Chapter 7

The menacing black mist swirled ever higher, gathering upward around her body as Fenrir ambled toward her. His maniacal laughter sent terrified shivers through her body. Shae looked over at the woman in the light-blue dress. She witnessed her despair as she fell to her knees. Her trembling hands covered her face as she wept bitterly over the loss of Odin. Somehow, she had to help her.

Shae needed to act quickly if she wanted to take hold of Fenrir’s jaws before he consumed her. Yet, before she could proceed with her plans, Fenrir took hold of his hated magic chain and seized her with it. At once, he began wrapping the tethers around her body. She struggled against the shackles with all of the might and strength she possessed. Shae found that no matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t budge. The effort left her feeling weak and defeated. She cried out in the darkness of her dank prison.

****

Hearing her whimpers, the captain hurried through the French doors of Shaelynn’s bedroom. On three different occasions now, he had heard these same pitiful cries. The first time he heard them, he wandered through the garden seeking solitude in the stillness of the night. Perhaps because of the stillness, he was aware of her restless sleep. Then without warning, she cried out in breathless anguish, and the cries cut deep into his soul.

The instant she cried out in terror, he rushed through the door and to the side of her bed. Just as before, she tossed her head from side to side as if seeking escape from something infinitely horrible. But this time, tears coursed down her cheeks, and she muttered something difficult for him to understand. He sat down on the edge of her bed, and drew close to her lips in an effort to make sense of her words.

“Nei! Du kan ikke gjøre dette… Du kan ikke gjøre dette, nei…” she murmured piteously.

The captain knit his brow in confusion. She spoke Norwegian. No. You cannot do this, she repeatedly cried. What terror held her bound as she slept, and what did it have to do with his culture? Just as before, he covered her hand with his own, giving her a measure of his strength and comfort.

“Let it go, Shaelynn. Wherever you are right now, you don’t have to stay. You have the power to turn away and leave it behind. All you have to do is walk toward the sound of my voice,” he whispered with a tenderness he had never shown her during her waking hours.

He waited as she stirred in response to his words. Her body grew less rigid, and her breathing slowed to a more even pace. That meant she followed his voice away from the horror of her dreams.

“I’m here and I won’t leave you, you’re safe now. Come with me and together we’ll find a place of peace and contentment.” He brushed her tangled hair away from her face. “Can you see it? We’re almost there.”

Shaelynn took a deep breath, and let go of her panic. She smiled then, in her sleep. He stared down in fascination as a small dimple appeared at the corner of her mouth. How could he have missed such a delightful feature? How, indeed. He’d never once given her cause to smile in his presence. Perhaps he ought to rectify that.

His hand traveled of its own accord to her cheek, and he lightly brushed against her flawless skin with the back of his fingers. At once, he shook off the weakness and backed away from the bed. He would not permit himself to grow attached to this beautiful woman, no matter how much he might desire otherwise.

“I wish things could have been different between us, Shaelynn Montgomery, truly I do,” he whispered. After one last lingering gaze, he turned away and left her room.

“Is she all right, Captain?” asked Amy as she met him there in the hallway near Shaelynn’s bedroom door.

“She appears to be resting quietly, at least for now,” he replied. “I don’t suppose she has ever shared these nightmares with you and told you what they are about?”

Amy shook her head. “No, she hasn’t, and I don’t think it wise to ask her about them, either. I’m sure if she wanted us to know, she would tell us.”

“Well, if she’s going to confide in anyone, I’m sure the person will be you,” he replied.

“Why would you go and say something like that?” Amy raised a brow as she awaited his reply.

“Because you are and always have been a woman who genuinely cares about people. You are kind, nurturing, and have a way of drawing such things out of a person without them even realizing it. Look what you got out of me.” He tossed her a grin and a wink that bespoke his affection. “That’s probably why you’re still here. Somehow you feel it’s your God-given duty to look after each of us who have chosen to remain behind.”

Amy feigned indifference over his observations. “What lies beyond the light isn’t going anywhere, and you needn’t worry. I’ll get there soon enough. Besides, look who’s talking to whom about caring. For someone who wants the girl gone so badly, you sure come to her rescue often enough.”

The captain muttered a reply and disappeared into his attic room without saying another word. All the while, he could hear the sounds of Amy’s soft laughter.

****

Shae awakened early, to the now familiar sound of the captain’s restless pacing on the floor above her. At least, she believed the footsteps belonged to the captain. Several nights ago, she gathered the courage to follow the sound. The steps led her to the third floor stairway. She looked up then and spied the door that Norman Lamont advised her not to touch. If not for the unbearable cold, which suddenly enveloped her body, she might have walked up the last set of steps. She would have knocked on his door and had it out with the spirit, face to face.

Did he endlessly pace in an ongoing effort to drive her out of the house, or did it stem from a deeper, more personal matter? The question needed answering, but she didn’t have the time to ponder it today. Everyone counted on her to keep to the schedule to avoid any delay of the exhibit’s grand opening. With a sigh of resignation, she climbed out of bed and dressed for the day, choosing her favorite blue jeans and an old college baseball jersey.

The morning sped by, and as she placed the last of the copied documents on the table, she stepped back and gazed at her handiwork in satisfaction. After locking the originals inside the cabinets, she picked up the phone and placed a call to Reuben. He answered right away.

“Hey Reuben, this is Shae.” She picked up her pen and pad, and began scribbling a series of clouds in the corner of the page. “I wanted to let you know I’m finished with the digital scans of the first set of documents you gave me, and I am ready for the next.”

“I’m impressed,” he replied. “Well, let me take a look at my calendar here. Hmm. Let’s see, my schedule is rather full for the rest of this week and the first of next. George and Perry are out of town on an errand until next week as well. So—”

“There’s no hurry,” Shae cut in. “I can start the translations with the copies I’ve already made easily enough, and you can deliver the next set of documents at your leisure.”

“That’s fine. Let’s tentatively schedule the exchange for next Thursday, then. Probably early to late afternoon, if that’s convenient for you,” he said.

“No problem,” she replied. “I’ll be here.” Just as she hung up the phone, Amy appeared in the doorway.

“Shaelynn, you missed your breakfast, dear. I am not about to let you miss your lunch as well,” she scolded. “Those papers can wait. Now come along with me, and let’s find you something to eat before you faint dead away.”

Turning toward the sound of Amy’s amused laughter over her choice of words, Shae grinned. She tossed her pen on the desk and stood up. “I suppose you’re right. I am kind of hungry,” she said as she followed her into the kitchen.

“I thought you might be.” Amy smiled and gestured toward the table.

A bowl of fruit and a ham sandwich awaited her. Shae shook her head as she sat down and scooted her chair toward the table. “You are a marvel, Amy, do you know that? I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you do for me.”

“Well, I’m happy you think so,” she said as she sat in the chair just opposite her. “It’s nice to be appreciated.”

While Shae ate the lunch Amy prepared, she toyed with the idea of asking about the Union captain in the photograph. Yet, she didn’t quite know how to tactfully broach the subject or get the answers to the questions she sought. She chewed on her lip in indecision and then finally said, “Amy, when did you come here? In the capacity of a nurse, I mean.”

“Well, let’s see.” Amy looked heavenward as if trying to recall. “I think in February or early March of 1863. Why do you ask?”

“Curiosity, I suppose,” she said as she picked up her glass of water and took a sip. “Did any members of the Starling family live here at that time?”

“Oh, no.” Amy shook her head. “That’s why the army surgeons chose this house in the first place. You see, the Starlings didn’t want to be in the middle of a war zone. The danger did exist for the army to burn the house to the ground. So many homes around these parts were, you know. Anyway, Mr. Starling packed up his family and moved them north to wait it out. If memory serves, Mrs. Starling had family in Ohio—a brother, I think.”

“Ohio,” Shae repeated. “Did the Starlings fight on the side of the Union or the Confederacy then?”

“Like most families, they had kin who fought on both sides of the war,” Amy replied. “More often than not, brother fought against brother, father against son. It all came down to ideology, and at the time, each person followed the tenets of his own conscious. Sometimes those ideologies tore families apart.”

“Did the opposing views cause a rift in the Starling family?” she asked.

Amy shrugged as she clasped her hands together. “I don’t really know. Information passed by way of gossip, mostly. I tried not to listen to such things.”

“Well, did any of the family members ever come back after the war to claim their house?” she pressed.

“Jerome Starling, one of the sons, made a very brief visit,” Amy said. “He came to assess the house and check for damage. When he found the house intact, he put it up for sale on behalf of the family. No one wanted to buy the property at that time, though. No one would even come close to this place unless sickness demanded it. So Jerome said he would let it serve as a hospital.”

“I think Norman Lamont mentioned something like that.” Shae wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “Did any of the neighbors harbor any ill will toward the Starling family?”

“None that I was aware of,” Amy said. “From all reports, they were a decent enough family.”

The conversation drifted away from the Starlings as Shae finished up her lunch. Amy continued to reminisce about a variety of things as Amy helped tidy the kitchen and then followed Shae down the hall toward the office. The last of her narrative fell by the wayside as an icy blast of air catapulted straight through her body. Shae sucked in a breath and rubbed her arms against the sudden chill. Her brows lifted as she sought an explanation to the incident but just as she reached her office doors, confusion gave way to anger.

Her mouth dropped as her gaze darted about the scattered mess inside the room. Every document she labored over this morning lay in fragmented ruins atop the table, desk, and floor. Her furious gaze shot past Amy and with grim determination, focused on the stairway.

Amy extended a hand outward. “Shaelynn, please, you must understand that—”

“Of all the mean-spirited, hateful— Ooh! I have just about had it with the underhanded cowardice of that bad-tempered, cantankerous old man!” In her anger, Shae turned and stomped out of the office. Yet, just before she reached the stairway, Amy appeared in front of her, blocking her path. The woman never before looked so fierce. She didn’t care.

“Get out of my way, Amy,” she said between clenched teeth.

“The captain may be many things, Miss Montgomery,” she hissed back. “But a coward certainly isn’t one of them. You have the right to be angry after what he did to your office, but take great care in what you say to him. If you should think to heap your vile accusations upon him, you will find you are no longer welcome in this house—by any of us.”

One by one, the other spirits of Starling appeared on the stairway as Amy said her piece. Shae looked into each of their stern faces. They all mirrored Amy’s feelings, especially Timothy. Nevertheless, she met their stares with stark defiance. She made her way past them and went up the stairs, determined to have her say.

By the time she reached the captain’s third floor room, she’d managed to calm down just enough to keep her temper under tight control. She hammered on his door, not really expecting an answer and not receiving one.

She folded her arms against her chest and rocked back on her heels. “It suddenly occurred to me, Captain, that in your own unique way, you just welcomed me into this house. Finally! And I couldn’t be happier about that. After all, several weeks’ worth of work just went into the garbage can. I can only assume that means having me around for a year, is simply not long enough to please you. Now we can extend my stay by at least that long while I start the laborious process over. Should you decide you want me here even longer than that, you needn’t have a tantrum and destroy my things. Just let me know, and I will see what I can work out with Norman. I am sure he would be delighted to let me stay here for as long as I wish to stay.” She huffed out an exasperated breath.

Without waiting for a response, she stomped down the stairway, into the foyer and out the door, making sure she slammed it just as hard as she could. She needed to get away from Starling and think. Once she stood in front of the carriage house, she opened the massive doors and entered while fumbling around inside her pocket for the keys to the jeep. She plopped into the seat, turned the engine over, and slammed the gearshift into reverse. After turning around, she dropped into first gear. She sent the jeep skidding down the driveway and onto the main road, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

Minutes later, she found herself driving aimlessly through the peaceful little community. The faster and farther she drove, the better she felt. At least, the intensity of her anger subsided, somewhat. After exhaling a very deep sigh, she allowed her thoughts to center on the captain. Other than the first few instances right after her arrival, he ignored her presence altogether. He kept to himself during the social gatherings she had with the other spirits and chose not to interfere. In fact, the doddering old war-horse never once threatened or personally harmed her in any way. So, what set him off today and why attack her documents, of all the irrational things?

Although his display upset her, it truly wasn’t that big of a deal. She saved all of the scanned images to her computer, and she could reprint them easily enough. The task wouldn’t take that much time. But he didn’t know that.

In the midst of her thoughts, she caught sight of an impressive-looking belfry, rising above the trees in the distance. Something about that spire compelled her to take a closer look. She searched for a road that would take her to it, but couldn’t find one. In exasperation, she pulled over to the side and opened the glove compartment. She extracted the handful of maps Norman gave her. Several minutes into her search, she found the one she sought.

If she read the map correctly, the belfry belonged to the Adaria First Presbyterian Church, built in 1832. Norman’s notes stated that due to a tragedy, which transpired inside the edifice, the parishioners abandoned the structure in the year 1863. That piqued her interest even more. However, the map didn’t indicate so much as a dirt road that would actually take her there.

As she relentlessly continued her quest, she drove down the street nearest the church. She spied a path that looked as if it might possibly lead to the building. Once she parked the jeep alongside the road just above the trail, she got out of the vehicle, and followed it.

About five minutes later, her heart dropped a beat and then thumped wildly in her chest as if she’d run a marathon. An irrational fear followed. A moment later, understanding dawned. Every tree, every shrub, every turn, told her that she followed the path of her nightmare. If she had any sense at all, she would turn around and go back the way she came.

But something beyond her ability to control, drew her ever nearer. Just up ahead she could see the path veering off to the right. When she made that turn she would see the side of the church. She held her breath as she approached the curve, forged ahead, and made the turn. The building loomed before her, just as she expected it would. And it looked almost as creepy in the daylight as it did in the moonlight of her dreams. Almost.

Three arched, dark, and foreboding windows aligned the center of the building. The middle window yawned larger, broader, and taller than the other two. The belfry followed the same arched design on all four sides and towered over the roofline. She could see the chimney rising up the back of the church. If someone asked, she could describe in detail, what the fireplace looked like inside.

“Hello there.”

Shae gasped in fright as she turned toward the unexpected greeting. The voice belonged to a tall, thin elderly man who despite a pleasant smile, gazed at her with obvious curiosity. He shifted his weight, using his cane for support.

“Oh, uh—hello,” she stammered in reply.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, miss, missus, or is it just plain miz?” He raised a friendly brow in question.

Shae waved a hand in dismissal while placing the other over her heart. “That’s quite all right, it’s just that I didn’t expect to see anyone, I—” She shook her head then as if to clear it. She extended her right hand toward him. “My name is Shae Montgomery. You don’t have to worry about the ‘miz’ thing. I never use it.”

“I thought so. You are the brave young lady staying at the Starling. My name is Isaac Henry, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” He took her hand in his and warmly shook it.

“And I am pleased to make yours, Mr. Henry,” she replied, returning his friendly smile. “Do you live around here?”

“Oh, like you, we don’t stand much on formality in these parts. So it’s just Isaac, if you please. And to answer your question, yes I do.” He pointed southeast of the church and said, “I’m not all that hard to find. My home is about a quarter mile in that direction. Should you ever find you need me, you’ll find my door is always open.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind. Who knows, I just might have to take you up on that offer some time. So tell me, Isaac, do you come this way often?” she asked as her eyes darted toward the church and then back to him.

He chuckled softly, more as if to himself than sharing his laughter with her. “Ah. I take it you have already discovered the tragic tale of this place.”

Shae shrugged as she tucked her hands into her pockets. “No, not really. Only that ‘a tragedy of sorts’ took place here, and the parishioners abandoned it shortly thereafter.”

“I suppose that could sum it up.” His gaze swept over the church, taking in every detail of the deteriorating structure.

From the man’s demeanor, she could tell he had full knowledge of the church’s history. To understand her recurring nightmare, she needed to know that history. She asked, “Would you mind sharing the details of it with me? I would really like to hear the story.”

“Well, the ‘tragedy’ took place after the battle of Chickamauga in October of the year 1863. Those in charge of the Union army tried to have the story quashed, or so they say. In fact relatively few people had possession of all the details,” he began.

“Anyway, I don’t know how well you know the history of the battle which took place there, but the Southern Army triumphed over the North. The defeat resulted in over sixteen thousand Union casualties alone. That loss occurred in part, because someone informed Major General William Rosecrans that he had a gap in his line. Upon hearing the news, he began moving some of his units to close the supposed gap. In so doing, he actually created a hole that the Confederates, under Lieutenant General James Longstreet, promptly—perhaps even knowingly—used to their benefit. They successfully drove one-third of the Union army, including Rosecrans himself, off the field that day. Subsequently, the Union commanders launched an investigation to find the source of the false information delivered to Rosecrans.

“They gave a man by the name of Major Nils Adlundsen, charge over this investigation. The official report says that during the investigation he came to realize the traitorous information came from none other than his best friend, Captain Tristan Jordahl. According to the major, Captain Jordahl provided the Confederates with sensitive information and the like for well over a year. Also according to Adlundsen’s sources, the South paid Jordahl quite handsomely for the betrayal to his country, or so it would seem.”

“Oh, I think that’s terrible,” Shae hissed. The names of the two men were definitely Norwegian. Could they be part of the Wisconsin Fifteenth? Truly, she hoped not.

“Indeed,” Isaac agreed. “The story goes on to say that because of their lifelong friendship, Nils thought to bring Captain Jordahl to this church and have him quietly arrested. Nils did not want to apprehend the captain in full view of his men. However, according to the report, once the two of them were inside the chapel, Jordahl resisted his arrest. Subsequently, a fierce fight broke out between the major and the captain. During the ensuing scuffle, they struck mortal blows. One of them died right here at this church. They sent the other man to Starling where he died a few days later.

“Of course, shortly thereafter, when the preacher tried to assemble his congregation for a normal Sunday sermon, it became obvious the entity or entities were not at rest. There are those who would tell you they have personally witnessed horrible sights and sounds coming from inside this chapel. And still do, to this very day. Many of the locals can attest to that fact.

“Over the years following the incident, the preachers and ministers tried everything they could think of to clear this place of the evil that invaded it. Yet, no amount of preaching, prayers, or even the sacred chants from a respected Indian shaman could exorcize the spirit or spirits that claimed this place. So, they simply abandoned the church and left it to time and the elements. What you see now is all that’s left of that little known piece of history.”

Shae only half-heard the last part of Isaac’s story. The fact that one of the officers engaged in a life and death struggle here at this church and then met his death at Starling Plantation consumed her attention. Only one question remained unanswered, and nothing else mattered but the reply.

“Do you know which man they brought to Starling?” she whispered as she lifted a hand to her throat.

The intensity of Isaac’s gaze made her most uncomfortable. “I can only go by what I have been told. However, you must also understand that while I heard this story in my youth, I heard it from the mouth of my own grandfather. He told me the story once, but he was very specific in the details he gave me. My grandfather said on that fateful morning, they transported Captain Tristan Jordahl to the plantation hospital.”