The Tangle of Blood

Chapter Five: The Key

The next day Rosalyn woke before her alarm and stretched luxuriously in her bed before rising. She walked slowly to the window and looked out at the grounds. A haze of fog hung suspended over the green landscape, and the sun was beginning to make its ascent behind one of the hills to the east, splattering a golden hue into the wet air.

Under a tree, she noticed a shirtless Micah practicing tai chi. She leaned back against the sill and watched his graceful movements until the serene scene was disrupted by a figure came bounding out of the trees near where Micah practiced. Rosalyn squinted through the fog and saw Kallon jogging at a brisk pace. His golden hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She let out a quick puff of air, blowing a tendril of hair away from her face.

As she prepared herself to pull away from the window, she saw Alex appear from the treeline behind Kallon, running beside a smiling Astrid. She raised an eyebrow at the pair before walking into the bathroom to shower. Rosalyn let out a little sigh and tried to shake away the guilt of not being out there herself, knowing Antonio, her fencing instructor, would not approve. In a very uncharacteristic moment, she told herself she'd think about that later and began to get ready for the day.

They spent the day touring Loch Ness. The sky was clear and blue, and the sun glinted brightly off of the water. Shades of green melded together on the hills enclosing the lake. After walking the dilapidated stone structure that was once Urquhart Castle, they picnicked on an overlook covered in heather. Rosalyn sat with her brother and sister, face lifted to the sun, basking in the warmth and happiness of the moment.

The next couple of days passed in a similar, delightful way with long day trips to the Isle of Skye one day and Aberdeen the next. Back at Ceangailte, the nights were full of good food and even better company. Scotland had completely enchanted Rosalyn, and she was sad they only had two nights left.

By Thursday night most of the guests had become acquainted and the group gravitated toward the center of the room where they all laughed and talked to each other about their day's adventures. Rosalyn noticed the three redheaded siblings that they had not yet met and made an effort to sit near them.

She introduced herself and was surprised to find out that the Bakers were also from America. One by one they introduced themselves as Damond, who was the eldest of the three, Layla, the middle, and Warren, the baby of the family. Their parents, who sat down at the table with Micah's parents and Lenora, owned a farm in Nebraska, which they all helped run.

Layla took a strong interest in Rosalyn's plans after school. She was a sophomore and had dreams of becoming a doctor, as well. "Of course, I'm sure I'll study agriculture and head back to help run the farm like my brother did. It's a lot of work, and they really do need all of us."

Rosalyn was taken aback by this. Nothing or no one had ever tried to dissuade her from following her dreams of becoming a doctor. Although she pitied Layla for this, she couldn't help but to be envious of their intact family and admired their loyalty to one another.

As Layla talked, Rosalyn appreciated her pale face framed by her thick, flaming hair, traits which they all three shared.

Rosalyn felt someone take the seat beside her and turned to face Micah. He was smiling at her, dimples on full display. She smiled back. "Hi, you."

"How was your day?" he asked thoughtfully, as he unfolded his napkin and laid it across his lap.

"It was absolutely wonderful! How was yours?" she returned.

"Great. I may never leave. This place is almost," he searched for the word, "magical."

"I couldn't agree more," Rosalyn said. "You're graduating this year, though? Why not stay?" She asked with a playful grin.