The bridge is another sign of human existence. The only problem is it doesn’t look as if anyone has crossed it in hundreds of years. Clearly it was once a track of some sort, there’s an underlying sturdiness that suggests a dirt road. Now mother nature has reclaimed it, saplings growing on top of the bridge as well as under. A sign of how long the roots have been able to plant themselves.
“It looks safe enough to cross,” James says, leading the way.
It’s wide enough that it was probably designed for carriages. I trust it was once able to hold the weight of horses and therefore is capable of carrying two humans. However, my faith in there being a fully functioning castle hotel is diminished. I’m about to vocalise this to James, but he walks steadily on ahead with a sense of purpose.
As the castle finally comes into view, my heart drops like an anchor thrown from a ship. It’s a total ruin, complete with toppled turrets and massive gaping holes. It’s surrounded by thick forest, eagerly encroaching on the structure, more unruly saplings and weeds claw back the space, claiming what was once theirs. Even if it was hundreds of years ago.
“This would’ve been a home,” James says, peering up at the slanted tops.
“What makes you say that?”
“There’s no moat. It’s not a hill fort. There are practically zero safety measures. Looks like they have some arrow slits in that tower over there, but this forest is ancient. No way they would’ve used this for battle. It was someone’s home. Or maybe a hunting lodge.”
“How do you know that?”
James shrugs. “I read quite a lot of medieval history books as a teenager. Believe it or not, but I may have been a bit of a nerd back then. Now I mostly watch historical documentaries instead.”
I nod, listening. It’s good to know he’s got other interests outside of work. That he’s a whole human being. James ventures further into the ruins, touching the walls as he goes. Ivy hangs down from what looks like a collapsed second floor. “Be careful,” I say. Who knows when a wall might fall on top of him when he’s that close.
“Don’t pretend you care about me now, Felicity,” he says in jest.
Oh, crap. Yes, caring about James all of a sudden would be a real one-eighty. Most importantly, we can’t let Michael think his insane task succeeded. “Just don’t fancy being left with a dead body in a rural, creepy-arse, derelict castle,” I shout at his disappearing back. “Seriously? You’re abandoning me?”
He doesn’t reply, fading in between the walls. I hug myself, a dreary dread pouring through me. A gust of wind pushes through the dense, dark trees surrounding us. They’re so close together you can see the spider webs intertwined. They creak as they sway, branches colliding in an ominous crackling. I shudder. I have no choice but to follow him in.
I take tentative steps towards the “home” as James called it, listening out for his footsteps whilst also hoping any long-ago residents aren’t still occupying the halls. It’s not a huge castle. It sort of reminds me of where Drew Barrymore’s character inEver Afterwould meet the prince. All hanging ivy, gorgeous shadows and that real rich unknown history charming the walls. So much so, as I walk under an archway, stepping down into what must have been one of the old rooms, I disturb a flutter of small white butterflies. They surround me, lifting up into the rafters. I stop, mesmerised.
“James?” I call out.
My body is tense in here on my own. Has he come this way, or not? My imagination is running away with me, seeing things I’m not really seeing. The shapes of trees swaying through gaps startle me, playing tricks on my mind. The call of an animal nearby has me freezing with fear. Are there predators out here? I’m pretty sure they culled wolves from the Scottish landscape some time ago but now I’m worried I got that snippet of information wrong.
I wait, standing stock still, but I don’t hear so much as a twig snap under James’ shoe. Has he already fallen down a hole or been crushed by something? My lungs accelerate as I move to search harder, quicker, spinning under more archways, up and down unstable steps, into courtyards and through pitch-black tunnels.
I stop when I see a stained-glass window of greens, blues and purples still enclosed perfectly in its frame, the outer wall completely gone. A man and woman, embracing passionately, stare back at me, as if I’m intruding on their intimate moment.
That’s when something touches me from behind and my heart explodes. I spin on the attacker, launching myself backwards with a high-pitched scream.
Instantly, the attacker stops, crunching over with laughter.
Gloatman.
“Arsehole! You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack!”
This only makes him laugh harder. Big, gulping belly laughs.
“You’re such a shit. Honestly.” I hold a hand over my recovering heart. His laughter, despite being irritating as hell, starts to rub off on me and I find myself smiling like an idiot. “What happened to the flippin’ castle hotel thing, hey? Can I say I told—”
“Don’t!” James says, straightening up to his full height again and giving me a daring grin. His eyes connect with mine, the fire between us fuelling up for a fight or… I don’t know. Just fuelling. “Don’t youdaresay it,” he breathes, our faces so close now that I can see the flecks of gold in his irises.
“But I did te—” I start to say as James’ lips collide with mine.
Chapter Fourteen
His large hand curls around the side of my chin and cheek, fingers lacing through the knotted hair at the top of my neck. Tingles surface on my skin everywhere he touches, sprinting downwards to inappropriate places. He kisses me hard, as if he’s been starved all day and I’m the only thing that can replenish him. His lips push against mine as he steps into my body, my back butting up against a cold wall.
I’m in shock.
Gloatman is kissing me. Me.Oh my god! Gloatman is kissing me!James Gloatman. And I’m doing absolutely nothing about it.
