Chapter 36 #2
“We were already two more than I asked for,” Zephyr says. “While an entire army is fun and all, it’s cumbersome, noisy, and inefficient. Clark already knew something was up when we were messing with the cameras. His arrogant overconfidence was the only reason he died before he could kill Matty.”
A picture of Clark standing over me with his gun pointed in my face flashes before my eyes, and chills break out over my body.
I can still feel the weight of the gun in my hand.
The phantom recoil makes me rock on my feet.
It’s followed by the memory of what his blood spraying all over me felt like, and my stomach rolls.
I’m not cut out for murder.
“Come on,” Paisley says. “Get out of here. Time for Moll and me to have some alone time before Uncle Rome and Triton arrive at the end of the week.”
“And it’s cold out,” Moll says. “I’m looking forward to locking up all the doors and hunkering down in front of the fire.”
Our luggage is already downstairs in the grand foyer waiting for us. My anticipation makes me jittery. There’s a trail of silent dead following our path as we head downstairs. Quietly, we bundle up and head for the door, but I pause to look at the dead.
Besides the couple times on the docks at Chokecherry, I don’t like to talk directly to the dead. But Mrs. Callendale watches me with sadness. Gabriella, little Madeline, and even littler George, Martha, Mason, Patrick… so many faces I’ve seen a lot over the almost three years.
“Are you stuck here?” I ask.
I think I’ve startled them as the lot of dead stare at me with surprise.
“No, lad,” Mrs. Callendale says. “This is our home.”
“Well, if you’d like to come with me, you can. But you need to respect my boundaries. It’s okay if you don’t want to leave. You can also visit if you want,” I say awkwardly. I can feel my boyfriends, Paisley, and Moll all watching me.
Madeline grins widely and runs to me. I swear, I feel the weight of her small body run into mine as she wraps her arms around my thighs to hug me. “Will you visit?” she asks.
I nod, awkwardly trying to pat her head that’s not really there. I hope my hand isn’t going through it. “Yeah, Madeline. I’ll visit.”
“I’ll go with you,” Gabriella says. She glances around the room before slipping out of the house. No doubt she wants to get away from Dorien.
“I’m coming too,” Mason says, and I smile. He pauses to kiss Mrs. Callendale’s cheek. “Not forever, but for a while.”
“I must stay,” Mrs. Callendale says. “You take care of Matty. Keep safe.”
I try not to get teary when Mrs. Callendale hugs me. I don’t feel it. Not in the same way I felt Madeline’s hug or the way I can usually feel Mrs. Callendale’s hand on my arm or shoulder. I don’t feel her at all. Not even a cold spot.
With a wave, I turn around. Gabriella and Mason are waiting amid my boyfriends and the girls. Liam takes my hand and kisses my cheek. I have a backpack on and a small carry-on with my new laptop and camera. Zephyr, Darwin, and Liam have the four big suitcases among them.
“So…” Paisley says as we load into two side-by-sides. She eyes us all, but more specifically, the empty spots. “Did some of the ghosts decide to come with you?”
I grin. “Yes. Gabriella is harassed by a dead man here. And Mason…” I look at Mason. He smiles. “He’s my friend.”
“One of the ghostly girls is harassed by a man even in death?” Moll asks.
“Yep. He’s a jerk and literally chases her around the castle.”
“What’s his name?”
“Dorien,” I answer.
“Dorien Charleton,” Mason says.
“Oh. Like Clark Charleton?” I ask.
Mason shrugs.
“We can’t hear both sides, Matty,” Liam reminds me.
“Sorry. Dorien’s last name is Charleton.
Mason just told me. I didn’t know. Also, Vivienne is still at the castle.
She’s one of the people who died on Chokecherry.
She hasn’t said where she’s actually from, but I’m guessing she’s one of the prisoners that Clark stole and tortured before killing her.
Be nice to her,” I tell Paisley and Moll.
The girls exchange a look.
“We will,” Moll assures me. “And we’ll see what we can do to turn the tables on Dorien.”
“Can she do that?” Gabriella asks with wide eyes.
I shrug.
The engines of the side-by-sides are super loud, so they put an end to the conversation. I stare around Dark Island, remembering how enchanted I’d been when Liam first drove us up to the castle. It was during the blossoming months of spring. I felt like I was stepping into a fairy tale.
I think the idea still fits. After all, the original fairy tales that the watered-down ones are based on were dark. Not all had happy endings.
The shadow of the castle looms over us as we drive away, and I take a breath of the cold air. Some fairy tales do have happy endings. I snuggle in between Darwin and Liam with a smile.