Chapter Six: "An Invitation to Dance with the Devil"
There was a chalkboard on an easel in the library I hadn't noticed yesterday. According to it, storytime occurred at 10 a.m. I assumed Aggi would be there by then, although I hoped she'd come to work earlier than that. I was eager to find out the truth. The trick would be to convince her to share it with us.
"Good day to you!" An older woman with silver hair that nearly reached her waist greeted us as soon as we stepped through the door. She had a few books in her arms, some of which I had read as a child. I seriously doubted anything in here was current.
"Good day to you," Ami responded kindly. "Is Aggi here yet? She recommended a book yesterday, but silly me. I already forgot the title!"
Nice. I hadn't even thought of preparing Ami before we walked in here. At this point, it was important for us to not raise any more suspicion than we already had. We didn't want to get Aggi into any trouble.
"Why yes," the woman told us. "She's organizing the card file in the back."
That's exactly where Ami and I found Aggi. Not wishing to surprise her, I stepped loudly upon the wooden floor as we approached.
"How may I help you?" Aggi said without turning around.
Ami touched the girl's arm to get her attention. "Aggi."
Immediately she spun and smiled. "Oh. It's you."
Her initial greeting had been kind, although she looked around nervously before shutting the wooden drawer. "Follow me."
Once we passed through a heavy curtain and into a storage area, I began my plea.
"We need some answers."
"Please," Ami added. "Nobody else can help us but you."
"I already told you too much," she argued. "If I'm caught…"
"Stop." I didn't want to hear any more excuses. I wanted to hear some concrete facts. "Caught by who? Who are you afraid of? The police? Miss Voss?"
I didn't think that many people could afford a castle. Perhaps Voss was wealthy and was using that wealth to purchase influence, not unlike most politicians I knew.
"Is she blackmailing people? What does she have against you? Against this town?" I continued.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Nobody ever has."
Instead of answers, everything Aggi said was only causing more confusion.
"Listen," Ami insisted.
If one of us was going to convince Aggi to provide us with the answers we needed, it would be Ami. I knew I was a little too rough around the edges. Which probably came from a long history of dealing with convicts.
"I know something here is scaring you. If leaving this place will help you feel safe and provide security, then come with us when we leave."
An opportunity of hope eliminated some of the worry presented on Aggi's face. "You'd do that?"
"Of course we would," I answered. It seemed like a small thing compared to assuring Quinn's well-being.
"If I tell you what's happening here, will you take not only me away from this place but Papa as well?"
Before I could question the wisdom in removing someone I hadn't even met before, Ami stepped forward.
"We absolutely will." To back her statement Ami hugged the young woman and then held onto her hand once she'd let her go. "Now. Tell us who is Asa Voss and why you're so afraid."
Once again, Aggi nervously looked toward the curtain and started speaking in a hushed voice.
"Asa owns everything in this town. She always has. Some say she is older than the town itself and came here with the first voyagers. She and another of her kind escaped the trials and hid in the abandoned castle on the hill. Many more voyagers came and she influenced them to build the village, which still stands to this day. Families and businesses may come and go, but the village stays the same and so does Asa."
I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. None of this was making any sense!
"Hold on," I interrupted Aggi with an upheld hand. "Let me see if I've got this straight. By 'voyagers,' are you talking about vacationers? Like Quinn?"
"No, not vacationers" Aggi replied a little more loudly, confusing me all the more. "These people came across the waters from distant places."
Ami grabbed hold of my arm to stop me from speaking again. "Do you mean pilgrims?"
"I believe that's what they've been called by others like you, but we've always used the term voyagers."
I couldn't stop myself from shaking my head. I didn't believe in time travel, magic, reincarnation, or any such ridiculous thing. What I did believe in was the truth and it was obvious to me that Aggi was pulling my leg.
"That would mean Miss Voss is over 260 years old!" I blurted out, making it even worse by laughing afterward. "That's not possible! Why don't you try and tell us the truth?"
Ami turned to glare at me. I'd never seen that look on her face before and immediately shut my mouth. She then took over the conversation by stepping in front of me to completely block my view.
"I'm certain Ben isn't intentionally calling you a liar. He just doesn't understand what you're trying to say, Aggi. And I'm sorry, but I don't either. Could you perhaps be clearer?"
The young woman was as serious as she could be."Some choose to believe only what they see and none of what they hear. If living a sinful and modern lifestyle for this long has so thoroughly blinded you that you cannot see the evil that occupies this world, then allow me to show it to you."
Oh, I believed in evil. I'd seen it with my own two eyes on many occasions.
"The devil himself lives in that castle." Aggi was obviously frustrated with us and our unwillingness to believe what she was saying. She was clipping her words and thrust her finger toward the hill. "And her name is Asa Voss."
"Aggi? Where are you?"
The voice had called out from inside the library and must've been the older woman who had greeted us.
"I need to get back to work."
Aggi stuck her head through the curtain to yell back. "Checking some inventory Mrs. Barnes! I'll be there in a minute!"
Satisfied the older woman wasn't spying on us, Aggi hurried on. "At midnight tonight there will be a full moon and Asa will lead us through a ritual that will bring blessings of peace and security to the village. If you want to see exactly who she is, be there."
"We will be," I informed the young lady before she stepped through the curtain. Finally, we would get to see this she-devil!
"Wait!" Ami called out before Aggi had gotten away. "Where is this ritual performed?"
"On the beach above dock thirteen." Although obviously afraid, the young woman smiled at us. "It is most important that you're not seen. Be careful. I must go now."
