“Do you hold some kind of ceremony in it?” Evan asked. It was rather small, even for a chapel.
“Oh, no. You don’t need a ceremony in a pyramid. You just are in a pyramid.”
As Evan still looked confused, she went on. “You sit and let the energy of the crystals do its healing.”
Evan forced himself not to smile. He was tempted to ask how many rich nutters were willing to pay big money to sit in a copper pyramid, but he thought better of it. Obviously Lady Annabel believed in this kind of stuff. Who knew—maybe it worked.
“Our meditation center is in here,” she said and opened the door to a wonderful round room, with floor-to- ceiling windows looking out over the sea. Some of the windows were open and from outside came the cry of seagulls and the gentle hiss and slap of waves. The floor was polished wood but there were Persian rugs and large silk pillows strewn around.
“Very nice,” Evan said.
“This is our contemplation room. We use it for group meditation. We also have smaller, more intimate rooms for past-life regression, guided imagery, psychic readings. I’ll see if Rhiannon is available.”
“Did somebody want me?” The voice was low and melodious. Evan stared at the woman who had emerged from the shadowy hallway. He couldn’t have been more surprised. He was expecting flowing robes and large amulets. Instead, Rhiannon was wearing jeans and a black polo-neck sweater. It was hard to judge her exact age, but she had sensible, cropped gray hair and a face that had a weathered look of a life in the open air. Her figure, however, was as trim as a teenager’s and stood in sharp contrast to Lady Annabel’s flowing excess.
“Oh, Rhiannon, there you are. Splendid. I’ve brought someone to see you.”
Rhiannon’s eyes held Evan’s. The power of her stare quite unnerved him. “Have you come to join us?” she asked. “You’ve felt us calling you?”
“Er—no, I’m on police business, actually,” Evan mumbled, and felt himself blushing.
“The constable is looking for a missing girl,” Annabel said. “American college student. It seems she might have been interested in Druids.”
“Really?” Rhiannon looked amused. “A lot of Americans are drawn to us, it seems—which is understandable as so many Americans have Celtic ancestors—and so many of them seem to be searching for a spiritual purpose to their lives,” she added.
Evan took out the flyer. “Lady Annabel thinks that the girl has never stayed here, but I understand that you hold ceremonies outside of this place. Is it possible that you’ve seen this girl at any of them?”
Rhiannon studied the flyer very carefully. Then she handed it back. “No, I can safely say that this girl has not been to any of our ceremonies.”
“I’m sorry to have troubled you,” Evan said.
“Oh, no,” Rhiannon said. “You were summoned here.”
“I was?” He looked confused.
“You belong with us, you know. You are one of us, even if you try to deny it.”
Evan gave an embarrassed laugh. “Oh, I don’t think so. I was brought up strictly chapel.”
“I can tell a true Celt when I see one,” Rhiannon said. “The Celtic religion is in your veins, boy. Your ancestors were worshipping here before Christianity was even thought of. You should at least come to one of our ceremonies. May Day is not far-off. Do come. You’d be amazed at what you will feel.”
“Thanks, but … I don’t think this is my cup of tea,” Evan muttered. The woman’s intensity was unnerving.
“It’s not supposed to be a cup of tea,” she said. “If you want a cup of tea, you go to your chapel. If you want the energy of the universe, you come here.”
Evan shuffled his feet, wondering how he could make his escape without appearing too rude. “I—really ought to …”
“Just one minute.” Rhiannon held up her hand. “What do you know about Druids?”
“I’ve seen the eisteddfod,” Evan said. “They wear robes.”
Rhiannon sniffed. “Stage Druids,” she said. “Invented in the seventeenth century. Nothing to do with us or our religion. Promise me one thing.” She darted into the darkness of the hall again and reappeared holding a slim book in her hand. “This will explain who we are and what we do. I wrote it myself. Promise me that you will read it and bring it back to me.”
As she handed him the book, he felt a current of connection between them. He couldn’t tell if it was just the static in that thick carpet or if there was really an electric charge when the book touched his hand.
“All right. I’ll read it.” Anything to get away.
“I’ll be seeing you again soon,” Rhiannon said. “Very soon.”
Evan could feel her eyes watching him as he left the building.
“She’s an intense woman, isn’t she?” he asked Annabel.
“A little too intense for her own good sometimes,” Annabel said. “Now I just have to find my husband and—oh, here he is now.”
A man was running up the steps from the beach. He was tanned, barefoot, wearing white pants and a flowing white shirt unbuttoned to his waist. His long blond hair blew out behind him like a halo.
“Hi, honey. What’s the problem?” he asked, pausing to give her a peck on the cheek. “I was off jogging but I got a feeling that something was wrong.” He looked inquiringly at Evan.
