Page 30 of An Unlikely Knight

Coughs got everyone’s attention, Evalyn was hunched over hacking and gulping in air. Aubrey moved the woman’s glass of water closer to her. With a shaky hand Evalyn reached for it and gulped half of the contents down as everyone watched in silence.

Sliding glances around the table and seeing the pale faces and tense expressions, Erin gathered that everyone was still anxious and fearful.

“Wh-what happened?” Evalyn gasped out the words, reaching for her cigarettes. She lit one and looked at each person in turn. “Well?”

“I think you were possessed by something evil,” the elderly woman explained. “Your eyes turned black, and you were really ugly.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” the mother of the duo stated, giving Evalyn a cautious look. “Just a bit malevolent.”

“Malevolent?” Evalyn shrieked, repeating the word. She glared at Erin. “Was your boyfriend’s great-great-great-whatever into dark magic?”

The elderly woman held up a gnarled finger. “He was like the devil himself. Dear me, I think I wet my pants.”

“We’re leaving.” The mother-daughter duo hurried to their feet, threw money on the table and rushed out.

Aubrey, Erin, and Evalyn turned to the elderly woman. She shrugged. “I am staying. This is better than the telly.”

“What do you have to say?” Evalyn eyes snapped to Erin. “You got me possessed.”

“I did not,” Erin said, unable to think of how to get out of the current mess. “You invited him ... it. Asked if it had something to say.”

“Did you recognize the evil spirit?” Aubrey asked but then pressed her lips together when Erin gave her a pointed look.

Not to be dissuaded, Evalyn narrowed her gaze. “Go on then. Tell us. Who was it?”

“I-I don’t know. But the spirit warned me off. I suppose it means I did not meet their expectations for a partner to their great-great-great-grandson.”

The elderly woman bit into a cookie. “Said your boyfriend is damned or doomed. It’s probably a good thing you got rejected.”

“We’d best go. Sorry about that,” Erin said to Evalyn. “How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just make sure to tell others about this experience. Do not leave out the black eyes.” By the way Evalyn’s expression suddenly changed, a gleam in her eyes, she saw monetary potential from the experience.

Evalyn grabbed the money from the table and shoved it into her bra. “I suppose those two will spread the word. Everyone will know I am a real medium.” She grinned and turned her attention to the elderly lady. “Lavinia. Tell everyone at the senior manor about this.”

“I’m almost ninety, who the hell do you think will believe me?” Lavinia snapped, then seemed to reconsider. “Then again, most of the people we knew are dead. So it can be good business. Do I get a cut? If they believe me, that is.”

“Someone will, I am sure of it,” Aubrey, ever the soft heart told the old woman.

Evalyn nodded. “Of course Lavinia and you can talk to your sister whenever you want. Now let’s get you home. Let me get a towel to put on the seat.” Evalyn walked out and return within seconds with a towel.

“I wet my underpants,” Lavinia informed Erin and Aubrey. “Did I mention it?”

“You did,” Erin and Aubrey chorused.

“That was unsettling,” Aubrey muttered once they were safely ensconced in Erin’s car. She rubbed her arms as if warding off an unseen chill. “Who was that?”

Erin swallowed against the lingering unease curling in her gut. “Meliot.” Even saying the name felt like summoning evil. She trembled, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “How in the world did he do it? From what the others have told me, he can’t touch anyone in this realm.” And yet, he was there—real enough to make her skin crawl, his presence as real as if he’d been there in the flesh.

Aubrey’s voice trembled. “What are you going to do now?”

“Talk to the others. Explain what happened.”

“We should sleep at my place tonight,” Aubrey suggested, glancing over her shoulder as though expecting something—someone—to jump up and scare them.

Erin nodded, her thoughts a storm of worry and exhaustion. “In the morning, we’ll go to the castle. I’ll call Mum and ask her to take my morning class.” Her voice shook just enough that Aubrey gave her a concerned look.

They rode in tense silence, the quiet of the night pressing in around them. The rhythmic hum of the tires on the road was oddly comforting. When they finally turned onto the estate’s long drive, Erin exhaled, her shoulders easing as Ashcraig Hall, a beautiful stone home, came into view.