The stag bowed toward her, lifted its head, and sprinted back into the forest, leaving Nora and Lochland atop the hill, looking over the valley below, alone once again.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Descent
As Nora awaited Alistair’s return, her mind raced with all the strange events that had unfolded since she arrived in Scotland. She had left her comfortable, predictable home in Vermont less than a week ago, but it felt more like a lifetime. Something had shifted within her, though she couldn’t quite grasp what it was. She knew it was there, stirring just beneath the surface, tantalizingly out of reach.
She thought back to the letter Colin had written Marjorie about the book and the curse attached to it. The further she read, the more unusual things became. The real-life events that paralleled the book could have been dismissed as coincidences at first, but then there was the dream, the fire, the odd flashes of memory, and the earthquake, which made her question everything.She glanced back over her shoulder toward the forest. Had she actually caused the ground to shake, or was that merely another peculiar coincidence? She couldn’t ignore that all these bizarre occurrences began after she bought that book; perhaps it really was cursed.
As the sun dipped below the mountain behind her, cloaking the world in the first layer of twilight, the cold grew more intense. The chill from the setting sun pierced through her clothing, prompting Nora to pull her arms in close, trying to conserve warmth. Lochland felt the biting air as well and jumped onto her lap, curling up to help keep them both warm.
After a little more than a half hour, Alistair returned. Lochland emitted a low growl as he approached pulling two empty sleds behind him. “Hey now, I thought we were friends,” he joked with the dog. “How’s your ankle?” he asked, slightly winded, as he stopped beside Nora.
She attempted to rotate her foot, but the movement caused her to wince. “I’m afraid it’s not much better.”
“No worries. I will get you down this hill one way or another. One of the other cabins had another sled. We’ll use this one to get you down the hill and the other for extra wood. A few more big pieces and we’ll have enough for our cottage and Betty’s cabin until morning,” Alistair explained, his breath visible in the chilly air.
He made his way back to the pine tree to load the extra wood into the second sled. The sky grew darker, and another layer of twilight descended swiftly, leaving Nora with an unsettling feeling. She glanced over her shoulder into the woods, a deep unease settling heavily within her. Whatever lay hidden within those trees stirred a deep sense of foreboding within her.
“Okay, wood is strapped and loaded. Let’s pray it makes itwithout going off course,” Alistair announced as he positioned the sled on the edge of the hill, setting it in the path he had cleared with the previous load of wood. Teetering the sled on the brink, he gave it a gentle push and held his breath until it slid perfectly to the field just above the cottage, slowing gently to a stop.
“Now our turn,” he said, pulling their sled to the edge of the hill. With care, he helped Nora off the rock and into the sled, ensuring her injured foot stayed clear of the sled’s edge. Settling in behind her, he encircled her with his arms. Nora’s heart raced at their closeness, a familiar sensation from the night he kissed her, but now she sensed something deeper, a connection that was more than mere passion, evoking a rapid heartbeat calling out for something forgotten.
“Grab hold of the strings,” he instructed, drawing her back from her thoughts.
“I know how to do this, from Vermont. Remember?” she quipped, taking hold of the strings. Alistair smiled and then maneuvered his leg out of the sled, kicking into the snow to propel them forward toward the edge.
As they perched at the edge, ready to descend, Nora felt a rush of excitement and fear, mirroring how she felt currently in her life. When the sled finally tipped over the edge and began its descent, Alistair held her tightly, sheltering her as they raced down the mountain, Lochland bounding behind them. The wispy snow kicked back in their faces, the wind reddening their cheeks and noses. As they sped down the hill, Nora giggled and caught a wide smile on Alistair’s face when she glanced back at him. She felt like a child—carefree and present. She wished she could bottle up that feeling and take sips whenever life became challenging.
As they slowed down and came to a stop near the bottom of the field, Lochland caught up and ran circles around them, as ifpleading to do it again. Alistair stood and walked to the front of the sled, grabbing the rope. “My lady,” he said, bowing before pulling her toward the cottage.
“Faster, my gallant steed! Your lady’s toes are in need of warmth and her belly food,” she joked in a bad English accent.
He turned, raising his eyebrows and gave her a playful smirk. As if they had known each other far longer than the few days they had spent in the cottage, a newfound familiarity intermingled between them. Nora had tried to avoid him at first, but now she felt drawn to him and found herself enjoying his company. She felt a sense of trust with him and yearned to share all the strange events that had unfolded since she acquired the little red book. Yet, she feared he might think her mad, and she wasn’t ready to take that chance just yet.
By the time Alistair had helped her into the cottage, twilight had given way to the night’s embrace. He assisted her to the sofa and then retrieved the candles from the kitchen island.
“I’m gonna stack the firewood under the eaves in the back, then head over to check on Betty,” he said, lighting the candles and placing them on the coffee table in front of her. “Do you need anything before I go?”
“No, I’m fine, but you might want to grab the flashlight on my nightstand,” she suggested.
“Aye,” he acknowledged.
Nora watched him ascend the stairs and return with the flashlight before heading out into the chilly night air. Once he was gone, she turned her focus back to the little red book resting before her. A sense of dread fell over her. This thing seemed more predictable than her daily horoscope. If the book truly was cursed and linked her to Cora somehow, she needed to know what camenext, to finish it so she might understand the curse better and what it entailed.
Picking up the little red book, Nora strained to make out the words in the candlelight. She felt certain that what lay ahead in the story wouldn’t be as happy and joyous as the previous chapter. Nora hesitated, wondering what that could mean for her own future.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Icy Illusions
The following morning greeted me with the biting cold of winter, seeping into my bones. Sitting up, I found myself alone within the ancient stone walls of the ruin, the fire reduced to mere smoldering embers. Wrapping the blanket tightly around my shoulders, I gingerly rose, my injured ankle protesting with every movement. I limped my way to the doorway, pushing aside the pine boughs to behold the world beyond, bathed in the soft amber glow of the rising sun.
The horse stood tethered to the post, but James was absent. A surge of panic gripped me, prompting me to step out into the deep snow that had accumulated overnight. I found a solitary set of footprints leading away from the loch to a thicket of trees atop a small hill overlooking the ruin. James was nowhere in sight. I turned back toward the ruin, the chill of the snow creeping into my boots, numbing my toes.
Determined to ward off the cold, I gathered the last remnants of kindling beneath the pine boughs and placed them atop the pile of smoldering embers, but the logs did not catch fire. I bent down, and as if by instinct, grabbed the end of one of the branches. I felt an energy surge from my core down my arm to the tips of my fingers. A sudden burst of light flashed, and the flames flickered back to life. It seemed my powers went beyond controlling the weather, I mused to myself as I hovered over the flames, allowing their warmth to thaw my chilled hands and feet. The comforting embrace of the fire sparked memories of my night spent with James, warming me from within even as the frigid winter cold still held me in its grip.
I blushed at the memory of our bodies entwined, reliving the sheer delight of moments we had shared. The magic of the night had woven our souls together, filling my heart to the brim with love so profound it threatened to overwhelm me. I was lost in reverie; James’s return interrupted my thoughts when he entered the ruin, a rabbit in hand.
