Shantel couldn’t stop staring at it. “Maybe we should turn it in. It’s history, an authentic artifact, and belongs in a museum.”
“Not until we figure out how to help the spirits,” Hunter said.
I glanced up at Shantel. I knew if we turned in the stone, we’d be back to square one. I wasn’t sure exactly what we were supposed to do with it, but I knew it was important. I wasn’t going to steal it and would eventually give it to the proper authorities, but for the time being, my mind was on helping those poor souls who were trapped in the castle. “We can’t let this gem get into the wrong hands. This is some kind of paranormal stone that has the power to stop time.”
Shantel gasped. “How does it do that?”
“I can’t explain it, but it does,” I said, rolling around the brilliant stone in my hands. “I’m not even sure how to make it work.”
“So…what do we do?” Pam said. “How do we help free the spirits if we don’t even know what to do with it?”
I raised an eyebrow. “We need to get our hands on that medallion. I’m sure we can decode the Latin or whatever is inscribed on there.”
“The medallion’s not here yet,” Hunter said, “but somebody’s bringing it to the dance. Remember?”
Eric nodded. “That’s right. Mr. Geo said on the phone that somebody was supposed to drop it off to him.”
“The dance is next week,” Shantel said. “Do you know what this means?”
“What?” Eric asked.
She smiled. “I need a date ASAP. We’re all going to that dance.”
“And hopefully we can get some answers on what to do with The Lady of the Lake,” I added.
“Where are we going to hide it?” Shantel said.
I knew the perfect place. “In Eric’s room, in the false board.”
“It’s perfect!” Hunter said. “We can’t tell anybody. This has to be our secret.”
“Can I hold it?” Shantel said.
“I’m not sure any of us should,” Hunter said. “I mean, Zoey’s already touched it, so that’s why she’s the one holding it.”
“But if stops time, I want to see it.”
Eric glanced at me. “What did you do to make it stop time?”
I shook my head. “I dunno.”
Pam reached for it, and before I could stop her, held it in her hand, then squeezed it. “Nothing’s happening. You try, Eric,” she said.
He gave it a try, followed by Hunter and Shantel, but nothing happened. They handed the stone back to me.
“Zoey, try again,” Shantel said. “You were scared and focused. Try to feel that again. Use your emotion and focus.”
I listened to the trickling stream and the singing birds, and I began to feel electricity flowing through my entire body.
“Her necklace!” Shantel said. “It’s glowing.”
“No flipping way!” Pam shouted.
Hunter wrapped an arm around me and pointed. The birds flying right above our heads stopped in midair, and the water stopped flowing as everything around us stopped frozen in time.
“Zoey, it’s absolutely amazing!” Hunter said, squeezing me tight.
“I don’t believe it!” Eric shouted, grabbing Pam’s hand.
I couldn’t believe it myself. All of us were able to move around in the frozen time. I walked across the river, stepping from stone by stone, then glanced around the forest. Everything was frozen, from the squirrels gathering nuts to insects flying the air. The other thing I noticed was that the chill in the air was gone; it was as if temperature didn’t exist.
I glanced down at my necklace, which was glowing in a rainbow of colors: yellow, red, blue, green, and purple. I couldn’t explain what was happening. My heart was racing a million miles a minute. I let out a trembling breath. “Guys, what’s going on?”
“I’m not sure, but can you get us back?” Eric asked.
Pam glanced around. “Being trapped here might be kind of cool for about ten minutes, but then it gets kind of freaky.”
Shantel gently grabbed my arm. “If you could get the birds flying again and shut off this whole thing, it’d be greatly appreciated.”
I squeezed the stone and concentrated, but nothing happened. My heart lurched. What if we’re stuck here? I had no idea how to put things back to normal, and I realized that messing around with that mystical magic was a stupid thing to do, since I had no idea how it worked.
Hunter could sense my panic. “It’s okay. Just take a deep breath and concentrate.” He softly touched my shoulder. “You got us in here, and I’m sure you can get us out. Try concentrating on the birds moving again.”
I nodded and squeezed the stone, but nothing happened. This time, I tried to relax and held the stone flat in my hand. I concentrated on the world moving again, and just like that, the birds flew past me and the wind blew on my face.
Hunter spun me around. “You did it!”
“Please don’t try that again…not ever!” Pam said.
I let out a long breath. “I won’t. I promise.” I wrapped up the stone and placed it in my pocket.
Shantel clutched her chest. “Can you imagine if we’d have been stuck like that?”
Pam nodded. “I know, right?”
They raced over and threw their arms around me. We shouted for joy and fell down to the ground, laughing.
“That was some crazy stuff,” Shantel roared, jumping up. “I’m a believer now.”
“It’s you, Zoey,” Pam said, scrambling to her feet. “Your necklace activated the stone.”
“Or the stone activated the necklace,” Hunter said.
Pam glanced at my necklace, her eyes widening. “What if it really is Isabella’s necklace?”
“It has to be,” Eric said. “If it has powers that connect with an ancient stone we found here on the property, it’d have to be the same one.”
Shantel’s jaw dropped. “Maybe you are a direct descendant of Isabella.”
“How would I end up here?” I asked. “I mean, what are the odds?”
Shantel’s eyes grew serious, and her dark braids blew in the wind. “Exactly. You were brought here for a reason. Did you find this school by yourself?”
A million thoughts rushed through my head. “No. A pamphlet came in the mail.”
Pam put a hand to her chin, as if in thought. “The school planted it, Zoey.”
“It’s not just Zoey,” Hunter said. “They went to great lengths to make sure some of us came, no matter what. I’ve been kicked out of countless schools, but they insisted I come.”
“They gave me a scholarship,” Shantel said. “They wouldn’t take no for an answer. My mom thought it was a dream-come-true, but I’m starting to think there’s more than meets the eye here.”
“What do they want us for?” Eric asked, pulling Pam close and holding her hand.
“I don’t know,” Shantel said, “but we were handpicked for a reason.”
Hunter’s lips moved into a grim line. “It can’t be our grades, and it has to be something big for them to overlook our…issues—especially mine.”
“Think about it,” Shantel said. “Why would they bring us into a haunted castle? And now Zoey’s got this freaky paranormal link. I dunno. My mind’s racing with the possibilities.”
“Do you think there’s a paranormal reason why we were brought in?” Eric asked.
Something clicked in my head, and I put two and two together. “Guys, it was that entrance test! Do you remember the paranormal questionnaire at the end?”
“Oh my gosh!” Pam said. “Yes. I thought that was strange, but then I forgot all about it.”
Hunter met my gaze. “They were screening for people with a link to the paranormal.”
“That’s why my Honor Roll friend couldn’t get in!” I said. “She doesn’t have any psychic abilities.” I let out a long breath as reality struck me. “I bet if we questioned every student here, we’d find they all have some psychic connection.”
Shantel started
to pace. “There was a question asking if we ever encountered a ghost. I have. I saw my grandmother once when I was five. But now that I’m older, I assumed it was a dream, or just some figment of my imagination.”
“My mother is a psychic,” I said. “No secret there. She’s famous.”
“My grandmother used to talk to ghosts,” Eric said. “I thought she was crazy.” He then nudged Pam. “How about you?”
“Not me personally, but my aunt used to have visions, as well as my brother.”
“If it wasn’t experienced personally, they looked for a link in the family,” I said.
“So what do we do? Pack up and leave?” Shantel asked.
“I’m not. I wanna know what’s going on. Besides, I’m not leaving Hunter.” I turned and gazed into his eyes.
He wrapped his strong arms around me. “Don’t worry. I’m not letting you go that easy.”
“I’m not leaving Pam,” Eric said. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Pam smiled. “I feel the same way. I’ll stay and face ghosts in a haunted castle if it means I get another day with you.”
He pulled her close and kissed her on the lips. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
“I’ll stay for now,” Shantel said. “My mom and I signed a contract. If I don’t stay the entire year, my mom loses the house they paid for. My mother would be heartbroken if she lost that house—not to mention, she’d think I was crazy and lock me up. Plus, I need to know what’s going on. Maybe I was brought here to help these people. If there’s anything sinister happening, I’m outta here though, house or not.”
I smiled and wrapped an arm around her. “We hear ya loud and clear.”
She smiled. “I think we should go back and look at gowns. They said we could borrow anything in the red room.”
“But it’s all medieval stuff,” Eric said.
Pam grinned. “Babe, it’s a medieval dance. We all have to dress up, including you.”
He kissed her. “I’ll be the handsomest knight you’ve ever seen.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “My knight in borrowed armor.”
Hunter laughed and threw an arm around me as we headed back to the castle. The guys went back to their rooms. I gave Eric the sapphire so he could hide it behind the wall paneling; I really felt him trustworthy. The girls and I headed off to the red room, where all the costumes were kept.
There were hundreds of dresses to look through, all hanging neatly, row after row. I ran my fingers over a blue velvet dress. “These gowns are amazing.”
Pam grabbed a flowy black and silver dress. “This would look awesome on Shantel.”
Shantel’s eyes widened. “That’s my dress!” She held it up as she admired it.
“You’d look gorgeous in it,” I said.
“Zoey,” Pam said, “do you think you really are a distant bloodline of Princess Isabella?”
“How would something like that even be possible?” I pondered as I hung up the dress in my hands. I had seen Princess Isabella in the basement. She was so beautiful and radiant, with that long, flowing hair and a glowing white gown.
“How can you guys even tell from black and white sketches we’ve seen in the books?” Shantel asked.
I pulled out my phone. “I took a picture in the attic.” I retrieved the picture and showed Shantel.
She stared at it, and her jaw dropped. “Zoey, she looks identical to you. And Pam, you’re right about the necklace. It’s the same.”
“Show her the pic where I fixed your hair like hers and put on the crown,” Pam said.
I flicked through the images and found it, then showed it to Shantel.
“It’s just…bizarre,” she said.
Pam reached for the phone and went back to the original image. After studying it, she touched the tear-shaped pendant on my neck, then held the phone with the pic of the necklace. “What do you think, gals? I say it’s a complete match.”
“Are you saying I’m wearing Princess Isabella’s real necklace?”
“That’s exactly what we’re saying,” Shantel said. “The heirloom was passed down from generation to generation. There’s no doubt that the woman in that painting is one of your ancestors. I bet it’s priceless, worth millions.”
Pam grabbed my hand, her face beaming. “You’re related to royalty, to a princess who once lived here in this very castle!”
“I’m not 100 percent sure I can believe that,” I said.
Shantel met my gaze. “Your necklace was glowing. There has to be some kind of paranormal link.”
“Maybe the necklace is meant to protect you,” Pam said. “Time froze, saving you and Hunter from those gangsters in the tunnel.”
“Or maybe it was the stone,” Shantel said.
“Yeah, something’s going on, but is it the necklace or the gemstone or both. I mean, I’ve been wearing this necklace for a long time now, and nothing freaky has ever happened before.” I let out a long breath. “What could this all mean?”
Pam cocked a brow. “I’m not sure, but you’re wearing an ancient artifact, and we discovered an ancient gemstone. Putting the two together triggered some kind of magic. I don’t think any of us can explain it, and I doubt we’ll find it in any of the history books here.”
“I think we should talk to Mr. Geo,” I said.
“No way!” Shantel said. “We can’t trust him.”
I wasn’t sure who we could trust at that point. “I think the principal is up to something. He must have some reason for letting us into this school.”
“What about Miss Shila?” Pam said, putting another dress back. “She had those red eyes. Maybe she’s behind all of this.”
“We need to find a teacher we can confide in,” Shantel said.
“I agree,” I said.
More than anything, I wanted to go up to the attic and look at the picture. I felt a connection to it, even if it was hard to believe that the woman in the painting was my ancestor. I tried to imagine it, but I couldn’t. But she’s trapped in this castle. Did she bring me here to rescue her? If she is here, why doesn’t she just come out and talk to me. What’s with all the games? I didn’t get it, not one little bit, and I was more confused than ever. I touched my necklace. What secrets does this necklace hold? This castle? How Scottish is my blood? Did I come from Scotland? Or am I taking this completely out of context, letting my imagination soar? Who wouldn’t want to come from a Scottish line of royalty?
We shuffled through the dresses until we all found the perfect one for the charity event. They were trying to raise money for the local museum, and rich, well-to-do people were coming from all over Scotland. It was a costume party, and we’d been given permission by Mrs. Duball to borrow the historical outfits. Before that, I’d never had a desire, because I didn’t even have a date. I figured I’d just stay in my room, but things had changed, and I was excited about going to a dance with Hunter; all the girls would envy me to have such a handsome prince on my arm.
* * *
Pam’s makeup had a classic, vintage look to it. The different shades of browns made her blue eyes stand out, and her messy bun was soft and romantic. Tiny wisps of blonde hair hung around her face. She wore a red velvet gown, with an over layer of flowing silk chiffon decorated with delicate ivory braids and laces.
“You look amazing,” I said. “I can’t get over how pretty you are.”
“Thanks,” she said, sticking another bobby pin in my hair, “but you’re gonna look even more amazing when I’m done with you.”
Pam met my gaze and smiled. “I’m almost done,” she said, spraying glitter hairspray all over my new hairdo.
“I’m dying to see,” I said, sneaking a peek at my gorgeous glittery nails.
“Get dressed, and then you can look.”
I slipped into my dress, and Pam buttoned the back up. I had picked a long, white dress swirled with silver. The scooped neckline, flowing layers of lace, and ethereal, billowing sleeves were ama
zing. The silver corset covered in beaded lace, beaded trims, brooches, and delicate trim took my breath away.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Okay! Have a look, Cinderella.”
I slowly spun around, and when I caught my reflection, my jaw dropped. I looked elegant and feminine, yet bold and daring. I had smoky eyes, simple eyeliner, eyelashes coated in mascara, and fire-red lips. Endless rows of spiral curls cascaded from the top of my head into tiny ringlets; it was one of the most sizzling up-dos I’d ever had. A small tiara sparkled in my hair. What she’d done was absolutely amazing. When I was five years old, I was obsessed with Disney movies, all those stories about girls overcoming the odds and becoming a beautiful princess. Now I was one of them—or at least I felt like it. My eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Pam, it’s beautiful. Thank you so much.”
“You look gorgeous, BFF, and Hunter’s going to die when he sees you.”
It was hard to believe that was me in the mirror. I didn’t know how Pam did it, but she was some kind of genius with makeup and hair.
“Oh! Almost forgot. When I went back to the red room, I found some heels in your size. I thought you’d love them,” Pam said. “They’re authentic Christian Louboutin Cinderella heels.”
“That’s nice of you, but I love the ones I picked.”
She smiled. “You might just change your mind.”
“Nah, I’m sold on the others.”
“Well, if you don’t want my glass slippers, then I’ll just hand them off to one of your evil stepsisters.”
She dug into her bag and pulled out a pair of heels that were designed to look like a modern-day Cinderella slipper. The Swarovski crystals and lace detailing were to die for. My jaw dropped, and I had to have them. I threw off my other heels and put them on. They fit perfectly, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I tapped my foot, admiring the beauty.
“You’re truly my fairy godmother,” I said, hugging her.
She hugged me back and squealed. “Wait until Hunter sees you.”
A knock at the door startled me. A big grin curled on my lips, and my heart raced with anticipation and passion. I couldn’t wait to put my arms around him. “He’s here,” I said, biting my lip hard. “I can do this,” I said. “I think—”
My Haunted Fairytale - Book 2 (The Enchanted Castle Series) Page 17