Page 55 of An Unlikely Knight

Thoughts and ideas whirling in her head, Erin came to a stop just in front of the main door, threw it into park and rushed into the building. It was only when the door closed behind her that she let out a shaky breath.

“There you are,” Sabrina called out, walking past with a cup of tea in each hand. “I can’t wait to tell you what we’ve experienced.”

Erin followed, unsure she wanted to hear anything more. How had she come to be in the midst of such a strange situation?

Upon entering the library, she continued past the others to the sideboard. Uncorking a decanter, she poured whiskey into a short glass and drank it down in one gulp. She sputtered as the strong liquid burned past her throat. Then she poured a second. “Whatever you are going to tell me. Bet you I can one-up it.”

Four sets of eyes followed her as she joined them at the table.

“That fucking wizard tried to block me from coming here. I drove for an hour up and down a long road with no turnoff and no views of anything but bushes and sky. I almost hit a cow, when I drove blindly into the horizon.” Erin sat back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. “What you got?”

“Whoa,” Tammie said. “What happened here is pretty interesting, but no cows involved.”

John’s somber gaze met hers. “You have the key to breaking the spell. Whatever it is, it’s already in your possession.”

“Of course,” Erin said. “I don’t suppose you know what it is.”

They all shook their heads. Gwen pulled her long black locks up and expertly wrapped the strands into a practiced top knot, holding it in place with a floral scrunchy. “We do not, hopefully we will find out today. We’ve written down some things we can try but were waiting for you to arrive before we attempt them. Do you have any ideas?”

“None.”

“Very well, let’s try a finding spell.” Gwen gave her a warm smile. “Close your eyes and try to relax. When you see a small light, focus on it.”

Erin closed her eyes and waited, sure enough a tiny yellowish light appeared. Concentrating on it, she opened her mind to whatever would come.

When the others began speaking out words, she couldn’t quite make out what they said. In the darkness something round came into view. It was like a ball, but yellow, it floated without moving. The air smelled of water, not sea water, but more like that of a loch. The yellow ball flattened and began transforming, its shape elongating and changing from yellow to gold. A dagger formed, the hilt a dark gold, the blade darkening to an even deeper shade.

Then it burst into pieces, the shards flying in all directions like a firework. The vision broke apart, and she opened her eyes.

“Is there a dagger here, one with a golden handle?”

“If there is, we’ll find it.” Tammie looked around the table. “Where would Tristan keep swords, daggers and such?”

Gwen frowned. “He took his sword and pair of daggers with him. None of them were gold.”

“If you already have it, then it could be at your home,” John said. “If it’s Padriag’s ancestral home, then he could have placed it somewhere on the property.”

“That’s true,” Erin replied. “But where to look? My flat was totally empty when I moved in. There is much more to the house. It’s divided into two flats. We can’t search my landlord’s home without her permission and that would entail having a believable explanation.”

“We will try yours, and last ditch we can find a way to convince your landlord to agree to a search of hers,” Sabrina announced and held out the spell book that had been instrumental in helping to break the men’s curses. “With this, I am sure we will find the dagger.”

Everyone got up and began donning coats, shoving papers and materials they’d need for spellcasting into backpacks and satchels. Within a few moments, they were ready to go.

Erin pulled on her coat. “When this is over, I’m going on holiday and basking in the sun for a month.”

Upon arriving at her flat, they entered, and each person found a place to sit on her couch and chairs in the front room. Erin didn’t have a large table. The one in the kitchen was shoved against the wall, leaving only enough seating for three.

“I will put the kettle on,” she announced, going into hostess mode. She opened a cabinet and pulled out a sleeve of biscuits and placed the sweet treats on a plate.

“You don’t have to do this,” Tammie said, taking the plate form her hands with a knowing smile. “Come into the other room. Each of us can make our own tea, if we want some.”

Gwen looked to Erin. “Is there anything you own that is in the shape of a dagger? Perhaps a jewelry piece?”

Erin shook her head. “I don’t wear much jewelry. Only a pair of diamond earrings my parents gave me for my twenty-first birthday and a locket that once belonged to my grandmother. It’s inscribed with a rose and leaves.”

Sabrina opened the books of spells. “There is a spell here for assisting in finding lost items. We should try it.” She read the words and everyone repeated them. Erin did her best to believe that spells and such really worked, but it was hard. She’d not been raised to believe in such things. Although her mother was a free spirit, her parents had attended a non-denominational Christian church all of Erin’s life.

After three tries of repeating the spell, they sat in silence. Erin looked up at the ceiling and then studied the crown molding, hoping for inspiration, but nothing came to mind. She let out a breath, then thought of something that caught her by surprise.