I took Sookie’s hand. She wasn’t an adult witch anymore, but she still seemed changed. I remembered her calling to me at the last minute on the carousel, giving instructions and keeping her head. She had seemed strong, not like a silly little girl. Maybe she was growing up too.
“Let’s do this,” I said to her. Still, we didn’t burst through the door like usual this time either. Instead, I knocked again, and held my breath when I heard footsteps. The door opened.
“What on earth are you two wearing?” Mom stared at Sookie’s and my strange dresses. “You know you’re supposed to be inside this door by the time the streetlights are on outside.” Mom looked cross and she pointed toward the stairs. “March straight up to your rooms.”
I had been home one second and I was already grounded. It was the best feeling in the world!
I spent the entire Sunday stuck in the house, so I put it to good use by catching up on all the homework Ms. Dreeble had assigned me. Sookie cleaned Buddy’s cage and had a heartfelt reunion playing with her hamster.
“I missed my little friend,” Sookie said, holding Buddy up and nuzzling his teeny head. I swear the hamster smiled.
“How come you brought Buddy back from the witch house?” I asked.
“I couldn’t keep him there,” Sookie said matter-of-factly. “Maeb knocked over his cage. She wanted to eat him.”
I suppressed a shudder thinking about that traitorous bird.
That night after supper, Sookie hovered by Mom in the kitchen, begging Mom to forgive her for being late the previous night and to let Skeeter come over and play even though we were grounded. Mom didn’t budge.
Overall, though, my sister seemed happy enough to return to a normal little kid’s life. Though it was never easy to tell with Sookie – I didn’t like how on Sunday night when I went into her room, she had the fake Grimoire book open.
“Why are the pages blank, Cat?”
“Because the book never left Fairy,” I reminded her. “We undid the magic that had opened Fairy again when we turned back time.”
Sookie kept staring at the book as if she hoped magic spells would appear on its blank pages. Not to mention, she still hummed her creepy songs.
Monday morning, when I was packing my homework up to take to Ms. Dreeble, the phone rang. Mom went into the den to take the call and when she returned to the kitchen, she was beaming. “I’m taking a job at a new law office that opened in town. She shook her head, “it’s not a lot of money right away, but there’s room for promotion. I can become a paralegal. That means more studying for me, so I’m afraid you two will still have to help out around here.”
“It’ll be worth it in the long run,” I said, “especially if you are building toward a good career.”
“When did my daughter become so wise,” Mom said ruffling my hair.
I grabbed my work and stuffed it in my bag. Before I stepped out the door, I turned and looked back into our sunny kitchen. This house wasn’t as grand as it was when Alice Greystone was a girl, nor would it ever be as fancy as the place we lived in the city. It didn’t matter.
It was home, and I loved the warm feeling it gave me.
Outside, the morning air was cool enough for a sweater and there was dew on the grass. A few fallen leaves lay scattered on the ground. There wasn’t much summer left and if I was going to make the most of it, I’d better hurry and drop off my work.
When I entered Darkmont’s dreary door again, I was glad of the choice I’d made at my crossroads for a whole other reason. Why did I ever think I wanted to go back in time and relive extra years of school? One time around was more than enough! I plopped my work on Ms. Dreeble’s desk.
“I must say, Cat, I see much better effort here.” Ms. Dreeble peered over her glasses at me. “I hope you understand one day that my being a mean teacher was for the best. You will be off to a good start in your advanced science class.”
I thought about some of the teachers in the olden days. “You’re not mean at all, not one tiny bit, not even a smidge,” I practically shouted. “Trust me!”
Ms. Dreeble took her glasses off and wiped them and I thought of the tall brave girl that had helped Alice protect the carousel. She sniffed and said, “Thank you, Cat.”
Most of my friends waited for me on the soccer field. Even Zach and Emily had shown up. They had no recollection of the dance tent we’d left them in. We planned to play soccer, then baseball, and then go swimming. There weren’t enough hours in the day to cram the whole summer into this last week before school reopened.
But first, there was something important I wanted to do. “I want to visit the Greystone sisters,” I said. “I need to thank Lucinda for her help.” Clive insisted on coming.
***
When I tapped the lions-head doorknocker, there was no answer, but I could hear laughter and Sookie’s voice in the backyard. She was giving the Greystone sisters gardening tips.
When we entered the side gate, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Lucinda and Alice appeared years younger. They were still old ladies, but the lines of worry had smoothed from their faces, and they moved about their garden with fresh ease. Their faces glowed with youthful energy.
“Welcome, Cat. I’m so glad you and Clive could drop by.” Alice smiled and I could see the brave, younger Alice in her face.
“We wanted to thank you for your help,” I said. “You probably don’t remember, but both of you helped me through a troubling time.”
“And if you hadn’t helped Cat, I’d have been a goner, killed by a banshee,” Clive burst out. “So if you need any grass cutting or window cleaning or anything, I’m on it.”
“My goodness.” Alice smiled. “We managed all that? You’d think we’d remember.”
I took Lucinda aside, and behind the flowering hydrangea bush, told her how the boy she’d felt so terrible about all these years, Gordie, had finally gone home to his family. She clutched my hand tightly and a single tear trailed down her cheek. Then we rejoined the others.
“It is us who must thank you,” said Lucinda. “You’ve succeeded in closing the fairy gate. It had been draining all my energy. I’ve never felt so well! I’m going to join an archeological dig. We’ve booked a trip to an island in Greece. We’ll fly on a plane like Amelia Earhart. Alice will be writing a book.”
“I’ve already got a publisher,” Alice’s eyes sparkled. “The book is about a girl archeologist on Mars.” She looked fondly at her sister.
“Hey,” I said. “I’d read that!”
“You did a good thing cutting the fairy magic off, Cat. I see that now.” Sookie hugged me, then stood beside Lucinda, who put her arm over Sookie’s shoulder. I had to smile myself at seeing Sookie out of her stupid witch’s hat and back into that ridiculous gardening hat, which I now recognized as the same straw hat Alice had loaned me all those years ago to cover my green hair.
Then something strange happened. Lucinda and Sookie shimmered in the morning light. I rubbed my eyes, but there was still a peculiar sheen about them until they stepped into the shade under the apple tree.
“Cat, come quick and see what we found!”
Jasper and Amarjeet leaned over the fence. They gestured for us to follow, but didn’t wait. Sookie rolled her eyes when Clive grabbed my hand. We made hurried goodbyes and rushed to catch up.
We ran to the bottom of Grim Hill. Amarjeet, who’d stayed ahead, pointed to the lowest branch of a tree. Tied to the branch was a dusty pink scarf that sparkled in the sunlight. Lea’s scarf!
Relief washed over Jasper’s face. “There she is!” he pointed.
Running toward us was Lea.
Her seventy years of fairy imprisonment were over. Our fairy friend was free at last.
That carousel had been some wild ride, not to mention that saving the town from menacing fairies had been our most dangerous adventure of all. I was glad I could finally have fun with my friends.
I stood back grinning as everyone gathered around Lea. In the sunlight, Sook
ie seemed to shimmer again, but when I blinked the peculiar light disappeared.
Maybe this time I could take my white feather, lock it away, and forget about fairies and magic for good.
Maybe …
Linda DeMeulemeester has worked in the fields of literacy and education for many years as a teacher and program adviser. She credits her grandmother, a natural storyteller who was born over a hundred years ago, for her love of mystery and suspense. Linda is a graduate of the Clarion West Workshop for writers of science fiction and fantasy, and her short stories have been published in several magazines. The Secret of Grim Hill was her first novel. Fans can connect with Linda at www.grimhill.com.
The Secret of Grim Hill
Book 1
ISBN 9780992092306 (ebook) 9780992092368 (pbk.)
Cat Peters just transferred to Darkmont High and is already desperate to get out. When she hears that Grimoire, the private school on the hill, is offering scholarships to the winners of a Halloween soccer match, Cat jumps at the chance. Her little sister, Sookie, and their bookworm neighbor, Jasper, try to tell her there’s something … just not right about the old school, and their worries are confirmed when they uncover a mystery about an entire soccer team that disappeared many years ago. Further investigation leads Cat to a book about ancient Celtic myth and fairy lore, and she soon realizes that there is something truly wicked at work inside the walls of Grimoire.
Grim Hill: The Secret Deepens
Book 2
ISBN 9780992092313(ebook) 9780992092375 (pbk.)
Sookie’s dabbling in magic unleashes a brutal winter and a strange sickness, and forces Cat to return to the last place she wants to go – Grim Hill!
Grim Hill: The Forgotten Secret
Book 3
ISBN 9780992092320 (ebook) 9780992092382 (pbk.)
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so it seems only natural that Cat’s friends, her sister, and even her soccer coaches have all been captivated by romance. But even romance has a sinister side in a town with Grim Hill at its center.
Grim Hill: The Family Secret
Book 4
ISBN 9780992092337 (ebook) 9780992092399 (pbk.)
When Cat and her friends take part in a student exchange to Sweden, Cat uncovers an old family secret about fairy fighters and an ancient battle with Scandinavian fairy folk.
Grim Hill: Forest of Secrets
Book 5
ISBN 9780992092344(ebook) 9780992165208 (pbk.)
In the most chilling “Grim Hill” book yet, Cat and her friends are in terrible danger. Sookie may be able to use her magic to save them, but is it worth the risk to bargain with the beings in Fairy?
NEWEST RELEASE
Grim Hill: Carnival of Secrets
Book 6
ISBN 9780992092351 (ebook) 9780992165215 (pbk.)
Cat has lost the things she holds dear. A sinister carnival holds her town in a thrall, and her sister has gone over to dark magic. Cat will do whatever it takes to set things right, even if that means setting out on the most dangerous adventure of all.
www.grimhill.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Reviews
title
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER 1 A Grim Reality
CHAPTER 2 Kept in the Dark
CHAPTER 3 Witch House?
CHAPTER 4 Fairy Time
CHAPTER 5 Lamas Fair
CHAPTER 6 A Creepy Carnival
CHAPTER 7 Magic and Mayhem
CHAPTER 8 A Perilous Plan
CHAPTER 9 A Witch’s Poppet
CHAPTER 10 A Treacherous Exchange
CHAPTER 11 A Wrathful Wind
CHAPTER 12 Widdershins
CHAPTER 13 A Calamitous Mistake
CHAPTER 14 A Horrifying Twist
CHAPTER 15 A Perilous Dilemma
CHAPTER 16 Trapped in Grim Times
CHAPTER 17 Deadly Circumstances
CHAPTER 18 A Grave Concern
CHAPTER 19 Away With the Fairies
CHAPTER 20 A Torturous Day
CHAPTER 21 A Haunting Memory
CHAPTER 22 The Raggedy Boy
CHAPTER 23 The Carnival’s Secret
CHAPTER 24 A Grave Plan
CHAPTER 25 A Ghastly Bargain
CHAPTER 26 A Deadly Shootout
CHAPTER 27 A Cruel Fate
CHAPTER 28 A Haunting Déjà Vu
CHAPTER 29 A Wicked Ride
CHAPTER 30 A Perilous Crossroads
CHAPTER 31 Happily Ever After?
About the Author
Discover the Entire Award Winning Series
Grim Hill: Carnival of Secrets Page 16