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“Hades!” I raise my voice, irked. “I have never been to this place. Just like I’ve never been any of the places that you’ve taken me to. I trust your judgment. I trust your gut telling me that we are going to be safe. The question is, do you trust yourself?”
He grimaces, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Nae, I can’t say that I do. This place makes me feel like a sheep separated from his flock by a rainstorm. I have no idea what’s happening or where I am. I just have to seek higher ground and wait until the skies lighten again.”
I shoot him a perplexed glance. “I’ve got no idea what that is supposed to mean.”
He lifts a single shoulder. “Just that I hope that I am not the only man who is thrown off the scent by Whitewraithe.”
I don’t quite know what to say to that, so I just nod slowly. As I’m pondering what exactly he meant, I look out the windshield, glancing away from the inky pool of black water just over my shoulder. I see the same brittle yellow grass and scattered large rocks here and there that have been whizzing by my window since we started this drive.
But then, I see it.Whitewraithe.
It begins creeping up, the neat limestone walls of a castle rising against the darkened night sky. I reach out, my fingers digging into Hades’s forearm as we crest a hill. There, silhouetted like a ghost, are the shuttered gates of W.
Massive smooth white walls are forboding. The immense wrought-iron gate is obviously padlocked. In the distance beyond that lies a huge compound made of limestone, though smudges of brown dirt running down the side give me pause. And now that we drive closer, there are vines growing wild all over the outer wall and ivy scaling the castle proper.
I’m not all together convinced that this isn’t some sort of abandoned fortress.
“Uhhh…” I say, unable to take my eyes off the ghostly castle. “Are you sure that people live here?”
It might be called a manor, but it’s definitely a castle. All it is missing are the flying red buttresses and it could be plucked out of a fairytale.
I look over at Hades, who is glowering up at Whitewraithe. He slows as we approach, the tires crunching against the fresh white gravel of the road. Jerking his head, he nods toward where a clunky old SUV is parked a few hundred yards away from the gate.
When he pulls the car over on the other side of the gates, he frowns as he fishes something out of his jacket pocket. Plastic crinkles as he produces a square of photo paper, covered by a see-through protective envelope.
He hands it over casually, not making eye contact as he straightens his cuffs. I take the photo curiously, seeing that it is actually an old-fashioned souvenir photo. In the heart shaped inset, the castle looks crisp, set against lush green grass, clumps of little white flowers, and two lovers sprawled on a blanket, nearly kissing. If I had to guess the date of this picture, I’d say 1970s, purely from how the young couple look in their bell-bottomed jeans and tight, ratty band t-shirts.
“Look at the back,” Hades rumbles, getting out of the car.
I turn the photo over, realizing that it’s meant to be a postcard. The address is blank, but there is a note scrawled in the blank space.
My hometown, 1972.
My brow hunches. I get out of the car, arching a brow at Hades. “Is this some kind of riddle?”
He adjusts his tie and gives me a long look, plucking the photo from my fingers.
“It’s the only thing my mam left me. I know where Whitewraithe is, of course. Everybody knows that it’s probably the most haunted place in all of Scotland.” He sucks his teeth. “It just so happens that Ma was raised here. And I’m pretty damn sure that this is where she came back to when she fled my father.”
I blink at him, surprised. “Is this a whole castle full of your relatives?”
“Someone is here,” he says, his expression dark as midnight. “But as for who, that’s anyone’s best guess. Uncle Malcolm will still be alive, if we are lucky.”
I puff out my cheeks, peering up at the white wall just in front of us. Walking toward it, I reach out a hand and feel the coarse limestone underneath my fingertips. To my surprise, it’s quite cool to the touch and almost a little damp.
“Lass.”
I look back at Hades, swallowing tightly.
“I’m ready.”
I hold out a hand to him, smiling softly. He looks taken aback by the gesture, but he hurries to catch my hand in his. I curl my fingers against his and bolster myself as he guides me to the gates.
Chapter30
Hades
Knocking on the door of Whitewraithe Castle is an experience I’ll never forget. I reach out my hand and Penny grasps it, calming my nerves. Still, my heart hammers against my ribs. I pound on the door again and step back, looking up at the huge piece of oak. Is nobody going to answer?
