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  “Damn,” Aidan muttered. “The vultures are circling.” He glanced sidelong at Gwen. “I reckon I shouldn’t say that in front of a customer.”

  Gwen giggled, then looked out at the crowded tables, littered with piles of empty glasses.

  “Do you want me to help out tonight? I can clear tables while you deal with drinks.”

  Aidan’s eyes lit up with hope, and he looked down at the counter to hide them.

  “I couldn’t ask you to do that,” he said.

  “Luckily you didn’t have to ask, because I offered,” Gwen said briskly. She reached out and grabbed the bar towel off Aidan’s shoulder then took a tray from behind a line of bottles. Aidan’s face flooded with relief and gratitude. She smiled at him and jerked her head down the bar.

  “Your customers await,” she said as she turned to go.

  “Thank you so much,” he said hoarsely. He cleared his throat. “I’ll give you free drinks for life!”

  Gwen called out over her shoulder, “Good thing I liked that ginger beer.” She walked around the dance floor to the nearest tables and started piling glasses onto her tray, then straightened, looking for Ellie. She finally spotted her through a gap in the crowd, in a thoroughly un-demure position with the stranger who had asked her to dance. Ellie’s arms were entwined around his neck, and their bodies were pressed against each other as they moved to the beat. Gwen couldn’t see the stranger’s face, buried into Ellie’s neck. Gwen frowned, and turned resolutely away to continue clearing tables.

  ***

  Gwen sat down at the bar with a sigh a couple of hours later, dropping the bar towel on the counter. She kicked off her heels, despicable spiky things that Ellie had made her buy to go with her dress. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back in relief as her toes wiggled in the open air. When she opened her eyes again Aidan had flopped down on the next stool over and leaned his arms on the counter. He hung his head in exhaustion.

  “Wow, what a night,” he said into his lap. Gwen looked at the few remaining dancers. The band had finished its last set ten minutes before, and only a few diehards remained swaying to canned music. Gwen noticed with a frown that Ellie was still firmly ensconced in the stranger’s arms.

  “Everyone seemed to have a good time,” she said.

  “Everyone except you. Oh, Gwen, how can I ever repay you?” He turned his head to look at her with a woebegone expression. She laughed.

  “It’s fine. Two are faster than one.”

  “Except when riding a unicycle.”

  Gwen let out a burst of surprised laughter, glancing at Aidan’s grinning face. She nodded at the dance floor. “And anyway, you rescued me from a dancing marathon with Ellie. I never know what to do out there.”

  “I hear you loud and clear. Music I can do. Dancing,” he paused dramatically, “well, let’s just say there have been incidents.” He nodded sagely.

  Gwen leaned over to nudge him with her shoulder. “No details?”

  “Ha. You think I’m going to tell you all my shameful secrets? You’ve got to find those on your own. I prefer to remain a man of mystery.” He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes, smiling.

  They both looked at the stragglers for a minute. Gwen cast around for something else to say.

  “Ellie and I walked to Glengarry barrow the other day,” she said. “Do you know anything about it?”

  Aidan pulled himself upright with a groan.

  “Oh, yeah, old Glengarry. It’s said to be the burial mound of a Pictish king, three thousand years ago. It’s mostly a picnic spot on the weekends, and a teenager hangout at night. Not that I would know about that.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.” Gwen raised an eyebrow at Aidan’s mock-saintly face then looked down at her hands, whose fingers twisted together nervously. She tucked them under her legs. “It really creeped me out. I felt…” she paused.

  Aidan looked at her curiously. “Felt what?” He almost looked a little wary.

  “Oh, just weirded out.” She couldn’t bring herself to mention the strange sensations the barrow had brought out in her. “We just got all worked up about it. Silly, I know.” She changed the subject. “What do you think of that guy with Ellie?” She nodded in their direction. “Do you know him?”

  Aidan shook his head.

  “No, never seen him before.”

  “I think he’s creepy.” Gwen pursed her lips in distaste.

  Aidan laughed.

  “Are you sure you’re not just being protective of your friend?”

  “No, really,” she insisted. “He doesn’t look at her like he likes her. He looks at her like he’s a lion, and she’s dinner.” She swallowed. “Kind of predatory.”

  Aidan frowned, looking at the two. Ellie’s eyes were closed and the stranger nuzzled at her neck, eyes half-lidded. He said, “Maybe I could walk you two back to the castle? It’s pretty late, and I’ll be closing the pub shortly.”

  Gwen bit her lip, more relieved than she cared to admit.

  “Would you? I’d feel a lot better,” she said.

  “For my savior? It’s the least I can do.” He stood up, and reached toward Gwen’s face. She held still as his hand brushed beside her cheek then presented her with a budding rose. She stared at it in astonishment, and he grinned and tucked it behind her ear.

  “How—how’d you do that?” She reached up to touch the flower.

  “A magician never reveals his secrets,” he said, looking at her mischievously.

  Chapter 4

  Gwen drooped over a plate of eggs and sausage. Surrounding her in the great hall were similarly bleary-eyed students trying to wake up after a late Friday night. Ellie dropped her plate across from Gwen on the long trestle table and climbed onto the bench heavily.

  “Saturday mornings should be outlawed,” she said grumpily, stabbing a sausage with a vindictive thrust of her fork. Gwen grunted in reply. She hadn’t drunk the previous evening, but hard work, a late night, and an early breakfast time had all conspired to make her long for her bed with a passion. She could imagine its soft warmth, enveloping her in a dark cocoon…

  “Gwen! Are you even awake?” Gwen jerked upright as Ellie’s voice pierced her daydream. “I asked if you had a good time last night. Aidan seemed attentive. He walked us home and everything.”

  “Mmm.” Gwen made a non-committal noise. Ellie clucked her tongue.

  “Fine, don’t tell me anything.” She sniffed. “I, on the other hand, had an amazing time. Corann is such a great dancer, and we just really clicked last night, you know? And his eyes are so intense, it’s like they see right through me…”

  With growing discomfort Gwen listened to Ellie prattle on. She’d seen plenty of Ellie crushing on boys over the years, but this was different. Ellie wasn’t usually so effusive about the boys she liked. She was always quick to laugh when other girls ‘got all soppy,’ and she was usually self-aware enough to see when she was getting soppy herself. Gwen could hear no trace of satire in Ellie’s descriptions this time. She prodded a little.

  “This guy sounds too good to be true,” she said, trying for a jovial tone. “Where can I get one of those?”

  To her great surprise, Ellie’s face darkened.

  “Sorry, he’s taken,” she said stiffly. She cut her eggs with a determined air, keeping her eyes fixed on Gwen’s.

  Gwen was shocked to her core. Ellie had never acted like this in all the years Gwen had known her, from the very first day in elementary school when Ellie had thrown her arms around the shy Gwen and declared them best friends. The Ellie Gwen knew would have recognized Gwen’s words as the joke they were, and responded with a jibe of her own. Gwen looked down at her plate, a little stunned.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, not sure what she was apologizing for. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “Okay,” Ellie said, sounding mollified. She went back to her breakfast.

  “So, are you seeing Corann again?” Gwen ventured, not wanting the silence to grow awkward. Ellie
looked up with a big dreamy smile on her face, the offense of a moment ago apparently forgotten.

  “Yeah. We’re meeting at the big oak by the crossroads just before the village, Tuesday night. He’s going to show me around the woods.”

  Gwen’s stomach sank.

  “Why don’t you go for coffee, or somewhere in Amberlaine?” she said. “It’s nice to have other people around, especially since you don’t really know him yet.”

  Ellie’s face soured.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said with a sneer. “We have a connection. You’re just jealous because someone likes me and you’re too timid to go after anyone yourself.”

  Gwen looked down at her plate, her eyes swimming. She automatically took a deep breath to calm herself as her emotions threatened to take over.

  “I’m just worried for you. That’s all.”

  Ellie sighed deeply and Gwen looked up to see her rubbing her eyes. She looked at Gwen, confusion and guilt playing across her face.

  “I’m sorry, Gwen. I don’t know why I said that.” She passed a hand over her face. “I think I’m going to go back to bed. You okay on your own?”

  Gwen nodded.

  “Yeah. I’ll see you later.” She watched Ellie walk to the doorway, wondering. Was this normal behavior upon meeting someone special, or should she be worried? Not for the first time, Gwen fervently wished for her mother.

  ***

  By that evening, Ellie was back to her old self.

  “So when are we heading back to the Green Man? Your British boy is waiting for you,” Ellie teased when she and Gwen met in the great hall for dinner.

  Gwen rolled her eyes as she set her tray down on the table and climbed on the bench.

  “Honestly, Ellie, you read too much into things. I helped him out, it was no big deal.” Gwen gave a show of indignation at Ellie’s teasing, although inside she was relieved that they were back to their old friendship. Gwen carefully left the subject of Corann alone, unwilling to broach the topic and revert to the strain of the morning.

  Ellie had no such qualms.

  “I’m so excited for my date on Tuesday,” she said happily, cutting into her meat pie.

  Gwen said nothing, pushing her beans around her plate without enthusiasm. She suddenly found herself thankful that their stay in England would last only a month.

  ***

  Gwen watched Ellie get dressed on Tuesday night.

  “Is that what you’re wearing?” Gwen drew her lips into a thin line. Ellie’s blouse left little to the imagination as it draped open, an eye-catching pendant dangling low around her neck.

  “Don’t be such a prude, Gwen.” Ellie threaded large hoop earrings through her ears and looked at herself in the mirror, beaming. She turned to Gwen.

  “Don’t wait up.”

  Gwen bit her tongue around the warnings she wanted to speak. Instead she said, “Have fun,” and watched Ellie bounce out of the room with a sinking feeling.

  ***

  Gwen awoke with a start. She had been dreaming of endless green hills and stone doorways. The click of the latch alerted her to another presence. She sat up and looked toward the door.

  Ellie’s voice whispered in the darkness.

  “Sorry I woke you.”

  Gwen sighed in relief. Ellie was here, safe and sound. Gwen’s worries had been unfounded.

  “That’s okay. Did you have a good time?” She glanced at the glowing hands of her watch—it was one o’clock in the morning.

  “Oh, it was amazing.” Ellie giggled and fell into bed. “I told you it would be fine.”

  Gwen just got up and gave her a silent hug, happy to see her in one piece. Despite the uneventful date, Gwen’s unease still lingered.

  ***

  The next Saturday, after a school excursion to a nearby castle, Gwen and Ellie found themselves wandering to the Green Man after dinner with a few classmates.

  “That trebuchet was wicked cool,” one of their classmates said, his eyes glowing. “Man, I would’ve loved to see it in action.”

  Ellie pushed his shoulder playfully.

  “War-hungry boys!” She turned to Gwen. “I did like the crenelated towers. They gave it a perfect fairy-tale look.”

  “It was a pretty great castle,” Gwen agreed.

  “But not nearly as nice as ours,” Ellie said smugly, in a proprietary tone.

  They entered the pub and jostled around a table in the corner. Gwen quickly looked to the bar, but instead of Aidan, a middle-aged man with a snub nose and a round belly pulled drafts out of the taps. Gwen’s shoulders drooped only slightly, but enough for Ellie to notice.

  “I’m sorry, Gwen. I guess tonight’s his night off.” She put an arm around Gwen’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

  “I got the first round,” one of their classmates said, to appreciative noises from the others. “Hey Gwen, want to give me a hand?”

  “Sure thing,” she said, following him to the bar. When they returned, balancing a cluster of glasses each, she was annoyed to see Corann had materialized in a chair beside Ellie.

  When the drinks were poured Gwen pulled two glasses toward herself and Ellie.

  “I already got one, Gwen.” Ellie pointed to the full glass in front of her that Corann had smoothly placed there moments before. Ellie barely glanced at Gwen as she laid a hand on Corann’s arm, giving him a coy smile. Corann leaned toward Ellie’s ear and murmured something Gwen couldn’t hear.

  Gwen bit her lip then turned her attention to the rest of the group. She could have a good time without Ellie.

  By the third round the others were getting rowdy. Gwen continued sipping on her first drink, feeling a little lonely. Just then Corann and Ellie stood up, Ellie grabbing her coat.

  “We’re going for a walk. You don’t mind, do you, Gwen?” she said carelessly. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes weren’t quite focused. Gwen frowned.

  “Yeah, I guess. I’ll walk back with this lot.” She gestured at her classmates, but Corann had already put his arm around Ellie’s shoulders and steered her toward the door.

  ***

  Aidan stared into the open cupboard, his eyes raking over the shelves, empty except for an upside-down can of tuna. He sighed, closing the cupboard door harder than necessary. He bent down to examine the contents of another cupboard.

  Behind him an ordered chaos reigned. A coat and three socks lay on an unmade bed in the one-room flat. A cluster of shoes and boots gathered in a heap by the door. A large window was centered in a red brick wall, unaccompanied by any other decorations. A tiny table with a rickety single chair held the remains of breakfast, but the dishes beside the sink were clean and neatly stacked in a drying rack.

  Aidan took one last look into a tiny fridge under the counter before slamming it closed in disgust. He marched to the door, grabbing the coat from the bed on his way. The clattering of his descent down the stairs echoed through the flat as the door swung shut.

  Once outside, Aidan took a deep breath of the cooling night air. He directed his steps in the direction of the main road. He hadn’t been walking for one minute when a voice broke through the stillness.

  “Aidan!”

  Aidan turned and peered into the twilight. A trio of young men approached from the opposite side of the street. Aidan’s mouth opened in an easy smile as he recognized the owner of the voice.

  “David. Good to see you, mate.”

  David greeted this with a wide smile of his own and a clap on Aidan’s shoulder. “Aidan. It feels like forever since I last saw you. Graduation last year, wasn’t it? How’ve you been? What are you up to these days?”

  “Oh, this and that,” Aidan replied. “I’m working at the Green Man at the moment.”

  “We were just heading there, for old times’ sake. Oh,” David turned to his two companions, “I forgot to introduce you. This is Will, and this is Simon.” They nodded at each other. “They’re my mates from uni. Say, do you want to come with us?
Make a night of it?”

  Aidan looked regretful. “Thanks for the invite, but I’ve got to be heading off. Good to see you though, David.”

  “You too, mate. I’ll have a drink for you.”

  Aidan watched as the others walked toward the pub, chatting casually and familiarly. Aidan’s hands clenched into fists. He shoved them into his pockets, his jaw tight and his eyes sad. Then he sighed and directed his steps toward a nearby fish and chip shop.

  ***

  By the fifth round her classmates were singing and Gwen had had enough. Murmuring excuses that no one heard, she grabbed her coat and slipped out the door. The cool evening air hit her face with welcome freshness. Breathing deeply, she walked along the street, away from the castle for a change. She came across a small park lit by a single streetlight and sat down on a bench. The glow of the half-moon played tag with the streetlight’s beam in the rustling shadows of a sprawling maple. She let her mind go vacant, trying not to think of her worries about Ellie.

  Footsteps padded nearby in the still night. Gwen tensed, suddenly aware of how dark it had become and how alone she was. She turned to watch the newcomer, and was relieved to recognize Aidan’s tousled red mop and lanky frame. He stopped in surprise when he saw her.

  “Gwen?” He cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?”

  She stood. “Just thinking. The pub was getting too rowdy for me.”

  “Where’s your partner in crime? The one with the disco fever?” He looked around, as if expecting Ellie to pop out from the bushes.

  “She’s out with that guy again. The one she was dancing with the other night at the pub. His name’s Corann.” She tried to sound nonchalant, but Aidan gave her a sympathetic glance anyway.

  “Where are you headed? Can I walk you somewhere?” Aidan asked.