A Witch in Time (5 page)

E
nid turned
circles while walking so she could keep an eye out for the dreaded little monstrosities. She need not have worried about being since they were accompanied by a group of witches who continued to cast a portable protective bubble as they made their way up the hill. Any ghoul who came upon them would be hard pressed to break through. Her friends kept her as safe as possible throughout the journey.

The looming shadows of Castle Hallow served as a backdrop for spirits dressed according to the era in which they’d lived. Every once in a while, one of the figures would pass through the stones as though the walls didn’t exist. None of the figures looked as familiar to her as the ones back in the village. How that could be when she seemed to be related to everyone in Secret Hallow baffled her.

She looked up to find the turrets at either end of the structure crumbling away, the native stone walls leaning at precarious angles, the roof above missing tiles. Hundreds of eyes seemed to watch her from long, narrow, windows in the circular walls. Shards of stained glass hung from the rotting frames on either side of the massive front door.

“Welcome home, Hephaestus,” said Nana.

Hephaestus looked up with an expression so unreadable Enid couldn’t tell if he were happy or sad. He reached out to open the door, then drew back as though he realized he wouldn’t have the strength to move such a massive object. She felt a surge of guilt when she recalled he’d drained his energy protecting her. Enid didn’t deserve such heroic measures after what she’d done.

“Allow me.” Nana swung the door open and stepped back so Hephaestus could pass through.

The group filed into a towering great room two stories high. From Enid’s perspective, rotting beams crisscrossed the cracked wooden ceiling poorly lit by the tarnished light fixtures of a long-ago era. Tarnished suits of armor guarded a missing half the balustrades out of the banister. Chunks of stone skittered to the ground as some creature ran along the second floor walkway. Tattered and faded tapestries fluttered in the breeze coming in through chinks in the wall. In the distant recesses of the structure, a door slammed shut, creaked open, and slammed shut again; the sound reverberated through the vacant building.

“This is lovely. I’ve never been inside before.” Rowan looked around with wide eyes.

Orianna spun a slow circle as she stared upward. “What a great idea.”

Enid couldn’t see the home as they did and hoped they weren’t lying to protect her feelings.

Fox tugged Gemma toward the staircase. “Let’s go explore. I want to see every room.” The couple soon disappeared through a doorway on the second level, their echoing footsteps the only evidence of their progress, until that sounded faded into the distance as well.

Nana set The Book of Shadows on a pedestal at the base of the staircase. “We’ll reinforce the wards. Once we’re done, I recommend you two stay put. You don’t want any more run-ins with ghouls.”

Orianna and Iris disappeared through a ground-floor doorway with Rowan close behind.

Adora Glenn stepped into the massive fireplace and pushed against the back wall. A moment later, she passed through a secret doorway.

Kimberly and all the Ash cousins seemed to have stayed outside.

This left Nana, Hephaestus, and Enid alone.

“Don’t worry, Nana…I promise I’ll stay put. Though I must admit this place gives me the creeps.” Enid rubbed her hands over the gooseflesh prickling along her arms. She couldn’t see spirits, but sensed other entities within the structure, as well as some darker presence. She shook her head to clear away the thought.

Hephaestus spoke up in a voice dripping disdain. “You would not have to remain if you had heeded my warning.” He gestured. “My old home is not frightening, I assure you. The spirits who remain are either hospitable or so drained you have not worry about interacting with them.”

“Don’t get so uppity. I’m not saying anything about your house, just talking about how I feel.”

“Your feelings are misguided, young Miss Ash.”

Stepping between the combatants, Nana raised her hands. “You two better try to get along. Otherwise your time together will drag on longer than you’d like. Believe me.”

“Tell him.” Enid scuffed a toe against the worn stone floor. “I didn’t mean anything.”

“You pay too much heed to your feelings, young Miss. You best keep them in line.” Hephaestus crossed his arms over his chest and shot a belligerent look her way. “Another mistake on your part will…” His voice trailed off. With a slight bow, he said, “I will take my leave. My home has been vacant too long and I must see what work needs to be done.” He disappeared through the tapestry covering the back wall.

Enid didn’t want to admit, even to herself, how right he’d been. If she’d controlled her emotions, she wouldn’t be here. She had no one to blame but herself. Hephaestus didn’t need to remind her of that.

Even worse, she hated how he’d looked at her.

“Everything will be fine.”

Startled, she whirled to find Nana watching her with a sad expression. She’d been so caught up in her misery she’d forgotten she had company. Enid squinted through the veil at the blur of Nana’s face, caught a kind and supportive look in her eyes, and felt her throat tighten. She didn’t deserve sympathy. Not after she’d acted the way she had.

“You made a mistake.” Nana reached out, then stopped short, allowing the hand to fall slack at her side. She heaved a tired sigh and leaned all her weight on her cane. “We all do at times. I’ve made my share over the years, that’s for sure.”

“I’m sure you never did anything like this.”

The room fell silent for several long moments.

As Enid wondered whether she should say something else, Nana looked up again, her eyes twinkling. “I still say this is a mixed blessing. Hephaestus is so much livelier than I’ve ever seen in all the years we’ve worked together. I can’t help but feel that maybe your company will turn out to be the best thing to have happened to him since he passed over.”

“That’s all well and good…for him.” Enid rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “I thought this was a good thing for me at first, but then I saw Gemma.” Her breath caught. “One of the things I regret most is hurting her.”

“Of course. You’re not a bad person.” Nana again reached out as though to comfort Enid.

The little hairs atop Enid’s head prickled again.

She whirled to find Hephaestus right behind her. Though happy to see him again, she didn’t want him to know. “How long have you been listening in on our private conversation?”

“My apologies.”

“Wait.” Nana’s voice stopped him in his tracks as he turned to leave. “You two
really
need to be more civil with each other. Can’t you agree to ignore your differences for now?”

“I will if he will!” Enid said.

Hephaestus turned back to Enid. “I will do my best, Miss Ash. Truce?”

“Yes.” Enid took the hand he offered. The contact caused her a moment’s thrill. “Surely we can keep busy enough to not get on each other’s nerves.”

“I came back to tell you I found some decorative items in the old storerooms.”

“Wonderful.” Enid caught Nana watching her with a small smile. “What?”

“You two.” Nana raised her voice until her words echoed throughout the building like they’d been amplified. “I’m heading home. The rest of you can either come along now or follow when you’re ready.” She winked at Enid before limping toward the door. When she spoke again, her tone returned to normal. “I’ll expect magic here by the time I return.”

Enid couldn’t help but laugh.

Gemma and Fox hurried out of a hidden doorway alongside one of the fireplaces, followed by Orianna and Rowan, the four of them caught up in excited chatter.

Iris Westerly trailed the group with a sour expression. “We need to talk, Nana.”

“See you later, Sis,” said Gemma. “I’ll miss you.”

Fox smiled. “The house will be lonely without you. And Bronson will be inconsolable.”

Orianna waved before stepping outside.

“See ya,” said Rowan, as she followed her friend and fellow bride outside.

“We’ll be back soon.” Nana closed the door behind her.

Alone with Hephaestus, tears again welled in her eyes. She’d always wanted to visit the castle as a child, as did most of the other witchlings of Secret Hallow, but hadn’t expected to be trapped here this way. She also felt no real hope of getting back through the veil to the Living World.

You will be trapped here forever, cut off from everything and everyone you love.

Hephaestus had tried to warn her and she hadn’t paid attention.

“There is hope yet, Miss Ash.”

Enid started at the sound of Hephaestus’ voice. He stood over her in what seemed to be a protective way and she lost herself in the depths of his eyes. “Please…won’t you call me Enid? We’re going to be together for days and I can’t stand the formality.”

“Only if you call me by my given name.”

She felt as though she were being pulled toward him by some strange magnetism. Her lips quivered as she said, “Hephaestus.” Her voice came out in a breathy whisper she didn’t recognize.

“We should get down to work.”

With the spell broken, Enid followed to a closed door. She stopped short of passing through.

He poked his head out. “Is there a problem?”

“I can’t.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how to get through.”

Hephaestus reached out a hand. “Allow me to help.”

She closed her eyes…and reopened them to find herself in a dark corridor.

“Not too bad?”

Shaking her head, Enid gave a little laugh. “Not bad at all.”

They passed through several more doors before entering the storeroom he’d mentioned.

“What do you think?” Hephaestus gave her a teasing smile as he waved his hand at the items filling the space. “Will any of these work for the celebration?” He crossed to a dusty silver tea service set out on an enormous serving tray. “My family chose not to be too pretentious so they may not meet your lofty standards.”

Enid’s chuckle turned into a full-throated laugh. “Oh no, not at all.” She rushed around the space, checking out stacks of colorful linens, a china service with enough place settings for everyone in town, cut crystal goblets, and a number of giant urns that would make impressive vessels for floral arrangements. “This is so much more than I expected. The wedding will be amazing.” Reaching out, she tried to pick up a stack of neatly folded cloth napkins. Her hand passed through them. “I can’t do this. What was I thinking?”

He moved to her side. “Have faith young Enid. I can show you a few tricks of the trade.” Hephaestus reached out to move the napkins from one stack to another, though his hand never made contact. “Your mind is more powerful than you know. Whatever you can imagine, you can accomplish.” He guided her to the table. “People in the Living World use the power of the mind all the time without conscious thought: walking, dancing, skipping, driving, talking, and even breathing. Here in the Spirit World, you must concentrate harder to accomplish the same things. Think of the things your body does over the course of the day. How you put one foot in front of the other. About your lungs inhaling and exhaling the air you breathe. Understand?”

She considered what he’d said. Now that she’d put a little more thought into what the body of a living human did throughout the course of the day she did think she understood what he meant. She’d watched children learn to walk. One day they hadn’t been able to balance on alone and needed the assistance of loving hands. Now they ran and played without any conscious effort. Even though little Siobhan couldn’t do much more than eat, sleep, and breathe at the moment, she did those things by the power of the mind alone.

“Focus on a specific point or the power will be diffused when passing through the veil.”

In her mind, she imagined moving the napkins; she recalled the sensation of taking up the item in the Living World and then reached out with her mind to ‘touch’ the spot she’d chosen.

The napkins fell off the top of the stack.

Enid quivered with the energy she’d expended. “Oh, goblins, that’s hard.”

“A good effort. Now try again.”

Her second attempt didn’t go much better than the first. Nor did the third. By the fourth time, she felt as though she were going to pass out from the effort.

“I can’t do this.”

Hephaestus moved to her side. “You can. Keep trying.”

They continued to work past her exhaustion. Hours later, she set a napkin on top of another.

“You see? I told you the mind is powerful.”

Enid brushed a hand across her brow. She felt as though buckets of sweat poured out of her and wished for a cool glass of water. “That’s enough for now.”

“Do you want to decorate or not? We have little time to waste.” Hephaestus then encouraged her to try more and more weight. Under his patient tutelage, she progressed from the napkins to the tea set, and on to even bigger items. Enid felt a profound sense of accomplishment when she finally moved one of the huge urns from one side of the storage space to the other.

“Size does not matter once you understand the same limitations do not apply here.”

She managed a tremulous smile. “You’re a good teacher.”

“Thank you. You are also a good pupil.” Taking her hand, he led her to a small side table. “Here is my pride and joy.”

The small carved wood box didn’t look very impressive. “What’s that?”

When the lid popped open, music filled the room.

“How lovely.” She clapped her hands with delight.

“The song was a favorite of my mother’s. She gave me this gift before she passed.”

The storeroom dissolved into an image of a ballroom lit by a multitude of flickering candles decorating every surface. As massive log burned in the fireplace and the guests all wore winter finery. Evergreen boughs decorated the banisters and sprigs of mistletoe hung in the doorways.

The ballroom was flooded by dozens of spirits - the earliest members of the Secret Hallow coven, who had occupied the village in the days that Hephaestus had been alive. The old robes and gowns were beautiful.