Page 70 of The Women of Wild Hill

Phoebe’s lips instinctively formed the word no. But before the word emerged, she knew it was a lie. “As a matter of fact, there is,” she admitted. “This.”

Then she showed her daughter the key.

THEY SEARCHED FOR HOURS BUTfound no keyhole that fit. So as the sun began to slink behind the trees, Phoebe decided to ask the birds. They found the ravens perched on the branches of Aunt Ivy’s oak, waiting to deliver the Old One’s messages.

“What does this key open?” Phoebe held the key up high where they could all see it.

None of them moved a feather. “If they know anything, they’re not saying,” Sibyl said.

“Do you see who I brought with me?” Phoebe wasn’t giving up. “This is my daughter, Sibyl. Otherwise known as The Third. When I was little, Bessie told me the key would work as soon as my daughter was here. Well, she’s here. Now open sesame!”

Apparently, the birds didn’t take orders.

“You think maybe they want us to wait for Brigid?” Sibyl asked.

“Why should we wait while she diddles Lex Luthor, Jr.?” Phoebe snipped. “Don’t worry,” she assured the birds. “We’ll share the news with my oversexed sister as soon as she’s back.”

The biggest of the bunch hopped off the lowest branch and glided down to the ground, where it answered her with a single deafening, frog-like croak.

“You mind putting that into English?” Sibyl asked.

“He said it opens a door in the mansion,” Phoebe told her.

Sibyl was sure her mother was pulling her leg. “That’swhat it just said?”

“Understanding animals is more telepathy than translation,”Phoebe explained. “The only problem is, he didn’t say which door it opens.”

Inspiration struck. “Oh my god.” Sibyl did a little dance. “I think I know! Lilith showed me.”

“Did she happen to show you what’sbehindthe door?”

“Yep,” Sibyl said. “It’s a—”

“You know what? Stop. Don’t tell me,” Phoebe ordered. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for forty-six years. I want to see for myself.”

It was a short walk from the oak to the mansion, and it didn’t take long for Sibyl to locate the spot where she’d seen Ivy and Lilith enter. Then she held her breath with anticipation while Phoebe cleared away the vines and briars. Sure enough, concealed behind the foliage was a plain wooden door.

Phoebe reached out and traced the wood grain with a finger. “I can’t believe it,” she marveled.

“You’ve really never been inside the mansion?”

“Brigid and I were always told that the mansion wouldn’t open until the Duncan mission was complete.”

“Damn,” Sibyl said with a shake of her head. “This family really loves its secrets.”

THE ODOR THAT HIT THEMwas thick and musty and not entirely unpleasant. It was the smell of earth and all the things that grow beneath the grass, out of reach of the sun.

Phoebe peeked inside. “Looks like the old kitchen.”

It was much as it had appeared in Sibyl’s vision, though it had not gone untouched since then. At some point, the room had witnessed a great deal of activity. Sitting on the long wooden table were two cardboard boxes filled with empty glass vials.

“These are just like the two little vials that Calum found in Lilith’s old luggage,” Phoebe noted.

Sibyl peeked over the edge of the iron cauldron. “Ivy used this to make the first batch of poison. Then she passed the recipe on to Lilith.”

Phoebe glanced over her shoulder. “You’re sure about the Nazi stuff? My mother always claimed Lilith was the most boring woman on earth.”

“Any chance Lilith hid the truth to protect her daughter?” Sibyl quipped. “I hear that’s something people in our family do.”