Page 7 of Rekindled Prophecy
During her last visit, Greylyn had instantly formed a fast friendship with the chatty owner. She loved to hear Maureen’s accent and could listen for hours to her yarns about her childhood in Ireland or interesting clientele.
She had barely placed both feet on solid ground before Maureen swooped her into a tight embrace. The smell of garden soil and lavender wafted through the air.
“Now, how have ya been, Sweetie? It’s been much too long since your last visit. You promised to return every year, and now it’s been over ten.”
Maureen squinted a little, causing Greylyn to tense slightly. She had not considered that her unchanged appearance after so many years may raise some uncomfortable questions from her hostess.
“Why look at ya, lass! Ya haven’t aged since I’ve seen ya last. Why your skin’s as fair and smooth as a baby’s bottom!” Maureen accentuated her remark by caressing Greylyn’s cheek. “Yes, those freckles are still adorable! And not a single gray strand in that beautiful mane of yours!” In contrast, Maureen’s once flaming red hair had faded to a muted copper.
She hooked Greylyn’s arm with her own and began to explain that there was a wedding taking place that weekend as she escorted her to the Carriage House, a two-story brick building that had been added after the completion of renovations to the main house. It had a tower that rose above the building where folks could peer out from a higher vantage point over the hills. Both stories of the house had large porches for visitors to relax while taking in the beauty of the surrounding valley and the splashing of koi and frogs in the adjacent pond. “As soon as I got your call, I explained to the handsome gentlemen occupying the room for the wedding that he would have to vacate.”
“Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience anyone,” Greylyn proclaimed, but she was privately grateful. She preferred the quiet and solitude found in the Carriage House suite, even though the bullfrogs were parked right outside her window. Luckily, she could effectively tune out the croaks. Being a guardian angel had its perks. She would take the bull frogs anytime over the racket that accompanied her usual digs in seedy roadside motels as she drove cross-country doing her job.
“Now don’t be silly, girl! That is your room whenever you visit. Besides the gentleman was rather understanding about the matter.” After a slight, meaningful pause that Greylyn could not miss, Maureen added, “He’s not bad on the eyes either so I gave him the room above yours. I hope that’s okay.” Her powder-blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
Oh, no. How could she have forgotten that the woman was a hopeless romantic?
Maureen left Greylyn to settle into her room, with a promise that her guest hop over to the main house for drinks. “Don’t take too long, dear. I’m dying to catch up.”
The door clicked shut softly. Alone, she looked over the cottage décor. Everything was exactly as it had been on her last visit. An antique mahogany four-poster bed with a deep purple duvet cover and throw pillows anchored the room. Sunlight barely filtered through the antique white lace curtains, as the day outside was somewhat cloudy. Straight back from the bedroom was her favorite part: the luxurious bathroom. In contrast to the vintage décor of the suite, all the modern conveniences of a full spa soaking tub and steam shower had been installed. Last visit, she spent more time soaking in the tub than hiking the foothills of the Shenandoah.
But something was wrong. An electricity filled the air. Despite the comforting familiarity of the room, her hopes for a peaceful vacation sank. The air was more oppressive, heavier than the atmosphere outside. Considering the humidity in Virginia this time of year, that was saying something. Goose bumps sprung up all down her arms. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up, too. Yes, something evil was here, or had been recently.
The room lacked the hint of sulfur that was a dead giveaway when demons were around. Although not the smell of rotten eggs, the lingering scent was oddly familiar. She just could not place it.
Thinking back to her earlier conversation, she guessed the recent occupant was more than he appeared. It had been too much to hope that she could go anywhere without encountering some form of evil being. She made a mental note to check the wedding guest out immediately. But preferably after a nice glass of wine with Maureen.
Dammit! For once, can’t I catch a break and not have my R&R spoiled?
She scoped out the room for signs of non-friendly visitors or surveillance. The battle between good and evil had escalated to high-tech gear. She preferred to fight the old-fashioned way. High-tech gadgetry spoiled the fun.
One time she found a tiny radio transmitter disguised as a towel hook in a bathroom at a high-end hotel, where a certain rock star on the verge of suicide stayed while in the Big Apple. The human ear could not hear the incessant chanting in Latin that urged the drug-addled man to take his own life. Another time, a listening device was discovered in a corporate office intercom speaker for a tech company’s charismatic CEO. Not overly high-tech for a dot.com. While amusing, these antics made it easier for her to locate the bad guys, not harder.
Satisfied that there was no surveillance, Greylyn pulled some sage and asmall vial out of her knapsack. While burning sage to cleanse the air of malevolent energy and placing talismans at all possible entrances, as well as at the north, south, east, and west points in the room similar to a compass, she dusted a special mixture of ground salt and rosemary around the suite to keep non-human entities away while she was out.
Some holy water sprinkled along the doorframe, and the room was protected from any evil entities, whether in corporeal form or not. Determined to root out the problem quickly, Greylyn stomped over to the manor to investigate.
“No one is going to spoil my vacation. No one,” she muttered under her breath.
***
He had felt her approach long before the Camaro’s tires crunched on the long gravel driveway leading up to the house. That energy and magnetic pull intensified to a feverous point whenever she was near. Kael had waited for this moment for a long time, too long. And he was not a patient man. Things could not be working out any better if she had fallen right into his lap. A grin pulled at the corners of his lips as he listened to her exchange with the sweet-as-pie innkeeper.
“No, Greylyn. No vacation for you, I’m afraid. This weekend is going to be a wild ride.”
***
Greylyn fought off a rising sense of frustration as she stepped out onto the small patio of the Carriage House. Perhaps Maureen could divulge more about the wedding party. If evil were afoot, that would be her first guess where it would likely raise its ugly head. If the male guest currently in residence had been in her room, and was giving off a supernatural vibe, that would be the most logical explanation. She had witnessed plenty of weddings targeted by demonic entities in the past. Perfectly planned weddings, days of love and celebration … all ruined for no other reason than evil enjoyed destroying any inklings of happiness.
A frog splashed across the lily pads on the surface of the koi pond, just a few yards away. Slightly startled, Greylyn laughed at her own unease. “Come on, Grey,” she muttered to herself. “This will be easy-peasy. No worries.”
Glancing up at the main house, a large antebellum manor of brick, rock, and a metallic green roof, a jolt went through Greylyn’s body as she was overcome by a vision …
Droplets of rain fell. A cloudy haze blurred the gazebo where a small group huddled underneath. Soft piano music played but was cut off suddenly. The sound of a door banged like a thunderclap. Glancing over at the manor, an image of a figure in white looked out a second- story window. Her mouth opened wide in a silent scream.
With that, the vision receded like the flood waters of the Nile, leaving only a piercing pain behind her eyes.
Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she cursed her luck. Agitated, she stomped over to the main house.