Read Online The Forest of Aisling: Dream of the Shapeshifter (The Willow Series Book 1) by D.S. Elstad - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: D.S. Elstad
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comfort in the concerned look in his eyes.
“‘Course not, it’ll be kept private. Now I
best be going before Kelleigh comes in to see what’s the bother. We’ll
talk more tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Quinn.” I stood up feeling a little dizzy
and more than ready to put this day to bed. I hugged him tightly and said
goodnight. He walked to the elevator then turned to look at me, gave me a
smile and thumbs-up and stepped inside. I headed to our hotel room.
“Willow,” Quinn called, his head leaning out the
door.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t ya dare tell Kelleigh I said she was
brilliant,” he said with raised eyebrows.
I laughed and nodded then turned and walked the
couple of feet to our hotel room. Dad was watching TV when I entered the
room. He spun around quickly. “I was just about to call you, it’s getting
late.”
“Right, Dad, sorry.” I explained the whole
story about Uncle Eagan and Cryer, making sure to leave out the part that was
sure to make him rush me to the hospital for a complete mental
evaluation.
After a long shower I crawled into bed, exhausted,
confused, and, I must admit, a little exhilarated about what had happened and
what it all could mean.
My dreams that night didn’t repeat as usual.
These dreams were random, bits and pieces of what had happened; flashes of
moonlight on the forest floor, howls in the distance, large golden eyes.
Those scenes just kept on repeating in my sleep. Then there were
flashes of Bram. His smile and brown eyes and the way he looked when he
came out of the forest, kind of wild and disheveled. Had he really been lost?
And the way he looked at me…like he knew what had just happened.
When I woke the next morning Dad was already up
and dressed, ready for the funeral. “You were sure restless last night,
Wils, are you feeling ok?”
“Oh, I was?” I knew I was; I mean, the sheets were
all twisted around my legs and the pillows were on the floor.
“Yeah, you were tossing and turning and mumbling
something. I couldn’t make it out though.” Dad sat beside me on the bed,
brushing my hair out of my eyes.
“I’m ok…” I answered; looking into his eyes made
me want to tell him the whole story right then, but I knew I couldn’t. We
had the funeral to go to; plus, I wasn’t even sure what, or how, I would tell
him.
“It’s probably the time change that has you out of
sorts,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s probably it.”
“We’ll need to be leaving soon; I ordered room
service, your breakfast is there on the table.”
I glanced over to the table, feeling anything but
hungry. I looked out the window at the brightness of the day and began to
feel relaxed. Things always look better in the light of day, even when
you’re looking at the possibility of your life being changed forever.
Chapter Six
We pulled up to an ancient looking stone church
half an hour before the funeral was to start. Calling it a church was an
understatement. Dad called it the cathedral. I’d never seen anything
quite like it. As I stepped out of the car I stared up at the old
building and paused awhile losing myself in the brilliance of the tower and
spire. I thought of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and Quasimodo. I
could almost picture him there, hanging off one of the turrets. The
massiveness of the cathedral against the stormy sky, created an ominous feel.
The day had started out sunny and clear but was quickly being overtaken by gray
clouds and a drop in temperature that added to the somber mood of the day.
Dad took hold of my arm and led me to the entrance
of the church. He was in a hurry to get inside. Uncle Eagan had relayed a
message to him that his father wanted him to be a pallbearer. Our arrival left
Dad looking as pale as the skies overhead. As we walked up the
cobblestone stairs to the entrance, he stopped in his tracks. I looked up
to see what was in his way and before us stood an elderly man in a black
“‘Course not, it’ll be kept private. Now I
best be going before Kelleigh comes in to see what’s the bother. We’ll
talk more tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Quinn.” I stood up feeling a little dizzy
and more than ready to put this day to bed. I hugged him tightly and said
goodnight. He walked to the elevator then turned to look at me, gave me a
smile and thumbs-up and stepped inside. I headed to our hotel room.
“Willow,” Quinn called, his head leaning out the
door.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t ya dare tell Kelleigh I said she was
brilliant,” he said with raised eyebrows.
I laughed and nodded then turned and walked the
couple of feet to our hotel room. Dad was watching TV when I entered the
room. He spun around quickly. “I was just about to call you, it’s getting
late.”
“Right, Dad, sorry.” I explained the whole
story about Uncle Eagan and Cryer, making sure to leave out the part that was
sure to make him rush me to the hospital for a complete mental
evaluation.
After a long shower I crawled into bed, exhausted,
confused, and, I must admit, a little exhilarated about what had happened and
what it all could mean.
My dreams that night didn’t repeat as usual.
These dreams were random, bits and pieces of what had happened; flashes of
moonlight on the forest floor, howls in the distance, large golden eyes.
Those scenes just kept on repeating in my sleep. Then there were
flashes of Bram. His smile and brown eyes and the way he looked when he
came out of the forest, kind of wild and disheveled. Had he really been lost?
And the way he looked at me…like he knew what had just happened.
When I woke the next morning Dad was already up
and dressed, ready for the funeral. “You were sure restless last night,
Wils, are you feeling ok?”
“Oh, I was?” I knew I was; I mean, the sheets were
all twisted around my legs and the pillows were on the floor.
“Yeah, you were tossing and turning and mumbling
something. I couldn’t make it out though.” Dad sat beside me on the bed,
brushing my hair out of my eyes.
“I’m ok…” I answered; looking into his eyes made
me want to tell him the whole story right then, but I knew I couldn’t. We
had the funeral to go to; plus, I wasn’t even sure what, or how, I would tell
him.
“It’s probably the time change that has you out of
sorts,” he said.
“Yeah, that’s probably it.”
“We’ll need to be leaving soon; I ordered room
service, your breakfast is there on the table.”
I glanced over to the table, feeling anything but
hungry. I looked out the window at the brightness of the day and began to
feel relaxed. Things always look better in the light of day, even when
you’re looking at the possibility of your life being changed forever.
Chapter Six
We pulled up to an ancient looking stone church
half an hour before the funeral was to start. Calling it a church was an
understatement. Dad called it the cathedral. I’d never seen anything
quite like it. As I stepped out of the car I stared up at the old
building and paused awhile losing myself in the brilliance of the tower and
spire. I thought of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and Quasimodo. I
could almost picture him there, hanging off one of the turrets. The
massiveness of the cathedral against the stormy sky, created an ominous feel.
The day had started out sunny and clear but was quickly being overtaken by gray
clouds and a drop in temperature that added to the somber mood of the day.
Dad took hold of my arm and led me to the entrance
of the church. He was in a hurry to get inside. Uncle Eagan had relayed a
message to him that his father wanted him to be a pallbearer. Our arrival left
Dad looking as pale as the skies overhead. As we walked up the
cobblestone stairs to the entrance, he stopped in his tracks. I looked up
to see what was in his way and before us stood an elderly man in a black
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