She answered on the first ring. I should have called two days ago. She called me “darling” and I could hear the smile in her voice. She always smiled.
I blurted, “You and Gran have been hiding things. Sienna’s missing. And a zombie werewolf just almost incapacitated an ancient vampire, who might still be thinking about draining me.”
Kett sighed and muttered, “I’m not that old.” I turned my back on him. I was pressing the phone too hard against my ear. It hurt, but I didn’t stop.
The smile left my mother’s voice. After all these years, I’d finally managed to shake her, though her tone betrayed nothing further. “Did you neutralize the zombie?”
“Yes.”
“And Sienna is involved?”
“No, her boyfriend.”
“I’ll be on the next plane.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I wouldn’t — couldn’t — cry with relief, but it was a near thing.
“Cast a seek spell for Sienna,” she said then.
“By myself?”
“You have to either wait or do this yourself, Jade. I’ll explain why, as well as I know it, later. But, you mentioned a vampire?”
“Yes.”
“The damage is already done if there is a vampire in Vancouver. It is difficult, as I am sure you have discovered, to hide certain things from their senses.”
“Like I’m not half-witch, half-human.”
“Yes, but I can’t address the complications of that over the phone. Not now, Jade. Soon.”
I let it drop. My sister was in trouble. I had to focus on her. “And Sienna?”
“Perhaps, if the vampire is friendly enough, he can help you close the circle?”
“All right, but I can’t cast something so complicated on my own.”
“Pearl … your Gran, she’s just protecting you, Jade. She worries that your magic might backfire and hurt you. The most the seek spell will do is just not work. If you close the circle properly. If you don’t cross its boundaries once it’s active.”
“I know that.”
“I know you know. I’ll be there as soon as I can. And Jade? Don’t worry about your Gran. If you’re ready to hear it, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Okay.” More questions flew through my head. I could hear my mother moving around, opening drawers or doors on her end. I opened my mouth and simply asked, “How far away are you?” So I guess I wasn’t ready for any of her promised answers.
“At least four hours. If I can get a flight that quickly.” That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to persuade myself to not be such a baby.
“Jade?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re far more capable than you’ve ever tried to be.” Well, if that wasn’t the kettle talking smack about the pot, I don’t know what was. “Call me if you need me. I’ll keep the phone on before and after my flight.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
“Love you, darling.”
“I know. Bye.” I hung up and took a couple of shaky breaths. Then I turned to Kandy and Kett. Kandy was pacing but stopped when I caught her eye. Kett was imitating a statue — a statue that was obviously listening in on my conversation, but still with complete immobility.
“I need to make two stops. I’ve never cast alone before. I’ll need to do it from the basement of the bakery, if I have any chance, because the last spell I did there actually worked … at least in part. And I’ll need my Gran’s spellbook.”
“And something personal of Rusty’s?” Kett asked.
“No.” I swallowed my trepidation, and for a moment it got caught in my throat. “I’ll cast for Sienna.”
“Better connection.”
“More chance it’ll work.”
“Or you could do it the way I suggested.”
“I’m not fiddling with trinkets based on your say so, vampire. Gran’s spellbook is my best chance. Keep it simple, stupid.”
Kett inclined his head, accepting but doubtful of my choice. Hell, I was doubtful. I’d never even attempted to close a circle on my own before, let alone cast a tracking spell. I needed four things of Sienna’s … that might help anchor and direct the magic.
I strode out of the apartment without another word.
Kandy and Kett followed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A quick stop at Gran’s yielded her spellbook — though not the one that Sienna had used for the reveal spell, which only added to my mounting concern — and a baby blanket from Sienna’s childhood. I was pretty sure it was the only family thing my sister still owned. It was blue and crocheted — she was supposed to have been a boy — and unraveling at one end. I wondered why Sienna hadn’t fixed it, or asked Gran to. I’d found it draped over the rocking chair in one of the guest rooms where Sienna was known to crash between living arrangements, but I didn’t find anything else usable for the spell. It was obvious Sienna hadn’t slept here in a while.
I tried to not fret about taking the spellbook through the wards. Sienna had removed the other one without difficultly, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if Gran had spelled the books to disintegrate if they were removed. Though maybe anyone keyed to the wards would also neutralize any latent spells also keyed to the wards … yes, all this magic theory was confusing as hell.
I’d pretty much ordered the others to wait in the SUVs, not that they could get through my Gran’s wards without my invitation anyway. Anyone keyed specifically to the wards here, or at my apartment for instance, could invite people through. I didn’t need any extra magic coming into contact with the heavy-duty spells, though. Kandy had already suggested that Desmond might be able to break through some wards.
I wrapped the spellbook in the baby blanket and stepped out into the darkening evening. I tried to think only one step ahead. Any further and I started to panic.
The two dark SUVs filled Gran’s driveway like the foreboding harbingers of doom they actually were. The predators they contained still scared me silly stupid … predators in human skin, waiting, watching me. I stumbled, my feet betraying the trepidation I was trying to hide from my thoughts.
I climbed into the passenger seat beside Kandy. “We can park in the alley of the bakery,” I told the green-haired wolf, happy that my voice sounded sure even though I wasn’t.
Kandy put the SUV in gear and waited, her eyes on the rearview mirror, for the other vehicle to clear the drive. Pulling onto Point Grey Road was always a patience game, but werewolves didn’t play by those rules. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched the spellbook to my chest as Kandy darted backward into oncoming traffic. I forgot to breathe — though honestly, it wasn’t just the crazy driving freaking me out, though that certainly didn’t help. No, it was the next few steps — steps I was fairly certain I couldn’t pull off — that were causing my stomach to do flips.
All I could do was try.
∞
I let Kett, Desmond, and Kandy through the bakery wards off the alley entrance. I refused to invite the other two werewolves — hell, I’d only learned one of their names half an hour before — and I refused to give anyone access to my apartment above. Letting them into the bakery was bad enough; I wasn’t inviting them in where I slept. Desmond nodded the other two werewolves off into the shadows of the alley without questioning my decision, and I guessed that he was just as happy to have them on watch. I still felt like a bit of a bitch, but that was my own ongoing needing-to-please issue.
The thing was, I didn’t think I had enough magic on my own to close the circle, let alone work a seek spell. So I had to bring the other three inside.
With a quick visit upstairs I found a toothbrush, hairbrush, and sweater of Sienna’s. I deemed that bounty good enough and headed into the basement. I would have used the cell phone that Sienna was usually never without. But I thought it better if I had the potential of trace DNA to anchor the spell. I didn’t stop for the nap or the chocolate that I was crazil
y craving.
Desmond followed me down the stairs so closely that I could once again feel his breath on the back of my neck. It was in no way comforting.
Kandy was practically vibrating in anticipation of “doing magic,” and it set my teeth on edge. I tasked her with lighting the candles that Sienna had neglected to clean up after the botched reveal spell. I should have known my sister wouldn’t listen. At the time, I’d been surprised that the spell had worked to any degree; I guessed now that Rusty had been building his power even then. The thought of him bringing stolen power into a witches’ circle bothered me. I’d been taught that witch magic was earth bound and a sacred trust … not about blood and deceit.
“Do you cast down here often?” Kett asked.
“No. Once. Last night. I don’t usually cast at all, not unless Sienna drags me into it. This set up is her’s … and Rusty’s.”
“And the magic residual in here is from last night? What sort of spell did you cast?” Kett was staring thoughtfully at the brick wall where the outline for the doorway had appeared. And, yeah, I could still feel the energy coming off that wall as well, as if the door was sleeping now, but ready and willing to wake.
“A reveal spell. It shouldn’t interfere with this new cast though.”
“Ah,” the vampire let the subject drop. I was happy he did. I didn’t need to be worrying about hidden doors. I needed to be solely focused on my sister, otherwise this had no chance of working.
With a broom I’d brought down from the bakery, I swept the circle that was still inscribed in the dirt, then drew a new one with the broom handle, slightly more to the eastern side of the basement. That wouldn’t make any difference; a new circle was a new circle, even if I hadn’t relocated it. But I always had an affinity for the eastern placement. The others watched me. I realized there wasn’t much else for them to do, but I wished they wouldn’t stare.
“Is that okay?” Kandy asked as she crossed to light the candles on the north side of the room. “No pentagram? No salt? Don’t witches use salt to seal a circle?” Her disappointment was evident.
“Not me,” I murmured. I placed the toothbrush at the north inner edge of the circle, the hairbrush at the south, and the sweater at the west. “Don’t touch the items or intersect the circle in any way.” The three nodded in unison. It would have been funny, except I couldn’t laugh. I could barely feel anything past the achy lump in my chest that I was pretty sure was my fear for Sienna, scrunched into a tight ball in my heart.
I sat in lotus position at the east side of the circle facing west — my usual spot — and unwrapped the spellbook from the baby blanket.
I folded and placed the blanket inside the edge of the circle just on the other side of my feet. I opened the spellbook across my lap to the page I’d previously marked.
“Okay,” I said and looked up at the others. “If you’d grab a candle each, the flame is sort of a focal point for your magic … in theory. And it’ll give you something to focus on.”
They did as I bid. The remaining candles ringed the room, and I paused to notice there seemed to be more than before. A lot of black candles. Sienna liked the irony of black candles. The color actually didn’t make a difference to the magic, though I noted that both the shifters picked white candles and Kett was holding a red one, so … seeing as how magic was partly about perception and belief, maybe I was wrong. The extra candles made it pretty clear that Sienna had continued casting here, even though I’d asked her not to.
I glanced around the packed dirt floor. The candlelight cast deep shadows, but I was fairly certain I couldn’t see any evidence of residual magic or spell items, other than the faint thrumming from the wall behind me. Sienna had probably just been obsessing over opening the door, if it was, in fact, a door. It should piss me off, but it didn’t. I just wanted her safe and sound.
I shook my head and focused on the now. “Kett, if you would sit west?” The vampire floated down into lotus position like he was sitting on a velvet pillow rather than a dirt floor. He didn’t question my placement choice; his face was more serene than his usual icy stoicism though. Placing him west put him in Sienna’s spot, because I was guessing he was the strongest magic user of the three. At least, according to him, he had been before his current vampiric incarnation.
I gestured Desmond to my right — north — and Kandy to my left — south.
Kandy’s eyes gleamed green in the candlelight. Her fingers were creating dents in the three-inch wide candle she held. Desmond kept his eyes on the middle of the circle, and was more contained than I’d ever seen him. I imagined he was doing it for my benefit. Neither McGrowly nor his half-beast personas would be helpful here, though they were both riddled with explosive, tangible magic. I marveled at his ability to rein himself in.
“Do we join hands?” Kandy asked eagerly.
“No!” I responded sharply, and instantly regretted my tone. “I don’t … I’m not sure I could balance your magic if I was touching you. This is a junior sort of spell, not even the exact wording is important. It shouldn’t need that much power. We’re simply scrying Sienna.”
“Without water? Or a bowl?” Kett asked.
“The circle is the mirror. Sienna’s items are the focus. Our magic is the conduit. Or engine, if you prefer.”
Kett nodded, and I took that as a signal to begin.
“First we close the circle … blow a bit of your breath through the flame of your candle. Not enough to blow it out, but toward the circle, like this.” I blew a light huff of breath on the pink pillar candle Kandy had lit for me, then placed it on the very edge of the circle, careful to not overlap the line I had drawn in the dirt. I could feel a little bit of my magic hum in the candle. Kett went next, placing his red candle directly opposite mine. The hum in my candle increased, though I doubt anyone could feel it but me. We hadn’t closed the circle so carefully when we’d done the reveal spell, and then I’d crossed it to add my blood to the bowl of water. I wasn’t repeating that mistake here.
Kandy and then Desmond added their candles and their magic to the circle. As Desmond placed his candle down, the circle snapped closed. Just like that, I could feel the ring of magic as if it was slightly raised, maybe an inch or so, off the ground. If one of us snubbed out our candle or intersected the circle, it would break just as easily as it had formed, but I was happy nonetheless that we’d managed this set-up.
I referenced the spellbook spread in my lap, but like I’d told the others, this spell was born of intention — not fancy words or special ingredients. I rested my hands on the thick parchment paper, feeling the indentations of the handwritten words. I wondered if Gran had crafted this particular spell, or if it had been her mother, or grandmother. I let myself sink into the stillness, the simplicity of my steady breathing. I listened. I heard the long, deep breaths of Kandy and Desmond. Kett either didn’t breathe or was too far away to hear. I opened myself to the magic in the room. The taste of Desmond, Kandy, and Kett’s magic flooded my mouth. The shifter magic was earthy chocolate, as it had been on the dance floor. I pushed the immediate thought of Hudson from my mind. The vampire’s magic was cool — peppermint icing with something else underneath, something spicy, stronger than cinnamon or cloves. I couldn’t place it, so I let it go.
“Sienna,” I murmured, picturing my sister as I’d last seen her — straight, dark hair falling over her darkly lined brown eyes, mouth turned up in a smirk. I’d half-hoped to find her in my apartment, her cell phone simply forgotten at Rusty’s, but my place had felt hours empty …
“Where are you, Sienna?” I whispered, as I opened my eyes to gaze on the center of the circle.
The magic called forth by us swirled as a light breeze would, over and around the four items placed in the circle. It flitted to the edge in front of Kett, Kandy, Desmond, and me, almost as if trying to return the bit of breath we’d offered it, but it could not cross out of the closed circle.
“We seek Sienna
, who we believe to be in some sort of trouble. Sienna let us see you.”
The magic swirled through the items again, but this time it felt odd. It was less focused than before, as if I’d confused it somehow. As if I’d not spoken the truth as I knew it. I must have said something wrong, given it some sort of conflicting direction.
Self-doubt rose in my chest. The magic dimmed further.
“Damn,” I muttered. I shut my eyes to try to gather the magic up again.
“Is something wrong?” Kandy asked, but no one answered her.
I tried again. I felt the residual magic unconsciously woven into the handwritten spell beneath my hands, and I thought about how it would be so much easier to simply transfer this bit of magic through the circle, using the baby blanket as a conduit. Then my Gran’s words and thoughts could anchor the spell. Magic didn’t work like that, though … at least it shouldn’t … but if I really focused my intention, then maybe …
I lifted the spellbook to my face by instinct. I said “Sienna,” so that my breath blew across the pages toward the circle.
The magic responded by coalescing into the center of the circle, hovering about two inches above the dirt floor. I saw it as multi-colored — shades of green, red, gold, and blue. I wondered if this was an actual manifestation of our magic.
“Sienna … show me my sister,” I asked the magic, which collected into a small sphere at my coaxing. The colors in the sphere whirled and resolved, and I swore, just for a moment, that I saw Sienna’s face within the sphere. Kett stiffened across the circle from me, so I was sure he’d seen it as well.
“Please, where is she? Show us a location.” The magic whirled and clouded again. I could see the edges of some sort of building. “What is that? A warehouse?” I asked. Then I pushed the magic a bit, pushed my energy and focus toward it. “Please, she’s in trouble. We need to help her.”
The magic collapsed with an audible pop that felt like a pinch in my mind. I gasped.
Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic Page 16
