Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
SELENE
After the castle…incident, I’d told myself I could continue to keep working as normal.
But my thoughts spiraled, and Bren’s notion of the castle being aware, compounded by the hum beneath my feet, unhinged me.
It was pointless to remain at work when I couldn’t focus, and I ended up leaving early for the day.
My thoughts continued to circle as I drove home, and I reconsidered the very fabric of reality. As impossible as it seemed, might the castle have been touched by magic or something similar?
My logical side responded with a firm no.
I considered calling Maeve for her opinion, but she wouldn’t know anything other than her gran’s stories.
Yes, I knew people spoke about odd occurrences and things such as fairies in Ireland. It was fun to talk about and pretend, but when that shit became real…
How did one process that? Now that I was away from Mystwood Castle, I wondered if I’d hit my head and was misremembering. That made a lot more sense, but…
The moment I stepped inside my temporary home, the air felt lighter, making it easier to fill my lungs.
The faint pressure inside me that I’d carried home after my experience in the great hall still lingered somewhere behind my ribs, but it had lessened, like the echo of a sound that had already faded.
I closed the door behind me, dropped my purse and coat on a chair, and stood there a moment and listened. There was no humming from the structure. No shifting of air. Just the steady rhythm of a knife tapping against a cutting board in the kitchen.
I exhaled slowly and followed the sound.
Nora stood at the counter with her back to me, sleeves rolled neatly to her elbows as she chopped carrots with quick, efficient strokes. A pot simmered on the stove beside her, filling the room with the comforting smell of onions and thyme.
I’d never been so happy to find myself in a calm room filled with normalcy.
The short, sturdy keeper didn’t turn around as she spoke in a mild voice. “You’re home early, hun.”
I released a slow sigh, struggling with how to broach the subject swirling in my head like a tornado. “The day…changed direction.”
She responded in a conversational tone. “Did it now?”
When I didn’t immediately reply, her knife stilled. She glanced over her shoulder, studying my face with quiet focus. Then she turned fully. “You look like someone who’s seen something she didn’t expect.”
I leaned against the edge of the counter. From the moment I met her, Nora had subtly poked and tested me in ways I didn’t completely understand with her odd questions. Now it was my turn. “Do you ever experience earthquakes around here?”
A quick flash of understanding in her sharp blue eyes set me on edge. “Never.” She set down the knife and strode closer, speaking in a low voice. “Did you feel something? At the castle?”
I paused, wondering how much detail I could give her before she thought I was crazy or joking. “I thought I felt a slight tremor earlier today, but Bren said it was nothing.”
She nodded slowly, and I could tell she didn’t believe my simple answer. I didn’t either.
I shifted my weight and pinned her with a direct gaze, studying her intently so I wouldn’t miss even the slightest reaction from her. “The tremor wasn’t small. It happened when I was standing over the inlay, right after I raised my voice at Bren.”
Nora raised her brows as though I’d shocked her.
I internally chided myself, thinking how childish that made me sound. “He’s not the easiest man to work with, and I didn’t yell, but I made it clear I wasn’t happy. Almost immediately, the floor shook. And it wasn’t caused by the castle being structurally unsound.”
She leaned closer. “Are you certain it wasn’t just the building settling?”
Her tone was careful. Too careful. “The stone floor rippled,” I said flatly. “It felt as if the room breathed. And there was a hum beneath it, low and steady, like something strained.”
Nora hesitated for a long moment. “Well, perhaps it was only reminding you it’s still there.”
I shook my head, unable to accept her vague answer. I’d had far too many of those that day. “It was more than feeling its presence, Nora. The floor’s movement felt like an earthquake. Yet you and Bren both say that’s extremely unlikely.”
Her eyes grew bigger. “And you were standing over the heart of the castle?”
I blinked at her label. I typically considered a fireplace to be the heart of the room or home. “Is that what that Celtic knot inlay is? The heart of the castle?”
She inhaled sharply as though my question had resurrected a memory, and I sent her a knowing look.
“Remember how you asked me if Bren crossed it? I’ve been paying attention since then, and he will not walk over it.
He’s not just avoiding it. He watches me when I’m near it too.
I need someone to tell me what’s going on. ”
Nora licked her bottom lip and nodded thoughtfully. “I can’t say for sure, other than it’s the center of things. The heart of the castle. Many believe that those types of things shouldn’t be crossed in old buildings. It stirs what shouldn’t be disturbed.”
“It stirs things?” Was that what I’d done when I’d confronted Bren? Fear tightened its hold on me. “I don’t understand what that means. Please tell me.”
Her growing discomfort was obvious, and that didn’t help me in the least.
“Let’s sit for a minute.” She took my elbow and led me to the table where we claimed our usual chairs.
“I can’t say for certain, but I believe it has something to do with the history of the castle.
I’ve been trying to learn its secrets myself over the years.
There are stories of things not staying where they should, but Bren, who would know the most, will not speak of it to me. ”
She reached across the table and covered my hand with hers, giving me a hopeful look. “Maybe he’ll tell you.”
I exhaled in frustration and slid from her grasp. “That’s highly unlikely. We’re nothing more than client and hired hand.” Even if it didn’t feel that simple anymore.
A soft smile crossed her lips and settled in her eyes. “My gut tells me there’s more to you and more to him. I can’t say exactly what. But I know there’s more.”
I could have argued with her because I knew her instincts were entirely wrong, but I needed space to process my experience and try to form some semblance of acceptance first. She would obviously be of no help.
I glanced toward the counter where she’d been working. “Need some help with dinner?”
Nora gave me a quick shake of her head. “I’ve got this, hun. Why don’t you pour a glass of wine? Maybe soak in the tub. That’s always good to clear your thoughts.”
She was right. Though focusing on the documents I’d brought home to review might serve me better than a bath for the time being. Work would be a welcome distraction. I pushed from the table. “Sounds lovely. Would you like me to pour you a glass too?”
Nora pointed to a half-full glass sitting near the window and winked. “I started without you.”
I chuckled despite my disturbed state, grateful for the momentary reprieve. “I can’t say I blame you, not with the odd things that happen around here.”
Her mouth broke into a wide grin. “That’s the spirit. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
I headed upstairs, feeling a bit better. Nora didn’t have answers for me, but being home, away from the castle and Bren, grounded me in reality. That was exactly what I needed.
In my room, I changed into comfy pants and my favorite hunter green sweater I’d purchased on my first venture into Dublin the day after I’d arrived. It was soft and warm against the evening chill, and wearing it felt like the hug I desperately needed.
My phone chimed before I could sit down to work, notifying me of a new message.
One glance showed me it was from Bren. I shook my head in firm denial as I silenced the notifications and tossed my phone onto the bed.
I needed time before I spoke with him again.
Whatever he had to say could wait until I returned to work.
A flash of Bren’s expression when the floor had rippled slipped into my thoughts. He’d reacted too. But not with fear of what had happened.
He’d known what had…stirred, as Nora had put it, and he’d been more worried about me. About what I might do or say.
“No.” I lifted my hand as though that would stop my ruminations. I would not think of him or of what happened until I’d had time to settle. Doing so now would only stir my anxiety.
Instead, I pulled the file that carried charts with measurements, moisture readings, and structural notes from my bag and settled at the small desk beneath the window.
I eased out a deep breath and dove in.
My worries faded into nothing as I planned my strategy for the coming week. As long as I remained focused on the intricacies of the project, other things remained at bay.
I was deep into reviewing my notes on the cracked lintel measurements when a sound ringing through the house disturbed me, and I realized it was the doorbell. Nora’s footsteps sounded on the wooden floor, followed by her low, conversational tone as she answered the door.
The deeper voice of the person who responded froze me in place.
A moment later, Nora called up the stairs. “Selene, you’ve a visitor.”
I sagged with frustration. Couldn’t he give me a moment’s peace?