Within the constellation of Orion, one might observe that the stars are—
Rowena closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had read the same sentence several times now, yet could not recall exactly what it was trying to tell her. Her mind had wandered elsewhere, the wind outside the tower blowing away her thoughts on astronomy and to the whispered secrets of the castle’s occupants.
Not minutes before, she had chastised Helena for sneaking around the castle after dark. She had found her daughter ducking through the shadows, hiding from the flickering light of torches that lined the stone walls. Helena’s eyes had been slightly unfocused, the sheer nightgown she wore illuminating her fair skin. When Rowena had called her name, the girl…show more content… Perhaps a walk was in order, if not to clear her mind than to calm her beating heart. Clutching her cloak around her, despite the unseasonable warm air, she exited her sanctuary and headed further into the depths of the castle. Dancing candlelight lit her path, giving her something to centre her attention on, rather than listening to the way the wind had began to howl and batter against the windows as she walked past. As she made her way along the forth floor, the sky opened up, and rain lashed at the windows. It rattled the fragile glass in the windows, like the hands of a ghoul or demon, trying to claw their way inside.
Rowena shook her head again. She was being silly; though ghosts and creatures of their kind were known to exist, Godric had assured her that they could not enter the castle walls, lest they be forced to pass on to the afterlife for good. She had been curious about ghosts at one stage, wanting to know more about their past and the secrets they knew. The horrific tales Godric and his men told, however, soon made them seem only ghastly, and she had changed her mind. At least then she had known not to worry about someone else’s secret and wasn’t so…show more content… Her hands shook in anticipation, heart continuing to beat abnormally fast. No, she couldn’t. Salazar was a very private man, and she respected that. Though he would never lay a finger on her, she couldn’t see him easily forgiving her for stealing away into his room. Outside, however, lightning crackled through the sky, raising the dark hair on the back of Rowena’s neck. Without a second thought on the matter of crossing boundaries, she opened the door and stepped through.
She was right in the fact that it was a room behind the door. Every other articulated guess, however, was off. Her eyes scanned the bare stone walls, noting that no paintings hung on them, nor were any brackets fastened to them to hold candles.
A gasp escaped her full lips as, just as she thought this, the room lit up without the aid of the storm outside. Adjusting to the sudden brightness, she saw that a million candles had appeared, floating around the high ceiling like stars in the night sky. It made her wish that the ceilings in other parts of the castle could appear that way; straight away, the air shimmered, and Rowena found herself standing in the Great Hall. Four wooden tables were lined up in front of a longer table, candles floating above shiny plates and goblets. Freshly sewn banners hung from the walls, and the wooden beams of the ceiling had been opened up to reveal the sky. No, it wasn’t the Great Hall; it was only a mirage.
