Light in the Shadows

A Guest

It was a beautiful spring day. I had been riding for an hour and was leading my horse, Sunflower, to the paddock when I heard the gravel crunching on the circular drive. I wasn't expecting guests and I usually knew when Peter or someone else in the house was having guests. So I led Sunflower around the side of the house.

A black SUV, like you see in the movies, was driving down the long drive and stopped between the house and the fountain. The back door of the SUV opened and a boy about my age stepped out. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. A backpack was slung over one shoulder. His shaggy brown hair fell half-way down his neck and curled up slightly. He was tall, with broad shoulders and when he turned my heart skipped a beat. He was very cute. He wasn't the beautiful type, like my boyfriend, Corbin. Instead he was a dark handsome. Gray eyes the color of storm clouds locked on me; for a second his eyes seemed to scan the area right around me. It wasn't like he was looking at Sunflower or the house, his eyes seemed to focus just inches to either side of me. This only lasted for a second, before his eyes snapped to mine, and he shifted on his feet.

"Uh, I'm looking for Mr. Peter Collins," He said.

"Peter isn't home at the moment, but you can wait. Let me stable Sunflower." I said as I motioned for him to join me. "I'm Jayla."

"David," The boy replied as he followed me around the house.

"So, why do you want to see Peter?" I asked as we reached the stables.

"Ah, I am a final contestant in his Junior Scholar program." He answered.

That was odd. I hadn't realized that Peter was running such a program. The last time he hosted a Junior scholar was when I was ten. I shrugged to myself. I didn't know everything.

"Good luck." I said.

"I don't need luck; I've got ability," he said confidently.

I nodded as I led Sunflower into the stables and removed her saddle, placing it on a table with other saddles. I led her into her stall and grabbed a brush and started brushing her. David grabbed another brush and joined me. His movements were sure.

"You've done this before," I said.

He smiled. " A few times," he answered.

I lost myself in the routine. I was accustomed to working with others. My boyfriend, Corbin, and I rode frequently, as did my father and me, and Peter and me. We would often brush one horse together, then brush the other. Out of habit, I started whispering to Sunflower in Druidic. I had started this at five when Peter had bought me Sunflower and had started teaching me the ancient language. I had used Sunflower as a sounding board. Now it was simply part of the routine. I didn't even realize I was whispering in Druidic until David spoke.

"You speak Welsh," he said.

I paused. He had spoken to me in Druidic as well, though his pronunciation was a bit different. I would have thought that he didn't speak it well, but Peter had taught me that there were many dialects of the language.

"I speak a little," he answered.

"I would guess Pictish," Peter said from the entrance of the stable.

Suddenly the air of the stable seemed to be charged. Neither David or Peter looked concerned, but there was tension. I can't explain it, but I could feel it.

"Jayla, tell your father we will have a dinner guest, and let Mrs. White know to ready the Ambassador Suite. Please apologize to them; I forgot we were having a guest," Peter said.

I was pretty sure that Peter hadn't expected David, and by the slight relaxing of David's posture, I knew that I was correct. Why was Peter acting as if this boy was expected and why was there still tension between them?

I didn't have time to solve this mystery. Peter had sent me on an errand. I had the feeling that Peter was simply trying to get rid of me so that I didn't learn the real reason that David was here. Most of the time Peter would allow me in any conversation, but at times he would give me chores to keep me busy. I had the feeling that the secrets he was hiding had to do with the truths of the world. You see, I believe that the supernatural and the paranormal exist and I believe that Peter is in the middle of it. The problem is that I can't prove it. but every year I get closer and closer to the truth.