The Rose Witch - Chandelle LaVaun Page 0,65
sundial.
But below that, right on ground level, was a massive wooden door.
And the rose mark.
I hooked my arm around his and led him along the gravel pathway until we got to the doorway. “By any chance do you have the ability to make us not visible?”
“I enabled it as soon as Edith left.”
“Brilliant. Sorry about that.”
“I’m not. Now I can’t wait to try your bed.”
I gasped and playfully elbowed him.
He laughed. “I meant to sleep, but evidently you enjoy morning shags—”
“Oh my God. I’m going to kill her.” I shook my head and hopped up on the top step. “So, what do you think is supposed to happen? Do I touch it?”
“That’s what the journal said to do.” He pulled the journal out of his pocket and read again. “Henry says touch to unlock the path. It also says Fifth Rose marks the spot.”
I frowned and stared at the mark on the wall. “So this quest…when we get to the fifth rose, that’s where we know we have to bury it?”
He nodded. “This is the first one.”
“So, let’s find the second one.” I took a deep breath and shook my arms out as a sudden rush of nerves rolled through me. Dad wanted you to do this. He wouldn’t intentionally hurt you. “Brilliant. Right. Here goes nothing…”
The rose was carved into the stone archway over the door, up high and tucked into a crease. Unless you were tall and looking, you probably would miss it. I wasn’t even sure how I ever found it. I threw my hand up and pressed my fingers to it.
Bright red light flashed out of the wall like a laser alarm system found in museums and banks. I flattened myself against the door and my jaw dropped. It was just like the images that popped out of books when I opened them now, except entirely red. A crimson holograph of an empty hall with intricately carved vaulted ceilings, tall windows, and two rows of wooden doors beneath them. But then the image sparkled from the right side. A door, the fourth on the right, was glowing a brighter red. That had to be our target, our clue.
“Tell me you’re seeing this?”
“I am, yes.” He made a weird face. “Does this look familiar to you?”
“Yes. This is where the painting in The Red Rose bookstore led to. The one you followed me to yesterday morning.”
“Ah, yes.” He took my hand and then everything went dark.
A second later we stood in the center of the hall, in the exact spot I’d landed yesterday morning. To my left was that wooden bench, but the journal was gone. There were no other people around, which was good but also strange. I walked over to the third door on the left, the one with a rose on the bottom corner, and opened it. Lancaster Estate glistened in the morning sunlight. With a smile, I shut it and turned to face the hall of doors.
I wondered where they all went and why, but I knew I didn’t have time to think about that right now. I had to get this damn locket off of me.
“Chloe, look.” Malachi stood in front of the fourth door on the right and pointed to a rose carved into the top of the door. “The second mark.”
I hurried to his side and then frowned. “Yesterday Granny told me to find the door with the rose and it would bring me home…but there are two doors marked with a rose. What if I’d gone through this one yesterday?”
“This one couldn’t be seen until we touched the first one.” He shrugged and took my hand in his. “That’s how your father operated.”
I bit my lip and yanked it open. Darkness greeted us. “We won’t get separated, right?”
He wrapped his arm around my waist, lifted me off my feet, and then jumped.
When my feet hit the ground I was still wrapped in Malachi’s arm, his chest pressed into my face. I grinned and popped up on my toes to kiss his mouth. “Thanks, Masen.”
He smirked. “Is that how it’s gonna be?”
“Figure out where it comes from and I’ll stop.” I stepped out of his arms and shrugged. I opened my mouth to tease him more when I realized the sky was black above us.
Black black. No clouds or stars. Just a wall of black.
“Where are we? It was daylight back home—”
He pressed his finger to my chin and pushed my face to the right. My gaze slid over and