“They figured you’d find the stone and that it’d activate your necklace, supercharging it.”
“Yeah, they must want the power my necklace holds. Or the sapphire. Or both. Or maybe they want my blood.”
“The teachers are using you,” she said. “And if they’re doing an immortality ceremony, then they want you, the medallion, the necklace, and The Lady of the Lake.” She gripped my arm as another thought came to her. “I mean, this is King Geoffrey’s original plan all over again, except in modern times. You’re in the exact same position Isabella was in all those years ago.”
I clutched my chest. “They were going to sacrifice Isabella. Will they sacrifice me?”
Pam gasped. “Do you think that’s their game plan?”
“They have to be scared if they know I activated the necklace. Isabella killed King Geoffrey that way. She used the power of the necklace to freeze time and put an end to him.”
“They might drug you so you don’t do an ‘Isabella repeat’. We can’t let this happen!”
“We’ve gotta save the castle spirits before it’s too late.”
“Maybe we better leave this castle now. I want to help Isabella but I don’t want to watch you die. This school has sinister plans for you! My gosh! They created this school just to get their hands on you.”
“I have to help Isabella. She’s my family and I owe it to her.”
“This is beyond dangerous for you.”
“I know. I don’t know who’s involved besides Miss Shila. I’m sure that was why her eyes turned red that day. The good spirits were trying to warn me. Isabella told me she’s in on it.”
“If she’s after immortality, what’s with the fencing of artwork and sculptures?” Pam asked.
“Yeah, and why are they letting spirits inhabit us?” I asked. “What’s the point of that?”
“None of it makes any sense whatsoever. I’m just lost trying to figure it all out.”
“Tell me about it.”
Sandra returned a short while later and asked if we needed any help.
“We’re still reading these books,” I said politely.
“I thought maybe the whole thing was a myth,” she said, “but the fact that you’re here, looking exactly like your ancestor, proves it all.”
“I have no idea how to break the curse though,” I said.
“I’ve studied this stuff for years, so maybe I can help.”
“Tell us more,” Pam said.
“Well, I know the curse can be broken with the ancient stone, Isabella’s necklace, the wearer, and the Medallion of Mansara. You have the necklace. You just have to find the stone and the medallion.”
Pam looked at me. “Those are the same ingredients for the immortality ceremony. You don’t have to become immortal to free them, do you?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“I don’t think so,” Sandra said. “So look for that stone and that medallion, then you’ll have everything you need.”
I wasn’t about to let on that we already had them all, as I wasn’t sure she could be trusted. Instead, I played dumb and anxiously asked, “What do I do when I have them?”
“According to the ancient manuscript, you have to wait for a full moon in May and be residing in the garden where an altar is built. Isabella’s descendant…uh…you, has to stand over it to power it, then swing the medallion counterclockwise. The medallion will protect you as a big vortex opens, releasing the spirits.”
“Does she have to recite some kind of spell or something?” Pam asked.
“No. The combination just sets everything in motion,” Sandra said.
“Sandra!” a woman called down. “Somebody named Rita is looking for the girls.”
“Crap!” I said, looking down at my watch.
“We’re coming,” Pam hollered up the stairs.
We thanked the woman for all her help and she said to call with any questions. We then hurried to help Rita with the groceries, as per our deal.
Chapter 28
Back at the castle, I filled Hunter, Eric, and Shantal on everything we’d found out. When they told me that Miss Shila had been looking for me, I nervously went to her office to see what she wanted to talk to me about. I was worried she had found out about tour little trip to the bookstore, and I feared she’d have me on dish duty for weeks.
As I neared her door, I overheard an argument. Cautiously, I took a few steps closer and was shocked to hear a familiar voice.
“I won’t be a part of this any longer,” William said. “Zoey is going to set us free. I don’t know why I allowed you to talk me into this mad idea of yours.”
“My plan will work. I’ve studied everything, and I know how to get you out of here so you can be reunited with your loved ones.”
“I will not be party to this anymore,” he said.
“We made a deal,” she said firmly. “Are you getting attached to Zoey? That’s truly pathetic, William.”
“You are hurting them. Joseph is walking around in a fog, and Margaret is comatose. They cannot handle the presence of the spirits within them. It is slowly killing them.”
“I have to do what I have to do.”
“I don’t like it one bit!” he roared.
“I don’t care! Bring the next student tonight, or there will be consequences.”
“No! I won’t be your accomplice to murder.”
“You will do what I say. I haven’t even begun to skim the surface.”
“They cannot cope with the energy, and it wakes them. Zoey remembers seeing me. How can you call yourself a teacher? You’d see them dead if it means more gold in your pocket. Do you not have enough blood money already? I’ve helped you collect enough paintings, sculptures, and writings to make you millions.”
“When will I ever have a chance to meet with these great minds again?”
“They’ve been dead for centuries, and it is not our right to tamper with fate. Calling them here to possess your gifted students is not appropriate.”
“They are creating new masterpieces through the students they choose to inhabit. They volunteered because this is their last chance to create, to send more of their work into the world.”
“You must shut the portal,” William said. “When you opened it for them, you provided access to others, to those far more insidious. You have freed demons, and King Geoffrey, that bloody tyrant, has come back for revenge on Isabella and her living descendant because her servant hid the stone and kept him from becoming immortal. Zoey is a target of his wrath, and she is vulnerable because of your greed.”
“One girl is a small price to pay to have these treasured pieces of history once again.”
“Tormenting Zoey was not part of our deal.”
“He can’t kill her. They’re forbidden from killing humans, or they’ll be sent to the deepest pit of Hell. We both know he doesn’t want that.”
“She does not deserve to live her life in fear, to be used this way! You allowed demons in via that portal, and they’re torturing everyone.”
“You knew of the risks, ghost. This place is cursed, and we had to literally blow a hole through the fabric of space and time. How else would I get the spirits I needed inside the castle? We both knew there would be consequences. Yes, other things are getting through, and I am sorry about that, but it is still a small price to pay.”
“Zoey read the incantation and the demons can no longer invade the castle or the grounds. However, what if she didn’t have that option? What would have happened to her? Did you ever stop to think about that?”
“Her safety is my top concern.”
“Only because you still need her.”
“Yes.”
“You must shut this operation down,” William said.
“I’m not your subject, Highness, and this isn’t your time anymore. You’re dead, and you are no more powerful than I am. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am to lose it all now. Do you know how long it took me to find these studen
ts? It is not exactly typical to ask about psychic abilities on an admissions application.”
“Too bad you couldn’t put that on your lovely brochure.”
“You know the spirits can’t connect with the bodies for more than a minute if a student doesn’t have psychic abilities. Only eight have been competent enough so far. It is a painstaking process.”
“Far more painstaking for them than for you,” William retorted. “How did you open that portal anyway? You haven’t explained that to me, and I’m curious. Can you even close it?”
She cackled like a wicked witch. “Ha! Do you think I’m actually going to tell you that?”
“I have no idea what you are going to do. You are a madwoman.”
“Your opinion makes little difference to me, you pathetic phantom. Let’s just say I have the skills of Merlin.”
“If you won’t close it, I will seek Zoey’s help—”
“And how can she cross over to shut it?” Miss Shila interrupted. “Are you planning to kill her? As for that necklace, I’d love to get my hands on it.”
“We both know you cannot. No one can touch it but her.”
“Don’t put anything past me. I have figured most of this out on my own. I didn’t know that necklace was an heirloom from Princess Isabella, didn’t know anything about Zoey’s history with the castle whatsoever. Many facts were hidden from me, but I unearthed them. I did my own investigation and figured out who she was. She was handpicked by Mr. Rowens himself, and I signed off on it because Zoey has a famous mother who can speak to the dead. I knew she’d be perfect.”
“You know what Mr. Rowens wants her for?”
“It wasn’t hard to put the pieces together. I’m no fool.”
“That is debatable,” William said. “If Zoey is so important to him, he will not be fond of you toying with his prized subject.”
“Well, he’ll never know, and you can’t tell him, because that man barely has a brain, let alone any psychic ability.”
“I can tell Zoey or any of the students. You handpicked the students I have no trouble speaking to. As I said, your intelligence is debatable.”
“Don’t take that tone with me, you paranormal pest! Even if you do tell them and they run their little mouths to him, Mr. Rowens will never believe their crazy stories.” She sighed. “I can’t believe you’re working against me.”
“I’ve helped you more than I should have. Victoria worked well with Zoey as a test. Why did you not just use her?”
“Because Victoria is a dead queen nobody cares about, and she isn’t the music genius Beethoven is.”
“I do not like him jumping into Zoey’s body.”
“We’re making history here,” she said. “Death robbed the world of so many of his unfinished works. Now is his chance, his last chance to create all those treasures that the world deserves to hear. I can’t help it if it puts a little wear and tear on your girlfriend in the meantime.”
“She is not my lover. Her heart belongs to…another.”
“I don’t wanna hear about that. I have more on my plate than dealing with teenage love stories.”
“What you have in mind is killing your students.”
“Killing them? No one has died, William. You shouldn’t be such a drama prince.”
“Two are comatose.”
“The others are stronger.”
“If you hurt Zoey or the others, I will—”
“Aw. It’s adorable that you’ve fallen for them,” she said, amused. “How sweet. I warn you, though, don’t get too attached. You’ll be leaving them soon enough, when I help you get where you belong. We must finish what we started.”
“No. The cost of what you ask is too high.”
“Is it?” she said. “Don’t you miss your real loved ones? Think about that long and hard for a while,” she said. “Don’t take too long though. As you always say, time is of the essence.”
When the room grew quiet, I assumed William had angrily done one of his disappearing acts. Aghast, I quickly sneaked down the hall and called an emergency meeting with Hunter, Shantal, Eric, and Pam.
Chapter 29
They were shocked, and I had to go over the story three times before they really grasped what I’d overheard. “Miss Shila must’ve had Beethoven himself ready to possess me, but they decided to test it out first. They tried Victoria first, since she’s a pianist. I woke up when she lost the connection, and William told her to get it back.”
“I remember,” Pam said. “That was why you found your necklace in the piano room. You were actually there.”
Shantal shook her head. “Listen to yourselves. This sounds absolutely nutty. Are you telling me a teacher summoned the actual Ludwig van Beethoven so he could finish his work and she could make millions? Was she going to be his agent or something?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I said.
Eric paced, as he often did when he was trying to make sense of everything. “So Miss Shila handpicked us and opened the portal so some spirits she summoned could inhabitant us?”
“The entrance test was designed to find us,” Shantal said, gasping as it all came together in her head. “It weeded out the normal people. They weren’t after scholars. We’re just…vessels. The school is a smokescreen.”
“That’s insane!” Pam chimed in. “They totally fooled us all, even our parents.”
Hunter shook his head in disbelief. “That’s why we’re here, in Scotland, isolated from our families. Here, so far away from the States, they can really do whatever they want to us, and no one will be the wiser.”
“They lured me here,” Shantal said. “I was brought to this castle for sinister purposes.”
“Poor Joseph and Margaret. They’re home, but they’re in a vegetative state because they couldn’t handle the energy.”
“How many more sessions before we end up like them?” Pam asked. “I’m starting to wake up with major headaches, and now I know why.”
We all looked at each other in complete disbelief and horror.
“I knew this place was too rich, too fancy for my blood,” Shantal said. “The bedrooms look like something out of a museum. I’m blown away by the stunning beauty here. This place is decked out with millions of dollars’ worth of artwork, sculptures, and heirlooms. Why would they let us in here for school?”
I was haunted by her words. The place was beautiful, from the glorious castle to the breathtaking grounds. It was nothing short of amazing. My room was luxurious, like the bedchamber of a queen, lavished with the most priceless furnishings. It was certainly not the quarters for a teenage girl.
Hunter looked at me with concern. “Why did Mr. Rowens handpick you?”
“I guess he didn’t know what Miss Shila’s up to. She’s one of the founders, so she really has full control when it comes to deciding who’s accepted to attend. Mr. Rowens let her pick the students, and I was sort of…mandatory.”
“There are two separate agendas going on here,” Hunter said. “Miss Shila and Mr. Rowens are up to something, and it’s all about you, Zoey. Why does he want you here?”
Eric peered at all of us intensely. “Mr. Rowens picked the location. He told me so himself. Zoey is connected to Isabella and this castle. Somehow, it all fits together.”
“But how?” Pam asked, wincing in confusion.
I looked at Eric. “He wants my necklace,” I said. “He wants the power it possesses.”
Hunter touched his chin. “The principal is sick, dying of lung cancer, right? Maybe he wants what King Geoffrey was after.”
“Immortality?” I whispered.
“Yep. Maybe he somehow found out about the legend. He’s rich, and he doesn’t wanna die. Maybe he figured if he lured you to this castle for school, he could get his grubby hands on your necklace. Maybe he doesn’t realize his scandalous co-founder has alternative motives herself. He lets her run everything because he really doesn’t care. For him, the school is just a smokescreen.”
&nbs
p; “Why hasn’t he acted on it?” Eric asked.
“There has to be a reason,” Pam said, “and that could kill Zoey.”
I pondered. “Great. We’re up against a woman who wants to summon the dead to possess us and a dying man who wants to use my ancient connections and heirloom for immortality. At the same time, we’re trying to free the castle spirits. I know they say our high school years are supposed to be the most exciting of our lives, but this is a bit over the top.”
“I say we just pack up and leave,” Shantal said. “This is getting out of control, and our lives are at stake. This isn’t just some haunting. It’s something far more sinister.”
“Right,” Pam agreed. “I don’t want my senior quote to be ‘R.I.P.’ ya know.”
“I’m not leaving,” I said. “I promised to free the castle spirits, and they’ve waited for me for a long, long time.”
Shantal wrung her fingers. “Listen, Mr. Rowens probably doesn’t have long. Lung cancer is aggressive, and I’m sure he’s very desperate. We have no idea what he has planned for Zoey. Staying here is very dangerous.”
“Let’s deal with the possessions first, then move on,” Pam suggested. “We can get Miss Shila fired, for starters.”
“Not so easy. She’s more than a teacher,” Hunter said, shaking his head. “She’s a founder.”
She sighed. “I say we tell Mr. Rowens everything. If we can get him to believe us, he’ll boot her sorry butt out, and then at least the possessions would stop.”
“True,” Eric agreed.
Hunter gripped my hands. “I’m not going anywhere, because I know how much it means to you to help your ancestors, but we have to stop Miss Shila from using us, and we have to find out what Mr. Rowens is up to.”
“That means a lot to me,” I said. “Thanks, Hunter.”
“Hold up, people. We have no real proof that Mr. Rowens is after immortality,” Eric said. “Just because King Geoffrey wanted that, it doesn’t mean Mr. Rowens is after it or that he knows anything about Zoey’s necklace.”
“He’s dying,” Hunter said. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“Exactly. And why else would he bring me to the castle?” I said. “He picked this place for a very special reason. My guess is that he knows my pendant holds great powers, something he obviously wants. When I overheard William talking to Miss Shila, they said something about me being his ‘prized subject.’ Of course, he can’t operate the necklace without me.”
Enchanted Dreams - Book 3 Page 18