She sniffed and I braced myself for another of her hacking coughs. ‘I know there is something bigger than us going on out there. Evelyn was part of it. You are, too. Offering a little help when I can … It’s the least I can do. But I recommend staying hidden, unless you want to be dealing with small-town gossip.’
That was definitely something we didn’t want. We thanked Merri and set off to find Evelyn’s safe-house.
The map was easy to follow and ten minutes later we were on the dirt road Merri had described. And, just like she’d explained, the road finished abruptly at the edge of the river, as if it had no real purpose. Lincoln pulled over and we stared into the forest surrounding us.
What now?
It was early morning. Birds were going nuts chirping in the trees, their songs sounding practised and regimented. The sun was now up, the sky pink with the promise of a clear day ahead. Frustrated, I got out of the car, slammed the door and started pacing aimlessly.
Unlike me, Lincoln radiated composure, even though he’d had just as little shut-eye over the past twenty-four hours. He stood at the hood of the car, breathing deeply. He looked around slowly, purposefully, eventually pointing towards a clearing at the river’s edge.
‘There,’ he said.
‘What?’ I snapped, all patience gone.
Lincoln looked at me as I seethed and nodded back in the direction he’d just pointed, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips as he registered my hands-on-hips pose.
‘You didn’t really think it would be that easy to find, did you? I looked up Evelyn and Jonathan’s documented histories at the Academy. Jonathan was one of the most powerful glamour-wielders of all time. It’s amazing,’ he marvelled, looking back at the cleared area. ‘It’s as if he left a piece of himself here. Even now, so many years after his death, his glamour still holds.’
Exhaustion was getting the better of me and I groaned, not seeing what Lincoln did. Everything seemed impossible right now and this, yet another test … It wasn’t fair.
‘Vi.’
Honey and cream.
Lincoln’s voice was calm, soothing and powerful all at once. ‘Concentrate.’
I shook my head and let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Damn. I need coffee.’ Merri’s tea really hadn’t hit the spot.
Lincoln chuckled, and the warm sound snuck its way into me.
Stupid, distracting laugh.
I didn’t want to be eased. I wanted to be in panic mode. But I was defenceless against the way my heart beat for him, as my soul splintered with the physical pain of its unmet demands.
I took a deep breath. Lincoln waited calmly as I shook out my hands, regained my focus and directed it to the clearing by the water that he’d pointed out.
The glamour took longer to peel back than most and felt like pulling taffy away from a wall. But once I had a grasp on it, I kept going moving it away from the ground and up, eventually unveiling a white wooden cabin with heavy shutters over the windows and a verandah sweeping around all sides.
‘Oh,’ I said, mesmerised. I had never imagined Evelyn living somewhere like this. It was beautiful. Peaceful. Quiet.
‘Looks like Lilith wasn’t the only one who took a shine to this area,’ said Lincoln, watching me rather than the cabin.
‘Hmm,’ I responded absently, already on the move, drawn towards the front door.
The verandah and the outside of the house were in remarkably good shape considering its abandonment. I looked around, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
‘How?’ I asked.
Lincoln was equally spellbound, running a hand over the wooden railings and the paintwork, neither of which were nearly as chipped away as time usually demanded. He scuffed a foot along the decking, which was covered in a thick layer of dust but was otherwise untouched.
‘Incredible,’ he said. ‘Jonathan must’ve found a way to manipulate his glamour to shield the place from the elements. It’s as if … As if what is hidden under the glamour is protected indefinitely somehow.’
I pulled out the large iron key Merri had given us – like something from a fairy tale with its filigree design – and slid it into the lock. It all felt so surreal.
We opened the door and Lincoln entered, defensively. I followed, knowing we couldn’t take our safety for granted. Evelyn hadn’t mentioned any booby traps, but that didn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared. Dust covered the floors and furniture, which had been draped in old sheets. I guessed she’d known she wouldn’t be back for a long time.
Once we had passed through the main room – clearing it and the kitchen – we moved upstairs to the two bedrooms and bathroom. They were clear, too, and there were no obvious hiding places to check for nasty surprises.
We headed back downstairs and towards the basement next. It was locked tight, its door looking like the sturdiest feature in the cabin. We both put our ears against it to hear for any signs of activity but, like the rest of the house, the dust here was undisturbed and looked as though it had not been touched for many years.