Read The Silver Rose Online

Authors: Rowena May O’Sullivan

Tags: #romance, #paranormal

The Silver Rose (3 page)

BOOK: The Silver Rose
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Now, he not only had arrived early, but he intended to reside within their Circle of Three. The man didn't know what he was asking.

Stay calm.
Rosa inhaled. Aden's essence washed over her, and she wished she didn't feel so giddy. “Lavender Cottage,” she repeated, and could have kicked herself for acting like a sullen teenager.

He oozed the raw, brooding power of a creative man, a man who employed his hands to create exquisite jewelry and artifacts. The prospect of being able to see and touch his work in person was cause for excitement. Now, she wasn't so sure she wanted excitement of any kind.

“Yes. Lavender Cottage,” he responded, and this time he smiled, but it didn't reach all the way to his eyes.

She hadn't fooled him. He knew she knew who he was.

“Perhaps I should have started with my name.”

Rosa couldn't pretend she didn't already know. “Aden Dragunis. We saw you this morning.” He held out his hand. She hesitated, reluctant to touch him until she determined why she was experiencing this intense reaction to him, but innate courtesy outweighed any qualms she had, and she reached out to grip his hand.

“Rosa Greenwood.” Panicked by the suddenness of her runaway pulse, she quickly released her hold, wondering if he'd felt her strong pulse at all. Her mouth was dry, her voice surprisingly husky.

“I'm sorry. It was rude not to come in. It's a long way from Paris to Raven's Creek. I'd barely slept in forty eight hours, and I'm not the best company when tired.”

He was lying. Why would he lie? No dark circles framed those dark-as-molasses eyes, no lines of fatigue etched his golden skin. How could she believe him when she had not slept since hearing the bells? She was all too aware of the dark circles rimming her own eyes. Her head ached, and she was ready to collapse from the untimely and unwanted weighty predicament she now found herself in. And he claimed not to be getting enough sleep?

“We didn't expect you for another two weeks at least. You should have advised us you were arriving early. We could have organized alternative accommodation for you.”

“A spur-of-the-moment decision,” Aden explained. “But, as you see, now I'm here.” The corners of his mouth lifted into a fragment of a smile, softening his jaw line slightly. A semblance of satisfaction stole into his eyes. “As luck would have it, I met a Ruth Fielding earlier today. I gather you know her well. She mentioned Lavender Cottage was available and partly furnished.”

Super Sleuth Ruth, as Alanna had dubbed her, was at it again, sticking her beak where it wasn't wanted. What excuse could Rosa give to deter him from living in the small cottage just a stone's throw from her own home?

“The cottage belongs to my sister, Alanna. It's not mine to rent.”

Aden, looking hopeful, turned on the charm. He smiled. Just a little smile, but it was the cajoling tone in his voice and his deep dark eyes that seemed to almost mesmerize her. “I'm told it has a studio with excellent light and rear access to a stream that leads into Raven's Creek itself.”

She blinked and the moment was broken. Her eyes narrowed as she studied his aura again. She'd thought for a minute he had been using magic to wheedle what he wanted from her but she saw nothing. No doubt he had already been to see the cottage for himself. Fiddling with the pen in her hand, she searched her mind for a valid excuse to keep him in town and not anywhere near her home, near Beth's home, and inside their Circle of Three. The circle bound the sisters' magic together and was sacred territory. Only those who knew the sisters well and also possessed knowledge about their magical natures had ever been invited to stay within it since the untimely and tragic death of her magical but very mortal parents several years ago.

“The studio was originally a sunroom. It's very small and the ceiling is low.” She looked up at him, intimating he was far too tall for such a tiny studio. “You'd probably knock yourself out on one of the beams.”

His mouth quirked into what she thought might be dismay. “I sit when working. What I need is plenty of good, natural light and a more peaceful, less raucous situation at night.”

It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess what he was referring to. “And of course you won't get that at the local inn.” The inn was notorious for breaking noise curfews practically every night of the week. There weren't all that many venues in their small town where functions could be held, so it was the prime site for family birthdays, weddings, and conferences.

Aden leaned over the display counter and peered at the jewelry on display in front of Rosa. He indicated the intricate silver thread and bead jewelry, a tag,
Designed and crafted by Rosa Greenwood,
tied to the piece. “It's exquisite. And I'm sure you appreciate just how important good light and the ability to concentrate when working are in order to produce quality pieces.”

Fuchsia and aqua crystal beads shone brightly under the display lights. Polished silver gleamed with a hue only magic could replicate, from the anti-theft protection spell Rosa had spent hours melding into the metal. She had finished the necklace and matching earrings only last week and was happy with the result. In her opinion, they were her best pieces to date even though they had given her an inordinate amount of trouble in the making. Now she understood why. Her magic was growing unstable, and she'd very nearly destroyed her work in the longer than usual process it had taken her to imbue the protective spell into the metal and stones.

Rosa nodded and turned her attention back to him, her expression, she hoped, filled with the right amount of regret. “Unfortunately, I can't give you an answer about the cottage tonight as Alanna is unavailable until tomorrow.” It wasn't in her nature to prevaricate but she was cautious by nature. Years of being the responsible sibling were too ingrained. Plus she trusted her instinct. This man wasn't just a jeweler. He was something else and she had yet to figure out just what.

Rosa knew a quick phone call to the right people would be all that was needed to get the utilities up-and-running. Alanna would readily rent the cottage to Aden, no questions asked. Her sister would not have the same reservations when it came to others living within their circle, and she found herself wondering if Beth would feel the same. No. It was Rosa who had the issue. It was Rosa who prevented others from staying in their circle.

Regret flickered in Aden's eyes, and Rosa experienced a pang of guilt. The cottage had remained empty and forlorn for months, waiting for Alanna to move in and nurture life back into its walls, but instead she chose to live in the studio above the gallery, stating it was more convenient because she often tended to work right through the night. Rosa had cajoled and pestered Alanna on an almost daily basis to move into the cottage before finally giving up in exasperation at her sister's outright refusal to live there.

Chapter Four

“I've taken a brief look at the property.” Aden's manner was conversational, at complete odds to the silent stranger who had observed them this morning. “I met your sister Beth. She believes Alanna will be only too happy to rent the cottage as it's been empty for months.”

When he looked at her she felt he could see through to her soul. What did he see, she wondered? And what exactly had Beth told him about the cottage? “I had hopes Alanna would move in there herself, but she doesn't seem to be in any hurry.”

“I reckon one more night at the inn won't kill me.” He shrugged. “Still, it would've been good to sort everything out tonight. The pieces I brought for the gallery are still with customs officials. I may need to head down to Auckland tomorrow to collect them. I imagine speaking to Alanna can wait until tomorrow night. I take it she'll be at Beth's too?”

“I assume so.” What was happening at Beth's? “But maybe you need more time to get settled first.”

Aden shrugged into his coat. “There's no way I'm passing this opportunity up.”

Come on, Rosa. Figure it out.
“Well, then, tomorrow night it is.” She glanced at her watch. Past closing. Grateful she could begin the close-up procedure she moved out from behind the counter and began to switch off the non-essential lighting, leaving only the soft glow of a few illuminated display cases. The lack of light relieved the ache in her head somewhat.

“I'm sorry,” Rosa explained. “I'm not pushing you out, but I've somewhere I need to be in half an hour.” And that place was home, where she had a medicinal herbal and a bottle of Merlot waiting for her.

She unhooked her coat from the coat stand, her arm brushing Aden's as he reached past and took it from her hands and held it so she could slide her arms into the sleeves. A charge of pure energy bolted like lightning through her veins, and she looked up at him in shock. What was that? But her coat was on, and he had stepped back and was shrugging his wide shoulders into his own coat. She didn't like how he made her feel, of her own response to his nearness. She found it unnerving, potent, and completely unexpected.

“So tell me.” Rosa dug for more information. “Why are you in Raven's Creek so early?”

Aden paused, and to Rosa his silence was more telling than his considered response, which to her ears wasn't altogether truthful. “I've just taken on a complicated commission. I thought I'd start and finish it here rather than leave it half-completed on the other side of the world.”

Rosa felt her eyes widen with a flicker of excitement at the thought she just might possibly be able to witness Aden at work. She was far too suspicious. She needed to back off. She was on edge because of the bells, and she was taking it out on the first man with potential to cross her path.

“We ought to get going. It'll be dark in ten minutes. The wind has picked up, and it's likely rain will follow.”

“It won't rain.” Aden lifted the back of his collar against his neck and looked out at the night sky. “I'm sure of it.”

Rosa wrapped a scarf around her neck and flung the ends over her shoulders. “How do you know?”

“I've a weather vane in my little finger.” He waggled the culprit so she could see for herself. The long finger was bent to an uncomfortable looking angle, and Rosa caught herself shuddering at the thought of his bone breaking. “I broke it as a child while playing cricket with my brother. Now it aches when it's going to rain. Believe me, it's more reliable than any weather report.”

“The report on the radio this afternoon said cold, biting wind and rain in the evening.”

Aden laughed. “The only report you need is attached to this hand.”

“So what else does your finger say?” Rosa opened the front door. A strong gust rushed in, threatening to whip the door from her hands, but well used to the vagaries of the weather, she held it firm.

Fisting the neck of his jacket to ward off the cold, Aden looked up into the waning sky as he stepped past her onto the pavement. “No rain. That's all.”

“So it doesn't give a comprehensive report?” Rosa locked the door behind them and began walking down the hill alongside Aden at a swift pace. Aden's breath misted in the air and mingled almost intimately with hers before evaporating.

“Nope.” Aden pulled his hand from his pocket and waggled his little finger one more time. “It's not
that
clever.”

Rosa smiled. There was nothing she could think to say to that.

“You didn't know about dinner tomorrow night, did you?”

Rosa's head shot up to meet his knowing gaze. Dinner! Of course! “Am I so transparent?”

Aden chuckled. “You didn't know I was in Raven's Creek until this morning.”

“True. At least Beth had the wisdom to choose her own home as the venue.” Beth could, if she wanted, whip up something delicious with magic, but she preferred to cook from scratch, saying the real art of cooking was in the act of doing and therefore much more fulfilling. “My baby sister is a domestic goddess. Something I'll never be. She'll immerse herself in her kitchen for the better part of tomorrow, and food for the serious gourmet will appear on the table as if by magic.”

“You've no idea how much I'm looking forward to eating a home-cooked meal.”

There was truth in his statement, and Rosa was beginning to relax in his company when the next question set alarm bells off once again. “I've heard tales you and your sisters have been nicknamed the Greenwood witches.”

Rumors were one of the ingredients that made the town what it was — a mix of old-world charm, mystery, and a dash of magical lore. “It's not something we discourage. I make — we all make — natural herbal medicines and tinctures and the like.” Rosa shrugged, pretending indifference. “Our mother did the same, as did our grandmother and so on. It's a rumor that has persisted over the years, and it's stuck.”

A handful of individuals knew who and what the Greenwood sisters actually were. Then there was the rest of the township, who pooh-poohed the notion as nonsensical. Either way, all three sisters were in demand both as artists and as witches: the latter after hours and, more often than not, in secrecy. Not everyone cared to admit to resorting to the use of the supernatural but many supported their gallery. Rosa and her sisters were fiercely protected by the long-term residents of Raven's Creek, especially by those who had known them since their birth and afterwards when their parents had died.

Aden kept pace at her side, his hands plunged deep into his pockets. “I get the feeling the locals have whole-heartedly embraced the notion of you and your sisters' magical qualities. It's endearing.”

Rosa's gut told her he chose his words carefully. Why had he been so approachable to the citizens of Raven's Creek yet brushed her and her sisters off so coldly this morning? Why would he be speaking to strangers when he could have come directly to her?

“I've heard from various individuals that you've been asking questions, about the gallery.” And us.

BOOK: The Silver Rose
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