“Darcy said that Mrs. Porter called the woods on her property that,” Cass said.
“That’s from the Chronicles of Narnia,” Matthew said.
Cass’s eyebrow rose, and her stomach churned slightly at the memory of the book she’d seen in his back pocket that day, the same book he was reading in her dream. “Oh?” she managed to say, swallowing.
“Yeah. In The Magician’s Nephew. The sixth book written but chronologically the first. The wood is filled with ponds, and each of the ponds is a portal to another world,” Matthew explained.
“Like the warren?” Lily asked.
“Could be,” Cass said. “When was that book published?”
“Sometime in the 1950s. 1955, maybe?” Matthew answered.
Cass’s skin tingled. “That’s the year Mrs. Porter died.”
Matthew let out a long exhalation. “Now that’s what I call a creepy coincidence.”
Cass frowned. She’d long ago lost her ability to believe in coincidences. But by the same token, she seriously doubted that Mrs. Porter and C.S. Lewis had been acquainted. Unless they somehow ran into each other at the 1939 World’s Fair, she thought wryly.
“Maybe there’s more than one wood like this one,” Lily suggested. “Mr. McCarthy said there’s one in Washington, too, right? Maybe there was one where Mr. Lewis lived, too.”
“He may have at least heard legends about it, even if he never encountered it himself,” Cass said, nodding slowly.
“Actually”—Matthew pulled his phone out of his pocket as he spoke, tapping a quick search into the browser—“now that you mention it, I remember reading a while ago that Lewis was inspired by another fantasy author. Here it is. William Morris. He wrote a book called The Wood Beyond the Worlds in 1894. I bet if we did some more digging, we’d find that the name’s been passed down through folklore a lot longer than that, even. People have been seeing fae for thousands of years. They had to have known about these special woods, too.”
“And it all boils down to the same thing—the portal, or the warren, whatever it is,” Cass said. “The opening in the veil. That must be what makes the woods… the way they are.” Dripping with fae and other magical nuisances. She remembered the way she’d been pixy-led her first night in Riddle and shuddered. Powerful enough to overwhelm even a seasoned pro like Cass.
“Are you guys talking about Mrs. Porter?” a voice over Cass’s shoulder asked. Cass jumped and turned. Darcy had returned from her break and was standing right behind her. She’d been so wrapped up in Matthew’s theory, she hadn’t even noticed.
“Um, no,” Cass said quickly.
“Wait,” Darcy said, looking from Cass to Matthew to Lily. “Are you saying it’s true?”
“I didn’t say that—”
“It’s true,” Lily said eagerly.
Cass whirled on the girl. “Lily!” she hissed.
“It’s fine! You can trust Ms. Hudson,” Lily whispered back, tapping the side of her head.
Cass squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. Did Lily not listen to a word she said?
But it was too late. Darcy had pulled out the chair beside Cass and sunk into it. “Wow. I knew there was something weird about that place! So all that stuff about the woods and the veil, it’s really real?”
Cass hesitated. How would Darcy react to this? Would she be like Emma, or… Jeremy? Every fiber of her being resisted just blurting this out, but Lily had left her boxed in a corner, and now she couldn’t see a way out of it. She was just going to have to take the plunge.
“It’s real,” she said, trying not to wince as the words left her mouth.
Darcy’s grin grew wide, revealing the gap between her front teeth. “Oh, my gosh! Seriously? That’s amazing! So, can you guys all see the faeries? Is it cool? Or is it scary? Oh, Cass, does that mean your house really is haunted?”
Cass paused a moment before answering, her brain frantically trying to keep up. Darcy didn’t think she was crazy. It made Cass shaky with relief, though she knew it would take a while for her mind to process that she now had two friends—and she realized then that, yes, she did consider Darcy her friend, not just her coworker—who believed her about her Sight.
Well, two friends and Matthew. Whatever Matthew was. A friend, right? Yes, a friend. Keep him in that friend zone, Cass.
“I’m not sure,” she answered finally. “I can’t see… you know, ghosts. Or spirits, or whatever. Only fae.”
“Ah, okay,” Darcy said. “Do you think maybe some people can see one but not the other? That would explain why there are so many ghost hunter shows but not as many faery hunter shows.”
“Probably,” Cass said numbly.
“But Mrs. Porter seemed to see both. Do you think maybe she had extra powers? Is that a thing that happens? Having more than one power?”
Cass squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, yes. It definitely was a thing.
“That seems logical,” Matthew agreed. “Just from skimming this interview, it does seem that her Sight was genuine. I don’t see any reason to doubt it.”
Great. A fae infestation and a haunted house, and Cass could only verify one of them. Just what she needed.
“Listen, the ghost thing isn’t important right now,” she interrupted. “What matters is this warren. If there is one on my property, I want to know where it is.”
Darcy let out a small gasp. “That’s right! You own the house now, and you can see the faeries. That must mean you’re the new Chatelaine!”
Cass felt her teeth grinding of their own accord. That was the last connection she wanted Darcy to make. It just reinforced the obligation that Aunt Alexandra had left her without her consent.
“What’s a chatelaine?” Lily asked curiously.
“It’s like a caretaker,” Matthew explained. “The Paine family were the original caretakers of the Foreston warren. When the Estate became a museum, the museum docents sort of took it on. They watch over the warren and keep it safe.”
“Right,” Cass said, pouncing on the opportunity to turn the conversation back in the direction of the warren. “And if I’m supposed to keep it safe, I need to know what it is and where it is. Lily, did Green tell you where the warren is?”
Lily shook her head.
“Well, how are you supposed to stay away from it if you don’t know what or where it is?”
“He said I’d know it if I saw it. And if I saw it, I should go away from it.”
Cass squeezed her eyes closed in exasperation. Of course he had. And of course he wouldn’t give Cass a straight answer about it if she asked, either. He found Cass’s troubles far too amusing to offer help, and he seemed incapable of being direct in any conversation. What was the use of a fae who spoke English, anyway? He was barely better than the rest of them. Just more of an annoyance.
“If you need help searching your property, maybe I could help,” Matthew suggested. “I don’t have the Sight, but I’ve seen the one in Foreston. Maybe I would recognize your warren if I saw it. We could look this weekend. I’m free all day Saturday.”
Cass hesitated, but she couldn’t help but see the logic in his suggestion. Still, all day alone in the woods with Matthew…
Friend zone, Cass, friend zone!
She turned to Darcy. “What about you? Do you want to come along?” she asked. But she knew it was a no-go the second her eyes met Darcy’s and she saw her friend’s sly expression.
“Sorry, Cass, I can’t make it. I have to take my mom to a doctor’s appointment in Roseburg.”
A doctor’s appointment on Saturday? Cass was so sure. But she could tell by the grin on Darcy’s face that no matter what day she suggested, Darcy’s curiosity about the fae would be outweighed by her meddlesome need to try to push Cass and Matthew together.
“Can I come?” Lily asked.
“Absolutely not,” Cass said. “Do you not remember what Green said to you?”
“But why do you get to go, then?” Lily asked, her mouth turning down in a pout.
Lily folded her arms and slumped down in her chair. Cass leaned over and nudged her. “Besides, I thought you were going to Wildlife Safari with Amelia on Saturday,” Cass reminded her.
That made Lily brighten a bit. The girl hadn’t been able to shut up about how much fun she’d had with Amelia after the fair. And Cass’s day off on Monday had been uncharacteristically quiet, since Amelia and her mom had accompanied Lily after school to the pet store in Myrtle Creek to get a tank and supplies for her new goldfish. Cass was still a little nervous, especially considering Lily’s overly trusting nature, but Amelia seemed to be a good friend for her to have.
“My property is pretty big,” Cass said, turning back to Matthew. “Are you sure you’re up for it? It’s about a hundred acres of overgrown trails and wooded property.”
“Sounds like an adventure,” Matthew said cheerfully. “I’ll bring lunch. And I’ll also bring Tucker. We can tell him he’s there to guard us and then make fun of him behind his back when he spends the whole day barking at the sky and cowering at his own shadow.”
Cass felt her mouth turn up in spite of herself. “You’re so mean to that dog.”
Matthew laughed. “You’ll see how you feel after a full day of his shenanigans.”
Cass snorted and said, “All right. We’ll look for the warren on Saturday, then.”
“And you’ll be sure to text me any important updates,” Darcy added, her voice laden with meaning.
“Sure thing,” Cass said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. It didn’t matter what Darcy thought was going to happen on Saturday. Matthew would not be leaving the friend zone. They’d find the warren, Cass would hopefully get to the bottom of what her nightmare was trying to warn her about, Matthew and Tucker would go home, and everything would be fine.
Everything would be fine.
Saturday morning was gray and cold. Cass wrapped herself in a blanket as she went downstairs. Even though it was still stuffy in the upstairs bedroom—especially since Cass refused to open the screenless windows—she’d noticed that it was starting to get chilly in other parts of the house in the early hours of the day, and today was possibly the chilliest yet. She shuffled around the kitchen in her sock feet to assemble her breakfast of Cheerios and coffee. Her stomach was tied in too many knots to get down more than a few bites, though. She told herself she was just nervous about looking for the warren today, but she knew that that was only half of it.
The smaller half, to be honest.
After dumping the soggy bowl of Cheerios into the sink, she checked the weather forecast on her phone. It was supposed to warm up in the afternoon, but stay in the fifties and low sixties for most of the morning. She decided dressing in layers would be best. By nine o’clock, after checking her hair and makeup for the seven hundredth time (even though she told herself after every check that it didn’t matter how she looked, this was not a date, and she should not be worrying about whether Matthew found her attractive or not, she was supposed to be keeping him in the friend zone), she decided she’d had enough of sitting inside fidgeting. She’d go sit on the front porch. That way they could jump right into the search as soon as Matthew and Tucker arrived.
There was a wooden bench on the wraparound porch, and Cass sank into it, watching for the sight of Matthew’s vehicle on the driveway. The air was brisker than she’d expected, considering how hot it had been last week. She rubbed her hands over her arms in her cardigan, trying not to shiver and wondering if she should go inside and find something heavier to put over the sweater.
Before she could move, though, she heard a high, reedy voice ask, “What are you up to?”
Cass looked up with a start to find Green perched on the porch railing, swinging his little legs back and forth casually. Now he shows up? she thought in mild annoyance. She hadn’t seen him for a few days; he seemed to disappear periodically, and it was hard to predict his comings and goings. She considered not answering his question, since she was sure he already knew anyway. But there was always the chance that he might decide to be uncharacteristically helpful today. So finally she answered, “Matthew and I are going to look for the warren today.”
Green’s mouth was pulled up into a crooked smile. “Is that so?”
Cass looked at him in surprise. That wasn’t the reaction she’d expected. “Aren’t you going to try to talk me out of it?” she asked.
Green considered her for a moment. “Do you want me to?”
Cass sighed. Elusive as always. She didn’t know why she’d even entertained the notion that he might for once actually be forthcoming. “You told Lily not to go near it,” she pointed out.
“That’s true,” he agreed. “But that’s because I know things you don’t know.”
Cass wasn’t sure if it was his words or the way he said them, but a wave of goosebumps rippled across her skin. And what exactly does he know that he’s not letting on?
Aloud, she merely said, “That sounds a little… sinister.”
“It’s not meant to sound one way or the other,” he replied, his legs still swinging. “It’s just true. If you take the truth to be sinister, maybe the problem is on your end.”
Cass closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Keep your temper. “Well, then,” she said, “if you don’t think I should stop, why don’t you give me directions so I know where to go?”
“I can’t do that,” Green said.
“Why not?” Cass asked in frustration.
“I just told you,” Green replied, seeming affronted.
“Why do you enjoy being so obtuse?” Cass snapped. So much for keeping her temper. “Why don’t you ever just answer me straight?”
Green shrugged. “Because I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Green didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be thinking this through as if it were a puzzle. “What’s the difference?” he asked eventually.
Cass rolled her eyes. He was being deliberately evasive, she was sure of it. She decided to change tack.
“Why is this thing so hard to find, anyway?” she asked. “Matthew made it sound like everyone in town knows where the warren in Foreston is. It’s practically a tourist attraction. But I can’t find a single hint as to what or where the warren here is.”
Green snorted. It sounded like a sneezing chipmunk. “The hollow tree fae have grown too comfortable. The humans have sworn to protect their warren. They’re safe, and it’s made them lazy.” He narrowed his eyes at Cass and added, “But these woods are anything but safe.”
Cass felt her skin crawling once more. His words were loaded, full of meaning, but she couldn’t guess what that meaning was. Not safe for whom? And not safe from what?
“What do you mean by that?” she asked quietly.
Green got to his feet, brushing off his knobbly knees with his spindly hands. “What a stupid question,” he said. “You know what I mean.”
“No, seriously,” Cass said, but her words were interrupted by the far-off sound of a dog barking. She turned her head just in time to see Matthew’s silver pickup pulling into her driveway. When she turned back to Green, the fae had disappeared. She let out a groan. As always, her interrogation tactics had left her with nothing. Whatever she and Matthew were going to find today, it looked like they were on their own.
Tucker’s barking grew louder until Matthew had parked behind Cass’s sedan and shut his truck off. Then, through the glass of the windshield, translucent behind the reflection of pine branches overhead, she saw the dog’s silhouette jumping around the cab of the truck, in and out of Matthew’s lap as he attached a leash to his collar. Cass couldn’t help but smile as the haggard-looking Matthew finally emerged from the truck, Tucker’s leash in hand. The Doberman was wearing a doggy coat made of red plaid flannel. Combined with his soft floppy ears and his doofy expression, Cass found herself wondering how anyo
ne could consider a dog like Tucker threatening. Did cropping their ears make them seem more intimidating? Or were they all just big idiots whose owners thought they could trick the world by altering their natural cuddly ears?
“You look worn out already,” Cass commented, coming down the front steps to greet Matthew.
“This knucklehead will do that to you,” Matthew said, adjusting the straps on the hiking backpack he’d slung over his shoulders. “He usually isn’t that bad in the car, actually, but when he sees a pedestrian he tends to go a little bananas. And, unfortunately, your neighbor across the way was doing work in her yard.”
Cass tried not to wince. So Connie had seen Matthew arrive, then. It would be all over town by the end of the day.
“Do you want to come inside for some coffee?” Cass offered. She’d finally restocked the pantry with some fresher grounds and the fridge with a variety of flavors of Coffee mate, so now she could actually be a decent hostess. Not that she’d had any visitors besides Lily thus far, but still.
“That would be great,” Matthew said.
Cass led Matthew and Tucker up the steps but paused before opening the door. “How is he with cats?” she asked.
“Terrified,” Matthew replied.
“It’s just that my aunt…” She trailed off. Was Onyx her cat now? She supposed he was, for the time being at least. He had started sleeping on her bed after just a couple days of her being there, although he never stayed through the night—he usually got a wild burst of energy around three A.M. and she could sometimes hear him running up and down the stairs yodeling at the ceiling. “That is, I have a cat,” she finished.
“He’ll be fine,” Matthew assured her. “He’ll probably fall over in a heap like a fainting goat at the sight of it.”
Cass chuckled at that visual and opened the door, leading Matthew through the maze of rooms back to the kitchen. Once there, she gestured for him to sit at the round wooden table in the breakfast nook while she poured coffee into a plain white mug, the only one in Aunt Alexandra’s collection that wasn’t covered in illustrated flowers, puppies or kittens. He took a little bit of sugar but no cream.
Alexandra's Riddle (Northwest Magic Book 1) Page 12