“Maybe the paintings and writings and so forth are just clues, something that can help us help them.”
She shook her head. “First of all, where does all the artwork and writing go? And second, how could a moonlight concerto be a clue to anything?”
“You’re right. The piano doesn’t make sense. Maybe Victoria just likes to use me for recreation. I mean, they must be bored to death…no pun intended. But maybe the others are leaving clues for us.”
“Leaving them where? Have you ever actually seen any of the paintings or writings?”
“No.”
“So…”
“So maybe the school officials are grabbing them, and they have to try again.”
“You’ve got an answer for everything, don’t you?” Pam asked.
“I wish.”
We talked about every theory that came to mind, but in the end, we still made sense of none of it. Finally, when the yawns began coming faster than any brilliant ideas, we settled in for what we hoped would be an uninterrupted night of sleep.
Chapter 13
Morning came quicker than I thought. I woke up to a kiss from Hunter’s glorious lips.
“Mmm,” he said when he finally pulled away. “That’s what I call the breakfast of champions.”
I smiled; I could never get enough of his sweet kisses. Groggily, I sat up. “What time is it?”
“Later than you think,” he said, pointing at the clock.
“Crap! I’m late for class.”
“It’s Saturday.”
I chuckled. “Oh my gosh. I’m sorry. I didn’t get much sleep…again.”
“Bad dreams?”
“Yeah. I was freaking Mozart all freaking night long.”
“You know what you need?”
I raised a brow. “What?”
“Some of Rita’s famous, to die-for pancakes.”
“But I missed breakfast.”
He winked. “I’m sure I can talk Rita into whipping some up for you.”
“And how do you intend to do that?” I asked, crossing my arms and looking at him suspiciously.
“All I need is my trademark charm,” he said.
I smiled, knowing just how true it was. “You always take such good care of me.”
He grinned. “Do you want strawberry, blueberry, or chocolate chip?”
“You make me feel so special.”
“That’s because you are special, Zoey. You’re the most special person in my life.”
I touched his face. “I feel the same about you. I don’t know what I’ve ever done to deserve you.”
He smiled, then stared into my eyes. “So?”
I was lost in those blue, mesmerizing eyes. “Sorry, but what?”
“What kind of pancakes?”
“Oh. Uh, I’ll take chocolate chip. I’m the biggest chocolate junkie ever.”
“Me too.”
“You’re the best,” I said.
“Yeah, I know,” he said, winking. “I’ll meet you downstairs in about thirty minutes.”
“I’ll be right down, as soon as I make myself presentable.”
“You’re beautiful just the way you are.”
I grinned. “You’re only saying that because love is blind,” I said.
He smiled, kissed my lips again, then left and shut the door behind him.
I lay back down on my side. Pancakes sounded good, but so did going back to sleep. I could hardly keep my eyes open. When my stomach rumbled, I realized I had no choice but to head downstairs for Rita’s homemade goodies.
I turned to see what time it was, and I instantly gasped. There, in bed next to me, was a man with a deteriorated face. My breath caught in my throat as I stared into his white, milky eyes, and my heart began to pound so hard that I feared it might explode. I scrambled out of bed and knocked over my bedside table as I tried to frantically escape the nightmare.
When I was a few feet away, I blinked and looked at my bed again. This time, I saw nothing. “No way,” I muttered. I knew I couldn’t blame it on my imagination, for I could never make up such a wretched creature in my head.
I slowly spun around. Even though I didn’t see the thing on my bed anymore, I sensed that I was not alone. The temperature dropped significantly, and I shivered and pulled my robe tightly around me, trying to protect my body from the chill. My breath came out in a frosty mist.
“Get out of my room!” I shouted.
The only answer was an eerie silence.
“I know you’re here. Now go!”
Suddenly, as if someone had given the radiator a firm kick, the temperature returned to normal, and the presence vanished from the room. It was absolutely horrifying that they were coming into my room, lying next to me in bed. Even worse, I had the feeling that it was evil; it felt different than what I had felt when I’d seen Isabella in the basement.
Part of me wanted to leave, to run as fast and as far as I could, but another part wanted to stand my ground. I decided not to let the thing chase me out of my room, not to let it see how scared I really was. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then got dressed, not bothered by any more paranormal activity.
Chapter 14
After devouring a skyscraper-sized stack of the most delicious pancakes in the world, Hunter and I went to the library to work on our homework and a daunting research project; I preferred to get it done on Saturday rather than having to deal with it on Sunday.
I was just putting the final touches on my paper when I noticed that Hunter hadn’t come back. When I glanced up, I saw him sitting in an overstuffed chair in a cozy corner, reading.
When I approached, he grinned.
“Hey, what are you reading?”
He pulled me into his lap. “This one just sort of caught my eye,” he said, closing it so I could see the cover.
“Traveling Around the World? Really?”
“Yeah. I couldn’t resist…and it’s giving me ideas.”
“Ideas?”
“Yup.”
“What kind of ideas?”
“Oh, just a little fantasy vacation with my dream girl.”
“Wow. She must really be special,” I said, grinning.
“She is,” he said. He began flipping through the pages. “Now, where would you like to go? I’ve always dreamt of going on an African safari. It’s the only place on Earth where you can see the big five.”
“The big five?”
“Yeah. There’s the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros.”
“So your dream is to see me in one of those khaki safari hats?”
“You’d look adorable,” he said, “and I look great in camo.”
“Hunter, you look great in everything,” I said, smiling at him. “Imagine us, riding in a Land Rover.” I pointed to the left. “Look! There’s an elephant.”
“And there’s a lion over there,” he said, pointing to the right.
“And straight ahead is a beautiful African sunset.”
I sighed. “It would be so beautiful.” I trailed my fingers through his hair, then peppered his face with sweet kisses. My stomach fluttered as he thrust his tongue deeper in my mouth and we shared a long, intimate kiss. “Mmm. That was beautiful,” I said. “I love kissing you.”
“The feeling’s mutual. You’re the most amazing kisser,” he said.
I blushed. “Thanks.”
“Where would you like to go, Zoey?”
I flipped through the pages and stopped when I spotted a stunning photograph of the Eiffel Tower. “Here.”
“Paris? I thought you’d say Italy for sure.”
“Italy is definitely on the itinerary, but the City of Love is first. I wanna check out all those museums and shops and eat in the little bistros and cafés.”
“Then Paris will be our second stop.”
“Imagine it, nighttime, sitting on a blanket on the grass in front of the Tower. I’d feed you crackers and cheese from our picnic basket. The Tower would be all lit
up, the most breathtaking, most—”
“Most romantic sight ever,” he cut in.
“They say Paris is for lovers.”
He captured my lips in another mind-blowing kiss, and I had a feeling that no matter where we went, we wouldn’t have time for much sightseeing. Nevertheless, we spent the next hour going over every stop on our dream vacation, pretending like little kids, our imaginations on overdrive as we shared our fantasies and dreams. We had the best time just being together, laughing, and letting our minds whisk us away to the other side of the globe, far from that haunted castle.
Later, when we took a walk outside, I told Hunter about the ghoul in my bed.
“What!?” he said, livid. “Why didn’t you mention this before?”
“It didn’t hurt me,” I assured him.
“That’s not the point. It’s messing with you, scaring you, and that pisses me off.” He stopped and looked around. “Don’t mess with Zoey, you hear me?” he said, shaking his fists in the air. “If you wanna pick on somebody, try bothering me, but leave her alone.”
“Don’t, Hunter,” I pleaded.
“Why? I’m sick of them messing with you.”
“Listen,” I said softly, “you shouldn’t egg them on. I don’t need you to be Superman. I just need you to be there.”
“I get it,” he said.
“I don’t want to make things worse. They mess with us, but they haven’t hurt anyone yet. If you make them feel threatened, they might…well, who knows?”
“You know, if it weren’t for you, I would’ve been long gone.”
I kissed his hand. “I know. Me too.”
Chapter 15
Shantal and I were studying in her room when my phone beeped with an incoming text message. “It’s Hunter,” I said, peering down at it.
“He’s more than welcome to join us,” she said.
“He wants me to meet him by the castle gates.”
“Hmm. I wonder what he has planned.”
I shut my algebra book. “When it comes to Hunter, I never know. He’s always full of surprises, and he’s kinda romantic.”
“Lucky girl,” she said. “We’ll catch up later.”
“Thanks for the study session.”
“Anytime.”
I waved goodbye and turned to leave.
***
Back in my room, I dropped off my books, then put a thick turtleneck sweater on because it was really chilly outside. I slipped into my coat, then put on my hat and gloves.
When I walked up the driveway, I saw Hunter standing beside a red tandem bicycle with a picnic basket packed snugly in the metal basket on the front of the bike.
I grinned. “You know it’s not summertime, right?”
“So? The ground is dry, and there’s no snow. We’ll be fine. Besides, I brought hot chocolate in the Thermos.”
“Well, I’m bundled up pretty good anyway.”
He shot me his beautiful white smile. “Good. Ready to ride a bicycle built for two?”
I chuckled. “It looks like a blast. Where did you get it though?”
“I’ve got connections,” he said smugly.
“So mysterious. Did one of your connections pack our lunch?”
“Why, yes they did.”
“Are these things hard to ride?” I asked, patting one of the seats.
“I take it you’ve never been on one before.”
I laughed. “No. How does it work?”
“We just pedal together. We shouldn’t have any problem with that.”
“Won’t we get in trouble for leaving?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got permission to go a little way, but then we’ll have to turn around and come back.”
He straddled the bike, holding it up for me to get on it. He also held the brakes so the bike didn’t roll.
I climbed behind him, stood over the frame, and eased down onto the seat.
“You’re my tail-gunner. Just leave the steering to me. Your job is to pedal, rub my back, read the map, sing songs, and take pictures.”
I chuckled. “Okay, I can handle that. I guess it’s like dancing. Somebody has to lead.”
“True, but it’s still a team sport. It’s important that we work together.”
“Are you sure you can balance both of us?”
“Like a pro.”
“Where are my brakes?” I asked.
“You don’t need ‘em. Leave that up to me too,” he said confidently.
I placed both feet on the pedals and held on to the handlebars that jutted out beside his hips. Really, it was just like any other bike, only I had no way to steer or stop.
“All set?”
“Ready, Captain.”
“Start pedaling,” he said.
We took off, wobbling down the street. It didn’t take long for us to get in sync, and I started picking up the rhythm. I couldn’t believe we were actually riding the thing. It was so thrilling that my heart skipped a beat. I pedaled along happily, enjoying bicycling in a whole new, different way. I soaked in the beautiful Scottish scenery while Hunter and I worked as a team, operating in perfect harmony.
He glanced over his shoulder. “Well? You okay back there?”
I grinned from ear to ear. “This is awesome!” I shouted.
“Better than the motorcycle?”
“It’s fun in a different way.”
“Tandem adventure at its finest.”
For me, it was a symbolic ride. I loved being out there with Hunter, sharing such a wonderful adventure, creating memories I knew I’d never forget. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I wasn’t the type of girl who liked to depend on anyone, but once I finally let go of my inner control freak and just trusted him, I began to enjoy myself. I had always been so independent, but at the castle, I was learning to become a team player.
I screamed in delight as the wind whooshed across my face. What was really cool was that I could push against Hunter’s pedal stroke to let him know if I wanted to slow down or go faster. We barely said a word but I felt just as connected as if we were having an intimate conversation.
Hunter glanced over his shoulder again. “Ready to take this hill?”
“Yep!” I declared, sounding victorious.
Hunter smoothly shifted gears. We pushed hard, and our synchronized effort paid off as the bike gracefully took the hill, making a clickety-clack noise like a rollercoaster. Huffing and puffing, I pedaled hard, trying to pull my own weight; I felt like a salmon swimming upstream, but I didn’t want to leave Hunter to do all the work. I couldn’t have done it by myself, but we made a powerful team.
“Now for the fun part,” Hunter said as we started to descend the other side. “Hang on!”
The thrilling descent turned into a sixty-mile-an-hour joyride. I couldn’t believe we were going so fast, and it was a bit terrifying. As exhilarating as it was, for a moment, I feared I might actually suffer cardiac arrest. Confident that I wouldn’t fly off the bike, I threw my hands up in the air. We charged down at lightning speed, and I loved the feel of the wind against my cheeks. The sound of the wheels spinning at that high speed was something I’d never forget. I’m alive, I’m breathing, and I’ve never been so happy!
When we got to the bottom, Hunter steered us into a meadow. He dismounted from the bike, laid out a blanket, and pulled out his picnic basket full of goodies. He unwrapped wine glasses from large cloth napkins, then pulled out a chilled bottle and a bouquet of flowers. “A very special picnic for the most special person in my life.”
“Hunter, this is so sweet, and you were right. It’s really not that cold out,” I said, though I was certain that he was at least partly responsible for the warmth I felt.
“Do you want hot chocolate or cider?” he asked.
“We’ve got to use the wine glasses,” I said. “So cider.”
“If you start to get cold, let me know. I can pull out the hot chocolate.”
“Okay.”
He poured some sparkli
ng cider into my wine glass. “Let’s make a toast.”
“To us!” I said.
He smiled. “To us.”
We clinked glasses and enjoyed our romantic picnic, far away from everyone, in the Scottish countryside. We stared into each other’s eyes, and no words were needed.
I reached in and pulled out a plate of cheese and crackers. There was even a little vegetable tray with carrots, celery, broccoli, and ranch dipping sauce. The sandwiches were even cut into heart shapes.
“How’d your connection manage that?” I asked. “Tell me you didn’t take scissors to our sandwiches.”
He laughed. “Nope. Rita has a cookie cutter.”
“This is the sweetest, Hunter,” I said. “Thank you.”
He looked around and tapped his chin in thought. “Something’s missing, don’t you think?” he said.
“What?” I asked, curious about what he was up to.
“Ambiance.” He then pulled out his iPhone and summoned some romantic tunes from his playlist.
I smiled. “Perfect. You know, you’re really quite the Romeo, the most romantic guy I know.”
“Got it from my dad. I think that’s the only reason Mom has stayed with him. He’s always working, nonstop, but when he comes home, he really turns the charm on. He does the craziest, most romantic stuff for my mother. I guess a little of that rubbed off on me.”
“I’d say a lot of it rubbed off on you.”
“Well, not the workaholic part. When I finally settle down and get married, I’m never gonna leave my family. I’ll be the best husband, and my children will never resent me.”
I bit into a crisp celery stick. “I’m sure you’ll be a great father and husband.”
“I hope so. I always had to ask my dad when he’d be home. I don’t wanna do that to my kids. I don’t know how he can stand being away from his wife and us so much. He works 100 hours a week sometimes, and it really hurts that he puts his job before us most of the time.”
“I can imagine.”
“I’ve never felt good enough,” he said, stacking his cracker with cheese. “Maybe that’s why I acted out, because I was desperately trying to get his attention.”
“Every son wants his dad’s approval.”
“My dad and I have a broken relationship. Sometimes, I doubt it will ever be fixed. I was never close to him, and I always had to make excuses why he wasn’t at my school plays or baseball games. I felt the pain and misery of his neglect, and I never had anyone to share my joy or pain with.”
Enchanted Dreams - Book 3 (The Enchanted Castle Series) Page 8