Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
I shoved the memory away as Harmony opened the door. Together we stepped into the living room. Everything was just as I left it, right down to the slightly smoldering fire and the faint scent of fresh baked bread in the air. My footsteps echoed faintly on the hardwood floor, and even though Harmony was right beside me, I felt alone—exposed. Like the house was watching me.
I clutched my ratty bathrobe tighter around me, heart thudding, eyes darting to the hallway.
"Bedroom's down there?" Harmony asked, following my line of sight.
I nodded.
"Yeah. Second door on the left."
The hallway seemed longer now, darker. My feet didn’t want to move, but I forced them forward. Each step felt like walking into the past—like memories were rising up out of the floorboards, trying to grab at my ankles.
We reached the bedroom, and I hesitated in the doorway. The broom was still lying where I’d dropped it when I bolted.
I picked it up like a sword and crept toward the bed.
"Do you feel anything?" Harmony asked softly behind me.
"Like something’s watching me," I whispered. I used the broom to cautiously lift the quilt. Ducking down, I peered under the bed only to see…
Nothing.
There was only darkness beneath the bed. But that wasn't all I sensed. There was a weight to the air, a hum of presence—a male presence, though I don’t know how I knew that. My skin prickled.
And then there was the smell…
It wasn’t unpleasant—just faint. A whisper of fur and cedar with just a slight hint of some darker, masculine spice. It was earthy and comforting in an inexplicable way. The scent made my throat tighten and my chest ache like I was about to remember something important—something I'd forgotten a long time ago.
It also brought tears to my eyes. Not because it was sad, but because it felt like home. Like safety. Like someone who had once held me tight and whispered that everything would be okay…
And then—
A flash.
A memory? A dream? I don’t know—it came over me and all of a sudden I was someplace else.
I was young—maybe ten. The room was dark, but the hallway behind the door was lit with a red-gold glow. Someone on the other side of the door was pounding on it—angry and shouting.
“You get out here, little girl and take your punishment! You know what you did wrong—I’m gonna belt you ‘till you can’t sit down for a week!”
The words were shouted in a loud, angry voice. I could feel fear filling me, sharp and suffocating. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn’t breathe…couldn’t breathe. The lock on my bedroom door was a flimsy thing. Any minute he was going to get in and beat me—hit me and hurt me and Momma didn’t care…wouldn’t even listen when I tried to tell her what he did.
But then, between me and the door, something moved—a dark figure.
Not a man—a monster—a shadow, tall and broad. He stood there, silent and still, a barrier between me and the man who wanted to hurt me.
The shadow boy… he saved you, whispered a voice in my head.
And just like that, the image vanished. Like smoke whisked away by a sudden breeze. I blinked and winced, pressing a hand to my forehead. What the Hell had that been about?
"Danni?" Harmony touched my arm gently. "You okay? You look like you have a headache."
"I—" I blinked, dazed. "I just had a memory. Or at least… I think it was a memory. But it’s gone now."
She frowned.
"Maybe you should tell Madam Healer about it. It could be important."
I nodded slowly, still shaken.
"Maybe. I don’t know." I took a deep breath. “But we can’t just stand here all day—let’s try your charm.”
Harmony held up the charm.
"Okay—ready?"
I took a step back and nodded.
Harmony closed her eyes and chanted softly:
"Power bound and purpose true,
Tell us what we need to do.
Harm or no harm, now reveal,
What intent this room conceals."
The charm stone in her hand flickered to life. The plain gray surface began to glow and change colors. First, we saw a soft green glow.
"Oh," Harmony breathed, relieved. "That’s good. No harm intended. See?"
But just as the words left her mouth, the green shimmer deepened—rippled—and slowly shifted into a new color.
It was a deep, regal purple—it pulsed like a heartbeat in the palm of Harmony’s hand.
Her eyes went wide.
"Wow. That…is new."
I swallowed hard.
"If red means harm, green means good, and yellow means neutral, what does purple mean?"
"I have no idea," she admitted. "I've never seen it turn that color before. We definitely need to talk to Madam Healer. She’ll know. Come on—let’s go see her."
I nodded and looked down at myself with a sigh.
"Okay. I just wish I wasn’t wearing a bathrobe for this."
Then it occurred to me that the cottage had provided me with food and had even drawn a bath for me earlier. At least, I assumed those things were for my benefit. I wondered if maybe it might have provided some clothes as well.