SWNOVELS Chapter 21
CHAPTER 21
Ash pulls up and parks next to a silver BMW and we hop out. Spotting Diana, I wave to her and smile as we walk up the stone pathway leading to the entrance of the ’Boat Shack’. I assume the person standing next to Diana is her son Jacob. He looks a bit like his mom with the same bone structure in the face and the same honey-colored eyes. That though, is where the similarities end. Diana is rail thin and can’t be more than 5’5. Jacob on the other hand is probably 6’5 and I’m guessing but is probably in his late twenties and looks like a body builder.
Jacob sticks his hand out and shakes both of ours in turn. “I hear you two need to get out to the lighthouse. Do you want to go right now or wait until it is darker outside?” He stuffs his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and rocks on his heels for a second while I respond quickly to his question.
“Right now, we would like to go out and just have a look around. Assess the situation per se,” I say as I turn my head into the wind so that my hair isn’t flicking across my face for it has suddenly picked up, causing strands to whip into my eyes.
Jacob nods his head; “okay. Let me make sure the boat is fueled up and then we can head over.” Ash and I follow behind him and Diana as they walk down a pier to where their boat is docked. I don’t know a thing about boats, but I have seen that movie ‘Jaws’ and the boat from that movie is what popped into my head as I gaze at the one in front of me. It isn’t a large boat but will serve our purpose for the use of it. Plus, it won’t bring a lot of attention to us as we speed through the water to get there.
“Right,” Jacob states slapping his hands; “I think we’re ready to go. If you brought winter jackets with you, you may want to grab them. It is even colder out on the water than it is here on land.” He goes inside the small cabin and emerges a second later with a big black puffer coat on and a beanie atop his head. I glance over to Ash, would you run up and get ours please? I ask inside my head.
“I’ll be right back.” He turns and jogs back up to the car retrieving his own black parka and my silver jacket. Thank goodness it has a hood on it because I totally forgot to bring a hat with me. I already have a pink pullover hoodie on but slip my arms into the soft fabric of my coat and zip it up. Ash and I climb on board and watch as Jacob starts the engine before pushing us away from the dock and out onto the open water.
“Bye. Be careful. I’ll be at the house, call me if you need anything, okay.” Diana shouts as she waves farewell to us.
We collectively wave and shout goodbye to her and then Jacob in steering us in the direction of the lighthouse. One thing I will say, Jacob definitely wasn’t lying when he said it is way colder out on the water! I’m so cold my teeth are chattering. Ash pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me, snuggling his cold ass face against my neck, the butt! Have your phoenix warm us up a little I can hear him say in my head. I give a little nod and ask her to give us some heat. “Oh, thank the stars.” Ash whispers against my ear. “My own little personal heater.” I roll my eyes at his statement but grin just the same.
It only takes roughly five minutes to reach land. Jacob maneuvers the boat until it brushes up against a small wooden floating platform. He then tosses a hooped rope and once it catches, he pulls the boat up tight so that we are able to climb out and onto the platform. Ash gets out first and then grabs my hands to help me get out too. Jacob follows behind us as we trek up a very slippery set of stairs where we find ourselves standing on the rocky surface of land, staring at the lighthouse.
In the darkening skylight, the lighthouse that in daylight hours is beautifully white and bright, looks dingy and foreboding. All the windows are shuttered closed by dark green shutters. The door is a dark green as well which brings a bit of color to the structure. The roof is red but currently looks black as the sun is quickly setting before our eyes. “When this place was first built the people who owned it, actually lived here. They maintained the firelight to help direct incoming boats and ships. Now though, it’s all controlled by timers and monitored from one of the city buildings in town.”
“So then, there is no one here during the winter at all?” Jacob nods a yes. “I will have to agree with Charlie, Donovan definitely picked a great spot to hide my parents.” Together we slowly approach heading straight towards the entrance.
“Be careful Sofia,” I hear Ash say as I reach my hand out to grip the doorknob. BOOM! Barely had I placed my fingertips upon the brass knob, and I am thrown back about a foot from the entryway. An ‘oomph’ escapes from each of us as the air is knocked from out of our lungs and we fall to our butts upon the icy rocks.
Groaning, I slowly make my way back to my feet. “What in the world just happened?” I look back and forth between Ash and Jacob. “Was that some kind of spell?” I ask baffled.
“I was afraid that was going to happen,” Ash states simply as he brushes dirt and debris from off the backside of his jeans.
“Yeah, I could fell magic in the air. I just couldn’t figure out exactly what type of spell is surrounding this place until Sofia tried to open the door. Now I know.” Jacob looks the lighthouse over. “It’s a forbidden entry spell. Only the witch who placed the spell or someone who knows the release word for the spell can enter.” I sigh in frustration. How will I be able to figure out the release word or get a hold of the witch who did the spell?
“Let’s head back.” I nearly growl the words as I turn from the lighthouse and walk back to the steps (carefully), down to the boat. After I’m on the boat I cross my arms across my chest and glare out at the water and just for a second I swear I see the lake water bubble up as though boiling, angry at my situation as well. A minute later has both of the boys climbing back on the boat too.
No one speaks as Jacob pushes the boat away from the dock and turns it around to take us back to their pier. Diana stands at the end of the pier eagerly awaiting our return. As Jacob pulls alongside the dock, he tosses the rope to his mother who takes it and wraps it around one of the pier’s posts. “What were you guys able to determine when you arrived out there,” she asked as she takes my hand and helps me out of their boat.
I’m way to angry to speak so I look at Ash and Jacob. They can fill her in. “It’s what I suspected, mom. A forbidden entry spell.” Diana looks at me with sympathy in her eyes.
“Oh no. I’m so sorry dear,” she says as she wraps me up in a hug. “Do you have any idea what you will do now?” She steps away from and waits for us to answer her.
“We will go back home for now,” I say. “We’ve a couple of friends who we will bring back with us and hopefully be able to figure out how we can get my parents out before our next trip up here.”
“Well, here is my phone number.” Diana offers me a piece of white paper with her number scrawled across it. “When you plan to return send me a message. Jacob and I will help in whatever way we can. You may also stay with us up at the house if need be.” We hug once more, thank Jacob again and then Ash and I get back into his Jeep and leave the parking-lot. Two-hour drive home, here we come!