The same black walls greeted us all on the inside. The Tilneys had softened the darkness with natural fabrics and earthy-colored furniture. There were friendly pictures of the family everywhere I looked. In the main living room, tall, arched windows allowed in plenty of natural light, and there was a crackling red fire burning in the grate, spreading a cheery warmth throughout the room. It was charming, and I anticipated pleasant evenings, snuggled under one of the many throws, gazing into the flames and listening to their many stories.
“Excuse me, gotta run—call of nature.”
As Henry dashed off, Eleanor waited patiently as I took my surroundings all in. “When you’re ready, I’ll show you to your room.”
“Oh, right. Sorry, I’m ready,” I said.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s a very unique place. I’d be more surprised if you weren’t curious about it. Follow me.”
Eleanor wandered toward a corner of the room, and confused, I hesitated, not seeing a door or hallway there. I thought maybe I’d misunderstood her. But then she turned and disappeared. I followed behind, wondering where she’d got to.
When I got to the corner, I found her waiting for me. “It’s confusing, I know. The stone walls create something of an illusion, hiding the halls, and it’s easy to get lost in here. Hank jokes we should give visitors breadcrumbs or petals, so they can find their way back. We’re used to it, of course, and so will you be soon, I promise.”
He wasn’t wrong. “It’s like a labyrinth,” I remarked, thinking of Ariadne, Theseus, and a ball of twine.
“Totally. Wait till we get to the stairs. From the outside, it looks like there’s just the two levels, but you’ll soon see there’s a whole lot more.”
“How many are there?” I asked.
“You know, I’m not totally sure. Dad keeps changing it all the time. He just bought one of those magical realty packages and keeps adding and taking away floors without telling anyone—it’s very confusing.”
I could see how it would be. The hall seemed an endless row of stone, the cold wall illuminated by soft lighting and decorated with more pictures. If these were all relatives, there were a hell of a lot of them.
“Are these all family portraits?”
Eleanor stopped and turned to look at a bunch of them with me.
“Yes, mostly. Mom came from a very large family, and a lot of them are her cousins and nephews and such. She liked having them all around her. I’ve tried taking some down, but it upsets Dad, so I don’t bother anymore.”
“He misses her that much?”
Eleanor raised a puzzled eyebrow and glanced at me. “Perhaps. Come on. Let’s get you settled in.”
I wondered what she’d meant by that, but her tone didn’t invite further conversation. She turned a corner, then another, and then we started to climb a winding staircase.
“You’re not wrong about these corridors. I think I’m lost already. I’d better make sure my phone’s charged, or you might lose me forever.” I only half laughed at my own joke.
“I wouldn’t rely on it,” Eleanor said. “Between the thick stones and the enchantments in place, no signal can get through. If you need to make a call or send a text, you’ll need to sit on the stone of Elliot Finn, the old blacksmith, just to the right of the cemetery gates. It’s the only place I’ve ever gotten a signal.”
“Ugh. That’s not fun. You don’t have an old-fashioned landline?”
“No, sorry. We’re used to it. Anyway, here we are. Your room’s next to mine, so you can knock if you need anything.”
That was reassuring at least.
Eleanor opened one of the four black doors in the hall and stood aside to let me in. Like the room downstairs, the guest room was nicely furnished, only this one had a purple flame, making it look dreamy and relaxing.
“Very nice,” I said.
“You’ll find the bathroom in the corner hidden behind the bed. Lunch will be at noon sharp. I wouldn’t be late. Dad gets mad if he has to wait for food. I hope you like chicken.”
I nodded. “I presume the General is home, then?”
“Yes. He spends most of his time in his study. He only comes out if he has to, which is as little as possible.”
“How about Freddy? Is he home too?”
“Only when it suits him. Which is hardly ever.”
My thoughts returned to Isabella and how she and Freddy were doing. Pleasant as she was, I barely knew Eleanor and didn’t think I knew her well enough to ask about him. Maybe over the course of my stay that might change.
“Anyway, settle yourself in and come down when you’re ready. I have some errands to run, so I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Thank you.”
As the door closed behind her, I dropped my bag down on the end of the bed and rubbed my shoulder. When I had a free moment, I resolved to look up a spell to lighten the load, because that magic book sure was hefty and had probably left a groove on my skin.
As Eleanor had said, I found the bathroom just beyond the bed, concealed by another optical illusion in the back wall. Just as well—another ten seconds and I would have peed myself. As I walked in, a line of purple candles ignited. There were pots of herbs and spices by the sink, typical for most magical houses. I picked up one and, removing the lid, sniffed the contents. I recognized lavender and vanilla at once and smiled. Vanilla was my favorite scent.
After answering the call of nature, I had to feel along the wall to find my way back to the bedroom. This could get old fast. There was a large window looking over toward the willow. Just beyond it, the skyscrapers of New York were indistinct outlines, almost as if I were imagining them in the shapes of the clouds. Yet I knew there were real enough. It was bizarre, standing in this calm oasis in one of the busiest cities in the world.
I wondered if Henry was waiting for me downstairs, and whether his room was on the same corridor as mine. I had no idea how many rooms there were. The Abbey was deceptively grander than its modest exterior had led me to believe. A person could get horribly lost in here. And Eleanor had said the General was fiddling with a realty package, so there could be even more floors and hallways and rooms coming into being right now. How the rich lived! Mom and Dad would certainly have appreciated having a few extra rooms. I wondered who was sleeping in mine.
Lunch was at noon, and since we’d made no plans, I decided to relax for a bit. If they missed me, they could come find me. That would be a hell of a lot easier than going out in search of them. After checking my phone, which, as Eleanor had warned me, had zero signal, I kicked off my shoes and flopped down on the purple comforter on my bed. It sure was comfy. I stretched my arms, snow-angel style, and sank into the yielding mattress.
The scent in the room and the crackling purple fire were so relaxing. I could sure get used to this. Apparently faster than I could have imagined, because the second I closed my eyes, I forgot all about Henry, Eleanor, the General, and indeed pretty much everything else, because I fell into a deep, untroubled sleep. The kind most people only dream of.
I woke with a start. Shoot, what time is it? I must have been holding my phone when I fell asleep because it was by my hand. I snatched it up and groaned when I saw the time. Noon!
I jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, having to sidestep only a couple of times as I searched for the entrance. For Gaia’s sake, can’t these idiots install some regular doors? There was no time to change—they would have to take me as they found me. I quickly ran a brush through my hair, cursing that I’d never mastered Mom’s magic spell for a hair fix—any time I’d tried it, I ended up with a cross between a beehive and an angry octopus. With a little more difficulty, I found my way out into the corridor.
Turn right. I’m sure it’s right. The winding stairs had been behind us—at least I thought they were. I ran my hand along the wall to avoid missing a turn, but though I found a set of stairs, they wound upward, not down. Perhaps there was another set farther along the corridor? I traced my way back and walked a little farther. At last, to my relief, I found another set of stairs, but they led to a corridor much longer than I recalled, and none of the portraits on the wall looked familiar. I would swear their disapproving eyes followed me as I hurried past them.
The next turn led to another set of winding stairs that climbed a little. There was nothing for it; up I went, cursing the lack of phone signal in this house when a single call would have alerted Henry to my predicament. It crossed my mind to try to communicate telepathically, but he might think that was rude, and in any case, how many more wrong turns could I possibly make? Considering my lack of control, I’d probably climb in the General’s head, and how would I explain that? I’m terribly sorry, sir. I was looking for your handsome son, whom I should very much like to marry someday. Um, no.
I had reached a dead end with only one door. To the side of it was a small table, and on the table was a clear vase containing a single lily. It was the only door I’d seen with any kind of marker. I decided to see if anyone was in there now, and I knocked. There was no response. This time, I tried the handle, and the door opened.
This room was much larger but similar to mine, with a huge bed and the same soft purple lighting. Though the curtains had been drawn, the fire was unlit, and the grate so clean I thought it probably hadn’t been lit for some time. There was a large dresser with an ornate mirror, surrounded by dozens of children’s photographs. I suspected this was Henry’s mother’s room, and judging by how polished everything was, someone was taking very good care of it. Although I was conscious of the time, my curiosity got the better of me, and I wandered inside, hoping to find a picture of her face, as so far, she hadn’t been pointed out to me.
Over by the window, I spotted a wedding photograph. The groom looked just like Henry, only he wore a mustache, and though he was smiling, there was a hardness to his face that was nothing like Henry’s. This had to be the General when he was a young man. The woman beside him was dressed in a wedding dress of traditional metallic gray. It was a classic A-line gown, with a sweeping train fringed with silver lace that brought snowflakes to mind. The long sheer sleeves had a similar pattern, but the most beautiful thing of all was the bride herself. She looked just like Eleanor, only her figure was frailer, and her eyes a deep blue gray like the sea before a storm. Henry had inherited her smile.
I instinctively wanted to know more about her. One of the drawers was partially open, and looking down, I glimpsed a pendant necklace. Thinking it might contain another photo, I reached inside and lightly touched it.
“Excuse me? What are you doing?”
My heart skipped a beat, and I turned. Henry was standing in the doorway, and he wasn’t smiling now.
“I, um, I’m sorry. I got lost with all the corridors and such.” I closed the drawer gently behind me.
“And you thought you’d find your way back by snooping through my mother’s things?”
“Snooping? No! I don’t know quite how I got here, but I saw the picture of your mom and was curious about her, that’s all. She’s very pretty, and I wondered if there were more photos. And you guys need some serious signposts in this place. A person could die trying to find a way their way downstairs.”
Henry’s suspicious frown eased a little. Even he had to know this wasn’t the easiest place in the world to get around. “Come on. I’d better get you downstairs. Dad’s chomping at the bit, waiting for his lunch. He gets really testy if we don’t eat on the dot.”
“So I heard.”
Relieved to be out of the room and to at least have a reliable guide, I followed him back down the hall.
“How long has it been since your mom passed away?”
“Eight…no, nine years now.”
“You were so young. Do you remember much about her?”
Henry cast his gaze thoughtfully downward. “She used to sing to us. At least I think she did. I try to remember the song, and it’s always there, on the tip of my tongue, but when I think I remember it, it goes.”
“Does Eleanor remember? Or Freddy?”
He shook his head. “None of us can. I’ve asked Dad about it, but he just gets angry and won’t talk about it. It’s so annoying.”
“I’m sorry I looked in her drawer. It seems dumb now, but I didn’t think.”
“Don’t worry about it. We all do stupid things from time to time.”
Henry’s easy smile was back, and the awkward moment forgotten. We were back in the dining room in no time at all, and it seemed so easy to find with him beside me. Getting lost seemed so foolish in retrospect.
The dining room was fairly formal. I half expected liveried servants, but there were none to be seen, just a grumpy-looking General sitting with his arms crossed at the head of a longish table, and Eleanor beside him, smiling as we approached.
Henry led me to the seat facing Eleanor and pulled out a chair for me. “Panic over. The halls turned her around a bit, but I found her.”
I was grateful he didn’t say where.
“You didn’t end up in a dungeon, did you?” Eleanor smiled as she pulled a napkin down onto her lap.
“Not this time.” I grinned. “But I’m pretty sure I heard screaming.”
“That would be the last guest who was late for lunch.” The General smiled. However, there was more than a hint of innuendo in his glare, and no humor.
“I’ll remember that. But really, how do you keep it all straight in your heads? I was lost two feet from my own bedroom.”
“After a while you get used to the portraits. That’s why I keep them up.”
As the General explained this, a series of bowls began slowly circulating in the air. I reached for the bread bowl and selected a small brown bap, then waited for some chicken salad to rotate my way. As the dishes passed, I took a sip of the white wine someone had poured for me and thought about home. Family meals there were always so chaotic, and I found I quite enjoyed the change. When everyone had filled their plate, the dishes settled in the center of the table, floating again only when someone wanted a refill.
“I could get used to this.”
“Oh? You don’t eat lunch in Pennsylvania?”
I wondered if the General was always this sarcastic. I noted how Eleanor and Henry were trying their best not to smile. Deadpan humor was an art. They were terrible at it.
“No, I mean sitting down to a civilized meal without having a zillion brothers and sisters screaming the house down.”
“Don’t you miss them at all?” Eleanor asked.
“Sometimes. Mostly I miss the quiet times at night when the kids were in bed. Mom, Dad, Jimmy, and I would sit around the fire, and sometimes Dad would tell us stories. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we did that.”
“I’m sure your father has much to occupy his time. A necromancer’s time is never his own.”
“Oh, Dad isn’t a necromancer.”
The General appeared confused. “Still, your mother then?”
“Nope, nope. It’s just me, I’m afraid, or so they tell me. It seems it skipped a generation or two. I’m the first in a while. None of my brothers and sisters have the gift. Not yet, anyway. That’s why I’m so bad at it. Mom and Dad were hoping I’d grow out of it. They’re afraid of anything that isn’t earth magic.”
The General looked genuinely surprised. “Afraid? What utter nonsense. Necromancers are very powerful. When we learned Henry had the power, we did everything we could to nurture his talent. Not that it’s done us much good. I’ve never known a young man so unambitious for himself. Magical cleric.” He sneered as he said this last part.
“We’ve discussed this, Dad.” Henry scooped some chicken salad onto his second roll. “The dead don’t interest me. We should be more concerned with the living.”
“That’s ridiculous. Catherine, I hope while you’re with Henry, you’ll set him straight. You might be a latecomer to the craft, but surely you must appreciate the power you yield? You can talk to the dead, you can divine the future, and you can reveal all the secrets of the past. Why my son chooses to turn his back on these gifts is a mystery to me. It brings greatness to any wizarding family that embraces it. I’m surprised at your family, really I am.”
I twiddled with the cup in front of me. “I’m told necromancers can do all that, but between you and me, I can barely shift this teacup.”
The General fixed a puzzled stare on me.
“Cat is being modest,” Henry intervened. “The potion work I’ve seen her do in the shop is phenomenal, but she’s just getting her feet wet in ley line work. As yet, she doesn’t know her own strength, but she will, given time.”
The General shook his head. “Well, I don’t understand it. How can anyone have all these latent talents and not revel in it?”
“Well, that’s a mystery you won’t solve over a chicken salad and a glass of wine. Let’s enjoy our lunch, shall we?” Eleanor shot her brother and father meaningful glares.
I took a bite of my bap, which smelled of roasted chicken, warm celery, and mayonnaise. “This is delicious; who made it?” I looked around the table.
“I did, thank you.” Eleanor smiled at me and winked at Henry. I suspected they both wanted to change the subject. I could help them with that.
“It’s a pity Freddy wasn’t able to join us. I know he thought about it. I think my friend Isabella would have liked to see the Abbey if she could.” I didn’t mention that I would rather she didn’t, but that was another story.
Eleanor put down her knife and looked puzzled. “Oh, why would she be interested?”
“They’ve been seeing each other. I thought she liked my brother Jimmy, but your brother clicked his fingers, and she came a-running. She likes him a lot.”
Her habitual smile left her face, and she stared at Henry, then her father.
The General put his bap down and took a sip of wine. “Then I suggest you tell your friend to unlike him, and as quickly as possible. My eldest son has a long-standing engagement with Miss Rosemary Westbrooke, the Magic Runes heiress. Unfortunately, my son likes to have his cake and eat it too. Your friend would be best advised to stay well away from him, or she’ll wake up one morning thrown out with the bathwater.”
“I thought that was all over,” Henry said. “With Rosemary?”
“Well, it’s back on again. Freddy’s no fool. He’s not going to walk away from an alliance with a powerful witch family over a trifle, and he certainly won’t throw it all away over your silly little fae friend. I’m sorry to sound callous, but that’s the way it is.” The General pushed his plate away and threw his napkin on it. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some writing to do. I’ve just started the Necromancer Scrolls, Volume III, which takes the history up to the Elder Wars. A fascinating period, full of blood and thunder.”
And then he left us.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m off too. Playing gooseberry isn’t my thing.” Eleanor pushed her chair back but held on to her glass of wine, which she took with her.
“You’re an idiot,” Henry said.
“But you love me.”
I stared at the sea of plates still sitting on the table. “Can I help clear up?”
“No, you’re fine. I’ll just magic it all away in a bit. You two have fun.”
As soon as she was gone, I turned to Henry. “Why didn’t you tell me about your brother? Isabella is going to be so upset when she finds out he’s engaged.”
“Maybe not as much as you think.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She knows already. I had a text from him earlier this morning. Sad to say, but Freddy isn’t famous for his discretion. And from what I learned, as soon as she found out, she started texting your brother. When one door closes, and all that.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Henry shook his head. I’ll show you the text if you insist, but fair warning, there’s stuff in it that made me blush.”
“No, it’s okay, I believe you. Poor Isabella.”
Henry laughed. “I’d say poor Jimmy. Anyway, enough about them. I promised to teach you some focusing stuff while you were here. If you’ve had all you want to eat, shall we make a start?”
“Sure, yes, I’d like to.”
“Right then. We’ll get your magic book and go sit outside. It’s turning out to be a beautiful day out there. Let’s go and make the most of it.”
“You’re going to risk letting me loose in those corridors again?”
“Good point. I’ll go with you. Lead the way.”
We both rose from the table, left the dining room, and headed for the stairs. It was time to concentrate on my training, but I couldn’t help thinking about Isabella, and though I knew I should text her to see how she was doing, I found myself even more worried about my brother. Isabella might be a creature of the world, but Jimmy was not. It wasn’t my place to meddle with his love life, but if someone didn’t put him on his guard, he could be in for a whole lot of pain. As his sister, I wasn’t about to let that happen. I needed my phone, and I needed to find the grave of the blacksmith, so I could send Jimmy a message and put him on his guard. The sooner the better.
Still, first things first. I was about to head out into a cemetery, a cemetery full of the restless dead and their never-ending whispering babble. Perhaps I was finally going to understand what it meant to be a necromancer, or at least get some idea of what all this fuss was about. Half afraid and half excited, I kept close to Henry, knowing secretly that it wasn’t the dead that excited me, but the living.