Secret Of The Rose (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

from the floor to the top of the dresser. He sat on the dresser top and meowed at me.
    “I’d really like to know how you open and shut doors,” I told him.
    Merlin simply meowed and tucked his tail around himself.
    “No comment?” I said to him and pulled my hair out of the messy clip I’d twisted it in. I brushed out my hair and tossed the clip and brush in a basket on my dresser. Merlin made a chirping sound and put his paw on my cosmetics bag. “Fine, fine,” I grumbled applying a little powder, some blush, and slicked on lip gloss.
    “Let’s go,” I said to Merlin, scooping him up. I set him down once we got to the top of the stairs. I fully and freely admitted to being a klutz, and I wanted to have one hand securely on the wooden banister. Merlin took off down the stairs with me following him.
    I trailed my hand along the decorated banister as I went downstairs. The family really went all out for Halloween. A pretty black feathered garland was wound with orange lights from the second floor all the way down to the main landing. Black silk roses were worked into the garland. It was gothic, and festive all at the same time. Merlin seemed to leave the feathers alone for the most part. Gwen had informed me that they had an agreement in which Merlin will leave the garlands and decorations be.
    As I swung down the last step into the main foyer, I almost smacked into a dark haired girl. She was standing still and staring at a black, artificial holiday tree that sat in the foyer— tucked behind the end of the curving banister.
    “Oops!” I managed to stop a few inches from her.
    “Oh!” she jumped back at the same time.
    I didn’t recognize her, but it was obvious she was part of one of the cheerleading squads. The cheerleading t-shirt was a dead give-away. “Hi, I’m Autumn.” I smiled to try and put her at ease.
    “I’m Leilah. I was hunting for the bathroom.” She fiddled with her hair that was cut into a cute pixie style.
    “The powder room is off the family room and kitchen.” I pointed back in the general direction.
    She didn’t turn and go towards it; instead, she stood and continued to stare at the decorated Halloween tree. “I’ve never seen one of these— not this big before,” she said reaching out to one of the artificial black pine branches.
    “Yeah,” I gestured to the slim, six foot tall tree. “It is pretty amazing.” The midnight tree was strung with orange lights. Pumpkin orange and frosted white glass ornaments popped against the black pine branches while artificial sprays of autumn leaves and bittersweet were tucked in for texture. Finally, there was an assortment of clever glass ornaments all in a witchy or classic Halloween theme hanging from the branches.
    She ran a fingertip over a glass ornament shaped like a crescent moon. “I didn’t mean to be nosey, but I couldn’t resist looking around at all of the Halloween decorations.”
    “That’s okay.” I smiled and gave her an ‘after you’ gesture. She took the hint and went back towards the kitchen.
    I really didn’t blame her for wanting to nose around. The rest of the downstairs also had whimsical seasonal touches. From the huge decorated grapevine wreath on the front door to the orange and black floral centerpiece on the dining room table— no surface had escaped the bewitching décor. Even the mantle in the family room had taken a dramatic shift, from the rustic fall leaves and a scarecrow for the autumn equinox to its current gothic and spooky display.
    Leilah went over to the mantle and studied it. “Now this is really great.”
    “Thanks. I helped decorate the mantle. So I’m partial to it,” I said. Sphagnum moss dripped from the mantle. Black branches and midnight colored eucalyptus were tucked into that moss and were used as a frame for moon white pumpkins and orange and white striped gourds and mini pumpkins. A silk crow perched on the top of a vintage birdcage at the far end of the mantle while