~The Disappearance of Emily ~
Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic: 2
By Elizabeth Pantley
www.NoCrySolution.com
© Elizabeth Pantley, Better Beginnings, Inc. 2021
With special thanks to
Robert and Linda
Cover Design by
Molly Burton, Cozy Cover Designs
https://cozycoverdesigns.com/
Disclaimer
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold to other people. This is a copyrighted work, and no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or stored in or introduced into an information storage and retrieval system by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, printed or in formats not yet known or invented, without the express written permission of the owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews. All rights are reserved, worldwide.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or actual places or events is purely coincidental.
Contents
Disclaimer
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Thank you for reading!
1
The mountain trail was tricky. I was moving slowly through the deep snow. I knew the lake had to be nearby. It was important to find it, but I could barely see ten feet in front of me. It was steep and slippery, and I was making my way using trekking poles to assess where I should step next. My hands and feet were cold. I heard Latifa calling out to me. Where was she? What was she saying?
“Good morning, Sunshine!” Her lilting voice woke me from my dream. “Happy one-month-a-versary!” It’s amazing how accustomed I’d grown to my cat’s telepathic voice in my head.
I squinted at my fluffy Himalayan sidekick. She was sitting beside me on the bed. I stretched out my arms and gave an extra-loud yawn in her direction, hoping she’d get the hint that she had woken me up.
“Message received. Woke you up. So sorry. Got it.” She squinted at me and whispered, “Not sorry.”
I yawned at her again.
“Bet you forgot today is one month from the earth-shattering day we arrived in Destiny Falls.” Her big, baby blues were focused on me, and her whiskers were twitching. “I have appointed myself Keeper of Your Calendar. You can be so forgetful about celebratory dates.” She shook her furry head as if it were impossible to believe.
I gave another exaggerated stretch and reached over to the bedside table. With a flourish, I presented her with a small, gift-wrapped package.
“Squeeee! You remembered!” She head-butted my face and spun a little circle on the bed, then turned to tear open the package. There was more squealing as she discovered her new, feathered cat toy.
I patted my sidekick’s head and tossed my legs over the side of the bed. A glance at my phone confirmed that Latifa-the-alarm-clock was right on time. I needed to get changed and meet Axel downstairs for a morning jog into town. He was often too busy with work to join me in the morning, so it was a wonderful treat to have some extra time with my newfound brother.
My brother. How I loved the sound of that. After a lifetime as an only child in a tiny three-person family, finding out that I had siblings and a large hidden family was monumental. Add to that a mysterious, magical new world, and I was floating on cloud nine.
The only dark spot was missing my family and my best friend, Luna. I was still trying to figure out how to tell them about Destiny Falls. I’d have to sort this out soon, since my cover story of a working trip to Denmark was nearing its expiration. A month overseas was feasible, but as the timeline continued, I’d need to address my disappearance.
My Nana and Granana would be happy that I was happy. They’ve been my biggest cheerleaders my entire life. They always said my happiness mattered most to them. Both my parents disappeared the week I was born, so my grandmother and great-grandmother jumped into raising me. They were dedicated to the job, with an enthusiasm that was a complete contrast to their tiny, delicate appearances. Luna and I referred to them as the Mighty Minis, which was an apt description.
Figuring out how to explain that I wasn’t really in Denmark, but in a magical, hidden town in an unknown location was a whole new ball of wax. Especially since the town was finicky about who it revealed itself to. Any e-mails or texts I attempted to send, explaining my location, disappeared into the ether in a wisp of bounces—undeliverable, message not sent, connection lost. Even phone calls suddenly lost the signal. Maybe Axel, my brother (deep sigh of joy), could help me solve this problem.
I turned on the movie channel for Latifa, my furry little movie buff, tucked my ponytail through the back of my baseball cap, and headed out. I strolled slowly down the hallway, so I could absorb the beauty of this amazing home.
Hmm. That was odd. Where was the window seat? It was usually somewhere in my hallway, but it was oddly absent. There was a glorious swatch of sunlight, which is where it normally would be lounging. I snickered. Imagine that. A window seat that can lounge in the sun. Magic touches the Caldwell Crest home in the most interesting ways.
Caldwell Crest is a masterpiece of design. It could be described as a cozy, mansion-sized mountain cabin. I felt embraced by the sweeping staircase made of polished wood. I loved the plank wood floors and ceilings and the gorgeous but understated chandeliers. I adored the stone fireplaces that soared all the way up to the tall ceilings. The earthy colors of the décor were soothing. Even after a month, I was still adjusting to the fact that it was now where I lived.
The home was enchanting. I could almost believe the rumors that it was originally built as a castle back in the 1800s and magically remodeled many times. It’s difficult to understand Caldwell Crest and the mysterious place that was Destiny Falls, especially since the definition seemed to always be changing.
It had been a wild ride of a month since I’d been thrown through a portal and landed here.
Destiny Falls is different from any place I’ve ever known before. I had to let go of my preconceived notions of what defines a town. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that the town isn’t on any map and isn’t accessible by normal means.
You must be called here by either the home or the town. Then you whoosh through time and space, to the accompaniment of a flash of brilliant light, as you tumble through a mirror. It’s a one-way trip. Once you’re here, you are, well . . . “trapped” is a harsh word for
such a lovely place. However, it’s accurate. I cannot choose to leave. Destiny Falls controls the comings and goings.
I feel a bit like Alice falling through the mirror into wonderland. Albeit a much nicer wonderland than Alice had to deal with.
I’ve figured out that’s it’s easier if I just go with the flow and don’t try to understand all the nuances of this place.
It was time to get moving and meet up with my brother Axel. I love the sound of that. I’ve been an only child all my life, and now all I want to say is brother, brother, brother.
As I stepped into the most beautiful kitchen of all time, I looked around to see what was new. Some days, it was the same as before, but on others, I would find something entirely different. A breakfast nook would appear where just a window was located before. On another day, the nook would transition into a large, formal dining room.
I took a deep breath and absorbed the glorious, homey feeling that enveloped me. The wood cabinets gleamed like they’d just been polished. The acres of black marble countertops reflected the twinkling lights. The collection of pretty copper pots hung on a rack suspended on long, black wires from the ceiling high above me. The cabin-like wood walls finished off the feel of a warm, rustic retreat.
I was so busy absorbing my surroundings that I didn’t even see Axel enter the room.
“Good morning, Hayden!” He pulled me in for a hug and finished it with a friendly tap on the bill of my hat. “Ready for a run or do you want a cup of tea first?”
“Oh, tea, please!” I noticed that he already had the tea fixings set up in the breakfast nook, along with a platter of rolls and fruit. I was moved that he already knew my routine and went through this effort.
“Did you give Princess Latifa her one-month-a-versary present?”
“I did! She’s up there now, batting it around and watching a movie. I expect I’ll find Chanel up there when I return. You know, she still won’t tell me how the two of them get in and out of the bedrooms. She’s afraid I’ll put the kibosh on her freedom if I know the secret.”
“She’s not wrong there,” Axel said. “You tend to be a helicopter fur mother. Is that a thing? Fur mother? I’ve heard the fur baby phrase.”
“Yeah, that’s hilarious,” I said. “But, you’re not wrong. I’m an overprotective fur momma. Guilty as charged.”
Bright morning sunlight flooded the cheery lime green and white breakfast nook. Looking out the wall of windows, I could see a group of sailboats racing in front of us. As I sat down, I looked to my left and noticed that the window seat was located right beside the nook, with a pretty, white Persian cat asleep on the pillow.
“Ah, there’s Chanel. And that’s where the window seat ended up this morning! I’ve never seen it downstairs before.”
Axel nodded as he reached for a breakfast roll. “There’s a first time for everything.”
2
“I have a treat planned for you this morning,” Axel said. “Two surprising places to visit. It’s about a forty-five-minute run to get there, but usually only about fifteen minutes to get home.”
He said that with such nonchalance—as if the surprise was at the end of the run, not the fact that the distance was variable. I was still adjusting to the unique magic of Destiny Falls, and it never ceased to amaze me. But now, instead of being shocked, I was charmed.
“What’s the surprise?” I asked.
“Oh, you’re one of those.” Axel nodded his head.
“One of what?”
“Those people who spoil surprises by finding out about them in advance. I bet you peek at your Christmas gifts and read spoilers in book reviews, too.” He shuddered and shook his head. “So sad.”
“I’d like to be offended, but it’s true. I sometimes read the last page of a book before I start it.”
His eyes popped open wide, and he gasped, “You do what?!”
“Well, it makes perfect sense,” I said. “I like happy endings, and I hate when things end badly for characters I’ve grown to love. So, unless I’m certain a book has a HEA, I’ll peek at the last page.”
“HEA?” he asked.
“Happily Ever After.”
“Okay, Cinderella. I’m only going to tell you we’re heading to my friend Vessie’s coffee shop, and to check in on a new tenant. You’ll love to see both, so there’s no need to peek at the ending.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha.”
He took off running down the driveway and yelled, “Come on, slowpoke!”
The morning was typical for Destiny Falls, at least since the day I’d arrived. Warm and sunny with a bright blue sky and a scattering of puffy white clouds. A gentle breeze was just enough to pleasantly balance the warm temperature.
Flowers lined the driveway and near the entry to West Caldwell Lane. There was a different arrangement of flowers here every day. They always grew in happy abundance. Today, the flowers were in every shade of purple. There was a trellis leading out to the main road that was lush with purple, hanging wisteria vines highlighted with white climbing roses. Of course, there was no way that the flowers were dug up and replanted every day, so I accepted it as one of the enchanted features of Caldwell Crest.
We ran down the street and turned the corner to Twin Falls Park Road. My new friend Olivia was walking out to her mailbox. Her gorgeous dog, Hercules, was beside her as usual.
“Good morning!” she waved and smiled.
We slowed to a stop in front of her home, and Hercules walked over to me. “Hi, big boy.” I reached out to pet his soft fur. As usual, he leaned his body into mine and relaxed into being petted. He was a Saarloos wolfdog, a mix of a German shepherd and a grey wolf, and was the largest canine I’d ever known. He was an amazing protection dog, and on more than one occasion had been my own personal sentry and rescuer. I always carried a bag of meat in my backpack when I ran this route, as an ongoing thank you to him for being my protector. I held out a handful of his snack, and he gobbled it up as we chatted with Olivia. As usual, she was a fount of information about the community. You couldn’t keep a secret from this one.
“Did you tell Hayden who took over the DF Camping & Hunting store?” she asked Axel. She was bouncing in place, barely able to contain the gossip.
“Actually, we’re headed there now.” He tilted his head toward me, and shrugged his shoulders, subtly trying to stop her from spilling the beans. “It was going to be a surprise.”
“Oops!” Olivia said, totally missing his signals. Or intentionally missing them, so she could provide the news. It was one of her favorite things to do. “Hayden, you’re never going to guess who it is!”
As always, there was no point in guessing. She’d jump right in to tell you if you paused for a breath. “Gwendolyn broke the lease on her shop. She never really wanted it. It was just a way to get back at her ex-husband, winning it in the divorce, you know. That woman hated her ex as much as she hated anything to do with camping and . . .”
“Who took over the store?” I gently interrupted to get her back on track. I wanted her to say it before Axel stopped her from giving me the name.
“Oh! Right. You really need to meet her; she’s a hoot. Her name is Poppy and get this! She’s Cleobella’s sister!” Olivia looked at me with wide eyes and clapped her hands enthusiastically.
Cleobella is my grandmother’s personal assistant, housekeeper, and all-round support person. She’s one of the most unique people I’ve ever met. She silently appears at my grandmother’s side whenever there’s something to be done or food to be served, gliding in and out of rooms at precisely the right time with whatever Grandmother needs. I have yet to figure out their system of communication, but I feel it would be rude to ask.
Before I first saw her in person, I had seen evidence of her stealthy helpfulness. I had expected that she was an unobtrusive, blend-into-the-background, grey-dress-with-a-white apron kind of person. I was very, very wrong. Very wrong.
Cleobella is a tall, elegant woman with the most striking white-blond, w
aist-length hair. Every time I see her, it’s done up in some elaborate fashion, and often topped with a glamourous hat. No bland, grey uniform for this woman. She dresses like a cross between Cher and Lady Gaga in full costume, from her fancy hat to her usually sky-high heels. She’s dressed up like this no matter what the day or the task. I could find her cleaning the kitchen in full-on Gaga.
Cleobella is deaf and can’t speak, but her presence is anything but silent. She seems to fill a room with her extraordinary appearance. I was wondering if her sister was anything like her when Olivia answered that question.
“You think Cleobella is unique? Her sister is cut from the same cloth. They’re two of a kind. And wait until you see the store! It’s spectacular! Seriously, Hayden—go see the shop and meet Poppy.”
I could barely hear Axel murmuring under his breath, “That was the plan.”
Axel said we’d meet Poppy first since it was on our route to the coffee shop. When we walked up to the DF Camping & Hunting Store, I got the shivers, remembering how completely horrible Gwendolyn was. She was haggard and bad-tempered, and that was just her outward appearance. Deep down she was downright evil, and I’d had a frightening encounter with her. Thankfully, she was gone now.
I noticed the shop’s sign had changed. It now read Poppy’s Camping & Hiking Extravaganza. I stepped inside the store ahead of Axel and stopped dead in my tracks, frozen by shock and awe. The entire store looked vastly different from the last time we were here when it had looked like a typical sporting goods store.
This shop was no longer typical in any way. It was set up like a campground and hiking trail. Exactly like a campground and hiking trail. I could have sworn I was outdoors. I looked way up through enormous trees to what was painted to look like a blue sky. I felt like dipping my toes into the babbling brook that wound its way through the center of the store. I felt like roasting a marshmallow at one of the various campsites that were set up. Everything you could possibly need for a first-class camping trip was displayed in a real-life setting.
The Disappearance of Emily: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic Series Book 2 Page 1