Authors: Nina Bangs
How did you measure the length of a day? As Ally sat on the rock wall watching night creep up the sides of the old keep, she decided today had been the longest day of her life.
She'd left Brian sleeping in the early hours of dawn and crept back to her wagon. She didn't wake him because she hadn't a clue what to say that wouldn't involve “I love you.” When he left, she didn't want his final impression of 2002 to be her clinging frantically to his ankle, begging him to stay. And the more time she spent with him, the likelier that scenario would be.
He hadn't approached her today, but she'd caught him watching her, his expression brooding. Good. She hated suffering alone.
Ally watched Claudia poking around the keep in the fading light. The old building sure obsessed
Claudia. But Ally couldn't criticize when the keep's owner obsessed her.
She forgot about Claudia as Katy wandered over. Katy had given Ally her space today, and Ally was grateful.
“I'm getting all my gear together and going down to that walled-up room as soon as it's dark enough.” Katy's expression said the only way Ally could keep her from the room was by tying her hand and foot. “That room is my best chance of seeing some spirits in this blasted place. I'll tell you I'm a disappointed woman right now. If this doesn't pan out, we may as well leave.” She cast Ally a searching look. “Whenever you're ready.”
She'd never be ready to leave. Not until the moment Brian faded into the future. Then she'd leave Ireland and never return because seeing this place again with Brian not here would destroy her. Okay, maybe when she was eighty years old and living in her memories, she'd make one last visit.
Ally forced her attention back to Katy. “I'll go down with you.” She met Katy's gaze and knew her great-aunt recognized the O'Neill stubbornness in her grandniece.
Katy only nodded, then headed back to the wagon. Ally hoped a kind spirit or fairy would appear for Katy. All the technology Katy had stored in her fisherman's vest shouldn't go to waste. And the truth was that Ally wanted Katy to go home happy.
Katy had barely disappeared into the wagon
when Cap sat down on the wall beside Ally.
Ally smiled at him. “What's the matter, Cap? I haven't seen a potion in a couple of days. Running out of recipes?”
He cast her a sly glance. “I only tried one recipe.”
“But you said . . .”
“I lied.”
“Then the other things you sent, the coffee and juice . . . ?”
He grinned. “Nothing in them. Placebos. I was counting on the power of suggestion.”
Ally felt no surprise, only relief. Every bit of emotion she'd experienced, every bit of the love she'd felt, had been hers alone. “Why'd you give up so easily?”
His smile faded. “I didn't need any potions. Love didn't need any prodding with you and Brian. I only hope he makes the right decision.”
She couldn't miss the sympathy in his gaze as he stood and headed toward his shelter.
Ally sighed as Nebula headed her way. It seemed if you sat on a rock wall in Ireland long enough, the whole world came to you.
Nebula didn't sit. She probably considered sitting a weakness. “Did the exercises I showed you help last night?”
“What?”
Nebula's expression suggested she was speaking to a slightly dense child. “Did you have enhanced lower-body control in your sexual encounter with Brian?”
“How did you know?” Suspicion flared.
Nebula's glance was dismissive. “Brian has achieved great control of his body, but his face hides nothing.” She shrugged. “His feelings are plain to see for someone with heightened sensitivity.”
Heightened sensitivity? Ally didn't think so. Emotions would bounce right off Nebula's “more than a woman” superiority like pingpong balls off a steel wall.
“What
are
his feelings?” She shouldn't play into Nebula's need to expound on her many talents, but she needed to know.
Nebula smiled. A real smile.
For the first time, Ally looked beyond Nebula's overbearing exterior and saw the woman within.
“He loves you.”
Did he? Ally wanted to believe it, but she had doubts about Nebula's qualifications in the recognizing-undying-love department. “Were you ever in love?”
Nebula's smile faded. “Yes.” She looked uncertain.
Ally checked to make sure her jaw hadn't dropped. Nebula with doubts? Amazing.
Nebula's gaze shifted away from Ally. “He was very . . . short. He had superior intelligence, but his body lacked overall tone. He was . . . flabby.”
Flabby.
It amazed Ally that Nebula even managed to get the word past her lips. Nebula's shallowness in the understanding-love area boggled
Ally's mind. “Too bad. Guess he'd never make more-than-a-man status.”
Nebula's expression turned defensive. “I asked him to strengthen himself for me, but he said I must accept him as he was.”
Ally got the picture. “I bet you didn't ask. I bet you demanded.”
“Perhaps.” Nebula still avoided her gaze.
“Has being more than a woman made you happy, Nebula? Has being
alone
made you happy?”
Nebula finally met her gaze. “No.”
Ally smiled. “I'm going to share a hard-learned truth with you. It doesn't matter whether he's perfect, if he's perfect for
you.
So I'd suggest you find your short flabby lover and give him a big hug.” She glanced at Nebula's massive arms. “Well, maybe not so big.”
Nebula nodded. “I accept the advice of one who is alsoâ” she smiled at Allyâ“more than a woman.” She turned and strode away.
More than a woman? Ally could grow into that title.
Darkness now enveloped the keep, making it no more than a black silhouette. The waves were muted thunder, and Ally shivered. No moon or stars tonight. A cold wind hinted at rain.
Tonight in the great hall, the keep's ancient tragedy would live again. And Ally knew it would bear no resemblance to the moonlit memory of last night.
Tonight she and Katy would visit a different
part of the keep, with a no less bloody inheritance. With Ally's luck, she'd be left fighting off hundreds of tortured spirits, while Katy fiddled with her latest technical equipment and saw zip.
Ally sighed. May as well get it over with.
She'd just pushed herself off the wall when she heard the unmistakable sounds of Eamonn Clancy's donkey cart drawing near. The creaky wheels and plodding hooves of the donkey grew louder until the cart materialized out of the darkness. Eamonn reined the donkey to a halt and waited for Ally to reach him.
Ally stopped beside the cart. “There's no moon, and it feels like rain. They'll drag Bridget's body from the great hall again tonight, won't they?”
Eamonn nodded, but didn't speak.
“Why did you come tonight, Eamonn?” Ally decided the old man was as obsessed with the keep as Claudia.
“Something will happen this night.” He turned a confused gaze on her. “I was called.”
Called? Like on the phone? Ally had no chance to question Eamonn before he spoke.
“Stay away from the keep.” He turned his gaze back to the old building.
“Why?” Great. He was creeping her out.
Eamonn shook his head. “I do not know.”
“Hey, that's a good enough reason for me.”
He didn't smile and his gaze grew distant. Ally sensed he was alone with his memories.
“Fillean meal ar an meallaire.”
He stared at her,
through
her.
“If you say so.” Eamonn made her want to run back to the wagon, jump into bed, and pull the covers over her head. She straightened her shoulders. The old man's cryptic words wouldn't intimidate her.
Eamonn smiled, his gaze once again recognizing her presence. “It be an old Gaelic saying. âEvil returns to the evildoer.' Much that be evil still dwells here. The evil will leave this night.”
“How do you know?”
He shrugged.
“Fine.” Okay, this wasn't so bad. If the evil left, it would be a good thing, wouldn't it? But logic didn't work with her brain still on scary alert. “Guess I'll be going. I have to get Katy so we can explore that room beneath the keep. Katy's determined to see a fairy or ghost.” She sighed. “I appreciate your warning, but when Katy sets her mind on something, there's no stopping her.”
He'd turned his gaze back to the keep, and Ally sensed his attention had drifted again.
“Ye'll do what ye must.”
How encouraging was
that?
He could have at least offered her a hearty “Good luck” in parting.
Busy thinking about Eamonn's strange behavior, Ally didn't realize Katy was sitting on the wagon seat waiting for her until her great-aunt spoke.
“I'm loaded for bear tonight. Pulled out all the stops.” Katy handed Ally her fisherman's vest. “Here, you check as I go through my equipment list.”
Ally almost dropped the vest. Talk about heavy. Katy would need help getting back up the keep steps. Ally set the vest on the stone wall beside the wagon. “Sure you didn't forget something?”
“Cut the sarcasm.” Katy glared at her. “Start checking.”
Ally smiled down at the bulging vest. Black. Everything Katy had on tonight was black. Katy used to tell Ally about a program she listened to on radio years ago.
The Shadow.
Tonight Katy would be The Shadow.
“Electromagnetic meter. Raytek Mini Temp to measure temperature changes. Still camera. Camcorder.” Katy paused for breath. “Digital voice recorder and . . .” She touched her head. “Spelunkers headlight.”
“All here.” Ally didn't for a minute think Katy would use any of this stuff. If she did see a ghost or fairy, she'd be so excited she'd forget what was in each pocket.
Katy shrugged into the vest, turned on her Spelunkers Headlight, and trudged toward the keep. “Think Brian might want to come along? I wouldn't invite anyone else. Spirits don't like too many people.” She cast Ally a critical glance. “Wish you'd wear more black.”
No. Ally wasn't ready to face Brian yet. “He's been in his shelter most of the day. I don't want to bother him.”
Katy nodded. Thank heavens she was too fixed on her coming adventure to question Brian's nonappearance.
As they reached the stone steps, Ally stopped to stare. “Someone moved the pallet.”
“I did. I moved it aside this afternoon so I wouldn't have to mess with it tonight.” Katy started down the steps.
“Wait. A little caution is in order here.” Ally stopped on the second step.
“Why?” Katy turned her head, catching Ally in the glare of her headlight. “We know it's just an old room down there. I want to see those spirits.” Determined, she continued down the steps.
“Wait. I just talked to Eamonn Clancy. He said to stay away from the keep.”
Katy paused. “Did he give a reason?”
“Not exactly. But he seemed pretty sure something would happen tonight.”
“Good. I've waited too long already for something to happen.” Once again, she started down the steps. “Let's do it.”
Not willing to allow Katy to go it alone, Ally reluctantly followed her.
They stopped at the foot of the steps, and Ally shivered. The room smelled of damp stone and earth. The smell of . . . No. She wouldn't go there. But her writer's imagination was already there and enthusiastically drawing its own conclusion: the smell of death.
“Smells a little musty down here.”
Katy Gallagher, queen of understatement.
“Musty. Right.” Ally rubbed her arms in an unsuccessful attempt to soothe her goose bumps.
But her goose bumps were no fools. They knew what they knew.
Katy turned in a slow circle, exposing the ancient stone walls to the glare of her headlight. Damp wall, damp wall, Claudia aiming a gun at them, damp wall . . .
Whoa! Katy backtracked and spotlighted the gun in her headlight's shaky circle of light.
“Claudia? What . . . ?” Ally fought to swallow the boulder lodged in her throat.
“Uh-uh.” Claudia shook her head. “I'm Erica today.”
Erica.
Ally allowed a cold, ugly possibility to take shape, become solid. “Dave said you had long dark hair. You cut and colored it. Why?”
Erica shrugged. “I have a different color for every occasion.” She smiled. “Red's my killing color.”
“I don't understand. What's she talking about, Ally?” Katy's voice was scared and uncertain.
Katy's fear fueled Ally's anger, her protective instinct. Erica wouldn't get Katy. She started to push her great-aunt toward the steps.
Erica laughed. “Wouldn't do that, Ally. I can shoot both of you before you take three steps.” She gestured with the gun. “Move over by that wall.”
Ally tried to remain calm, to assess the situation, but the frantic pounding of her heart canceled logical reasoning. She needed to keep Erica talking until she could decide what to do.
Ally moved to where Erica had indicated, pulling
a strangely quiet Katy with her. Erica then shifted her position to a spot that not only gave her a clear view of the steps, but cut off Ally's escape.
“What's this all about, Erica?” Ally clasped Katy's cold hand in her own.
“It's about Dave. I got sick of hearing what a perfect wife you'd been, so I decided to remove all that perfection. After you're gone, he'll forget about you.”
“If he doesn't?” Ally wasn't sure she wanted to know, but she needed to say something.
“I'll
make
him forget.” Erica's smile no longer looked young and perky. “Out of sight, out of mind. Isn't that how it goes?”
Ally felt Katy stir beside her.
Don't say anything, Katy.
But getting Katy to keep quiet was like holding back the sea.
“A trashy woman's like one of those black widow spiders. Looks intriguing sitting in a dark corner of the barn, but when a fly flits up to take a closer look at her, he finds out he messed up big time.” Katy glanced around hopefully. “Where's an exterminator when you need one?”