The Marradith Ryder Series, The Art of Shadows: Part 20
“Hello, Nora. This is Zasha Samire.”
Nora would have known that voice anywhere. She held the phone. It had been at least twenty years since she’d seen or spoken to Zasha, and she sounded the same as Nora remembered.
“I assume this isn’t a social call,” she replied. “I have to go out soon. What is it?”
Zasha paused. “Paul told you that he’s here at the Compound in White Sands?”
Paul hadn’t told her anything. They hadn’t spoken since the day he left the house, determined to go on a rampage to find their eldest son. She’d told him that he could come home and be with her and the rest of the family, or expect to see divorce papers drawn up when he got back.
“Of course he told me,” Nora snapped. She was standing in her kitchen. She leaned against the counter and peered out the window at the trees swaying in a light breeze.
“I don’t mean to frighten you. Paul’s okay. But there have been some developments today, and I think you need to come down and see him.”
“Well what’s this about?”
“We have a possible lead on Scott, a good one. But I’d prefer that Paul explain it all to you.”
Nora didn’t know what to think. She paused, her hand beginning to tremble.
“I can have Evan come down to get you. Bring Danny if you like. Whatever will be most comfortable for you both. Between us women,” Zasha added. “I’m not telling you what to do, but your husband needs you.”
“How soon can Evan be here?” Nora asked.
***
It was Saturday afternoon, and Danny was in the den, playing his guitar.
Glass windows stretched across the back wall of the room. A soft breeze stirred the trees.
Danny didn’t pay attention first. He stood and shook his hands out, yawned.
Something in the yard caught his attention. Something shiny.
It was the reflection off a woman’s locket.
The woman wore a long dark dress. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“Gran?” he whispered. He went outside, expecting her image to waver, to dissapear before him. He hadn’t seen Caroline’s ghost since the night of Marradith’s wedding party.
“Hello, Daniel,” She said with a soft smile.
“Gran! I thought you’d went away.”
“I did go away for a while. And now I’m here.”
“Did you ever find out why?”
“I have something to show you. Come.”
She started to walk, and he followed her.
They were walking onto the back of the property, where the woods grew thick. Caroline remained as solid as any human. Danny thought about touching her hand, but he didn’t dare.
“I am happy you know who I am and our relation,” she said, making conversation. “But I used to like it when you called me Shadow.”
“Yeah, but you were a Shadow back then,” he blurted. “Now you’re— well you’re you.”
That made her laugh. The trilling sound filled the quiet space around them. She was tall and thin, a little shorter than Marradith by his guess. And she still looked young, too young to be a grandmother. Much less a great-grandmother.
“Daniel, you’re getting older now. Many things will become clearer to you. I was your age when I first began to experience the Sight. Some things may frighten, or confuse you. But I will help you as much as I can. It’s my place to do that.”
She stopped walking. They stood over a patch of soft, recently upturned ground.
“Don’t be afraid,” Caroline said. “What I am about to ask you is going to sound odd.”
“Um. Okay,” Danny replied.
“This is where they buried Leighton. I want you to bring Will up here. And ask him, if there could have been anything left of the remains after the fire.”
“What! Gran?”
“It’s not pleasant,” she said. “But it’s very important that nothing was left after the fire but ashes. It rained that night. Perhaps there was something that was not thoroughly…consumed in the fire.”
“What does that mean?”
“Next chance you see Will, you tell him what I said. He’ll know.”
Danny looked down at the ground. “Gran, I hope you’re not saying what I think…..”
When he looked up again, he was alone in the clearing.
___________________________
©2010 Lori Titus
Tags: Lori Titus, The Art of Shadows, The Marradith Ryder Series
