The Curse of Redwood (Ivy Grove #2) - Jaclyn Osborn Page 0,42

more later.”

As I went to step away, Z snatched hold of my wrist and spun me back to him, capturing my lips. I released a surprised grunt against his mouth before returning the kiss. It didn’t last nearly long enough, just like every other moment with him.

“Now you may leave,” he murmured.

“Ready or not, here I come!” I shouted to William, before leaving the room.

A small giggle echoed from the left, so I moved in that direction, shaking my head and quietly chuckling. He was really bad at this game. The boy couldn’t contain his giggles. As I passed a closed door, I heard a loud click followed by several light thumps come from inside the room, like someone was running across the hardwood floor.

“The object of the game is to be quiet so the person can’t find you,” I said, opening the door.

The dark room had very few windows, and the two that were there had thick curtains drawn over them, blocking out the sun. The hairs on my arms and legs stood on end as I ventured farther inside. I hadn’t experienced that unsettling feeling at Redwood in a while, not since the night I practically ran away screaming.

“Okay,” I said to myself, heading back for the door. “Definitely not staying in here.”

“Carter,” someone whispered from behind me. “Come find me.”

“William?” I halted in step and cast a stare throughout the dark room.

“Play with me.”

“Hello?” I asked, squinting at the shadows and dark corners.

“Come closer.”

Fighting the urge to run, I took a deep breath and stepped toward a large wardrobe against the wall. The voice sounded like it had come from inside it.

“Warmer,” the voice whispered, as I touched the wardrobe door. “You’ve nearly found me.”

My heart went nuts in my chest as I grabbed the handle. Was William playing a trick on me? He enjoyed scaring me, the little mischievous brat.

A hand slapped over mine before I could open the door, and I screeched before coming face to face with Z.

“How did you get in here?” he asked, his eyes wide and angry.

“T-The door was unlocked.”

He dragged me from the room and slammed the door behind us. There was a click, like the door locked. “Do not go in there again. Do you hear me?”

“W-Why? Someone was in the wardrobe.”

“No one was in there,” he said, clenching his jaw.

“Yes there was,” I argued, knowing I didn’t imagine the voice. “I thought it was William, but—”

“It wasn’t William,” Z interjected.

I went to say something else, and he put a finger to my lips. That’s when I heard it from the other side of the closed door. Breathing. Like someone had their face right up against the wood.

Without saying a word, Z gripped my elbow and led me away from the room. William popped his head out from the doorway ahead of us. Chills spread all through me: it really hadn’t been him in that wardrobe. So who had it been?

“We can play more tomorrow.” William fell in beside us, taking hold of my other hand and swinging our arms between us as we walked. He lost interest once we were back in the parlor and ran from the room.

A second set of steps joined him in the hall. Probably Rose.

“Are you going to tell me what that was about?” I asked Z, once we were alone again.

“I warned you Redwood was dangerous,” he responded, resting a hand on the mantel above the fireplace as he stared at the silent clock. Time was frozen, just like everything else in the manor. “Spirits are stronger at night, which is why I ask you to leave at sunset, but that doesn’t mean they’re harmless during the day. The woman in that room…” He paused and dropped his head to look at the floor. “If you can even call her a woman. She’s someone I never want you to meet.”

“Why?”

“Must I spell it out for you?” Z flashed to the spot right in front of me. “Not every spirit is like me or William. Not all of us keep the humanity we had while living. Death changes some of us. Twists the soul. Turns it dark.”

“Like Lady Death?”

“Yes. However, unlike Lady Death, the spirit in that wardrobe is pure evil. She isn’t just an omen of death like Elizabeth. She is wicked and malicious. She thrives off fear. I keep her locked in that room for a reason.”

“Would she have hurt me if I opened the wardrobe?” I asked, feeling a little