Page 55 of Hold a Candle

“I’m going to shake that kid senseless,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “How dare he come here with something nefarious in mind.”

“We don’t know what it is yet,” he reminded her.

“It’s something,” she pointed out. “That makes it nefarious, and in my book, he needs his arse kicked up between his shoulders.”

“Is that yer cop’s book? Or yer mother’s book?”

Pauley didn’t answer, she just stiffened suddenly and her gaze swiveled in the direction of Kelly Woods. She and Jamie heard it at the same time, an urgent command on the wind and in their ears.

“Run for the barn.”

“Run,” Jamie and Pauley yelled simultaneously as he grabbed her hand and they sped on winged feet towards the barn. Something pinged the horseshoe above Luca’s head as he hurried the last few steps towards the barn.

“Get inside now,” Darro ordered as he waved them in, followed, and shut the barn door. Three adults and three young men stood panting and staring at one another.

“W-what just happened?” Luca gasped.

“D-didn’t ye hear it?” Pauley exclaimed, her face pale and her brown eyes huge.

Jamie nodded. “Aye, I heard it.”

“Heard what?” Dal stared at them, his eyes huge and his blond hair practically standing on end.

“Someone told us to run,” Jamie replied, staring at Pauley.

“W-We only heard ye two yell,” Belton croaked, his arms full of goosebumps, his face white against his bright red hair.

“Someone told us to run,” Pauley insisted.

Jamie could feel his skin crawling as he looked around. Who had told them to run?

“The only thing I heard was ye two yell, and then the gunshot knocking off the horseshoe over the barn door. It came from the direction of Kelly Woods,” Darro snapped.

Suddenly the barn door pushed open and they could all hear the screaming coming from the woods on the gush of wind as it pushed through the barn and out the other side. The swirling, surging, unearthly screams died when the burst of wind was gone. The candles flickering inside the pumpkins and turnips didn’t go out though, and the instant silence was more eerie than the banshee screams. The eerie flames through the eye sockets of the carved vegetables only added to the spooky atmosphere enveloping them.

“What the hell was that?” Darro thundered, his fingers trembling slightly as he ran them through his dark hair. Beside him, Bo and Misty were growling softly, their tails tucked between their legs and their ears lying flat on their head. They circled him cautiously in protective mode.

Jamie had never seen the confident lord look so shaken before. He was pretty sure he looked just as bad, although the experience with his dead brother gave him something to compare this experience to.

“Maybe it was G-Gramma Caulfield?” Luca offered, the whites of his eyes glowing in the dimness.

Darro glared at Belton. “Just what is it ye were supposed to do here?” he barked. “Speak up! I want answers!”

Belton was so white Jamie thought he might faint.

“I-I was supposed to get Luca to escape with me into Kelly Woods. I didn’t want to, b-but I didn’t know what else to do when she was watching me, so I-I climbed into the truck and hid like I was told. I thought once I got to Neamh, maybe I could find a way to save Luca,” he blubbered, snot running down his upper lip.

“Who isshe?” Pauley snapped.

“I-I don’t know, she wore a mask,” Belton whined. “S-She said she was sent by Gravedigger to give me my orders. I’ve never seen her before today. M-most everyone at the festival was wearing masks.”

“Did this Gravedigger have a mask?” Pauley barked.

“Nay. I-I’ve seen him around before, but I don’t know if I’d know him in his real identity. He always wears weird make-up and changes his hair color. And he is always dressed in black. He’s the one with the contract on Luca.” Then Belton’s face crumpled and he sobbed. “H-He made me watch while he shot Leonard Searcy, then told me that’s what would happen to my mum and sister if I failed to get Luca into the woods tonight. H-He’ll be looking for me now too.”

Jamie started. “Brodie’s dead?” he asked in disbelief. “Where did he shoot him?”

“Who’s Brodie?” Belton asked, his eyes still frantically searching the shadowy corners, his hands shaking.

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