The Cornelius Saga Series Box Set 2 Read online

  The Cornelius Saga Series

  Books 9 - 12

  Tanya R. Taylor

  Copyright© 2019 Tanya R. Taylor

  All Rights Reserved.

  No portion of this work may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form without the expressed, written consent of the Author.

  CONTENTS

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  Cara: The Beginning - MATILDA’S STORY

  The Disappearing House

  Wicked Little Saints

  A Faint Whisper

  Free Excerpt of Book One

  Other Fiction Titles by This Author

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  Cara: The Beginning - MATILDA’S STORY

  Cornelius Saga Series - Book 9

  Dedication

  To my parents, Cecil & Gwendolyn, for all the wonderful years of love and sacrifice you gave.

  I cannot thank you enough.

  1

  _________________

  Newport 1894

  She knew the chase would be on – sooner or later.

  It was after she had gathered up the biggest ball of saliva and shot it in his eyeball that Russ Geritt, fifty-year-old Ranch hand and Matilda’s biggest accuser, belted her one right in the face. She stumbled to the ground. That’s when they heard the loud rustling of leaves in that dark, dense forest they’d dragged her out to. Her Judas was standing there amid the crowd, watching Matilda as she wiped the drop of blood that had sailed down the corner of her lower lip.

  Still a bit groggy from what she’d ingested earlier that evening, Matilda could barely come to grips with her own emotions, which should clearly be anger and rage, since she’d been betrayed by the only one among them she trusted. For now, she knew she had to get up and either face them again or this time, try to somehow escape. Considering she chose the latter, she wasn’t so sure how far her legs would take her, but she was prepared to try.

  “Do you hear that?” Her friend advanced forward and looked around at the towering trees, the branches of which seemed to gently sway in the wind. Then the rustling intensified. “I told y’all she’s a witch!” The woman blurted as Matilda attempted to rise to her feet. “She’s a doggone, bloody harlot and magician. She’s gonna get all of us killed if we don’t get rid of her first!”

  “You’re wrong!” Matilda spoke up through her weakened voice. She was finally standing again and this time kept her distance from Russ who had the angriest expression on his face. There was no denying he was rough around the edges. The fact that she’d dare stand up to him had awakened the beast inside which she knew was there - the same one that had taken up residence inside his soul after he was repeatedly blamed for his little sister’s drowning when he was a small child. Matilda gathered the unfortunate event itself — that he was actually innocent of — didn’t draw the beast; it was Russ’ unquenchable anger at the blame and cruelty he subsequently suffered, and him telling himself that he’d make the world pay for what he had to endure. The world never paid, but Matilda was about to.

  Mutters in the crowd alerted her that her friend had convinced them. “You’re all wrong!” Matilda quickly said.

  “Shut up, witch!” Alan Strever, a lanky old-timer shouted.

  “Please, listen to me. I’m not what I’m being accused of. I never did anything to hurt anyone. You must let me go!”

  “You’re a damn liar.” Russ stepped closer and glared down into those dark brown eyes of hers. “You pretty much maimed Harry Jenkins who used to work at the Mill. Now, he can barely get by to feed his family.”

  “I had nothing to do with that! I don’t even know who this Harry Jenkins is!”

  Russ belted her in the mouth this time. Although the blow knocked her back a foot or two, she continued standing.

  “Lies! All lies!” he snarled.

  “Enough of this useless chit-chat,” Hank Brown hollered from the back of the crowd. “Let’s string her up on one of these trees out here and leave her for the vultures to feed on.”

  Matilda backed up. “Please… please, don’t do this. I’ve never done anything to any of you.” She looked at her friend. “How could you? We’ve been friends for years. I’ve watched your children; shared whatever I had with you and your family. We’ve helped each other; haven’t we? Tell them I’m not what they think I am. You know the truth! You know it better than anyone out here. Please…” Her eyes begged for vindication.

  It seemed like years had passed before the woman uttered a single word in response: “Matilda Stephanie Curry, you are a witch of the worst kind. I’ve heard the chants in your house wee hours of the morning. You were conjuring spirits and worshipping the devil. I watched you move things with your mind and tell people things about their own lives you shouldn’t have known. You lit fires in your backyard without lifting a finger. We laughed at it, remember? You worked magic, summoned dark forces into your home and into this community. You deserve to suffer, Matilda. I am not and never have been a friend of a witch!” She then stepped away as the noisy crowd moved in toward Matilda a second time.

  “Throw the rope!” Russ said to the teenage boy holding it.

  Matilda backed up and now, with a slightly clearer head and strength she hadn’t been able to muster up just minutes earlier, she took off down the rough path.

  “Get her!” She heard a raspy voice behind her.

  Her screams permeated the air and the pine, maple and birch trees surrounding them, as her feet eagerly took her down the unfriendly terrain. Tears streamed down her face; her heart ached and their angry voices gained momentum with every step she took. Torches burned brightly and she even thought she heard the sporadic clinking of swords. She knew if they ever got their hands on her, she was dead. No measure of pleading would dissuade them from snuffing the life right out of her.

  2

  _________________

  Three years earlier

  Not everyone understood her calling, but there was one person who was willing to accept her for who she really was.

  Matilda was unlike anyone Stephen had ever met before. It wasn’t her flawless features, captivating smile and beautiful auburn tresses that made her completely irresistible to him. It was that deeper part of her – her soul which lured him like bait and branded him only for herself. It was the one part of her he could never touch — yet the very thing he felt he knew better than the back of his own hand. She was everything familiar and mysterious at the same time, and deep inside Stephen knew she could never be completely his.

  It was the otherworldly advantage that consumed her mind and seduced her more than any man ever could. Never mind that they had been lovers for years and he was the only man she had really ever cared about. He could not fulfill her the way her charmer could – a competitor without human hands or feet; neither heart nor soul. Though in those dark, beguiling eyes of hers he lacked absolutely nothing, he could never compare to what she held most dear: her gift. Or might it be a curse?

  “Ready to go?” he asked as Matilda stood in the front room of the little house lit up by nothing more than a kerosene lantern. Her mother, Joy, and three sisters, Agatha, Betty and Carlotta were standing there as well, looking on. The girls were all sobbing.

  Loosely holding a brown travelling bag, she turned to her mother with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want to go, Mother. Is this truly necessary?”

  Joy went to her and embraced her tightly. “If it weren’t necessary, Mattie, I would never ha
ve told you to go. It’s for your own safety, my precious child. Our town has changed so much in the past few years; all this talk of magic was something we barely heard back in the day.” She gripped Matilda’s shoulders firmly. “But they’ve caught on to the…”

  “Say it, Mother!” Matilda demanded. “You believe it’s a curse; don’t you?”

  Joy immediately shook her head as she wiped her nose with the handkerchief.

  “It’s not a curse – regardless of what anyone thinks.”

  “But your own family — your brothers and sisters think that it is. You’ve seen the way they’ve treated me. They’ve barely spoken a word to me since I was born.”

  “My family is in this house. Your family is in this house. No one else matters,” Joy replied. “Your aunts and uncles don’t understand, but they’d never betray you. Your father didn’t understand your gift either – and yes, I call it a gift – but he accepted you until he took his last breath. You must accept yourself and embrace what has been given to you.” She glanced at Stephen who was standing near the front door. “You’ve got Stephen to keep you company and to protect and love you as he’s done since you both were children. You are now twenty-one and he’s stuck by you the entire time and kept your secret close to his heart, as we all have. Go with him to another place where this awful trend hasn’t yet caught on. Make a good life for you both and forget about this place.”

  Matilda looked at her sisters. “Will I ever see you all again?” she asked.

  “If God permits it, yes, you will,” Joy said, fighting back the tears.

  Unable to compose herself for any longer, Carlotta, the youngest, flew into Matilda’s arms and held onto her sister tightly. The others immediately followed suit.

  “We’re going to miss you!” Betty said.

  “We surely will,” Agatha, the eldest agreed. She kissed Matilda on the cheek. “You be strong, Mattie. Leaving us might be the hardest thing right now, but Mother’s right. Your safety comes first. Stephen loves you and he’ll shield you from whatever’s out there.”

  “I do and I will,” Stephen said, as the family’s embrace came to an end. “I won’t let any harm come your way, Matilda. Everything will be all right.”

  Matilda nodded as she dried her tears and mustered the courage to leave the house and town she had been raised in.

  “The carriage is outside,” Stephen said. “Now is the best time to leave. By daybreak, we’d be far away from here.”

  “Go, Mattie. Be safe and take this…” Her mother slipped a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant in her hand and closed Matilda’s hand tightly. Put it on when you get in the carriage and never take it off.”

  Matilda attempted to look at it, but Joy closed her daughter’s hand again, concealing the gift. It was your grandma’s. All of you children were so precious to her. I believe she’s always been with you, Mattie, and is your guardian angel, as out of all my children, you had the most struggles. Having to hide who you are from the world for fear they would not understand.”

  A tear slid down Matilda’s face as her mother’s words about the unfair struggles had rung true. She wrapped her white scarf around her head, then leaned in and kissed her mother’s cheek, while giving her one last firm embrace. Before following Stephen out of the door, she looked back and waved. “I’ll see you all again someday – no matter how long it takes.”

  “Just go, my child. Go now!” Joy’s heart was breaking as Matilda turned to leave. They all watched near the doorway as the carriage started to make its way down the narrow clearing in the dark of night, leaving miniature clouds of dust in its wake.

  “Do you think she’ll be all right, Mother?” Carlotta asked sadly.

  Joy squeezed the girl’s hand. “I pray she will.”

  “Do you think you’ve done the right thing by sending her away?” she asked again.

  “I surely hope so, sweet child. I surely hope so.”

  3

  _________________

  Stephen glanced at Matilda as he drove the carriage. She was sitting quietly and looking straight ahead. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  Matilda nodded slowly. “As fine as expected, I guess.”

  He rested his hand, for a moment, on her thigh – a long, purple gown which fell to her ankles covered her unblemished white skin. Not feeling immediately accepting of his compassion, she gently pushed his hand away and positioned herself closer to the door.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “It’s not you. I just need to be alone with my thoughts for a while,” she responded.

  As they headed outside the town of Mizpah, Matilda soon fell off into a deep, impenetrable sleep.

  * * *

  “Mattie, wake up!” Betty was shaking her. “Mother wants us to hang the clothes out to dry.”

  Matilda slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. “I’m tired.”

  “I am too, but that’s not a good enough excuse for Mother. Get up!”

  Betty left and headed outside to the clothesline while Mattie got ready as quickly as she could. She washed her face, then slipped on an old dress and a pair of sandals.

  The four room house was deathly quiet as she walked through towards the back door at a quarter past six. She could smell breakfast cooking in the kitchen.

  “Good morning, Mother,” Matilda said while passing.

  Joy was busy at the stove. “Good morning, dear.”

  Outside, Agatha was still washing the remaining clothes while Betty rinsed and wrung them.

  “Aggie, Betty...” Matilda hailed.

  The sisters both returned their morning greetings.

  They were accustomed to humid summers, but this early in the morning was usually cooler than at any other time of day and according to the matriarch of the Curry family – the perfect time to get the washing done. Agatha and Betty took care of it twice a week after Joy started to complain of lower back pain. Struggling to manage going through the change of life and still keep up with the daily demands of survival as a single parent had begun to take a toll on her.

  Back then, women hadn’t the slightest clue about Perimenopause as they label it in modern times. They only knew they were going through physical and emotional changes that were, for the most part, new to them. Some coped fairly well throughout, while others thanked God for every day they breathed as they never knew when this “change’ would shut their lights out for good. But Joy was as strong as they came. She’d vomit like crazy every morning for months as if she were ripe with child; coped with “bubbly” headaches and brain fog which sometimes made her feel like she was losing her mind; and struggled to walk in a straight line at the market when the dizziness and hot flashes overwhelmed her. Never once did she complain that life had suddenly become more unbearable than it ever was before. She took the lashes that accompanied normal aging although she often thought her portion of suffering was much greater than she noticed or heard other women around her age had to endure.

  “Aggie, don’t move...” Carlotta uttered quietly as she eased her hand from the clothesline.

  Matilda turned and spotted the rattle snake barely four feet away from where her eldest sibling stood. Agatha noticed it right away and Betty, following their eyes instantly screamed and took off several feet across the patchy yard. Agatha stood still, her heart pounding in her chest, causing her ribs to rise and fall deeply with every breath she took.

  Carlotta, void of a plan only hoped the venomous creature would do a detour, and when her hopes seemed misaligned to the intentions of the reptile, she silently prayed that by some miracle, it would not attack.

  Matilda’s stare intensified as she feared the worst for Agatha. She quickly felt her hands trembling, though slightly, and her mind taking full control of her most urgent will. Shifting her head slightly as the rattlesnake moved in ever so closely to her sister’s bare feet, she and the others watched as in a split second, the snake’s head jolted backwards all the way down to a few inches away from its tai
l and made a loop as one would make when tying shoe laces. It was soon in a perfect knot which, with Matilda’s gaze, grew tighter… and tighter – until the very life force ran out of its once slithering body. The girls, whose focus was now on Matilda, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

  Agatha and Betty hurried over to Matilda, and Agatha hugged her.

  “Thanks so much, Mattie! That was a close call!” She soon turned to Carlotta. “And to you, Carrie. If you hadn’t seen it, things would’ve surely turned out much differently.”

  Carlotta smiled.

  “What’s going on?” Joy joined them outside.

  “Mattie just saved Aggie from getting bit by a rattler,” Betty answered.

  “A rattler?” Joy was shocked.

  “It’s over there!” Carlotta pointed her to it.

  Joy went to get a closer look. “My goodness! How did it possibly get in that position?”

  “Your daughter!” Carlotta glanced Matilda’s way.

  Joy looked around the area and after a few moments made her way over to Matilda. “Thank God you were out here at the right time.” She patted her on the shoulder. “Did you girls see anyone else outside when this happened?”

  “No, ma’am.” They all agreed.

  “Great! Well then, let’s get rid of the hideous thing. There’s enough bush around here to make it disappear.”

  Betty immediately headed over to the cherry tree and snapped off a branch. She used it to pick up the creature, then quickly tossed it several yards into the bush.