Viator (The Viator Chronicles Book 1) (2 page)

The gallery was full of an eclectic group of people, some edgy and modern, while others were dressed in elegant evening clothes and jewelry. Each piece of art on display was lit from several directions in the darkened rooms, casting distorted shadows on the walls and ceilings, the light sometimes catching a person’s face and highlighting it at an odd angle. Most of the people were talking and laughing in groups, and the wood floors and open spaces amplified the sound. Erin turned just as her friend Aleesha sashayed across the room leading a heavy man wearing a creased taupe suit.

“Erin, you must meet Kenneth.” Aleesha beamed, her slim silver skirt and jacket shimmering in the light.

Erin smiled at the man. His shaved head was covered by a turquoise blue fedora and diamonds glittered in his ears. He bent forward and kissed both Erin’s cheeks.

“Aleesha’s told me so much about you and your gallery.” Erin pressed her hand into his.

Kenneth looked ecstatic. “I’m so thrilled to meet you. Aleesha has told me all about you, too. Welcome to the gallery. What do you think? Look around and tell me. Besides being in the best location in Seattle, I think we’ve been able to put together some of the best collections of any of the galleries in Pioneer Square. Please tell me what you think.”

“I love it,” she said.

“Can I get you anything?” he continued, clasping her hand and looking her up and down. “You look gorgeous—so classic. When the music starts be sure to tell me your impressions. I’d be honored if you’d play a song or two.”

Erin felt her face grow warm as she smiled and tried to answer, but he kept up a stream of comments and questions. He finally paused to take a breath, and she said, “Thank you for inviting me to your exhibit. I’m already enjoying it immensely. I’m sorry, though, I won’t be able to play tonight. But Aleesha tells me you have some excellent musicians to entertain us.”

Kenneth glanced at Aleesha, a small pout on his face. He turned back to Erin. “Oh, my dear, and I have my grand piano here all ready for you.”

“I’m sorry,” Erin stammered.

“Erin hasn’t performed in a couple years,” Aleesha said.

Kenneth patted her arm. “Well, don’t give it another thought. I can always hope, can’t I? But you’re my guest, dear! Enjoy.”

He grabbed a couple more glasses of champagne from a nearby tray, handed them to Erin and Aleesha, and when he noticed some new guests enter the gallery, he ran to greet them.

“He’s a kick,” Erin laughed.

Aleesha put her hand on Erin’s shoulder and grinned as they both watched him. “Yes. He’s really a dear man. And he’s right—you do look gorgeous. I love that dress on you.”

“Thanks. It was one of William’s favorites.”

Erin wore a short, dark blue dress and had pulled her brown hair up into a French twist to show off her pearl earrings. She thought about the last time she had worn the dress—she and William had been celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. A sob caught in her throat. She took a quick sip of champagne and forced a smile back onto her face.

She and Aleesha filled a couple of plates with hors d’oeuvres and walked through the rooms, admiring the art and looking at the people. Aleesha knew many of the other guests, and she stopped to chat with them or compare impressions of the art. The musicians soon began to play, and Erin and several other people gathered around them. Piano, fiddle and bodhran accompanied a young woman whose haunting soprano voice gave Erin goosebumps.

As she listened to the music, Erin glanced around the room and noticed an attractive man who stood alone by the door. He looked familiar. He was stirring his drink and staring at her, so she quickly looked away. A few minutes later she glanced back, and he was still studying her, even as he gulped his drink and set the glass on a tray. Feeling embarrassed, she retreated into the next room where she pretended to examine a dark painting of ancient Celtic shields while she gathered her thoughts. She was sure she had met him before. Blond, blue-eyed, wearing a finely tailored charcoal suit, obviously went to the gym regularly. He was probably around her age. Did he recognize her? Could she have known him in school?

A man spoke quietly right behind her. “What do you think of the shields? I prefer the next painting—the one with the swords. Seems more proactive.” She turned around, and he was smiling at her, dimples in both cheeks, eyes laughing. She blushed.

“Aren’t you Erin Holley?”

She nodded. “Yes …”

“I thought so. It’s been about two years. I’m Gary Arthur. I was a friend of William’s. I almost didn’t recognize you with your hair up.”

“Oh, yes. I thought I had met you before.”

His voice grew quiet and serious, his eyes clouding over. “I was sorry to hear about William. I had just seen him the day before the … accident. It was such a shock. I had left the country when I heard. I felt I should come back, but I couldn’t—I couldn’t get away.” He paused, frowning, and looked down at his hands. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

Erin was taken aback and shook her head. “No, it’s okay. It would never have occurred to me you should be here.”

“Really?”

She smiled at him. “Of course not. I’d only met you a few times. But thank you.”

He leaned against the wall and sighed. “William was an old friend.” His eyes grew more intense. “And how are you doing? You look great. And the kids—you have two, right?”

“Right.” She nodded, her head tilted to the side. She studied his face. He wasn’t smiling but his dimples still creased his cheeks. “We’re okay. Matt’s almost twelve now, and Gwen’s seven. They’re really growing up.”

“Good. And you still live in Anacortes?”

She nodded. “Still in the old house on Puget Sound.” She paused a moment. “Did you say you saw William the day before the accident?”

Gary glanced at his watch and looked at the doorway. A line of sweat trickled from his hair beside his ear. He bent his head and nodded. “Just briefly. I’ll never forget what he said that day.” He shook his head. Then he looked back at Erin, his eyes sparkling. “I remember your little house on the water.”

“We love it there … but what did William say?”

Gary drew a breath just as a stocky middle-aged man entered the room. His tan trench was dripping, and water ran from his thin gray hair down his thick neck. He wiped his face with a handkerchief and frowned at Erin before he glanced at Gary and nodded his head. Gary nodded back, turned to Erin and said, “My business associate’s here. I’ve got to run. We’ve got a meeting.”

He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, then turned and followed the other man out of the room.

Erin stood still for a moment, staring at the door after they had left. She was surprised and a little shaken—she hadn’t run into someone from William’s past in a long time. What a coincidence they had both been at this gallery tonight.

She wandered back toward the musicians. The crowd had become quiet as they listened to a slow ballad, and Erin grew more thoughtful. She remembered Gary from the few times they had met. He had come to a couple social events hosted by William’s company. A picnic and a Christmas party. She remembered him playing ball with Matt at the picnic. He had brought a date to the Christmas party—a tall, beautiful woman with long, dark hair.

She stopped and stood still as a statue, her heart suddenly filled with grief and uncertainty. These memories brought images of William to her mind so clearly—dancing at the Christmas party with the glow of firelight on his face, playing checkers with Matt at the kitchen table, laughing as they ran on the beach together. She missed him so much. And then the day of the accident—she remembered it as if it had just happened, and the pain hit her again like a sharp blow. She hadn’t known William had seen Gary the day before. What did William say to him that long-ago day, something so memorable Gary would never forget it?

The room was too hot and too loud. She needed to get out. She found Aleesha and convinced her to leave, and they drove the long way home to Anacortes in the wind and rain.

Chapter 2

Gravel crunched under the tires as Aleesha turned the car into Erin’s driveway and drove past the apple trees. Wind blew through the branches, scattering the blossoms. As they stopped in front of the little house, Erin leaned over and hugged Aleesha. “Thank you, Leesh. I’m so glad you invited me.” They said goodnight, and as Aleesha drove away, Erin unlocked her front door.

“Edna?” Erin spoke quietly so she wouldn’t wake the children. She walked to the living room and saw the older woman sitting on the couch, snoring softly with a closed book on her lap.

Edna opened her eyes. “Oh, you’re home.” She sat up straight and smiled. “Did you have a nice time?”

Erin sat beside her and patted her arm. “Yes, a great time. How were the kids?”

“Good as always.”

Edna had been a close friend and neighbor of Erin’s grandparents years ago when they had owned Erin’s house. After Erin had inherited the house and she and William had moved in, Edna had become a generous babysitter.

Erin walked Edna the short distance home, and after returning she climbed the stairs and peeked in on the children. Matt and Gwen were sound asleep, so she went to her room and closed the door. She approached the corner of her bedroom and lit both candles on the small, cloth-covered table, and kneeling on the floor, she gazed at a photograph illuminated by the flames. The photo showed a smiling man sitting in a sailboat, a captain’s hat on his head. She touched it and whispered, “I’m so sorry, William.” She bowed her head and sank to the floor. After several minutes, she blew out the candles and climbed into bed.

*****

Erin raced over the moors, her dark hair streaming behind her as the wind and rain tried to force her back. She could hear nothing but the wind. Lightning streaked across the sky, flashing brightness across the wild land, and there, a little way ahead, she could see the shadow. A scream, and she knew she was close. She raced on, forcing her way against the storm.

Suddenly all was black. Where was that girl? Erin slowed her pace. The lightning blazed again, and she saw the precipice at her feet. She caught herself, stopping at the ledge. The sound of the waves from far below roared even louder than the wind. Leaning over the edge, she called out, “Where are you?”

“I’m here. I’m stuck,” the girl answered from below.

“I’ll help you. Look—I think the moon is rising,” Erin called.

A little moonlight gleamed through the streaming clouds showing the face of the cliff and the figure plastered against the wall below. Her wide eyes stared up at Erin, her pale face streaked with mud.

“No, look out, behind you,” screamed the girl.

Erin felt the icy darkness behind her and caught her breath. She turned and drew her sword. The mortifer loomed over her, the shape of a man shrouded in gloom. Its piercing eyes gleamed with hunger; its stench of decay nearly gagged her. She raised her sword. The shadow struck first, smashing her right arm. Erin fell, pushed down to her knees into the mud, her sword arm pinned by the dark creature’s foul blade. With her other hand she reached for the knife in her boot. It glittered in the moonlight as she pulled it from its sheath, and she thrust upward with all her strength. Her hand and arm froze as she struck, but her knife sliced through. The mortifer lurched backwards howling, and Erin leapt up, grabbing her sword.

The shadow swung its blade hard, but she dodged and it missed. She thrust her sword full force into its shrouded darkness. With her frozen hand, she struck with her knife again. The mortifer dropped its sword and collapsed into the mud. Its wail shot through the night, piercing through the sound of the wind and waves. Its cold blackness and stench poured out like vapor, faded, and were gone.

Moonlight brightened the moor, and Erin dashed to the cliff again, searching for the girl. She rubbed her cold arm and called out, “It’s gone—you can come back.”

The girl below didn’t answer, but Erin could see her form against the face of the cliff. “Try to climb. It’s gone now. You can come up.”

“I can’t climb. It’s too slippery.”

Erin stretched out her arm and rubbed it again, sensation creeping back into her fingers.

“Hold on, I’ll be down.”

She eased over the edge of the cliff. The slick rocks were muddy and treacherous, but Erin found many small handholds, and with care, she climbed to the spot where the girl clung. When she reached her, the girl asked, “What happened to that thing? What did you do?”

“It was an evil shadow, nothing more, and it’s faded away now,” Erin said. “Let me help.”

“I’m afraid to move.”

Erin took her by the hand, placing it carefully upward a little, then moved the other hand and guided her feet. They slowly made their way back to the top.

The rain had stopped, and they both scrambled over the ledge and lay on the muddy grass. Erin stood and helped the girl to her feet. She stood as tall as Erin, and she wiped her hands on her clothes and smoothed her hair from her eyes.

“Think of a place you love—a place where you feel safe,” Erin said.

The girl looked at her with questioning eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Do you remember a favorite place, somewhere with good memories?”

The girl nodded, and the sky slowly brightened. The sun broke through the clouds, which rolled away to the horizon. The girl’s eyes opened wide, and she looked around as the moor became a meadow. Willow trees lined a small creek. The wind softened to a light breeze, barely stirring their hair, and they heard the creek bubbling over its stony bed.

They walked to the creek and sat down on soft grass dotted with buttercups. The sunshine warmed their hair, and Erin closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh, clean air.

The girl trailed her hand in the water, and a smile crept over her face. “I know this place. This is where I came for picnics when I was small.”

“This is beautiful. It could be my safe place too. What’s your name?”

“Carolyn.”

“Remember this place, Carolyn. If you are afraid a shadow is coming, think of this place.”

Carolyn scrambled to her feet, fear in her eyes. “I thought you killed that thing. Can it come back? What will I do?”