s weird though. Whenever she’s appeared to me, she’s never spoken. But there are times when I don’t see her, and I swear I hear a voice speaking to me.”
“Cool,” Colt says, then he pins his lips tight and leans back in his chair.
I chuckle. “It’s sorta cool, when it’s not creeping me out. But there’s more,” I say, shooting them both a significant glance.
Colton crosses his arms.
“Later on, I found something in my room.”
“What?” both of them say in unison, their wide eyes and open mouths proving they really are twins.
“A hidden door,” I say, chewing on my lower lip. “Well, technically, it was the door’s handle plate hidden behind the old wallpaper that drew my attention, but it was a door.”
“Okay?” Cat says. “I’m not sure why that’s overly significant. I mean, that house is nearly two-hundred years old. I guess I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few covered-up passageways in that house.”
“True,” I say, nodding. “And until last night, I would have agreed with you. I was actually kinda excited to find it and wanted to go exploring. But the doorknob is missing, so I knew I’d have to wait until I found a way inside. Then yesterday morning, God, I can’t believe I’m even saying this…” I say, shaking my head, “Abigail’s ghost led me to where the door handle was hidden. It was in my dad’s bedroom. He interrupted me before I could grab it, but then…” I shudder away the memory of the light and shadow beneath the door.
“Then?” Colton repeats.
I take a deep breath, blinking rapidly to fight off the urge to chicken out. “Let me back up a bit… Abigail said something to me last night…” I say, tapping my chin. “Before I texted you yesterday.”
“What did Abigail say?” Colton asks, his eyebrows furrowed.
“The truth shall set you free,” I say, raising my eyebrows knowingly.
“Wait, like what Dominic wrote on your car?” Cat says, leaning forward and snorting.
“No, not like what Dominic wrote. She didn’t say it in Latin or anything. It was English,” I say, shaking my head.
“Freaky,” Cat says, sitting in one of the chairs.
“Right? It gets freakier,” I say, widening my eyes.
“You’re kidding?” she says.
“Nope. So there I am, trying to sleep after our call, and I realize there’s light shining from underneath the hidden door.”
“No,” Cat says breathlessly.
I nod.
Colton’s gaze is stone-cold, but he barely blinks.
“Dead serious. So there I am, staring at the glowing light of the door, and someone, or something, freaking moved on the other side,” I say, leaning in to whisper.
“Shut up,” Cat says, flicking her eyebrows up.
I nod. “I’m worried that—what if it’s the Vodník? What if my dad’s in league with it? I mean, why else would the door from my room be hidden? And why would Abigail only show me where the doorknob was when my dad wasn’t around? What if—”
Colton leans forward, catching Cat’s eye, and tipping this head to the side.
“We should try, Cat. We should just tell her,” he says.
Surprise floods my being and I pull up short. “Tell me? Tell me what?” I flit my gaze from Colt to Cat and back again. “What in the hell is going on?” I ask, trying to keep the anger swelling in my stomach at bay.
Cat sighs. “I don’t know how much of this you’ll be able to retain. Like I said, there’s heavy magic around your memories, Autumn. I can’t even begin to understand why, but I could sense it the minute I realized who you were. You’re gonna wanna hear us out before you totally freak. Okay?”
I narrow my eyes, “Shit. I’m right, aren’t I? Oh, God—” Despite myself, I take a seat.
She clasps her hands out in front of her and places them on the table. “This town, Windhaven, has a secret legacy. Everyone who’s lived here for years, the old family bloodlines, we all know about it,” she begins. “The academy was built here under its premise…”
“What she’s trying to say is…this town, or more specifically, certain families in this town, are cursed,” Colton interjects.
“Cursed?” I sputter. “You mean me? My family?”
“The Blackwoods, Abigail and Warren, they started something powerful when they moved here. I don’t know if it’s the energy the town is built on or the magic in your ancestors’ blood, but—” Cat trails off, her eyes going distant.
“But after Abigail’s death, things went sideways. Warren went from being a prominent member of the town to a recluse. Like the newspaper said before, he started building more and more rooms to the manor. Supposedly adding on to it for all the children they’d never have. Or, at least, that’s what everyone says. But we know different…” Colt says.
Cat nods, reaching for my hand. “Our families go back—way back—and we know it had nothing to do with the children. When Abigail died, Warren was lost. He didn’t want to let her go, so he tried to summon her back. But he didn’t have that kind of power. He was what we call a postmortem medium. He could see and talk to the dead, but he couldn’t raise them. Abigail, on the other hand…”
“Abigail was a necromancer,” Colt whispers.
New questions circle my brain like vultures, and I can’t seem to pluck one out that’s more significant than the others.
Necromancer? Postmortem medium?
The monikers tumble around, not really sticking, but almost making sense with the way things are unfolding.
Am I a postmortem medium, like Warren? Is that why Abigail has latched onto me? What does any of this have to do with the door?
“I’m so confused,” I finally say.
Colt stands up, looking at a few spines of the large books nearby. The section he’s in is far newer, but it’s got the same spine that reads Windhaven History.
“Look, there are things that have happened in the past, and more specifically, the recent past, that you need to dig through. If we tell you about it, I’m not sure it will stick. Like Cat said, your mental wards are strong. Someone performed some very powerful spells to keep you from remembering your past. From what we can tell, if we told you straight out, you’d either forget immediately, or it would blow up in our faces.”
“Keep me from remembering what? I don’t have any holes in my past, Colton. I remember everything perfectly,” I say, scrunching my face, but accepting the books.
“Not everything,” he says, shaking his head.
“How would you know?” I snicker, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Well, for starters, do you remember Cat and me?” he says, his eyebrows rising into his hairline.
“Uhm, you mean like right now?” I say, tipping my head to the side.
Cat chuckles. “No, dummy. He means when we were kids.”
I snicker. “Kids? I never…”
Both of them stare at me expectantly.
“Wait, what?” I sputter, dropping my arms and leaning forward. “We were friends as kids?”
“Autumn, that’s just the start. You really need to do some more digging,” Colt says, tapping the cover of one of the books. “There’s more—a lot more.”
“Well, that’s all swell,” I mutter, trying to calm my insides.
Could I really have known the twins when we were kids? How would I not remember that? Could someone have messed with my mind? And if so…who? Why?
“There’s one last thing…” Colt says, his voice trailing off as he watches me expectantly.
I shrug, unable to be surprised anymore. “Okay? What?”
“
You need to be careful—really careful about who you let into your circle. Not everyone will have your best interests in mind,” he says. “There can be people who you let in who shouldn’t be anywhere near you.”
“Well, isn’t that true for just about everyone?” I say, quirking an eyebrow.
Cat nods, glancing back to Colt. “Girl’s got a point.”
“True,” he says softly, “but I have it on good authority you need to be careful about someone you’ve already let in.”
I stand up, backing away from the table. “Good authority? Whose authority?”
“One of the psychics on campus. It doesn’t matter who—" he says, shaking his head.
“Of course it matters,” I sputter. “Why would a psychic care about who I spend time with? Is this someone I know? And if they had something important to say, and this seems pretty damn important, why didn’t they say who exactly I need to watch out for?”
Colton shifts his gaze from me to Cat and back again. He scrunches up his features and whispers, “He did.”
My mouth pops open. “Alright then, spill it. Who am I supposed to steer clear of?” I say, anger building in my gut. Whoever this person is, they should have come to me, not talk behind my back with the Gilbert twins.
“You won’t like it—”
“I don’t care. Spill,” I demand, trying hard to hold back the fury.
“Wade,” Colt says, his voice low and reserved. “They told me you need to be very careful around Wade.”
Chapter 20
Broken Loyalties
Could Wade be hiding something from me? Would he do that?
I pace at the foot of my bed, eyeing my phone on the nightstand as if it’s going to be able to give me the answers.
This is ridiculous. Just ask him, Autumn.
Sighing to myself, I drop onto the bed and reach for my phone.
Without giving time to talk myself out of it, I dial his number.
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 16