studied the landscape. To the right was the lake, to the left the woods. Half a kilometre away, the castle loomed.
“The music seems to come from those woods beyond the castle,” he said.
Emma frowned. “What a strange noise, like many violins playing different melodies at the same time. And what’s with all the purple?”
Corey had a theory, but he wasn’t willing to share it with Emma. Not yet.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I don’t think you should be looking for logical explanations.”
Emma’s expression turned serious.
“What is it?” Corey asked.
“What you said is probably true. About Grandpa and the missing violinists. This is all so confusing. Do you think these are the forests Grandpa gets his wood from—you know, to make violins?”
“What do you think?” he asked.
“This is what it looks like, but...I don’t know.”
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet. What we need to do, before jumping to conclusions, is take a look inside that castle, or whatever that is—we have to call it something, so let’s call it castle. We have to find out who owns it, and what it has to do with your grandfather and the disappearance of all the violinists.”
“I agree,” she said.
“Also, this thing with your psychic powers...”
“Oh, that.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged. “I really can’t explain it. Three weeks ago I woke up and began having psychic episodes.”
He listened as she described the incidents she’d experienced lately.
“Weird.”
“Incredibly weird,” she said. “Corey...What if we can’t find Annika? What if we can’t get back?”
He would have done anything to lift the dark cloud from her face. “We’ll find Annika. We’ll find our way back. And we’ll solve this mystery. I promise.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and together they walked toward the castle.
He made a vow to keep Emma safe. The incident with the wolves had been a close call and he was afraid to guess what other dangers awaited them.
Chapter Twenty-Three
P EERING FROM ONE OF THE F-HOLE windows, Annika saw the small plane land. At the same time, Blackie broke free from her grasp and leaped to the floor.
“No!” She turned away from the window. “Blackie!”
Great . Now what? The rabbit had behaved so well until now. It must have been fed up from being trapped so long in her arms.
Annika hurried after Blackie as he hopped toward a wide archway. This place was a nightmare of empty hallways, corridors, coiled stairways and dark passages. Gilded-framed old paintings and photographs of famous violinists adorned the walls. She couldn’t have named them, but she’d recognized some of them from books she had seen at Emma’s house.
The thought of Emma made her heart tighten. Had she and Corey come after her? If so, where were they? If they had gone through the portal some time after her, they would surely have found her by now. Unless… unless they had ended up in another part of this world. Her stomach churned with worry. When she’d awoken from the strange slumber, she found herself lying in one of the long empty hallways. Blackie had been sound asleep on her tummy.
Calm down. Stop shaking. Stay positive . She would find a way out. She would see her family and friends again. Her cell phone was dead and her watch had stopped. It seemed hours had passed since she’d arrived here. She thought of her mom and dad. At this moment they must be worried sick. Maybe at this same moment they were searching for her.
Where was that bizarre violin music coming from? Her head was throbbing.
Suddenly she heard voices and held her breath. Flattening herself against the wall, she edged closer to the archway.
Then she saw Blackie step outside into the purple twilight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
S ITTING ON THE TERRACE, THE WOMAN asked, “Why is that plane flying over there again?”
“Must be il vecchio , Donatelli,” Niccolò said.
“Did he not fly past some time
“The music seems to come from those woods beyond the castle,” he said.
Emma frowned. “What a strange noise, like many violins playing different melodies at the same time. And what’s with all the purple?”
Corey had a theory, but he wasn’t willing to share it with Emma. Not yet.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I don’t think you should be looking for logical explanations.”
Emma’s expression turned serious.
“What is it?” Corey asked.
“What you said is probably true. About Grandpa and the missing violinists. This is all so confusing. Do you think these are the forests Grandpa gets his wood from—you know, to make violins?”
“What do you think?” he asked.
“This is what it looks like, but...I don’t know.”
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet. What we need to do, before jumping to conclusions, is take a look inside that castle, or whatever that is—we have to call it something, so let’s call it castle. We have to find out who owns it, and what it has to do with your grandfather and the disappearance of all the violinists.”
“I agree,” she said.
“Also, this thing with your psychic powers...”
“Oh, that.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She shrugged. “I really can’t explain it. Three weeks ago I woke up and began having psychic episodes.”
He listened as she described the incidents she’d experienced lately.
“Weird.”
“Incredibly weird,” she said. “Corey...What if we can’t find Annika? What if we can’t get back?”
He would have done anything to lift the dark cloud from her face. “We’ll find Annika. We’ll find our way back. And we’ll solve this mystery. I promise.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and together they walked toward the castle.
He made a vow to keep Emma safe. The incident with the wolves had been a close call and he was afraid to guess what other dangers awaited them.
Chapter Twenty-Three
P EERING FROM ONE OF THE F-HOLE windows, Annika saw the small plane land. At the same time, Blackie broke free from her grasp and leaped to the floor.
“No!” She turned away from the window. “Blackie!”
Great . Now what? The rabbit had behaved so well until now. It must have been fed up from being trapped so long in her arms.
Annika hurried after Blackie as he hopped toward a wide archway. This place was a nightmare of empty hallways, corridors, coiled stairways and dark passages. Gilded-framed old paintings and photographs of famous violinists adorned the walls. She couldn’t have named them, but she’d recognized some of them from books she had seen at Emma’s house.
The thought of Emma made her heart tighten. Had she and Corey come after her? If so, where were they? If they had gone through the portal some time after her, they would surely have found her by now. Unless… unless they had ended up in another part of this world. Her stomach churned with worry. When she’d awoken from the strange slumber, she found herself lying in one of the long empty hallways. Blackie had been sound asleep on her tummy.
Calm down. Stop shaking. Stay positive . She would find a way out. She would see her family and friends again. Her cell phone was dead and her watch had stopped. It seemed hours had passed since she’d arrived here. She thought of her mom and dad. At this moment they must be worried sick. Maybe at this same moment they were searching for her.
Where was that bizarre violin music coming from? Her head was throbbing.
Suddenly she heard voices and held her breath. Flattening herself against the wall, she edged closer to the archway.
Then she saw Blackie step outside into the purple twilight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
S ITTING ON THE TERRACE, THE WOMAN asked, “Why is that plane flying over there again?”
“Must be il vecchio , Donatelli,” Niccolò said.
“Did he not fly past some time
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