Alannah's story excerpt 6

     Alannah had perched in a protected spot on her parents’ carriage and ridden back to Ireland with them. She’d had almost no human contact since there had been little rain after their return. On one rare occasion when there had been a storm, she’d taken shelter at Mary’s cottage. They’d shared a hot meal. After they’d eaten, she turned to Mary. “Do you know what happened after you carried me out of the library that night?”

     An expression of pain crossed Mary’s face. “Yes. Jeremy spent the night searching for you and Isaac. He found neither. When he returned to the library early the next morning, he found your dress on the floor—untouched. He gathered it up and brought it to your parents. What he said was, ‘Lord and Lady Barry, your daughter is missing. She came to see me in the library last night, but Isaac Benson threatened us there with a strange little man. There was a strange flash of red light during the thunderstorm and Alannah disappeared. I chased Isaac but he got away. When I came back, all I could find was this dress. I’m so sorry.’" A single tear escaped Mary’s eye and she wiped it away. “Your parents took your dress from him. They were in shock. Before long, the entire house was buzzing with the news of your disappearance, and everyone went home with gossip about it still on their lips.

     “In his heart, Isaac blames Jeremy for the whole incident, and wants revenge against him. You were the most exquisite female of the season, and a prize he wanted for his own. Now you’re lost to him, and he’s become irrationally angry. He did not love you, for he’s incapable of love, but his lust for greed and power has driven him to try and destroy Sir Jeremy Moore. You must watch out for him, Alannah.”

     It had been weeks since she’d visited Mary, and she’d lost track of how much time had passed since she was turned into a dove. She flew out on a warm, beautiful morning to look over Jeremy's farms and lands. Skimming over the tops of the trees, she looked down on the landscape beneath her. She’d taken Mary’s words to heart and spent most of her time watching over Jeremy. He was a true gentleman who oversaw the tenant farms that made up a large portion of his property. Many times, she saw him helping a tenant pull a plow out of the mud, or harvest a field of hay.

     Although his home in London was beautiful, he spent most of his time at his estate near her parent’s home. He must love the land and people here. As a dove, she learned a great deal about Jeremy. He was born into the gentry and chose to serve in the military. He’d worked alongside the other enlisted men rather than taking his guaranteed place among the officers. He'd fought like a lion during his last battle, before sustaining a serious chest injury which left him unconscious for several days. When he woke up, he was at home convalescing and had earned the title of knight for his bravery.

    On that same military campaign, his parents had contracted typhoid fever and died while he was away from home fighting. His paternal grandfather was his only living relative, but had suffered a brain injury and could no longer speak, write, or walk. Jeremy was left to manage his family's holdings, even though his grandfather technically owned everything.

     Alannah surveyed the well-maintained farms with beautiful forests, ponds, and rolling hills. Contentment settled over her, despite the curse that had stolen her future plans and dreams. A sudden gust of wind surprised her, and she had to strain against it to avoid being blown out of the sky. Checking the horizon to the east, she saw dark clouds moving toward her at an alarming speed. She’d forgotten to pay attention to the weather while she had been lost in her thoughts about Jeremy.

     The wind pushed her faster than she wanted to go and she ended up being blown onto Jeremy’s estate. I have to get out of the sky before I fall out of it. I'm nowhere near any of my safe shelters from storms. She frantically scanned the grounds surrounding the estate, looking for a place where she could hide from the storm. Why didn't I stay close to Mary's cottage? No one must see me when I transform.

     Her gaze landed on his fine stables in the east pasture. They were made of stone and heavy wooden timbers with doors that shut and latched securely. She headed for them, flying with all her strength. The stable boys were bringing in the last horses as Alannah, the beautiful white dove, glided in unnoticed through the open doors and landed silently on a rafter high above them. The sky darkened outside and the distant sound of thunder came rolling through the air. Panic surged through her. Please leave before I transform! The boys secured the horses in their stalls, and hurried out of the stable, shutting and latching the doors behind them. I need a better place to hide. I can't transform up here.

     There was a large pile of fresh straw next to a bin filled with sacks of oats. On a shelf above the oats, there was a stack of neatly folded horse blankets. Relief flooded her tiny bird body as she glided from the rafter to the space behind the straw pile. Just as she was landing, a flash of lightening followed by a deafening crash of thunder startled her and the horses. The rain came pouring down, and the painful transformation from white dove to human female overtook her.

     Minutes later she lay on the floor, panting from the exertion of her forced change. She stood up as soon as she could, and grabbed one of the folded blankets to wrap around herself. She settled between the pile of straw and the back wall of the stable, hoping no one would notice her if they came to check on the horses.

     Alannah’s time as a bird did not affect her human beauty. Her delicate features, long ash-blond hair, and stunning blue-green eyes made it difficult for her blend in with her surroundings.  I wish I was inside Mary's warm cottage with a hot bowl of soup. I feel so foolish. Eventually her mind drifted to the life that used to be hers.

    She was startled out of her memories as the stable doors were thrown open. The wind rushed through the barn, chilling Alannah and stirring up bits of hay and straw. Jeremy strode in, leading his horse along behind him. They were both soaked through. He must have been caught in the sudden storm, too.