Forevermore (16 page)

A
little while later, Emma’s mom picks her up. I wave good-bye from the front steps, then close the heavy doors of Glenmorrag Castle. But just as I’m doing so, there’s a knock on the door — the physician has arrived. I let him in. He’s tall and bespectacled, and he’s carrying a black leather doctor’s bag.

“Dr. MacEwan, you’re here,” Niall says, appearing behind me. “Grandmother’s feeling a bit winded today,” he adds. “Follow me.”

Niall glances briefly at me, and leads the doctor to Elizabeth’s first-floor room. I follow, almost afraid of what I’ll find. Will Elizabeth still be evil? Will she remember?

What I find when I peek in is a frail, sobbing old woman, lying in bed.

She sees me walk in. “Oh, Ivy,” she says through her tears. “I’m ever so sorry, lass. Come here.”

I blink.
Does
she remember? Slowly, I walk toward her.

“For what?” I ask.

“Well, for being a mean old goat, for one,” she says. Her voice is different. Her eyes are softer. Everything about her says sweet little old granny.

I’m in shock. Was the magic truly that dark, black, and fast?

“It’s okay, Lady Elizabeth,” I say gently. “Really.”

“Please,” she begs. “Gran. ’Tis what my boy here calls me.”

Niall smiles at me, and nods.

“Sure thing, Gran,” I say.

Niall pats his grandmother’s arm and we leave her in the physician’s care.

In the hall, Niall turns to me and gives a winsome smile. The lines that fan out at the corners of his eyes seem a little deeper this morning, though. “I’m … sorry, for everything, Ivy,” he begins. “You know, for no’ trying
to … understand things a bit better. With you,” he clarifies. “I know it’s been hard on you since your mother and I have wed. I hope things — we — can get to know each other a wee bit better?”

I return the smile, and it comes easy. “I’d like that, Niall,” I say.

In his eyes I see honesty, sincerity, and I’m again so glad that he’s innocent in everything involving the ring. “I never once fancied the thought tae take the place of your da,” he says solemnly. “But if you need a fatherly figure to talk to, ever …” He dips his head in a frank nod. “You come to me. Anytime. And I’m sorry it took sae long tae tell you as much.”

I see Niall in a whole new light, and it fills me with a sense of peace I haven’t had in a long time. “Thanks, Niall. I appreciate that. And I’m sorry if I’ve been a teenaged brat.” I smile. “I’ll work on that.”

A boyish grin makes him look years younger. “You’ve no’ been a brat, Ivy,” he says. “You’re a fine young lass with an extraordinary gift.” He nods. “I’m glad we’re family now.”

And I am, too. I climb the stairs with Niall, and he parts at the second floor to go see about my mom. I head to my room, alone.

A heavy feeling settles over me as I walk up to the third floor. Exhaustion pulls at me, and something else. Something much weightier than sleep deprivation. It’s a pressure, building inside of my chest, and by the time I make it to my room, I kick my shoes off and fall into bed. My body wants to sleep, but my mind races to counteract it. So much has happened, and in a short amount of time.

It’s now all starting to sink in. Really, really sink in.

That pressure in my chest tightens, and my throat begins to burn. Tears break through and stream down my cheek and onto my pillow.

“Logan?” I whisper out loud. I dry my cheek with my sleeve. “Are you there?”

Straining my ears, I stare into the dim haze of the barely there light of my room. Everything is still, the shadows are silent, and the only sound I hear is the wind pushing through the cracks of the old stone walls. I try again.

“Logan?”

I wait. Seconds go by. My chest tightens, and my eyes drift shut.

“I can’t feel you anymore….”

I cry myself to sleep, the void of Logan’s absence a hollow, aching hole in my gut, a pain that won’t ease up.

I hope that, in my dreams, Logan will be there, smiling, laughing, urging me to play my strings. Eagerly, he sits, listens, watches me. In my dreams, I will hear his Gaelic endearments, that rich, raspy accented voice.

Mairidh mo ghaol gu siorraidh….

I’ll love you forever….

Finally, I slip into slumber, and I drift, until the tears stop flowing and I’m resting, peaceful, still as the air around me.

Ivy …

I bolt up in my bed. “Logan?” I say out loud. The room is shrouded in darkness, and I’ve no idea how long I’ve been asleep. Wasn’t my name just called? Hadn’t that been the sound that woke me up? Or am I losing my mind?

Lying back, I stare at the canopy of gray plaid above me, and my thoughts are full force on Logan. In the darkness, I breathe and recall his image to my mind. It comes easy, as I knew it would.

I would’ve loved to know more about him. Everything about him — before his death, and after. At least we’d had
some time together, I tell myself. We spoke of likes and dreams, of dislikes, and we walked Glenmorrag’s lands until I knew every single rock and tree. I Googled things I thought he’d like on my laptop and watched as his eyes widened in amazement at cars, planes, music videos on YouTube. I’ll cherish those times forever. I wish we hadn’t been so preoccupied with the sleuthing and the dark force that was tormenting me.

Play for me….

I get out of bed, press the violin against my chin, and begin to play. For me, and for Logan, and the memory of us.

The next day, the weather has turned downright wintry. You can’t go outside with less than several layers, coat, boots, hat, scarf, gloves. Not too much of a problem as I’ve grown accustomed to the cold now and sort of like it. It’s crisp, clean, and makes my lungs feel good. Mom is doing better but still resting, as is Elizabeth. I can’t believe this dark spirit has lifted from us at last but I feel it — the peace and calm within the walls of the castle. If only Logan were here to enjoy it with me.

I take a long walk by the cliffs and even down the beach. The wind nearly tears my skin off, it’s so frigid, but I love the view. For as brutal as it can be, it’s majestic at the same time. As I’m headed back, I run into Ian, and we walk the rest of the way together. I tell him about Logan — how I accidentally read his spell out loud, and he disappeared. Ian understands. He listens.

As Ian and I cross the bailey to the courtyard, the ever-present gray gloom still lingers over Glenmorrag. The trees are stark and desolate, with spindly limbs that reach out like bony dead fingers. The only color noticeable is the blue of the peacocks. I watch them now, hovering together by the stone wall separating the bailey from the inner courtyard. The indigo stands in severe contrast to the black-and-white surroundings. It’s almost … comforting.

“Here you go, then,” Ian says, and waves me on to the front door. “I’ll see you later, lass.” His eyes meet mine and soften. “If you want someone tae talk to, I’ll be ’round.”

I smile. “Thanks, Ian.”

With a single nod, he disappears around the side of the courtyard.

Voices reach my ears, and I pause on the steps. When
I turn, I find Emma, Cam and Derek, and Serrus trotting across the grounds toward me. I wave to them, feeling my spirits lift.

“Hey, guys!” I call. “What’s up?” My eyes drift to Serrus, whose Munro looks are almost painful to see. He drapes an arm around me.

“We thought you might like some company,” he says in his Highland brogue. “We’re a fun lot.” He throws his head toward the others. “Well, mostly me.”

We all laugh, and I invite them in for some of Jonas’s tea and shortbread. It is so comforting to have friends. Especially Emma. We’ve bonded in ways my girlfriends back home and I just didn’t. She’s special. She believed in Logan. She and Serrus feel like my last connection to him. Ethan, Amelia, and the rest of the Munros do, too, but I haven’t been in touch with them since Emma and I destroyed the ring and the spell book.

The weekend passes quickly once my friends are around, and soon it’s Wednesday. School drags, and my thoughts are elsewhere. But it’s a joy to see Mom in the car with Niall, come to pick me up at the end of the day. She’s finally up and about.

“Hey,” Mom says, perky as ever. “How was school?”

I buckle my seat belt and peer at her as Niall starts off down the school’s drive. She seems … extra perky. Extra glowy.

“Fine,” I answer, studying her closely. Something’s up. Mom’s looking guilty. Proudly so.

Then I remember. Today she and Niall went to the doctor to have an ultrasound.

Mom’s face is full of excitement. She looks as though she’s about to burst.

“Okay, Mom,” I say. “I can’t wait another second. Do I have a sister or a brother?”

Mom glances at Niall, who grins ear to ear. Then she looks at me and gives a firm nod. “Yes.”

“Well, which is it?” I ask, looking between her and Niall, thinking they’ve lost it. They both burst out laughing.

“Maybe one of each,” Mom announces.

It takes me a second for her comment to register. My eyes stretch wide. “Twins?”

Mom laughs again. “Can you believe it? Two wee MacAllisters!”

Niall’s face is glowing just as brightly as Mom’s. I can’t help but laugh, too. “Man, you guys are going to be super busy,” I say. “Congratulations.”

“Niall has a surprise for you, too,” Mom says, and slides her husband a sly look. “Sweetheart?”

Niall glances at me through the rearview mirror. “I thought you might like a more comfortable place to play your music,” he says, smiling. “So I’m having the rectory remodeled for you.” He pauses. “If you’d like.”

Surprise shakes me. “Of course I’d like!” I say excitedly. “Wow, I don’t know what to say.” I glance at Mom, who is still grinning ear to ear. “Thanks, Niall. That means a lot to me.”

He nods. “I know it does, Ivy. And I’m happy tae do it.”

I sit back and watch the scenery flash by. Still bleak, still cold as anything, but different now. Maybe because I’m a little different now? Scotland has definitely grown on me, as has my stepfather. And not just because he’s remodeling the rectory for me. Ever since that horrible day, when I escaped the cellar, Niall and I have seemed closer. I suppose it will continue to get even better as time passes.

As for Elizabeth — Gran — she’s also up and about when we get home, wearing a robe, her fingers bare without that awful ring. She greets me warmly and seems
thrilled when Mom and Niall share with her their news about the twins. I know Mom has noticed the change in Elizabeth, too, and has chalked it up to the MacAllister matriarch finally coming around to her new American family. I haven’t told Mom or Niall anything about the ring, and the curse, and the Gaelic incantation that broke the spell. Gran herself seems to have very little memory of the time she was possessed — she just recalls not being very nice to me. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all she needs to know.

Nightfall is hard for me. It’s when the memories of Logan come thick and fast. I’m so used to Logan being right outside my door, my own personal watchman. At times, I hear his voice so clearly in my head, I think I’ve heard it for real. I call his name. He never answers.

I wonder if, in time, he’ll be easier to think of without my chest hurting so much. For now, I’ll have to learn to live with the pain.

Early Sunday morning, a horn blasting outside my window wakes me. I get out of bed and draw back the drapes.

Just beyond the courtyard, I see a big work truck — rather, a lorry, as they call them here in Scotland. I feel a shiver of excitement. Today the restorations on the rectory begin, and they’re starting by digging up the old floor — or what’s left of it. I want to watch, so I hurry and pull on my favorite holey jeans, a striped long-sleeved T-shirt, and a snap-up cotton shirt over that. Layers, I’ve learned, keep me warmer in the frigid winter Highlands. After yanking on socks and boots, I brush my teeth and fly down the stairs. Niall is already at the hall closet, my wool coat and hat in hand.

He grins. “Come on, then.”

“I’m coming, too,” my mom says, making her way from the kitchen. She has on her bright pink hat and matching scarf. She’s wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt that says
Babies
, with an arrow pointing down at her belly. It’s ridiculous and cheesy, but I can’t begrudge Mom anything now. She grins at me, and I shake my head, take my hat and coat from Niall, and start out the door.