by Rain Oxford
“She lives right across the street from me.”
“I’ll take the first flight out, but you need to know I have to be somewhere on the twenty-fifth.”
“Yeah, I know; that’s when the semester starts.”
I wanted to ask her how she knew, but that wasn’t something to talk about over the phone. “Alright. See you in a few hours.” I hung up and got dressed. Just as I was slipping on a black t-shirt, my phone rang again. It was Mrs. Thomas, asking about her husband. I told her that he was innocent for the fourth time, but this was the first time I was lying.
When I finally made it to the kitchen, Henry was making breakfast. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” he said. “You should keep your early sleep schedule during your off time so you don’t have to readjust when you start back at school.”
“It never used to be a problem. I could stay up all night for stakeouts and whatnot, then take an hour nap and be just fine.” I grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and filled it with coffee. “We have a case.”
“I heard. At least your side of it.”
“I’d say you should pack up while I book a flight, but you didn’t bring anything.”
“I left my bags in my truck because I didn’t know for sure where I would be staying.”
“Well, you can’t commute between here and your place every day and I do have an extra room. As for payment, are you interested in a flat fee or a percentage?”
“I’m only interested in having a legitimate job and leaving my parents and that life behind me.”
“Are your parents going to come after you?”
“If they do, they’re going to come with something to blackmail me with. I am putting your life in danger by being here, but I figure you of all people would have something to protect yourself with.”
“I have an alarm system and Vincent taught me some magic that would help. It’s not enough to stop an attacker, but it’ll keep someone from sneaking in.”
“If they come to threaten me about Scott, then I can get some information about him.”
* * *
Although the plane arrived on schedule, the actual flight was quite miserable due to unexpected and almost violent turbulence. I overheard one of the stewardesses complaining about cell phones and I made a mental reminder to ask Darwin if it was true that they interfered with flying. Henry kept a very neutral expression as he read one of my mystery novels, but I could tell he was irritated by his clenched fists and rigid muscles.
It took us until six to get to the small Oklahoma town. The taxi dropped us off at Cindy’s house, which was one of the few houses that weren’t falling apart. The one across from it, though ominous in some subtle way, was also in decent condition. Cindy stepped out onto her porch as I paid the taxi driver and grabbed my bag.
“So this is what you do?” Henry asked, eying the house dubiously.
“No, actually. I’ve always stayed away from paranormal cases.”
“Maybe you should have this time as well.”
“It won’t be that bad.” I studied the house.
“Glad you could make it,” Cindy said. The woman was about five-three, petite, with dyed-lavender hair. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Henry. He’s working with me now.” Henry and her shook hands, but I noticed him inhale deeply as his way of sniffing her discreetly. I also noticed the envelope she held in her left hand. “How have you been?”
“Up until a month ago, I was doing well. That’s when weird stuff started happening.”
“Weird as in what?”
“Well, not anything too serious. Freak snow storms overnight, things floating up into the air, every car on the street won’t start, you’d set something down on a flat surface and it would slide just out of reach… and the chairs stacked themselves on the dining room table a few times.”
“Like poltergeists?”
“Yeah. And there’s something wrong with the electricity. Then, a week ago, it started getting a lot more serious. Light bulbs would explode, things would just catch on fire, and the stray cat population completely disappeared.”
Henry and I glanced at each other and then at the house. “Was your sister’s husband the only one attacked?”
“Yes.”
“Anyone have any reason to attack him?”
“No. Luther has never done anything to anyone. I’ll take you over there and you can talk to my sister, Meg. Oh, and I got this in the mail for you.” She handed me the unmarked envelope and I slipped it into the inside pocket of my jacket.
We went across the street and knocked on the door. The woman who answered looked very similar to Cindy except her hair was dark brown. Her eyes were bloodshot, but her cheeks weren’t puffy, so I figured she hadn’t cried in an hour or so. She gave her sister an obviously fake smile.
“Meg, this is Devon and Henry. They’re going to investigate what happened to Luther.”
“He’s not back yet. The hospital is going to keep him another night for observation.”
“When was the attack?” I asked.
“Last night, about eight or so. Come in.” She stepped out of the doorway and motioned to the couch.
It was a decent little house. The front door entered into the living room, and it was an open floor plan between the living room and kitchen. There was a back door in the kitchen and a hallway to the left leading to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The lack of Wiccan artifacts everywhere told me that Meg didn’t share her sister’s interests.
“Do you want some coffee or anything?”
“No, thank you,” I said. My instincts weren’t telling me we were in danger, but there was definitely something off about the place. It was almost as if I should be grossed out about something, but I didn’t know what. “Was your husband inside or outside when he was attacked?”
“He heard something outside and went out to the back porch. Our neighbors were having a barbeque, so they saw the whole thing. They said he swatted at something, but they didn’t hear or see any bees. And I don’t know if there are bees where you live, but I’ll tell you, if you get a swarm of bees, you can hear them.”
“And there were actual bee stings or just a reaction?”
“There were bee stingers all over him. His clothes didn’t even protect him.” We followed her into the kitchen as she got herself a mug of coffee.
“Did he argue with anyone recently?”
“No…” she said, shaking her head. Henry cleared his throat, telling me she was lying. When we both stared at her, she looked away. “Well, we were arguing a bit lately, but I wouldn’t do anything to Luther. And I know he wasn’t arguing with anyone else.”
Henry glanced at Cindy and then at me. I shook my head. I knew Cindy had the knowledge to do this, but she was Wiccan so she believed in the three-fold law. She believed whatever she did, good or bad, would be returned to her three times as powerful. To my understanding, all her power was created by her religious faith, not like the magic taught at Quintessence.
“I’ll go look outside,” Henry volunteered.
I nodded and he went out the back door. “What were you arguing about, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Money.” She set the mug down and it slid across the counter.
As it started to pass me, I held out my hand to catch it. It stopped an inch away from my hand suddenly enough for some coffee to slosh out. I concentrated my mental power, not to find another mind but to see the impression on the cup. I sensed Meg, but she was powerless and worried without any motives for harm. The magic used on the cup, however, came from a person. I sensed anger and possession, but not a serious desire to hurt anyone.
“Is…” She swallowed. “Is it a poltergeist?” she asked.
“No. I’m fairly certain it’s a person.”
“Maybe there’s a hex bag or some---” Cindy started.
“Cindy, stop it,” Meg interrupted. “We’re Christian; your witchcraft doesn’t work in this house.”
I resisted a rude laugh. “Cindy, Henry is taking a while. Would you go check and see if he found anything?”
She nodded. “Sure.”
“Please don’t mind her,” Meg said when we were alone. “I love her, but she can be so frustrating. Do you have a sister?”
“No,” I answered. If Vincent was right and John was my father, it meant Regan Cross was my half-sister. I had a little sister I never even knew about until after her death.
“Well, they can be such a pain.”
“You two must be pretty close, though. You live right across the street from each other.”
“We know each other better than anyone, and that’s the problem.”
A jaguar roared outside. I ran through the door and around the side of the house to see Cindy and Henry. Cindy had a small vial of something in her hand and Henry was standing about six feet away from her, staring at her like she was crazy. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“Spiders,” Cindy said. Although she acted calm, tension was pouring off her.
“Spiders are attacking you?” Is going from bees to spiders an upgrade? “Do you have arachnophobia?”
“No, they don’t bother me, and they’re not attacking me because of the salt.”
“Salt?”
“She poured a circle of salt around her when she saw the first spiders,” Henry said. “I cannot see anything.”
“Enough of this! There are no spiders,” Meg said, then turned and went back inside.
“I thought salt was for ghosts.” With my power, I reached out for Darwin’s very familiar mind. The ease of connecting with a mind had more to do with the other person’s willingness and the familiarity than distance or their power, so I sensed him almost instantly.
Darwin welcomed my invasion as usual. “Sup?”
“I have a question. What does salt have to do with magic?”
“Depends. The lore of salt depends on the culture. Most of it was generated by the fact that salt preserves meat. A lot of people believe it keeps away evil spirits. Some say it can even keep demons out. It’s often used by believers to make circles and line windows and doors with. Some people even wear rock salt around their neck.”
“Okay, so I’m here with a witch who is successfully holding back invisible spiders with a salt circle. Are the spiders in her head or actually invisible?”
“Depends. I’m assuming someone sent them after her. If the person who sent them believes in the power of salt, then the spiders are probably invisible. If they don’t, then the magic is in her head and so are the spiders. Is she afraid of them?”
“No. There was another guy yesterday who was hospitalized with bee stings, but nobody saw the bees either. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him.”
“Then it’s a fair go that the person who sent them either really likes spiders and bees or really hates them. It’s also likely that the spiders are real and capable of attacking others. Start by looking for anyone who’s close to your witch, because this is most definitely contagion magic. Or look for a dead rabbit, because it could also be that. And this person will probably have salt everywhere. People who send bugs after others are definitely getting something in return.”
“Right. Thanks.”
“No worries. Oh, um, also, if anyone like the NYPD calls, tell them I was in your apartment all weekend and there was a power outage.”
“Are you in New York?”
“No, why?”
“Never mind.”
“Cheers.”
“Does Darwin have an idea?” Henry asked.
“How did you know?”
“You have a vacant look when you’re talking to him.”
“He said we need to find someone close to her who has salt everywhere. He didn’t tell me what to do about Cindy, though.”
“Did you ask?”
“Never mind that. Cindy, do you know who has this power and would attack you and Luther?” She shook her head. “Stay here and look after her.”
I went inside to see Meg sitting on the couch with her mug of coffee… watching static on the television. “She’s faking it,” Meg said.
“Did your husband fake the bee stings?”
“No. If she would just stop this magic crap, we would be fine.”
“You think this is because of her magic?”
“Of course. Magic is wrong.”
Movement caught my eye and I looked just in time to see a door slam shut at the end of the hall. “Please tell me someone else is in the house.”
“My son, Luke.”
“You mind if I go talk to him?”
“He’s been through enough.”
I searched for the nearest minds. I sensed Meg’s easily; she was a pretty good person who volunteered, gave to charity, and loved her family. However, it was a bad time and she felt like a failure because she didn’t get a promotion at her job. Fortunately, this wasn’t enough to drive her to attack anyone. Besides, there wasn’t a drop of power in her.
The other mind I sensed in the house was blocked.
“Has your son done anything odd lately?”
“Not anything odd for a seven-year-old, no.”
“What about weird for him?”
“No. I mean, he’s on the phone a lot, but that’s just what kids his age do.”
“Who’s he on the phone with?”
“His imaginary friend. I listened in; he’s not talking to anyone.” She pointed to the house phone beside the fridge. “We put a phone in his room last week because he kept talking over the T.V. and bothering Luther.”
I picked up the phone quietly and listened. For a moment, there was silence, but not a dial tone.
“Okay,” the boy said. There was silence for another minute. “But it’s dark out… Okay, when she goes to sleep.” He hung up the phone and I heard the dial tone.
“Luke isn’t talking to an imaginary friend.” Without waiting for her to speak, I went down the hall and opened the child’s door. If this is considered normal for seven-year-old kids these days, times have changed. Aside from the salt lining the doorway and windows, the dresser blocking the closet door, and the worn-down candles everywhere, there was a pentagram in a circle with symbols all over it painted on the hardwood floor in the middle of the room.
Luke was lying on his stomach with a picture book on dinosaurs. He looked up at me. “You need to leave.”
“Did you see the bees that attacked your dad?”
“The bees attacked him because he yelled.”
“What about Cindy?”
“You need to leave, or he’s going to get you, too.” The door slammed shut in front of me. Meg ran up to me and tried to turn the knob. When she couldn’t, she pounded on the door.
“Let me in, Luke.”
“Go away!”
I grabbed Meg’s arms gently as my instincts warned me this would get really bad if we pissed the kid off. “Go sit down.” She shook her head, so I was about to use my magic to force her, but Henry and Cindy entered at that moment. “What happened to the spiders?”
“They disappeared.”
Meg huffed. “This is all your fault,” she said to her sister.
“Did you teach Luke magic?” I asked.
Cindy shrugged. “I taught him to make a protective circle and what salt can do.”
“Then it is your fault!” Meg yelled.
“Go sit down. Henry, go out to the front and guard the kid’s window.” He nodded and left as Meg sat down on the couch. “I don’t think Luke attacked anyone intentionally.” I went back into the hallway and knocked on Luke’s door softly. “Luke? Can I ask you a question?”
“Go away!”
“Who were you talking to on the phone?”
“None of your business!”
“When I was a little older than you, I had a best friend that I never told my parents about. I snuck out every night for more than a year to see her.”
“Why didn’t you tell your mom and dad? Did she tell you not to?” h
e asked quietly through the door.
“No, but I felt like I shouldn’t tell them. Astrid was very dangerous to my parents. She wasn’t human.”
The door opened just a crack. “What was she?”
“A vampire.”
“But Mom said vampires don’t exist.”
“Your mom probably never met one. I saw that you blocked your closet. Is there something in there you don’t want getting out?” He nodded. “Have you told your friend you were talking to on the phone about it?” He shook his head. “Why not?”
“He’s not my friend. He is the thing in my closet.”
I held out my hand. “Then you should come with me.”
“No. That’s what he wants. He wants me to leave my room.”
I looked at the candles through the small gap. “Does he only come in the dark? Does the dark reach for you?”
“I did it right; I made my room safe. I can come out when it’s light.”
“Okay. Can I come in?” He shook his head and shut the door. I closed my eyes and focused on the mind of Alpha Flagstone. Since I knew Hunt’s mind was blocked, the only way to get ahold of him was through Flagstone or Maseré, and Flagstone had a mental link with the headmaster.
“Stay out of my head.”
The words were so unexpected that I flinched before turning to see Flagstone right behind me. “I didn’t even call you yet.”
“Logan sent me.”
“How did you find me?”
“As long as you’re in a dark room and not using magic to hide yourself, we can find you anywhere.”
“So if I turned on all the lights, you couldn’t find me?”
“We could find you, but we would have to appear in the nearest dark place.”
“How dark?” The hallway light was off, but the kitchen light was on around the corner and the white T.V. screen was bright, so I didn’t think it was all that dark.
“Never mind that. Logan sent me to tell you to stay out of the council business. He doesn’t believe you have enough experience with the paranormal world to risk angering the council, especially when their greed will bring about their own downfall. Why were you trying to contact me?”
“There’s a child in this room that I think Hunt should meet.”
“Why?”
