Only it means leaving the door and right now I’m watching the latch slowly rise.
Someone is outside. Someone is trying the door. The way my heart bangs in my chest, I can’t imagine it’s a hopeful customer.
The latch lowers with equal slowness. I listen intently, hoping to hear footsteps moving away. But there’s nothing except silence.
Until something hits the solid wood door with incredible force, causing me to leap backwards in alarm and the area around the lock to splinter.
I swear as I hit a sideboard with my hip, hard enough I know it’ll cause a bruise.
The body, or whatever it is, slams into the door again and the wood splinters further. This time, I hear a snarl.
Is this really what’s been bothering me all day? That I’m being watched by a monster who has taken a dislike to my sticky buns? And who is willing to batter down a door to get to me?
I choke out a laugh at the absurdity of it all and also expecting whatever it is outside to burst through any second.
But this time, rather than a bang, there is a whimper. The sound of something wet and then…nothing.
I wait what seems like hours but is probably only a minute before reaching for the latch and undoing the lock. The door swings inwards towards me, unhappy with the damage caused to its hinges.
Outside there is, predictably, nothing. No indication there was ever anything out there at all, save for the damage.
“Kaitlyn?” Gloriana weaves towards me.
It would appear her supplier did keep a good cellar. Her basket clinks with bottles and her nose is rather red.
“Oh, er, hi?”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. One minute someone was knocking, the next this happened.”
Yes, it’s not the entire truth, but what else can I say? I think the unknown thing which has been watching me decided to get in then changed its mind?
“Ugh!” She drops her head back. “Probably a Caedmon. They can get a bit overexcited before a full moon.”
“A what?” I query as she walks past me into the bakery and I have a quick check out into the back lane which is decidedly empty.
“A Caedmon. Shadow spirits. They’re harmless, mostly.” She sits herself down next to the range and pulls a bottle, along with two glasses, out of her basket. “Can get a bit frisky around the full moon. They’re mostly looking for warmth which is why it might have been trying to get in here.”
While she has tamped down the bread ovens, we tend to keep them going all the time, meaning the bakery always has a certain heat level. I stare at the ovens through the doorway into the prep area.
“I suppose.”
Gloriana flaps a slightly inebriated hand at me. “Don’t worry yourself. There’s plenty you’ve yet to encounter in the Yeavering, and most of it is benign. Come have a drink.”
I close the door into the lane and turn the lock. It’s all working, albeit a little stiffly. I have significant doubts it was a benign spirit attempting to find somewhere comfortable to spend the night. But Gloriana is the witch, and she knows everything.
I join her at the hearth and accept a glass of ruby red wine.
“I’m guessing your not-date went well?” I query.
“Let’s just say, we’ll not be going short on our sugar supplies again.” Gloriana gives me the biggest, filthiest wink I think I’ve ever seen. “He’s had enough of Gloriana to ensure we always get the best.”
“That’s good to know,” I say, still unable to shake the feeling from earlier.
Whatever it was outside, it wanted something other than warmth. It was determined, and if it’s related to my feeling of being watched, I can’t imagine anything good is going to come of it.
LINTON
