Page 34 of Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
Cracks have formed.The veil thins.She is the key, though she does not know it.Spirits awakened.And now…it is too late.If she finds this, it means I’ve failed to keep her safe.
There were no more entries.
Her breath hung in a pale cloud as she snapped the book closed and pushed it beneath the bed.She stumbled toward the open bedroom door, when the whisper brushed against her ears.
Now you see.Now you know.Nevermore.
Victoria fled.
Chapter 14
Herpulsethunderedasshe sprinted from the room.Her skirts tangled around her legs making her stumble as she barreled through the door, realizing moments after entering the hall she’d left his bedroom door open.If she left it open, he wouldknow, he wouldsee.She spun back, breath ragged, and pulled it closed.
It was impossible to forget the whisper of words near her ear.The way it clung to her like frost on a brittle morning.Even as she fled, the air felt colder.Heavy.Aware.
Her feet carried her down the stairs, her shoe slipping on one of the treads.She stopped herself from falling by gripping the banister and halted there in the middle of the staircase.She pressed a hand against her fluttering heart, willing it to slow as she inhaled, exhaled deep breaths.But it didn’t help, and the fear was still there, pulsing through her.
The frigid air, it seemed, chased her down the stairs.
She started again, not knowing where she was going.Only that she had to get out.Down the stairs, into the light.Away from the dark.The shadows.Thedeath.
At the bottom of the stairs, she saw the front door open to the early afternoon light.It was raining again.The stoop and beyond glistened with the delicate drops of rain.It dropped off the eaves of the manor house, its rhythmic sound normally smoothing.
Just beyond the door, Gabriel emerged from the garden into the pale afternoon light.His coat was dotted with rain.His hair flattened by the drizzle.In one hand, he carried a jagged piece of broken glass from the greenhouse.In the other, a lantern glowing faintly against the gray afternoon.He looked up as she burst from the door and stumbled into the drizzle.She tripped over her skirt, losing her balance and starting to pitch forward.
“Victoria!”
He dropped the shard of glass and lantern and lunged for her.He caught her, his arms encircling her with startling swiftness.She fell against him, grateful for his warmth, his presence, his everything.She grabbed his coat in her fist, crushing the material in her trembling fingers and pressed her head against his chest, just under his chin.He clutched her, holding her, wrapping his arms around her.
As if he knew what she needed.As if he understood what she’d experienced.
“Something happened,” he said.His voice was low, taut, full of tension against her ear.As though seeing her this way—frightened, shaking—unraveled something inside him.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the words, the feeling, the terror shifting through her.
“Tell me,” he said, more gently this time.
“I…I heard her.She spoke to me.”
He stiffened against her.“I think we better go inside.”
She shoved out of his embrace and stumbled backward.“No.I don’t want to go inside.”Her hands fisted at her sides.
He bent to pick up the discarded piece of glass and lantern.“Come inside, Victoria.”His voice was low, stern.His expression was guarded.
Gabriel didn’t wait for an answer as he headed inside the manor, his feet leaving muddy footprints on the floor and his clothes dripping rainwater in tiny circles.She remained where she was a moment longer, her hands still fisted, as the drizzle coated her from head to toe.Somehow, that didn’t matter much.
But if she wanted answers, she had to follow him inside.
Swallowing hard, she stepped back into the manor, closing the door behind her and sealing them inside a deathly silence.
She heard Gabriel rattling around in the kitchen—muffled noises from dishes clanking.Her body was rigid as she started to shiver, the cold seeping into her damp gown.She clutched her elbows, trying to ward off the shivering, but she was chilled to the bone.
Gabriel emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with a teapot, cups, and scones.He paused there a moment, their eyes meeting.His face was still devoid of emotion.
“Come to the sitting room,” he said.
Without waiting for an answer, he headed down the hall, shadows trailing after him.A violent shudder went through her as she forced her feet to follow him.
