Page 17 of Black Willow Witch
‘Oh.’
‘Yeah. Oh.’
CHAPTER FOUR
Feeling the familiar ‘vibe’ of the manor settle over her, Emberlyn let out a long breath. It was like having a warm, weighted blanket tucked around you. Nostalgia crashed down on her in the best way.
‘I missed this place.’ She could see the glitter of her magick everywhere; it was still in the process of saturating the walls and flooring.
Kage and Paisley were glancing around the grand entrance hall, their expressions awed.
‘I always wanted to come inside, but my parents made me promise to only go as far as the porch,’ said Paisley.
Kage nodded. ‘I think they were worried that Millicent would sacrifice us in a ritual or shove us into another dimension, never to be seen again.’
Snorting, Emberlyn placed her purse on a circular table and brushed her fingers over a plant that rested on it. While Emberlyn doubted that Millicent would have harmed the twins, the old woman would have delighted in scaring them for the fun factor.
Much as the twins’ parents Ethel and Thad weren’t fond of Emberlyn, they hadn’t protested the friendship for two reasons. One, Paisley was weak in magickal terms, and they knew that Emberlyn protected her. Two, the twins weren’t very popular among the coven either, purely because Chilgrave witches tended to consider multiple births a bad omen.
Still, Emberlyn hadn’t been welcome at the twins’ home, and their parents hadn’t wanted them to come here, so there’d beenno sleepovers or tea parties. Restrictions had been put on their friendship, and yet it had survived and remained strong.
‘I justknewthat the manor would let you in,’ said Paisley, smirking.
Kage frowned at her. ‘No, you didn’t. Youhopedit would.’
Paisley’s brow lazily lifted. ‘Is there much difference?’
‘Yes.’
Emberlyn’s heels clicked along the parquet flooring as they walked further inside. ‘I never thought I’d live here again. I thought Grams would stick with tradition and pass the place along to one of her children. It never occurred to me that she’d do anything different.’
‘She might have left it to either Gill or Dez if it weren’t for their plans to give it up,’ said Paisley, using her heel to smooth out a slight kink in the rug. ‘Speaking of those plans . . . Want me to come stay here with you for a few weeks?’
Surprised by the offer, Emberlyn tilted her head. ‘Stay here?’
‘You having this place has put a halt onmanypeople’s plans,’ Paisley pointed out. ‘They’re likely gonna want you out of here. It might be better if you’re not alone.’
Touched, Emberlyn gently waved her offer away. ‘I’ll be fine.’ Plus, she didn’t want to drag her friend into this issue.
‘Uh, Em,’ Kage began, pointing at a sheet of paper that had been tacked to the grandfather clock. ‘You might want to take a look at this.’
Frowning, Emberlyn strode over to what turned out to be a letter. She recognized the handwriting as Millicent’s. It read,
Emberlyn, if you thought I wouldn’t know that the manor would choose you then you’re a fool. It’s meant to be yours. A disappointment or not, you’re currently the strongest of the Vautier line. And the manor should only ever belong to someone who will love, treasure and protect it.
I’m well aware you’ll now have some fires to put out, but you can handle it. Still, take what aid the wolf offers – it’ll make things run smoother.
P.S. They’ll answer to you now.
P. P. S. Do reconsider trading pieces of your soul for power – I promise you won’t miss them.
Emberlyn did a slow blink. ‘She knew. She wrote this note because she knew how things would play out. No, shemaneuveredthings into playing out this way.’
‘What did she mean “they’ll answer to you now”?’ asked Kage. ‘Who’s “they”?’
‘You don’t want to know,’ Emberlyn mumbled. ‘As for the wolf she mentioned . . . she’s talking about Ripper. She didn’t only leave the land to him so that Reena couldn’t have houses built on it, she did it so that I’d have an entire clan of werewolves for neighbors.’
Paisley nodded. ‘It makes you less vulnerable. It also means that anyone desperately wanting the land needs to go tohim, not you.’
