Shadow Magic (Tabby Kitten Mystery Book 6)

by Constance Barker

  After a bit of back and forth, Thea finally agreed and told Blaine the location so he could meet her in the parking lot. When Pippa heard Blaine was going, of course there was no putting her off either.

  As the clock turned to 6:45, Thea pulled into the parking lot of the office building. It was quiet with no other cars around. Was it the right place? As she was peering through the windshield, watching the building from the light of her headlights, a fox jumped onto the hood of her car. It looked in at Thea and cocked its head. She would almost swear the fox smiled at her.

  Thea laughed at her friend as she heard the crunch of tires from another car. She looked over to see Blaine’s car pulling in. Pippa shifted back to human form and waved at Blaine as Thea turned off her car and stepped out. She and Pippa leaned against the hood of the car as Blaine parked.

  “So, she just brushed you off this afternoon?” Pippa asked. “And gave you this secret place and time instead?”

  “She was all jumpy,” Thea explained. “She said she couldn’t talk.”

  “I still think it’s a bad idea,” Blaine said as he slammed his car door. He eyed the building warily. “It could be a trap.”

  “Dramatic much?” Pippa asked, rolling her eyes at Thea. “Besides, Thea can take care of herself. I’m just here for the intrigue. Secret meetings! Clandestine locations! It’s like a romance novel or something.” Pippa pretended to swoon, resting her head on Thea’s shoulder. Thea and Blaine laughed as Thea shoved her off.

  “Blaine’s right to be cautious,” Thea said. “I need to be prepared for anything. There could be a lot of them in there, waiting to attack or kidnap me. Let’s not forget we’re dealing with a missing person here.”

  “And then there’s the threat of a magical attack,” Blaine said.

  “Hey, look!” Pippa nodded towards the building where a dark figure was standing on the other side of the door. The lights were dim, making it hard to make out who it was, but the trio made their way towards her, looking around for any sign of others in the shadows.

  “It’s Shannon,” Thea said as they got close enough to make out the person. Shannon stepped outside with a concerned look on her face. It was clear she wasn’t expecting Thea to have company.

  “You brought others.” Shannon stated, obvious frustration in her voice.

  “This is Pippa and Blaine. They’re helping me with Marie’s disappearance.”

  “They’ll have to stay outside. I won’t bring three people in.”

  “No way,” Blaine said immediately as he stepped forward. Pippa protested as well, hating to lose out on her romantic adventure.

  “I can let Thea in, or I can let no one in,” Shannon said, speaking directly to Blaine. It was clear she wanted him to know she wasn’t intimidated by him.

  “Blaine,” Thea said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Come on, Thea. We don’t need a tour of some run-down office building,” Pippa said, as she grabbed Thea’s arm to lead her away. Thea stopped her and pulled back, facing Shannon.

  “I’ll go alone.”

  “Thea, you can’t,” Blaine said, and now it was his turn to lead her away. He took Thea aside, hoping for a bit of privacy out of earshot of the others.

  “Blaine, this is important,” Thea said, staring into his eyes. “It’s not just for Marie. It’s for Danny, too.”

  “This group might be the reason Marie disappeared. And if that’s true, then they might be responsible for your parents disappearing. They certainly would have a whole lot of reasons to make you disappear as well.”

  “I know,” Thea said, well aware of the possibility. She had already thought through this on her own. She didn’t need Blaine going over the dangers with her. Part of her knew he was only being protective, but his insistence on protecting her lately was starting to feel like he was holding her back.

  “I’m tired of being in the dark,” Thea explained, seeking patience with him. “I’ve thought through these risks. And I’m willing to take a chance.”

  “What if you get hurt?”

  “Sometimes I think you forget that I have some magic of my own,” Thea said. “I know you want to help, but you can’t stop me from doing this. You’re my partner, and I’m always going to listen to what you say, but I need to make my own decisions. Especially about the big stuff. And this one is big. I’m going.”

  Blaine sighed and ran a hand over his face, suddenly looking very tired. He nodded and reached out a hand to cup her cheek.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know you can handle yourself. Sometimes you’re just too capable. A guy likes to feel needed, you know.”

  “Always needed,” Thea said before breaking into a mischievous grin. “Without you who would warn me that every new experience is an opportunity to be killed?”

  Blaine laughed.

  “Alright. I deserved that,” he said. “Pippa and I will be just outside. If anything goes wrong just break a window or something. Or scream loud.”

  “I’ve got my scream all warmed up,” Thea said. She hugged Blaine before turning back to Shannon with a nod. Blaine walked over to join Pippa, and the two of them watched Thea like worried parents as she made her way into the building.

  Chapter 16

  Shannon led Thea inside to what looked, on the surface, like any other office building. It was almost a small mall with other offices inside, seemingly unrelated to magic or secret rebel hideouts. If that was even what this was. Thea assumed Shannon was bringing her to the group’s headquarters, but for all she knew Shannon could be showing her a photography studio or a pet store. For a brief second Thea wondered if she should have listened to Blaine and stayed away.

  All was quiet as Shannon brought Thea to the stairwell. She didn’t see a single other human around them. Getting a hold of her nerves, Thea took a breath and used her magical sight to take in the space. As she looked around, she saw the magical wards draped around the staircase. It was beautiful to take in the skill and the care that had been put into them.

  Shannon grabbed hold of Thea’s hand before guiding her into the wards and up the stairs. Thea didn’t remember a second floor when she looked at the building from the outside. As they emerged to a bustling floor full of people talking and walking throughout the space, Thea understood with awe that the group had completely disguised the upper half of the building. It was masked from anyone looking at it from the parking lot.

  “This is it,” Shannon said. “Welcome to our headquarters. Or hideout. It’s hard to know which term is more accurate these days.”

  Shannon led Thea to a conference room with a long table and whiteboards at either end. She gestured to a chair and invited Thea to sit. Shannon did the same before looking hard at Thea, taking her in for a moment. Thea squirmed, wondering if Shannon wanted her to say something.

  “What’s your purpose here?” Shannon asked. “Why did you seek me out?”

  “I told you at your house. I’m trying to find Marie Carpenter,” Thea answered. “I was told she was part of a group. And that you might be the leader.”

  Shannon nodded slowly, but she took another moment before she spoke. She was making a decision, and it was clear to Thea that this wasn’t a decision she was making lightly.

  “Marie was part of our group. We’re trying to figure out where she went as well. So far, we’re running into a lot of dead ends.”

  Thea heard laughter as two people walked by the conference room door. She looked up, curious to know who else was a part of this group, but Shannon stood and closed the door.

  “What are you all actually doing here?” Thea asked, gesturing to the building.

  Shannon took her seat again before asking, “What have you heard?”

  “Not much,” Thea admitted. “That you’re a group of magical people. And that you want to tell the mundane people about magic. And I know...” Thea took a breath, wondering if she should continue. “I know my parents were involved. They were part of the mission. Before they disappeared.�
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  “It’s why I brought you here,” Shannon said. “And why I’m trusting you with this information and why I’m showing you this place. Your parents were...they were here in the beginning. They were a part of the foundation of this group.”

  Thea felt a lump in her throat, so she was grateful when Shannon continued talking.

  “You’re right about our mission. Our purpose is to show that magical and mundane people can live together. With openness. For everyone. It’s not fair to have some of us in hiding and other people living in ignorance of the full scope of this world. The possibilities. A few decades ago the group was strong.”

  “When my parents were here?” Thea asked.

  “Exactly. But there was someone who took issue with the group. Someone who didn’t want our mission to succeed.”

  “The Sorcerer,” Thea said, certain this was the man Shannon was talking about. Shannon looked at her with surprise before nodding.

  “The numbers whittled away. Some say it was natural. That people left the group on their own, or got scared and decided to leave. Others think there was some...intervention. Outside forces.”

  Thea nodded. This would be around the time her parents disappeared.

  “Those that remained in the group recognized the danger. To preserve the mission, they started to spread out. All across the country. We’re hopeful the Sorcerer can only be in one place at a time. So, if the group is spread out, he can’t get to all of us at once.”

  “And the mission lives on,” Thea said. She sighed. “But how can a single person, even if he is magical, cause such a problem?” It was something that had been bothering her since she first heard of the Sorcerer.

  “How is he so powerful, you mean?” Shannon asked. She stood up and crossed to the whiteboard on the wall next to them. When Thea looked up at it, all she saw was the date written in messy handwriting in the top left corner. With a wave of her hand Shannon revealed writing across the board. There were small drawings surrounded by notes and bullet points. Thea saw what looked like a metal shield and something else that looked like a stone. There were also crystals of different sizes.

  “The Sorcerer seems to have an artifact,” Shannon explained as she stood next to the whiteboard. Thea had the feeling she had given this speech before. “It gives him power. With it, he’s able to quickly cast powerful spells. And he doesn’t leave much trace behind him.”

  “Not much of a calling card, then,” Thea joked.

  “Except for the missing people,” Shannon replied, her voice serious. Thea felt her heart starting to beat faster.

  “So, the last time the Sorcerer was active, people disappeared,” Thea reasoned, thinking of her parents. “And now Marie Carpenter has gone missing.”

  “Exactly. We’re worried Marie’s disappearance is a sign. It could mean the Sorcerer has returned to Ardensville. Or...” Shannon trailed off, stopping herself.

  “What?” Thea asked.

  “Or maybe he never left at all.”

  Chapter 17

  “What if Marie went into hiding on her own? To hide from the Sorcerer?”

  “I would hope she would tell me,” Shannon said, seeming slightly offended Thea would suggest Marie taking matters into her own hands. “We have a pretty good setup here for hiding people away.”

  “That’s true. It is odd she wouldn’t ask for help. Or confide in the group,” Thea said, watching Shannon carefully for any sign that she was hiding something.

  “If you’re asking if we hid her, I’ll tell you that we didn’t.”

  “I tried to scry on her,” Thea admitted. “But the spell failed. It might mean whoever hid her knew how to really hide her. Even to the point of blocking her from the scrying of powerful magic users.”

  “Someone like the Sorcerer,” Shannon said.

  “Or a few powerful witches.”

  Shannon looked back at Thea with raised eyebrows, clearly reaching the end of her patience.

  “Yes, I have powerful witches here. Yes, some of them might have the ability to hide someone. But I can assure you that the loss of any witch is an attack on the group. It’s not something we take lightly.”

  “Alright,” Thea said, accepting that Shannon was telling the truth. “So, Marie was taken, or hidden, or mysteriously vanished, and odds are some very powerful magic is in play. Won’t he come here next? Taking Marie can’t be the end of his plan.”

  Shannon stood up, looking slightly sour at the suggestion someone, even the Sorcerer, might find her hideout. She gestured to Thea to continue into the next room.

  “We have many safety measures in place. And we don’t just let anyone in here.”

  Thea was led into a space that looked like a living room. Inside, a few people looked up at her, curious about their visitor. She didn’t recognize any of them. Before tonight she thought she knew almost everyone in Ardensville, particularly those associated with magic. It was odd to see strangers staring back at her.

  “The very fact we’ve let you in here should tell you all you need to know. Would I bring you here if we knew where Marie was? Or if she was here? Inviting you in should show you that we think this is serious. We need outside help.”

  Thea had to admit that showing her their headquarters was a sign of trust. She hadn’t been ambushed or hurt in any way. Instead, she felt almost welcomed as Shannon gave her the full tour of the building. But Thea couldn’t help feeling wary of the group, especially with Aunt Tiegen’s concerns. Still, she was willing to work with them if it meant getting closer to finding Marie.

  “Alright. I agree it makes sense to share information. We might need to work together to get to the bottom of this.”

  “Good. We’ll keep you informed of anything we find here. And you’ll do the same?”

  “Yes. But so far, we haven’t found much. Whoever did this really loves a good game of hide and seek, don’t they?”

  Shannon didn’t smile at Thea’s joke. Instead, she pulled Thea closer to her and dropped her voice to a new tone of seriousness.

  “It’s important that you don’t tell anyone about the things you’ve seen here.”

  Thea hesitated, thinking about Blaine and Pippa outside. They would have questions.

  “I can’t stop you,” Shannon sighed. “But I ask you to use your judgment It’s a matter of safety for the magic users of Ardensville. If the wrong person finds out about this group...”

  Shannon trailed off, leaving Thea to imagine just how many more people could go missing, or worse. Thea nodded her understanding.

  “I understand. I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.”

  “I appreciate it. Just be cautious. You seem like a smart person. Plus, you come from good people.” Thea smiled at the compliment as Shannon led her back through the building and through the wards. They found themselves on the first floor, looking out towards the parking lot.

  “Thanks for coming,” Shannon said. Thea was about to leave, but she turned back, one more question gnawing at her.

  “Shannon, do you think Marie would take off? Without magic, I mean. Could this be an innocent case of a woman just getting overwhelmed and needing to leave for a while?”

  “No way,” Shannon said, more certain in this than she had been about anything the whole night. “She wouldn’t take off. And she wouldn’t leave Danny. Marie had a family here.”

  Thea nodded, and with a small smile goodbye, she pushed through the door.

  Pippa and Blaine were resting on the hood of Thea’s car, occupied by a heated thumb war Pippa had instigated. When Blaine saw Thea, he jumped up and Pippa wasn’t far behind.

  “You’re alright?” Blaine asked.

  “How did it go?” Pippa said at the same time.

  “It was good. She showed me around. I don’t think Marie’s in there, or that Shannon’s hiding her. She seems to want answers just as much as we do.”

  “But the group’s in there?” Pippa asked. “It exists and they’re going strong?”


  “We should get out of here,” Thea said, suddenly feeling eyes and ears all around her. “Someone could be watching.”

  “Good idea,” Pippa said. “Should we go for drinks? I’m not ready for all this excitement to end.”

  Thea smiled at her best friend. Leave it to Pippa to find kidnappings and dangerous magic a source for celebration.

  “I think I’m going to head home,” Thea explained, her voice rich with apology. “I have a lot to think through.”

  “Alright, alright. I’m sure Jesse’s waiting for me anyway.”

  “I’ll follow you home,” Blaine said to Thea. “Make sure you get there alright.”

  “You don’t have to,” Thea said. “We should all get home early and get some sleep.”

  Blaine seemed about to protest, but he stopped himself and nodded.

  “We can meet at the shop tomorrow and brainstorm our next moves.”

  Thea drove home along dark back roads, feeling the silence press in around her. She switched off the radio and thought about what she had learned tonight about the rebel hideout. When she pictured Shannon, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she seemed truly worried about Marie. Once again Granny’s words floated through Thea’s head, and she found herself wondering what her opinions of this rebel group should really be.

  Chapter 18

  “Oh good! You’re home!” Granny cried out as Thea walked through the door.

  “What’s going on?” Thea asked, smiling despite herself. “Where’s Danny?”

  “Out like a light. Started reading a story and it’s like Pavlov’s dog with that kid. I barely get three pages in.” Thea smiled at the image of Granny reading to Danny at the side of his bed. It brought back happy memories for her, and she hoped it made Danny feel safe.

  “Thanks for doing this,” Thea said, putting down her things. “I’m really glad Danny’s here. I know you didn’t exactly sign up as a babysitter.”