case, Maggie had given me clues to help Ian, and at least now I had a direction to move in.
As we exited the mausoleum, I felt an overwhelming urge to look at the castle.
My breath caught in my throat because I could swear I saw a body swinging from one of those trees. The head was twisted at an odd angle, and the woman’s long brown hair was falling into her face, her arms limp at her sides.
I stopped in my tracks. “Oh my God.”
I thought the words, but I must have said them aloud, too, because Johan looked at me strangely, then glanced over at the castle.
“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I just thought I saw something.”
Cassandra snorted.
“It’s probably just an animal,” Johan said, squaring his shoulders.
I definitely wasn’t going to tell him I’d seen a person hanging from the tree.
Shane grabbed me by the arm. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Right before we reached the iron gate that lead to the car park, the gate swung wide open—and slammed shut a second later.
Every person in the group let out a yell or jumped a foot. Everyone but me.
“Bloody hell!” Richie said, hand on chest.
“What was that?”
An orb floated up and I looked around the group to see if anyone else noticed. They didn’t seem to. They were too focused on the gate.
I smiled to myself knowing Maggie hadn’t deserted me yet.
“Let’s get out of here.” Megan cowered behind Milo. “This is starting to really creep me out.”
I forced myself not to look at the castle again. I didn’t want to see Laria.
“Can you give me a ride home?” I asked Megan, who nodded.
“You’re not heading back to the glen?”
Johan seemed disappointed I was calling it a night.
“No, I’m done.”
“I’ll drop you off so Megan doesn’t have to,” Johan said.
“Megan already said she’d drop us off, but thanks anyway.” Shane walked up to the gate that happened to open just as we got to it. He hesitated, but to his credit, he kept walking.
I was getting in the backseat of Megan’s car when Johan grabbed my hand. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime.
Maybe see a movie one day this week?”
Just wanting to get out of there, I said,
“I’ll ask my dad and see what he says, okay?”
Cassandra walked past us, got into the passenger side of Megan’s car and slammed the door shut. She cranked the car stereo up loud.
Johan rolled his eyes. “Just so you know—we were never together.”
I seriously doubted that given Cassandra’s open hostility toward me.
Shane popped his head out the backseat window. “Come on, let’s bounce.”
I cleared my throat. “I uh, better go. We’ll talk later, okay?”
He nodded, still managing to look wounded.
I got in the car and shut the door behind me. Johan just stood there watching me until Megan got in and we pulled away from the cemetery.
Megan met my gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled.
Beside her Cassandra fumed. Her jaw was clenched tight. So tight she might snap teeth if she wasn’t careful. Even though Johan denied any involvement with Cassandra, I wanted to ask her the story behind her relationship with Johan, but I hesitated because
I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.
Plus, we didn’t have time because Megan pulled up in front of the inn a minute later.
Dad’s study light was on, and when the headlights from Megan’s car flashed in the room, I could see him moving inside.
“Shit,” Shane said under his breath, grabbing a stick of gum from his pocket and popping it in his mouth. He handed me one.
“We’ll see you later,” Megan said, elbow-ing Cassandra who merely grunted.
Surprisingly, Dad didn’t say too much as we walked through the front door, though he did glance at the grandfather clock in the parlor which read eleven on the nose. We were in an hour before curfew.
“Hey, you two, I’m glad you’re home early. I wanted to let you know that I’m heading into Edinburgh tomorrow, most likely for
As we exited the mausoleum, I felt an overwhelming urge to look at the castle.
My breath caught in my throat because I could swear I saw a body swinging from one of those trees. The head was twisted at an odd angle, and the woman’s long brown hair was falling into her face, her arms limp at her sides.
I stopped in my tracks. “Oh my God.”
I thought the words, but I must have said them aloud, too, because Johan looked at me strangely, then glanced over at the castle.
“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I just thought I saw something.”
Cassandra snorted.
“It’s probably just an animal,” Johan said, squaring his shoulders.
I definitely wasn’t going to tell him I’d seen a person hanging from the tree.
Shane grabbed me by the arm. “Come on, let’s go home.”
Right before we reached the iron gate that lead to the car park, the gate swung wide open—and slammed shut a second later.
Every person in the group let out a yell or jumped a foot. Everyone but me.
“Bloody hell!” Richie said, hand on chest.
“What was that?”
An orb floated up and I looked around the group to see if anyone else noticed. They didn’t seem to. They were too focused on the gate.
I smiled to myself knowing Maggie hadn’t deserted me yet.
“Let’s get out of here.” Megan cowered behind Milo. “This is starting to really creep me out.”
I forced myself not to look at the castle again. I didn’t want to see Laria.
“Can you give me a ride home?” I asked Megan, who nodded.
“You’re not heading back to the glen?”
Johan seemed disappointed I was calling it a night.
“No, I’m done.”
“I’ll drop you off so Megan doesn’t have to,” Johan said.
“Megan already said she’d drop us off, but thanks anyway.” Shane walked up to the gate that happened to open just as we got to it. He hesitated, but to his credit, he kept walking.
I was getting in the backseat of Megan’s car when Johan grabbed my hand. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime.
Maybe see a movie one day this week?”
Just wanting to get out of there, I said,
“I’ll ask my dad and see what he says, okay?”
Cassandra walked past us, got into the passenger side of Megan’s car and slammed the door shut. She cranked the car stereo up loud.
Johan rolled his eyes. “Just so you know—we were never together.”
I seriously doubted that given Cassandra’s open hostility toward me.
Shane popped his head out the backseat window. “Come on, let’s bounce.”
I cleared my throat. “I uh, better go. We’ll talk later, okay?”
He nodded, still managing to look wounded.
I got in the car and shut the door behind me. Johan just stood there watching me until Megan got in and we pulled away from the cemetery.
Megan met my gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled.
Beside her Cassandra fumed. Her jaw was clenched tight. So tight she might snap teeth if she wasn’t careful. Even though Johan denied any involvement with Cassandra, I wanted to ask her the story behind her relationship with Johan, but I hesitated because
I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.
Plus, we didn’t have time because Megan pulled up in front of the inn a minute later.
Dad’s study light was on, and when the headlights from Megan’s car flashed in the room, I could see him moving inside.
“Shit,” Shane said under his breath, grabbing a stick of gum from his pocket and popping it in his mouth. He handed me one.
“We’ll see you later,” Megan said, elbow-ing Cassandra who merely grunted.
Surprisingly, Dad didn’t say too much as we walked through the front door, though he did glance at the grandfather clock in the parlor which read eleven on the nose. We were in an hour before curfew.
“Hey, you two, I’m glad you’re home early. I wanted to let you know that I’m heading into Edinburgh tomorrow, most likely for
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