Page 37 of The Snow Witch

Violet was silent, thinking about it all. She needed to stop thinking about it, or she’d spiral. She unlocked the car and they got in.

‘Whatever it was, I’m bloody glad to be out of there.’

‘Me too,’ said Jake. ‘I’m glad you’re out of there as well.’

* * *

Jake glanced at Violet’s profile. Her lips were set and her chin looked stubborn. It was, oddly, a look he’d always found attractive on her.

He dipped his head and hid a smile. It didn’t look like he was getting much conversation from her on the short journey back. But soon, they arrived at Chesters and she turned in, pulling up beside his van.

‘Thanks for today anyway, Jake,’ she said wryly. ‘Well, for this afternoon, and shoving my bum up those ladders.’

‘Any time.’ Jake paused, then leant across, dropping a kiss on her cheek. ‘If you fancy dinner tonight, there’s a really nice pub up the road. I’m spending the night near there, so I can pick you up, take you there, and then drop you back. If you like?’

Violet froze for a moment, her knuckles whitening on the steering wheel. ‘Oh. Thanks, but no. I’ve arranged to meet Ollie for dinner at the guest house.’

‘Ollie? That guy from Hexham?’

‘Yes. He’s staying there as well, doing his own research. We’ve found a few things where stuff… crosses over. So, we’re having dinner tonight there to chat about it.’ Violet didn’t even look guilty about it, even though she must know this would hurt Jake’s feelings.

‘Oh. Okay.’ Jake nodded, although he felt a bit of an inexplicable annoyance over that. It was unfair though, of course it was. He and Violet weren’t on a joint holiday. They were simply in the same geographical area for a few days. And yes, she had rung him and asked him to go to Hexham today, but he had no plans to shuffle. She clearly had plans for tonight. He thought about the way they had looked at one another, Violet and Ollie, and knew he was correct in his assumptions; they had something that they both had a burning desire to say to one another.

Perhaps it was best said before he invited Violet to move in permanently.

Perhaps he was making more of the relationship than Violet was? That was a kick to the stomach.

Fucking Ollie.

He didn’t know what it was about that guy, but he just didn’t like him. Maybe it was because he reminded him of someone? Although Jake didn’t quite know who had ever put his back up like Ollie did.

Whatever. Violet had made her intentions clear for that night.

‘Fine.’ Jake nodded briskly and made to open the car door. ‘I’ll get going then. Thanks again, though. I’m glad we met up today, even if the trip to the gaol wasn’t exactly as we’d planned it.’

‘Yes. But please, don’t tell everyone we had a trip to a gaol. They may misunderstand the connotations. Like we were arrested or something… Sorry. Bad joke.’

‘No worries.’ Jake paused, wondering if he should say something else, plan another trip with her… get in before this Ollie character did again. But in the end, he left it quite loose and vague, his words stilted. ‘If your itinerary allows it, I’m sure mine does too. Whatever it is.’

‘I’m sure it’ll allow something else,’ she said. ‘I just – can’t – tonight.’

Jake nodded and finally got out of the car. ‘Okay – see you soon, then.’

‘See you soon,’ she echoed, and he unlocked the van.

As he climbed inside, he watched her drive off, the tail lights of her car shining in the winter evening.

‘Bye Violet,’ he murmured into the dusk.

24

THEN

‘So, this is our enchantrix,’ sneered the man on horseback. He dismounted, dropping easily to the ground. The man next to him took the reins of the horse from him and led it away to the side whilst people continued to mutter and wail over the fractured stone.

Meggie squirmed, trying to loosen the men’s hold on her, but it was hopeless. ‘I do not understand,’ she said – although she feared that she understood perfectly. The snow was falling faster now, the clouds ominous and low on the horizon, but her shivers had less to do with the wintry weather and more to do with the panic that was closing in around her. ‘What do you mean?’ The terror was rising within her – was this because she had used the dagger for ill? Was this the curse she had been warned about? Had she caused all this?

Blessed Coventina, I beg your forgiveness…