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Nineteen
By three a.m. I’d finished the book, made my notes, and poured myself another cup of tea. With my clothes for my trip to the library laid out, I’d be ready and waiting when its doors opened in five short hours.
Keelyn would be surprised to see me, especially on the weekend, but I needed to pay for this book since I was definitely not returning it now. Plus, I knew my search for Genevieve DuWant’s real name would most likely take all day.
Jenks was curled up on the rug in front of the fire, and I envied him. While my mind wasn’t tired due to the spell, my body certainly could use the rest. A tightness lay across my shoulders, working its way up into my neck. I took another sip of tea, walking to the back room to find my pain-relieving cream.
Jars, vials, tubes, and tubs lined the cupboards and shelves, all products created by my own hand with ingredients grown on my land. There was a sense of pride that overtook me whenever I thought about it. Using all Mama had taught me, I truly had thrived on my own.
“I’ve witnessed a lot of young people lose their families, Milly, but I don’t believe any of them remained as strong as you.” Roarke’s words drifted through my mind, and the anxiety of him knowing so much more about me than I did of him overwhelmed me again.
From what he’d said, he hadn’t been watching me as I initially thought, but I still got the sense that he knew more than he was letting on.
I rolled my neck and rubbed in the cayenne cream, my shoulders easing slowly but surely.
With a few more hours to wait, I filled my tub with hot water and stepped in. Steam rose from the surface, enveloping me in a hazy cloud. My shoulders stung as they sank below the water, the heat causing the cream to penetrate even deeper. Lying back against the cool porcelain, I closed my eyes and relaxed, thankful for the little slice of heaven Mama and I had created here.
Our home was a small, one-story cottage clapped in dark siding with varied peaks topping the roof. The copper shingles were aged and worn, settling into a dark green patina that allowed it to blend into the surrounding forest. Boxes, troughs, and various trellises filled the side yard, full of flowers, herbs, and edible plants, while a small shed in the back corner housed all my rakes, shovels, and larger equipment. I inhaled deeply, appreciating the aroma of the eucalyptus hanging from the bathroom door, and thought about the last time I’d worked the garden with Mama by my side.
“Be gentle, Milly, for if you tend the land with care, it will always take care of you in return.”
She’d been right. About that and so much more. And in moments like these, I missed her dearly.
A tear rolled down my cheek, sizzling as it met the hot water. I didn’t cry much anymore, but I’d never deny my heart a release. Tears were the soul’s way of telling our hidden story. Whether happy or sad, our emotions could be read within every drop. The story currently gliding down my face was one of loss, heartache, betrayal, and fear. I rested a hand over my chest, struggling to calm my racing heart. I’d have to weed through the tangled web inside my mind before returning to the dreamscape.
I washed, rinsed, and stepped from the tub, my sad story disappearing down the drain with a pull of the plug.
Rarely was I at odds with myself, but ever since Roarke entered my life, the push and pull inside me never seem to cease. I needed answers, definitive ones, and I wouldn’t be sleeping until I found some today.
Dressed and with only an hour and a half left to wait, I remade my eggs from earlier and finally ate breakfast. Jenks rose from his spot near the fire, meandering closer, only to flop down at my feet.
“Well, aren’t you just a ball of energy this morning?” I teased as he stretched his back, looking exactly like every black cat ever drawn for Halloween. Leaning down, I scratched behind his ears.
With my eyes lowered, I caught movement just beyond the front window and froze. There were no storms tonight or wind to blow the trees, so whatever was there was an unwelcome visitor.
Easing off the couch, I strode to the front door, gripping the machete I kept hidden beneath the bench. Yanking the door open, I raised the knife overhead, ready to defend myself and Jenks. No one could hurt us here.
My vision swam in the deep shadows that hugged the corner of the house. But other than an adorable raccoon lumbering back into the woods, I didn’t see anything out of place.
With my nerves firing on high alert, I scanned the trees, my eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. No one was there, but I couldn’t stay put any longer. Rushing inside, I poured a thermos full of tea, then grabbed my coat and bag, shoving the book and sheathed machete inside. I’d be extremely early for my visit to the library, but there were plenty of other things I could do in the dark.
Gangly limbs of silhouetted trees lined the night sky, the moon as their backdrop piercing the veil. Silence reigned as most of the forest creatures had found their fill and turned in for the night. The soft glow of fireflies and lightning bugs guided my way down the leaf-laden path, drawing me deeper into the heart of the forest where the most glorious mysteries lay.
Coming to rest on a familiar stump, I pulled out my thermos and took a swig of my tea.
Then I waited.
The stars above held my attention, reminding me of Roarke, until a thick layer of clouds finally obscured the moon’s face. The forest was thrust into its darkest self, and in retaliation, a new world burst to life.
Creatures and organisms began to glow all around me, their bioluminescence providing light in the darkest of times. I pulled the machete from my bag and scraped it against the trunk of a nearby oak, loosening the glowing lichen that grew along its base.
Mama taught me how to properly harvest the gifts the forest provides, using their special ingredients to create a magic of our own. Some of the phosphorescent organisms absorb light from the sun, giving it back later, while others actually produce light through a chemical reaction built into their DNA.
Regardless of the science, it was simply beautiful and never failed to take my breath away.
I continued gathering as many new ingredients as I could, already seeing the end results in my head. Creams, candles, and essential oils all infused with “fairy lights” would sell like wildfire at next season’s market. Accompanied by my first crop of cosmos, baby’s breath, and lavender ice tulips, the springtime tourists wouldn’t be able to resist.
Satisfied with my magical trove, I headed back to the path that would take me to town. Keelyn was an early bird and should almost be to the library by now.
