Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Dora tiptoed into Sephy’s house with her Doc Marten boots in one hand, trying hard not to creak the floorboards and disturb her aunts. Even though she was thirty-three and old enough to stay out the night, she still felt she shouldn’t and she didn’t want to disrespect Sephy.
‘Did you have a good night?’ Lenny’s voice filtered out from the kitchen.
Dora glared at Ophelia who had let out a loud miaow as she walked past. She was sat in her usual position on the second step. ‘Busted, thanks for that, cat,’ Dora whispered.
She put her boots down and went in to see Lenny, who was sitting at the table, with a mug of coffee in front of her and Lucine’s spell book.
‘I did, I was with Ambrose.’
Lenny nodded. ‘Good, it’s about time you two lovebirds did some catching up. That makes my old heart happy.’
Dora sat opposite her aunt. ‘Is everything okay, Lenny? Why are you staring at the spell book?’
‘I don’t know, something is off. Can you feel it?’
Dora shook her head. ‘Like what, Corwin?’ There was the all-too-familiar sinking feeling in the pit of Dora’s stomach when she said his name out loud. It would forever taint her soul and leave a sour taste in her mouth.
‘No, not him, at least I hope it’s not. I feel as if there is a storm brewing over Salem that is going to erupt and cause havoc, yet I have no idea what it is, but I can guarantee that we will get caught up in it regardless of whether we want to or not, for that is the way of the English women and always has been. ’
‘Do you think it’s because I left the bookstore uncloaked? I can’t stop thinking about it and I thought that this morning I would go back to try and find it again to make sure it’s cloaked.’
Lenny sipped at the mug of coffee. ‘This feeling I have is more significant than an uncloaked bookstore, though. Did you put any other books in there that didn’t belong or could be dangerous?’
‘Not that I know of, then again, I didn’t even know about it until two weeks ago or any of my past lives, so I’m not the most reliable person to ask.
Who knows what was in there or if anyone else could have slipped something inside before I hid it?
I was so focused on finding that book I didn’t give it a moment to think it through. ’
Lenny laughed. ‘I think you own the record for the world’s longest game of hide and seek, Dora.
And it wasn’t technically your fault, kid, though we screwed up big this time around.
I’m worried that someone may have found the book of black magic that your mom was gifted a very long time ago, it was full of unfinished spells that Lucine had started, and I have a feeling that someone may have found it that had no right.
We should have destroyed that book when we discovered what Lucine had done, now this could be the dark cloud that I can feel.
It’s sending similar shivers up my spine as it did back then, all those years ago. ’
‘If that’s true, what are we to do?’
‘Figure out who has it and what they intend to do with it, or maybe I’m just being over sensitive.
It’s been a hell of a month and I’m surprised we’re all still here to be honest.’ Lenny reached out and let the tips of her fingers stroke Dora’s hand.
A rare, tender moment from her aunt who was usually as hard as nails when it came down to showing her emotions.
‘Would you like me to come with you to go find the bookstore? I’d quite like to see it after all this time of it hiding from us and causing us to die many times over.’
‘That’s very kind of you but do you really want to go trudging through a forest full of brambles and vines while reliving the worst days of your lives?’
Lenny didn’t think twice about it before shaking her head. ‘I couldn’t think of anything worse, dear, but for you I would.’
‘You’re so sweet under that tough shell, Lenny, but I can manage, thank you. I think it would be good for me to do this on my own.’
‘Well, make sure you have your cell with you then you can ring if you need help and your old aunts will be there in the blink of an eye.’
‘Thank you, I will.’
‘Dora, if you sense anything then get out of there. Those woods give me the heebie-jeebies. The hours we spent in them in our first life due to having no choice was unthinkable to me now.’
‘How things have changed. I will, I don’t know if my senses are working fully but I’ll be careful.’
‘That’s all I need to know.’ She pushed back her chair and picked up the heavy book.
‘You know, your father gave Lucine a cow. He turned up at our homestead with this huge old cow that your mom named May after her favourite flowers. The damn thing broke down the fence and ate all of Sephy’s carrots.
I truly thought that sweet, angelic Seraphina would lose it over that, but she didn’t, much to my surprise, but May was a lovely animal.
I was so angry with your dad at the time for the way he walked into our lives and within days had turned them upside down. ’
‘I love that he brought her a cow, that’s so…’ Dora couldn’t find the right words.
‘Weird, batshit crazy, out there?’
Dora laughed. ‘Yes.’
‘Back then, cows were valuable merchandise. There wasn’t a lot to give in the way of gifts, and I think he was trying to give her something meaningful.
I wasn’t always nice to him, but he was a good man.
It wasn’t his fault that he and Lucine fell in love the way they did.
It was fast and it was sweet but those were dangerous times, as we know too well.
It broke her heart the way he left without saying goodbye and never came back. ’
‘That’s so beautiful yet heartbreaking, poor Mom. I wish I had something of my father’s.’
Lenny nodded. ‘There are things you need to know, Dora, but the time isn’t right.’
‘Surely the time is right now? I mean, come on, it’s been what, four hundred years?
I’m old enough and more than ready to know more about him.
I barely know anything of my dad except that he breezed into Salem village on his horse and stole my mom’s heart.
I mean you just told me he brought her a cow, but did he bring her a ring, ask her to marry him?
Why won’t you speak of him? Why is it all so secretive?
Is it because he was as powerful as my mom? ’
Lenny shook her head. ‘Yes, he was powerful, but I don’t think he realised it either. I fear I cannot unleash everything at once, as we do not want a repeat of the Edinburgh incident. We are only acting in your best interest. I will however discuss our next steps with Sephy.’
Dora huffed indignantly but knew better than to argue with Lenny. What her aunt thought was not something she could change her mind on so easily. She was ready though, more than ready to learn everything there was to know about her father.