Immerse yourself in the captivating and darkly humorous world inside the compelling novel Unnatural Circumstances. Embark on the journey of three unconventional individuals who willingly set out on an adventure only to become entangled in a disturbi...
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As she takes out the letter from the envelope, Soleil leans her back against the countertop and reads it to Ichabod and Benji aloud:
Dear Soleil Barlowe,
If you have received this letter, the St. George family would like to discuss the passing of Prometheus St. George with you. His lawyer had uncovered new documents relating to the items Prometheus had in his will. Please come to the funeral home tomorrow in Baton Rouge at around eleven-thirty, and we will discuss this matter thoroughly.
Sincerely,
St. George Family
After she finishes reading, Soleil inspects the sender's name and blinks slowly until a memory unlocks inside her head.
When Soleil was little, her parents enrolled her in a predominantly white private school called Northwell's School of Witchcraft.
It was like the Louisiana version of Hollingsworth, except you learn how to cast elemental spells and get along with your familiars. But around the spring of '94, Northwell's headmaster, Prometheus St. George, got AIDS from a complicated blood transfusion.
The local authorities caught wind of what happened, but instead of giving Prometheus the respect he deserved, the adults were scared that he exposed their pure-bred daughters to AIDS and had the school shut down for good.
Calmly handing the parchment to Benji, Soleil informs him about Prometheus's family setting up a meeting with her.
"That is a weird request," Benji comments, taking the letter from her hand. "For one thing, your principal's funeral was two years ago."
"Yeah," Ichabod agrees warily. "Are you sure you want to go there, Sol?"
"Well, yeah," she says. "I know it's been a while since I last saw the family, but Prometheus was the only person who was nice to me when I was a kid. It'll be horrible if I ignore their request."
Ichabod twitches his tail with anxiety. "I don't know; why did they wait until now to give you the news?"
Soleil lifts her shoulders and lets them plunge.
"I don't know," said Soleil. "But if it's anything related to Old Man St. George, I'll check it out."
Benji drains his coffee. He slowly advances towards the small sink, positions his mug inside one of the tubs, and studies Soleil's concerned face.
Judging by the tone of her voice, Benji suspects Soleil is very close to Prometheus. Come to think of it, he must've been the only guy in Hiraeth County who cared about Soleil's mental well-being.
Drying his hands with a paper towel, Benji turns his back to the sink and suggests, "Maybe Casper and I can come with you to the funeral home."
