Read Online A Circle of Crows by Brynn Chapman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brynn Chapman
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face, and its heat roused her into consciousness. She looked around, already knowing what she would find. The cot was empty beside her. She picked up the blanket, held it to her face and deeply breathed in Colin's scent. Despite her will, she felt the hot sting of tears threatening. Then she heard his voice in her head, the words he had spoken the previous night before he had drifted off.
I am always with you, simply look to your ring and remember the vow we made in our childhood. You must be strong and carry on, no matter what becomes of me. Our families would want you to lead the people if I should perish.
She removed the silver ring from around her finger and extracted a silver chain from around her neck. She placed the ring on the chain and clasped it at her nape. She wondered if she would become a bride and a widow all within the course of a single month. Unbeknownst to either of them, Colin had indeed, accomplished what he had feared. A child was already beginning to form under the hand Mari had placed over her abdomen protectively as she gazed out across the sun shining onto the lake.
* * * *
Raena, Rachael, Bella and Sam sat at the kitchen table. Papers were strewn all around them, and they all were exhausted and irritable.
Rachael dragged her hand through her dark mane of hair, which hadn't been washed in days. Her face was oily and her eyes were beginning to show the slightest hint of crows feet around them. “There has to be a connection."
"Okay. Three children have disappeared from the inn over the course of one hundred years. Several more have disappeared from other parts of town as well,” said Rae.
"We've been pouring over this for hours,” said Bella. “Let's head to bed and maybe we'll be able to concentrate more fully in the morning."
Rayna climbed the stairs toward her apartment. As she passed the Autumn Room, she paused in the doorway. Morgana's dog, Chloe, was sleeping on the bed as she had every night since Morgana had disappeared from the room. The Jack Russell terrier was beginning to look scraggly and her ribs were easily discernable as she breathed deeply. The dog had been eating very little in her mourning for her mistress. The moonlight was shining through the windows and fully illuminating the room. She could see the outline of the moon reflecting in the mirror—the same mirror Morgana had disappeared through.
Rae walked over to the bed, sat down beside Chloe and began to stroke her fur. “Reflections,” she said.
"Reflective surfaces, that's the common thread. Rachael!” She bolted down the stairs.
" Rachael! "
Rachael came flying through the swinging doors out of kitchen into the foyer.
"What is it, Rae?"
"Reflective surfaces—that's the common link. The mirror in the Autumn Room, the lake at the quarry and the one at the park. They all have reflections and children disappeared from each place."
"I'll bet anything the children who disappeared from their yards were near a body of water as well,” chimed in Sam.
"They also all occurred in the fall,” said Bella, her eyes now shining and hopeful.
Rachael, uncharacteristically overcome by emotion, ran up the stairs, followed closely by her sisters. Rae glanced anxiously over her shoulder to meet her younger sister's gaze as she took the stairs two at a time in pursuit of Rachael. Tread lightly was the message conveyed and Bella nodded in silent understanding.
Rachael stood in front of the mirror and beat it with her fists with such ferocity, Rae feared it would shatter and slice her. She screamed, “Open up, you wretched beast! Give me back my baby!"
Raena felt the invisible wall rise in her mind. The one she called upon to block her emotions when she knew the situation was grave and she needed to think clearly, despite what she was feeling. She flung herself at Rachael and grabbed her, then pulled her back from the mirror.
" No! I am getting in there!"
"Rachael, if you break it, we may never find her...” said Bella
I am always with you, simply look to your ring and remember the vow we made in our childhood. You must be strong and carry on, no matter what becomes of me. Our families would want you to lead the people if I should perish.
She removed the silver ring from around her finger and extracted a silver chain from around her neck. She placed the ring on the chain and clasped it at her nape. She wondered if she would become a bride and a widow all within the course of a single month. Unbeknownst to either of them, Colin had indeed, accomplished what he had feared. A child was already beginning to form under the hand Mari had placed over her abdomen protectively as she gazed out across the sun shining onto the lake.
* * * *
Raena, Rachael, Bella and Sam sat at the kitchen table. Papers were strewn all around them, and they all were exhausted and irritable.
Rachael dragged her hand through her dark mane of hair, which hadn't been washed in days. Her face was oily and her eyes were beginning to show the slightest hint of crows feet around them. “There has to be a connection."
"Okay. Three children have disappeared from the inn over the course of one hundred years. Several more have disappeared from other parts of town as well,” said Rae.
"We've been pouring over this for hours,” said Bella. “Let's head to bed and maybe we'll be able to concentrate more fully in the morning."
Rayna climbed the stairs toward her apartment. As she passed the Autumn Room, she paused in the doorway. Morgana's dog, Chloe, was sleeping on the bed as she had every night since Morgana had disappeared from the room. The Jack Russell terrier was beginning to look scraggly and her ribs were easily discernable as she breathed deeply. The dog had been eating very little in her mourning for her mistress. The moonlight was shining through the windows and fully illuminating the room. She could see the outline of the moon reflecting in the mirror—the same mirror Morgana had disappeared through.
Rae walked over to the bed, sat down beside Chloe and began to stroke her fur. “Reflections,” she said.
"Reflective surfaces, that's the common thread. Rachael!” She bolted down the stairs.
" Rachael! "
Rachael came flying through the swinging doors out of kitchen into the foyer.
"What is it, Rae?"
"Reflective surfaces—that's the common link. The mirror in the Autumn Room, the lake at the quarry and the one at the park. They all have reflections and children disappeared from each place."
"I'll bet anything the children who disappeared from their yards were near a body of water as well,” chimed in Sam.
"They also all occurred in the fall,” said Bella, her eyes now shining and hopeful.
Rachael, uncharacteristically overcome by emotion, ran up the stairs, followed closely by her sisters. Rae glanced anxiously over her shoulder to meet her younger sister's gaze as she took the stairs two at a time in pursuit of Rachael. Tread lightly was the message conveyed and Bella nodded in silent understanding.
Rachael stood in front of the mirror and beat it with her fists with such ferocity, Rae feared it would shatter and slice her. She screamed, “Open up, you wretched beast! Give me back my baby!"
Raena felt the invisible wall rise in her mind. The one she called upon to block her emotions when she knew the situation was grave and she needed to think clearly, despite what she was feeling. She flung herself at Rachael and grabbed her, then pulled her back from the mirror.
" No! I am getting in there!"
"Rachael, if you break it, we may never find her...” said Bella
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