Heart of the Hill by Andrea Spalding Page B

you?” Holly rubbed her forehead. “Your voice…it sounds familiar.” She looked up and down the dark shore. “Where am I? Who are you?”
    â€œThat is not important right now,” snapped Zorianna.
    â€œWhat is important is that you are here. Come!” With a swirl of her cloak Zorianna led the way into the cleft.
    Holly stood her ground.
    Angrily Zorianna turned and lifted her arm again, but Vivienne stepped between her and Holly. “Persuasion, not persecution,” she murmured, then called across to Holly again. “Come child. Eat and rest before you continue.”
    The smell of roasting chicken stole across the beach.
    Holly’s mouth watered. She had not eaten for hours.
    Vivienne gestured toward the cave entrance, and Holly glimpsed the flicker of fire inside.
    An icy wind blew, and waves splashed around Holly’s feet. She edged farther up the beach. The wind strengthened, and soon the waves were crashing and hissing around her.
    Once more the smell of roasting chicken assailed her nostrils, and the promise of warmth and comfort flickered from the cleft. Holly followed the women inside.

CHAPTER EIGHT

L OST IN THE P AST
    Owen groaned as Holly disappeared into the cleft. “Stupid move, Holly. How the heck am I supposed to observe you now?”
    He waited for a few moments, peering down from the rocky crag. Neither Holly nor the two cloaked women reappeared. Cussing under his breath, he began to scramble down the treacherous slope. He paused. “Hey, this is a dream, I can fly.” He stretched out his arms and half jumped, half flew to the ground and peered into the cleft.
    A low murmur of voices floated out, but no footsteps seemed to be coming his way. He slipped inside.
    It was dank and miserable in the narrow crack between the rocks, almost as cold as outside. Owen was baffled. What on earth had made Holly follow the women? Suddenly the smell of roast chicken hit his nose, and he understood. Following the smell, he edged along the wall until he came to a large cavern.

    The cavern was full of light and heat. Holly sat in a velvet chair and warmed her hands at a roaring fire that curled up a natural chimney in the cavern wall. She watched as the two women divested themselves of their cloaks. The women were beautiful, neither young nor old, but both with an ageless beauty, one fair and one dark. Holly stared and tried to smooth her tangled curls.
    Vivienne noticed and laughed.
    â€œYou are a windswept waif, aren’t you?”
    Holly’s hand dropped. She shrank back into the chair as though she’d been slapped.
    In the middle of the cavern stood a gigantic oak table covered with dishes. A sizzling chicken waited to be carved flanked by a platter of roast potatoes, a dish of peas and a jug of gravy. Farther down the table an apple pie waited.
    Everything smelt delicious. Holly licked her lips.

    Owen peered into the cavern from behind a large rock. He frowned as he watched Holly warm herself at the fire. Something was wrong. The scene he was observing was hazy. The edges of the furniture were fuzzy, shimmering like a mirage. He also noticed a weird tension between the two women. He watched. They exchanged glances and looked at the food over and over, staring intently at Holly when she wasn’t looking. They were waiting for something to happen.
    Owen tensed. What if something was wrong with the food? What if it was poisoned? But why would these women want to poison Holly? He prepared to warn her with a blast of mindspeak, but stopped himself just in time. If he used mindspeak these magical women might sense it. He mouthed a warning, desperately trying to project it toward his sister. “Watch it, Holly.”
    Holly was oblivious.

    â€œYou may eat,” said Vivienne, settling into a chair at the table. She motioned Holly to sit beside her and carved a slice of fragrant chicken. She placed it on Holly’s plate.
    Zorianna glided to the