Standing on the ramparts gazing out over the frozen landscape, Jem sighed wearily. Winter in the castle seemed to have lasted an eternity but now he was keen to return home. For the sake a familial peace and harmony, he had agreed to stay at the castle until spring but now, after four months there, the walls were closing in on him. He was itching to hunt for himself too. Due to the severity of the incessant winter storms, Stefan had sealed the castle for several weeks at the start of the year. Since their arrival in time for the Samhain ball, he had only hunted twice. His patience was wearing thin.
Spending time with Stefan and Meryn had been good for both Trine and Luna. The little girl had grown close to her grandparents. Since she had taken her first steps on Christmas Eve, Luna had seized every opportunity to shadow her grandfather wherever he went. She had him wrapped around her little finger and with a result, he took her wherever she wanted to go. On occasion he had even allowed her to attend Court of the Elder meetings with him. No one objected to Luna’s presence as she had sat on Stefan’s knee with her beloved doll clasped to her chest.
Ever since the night of the Samhain ball something about that doll had not sat easy with Jem or his mother. It still went everywhere with his daughter and he had half joked with Trine, Stefan and Meryn that it knew all the castle’s secrets.
“Jeremiah, my study now.”
His mother’s telepathic message startled him out of his daydream and with a last lingering look out over the mountains, Jem set off along the ramparts towards her tower.
“Mother,” greeted Jem as he entered her study. “You summoned me.”
“I did,” replied Meryn sharply. “Pour us both some wine then take a seat.”
“Everything alright?” asked Jem as he filled two goblets with blood infused wine.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted, readily accepting the wine from him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I saw your crow outside my window yesterday and again today,” Meryn revealed.
“My crow? I didn’t know I had a crow.”
“Don’t get smart with me, Jeremiah!” reprimanded Meryn. “The crow that chased you here in such a hurry. Did it have purple wing feathers?”
Jem nodded.
“It’s here,” stated Meryn simply.
“How can a bird fly all those miles and just happen to arrive at your study window?” asked Jem, knowing in his heart that his mother’s observations were accurate.
Almost as if she sensed it in him, she asked, “What’s your intuition telling you?”
The question hung in the air for a few moments before Jem replied, “That it’s the same bird.”
“Ans what does your instinct tell you about Luna’s doll?”
“Her doll?”
“Yes. The rag doll that goes everywhere with her.”
Running his hand through his hard, Jem said, “You’ll think I’m crazy if I tell you.”
“Try me.”
“I think the crow is Anna and I think that the doll has something to do with it. How else would Luna know the name Anna? Why else would she name the doll Anna?” he revealed quietly.
“The child could have heard you or Trine mentioning Anna and picked the name up from there.”
Jem shook his head, “We have never talked about her in front of Luna.
Gazing into the flames of the fire that was burning in the hearth, Meryn paused for thought then asked, “Where did you get the doll from?”
“I’ve no idea,” replied Jem. “You’ve seen Luna’s nursery. Trine’s piled it high with toys.”
“Find out.”
“How? And why?”
“Ask Trine for a start,” retorted his mother. “As for why, we need to find another one exactly the same. Once we have one, you need to switch them and bring me the original doll.”
“I’ll ask,” agreed Jem. “What if neither of us bought it…well, acquired it?”
“Then that only increases my concerns,” said Meryn. “I’m beginning to share your suspicions. Either way, we need to find one that’s identical.”
High up on the castle roof sat one lone crow. There were still a few days until the full Crow Moon would signal the return of the birds at winter’s end. It was close enough though that no one would question a crow’s early arrival or at least that was what Anna hoped. After several months cooped up inside the child’s doll, she had needed a change of scenery so had risked transforming into a crow and spread her wings. She felt confident that no one in the castle had guessed that she had been hiding in plain sight among them.
Life as Luna’s rag doll had proved to be more enlightening than the dark angel could ever have hoped. The toddler’s charm had proven to be irresistible to most of the adult vampires in the castle resulting in Luna being allowed unlimited access to the innermost sanctums. Wherever Luna went, her doll went; wherever the doll went, Anna went.
As the last light began to fade from the sky, the crow took flight and returned to her host.
With Luna tucked up sound asleep, Jem and Trine seized the opportunity to enjoy an intimate late-night supper together. While Trine had been settling their daughter for the night, Jem had created a romantic setting for them in their suite’s small sitting room. They had eaten with Stefan and Meryn earlier in the evening so Jem had kept his request to the staff simple for their supper – bread, cheese, fruit and some blood-infused wine.
“She’s finally asleep,” sighed Trine as she joined him in the sitting room. “It took three bedtime stories tonight.”
“You’re too soft with her,” laughed Jem passing her a glass of wine.
“And you’re not?”
“Maybe,” he relented with a smile. “Will be nice to get home and back into a routine in our own house.”
“You homesick?”
“A bit,” he admitted. “I miss the freedom of our beach hut life.” He paused, “I was thinking we should head back in a few days. I could maybe go on ahead. Check the hut is intact after the winter gales.”
“It’s been good being here,” began Trine. “But you’re right. It is time to think about going home.”
As they nibbled on their supper, they began to make plans for their return journey. Biding his time, Jem watched for an appropriate moment to ask about the doll. In the end it was Trine who voiced a fear that once they were home, now that Luna was walking, that she may be more liable to lose her doll and her bedtime bunny if she kept taking them everywhere with her.
“Where did you get them?” asked Jem casually.
“I got the bunny from the clothes store near the big supermarket,” replied Trine. “I like their children’s clothes. I thought you got the doll for Luna?”
Jem shook his head, “Wasn’t me. Must have been a gift.”
“Must have been,” Trine agreed. “But I think I might know the shop it came from.”
“Where’s that then?”
“One of the boutique shops in that small town up the river from the beach hut. I saw some there when I was looking for a scarf to give Meryn.”
“We can check when we get home. Would be good to have spares in case she loses one or both of them.”
“It would,” agreed trine readily. “Our little girl’s growing up too fast. I can’t believe that she’s going to be two on her birthday.”
“They don’t stay babies for long,” said Jem, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
“You still miss your other children, don’t you?” whispered Trine, sensing her partner’s sadness.
“Sometimes,” he admitted. “My first daughter’s been on my mind today. It’s her birthday.”
“How old is she?”
“Oh, good question,” replied Jem stalling for time as he tried to work it out. “Late thirties. Thirty-seven or thirty-eight maybe. Not sure. Never was good with their ages.”
Raising her glass, Trine said, “Happy birthday to your not so little girl.”
“Happy birthday, Beth,” added Jem with a wistful smile.
Breakfast was always the noisiest meal of the day. Instead of joining Stefan and Meryn and whatever guests were staying at the castle in the formal dining room, the small family opted to eat in their chambers. As Trine attempted to spoon some oatmeal into her daughter’s mouth, Luna grabbed the spoon, “My do!”
“Let me help,” suggested Trine patiently. “You hold the spoon and I’ll hold it too.”
“No!”
“Luna,” began Jem firmly. “Let Mama help or you won’t get to go and see Mamm-wynn.”
Luna scowled at her father than relented and allowed Trine to feed her the remains of the oatmeal.
“I’ve a court meeting with my father,” revealed Trine as she spooned the last of the oatmeal into her daughter’s mouth. “Can you watch Luna this morning?”
“Sure. I’m meeting my mother for lunch but Lunda can come with me,” replied Jem. “I’ll keep her entertained til dinner. That’ll give you time to start packing.”
Trine nodded.
Resorting to telepathy, Jem alerted his mother that he would be bringing Luma with him. Her reply surprised him, “Meet me in Stefan’s study.” A follow up message offered him more of an explanation, “I don’t want that doll in my tower.” Until they knew more about the doll Jem didn’t disagree with her.
Taking his daughter by the hand, they said goodbye to Trine and set off to walk to Stefan’s study. As usual, the little girl had her doll clutched tight to her chest as they walked. Their route through the castle took them through one open courtyard. In summer it would be an ideal spot for Luna to play outdoors but at this time of year it was snow covered. A path across it had been cleared and salted to make walking easier.
“Snow!” squealed Luna, tugging Jem’s hand. “Play. Play snow.”
“Not today, angel.”
“Yes! Play snow!”
“What’s the magic word, Luna?” he chided gently.
“Please play snow,” answered the little girl politely.
“Just for a minute or two. Mamm-wynn is waiting for us.”
Giggling, Luna ran off across the courtyard, stamping her feet on the fresh blanket of snow leaving a chaotic trail of small footprints.
“Oopsy!” she shrieked as she slipped and fell, dropping her doll on the snow.
As he ran over to her, Jem thought he sensed magic in the air. For a split second the doll seemed to shimmer.
“Come on, angel,” he said scooping his daughter up into his arms as she grabbed her rag doll. “That’s enough snow for just now.”
“Cold,” complained Luna as she snuggled into his shoulder.
“It’s too cold to play outside today. We can play once we get back indoors.”
“Play Mamm-wynn,” stated Luna emphatically.
“That’s right. We’ll play games with Mamm-wynn.”
From high up on the castle roof, a single black crow watched father and daughter cross the courtyard and disappear from sight.
Playtime in front of the hearth in Stefan’s study wasn’t standard grandmother/grandchild playtime. Seizing the opportunity to teach Luna more magic skills, Meryn created a game that taught the little girl her colours and also how to change the flames in the hearth to match the colours.
“Green,” instructed Meryn calmly.
“No. Purple,” argued Luna.
“Green then purple,” compromised Meryn. “Then Daddy will make them blue.”
The game had doubled as a lesson for Jem too as head confessed sheepishly to his mother that he knew nothing about changing the colour of objects.
With a click of her fingers a few minutes later, Meryn restored the flames to their rightful colours.
“Make Daddy wings purple,” said Luna, starting to weave the spell with her nimble fingers.
“No!” snapped Meryn, grabbing the little girl’s hands. “We don’t use that kind of magic on people. We don’t use it on living things.”
Luna pouted and looked as though she was about to cry.
“There’s a different magic for people,” explained Meryn, lifting her granddaughter up into her lap. “I’ll teach you about it when you’re older.”
The little girl yawned.
“I think someone’s ready for a nap,” commented Jem.
“Want story,” said Luna as she snuggled into her grandmother.
“One story then your Daddy’s right, it’s time for a nap,” agreed Meryn, subtly weaving a sleeping spell over her. “Once upon a time…”
She had barely started the story before the little girl was sound asleep. Gently, Jem lifted his daughter from his mother’s lap and settled her on the couch with her doll. He tucked a soft throw around her.
“Step aside,” said Meryn softly. “I want to put a protection spell over her so we can talk freely.”
“On Luna or the doll?”
“Both,” admitted his mother before weaving an intricate spell with her fingers as she whispered the accompanying incantation under her breath.
Momentarily, the air around the sleeping child shimmered.
“I sensed something like that earlier,” commented Jem as he poured them both some wine.
“Sensed what?” quizzed Meryn curiously.
“Luna dropped her doll on the way here. It seemed to shimmer as she went to pick it up.”
“Did you sense any magic?”
Jem nodded, “It was more of smell than a sense of magic.”
“And did you see the crow?”
Jem shook his head.
“Did you find out how to get a doll exactly the same as that one?”
“Yes. Trine told me where she saw them. It’s a boutique shop in the town near the beach house.”
“Good. I’ll make enquiries about having one brought here,” replied Meryn.
“I could fetch one,” offered Jem, seeing an opportunity to be free of the castle for a while.
“No,” said Meryn, shaking her head. “Too risky. Anna will be watching us all. I’ll get one brought to us and she’ll never know.”
“So, what happens when you switch them?” asked Jem before taking a mouthful of the rich blood-infused wine.
“It has to happen as close to your departure as possible,” began his mother, fiddling with the stem of her wine goblet. “There are a lot of Luna’s emotions attached to that doll. We need to be careful here. Protecting Luna is key in all of this.”
“And just how do we keep her safe from the possessed doll?”
“I’m working on that,” promised Meryn. “Convince Trine that you need to travel on the night of the full Crow Moon. It’s a Blood Moon and there’s a lunar eclipse that night. I can use that energy to draw an additional layer of protection around Luna. I’m working on a way to contain the original doll while you travel with the replacement.”
“Contain it?” echoed Jem looking thoughtful. “In a magic box?”
“Most likely,” nodded Meryn, sipping her wine. “We need to teach you and Luna another game before then.”
“What one?”
“A magical version of hide and seek,” revealed Meryn. “In an ideal world, we need Luna to put her doll in the box but I can tweak the spell so that it works if you do it, as long as Luna is close by you.. If anyone else takes it from her, it will weaken the containment binding I have in mind.”
“This is all getting beyond my basic magic skills, mother.”
“You will learn the game when I teach Luna,” she assured him. “Your key role here is to convince Trine that you need to travel at the full moon.”
“That I can do,” he promised. “She’s as keen as me to go home. We were talking about it. I said I’d go back for a day or two to check over the house then come back for them both.”
“No,” said Meryn bluntly. “If this is to work, the three of you need to go together. Anna can’t get wind of the plan to leave.”
“Ok,” he agreed without argument.
“And don’t talk about your plans anywhere near that damn doll.”
Each afternoon for the next few days, Jem took Luna to see his mother for a couple of hours before dinner, under the guise of it gave Trine time to pack without the toddler getting under her feet. He sweetened the deal by suggesting that Trine could use some of the time to hunt before they left. Oblivious to plans to switch the doll, the ice maiden readily agreed.
By late afternoon of the night of the full Crow Moon, the young family were almost ready to travel home. They had both been careful not to mention their plans in front of Luna after Jem pointed out that they didn’t need their daughter throwing a tantrum about leaving her grandparents. It hadn’t taken much persuasion to convince Trine of the merits of travelling at night while Luna slept. They agreed that it would be easier if they kept to the usual routine and had supper with Stefan and Meryn, put Luna to bed at the usual time then leave around midnight.
Leaving Luna playing with Trine, Jem slipped out of their chambers for a final walk around the castle ramparts. At least that was what he told Trine he was doing. The reality was that Meryn had summoned him to her study.
“What took you so long, Jeremiah?” she complained as he entered.
“Sorry. Took me a few minutes to get away,” he apologised, eyeing a small shoebox sized intricately carved wooden chest that was sitting on his mother’s desk.
“Well, you’re here now,” muttered Meryn. “We need to go over the plans for tonight.”
“Do you have the replacement doll?”
“Yes,” replied his mother, lifting two dolls out of a blue paper bag. “You can take the spare one home. I decided to err on the side of caution and have two brough to me.”
Jem nodded, “We talked about getting a spare just in case she loses one.”
“Well, now you have one. Do not get these muddled up with the one that Anna is inhabiting. I suggest waiting until you are getting Luna ready to travel and ask her to put the doll in the box for the journey.”
“And if she’s already asleep?”
“You swap them over yourself,” instructed his mother. “You’ll already have said goodbye in Stefan’s study before you go back to your chambers. If I turn up, Trine might get suspicious. It’s safer if you oversee the switch. I’ll fetch the box from your chambers once you’ve left.”
“How easy will it be for Anna to escape from the box, assuming we trap her?”
“It won’t be easy at all,” replied Meryn. “Especially after you seal it with the three symbols I’m about to teach you.”
Much to Jem’s surprise, the symbols that were to be drawn in the air over the box were simple. All he needed to focus on was the order that he drew them in.
“What if Trine asks about the box?” he asked as he prepared to leave with it under his arm.
“She won’t see it,” Meryn revealed. “There’s a cloaking spell on it. Only you and I and Luna can see it for now. Place it near the cot when you get back to your room. Hide the spare dolls in it for now.”
Jem nodded.
Shortly before midnight with a sleeping Luna draped over his shoulder, Jem said farewell to Stefan and Meryn, promising to return for the winter solstice celebrations. A look from his mother was his cue to suggest that he take Luna back to their chambers and give Trine a few minutes alone with her father before they departed.
Once back in their chambers, Jem settled his sleeping daughter into her cot, feeling guilty that her sleep would be disturbed by their journey home. With trembling hands, he opened the box and lifted out the dolls. He quickly stuffed on into his inside jacket pocket to keep in reserve then laid the replacement doll on top of Luna’s blankets. Carefully he prised her beloved doll out of her arms, slipping the bunny in in its place. He laid it gently in the box, swiftly closed the lid then drew the three symbols exactly as his mother had taught him.
“Could it really be that easy?” he thought as he slipped the box under the cox out of sight.
Oblivious to the switch Luna slept on.
High on the castle ramparts several crows watched the scene play out through the window.
Coral McCallum 