Chapter 4
My first night back I slept soundly. It had been six years since that day in the forest where my newly ignited magic had killed the Baker Boy and I had never returned to Valport Springs since.
But as I lay there and I remembered it all, a lone tear rolled down my cheek. I had never asked for any of it, and yet it had become my life.
“This is the time to put all of your demons to rest,” I told myself as I curled up under the blankets and pulled them tightly around me.
I could hear the wood pigeons in the trees and even though the sun was barely up and the dawn light was still gray, I decided to put on my robe and go for a look around.
I left my room silently and tiptoed down the long hallway to the staircase. The floorboards were bare and rough underfoot and I smiled as I remembered how as I child I would ride my bike up and down them, and no one would care about the mess it would make.
I walked around the galleried landing and ran my fingertips along the oak bannisters. It really was a beautiful old house. It was only now as I was seeing it all again that I could really sense its secrets and magic, and it was exciting me to the core.
To my surprise as I opened the door to the kitchen, Marianne was already up and she was drinking green tea at the table.
“Good morning,” she smiled as she rested her book face down.
“Do you always get up so early?” I asked as I sat next to her.
“Every day,” she grinned. “Best time of day for conjuring.” She winked at me and I could hear the bubble of her cauldron on the stove.
“How did you sleep?” she said seriously, both of us completely aware of the elephant in the room.
“Really well,” I smiled. “In fact, excellent.”
She beamed and rubbed my shoulder.
“I’m so glad,” she said, “I was worried.”
“I don’t think we need to be anymore,” I assured her.
And I meant it.
I had churned it all over so many times, and I had done my thinking. It was time to move on. It had been an accident and now I wanted to never speak of it again.
“So,” Marianne sensed my wishes and changed the subject, “What are you going to do on your first day back in Valport?”
I looked out of the window and at the beautiful light resting on the lake.
“I honestly don’t know,” I said. “Maybe I should unpack and go and have an explore.”
She smiled and nodded her head in encouragement.
“I have clients all afternoon,” she said as she stretched and I heard the bones click in her shoulders. “So I’m afraid I won’t be of much use to you today.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’d prefer to be on my own anyway.”
“You can take the car,” she said as she got to her feet and picked up a long wooden spoon. She wandered over to the stove and lifted the lid on the cauldron before she stirred it and moaned.
“Smells amazing,” she sighed. “Shame it’s not for me.”
“One of your clients?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said, “I am a healer after all,” she winked and closed the lid.
“What do you the young people of Valport do for fun around here?” I asked with a giggle.
My aunt raised her eyebrows and shrugged.
“What do they do anywhere else?” she laughed. “Hang around, drink, smoke and have sex no doubt.”
She tutted at me and shook a finger.
“So maybe you should just stay here for the time being young lady,” she said in jest.
“No chance,” I laughed, “But don’t worry, I’ll leave the drinking and smoking to the rest of them...”
I watched her out of the corner of my eye awaiting her reaction, and she smiled until she realized I had left out sex too and then she picked up her book and tossed it at me across the table.
“Cheeky,” she said. “Just you be careful.”
I got to my feet and laughed. The fact that Marianne was only fifteen years older than me meant that we had a bond that was fun and lighthearted. She was more like an older sister to me than an aunt and I knew I could tell her anything if I was in trouble.
I went back up to my room and decided to get myself ready for the day. As I unpacked my bags and boxes and made the place feel more like home I suddenly got the uneasy feeling that can sometimes grab you when you know something isn’t quite right. I had woken up so happy and I had forgotten as much as I could, but occasionally the memories would resurface, or I would remember the fact that my mom was in a rehab facility hundreds of miles away, and it would grip me tight like a snake and squeeze the air out of me. So much had changed and even though I had Marianne, I still felt very much alone.
I’d been given a lovely room on the back of the house which overlooked the lake. It had an adjoining bathroom just for me and I gathered up my toiletries and arranged them all along the side of the sink leaning up against the white tiles. Multicolored bottles full of lotions and potions littered the side of the bath and around the sink and I flicked on the light as I squinted at myself in the mirror and began to scrutinize each part of my face.
I looked exactly the same as I always had, yet something inside of me felt so different. I had been worried before I left to come to Valport that the fire inside of me was ready to die out, but since I had arrived it was now burning stronger than ever. I stared at myself hard in the mirror and my eyes were glistening green. I felt more alive and more awake and I was ready to get out there and see what the town was all about. I may have visited it many times before, but it had long been locked away in my memories and I was eager to see how much it had changed.
After I showered I wrapped my hair up in a towel whilst I put on my make-up and picked out an outfit. Even though it was on the verge of summer there was still a slight chill in the air, so I pulled on a pair of tight jeans and a low cut, black jumper. I outlined my lips with red liner and filled them in with a lovely burgundy, before I blotted them and picked up my purse. It was just noon and I was starving so I decided to head into the center of Valport and find somewhere to eat.
Marianne left the keys to her car on the table for me in the kitchen. I swiped them and made my way outside, stepping over piles of books and ornaments that lined the floors of the hallways.
As I slid into the car and put the keys in the ignition I looked up at the house again. Woodmont was so impressive, so grand and ancient, it was hard not to be seduced by it. It was hidden away in that beautiful forest and it stood tall and proud. I loved looking up at the unique details that seemed to be present at every turn. Quirky gargoyles lined the roof of the third floor, their mouths hanging open to spit out collected rain water and flush it down into the drains. The spikes of the railings even seemed to be completely different to anything I had ever seen before, they were jagged and yet elegant at the same time.
I put the car in reverse and turned it back to face the driveway. As I edged down into the tree lined road that led to the gates I watched the house disappear in the rearview mirror and then I gripped the wheel as the darkness descended the deeper I went into the forest.
I had never driven into town before, but I knew all I had to do was take a left after the gates and follow the road until I came to Main Street. Valport was small and quaint and even though it could become busy with tourists over the summer months, Marianne had assured me it was still quiet enough for me to not feel intimidated about exploring.
I crawled along slowly as I looked up at the sunlight breaking through the trees and listened to the drawl of the country music on the stereo. As I got closer to the outskirts of town, the more cars seemed to pass by and I realized that I was excited. I smiled and tapped my fingers along the edge of the steering wheel and hummed along to the tune. It had been such a long time since I had felt unencumbered with the heartache of the breakdown of my parent’s marriage and now I was able to concentrate on myself and feel as if I was having a fresh start.
As Main Street came into view and I moved slowly forward into the hustle and bustle of small town life I felt tingly all over and my heart began to pound. I could see a grocery store and a gallery, boutiques selling unique pieces of jewelry and clothes, and most prominently a book store which I could tell without question that I was going to love for its quirky wooden exterior. I caught a glimpse of a space available between two trucks and I slowed down and put the car into reverse. As I swung it in I felt weirdly proud of my ability to maneuver despite the fact I hadn’t driven in a hell of a long time. I clapped my hands together and turned off the ignition.
As I stepped out of the car the warm rays of sun shone down on me and I looked up to the sky. It felt so refreshing to be able to walk around and to know that no one would recognize me. Even though my family and Marianne had ties to Valport Springs that went back generations, there was surely no way that anyone would link me back with them, even with our vague similarities of long black hair and striking green eyes. To be sure I pulled a pair of shades out of my purse and slipped them down over my eyes.
I walked down Main Street with a smile on my face and I took my time exploring all of the nooks and crannies that the various shops had to offer. I made my way to the book store first and loitered outside as I ran my hands along the spines of some of the most beautiful antiquarian collections that I had ever seen.
“See something you like?” the voice of a woman came from behind me.
I spun around to see an old lady with silvery white hair tied up into a loose bun.
“I like everything,” I smiled. “These books are stunning.”
“One of a kind,” she agreed, “Mind you, I’m sure your aunt has a pretty big collection of her own.”
I tensed up and put down the book I had been holding.
“My aunt?” I asked.
“You’re Marianne’s niece,” she said matter-o-factly, “There’s no mistaking it.”
I reached up and touched the glasses that were covering my face and the old lady smiled wryly and winked at me. The woman’s eyes flashed green and I felt a familiar tingle undulate throughout my entire body.
I stretched out my fingers to try and shake the feeling before I turned and walked away slowly, unsure of what to say.
Maybe Marianne had told people I was coming… Maybe she had been down in town speaking with people before she had set off to come and get me. Maybe she had told certain women around the town so that they could help me settle in properly… Or maybe, just maybe, there was much more to Valport than I ever could have imagined.