Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    From $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)
    The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)
    The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)
    Ebook258 pages4 hours

    The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)

    By Merabeth James

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Which witch is which? That is a question Jodie and Simon must answer shortly after they arrive at Storm Harbor...a quaint, picture postcard town with a dark, sinister underbelly. Above it looms a medieval fortress built in the late 1800s by Duncan Mcfadden...a powerful warlock with other ‘gifts’. It was an exact replica of one he had much admired in Scotland. Even though his extreme claustrophobia prevented him from ever entering its myriad tunnels, passageways and hidden rooms, he had made sure they were included in the massive build right down to the most minute detail. Now it’s a B&B owned by Loretta Phelps who transformed its stark grimness to accommodate her guests’ love of luxury and her own personal taste that bordered on the exotic. Jodie and Simon soon find themselves the pawns of dark forces as they try to rescue the spirits trapped within the walls.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMerabeth James
    Release dateJul 18, 2021
    ISBN9781005674588
    The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)
    Author

    Merabeth James

    There are six things important to me...well, most important to me: To love unconditionally, to always keep a sense of 'wonder', to always be kind, to find joy in simple things, to never take myself too seriously, and to make sure I don't leave this earth with a list of "if only I hads".I've taken many 'leaps of faith' in my time and, so far, have landed on my feet or, in one case, on a dilapitated houseboat with my dog, and a lot of enthusiasm. I named her 'Sanctuary Annie' and hoped for the best. I knew nothing about boats, couldn't swim and wondered how long she would stay afloat. In the middle of the night, when my dog jumped up to join me on the antique Victorian bed I had moved on board, I would check to see if he was wet, knowing, if so, we were both in big trouble. But Sanctuary Annie hung in there, even surviving a hurricane, when others around her were not so fortunate.Living in the small marina, with the sea as my back yard, I found a profound sense of peace..and the love of my life....my Jim, captain of 'Wings', a beautiful racing sloop that flies across the water, when the wind fills her sails.I often think how much I would have missed out on, if I hadn't taken that leap of faith and followed my heart. Life is meant to be lived and I intend to keep on doing just that.

    Read more from Merabeth James

    Related to The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)

    Related ebooks

    Thrillers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • UNLIMITED

      The Coven

      Oct 2, 2024

      The Coven
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Symmetry Of Ruby Margot

      Feb 6, 2020

      The Symmetry Of Ruby Margot
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Two Poems by Phillip B. Williams

      Dec 15, 2017

      The masters are yet dead. Wanting to be human,I tried to rewrite The Waste Land. The canon’s reachcasts ruinous light. The masters’ pens breachthis page where, above, my own hand spectates. Babylonrisen, exorcism in reverse, whose nature upended now?

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Left To Lose

      Jul 10, 2022

      Around the time she gives up her name, it starts to feel like this entire revolution isn’t worth it anymore. The world is probably lucky that Kelian—she still remembers Kelian, in spite of everything—is there to pick up the pieces, the way he always

      11 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      FALSE IMPRESSIONS Part 3

      Apr 1, 2020

      FALSE IMPRESSIONS Part 3
      10 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Wind Feels Loss

      Aug 8, 2019

      The Wind Feels Loss
      7 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      From Our Archives: A 1981 Interview With Toni Morrison

      Aug 7, 2019

      The award-winning author Toni Morrison died Aug. 5, 2019. We're reposting this 1981 interview conducted shortly after her fourth novel, "Tar Baby," was published.

      11 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Perfect Prose II

      May 15, 2020

      Perfect Prose II
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Days Of Shattered Faith

      Dec 3, 2024

      Welcome to Alkhalend, Jewel of the Waters, capital of Usmai and tomorrow’s frontline in the Palleseen’s relentless march to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world. On the ship, as it tacked in past the sea wall, she was in her coffin

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Haunted

      Sep 27, 2023

      Haunted
      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Ursula K. Le Guin

      Jun 15, 2018

      He was thinking of Lookfar, abandoned long ago, beached on the sands of Selidor. Little of her would be left by now, a plank or two down in the sand maybe, a bit of driftwood on the western sea. As he drifted near sleep he began to remember sailing t

      15 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Witches Of Literature

      May 30, 2023

      Tor Books T. KINGFISHER challenges the idea of the “wicked witch” through the gravewitch in her subversive fairy tale Nettle & Bone. The nameless dust-wife—part witch, part gravedigger—is all too willing to help the novel’s heroine on her quest to ki

      2 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Living Days

      Nov 4, 2019

      The Living Days
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A tender THREAD

      Dec 22, 2021

      A tender THREAD
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      To Save Arrhinsal

      Nov 1, 2021

      Tolin lives on Arrhinsal, an island that floats in the sky two miles above the land below. One day, while hunting in the maze of tunnels that run through the island’s thick hedges, he encounters a girl who, her sword raised, has turned to face a huge

      6 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Three Poems

      Sep 1, 2024

      after a cycle of paintings by the Meister des Marienlebens, Munich What begins: everything. Size of a crumb,indiscriminate bundle of cells. It’sa barnacle with a dream inside. Cloudin-sewn with seed pearls. Radiant shapethat in theory she’s always ca

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      To Save Arrhinsal

      Sep 1, 2021

      TOLIN CRAWLED FORWARD, staying alert. All around, the dense, wiry thickets of the hedge were strangely silent. That usually meant danger, when the green tangle of thorns should be cheery with the songs of finches, the dusky clucking of hedge hens. On

      8 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      100-WORD-STORY COMPETITION Winners

      Aug 16, 2022

      We’ve been delighted by the huge response to our 100-word-story competition. The entries have flooded in thick and fast during the past few months, but while we’ve enjoyed reading every story, only a few can come out on top! You, our readers, voted t

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Flights Of Fantasy

      Dec 9, 2020

      Flights Of Fantasy
      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Staying Alive

      Mar 29, 2024

      Staying Alive
      12 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Nick Laird

      Dec 15, 2017

      I was trying to write like an adult.I had children.I was at the end of something. As I waited at my table by the window for the coffee,I saw that the sirocco had depositeda scrim of dust on the sill overnight,and it was the dark red of powdered blood

      3 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Magnets: Carried through time, lovers seek their purpose.

      Feb 6, 2014

      Moon Colony B, 2213 Former Ponzi-schemer Mary Pillar digs through a trashcan. It smells like rotten eggs and milk. She is elderly and homeless, living in an alley between two eco-efficient skyscrapers. Dust particles dance around her. She has lost ev

      11 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Commonplace Book

      Jun 4, 2018

      I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me. —Fred Allen I have always wondered, in reading travels, at the childish joy travellers felt at meeting people they knew, and their sense of loneliness when they did not, in

      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Four Of A Kind

      May 3, 2023

      Four Of A Kind
      4 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      The Scarlet PEBBLE

      Feb 28, 2024

      The Scarlet PEBBLE
      9 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      A Book for the Moment: On Helen Weinzweig’s ‘Basic Black with Pearls’

      Jun 1, 2018

      This post was produced in partnership with Bloom, a literary site that features authors whose first books were published when they were 40 or older. 1. In our current moment, a chorus of “nasty women” has flooded social media with grievances. Unfortu

      5 min read

    • UNLIMITED

      Second Language

      Aug 14, 2017

      Second Language
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4)

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Medusa Tree (A Jodie Shield Modern Gothic Mystery Book 4) - Merabeth James

      This book is entirely a work of fiction. All characters are entirely fictitious and do not represent any persons living or dead. Product, business, location names used remain the property of any/all trademark holders and do not represent an endorsement or association of any kind, either expressed or implied.

      (Copyright 2021 Elizabeth Repka all rights reserved)

      (Photo by David Von Karlsen)

      THE MEDUSA TREE

      Prologue

      Duncan McFadden 1875

      He saw the shepherd boy and his dog out of the corner of his eye as he rode along the cliff edge where the sea slammed against the rocks below flinging their spray high into the air. The wind flattened the lank grass along the top and fluttered the black cape he wore like a sail billowing behind him.

      "Steady, lad, he murmured to his chestnut steed that took fright as a bit of earth crumbled over the side. Turning in his saddle, he looked up land. It was like a giant’s stairway with one hill rising above another till they culminated in a tall bluff. Let’s see if that’s the place I’ve been looking for," he muttered as he prodded his horse into a gallop and headed that way.

      There was a trail of sorts...a footpath only...that led up over the hills and through a thick forest of ancient trees. From the sheep droppings, he surmised it was used frequently by the boy and others with their flocks. Reaching a clearing, he dismounted and looked below. The dark blue water stretched out to infinity, and dark bellied clouds raced across the sky. A small village was tucked into the side of the cliff, and boats bobbed about in its harbor where a breakwater protected it from the storms that must be fierce in these waters.

      Suddenly, three large black birds drifted down from the sky and settled on a skeletal tree far below. He searched for the spyglass he carried in his saddlebag and studied the new arrivals. They were ravens, and he laughed out loud. Tis an omen for sure! Three ravens such as my coat of arms bears. This is the place I have been searching for in this New World. A sanctuary where those who follow in my name will not be persecuted by the common horde as has been their fate in the past. I will be their Lord...their king. Duncan McFadden will reign over all. A man with many gifts that surpass human understanding. An immortal warlock, shape shifter, and necromancer who shall build his fortress here on this very spot where my enemies cannot touch me or mine. Fine, strong sons will bear my name and perhaps share my immortality if they prove worthy.

      He was smiling as he thought about the wife who would bear those sons. While on his travels abroad, he had seen her walking through the park with her father and had felt his blood stir...his pulse race in a way no other woman had ever inspired. From a few inquiries, he learned her father was an impoverished nobleman deeply in debt to some unsavory men due to his gambling proclivity. He had bought her body and soul for the gold coins needed to pay off his creditors. Had changed her name and called her Marilla...his Marilla after the first whore he had bedded at the age of fourteen.

      She had fought him at first...fought like a wee animal caught in a trap, and he had enjoyed besting her each and every time. She would have taken her own life if he hadn’t had her watched when he wasn’t with her. Would have taken his when pinned beneath him one night. She had slashed his throat with a shard of glass secreted beneath the pillow. Caught by surprise, he had rolled to one side and pressed his hand to the wound. There was no blood to speak of. The cut was not deep. She had looked like a deer with death in her eyes as she jumped from bed and fled across the room. Advancing on her ever so slowly, he had savored her fear as he shouted, It would do you no good to try that again, woman. For I cannot be killed. Yield to me willingly, for you will never escape.

      He had reached her by then, and she had fainted into his arms. She was pale as fresh snow except for the smear of his own blood on her cheek. Her unbound black hair spilled almost to the floor, and her lips were full and ripe...ready for his unwelcome kiss. Would the time ever come when she surrendered to him willingly, he had wondered as he carried her back to his bed? Truth be told, he preferred she fight him. Forcing her to his will had become a sweet pleasure…a game he enjoyed

      He had stood there looking down at her for a long time as she lay still as death. She was his. She would always be his. He had married her, so she would bear his name...her noble blood mingled with his in the sons she bore him. She would be the mother of the dynasty he would create in the New World across the sea. He would never let her leave him. His magic would ensure even death could not free her.

      Breaking his reverie, he looked around again and sighed in pure pleasure. I will start this very day to create my empire in this place. I have always lived in impressive town homes and country estates. This time I will build down to the minutest detail the plans I have carried with me these many years. A castle...a fortress in Scotland I have long admired and lived in briefly will rise on this bluff stone by stone no matter the cost. I will seed that village with my kind so there will be none to brandish their pitchforks and torches. None to storm its walls as has happened elsewhere in the not so distant past. I will be master of every creature that walks or crawls below. Master of all.

      From his rocky perch, the boy looked up at the horse and rider on the bluff above. A shiver of foreboding rippled through him, and he crossed himself devoutly. Surely, that be the devil himself, he whispered. Time would prove him almost right.

      CHAPTER ONE

      Storm Harbor

      I swear, Doris, I heard it with my own two ears. Looks like there’s a good chance the Gull’s Nest has been sold or nearly so, Florence Colby told the small wren like woman walking next to her.

      Doris’ pale blue eyes widened behind her tortoise shell glasses. Them ears have been eavesdroppin’ again, or you wouldn’t know what’s supposed to be a secret. But it’s true. I heard it, too, she chirped. Got it right from the horse’s loose lips if you get my meanin’.

      You mean Darby Wilkes. Your nephew.

      Who else? He’s the town’s only realtor and quite successful, Doris added with a smug smile. Not a done deal yet, so don’t be breathin’ no word to no one. He didn’t tell me who it was. Just that he was an out of towner, and it would come as a surprise to some but not to most.

      Florence frowned thoughtfully. I wonder what that means. There’s them in town that belong to the you know what. Is it someone they know?

      Doris’ voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. You know we can’t be talkin’ about ‘em, so best hush before someone overhears us. All I know for sure is that sly Darby hooked up with someone visitin’ the town and spun him a romantic tale about the house’s history, which was bull crap pure and simple.

      I’d be mighty ashamed to call Darby kin. That house is dangerous! Florence exclaimed. They never did find the Simmons boy.

      Doris nodded. Most likely fell off the cliff and drowned like so many others. No body recovered. At least, that’s what the newspaper reported, and don’t be forgettin’ what’s her name who disappeared there, too. Never found hide nor hair of her either.

      And them that rented it for a time, couldn’t wait to get out of there, Florence added. Said it was haunted...cursed or both.

      Yep. And some that did weren’t ’xactly right in the head afterwards if you remember. Mark my words, this stranger and his family will come to grief, too. They should burn the place down like the one that was there before it, and its twin across the way.

      Florence sighed. A ruin and an eyesore. Expect it will get sold with the other since it’s on the same property though I can’t imagine what anyone would want it for. Too expensive to repair and too expensive to tear down and haul off. Nothing but a haven for rats and vagrants.

      Let’s hope this buyer has deep pockets, or better yet enough sense not to buy Gull’s Nest even though it means Darby will be fit to be tied. He was planning on buying a boat with the commission.

      Serves him right...the greedy little bastard, Florence replied. His lying tongue never stops wagging. Selling Gull’s Nest to some unsuspecting stranger is criminal, and you know it!

      Doris shrugged her plump shoulders. Not my business and not a done deal yet. Now I’ve a mind for a cup of tea and pie. Your turn to buy.

      Not the way I recollect, but let’s get going, Florence told her then dropped her voice to a whisper. We musn’t talk about this at Abigail’s where anyone might overhear. Mor’en half the town belongs to that coven, and you don’t know who to trust.

      Might mention, Florence Colby, you’re the one what just said the ‘c’ word when none of us is supposed to notice them or talk about it.

      I trust you.

      Doris smiled slyly and pushed her glasses up her nose, Perhaps you shouldn’t, my dear. That might not be wise. Them could be anyone in this town includin’ me.

      ***

      Meanwhile

      Bella’s ‘woof’ roused me from my reverie. I’d been reliving the wedding that made me Mrs. Simon North. As I snapped on her leash and led her out the door, my thoughts returned again to the day I became his bride.

      It had not been on the Saturday of his choice for two reasons: The justice of the peace was on a fishing trip, and I wanted to wait for Bobbie. She had been my only friend in the group home where I was raised when I wasn’t stuck in foster care. Another orphan who had my back when necessary. As it turned, out she was the only one of our guests among the living. The rest were from the other side: Allison, my parents, Henry, Edith and...of course...Cinda my cat. The Justice of the peace was a crusty 70 something with a mop of white hair and bushy eyebrows. His wife could have been his twin. She played the organ and was one of our witnesses. Bobbie was the second. The whole thing felt so surreal. Like I was viewing it from outside my own body, until Simon kissed me.

      My thoughts turned to our honeymoon, which was as impromptu as the wedding. We had left Bella with my neighbor Jeanie who adored her, loaded Simon’s Jeep with the necessaries, then picked a direction and drove. We ended up headed south exploring anything of interest and overnighting in some very quaint B&Bs or motels. We even camped out in the mountains on more than one occasion.

      Our journey brought us to a Florida island called Casey Key. We drove down its length past elaborate mansions and lush tropical vegetation with glimpses of the Gulf of Mexico’s turquoise water tucked in between. Nearly to the end, we saw a vintage motel...one of the last survivors of another time on the island...and decided to stop there.

      The efficiency apartment we rented overhung the white sand beach where waves rolled up on shore just below the verandah. Palm trees bracketed both sides, and the wind made a dry rustling sound among the fronds. It was a slice of heaven...beautiful by day and by night as we walked along the edge of the dark water where the moon brushed the incoming surf with its silver light. I had tried to entice him into a midnight swim, but he only laughed and told me that was when the sharks came close to shore to feed, which dampened my enthusiasm considerably, so we spread our blanket out on the sand and watched the stars as.....

      Bella’s second ‘woof’ snapped me back to the present, and I looked out over the harbor where she had led me while I drifted around in the past. Dusk was settling there like a dark cloak, and lights had come on in the marina parking lot. We walked around for a bit longer, but I was anxious to get back. I had forgotten my cell phone and was worried I would miss Simon’s call.

      I glanced back up the street to my loft where a light was now on. Simon was home earlier than expected! My heart beat faster, and I began to run with an eager Bella tugging at her leash. She sensed my excitement, or perhaps she knew he was back. I know she had missed him as much as I did. He’d been gone four days. Four very long days and even longer nights. It had taken time to overcome my fears and distrust...the residual wounds of my childhood. I was no longer afraid to give all of my heart. I had given it to him where I knew it was safe. Where I knew all of me was safe.

      By the time we reached our building, he was already headed our way. I watched you two come up the hill and thought I’d meet you, he told me as he swept me into a fierce hug then kissed me passionately, which made me slightly dizzy. I missed you. I wish you could have come with me. I wish we never had to be apart, he added as he tipped up my chin and looked deep into my eyes.

      I blinked away a happy tear or two as I smiled up at him, I wish that, too, but you’ve become a paranormal celeb and duty calls. How did it go?

      Great really, he replied as he hunkered down next to Bella and scratched behind her floppy beagle ears while she wriggled in delight. I showed the documentary we made of the Blackthorne Island adventure with its proof of life after death. There was a large turnout from the student body and faculty. The mayor of Storm Harbor was also there and asked if I would stay another night and do a second presentation at city hall for the townsfolk. I would have been home sooner if I’d refused.

      I know. You told me on the phone before the call got dropped which happened a lot. You must have been a huge hit. I wonder how many became believers after they saw the footage?

      There will always be skeptics, but I think I left a few with something to think about.

      We had reached the front door by and headed inside.

      I’ll make some coffee, I offered though I already knew his reaction to that.

      He didn't disappoint me. You know that’s not going to happen. I’ll make the coffee, and you can ask all those questions you must have on hold since the cell phone reception there sucked.

      So, that’s what I did starting with, You must have had some time to kill, so what did you do?

      Explored the town. It’s picture postcard quaint and right on the sea. You would have loved it.

      Any photos?

      They wouldn’t do it justice. I’d really like for you to close shop here for a few days and come there with me.

      But....

      No buts allowed. You have an able assistant who can easily run your foundation and free you up for awhile.

      I found myself smiling brightly at the prospect. We’re taking Bella, right?

      I think she’d be more comfortable here. Most of our trip will be by small plane.

      I knew how much I would miss her, but also knew he was right, so I made a few necessary phone calls. Jeanie was more than happy to help with Bella, and a very competent Judith more than happy to handle the foundation. In fact, she told me to take all the time I needed, which made me feel a wee bit unnecessary until I shook it off.

      We packed just before we went to bed, so we could get an early start. As I lay there in the dark listening to Simon’s soft snore, I thought about what he had said...about this town with the name Storm Harbor. He was really excited about taking me there, and that excitement had been contagious, but I wondered if there was an underlying reason he hadn’t divulged.

      There had been something different about him since the wedding. A something I couldn’t pinpoint, and when I asked him about it, he diverted me with a kiss or a tug on my ponytail adding that he was fine. That I was being over sensitive to a problem that didn’t exist. As time passed, I caught a remark here and there that pointed in only one direction. He wasn’t happy in my loft.

      I cornered him one night, and he flung at me, It’s your space...nearly all of my stuff is in storage. I think we need an ‘our’ home. One we bought together where I don’t feel like I’m going to be booted out of on your whim.

      Of course, I hotly denied any ‘whims’. Said I was justified in the one and only time I ‘booted’ him out because he was driving me nuts. It took awhile for us both to cool down, and after that we didn’t talk about it. It was the wooly mammoth in the room we pretended not to notice and then he mentioned Storm Harbor in such a way I had to wonder if he had been house hunting as over the top as that sounded. I thought about questioning him and decided not to. Even if it was true, I had no desire to move. Somehow we would find a way to work it out without going to that extreme. Meanwhile, a trip out of town seemed like a good way to spend some time together on neutral ground.

      We left the next morning after dropping Bella off next door with all the essentials she would need. From there we drove to the airport where Simon had rented a private plane. The elderly pilot was slightly stooped with a close-cropped gray beard and twinkling blue eyes.

      You sure were in luck to catch me in time. About to make my run down to the coast and can drop you off at this Storm Harbor no problem. Just an itty bitty hole-in-the -wall airport, but I can land my Georgie Girl purdy much anywhere.

      Georgie Girl looked a bit worn out, and I stared at her in dismay. Simon grabbed my arm and whispered, It’s okay. This guy has a great flight record.

      And you know that how? I whispered back.

      His name is Nathan Hammond, and I checked him out thoroughly before I hired him. Come on. Have you ever been in a small plane before?

      Never and I had planned on keeping it that way, I replied then sighed...rolled my eyes...and added, All right. Let’s get this done. If we crash to our deaths, at least we’ll be together, and Bella will be safe.

      To my annoyance, Simon laughed. Forever the optimist. Let’s go.

      So, we boarded the small two-engine plane, which I hoped was in good working order. Simon told me she was a Cessna and added her specifications none of which I heard as I took my cramped seat and buckled in.

      I don’t see a puke bag anywhere, I whispered to Simon as the twin props whirled, and we taxied onto the runway.

      From the cockpit, Nathan called back, Won’t mind if one of you wants to grab a seat up here next to me. Got the best view, and you might learn a thing or two about flying.

      I knew Simon wanted to go, but I grabbed his arm and held on tight. You are going to stay here with me. If I lose my breakfast, I want it to be all over your shoes.

      Aw, come on, he coaxed. I’ll be just over there if you need me. Take a few deep breaths and keep your eyes on the horizon,

      I sighed...nodded reluctantly, and he moved forward as soon as it was safe. As I looked out the window, I touched the mermaid pin I had fastened to my sweater before we left. It always brought me comfort which I sorely needed right now. Reaching a patch of turbulence, my stomach roiled, but its contents stayed down. I vowed to take Dramamine before the return flight whenever that was. Simon hadn’t mentioned how long we’d be staying, and I forgot to ask, which was out of character for me.

      To my surprise, I had fallen asleep leaning against the window with my mouth open when Simon shook me awake. We’re almost there. Look below! he told me as he buckled into the seat next to me and wiped a bit of drool off my chin. You can see the seacoast, the hills, and forests that surround the town. I know you aren’t having exactly a great time so far, but it’s almost over and well worth it. Besides, I learned a lot about flying a small plane which may come in handy some day.

      Which I hope is never. I murmured.

      Time to put this bird down, Nathan called back to us as we circled a tiny airport.

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1