Cassie wakes covered in sweat and tears. She can still smell the scent of fire and cringes from the remembered heat of the blaze. With a trembling hand, she pushes the hair from her tortured eyes. Rushing to the bathroom Cassie begins to dress. For a moment the scent of the burning wood fills her nose. When she washes her face, she realizes she can recall every detail, almost as though it were a memory not dream.
Glancing in the mirror, she goes perfectly still and closes her eyes. Her mind's eye and grabs the thread of what she left behind and follows it. Her eyes open and she watches the rider skid to a stop in front of her burning home. He leaps from his horse and runs straight through Cassie, startling her, and she drops the thread.
Taking a deep breath, Cassie closes her eyes once again and begins. Now she sees Aiden, the son of Eustace, screaming for his father. A muffled response has him leaping into action. He grabs a rope from his saddle and tosses it to his father who manages to wrap it around his waist. Aiden uses the strength of the horse to his advantage and begins pulling his father to safety.
The first jerky movement causes a scream ripping through the night. Eustace roared in agony, clutching his arm. Cassie moves to watch, and her first sight of her enemy has her jumping back in horror. Gone is the man who once was and in his place is a monster! His outside finally matches his soul, and Cassie doesn't know if she should feel sorry or thankful. Aiden drags the limp body over the edge and rolls it over revealing the black and charred bits remaining around the blistered and swollen face.
Cassie moves closer leaning over Aiden and blocks out the swearing and cursing coming from his mouth. One of Eustace's eyes is completely melted shut and the other snaps open, peering into Cassie's soul. His hand grabs her throat, and he stares at her, though his lashless eye and screams at her.
“I’m coming for you, witch!!!” Cassie screams leaping backward and choking. She slips on the floor and falls down crying in horror.
After a few moments, she picks herself up and changes into her day dress. “Time's up, Cassie.” Dalton is a beautiful dream, but he deserves better than to be dragged into the middle of this. Maybe she will find some answers in the hotel library. Her gifts are changing, and she's scared. As quietly as she can, Cassie slips out of the suite and goes in search of answers.
Chapter 10
The library is in the center of the hotel near the conservatory. Mahogany colored bookcases and sitting areas with large fireplaces. Beautiful chandeliers glisten, and Cassandra enters before sunrise, happy to find herself alone except for one older gentleman. She draws her shawl, tight around her shoulders and moves towards the desk.
“Can I help you miss?” a soft voice asks.
Cassie turns and sees a young female dusting the shelves. “Yes, please. I am looking for some books on the history of mystique or magic. Can you show me any books on magic that you might have?” The girl smiles and gestures for her to follow along.
She leads her to an empty corner. “This section of the library is all the literature regarding mystics or magic.” She hurries out to finish cleaning.
A sigh of relief flutters from Cassie’s lips. Alone at last, she thinks. She moves along softly reading the titles and picks out a few to read. She quickly settles into a chair by the fireplace and begins to skim the book looking for anything that may help her.
A noise draws her attention, and she looks up and smiles at the kindly looking older gentleman who is returning a book to the shelf. “Hello.” She says and glances back down, turning the pages quickly looking for any information on the visions.
“I can’t help but notice we share an interest in the same subject.” His deep voice says shaking her from her concentration.
“Yes, just a little light reading. I couldn’t sleep.” She says, snapping the book shut in frustration.
“Louis Constant, French magician at your service,” he says bowing at the waist.
Cassie looks at him, truly for the first time now. He is in his sixties, balding, long gray beard sprinkled with white. He wears spectacles and walks with a cane. She guesses that he will try to sell her a love potion or read her fortune. “I'm not interested…” she starts to say, but his laugh cuts her short.
“I'm not interested in selling you a love potion, but I could read your fortune if you would like.” Cassie is shocked into stupefied silence. He read her mind.
“You read my mind?”
“Oh, no. May I join you?” He asks politely and takes a seat at her nod.
“I make it a habit of never reading minds, but you pushed your thoughts at me. Sometimes I'm caught unaware. Forgive an old man, Ms.?” He pleads placing his cane beside the chair and puts his books on the table.
“Cassandra Wolfe-Rivers,” she quickly corrects.
“Now tell me, Mrs. Rivers, what drives a young woman to a library at this time of the morning? What are you hoping to discover in these books?” he asks, tapping one of the dusty covers.
“I, I’ve never met another person with my gift, Monsieur Constant. I was taught by my grandmother and mother to hide it. Never share it, and in doing so I never learned to control it, and now it is changing,” she whispers.
“Tell me about your family, Cassandra. I am more than a magician who does parlor