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She picks up the cordless phone and says, “Yes, Spencer?”
A frown appears between her brows and she glances at me before saying, “Our new guest, Lucy Phillips, has arrived and will need to be escorted to her room.”
Whatever Spencer says displeases Cora further as her lips pinch in tight disapproval. “Fine. Don’t be late.”
She slams the handset down and I jump, surprised by her blatant show of animosity toward an employee in front of me. As if belatedly realizing I’m here, she squares her shoulders and beams at me like that altercation I just witnessed didn’t happen.
“You’re in room thirteen,” she says, opening a drawer and handing me a key attached to a thin piece of wood with the Viking compass logo on it. “I’ll show you where it is.”
Maybe she’s not used to doing the menial tasks like showing guests to their rooms and that’s why she’s in a snit with Spencer. Whatever the reason, it’s none of my business and I stand and flip the key over. On the back of the wood is another symbol as unique as thevegvisir. This one has what looks like a six-legged spider at the end of double lines that forms a weird cross, with a swirl and a bucket.
She notices me studying it and says, “That’s another symbol from Norse mythology, avatnahlifir. It’s a stave that offers protection from drowning.”
Considering the closeness to the beach and the swamps surrounding Arcania, I can understand the superstition, but not the sorrow in her eyes.
“My daughter drowned in the swamp close to here. Presumed to be taken by an alligator.”
I’m startled by her revelation but also saddened. What must it be like to run this place, knowing your daughter died near here?
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It happened a long time ago,” she says, as we turn left at the bottom of the stairs. To my horror, tears sting my eyes and she notices. “My dear, please don’t be sad. While I’ll never forget the tragedy, I’ve come to terms with my sorrow.”
“My mom died recently,” I blurt, the grief gripping me at this inopportune moment precipitated by Cora’s trials. “It’s going to take me a long time to come to terms with anything.”
“So that’s why you’re here,” she murmurs, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You’ve come to the right place, Lucy. We’ll look after you. You’ll be nurtured and cared for in your time of sorrow.”
I mutter my thanks, embarrassed for revealing too much. I’ve come here to search for answers, not blurt the truth too soon.
“Would you like dinner sent up tonight?” She stops outside room thirteen. It’s at the end of a long corridor that I’ve barely noticed while keeping my head down and trying not to cry. “Guests usually eat together in the dining room, but there’s always the option to have room service if you prefer a quiet night in.”
“That sounds good, thanks.”
She holds out her hand, and I place the key in it. But the oddest thing happens; I can still feel the weight of the key’s wooden fob in my hand, along with a residual heat in my palm, like I’ve been branded.
I flex my fingers a few times and glance at my palm, a shiver dancing across the back of my neck.
I swear the outline of the logo is imprinted on my skin, but when I blink and refocus, it’s gone.
Chapter6
Cora
THEN
As Harlan leadsme to my room on the ground floor, I try not to ogle the opulence of my surroundings. The velvet drapes and chaise lounges, the sweeping staircase, the gilt-edged paintings of ships and formidable Vikings. I know they’re Vikings because one of Mom’s loser ex-boyfriends had been obsessed with historical documentaries, particularly anything to do with shipwrecks.
Seeing the direction of my gaze as we walk down a corridor off the main foyer, Harlan says, “Those are my ancestors.”
“Scary dudes,” I say.
“Yeah, they’re responsible for all this.” He sweeps his hand wide. “Got to love a good shipwreck filled with gold.”
“Nice tale.” I roll my eyes. “What do you think I am, a gullible ten-year-old?”
He laughs, and it transforms his face from handsome to gorgeous, and my heart races in response. “It’s true. This place has tunnels underneath it that lead directly to the sea. My great-great-great-grandfather had this house built and set up the family as the sole importers of foreign delicacies in these parts.”
“That’s so many greats, how do I even know if it’s true?”
