BREAKING SHADOWS (Shadows Book 1)

Chapter 16

Arden and I walked Fawn home, and in the time between leaving Molly's and arriving back at the cottage, I'd only had to shut Arden down four times for trying to ask about Rafe. It was mostly a relief that someone knew about him now, he was no longer my secret and if I wanted to talk about him, now I could. At the very least, Arden and Fawn had promised not to tell my grandmother or anyone else.

Rather surprisingly, Gran was home.

"Riley? Arden? Is that you?" she shouted from the living room.

"Who else would it be?"

We dumped our bags in the hallway and went into the living room. I stopped in my tracks. Gran was in her favourite armchair and sat across from her as alert as a pair of meerkats were Ariadne and Toby Horton.

"Hello Mrs Horton, hello Toby."

Ariadne Horton had masses of grey-streaked dark hair piled on top of her head. She'd pushed two hat pins through her hair, crossing to make an 'X'. The amber choker I never saw her without pushed up tight against her pencil-thin throat. Toby's cheeks flushed at the simple greeting. He offered a curt nod before going to stand in front of the fireplace.

"I dare say, young lady. You look more and more like Bryn everyday. Don't you think so Rebecca? That she's the spitting image of Bryn?"

"There's a lot of her mother in her too."

My mother the Darkmore.

Mrs Horton's neck swivelled all owl-like towards Arden. "You must be the American. You have our condolences for the slaughter of your family."

I felt Arden stiffen beside me, his face formed of composed tense lines.

Toby snapped his head up, watching every move Arden made. I hardly knew Toby, he was several years older than me and so I wasn't in a position to read his face but whatever emotion it portrayed, it was intense and focused completely on Arden. "Mother, please."

Mrs Horton put a delicate hand across her chest. "Did I say something wrong?"

I was about to snap 'yes', when Gran interrupted.

"Mrs Horton has come with invitations to her annual ball."

"A ball?" Arden arched a dark brow.

Toby bolted forward, red spotlights burning on both cheeks clashing furiously with the copper tone of his hair. "Of course, the invitation extends to you also. All current residents of Valestone are included."

Arden angled his head towards the floor, and looked up through long lashes. Anyone else could have mistaken the gesture as shy or coy, but I knew Arden better than that.

"I hope you can all make it," said Mrs Horton.

"I have never missed it and will not make a habit of it now," Gran smiled.

"Excellent," Mrs Horton clasped her skeletal hands together. "It's going to be wonderful."

"Can someone explain to me what century I have just walked into?"

Gran chuckled. "Mrs Horton very kindly throws a ball at her home every Autumn and invites residents from Pagnall."

I sighed. This was the last thing we needed. "Gran drugs the important residents to cover up anything other they might have seen or done."

Gran's mouth formed a perfect 'O'. "I do not drug people, but despite the crudeness of her explanation, Riley is in a way correct. It is to protect the coven, to protect our existence. So yes, we are to have a ball."