by J A S Bennet
Slipping into a maxi skirt with a flirty V-neck, she stepped into her Chucks and made her way to the door. At the last minute, she realized she didn’t have her crystal necklace. It was a simple clear quartz on a hemp rope. It helped with her anxiety and she knew she needed all the help she could get. On with the necklace, out the door, and to the stairs she went.
Jenny didn’t mind throwing her wet hair into a messy bun, and she needed a shower. She loved being in the water, so much so she brought her toothbrush in with her to handle her oral hygiene at the same time. She wished she had time to take a long soak in the small pool-sized bathtub, but that would have to wait for another day. The fancy shower in her suite had a bench seat big enough for two and there was a waterfall showerhead. However, if she wanted to sit and be in the water, she could pull a switch on the wall and it would just rain down from the ceiling. She might never want to get out. But she did. Dragging herself out, she got dressed quickly. After that shower, the library she just met, and the mission of the morning, she pulled on her “Coffee, Books, and Rain.” T-shirt. She slipped into her favorite leggings and put on her sneakers before she met the others at the top of the stairs.
Ava took the quickest shower known to woman. It didn’t matter that she would be walking out of the castle with wet hair. The trouble with her curls was that they had to dry on their own. She should’ve taken a shower last night, but hated going to bed with wet hair. Running her fingers through her hair would have to do, because one does not ever brush or comb curls, and she applied some mousse to tame it. After slopping lotion to her naturally dry skin, she put on a business skirt and jacket to match. Wouldn’t ex-asshole #2 love to see her in this skirt? The dick. She topped off the outfit with her normal heels and walked out the door in just under fifteen minutes. She didn’t bother with any makeup, who could apply that shit when your body needed coffee? She hadn’t had any form of caffeine in almost twenty-four hours. She expected her body to go into withdrawal soon; that shit can’t be pretty. Going into her carry-on bag, she removed one of about a dozen tubes of lip balm that she didn’t leave home without. No one knew that she could stuff at least two tubes of lip balm in her bra for emergencies. Talent, that’s what she had. Coffee, that’s what she was ready to get.
When the three women arrived at the top of the stairs, there was a certain buzz in the air. Not sure if the others were feeling it, nobody mentioned it. It was nearly palpable, the buzz. They were on the edge of sanity, life as they knew it was slipping away. But none of them would have ever guessed the things they were about to learn.
Fergus was waiting at the bottom of the stairs to escort them into the dining hall. “I don’t know what you said to the caretaker this morning, but she hasn’t stopped mumbling about some wand and horrible mudwater.” The women heard a helicopter before he even got the chance to tell them their coffee was on the way. “I contacted the Auld Triangle and your coffee is landing now.”
Ava wanted nothing to do with men in general, but she almost laid one on Fergus. It was all she could do to keep from Frenching Deaglan when he walked in the dining room with three travel containers radiating the aroma of liquid black gold. She pulled a twenty out of her bra and handed it to him. Sheridan attempted to murder her with a look. He looked at the bill like it was a dead rat or something before she realized it wasn’t the currency they used. “Oh, I’m sorry. Let me go get some euros.”
“It’s not necessary. We serve Castle McGrew. It’s what we do.” Deaglan was speaking to Ava, handing her the twenty back, but his eyes were on Sheridan. “Good morning, Agra.”
“Morning.” Her eyes dropped to her bag, where she reached in and pulled out a Diet Mountain Dew.
“That seems like a strange thing to put in coffee. Is it good?” Jenny was sincerely curious about what she was going to do with that.
“No, I just drink it. Without coffee.” Sheridan twisted off the cap and put it to her lips. She caught the look on Deaglan’s face as he watched her drink it. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed to match her. Her heart was going to beat right out of her chest.
She choked, of course. She spit her Dew out and coughed into her hand, hoping to hide her embarrassment. Her skin now matched her hair and her lipstick, she had become a deep red blob. When she wiped the water out of her eyes, she found a handkerchief being handed to her. Deaglan wasn’t disgusted, he was concerned. Yep, she was a goner.
When she was cleaned up, he declined to take his handkerchief back. What a gentleman, it’s been a while since she had met any of those.
“Well, if you’re not going to drink your coffee, I’m calling dibs.” Ava was such a giver. She grabbed the unclaimed coffee cup and looked around the room for the brave person who would take it from her. Like a coffee goddess, she realized no one was brave enough and walked away. Jenny rolled her eyes.
“Is Derek Nelson going to be here for the reading of the will?” Changing the subject was all Jenny could think of to do to take the attention off Sheridan. Poor woman kept turning the color of ripe tomatoes.
Fergus replied, “Yes, he is the executor of the estate. That’s why it was him who hunted you down.”
“Who else will be there?” Jenny gave a sly wink to Sheridan along with a slight nod in Deaglan’s direction.
Fergus was the one who answered. “The caretaker and I will be there. Plus, you three and Derek.”
Jenny would be lying if she said she didn’t like the idea of seeing Derek Nelson again. He was so easy on the eyes, and not that she was looking to hook up, but she didn’t mind looking at him.
“Oh, and I will be there before it begins to verify the results of the DNA test from yesterday.” Deaglan didn’t seem aware of the fact that anyone was in the room aside from Sheridan. At least, that’s how it seemed to Jenny. It made her smile.
Jenny took her coffee, doctored it up with the sugar packets and milk on the table that was there for tea drinkers. Then she put her lid back on and excused herself. If the guys knew about what would happen last night, they didn’t bother to warn them, so she was going to figure it out on her own. “I’m going to look something up in the library.”
“Is it the triquetra thing? I’ll go with you.” Ava rose to follow her, then before she walked out of the room she added, “Fergus, show us the way.”
Sheridan’s heart lodged in her throat. She knew what was happening. This was a setup. Being left alone with Deaglan and his green eyes felt more like a sentence. As she wasn’t fond of peopling any time of day, having to do so was even harder first thing in the morning. Hiding behind her need for caffeine was her only defense.
“What is that you are drinking?” he asked with genuine curiosity.
“Diet Mountain Dew. One of my many vices.” Sheridan couldn’t help but look at him. He was so pretty with the morning scruff still on his face and his … kindness. Yeah, he seemed so kind.
“Vices, as in plural, you have many?” His eyes twinkled with the question. This woman was intriguing. She was aloof, but sweetness radiated from her. She had fire behind those green eyes and curves for days.
Oh, he wanted to play. She smiled the smile of the 50’s movie poster models and declined to answer. Let him wonder. Flirting came naturally to Sheridan. It was simply who she was. Men liked a mystery and for some reason her being her seemed to be a mystery to most everyone, even herself at times.
“Thank you for bringing the other two coffee. Keeping Ava happy may be a full-time job for someone and I don’t have the time or energy for it. Her without coffee may become a true nightmare.”
He smiled in response because he totally agreed and liked that she spoke her mind. He had a feeling she did that often, but only when she was comfortable.
“Would you like to come with me? I have to pick Derek up from the pub. I could take you along. If you’d like.” Please let her say yes.
Her face lit up and her green eyes smiled into his. He felt her joy and his heart flipped in his chest.
Fergus led them to the door of the library and then walked away. “I’m not much of a reader myself.”
Ava and Jenny both rolled their eyes at his dumb declaration. Those words simply did not compute for booklovers. They didn’t need his presence anyway, they just wanted him to leave Sheridan and Deaglan alone. The three-story room full of books was even more magnificent in full sunlight. Jenny’s eyes were drawn to the sunlight dancing on the water outside the window. It seemed to be performing a dance just for her. She hummed a happy tune in celebration of the morning.
Ava marched right up to the old-fashioned card catalogue and pulled out the drawer for the letter T. The dragging sound caught Jenny’s attention and got her back on task.
Finding the card she was looking for, Ava grabbed it. Then she began to look around for the organizational system this place used. It didn’t take her long to figure out where she needed to go. Once they got to the right section, it wasn’t hard to find the book they were looking for. It was covered in dust, but the symbol on the cover matched the ones on their wrists.
Just as they opened the book, Fergus announced from the entry, “Breakfast will be served in a few minutes. You do not want to be late, unless you want to go hungry.”
The women closed the book but took it with them. They would uncover the mysteries after breakfast.
They headed for the great room. The space was great, to say the least. Ava was accustomed to such lavish digs, but Jenny and Sheridan were certainly not. Every time they walked into a room it was with a sense of awe. This room was both formal and warm. Stone covered one wall, along with a massive fireplace. The remaining walls were covered in the same dark wood as the pub. It created a feeling of welcome stability. The large windows that looked out on the front garden were draped with green fabric that matched the woods beyond.
Instead of the long dining table that graced the dining room, this room held a large round table. It sat at least ten and was inlaid with a dragon design. It looked as if it was ready to spring free and consume them all. It made Sheridan feel safe instead of fearful. She gazed at it while waiting for Ava and Jenny to take their seats beside her.
Deaglan and Sheridan had returned from picking Derek Nelson up from the pub, but Sheridan had made her way inside immediately. Both men entered the great room later, and just as he stated would happen, he confirmed the DNA test results and left before the will reading began. He walked out with a smile on his face that matched the one Sheridan was trying to hide.
When Jenny and Ava tried to inquire, “Later,” was all she gave them.
Derek Nelson cleared his throat. “It is my understanding that after staying one night in the castle, markings appeared. This is a confirmation, even if Deaglan’s test prove the same, that you are descendants of Clan McGrew. Even if Shawn McGrew had not passed away, you would each be entitled to a share of this property and what it contains.”
Holy shit! Everything Derek Nelson said just seemed to confirm the unnatural state of things here. He knew those tattoos would happen and he hadn’t warned them. Also, they just went from being quarter shareowners to third share owners. But they didn’t even know they were McGrew descendants until a week ago. Sadly, this was the least shocking of all the news they heard that day.
When the video began, Ava shouted, “Hold up!”
Derek paused the video and turned to her.
“The man on that video is no older than thirty-five years old. I was expecting an old man from the way you all speak of him. Also, that painting of him on the wall looks like it was painted the same day this video was made. What the hell is going on here?”
Fergus shifted in his seat. The caretaker clasped the pearls dangling above her neckline and looked away. Derek Nelson cleared his throat. “It really would be best to let Shawn answer all of these questions for you. I will answer remaining questions at the end.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic. I love when nobody is capable of answering a direct question, said no woman ever.” Ava crossed her arms, then unfolded one hand far enough to gesture toward the screen. Her sarcasm was layered on super thick, like frosting on flat brownies that were baked in a big pan. “Please do resume.”
Shawn introduced himself, listing his birthdate with a year from centuries ago. Ava scoffed at that and mumbled something about an elaborate prank even Ashton wouldn’t waste his time on. Then he began to talk about the castle and how it was enchanted to recognize McGrew bloodlines.
“When I was born, it was right into this castle. My parents watched the oval tattoo form right before their eyes. With my brothers’ births, the mark changed—first, to an infinity symbol, and then, with my baby brother’s birth, to the triquetra. My first brother was able to complete his bond and a one-third circle appeared. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly thereafter, turning my second brother’s and my marks back into an infinity symbol and the part circle vanished. When my youngest brother decided to leave the castle, my mark returned to a basic oval.”
“It’s a transforming tattoo?” Jenny was fascinated.
Derek Nelson nodded and pointed at the screen.
Then Shawn launched into a tale about all the protections in place to combat attacks from rival families and enemies of Clan McGrew. Ava felt like she should be taking notes for creating the next big blockbuster hit. There was something about what he was saying that actually seemed to have a ring of truth about it. At the very least, Shawn believed what he was saying was true, and the caretaker, Fergus, Deaglan, and Derek Nelson hadn’t seemed to indicate he was a senile man.
Shawn leaned forward in his seat. “This is a very dangerous existence, but a very important one. With lots of power, comes great jealousy from outside sources. Not everyone who seems like an ally, actually is one.” At that point, the video did a jump cut, sending Shawn back in his chair on a fresh topic.
“What was that?” Ava knew something was missing. “Rewind it back. I’ve seen enough edited footage to know that this has been fucked with.”
Derek had noticed it, as well. Playback showed everyone else what they had seen. Somebody had cut out what he leaned forward to say. Derek was adamant, “There should not be any cuts in this will. I will find the original file and bring it in as soon as I can.”
The rest of the video was a big leap of faith for the women to comprehend. Shawn talked highly of the layers of protection. He mentioned how being in Castle McGrew would give descendants a certain level of personal power, which increased continuously until they lived there a full year. Then he talked about the guardians of the woods, speaking highly of the captain, who was his best friend. Had he ever bonded to his guardian mate, Rosin, he would have had more power, but he just couldn’t make that happen. His heart wasn’t in it, he was too much of a loner. The strangest thing he said came at the end of the video. Without being specific about who the “him” was, he said, “Unable to free him, I lived my life to protect him, because that life source empowers us. Please choose to do the same. I promise you won’t regret it.”
At the conclusion of the playing of the will, it would have been fair to say none of the women knew what the fuck they’d just heard. It was all make-believe, magic, and nonsense.
10
Questions
Jenny was the first to attempt to gain some clarity on what they’d just heard. “So, we aren’t being given this property to sell off?”
“No. It cannot be sold until you’ve lived here a year. Even then there are serious consequences. He just said that.” The caretaker woman spoke as if this was obvious. It very much so was not obvious. Nothing about this whole thing was obvious. Ava wasn’t going to put up with this donkey shit attitude for one moment lo
nger.
“Listen here, little missy.” Ava’s switch had just been flipped. “We just had all of this bullshit handed to us and we are a little freaked out, so if you can’t answer our questions with less attitude than a stellar drag queen working it on the runway, I’m going to insist you leave. It’s not a suggestion. Get. Out.”
Every muscle on the caretaker was visibly tense. All the people in the room witnessed it, but excused it for awkward turtle syndrome. She did just get embarrassed by an American. Expecting backlash, Ava raised her eyebrows in a challenge. Instead, she received, “You’re right. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Talk about one-eighties. It was like Missy Elliot told her to put her thing down, flip it, and reverse it and she just did it without hesitation. Let’s hope it was worth it. The questions were just beginning to roll in.
“We need to live here for a year, not just visit over the course of a year? I have a very important job to do and I can’t fucking do it from Ireland.” Ava was trying, honestly she was, to maintain her cool, but when she said she felt upside down, that’s exactly what she meant.
Derek nodded. “Yes, you have to stay on the grounds of this castle for a year, starting yesterday. And let me clarify, this means all three of you must stay. If one leaves, the power decreases for those who remain.”
“Okay, I need to know what kind of power we are dealing with here. We aren’t just talking about the self-inking tattoo thing, right? So, are we talking full Witches of Eastwick or just little Mary Poppins shit?” Ava was on the edge.
“The powers of protection you will have over the whole grounds. The grounds of Castle McGrew cover more than a mile in every direction. The pub is on the perimeter of those grounds, parts of the cliffs and ocean are covered by those grounds, even a mile into the air is covered.” The caretaker actually said something helpful for a change.