Part 7 (1/2)

”You think we'll be any safer at the base of the rock?” I asked. He looked at me like I'd insulted him, so I was quick to add, ”The storm surge is probably still covering the causeway. We can hope that by six thirty, when the tide is at its lowest point, we'll have another window to cross, but if not, we could be stuck here all night. And I'm not sure the sh.o.r.e is any safer than here, but I do know that at least we'll be dry and somewhat warm inside the castle.”

”That's true,” said Heath. ”But at least down on the sh.o.r.e the phantom can't push us off the edge of a cliff. I'm with John, M. J. I don't know how much longer I can stay here. Can't you feel feel that thing?” that thing?”

I could. Even with every magnetic spike we owned out and exposed, I could still feel the phantom, lurking somewhere close, just waiting for one of us to become vulnerable again.

And I knew I was too exhausted to go looking for Gopher. He hadn't shown up and it'd been hours.

”Maybe we can find an overhang to camp out under on the sh.o.r.e, M. J.,” Gilley reasoned, suddenly switching sides. ”Or a cave or something. We could take a bunch of wood down with us and get a fire going. I'd rather take a chance at getting out of here tonight than stay in this place another minute.”

”Are we really prepared to leave Gopher here?” I asked the group.

John came back to squat down next to me. ”We'll send a search party for him the moment we get back to dry land, but for now we've got to get off this rock and find someplace else warm and dry.”

I looked to Heath, but he only shrugged. ”I don't have it in me to go looking for him, M. J. I can't take another encounter with that phantom tonight. I'm sorry, but I just can't.”

I then looked to the faces around the dwindling fire. They were all really scared, and worried, and guilt-ridden, and I knew that we had to go. With a sigh I finally agreed. ”Fine. Let's make our way down the steps as soon as the lightning and thunder pa.s.s, and bring along a bunch of the wood. We'll make camp until four thirty and try the causeway then.”

Going down those steps in the dwindling light, pelted by rain and wind, was almost as bad as going up them had been. Especially since I was so physically wiped out.

This time the roles had all been reversed; Meg and Kim were helping each other, John was helping Heath, and Gilley was helping me-and, might I add, complaining all the way. ”Have you put on weight?” he asked, adjusting my arm around his shoulder for the tenth time.

I tugged on my arm and pulled slightly away from him. ”I can make it on my own!” I snapped. ”You just stick close to me with your magic sweats.h.i.+rt, okay?”

Gilley's brow furrowed with disapproval. ”Fine, do it yourself, but don't trip.”

With a tired sigh I leaned heavily on the railing and focused on the task at hand, lifting one foot up to set it down on the stair below. By my estimation it was still a very long way down, and I wondered if this day would ever end.

Farther on, Heath and John looked to be making good progress, and Kim and Meg were doing great too. They hadn't said much since we'd arrived on this rock, and I felt bad for taking them to such a scary and treacherous place.

After a few more steps I leaned a little to my left and looked over the railing. I could see the high waves rolling and cras.h.i.+ng onto the rocky sh.o.r.e below. Turning my head, I said, ”I don't think we'll be able to get across the causeway until well after low tide, Gil.”

He nodded grimly. ”I know. I've seen those waves too. The best we can hope for is that they die down by eight o'clock.”

I s.h.i.+vered in the cold. ”Hopefully, you're right and we can find a cave or an overhang or something for a little shelter.”

”I think I saw a cave when Heath and Gopher went to look for that dead guy who turned out to be a ghost.”

”Where?”

”On the other side of the stairs. It looked big enough for all of us to fit inside.”

I brightened a bit. A cave would provide some good shelter and we could build a nice fire until seven or seven thirty, when we would have to check on the conditions for crossing the causeway again.

That thought gave me just the little bit of energy I needed to help me down the next group of stairs. And I was doing fairly well until I heard an anguished voice cry out, ”Alex!” ”Alex!”

Gilley and I both whipped our heads around and stared at the top of the steps. Instead of seeing our familiar ghost, we saw a huge black shadow at the top of the landing. Gilley shrieked and grabbed onto me. ”The phantom!”

My blood ran cold as I stared at it, the edges of its shadow whipping to and fro as if the phantom was wearing a long cloak and it was being blown by the wind. ”He's not coming after us,” I whispered, and took a tentative step onto the next stair.

Gilley hopped down with me. ”Let's keep going!” he squeaked.

With that, we hurried as best we could, both of us periodically looking over our shoulders at the phantom still watching us from the top of the steps.

We reached the others, panting and trembling. Meg and Kim seemed startled by the fact that we were suddenly right on top of them. ”What's happening?” Meg asked.

”Don't talk,” I advised, leaning heavily on Gil again. ”Just move!”

The girls did as they were told without question and the six of us reached the bottom shortly thereafter. Gilley continued to stare up at the steps leading down, as if waiting for that ominous shape to appear.

”The causeway's completely covered,” called John from the small platform that marked its beginning.

”Gilley said he saw a cave over that way,” I said, pointing to the right of the stairs.

”Can you take us there?” Heath asked.

Gil nodded, still looking very afraid as he hurried along the rocks in the direction of the cave he'd seen.

We shuffled after him and to my surprise and relief discovered he'd really spotted a good one after all.

Because the cave sat just to the right of the stairs, which b.u.t.ted out away from the rock, it was sheltered from the worst of the wind, and if not exactly warm, it was at least dry inside.

Gil, John, Meg, and Kim all pulled out as much wood as their backpacks had allowed them to carry, plus there was quite a bit of driftwood within the cave's entrance, and before long we had a terrific little bonfire going.

We all huddled around it eagerly, and Gilley generously handed out several extra m.u.f.fins he'd bought at the cafe. They were squished from being in his pack all day, but no one cared because it was food and beggars weren't about to be choosers.

Heath and I finished our snacks quickly and leaned against each other sleepily. I was still very worried about Gopher, but I was physically and mentally exhausted. Taking a quick peek at my watch, I saw that we still had a few hours before the causeway was clear again, so I thought there couldn't be much harm in closing my eyes and getting just a little sleep.

Judging by the slow regular breathing coming from Heath, he'd decided the same thing. So I closed my eyes and drifted off. ...

”h.e.l.lo, miss,” said a male voice.

I was aware that I was leaning against the bark of a ma.s.sive oak tree under a sunlit sky with the sound of the ocean all around. As I looked farther, I could see that the oak was sitting in the center of a mammoth piece of flat rock, and to one side was the vast openness of the sea, to the other, the bluffs of the Irish coastline and just to my left was the unmistakable shape of Dunlow Castle.

”Who's there?” I asked.

A man in period attire of black leather leggings, knee-high boots, and a brilliant blue tunic stepped out from behind the tree. He was tall and incredibly handsome, with jet-black hair and ice blue eyes. He smiled roguishly at me, and I felt my pulse quicken. ”It's only me,” he said, his voice a bit hoa.r.s.e and quite s.e.xy.

I inhaled deeply. My G.o.d, the man even smelled good: a mixture of spice and musk. ”And who who might you be, exactly?” might you be, exactly?”

The man bowed formally. ”Lord Ra.n.a.ld Dunnyvale, at your service.”

I mentally scratched my head. Where had I heard that name before? ”Nice to meet you,” I said with a nod. ”Have we met before?”

Ra.n.a.ld tilted his head back and gave a small laugh. ”No, my lady, not formally. But I have seen you das.h.i.+ng about my castle the past several hours.”

I gasped. ”Your castle?” castle?”