Tide - By Daniela Sacerdoti Page 0,36
I had a hunch I had to go to Islay, to Midnight Hall. That there I’d find out something more that I need to know, something about all this … and about my family as well. The message Harry sent us says: The answer lies on Islay. Watch over Morag, she’s the key. Morag Midnight, my grandmother.”
“Watch over Morag? As in, look after her? It doesn’t make sense,” pondered Sean. Sarah shrugged, as if to say that’s what it says.
“We must all to go to Islay, then,” Elodie said quickly.
“No need. Nicholas is coming with me.”
“Can you trust him, Sarah? Can you?” he snapped.
“Can I trust you, Sean? Because you lied to me. Over and over again.” Sarah’s anger had seeped through once again.
“How many times do you want me to apologize?” yelled Sean.
“Fine. Come with me, then. But Nicholas is my boyfriend.” Sarah crossed her arms. “He’s coming too.”
“You don’t know him! I can’t let you.”
“You can’t let me? Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do? I decide, Sean.”
“No you don’t, Sarah.” Elodie’s voice had a strange note to it. Her lips were ever so slightly blue. Sean tensed. “We decide together. Harry – my husband – lost his life because of this war. He trusted us to sort this mess after he was gone. I won’t let him down.”
“Someone else to tell me what to do, Elodie Midnight?”
The two girls glared at each other, their eyes flashing.
“Sarah.” Sean reached out his hand. With Elodie’s lips darkening and Sarah’s eyes beginning to glimmer bright green, things could turn dangerous.
But Sarah blinked. “I need to go home now. I promised Bryony she could come up and take some pictures in the garden tonight.” She put her jacket on and wrapped her scarf around her neck twice, the way she always did. Just seeing that familiar gesture broke Sean’s heart in two.
“Bryony? Another heir?” gasped Elodie. “Did you know about this, Sean?”
“No, no. Bryony is not from a Secret Family.”
“Your friend is not a Secret heir? How do you manage that?” asked Elodie, genuinely surprised.
“I don’t. My life is chaos, as you can see.” Sarah shrugged.
“At least Elodie and I will be around.” Sean frowned.
“No need. Nicholas will be there.”
Sean massaged his forehead. “Again! Sarah. Honestly. You have to make everything awkward! You and Bryony will be strolling around that enormous garden of yours in the middle of the night.”
“We’ll be fine. Thanks for the toast. I’m going.”
“Jesus, Sarah! Why did you come here at all if you don’t want me back in your life?” Sean looked stricken, and Sarah wavered.
“The thing is, Bryony and Nicholas never met.”
“She’s never met Nicholas? Your best friend never met your … boyfriend?” the last word was dripping with disdain.
“There’s never been an opportunity.” Sarah looked away.
A bitter sort of satisfaction filled Sean’s heart. “You avoided them coming across each other, didn’t you? You’re worried about Bryony sensing something weird about Nicholas.”
“Of course not. Why would I?”
Sean exploded. He couldn’t keep it in anymore. “Because he is weird, and you know it. And you’re weird when you’re around him. And it was all awfully fast, wasn’t it? The two of you getting together. What is he doing to you, Sarah?”
“Sean, please,” whispered Sarah. Something pained, something frail in her voice made Sean ashamed of his outburst. She’d gone from strong to soft in the space of a few minutes, the way Sean knew so well.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Sean said. “I’m sorry. I’ll hide, OK? I’ll do what I usually do. But I’ll be there.”
“Fine. Fine then.” She held up her hands in defeat. “Come with me. But only so that we can be sure that Bryony is safe. And like I said, you can come to Islay with me … and Nicholas.”
Sarah’s words resounded in the silence. Sean closed his eyes and breathed. Breathed deeply, for the first time in a long, long while. In spite of the mention of Nicholas, a dagger in Sean’s side, she’d finally accepted him back.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
Sarah stepped out into the hall, and Sean went to follow. But Elodie wasn’t moving.
“I’ll be there in a sec,” he whispered to Sarah, and walked back into the living room. Elodie was leaning on the wall beside the window, her arms crossed.
“’You OK?”
“Yes. Yes, of course, sorry. Going to get my jacket now.”
Sean took hold of her arm gently before she was out of the room. “Elodie. We’ve known each other for a long time.