Page 25 of A Legacy of the Light

I slump against the door after locking it behind me, Tavish’s laugh echoing in my mind. He looks different when he laughs. I didn’t realize he carried a tightness in his shoulders and around his eyes until they both softened with his amusement. And the sound of it is warm and rich, like hot chocolate on a winter’s day.

I’m glad to have some time alone after what I’ve found out today. I need to process everything and figure out what I should be doing next. Planning and being organized is how I get through life, having none of that right now is unsettling. I still don’t understand why the pendant brought me here and why it had reacted so negatively when I considered handing it over to King Raghnall.

It possesses magic, that much is certain. What relevance does it have to me and how has it ended up in my family? Could we have Seelie blood in our history somewhere?

That seems likely, since Seelie live in my world, and Grandpa said the pendant was a family heirloom. It would have to be a distant relative, though, given there aren’t many of us. Perhaps a member of Granny’s family in Scotland?

While I’m here, I intend to learn everything I can. There’s no guarantee I’ll find answers to any of my questions, but until I can return home and speak to Grandpa, I have to try.

That library is bound to have some information that might help. If the internet was a thing here, I could try to search online, but I doubt that would provide anything useful. It would likely return lots of stories and little truth.

Heaving a sigh, I drop the books on the kitchen counter and head into the study to search out a pen and some paper to write my messages to Grandpa and Rach. I find both after a few minutes rummaging through the drawers.

I write Rach’s letter first. I tell her I’m taking a last-minute vacation to Europe and don’t know when I’ll be back. I ask her to arrange a sabbatical from work and explain to Elliot that he’ll not be able to reach me, but that I’ll call him when I get back. I understand he might not be prepared to wait for me. I feel a twinge of sadness at that. He seems like a nice guy, and I had fun with him last week.

I also ask if she’ll check in with Grandpa like I normally would. The thought of him being alone, and not having anyone outside his bowls club to talk to sits uncomfortably. It’s a lot to ask, but I know she will. She loves my Grandpa like he’s family. After telling her how much I love her and what her friendship means to me, I sign and seal the message in an envelope I found with the paper. I write her address on the front, figuring Tavish will need that to get the letter to her.

Writing the letter to Grandpa is more difficult. As I sit in the comfy leather chair, I think back to the night before; his wistful tone and parting words.

“Get some rest, you’ll need it.”

He couldn’t have known this would happen, right? I slam the pen down and pace around the study. There are too many questions I need to ask him and they’re all buzzing round in my head like angry wasps. I’m not a patient person, and not being able to get the answers is frustrating.

I need to consider what I want to say to Grandpa before I write the letter. In my current mood, I won’t be able to convey the message I want. So I decide that, if I’m staying here, I should take advantage of these beautiful rooms. I slip off my boots and pad into the bathroom to run myself a bath.

In the bathroom, I find that Reyne has left a basket containing shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and an amber vial of thick liquid. A small note next to it reads:

Put this in your bath x

Fresh towels have been left on the wooden stool next to the giant tub, and as I turn on the hot tap and pour most of the bottle into the running water, I make a mental note to thank Reyne when she returns later.I leave the bath to fill, and go to the wardrobe in the opposite corner of the bedroom to see what clothes I have been left.

Inside hangs multiple pairs of pants, like the ones I’m wearing, in various shades of black and brown. Another pair of boots sit in the bottom of the wardrobe, and a delicate pair of white pumps. There are more white shirts hanging on the rail, and a few jackets and coats in jewel tones. Next to the jackets is the lilac dress that was in the pile from this morning. I guess it’s good to have that option in case I need it.

Satisfied that nothing in here will make me really uncomfortable, I turn my attention to the drawers next to the wardrobe, hoping that Reyne has left me more underwear.

In the first drawer, my own pajamas are clean and neatly folded, along with a beautiful blush pink pair made of silk and a similar set in a deep blue. The next drawer contains multiple sets of underwear in black, white, and different shades of nude. Reyne really has considered everything for me, even socks and the bathrobe that hangs on the back of the bedroom door.

I take the robe and glance out into the living area, unease making me pause. Tavish said I would be safe here, but I would be a fool not to take some precautions. I shuffle across the room and grab a bar stool on my way. The handle on the main door is high enough that the back of the stool can be wedged under it. It won’t stop someone if they really want to get in here, but it will slow them down.

On my way back to the bathroom, I grab the kitchen knife I wielded at Tavish earlier, just in case. I shut the bedroom and bathroom doors too. The bathroom door has a lock on it that I slide into place, and strip out of my clothes, dropping them into the hamper in the corner of the room. I’ll need to ask Reyne about the laundry situation.

I twist my long hair into a bun on the top of my head and lay the knife on the stool next to the tub, wanting it close by.

Steam slowly fills the bathroom, and glancing in the mirror, I catch a glimpse of green. The pendant. I unfasten the chain and place it next to the sink, admiring the shade of the emerald in the center. I again wonder what magic it could possibly hold to have brought me here. The fact that I’m even accepting magic as truth is a lot to take in. Despite that, the pendant really is beautiful, the delicacy of the silver work reflects the light in such an intricate way.

When the tub is almost filled, I step into it and sigh as the soft scent of jasmine envelops me. I lower my body fully into the hot water and can’t help the smile that spreads over my face. This is something I would definitely choose to have in my own home.

With my head resting on the edge of the tub, I close my eyes and try to make sense of my swirling thoughts. I don’t often give myself time to think like this. When I’m home, I usually distract myself with a book or some music so the heaviness I carry doesn’t crush me. Today has been a lot. I’m exhausted, physically and mentally, by the sheer number of new things I’ve learnt. I imagine the next few days are going to be like this, too, as I see more of Elfayne, and the Seelie who call it home.

Hearing the Scottish accent has brought on a sharp pang of grief. Living in the US, I didn’t meet many Scottish people, and I haven’t heard an accent like that since Granny died. Despite the grief I feel, the usual cloud I have hovering over me doesn’t feel as heavy today. This is the first day I can remember where I feel like the old me. And for the first time, I don’t feel guilty about it.

I smile at that. Mom wouldn’t want me feeling guilty. And frankly, if she’d woken up in a different world surrounded by Seelie, she’d explore every inch of it. That’s just who she was.

I wonder what Granny’s reaction to this situation would be. She took zero bullshit from anyone. I don’t doubt she’d have had Tavish eating out of her hand. Granny had a magnetism that made everyone around her sit up and listen.

She was incredibly smart, funny and sassy as shit. I chuckle remembering all the times she and Grandpa would bicker. He couldn’t get a word in half the time, but the love and devotion to her were always clear. It still is.

I wonder if she’d know anything about Elfayne, and the pendant, since it was from her family and she was the one who told me the folklore about Seelie.