The Dreamwalker [ON HOLD]

Chapter Five

When Adela walked out of Alaric's Antiques, she quickly sent Evenie a message.

You home? I need to see you.

Evenie's response was instant. I'm home! Everything okay?

I'll explain when I see you, Adela replied.

Okay. I'll get the kettle started.

The drive to Evenie's wasn't a long one—much like many places at The Falls—and Adela was there within minutes. Her small red Mazda came to a roundabout with a fountain at the centre—a fountain she and Evenie had spent a lot of their childhood summers playing in. She drove around it and continued up toward a beautiful sprawling house. It was Baroque in style, topped with oval domes and spires. Many windows faced the driveway, showcasing the three floors that made up the majestic looking place. While houses like Evenie's weren't uncommon in her town, Evenie's was special; it showcased her family's French ancestry. Adela knew that the house had belonged to Evenie's great-great-great grandparents and had been passed down through generations—her family being its recent inhabitants.

When Adela approached the door, she knocked a few times until she heard Evenie's voice cry out, "Come in, Dels! I'm just in the lounge room!"

Adela's eyes swept across the entryway as she stepped inside. No matter how often she came to Evenie's, she couldn't help but marvel at its features. A grand staircase that led to the next two levels sat to Adela's right, lined with a luscious scarlet carpet that stood out against the dark, almost black timber stairs. To her left was a mirror, framed with gold, that spanned the size of the wall, and as she took off her shoes (one rule Evenie had), she gazed down at the French Aubusson rug that lined the dark floorboards, also scarlet in colour, but with entrancing botanical features.

Adela hurried along the entryway and walked into the lounge room.

"Hey Evie!" she greeted, beaming at her best friend who was making a fuss over Marcel—her calico kitten.

"Dels! Hey!" Evenie beamed back, settling Marcel's paw carefully down to walk over to Adela and give her a hug. "How are you? Is everything okay?"

"I'm okay. And yeah, everything's fine," Adela told her as they parted. "I had a very weird day yesterday."

"What happened? Is there any news on your mother?"

"No—not that I know of," Adela replied, letting out a deep, frustrated sigh. She felt Evenie gently squeeze her arm. "I might go in later today to the police station. But knowing my luck..."

"I'll come with you. I've taken today and tomorrow off at the museum to do research on the upcoming exhibition, but you're more important, so I'm all yours if you need me."

Adela smiled. "Thanks Evie. Oh, about that, what did you need help with?"

Evenie waved her hand dismissively. "I'll explain later. I was just about to froth the milk for our coffee, so take a seat. I won't be long!" Adela watched as Evenie made her way to the kitchen. It was adjacent to the lounge room, making the space around them seem much bigger than it already was.

"How's Marcel doing?" she asked a few minutes later as Evenie set their coffee cups onto the table. She looked over at Marcel. His body—covered with hints of charcoal and touches of tangerine and ginger—was settled into a compact bread-loaf shape, his paws comfortably tucked in (aside from the bandaged one). He looked like glowing embers in black coals on a bank of the purest snow.

"Oh, he's doing much better now. Poor thing sprained his paw badly yesterday, and, you know me, I just freaked! But the vet said he'll heal soon enough."