Unearthed by Rachael Wade Read Free Book Online Page A

knuckles, lost in thought. “When things settle down outside, I should head back to the castle and dig around some more. I need to find out where the entrance is in the conservatory.”
    I stilled my stirring. “I don’t want you going back there alone, Gav. Who knows what else is lurking in that damn tomb.”
    “Someone needs to stay here with Ava. Greta and Denise can’t stay here all night.”
    “I could ask them if they wouldn’t mind.”
    “I don’t know,” his voice lowered, his eyes flicking to mine, communicating something.
    “We’re going to need help when this thing blows up, Gav,” I answered with a warning, letting him know I received the message loud and clear. Greta and Denise were good, dependable women—except when they let my daughter wander into secret tombs with coffins—but we couldn’t chance any rumors getting out when villagers were already in a panic over what was happening. There was no hiding what we’d found, though.
    “Besides,” I continued with a whisper, “there’s no use trying to keep Greta and Denise from this. They already know everything we know, now.”
    “Now, yes. But when Anastasia wakes up, we might need to keep whatever she has to say close to the chest for a while, until we figure out what to do with whatever’s happening here. We’ll ask them to leave. You can stay here with Ava and I’ll run back to the castle and see what else I can find.”
    “What if Anastasia wakes up while you’re gone?”
    “She might. Just see what you can find out.”
    I resumed stirring the soup, moving on to the tea next. “Please be careful?”
    “Of course.” He stood and walked to the kitchen, kissing me on the cheek before turning for Ava’s room, his expression still miles away. “I’ll let Greta and Denise know we’re going to take things from here.” He disappeared around the corner and I turned my gaze to Sleeping Beauty on the sofa. Her chest was still rising and falling with even, peaceful breaths.
    I only hoped some of that peacefulness would stick around when she finally woke up.

6
    “Camille?” Anastasia’s voice stirred me, her accent throwing me into a time warp. It was so similar to Samira’s, I could’ve sworn it was Samira herself standing there right in front of me, holding out a mug to me in offering. “Tea?”
    I stretched and stifled a yawn as I sat up in the rocking chair, closing my notebook. It had been propped open on my lap. I’d tried writing after Greta, Denise, and Gavin had left. I’d had some soup and must’ve dozed off. Every human defense was on red alert as I sat up straight and accepted the tea, my tired eyes turning focused as I took a hesitant sip. My attention was drawn to the absence of long, red nails.
    This was not Samira standing in front of me.
    “So, are you going to tell me who you are now?”
    Anastasia’s eyes darted around nervously. She sipped at her tea and carefully sat down across from me. “You were meant to find me. You and your husband. I’ve been summoned as a link to give you a message.”
    “A link? So, this does have something to do with the original witches?”
    “Yes, you could say that. I am—was—an original witch.”
    “Okay…”
    “Yes,” she smiled shyly, shakily setting her mug down on the table, “and I was meant to be a hybrid.”
    “As in…frozen soul and witch hybrid, like Samira?”
    “And like Gérard, yes.”
    “Wait.” I scooted forward on the rocking chair, trying to grasp this. “There are more hybrids?”
    “No, not that I know of.”
    “Why do you look almost identical to Samira? Sorry,” I laughed, baffled, “but if you’re here to give us a message, you must know we have tons of questions.”
    “Yes, of course.” She tucked her black hair behind her ears and began to fidget. “I’m sorry I fainted like that, but this is all just as much a shock to me as it is to you. I was murdered, you see. And being as I was, well… dead , you can probably understand