Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Ahead of them, the town started to take shape. At first, she could only see the tops of some distant buildings, but then they started to come into view, and about the time they made their way off of the causeway, she began to get a feel for Lindisfarne. It was a small town. She knew that already. Less than two hundred people actually lived there. But lots of tourists made their way across the causeway to see the castle and other historical buildings annually. She’d read online that the ruins of an ancient church were recently uncovered here.

“So… how come no one ever looked here before?” Ru asked, leaning forward in her seat as they slowly crawled through town.

“We have,” Cutter replied, turning as much as he could in his seat to face her. “But if your mother was here then, she was good at hiding.”

“We did a surface sweep,” Ivy elaborated, also turning to look at her. “It was a few years ago. We didn’t do an in-depth search because it was before we realized she had access to cloaking spells.”

“Since we didn’t detect anything, we didn’t hang around.” Lyric had taken her headphones off, and Ru could tell by her scowl that she could also still hear the humming sound.

“It wasn’t us, though,” Rider chimed in. “We will be thorough.”

Ru nodded. She probably should’ve asked that question before she even got on the airplane, but it seemed like now was as good a time as ever. Rider turned down a side street, and Ru immediately noticed a change in the hum. “Where are you going?” she asked.

“To find food,” he replied, looking at her in the mirror. “Have I not mentioned that I’m starving?”

“But I don’t think we’re supposed to go this way.” The hum wasn’t as loud as he drove in the new direction. “I think we were supposed to go straight.”

“But the sign said the diner was this way….”

“You won’t like this food anyway,” Ru protested. Whatever that noise was, she was sure they were not meant to deviate from the path.

“Listen, kid, I’m willing to take my chances.” Rider pulled into a parking spot near what looked like a quaint country restaurant. Everyone else dutifully piled out of the van, as if they knew better than to argue with him. Even Lyric, who likely heard the same shift that Ru did, got out. Ru sat for a moment longer, staring at them and listening.

Cutter waited for her at the sliding door. “Are you okay?”

With a sigh, Ru yanked herself up from the seat and slid up the narrow aisle so that she was able to work her way out. She wasn’t used to the driver’s side and the passenger’s side being switched, so she couldn’t imagine how Rider had managed to drive on the “wrong” side of the road, on the “wrong” side of the van. “I’m fine,” she finally managed, glad he’d waited for her even though she didn’t even want to go. “I really just want to head… that way.” She pointed off in the direction they’d originally been traveling.

“We will,” Cutter assured her. “As soon as Rider’s done stuffing his mouth with corned beef or whatever they have here.”

Ru only grunted. A fine mist blanketed them, clinging to his blond hair giving him a shimmery effect, which made him even more attractive than usual. She wouldn’t have thought that possible. He must’ve noticed she was staring because he raised an eyebrow at her, and she blushed. Without another word, she slipped her arm through his and made her way to the diner.

Ru took her seat and ordered some coffee, but that’s all. She couldn’t stomach anything else. The waitress was also the owner, she surmised. An older woman with kind eyes, she looked to be in her late-fifties, and she was sure if they started asking questions, she’d be happy to fill them in on the history of the island, but that’s not why they were there. Another group of people who looked to be about their age sat in the back corner, and she chatted with them every time she brought food or refilled their drinks, and even though she couldn’t hear them, she assumed they were talking about the island. They appeared to be in some sort of a touring group and all of them had British accents.

There were a few others in the diner as well, families, a few people she supposed were regulars. Since it was only 10:30, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like at lunchtime, especially during the tourist season, which this gloomy weather reminded her it was not. Still, she imagined the remains of the old castle got their fair share of visitors even on less than stellar days in the winter. She imagined if she lived anywhere close to such a place, she’d visit often, particularly if she could do so with a prince of a man who would make her feel like the princess he’d rescued from a tower. She glanced at Cutter inconspicuously, and wondered if that’s what he’d done, though the towers were her thoughts and she was hardly a damsel in distress on the outside, though she often felt trapped by her past. He’d definitely found a way to set her free from the binds of Liddy Brown and her negativity, even if he had yet to help her slay all of her dragons.

Once again, he noticed her staring and raised that eyebrow at her. She felt her face flush but she didn’t immediately look away. Caught in his stare, it took her a second to avert her eyes. He took a sip of his water, and she realized Lyric was talking to her, so she shifted her gaze to meet her friend’s who was sitting across from her.

“Seriously, it’s like… a radio station that’s not quite coming in or something.”

She assumed the pink-haired woman was talking about the hum and nodded, though that’s not how she would’ve described it. Lyric made a high-pitched squeal, loud enough to get the attention of the people around her, and she held it for long enough for Rider to actually put down his fork for a second and demand she knock it off.

“Sorry,” Lyric muttered. “I just thought you sharing in my discomfort might make you eat faster.”

“No one in the world can eat faster,” Ivy corrected, daintily taking a bite out of her toast. “It’s not the speed that’s the problem; it’s the quantity.”

“Hey, I’m a growing boy,” Rider protested, picking his fork back up again and digging into a stack of pancakes almost as tall as his glass of milk.

“Yeah, growing out.” Lyric gestured with her hands and poofed out her cheeks, drawing a giggle from Ivy. Ru smiled, trying to be polite, especially since she knew Lyric was just teasing, but she didn’t laugh. Fat jokes weren’t funny to her, despite the fact that Rider was anything but fat. He was definitely a big guy, but it was all solid muscle under there.

Patiently, Ru waited for them to finish eating and for the bill to come, which Rider dutifully paid since he had eaten more than the other four combined. He excused himself to use “the little boys’ room” before they headed out, and no longer able to hold back, Ru said she’d wait outside and pushed her arms through her jacket.

The air helped clear her head, but it was chilly. She knew the island was only about three miles across at its longest stretch, so she thought she could walk just about anywhere in less than an hour, though the terrain did look a little rocky. It was strange to think there were less than two hundred people standing on this clump of earth right now, and her mother might be one of them.

“You okay?”

She didn’t have to turn her head to know that it was Cutter standing behind her, even if her choices were narrowed by the fact that there were only two people in their party with voices that deep. “I’m fine. Just ready to… know.”

“Rider should be out in a few minutes, although we all know he’s famous for his skills in the bathroom.”

She snickered, trying not to think about how much information she actually knew about Rider’s digestive tract. It had come in handy when she was popping antacids, but now that she’d discharged the black smoke from her hand, her stomach hadn’t hurt nearly as much. Now, it seemed that the butterflies were having a cotillion, but that was because she was nervous about meeting Sera for the first time. Or not meeting her, as the case may be.

“You know, we might not find her today,” Cutter offered, as if reading her thoughts. “It might take a while. This is a small island, but there are plenty of places to hide if someone wants to.”

“I know,” Ru replied, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. The wind had picked up a little bit and she was beginning to grow a little chilly. “Where are we going to start? The castle?”

“There’s a church,” Cutter reminded her. “I think that would make the most sense.”

“I think we should start at the castle,” Ru calmly disagreed, though she wasn’t sure why.

Cutter held her gaze for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

“It’s this way, isn’t it?” she asked, pointing in the direction they would’ve continued in if Rider hadn’t turned off to find the diner.

“It is.”

She nodded. “We should go to the castle.”

Cutter offered her the front seat, and she obliged. She felt like she was the navigator now, following a beacon or a homing device. Rider pointed the van in the direction of the castle, which was near the coast, and Ru braced herself. Despite Cutter’s warning that it might take a while, Ru knew in her heart it would all be over soon.