“Everyone turn around,” I instructed, forcing a small smile for Luke’s benefit as he reached for the button on his jeans. “Give him some privacy.”
“Like anyone wants to see that,” Raven groused as she turned away from Luke’s strip show. “Why do you think he’s single?”
“Because he’s picky,” I shot back.
“I kind of want to see,” Nixie admitted, “but I’ll be good and keep my eyes to myself.”
“Thank you.”
Kade stood next to me, his shoulder brushing against mine as we linked fingers. “I’m kind of sad I don’t get to see,” he admitted. “I’ve always wanted to see him shift. I can’t help it. I’m curious.”
“It’s interesting. It’s also hard for him.”
“Then we’ll keep it easy.” Kade jerked his head to the side at the sound of muscles and bone snapping. He somehow managed to keep himself from staring, although just barely. The transformation had begun. “Does it hurt?”
“He says it’s not comfortable but not painful.”
“That’s good … I guess.”
It didn’t take long, and when I felt Luke’s cold snout press against my palm I smiled as I turned. I shot him a fond look as I ran my hand over his soft head. In his human form, Luke boasts blond hair. When he shifts, his coloring is more blondish-brown. He was a beautiful animal. I would expect nothing less from the fussy human version, of course.
“Here.” Raven pulled a hoodie from a plastic bag and rubbed it in Luke’s face. “Max got this from Paige’s father. He gave it to me. See if this works to scent her.”
“We should’ve brought something that belonged to Melissa,” Kade suggested.
“We don’t know that Melissa was taken,” Naida pointed out. “In fact, it’s highly unlikely that she was taken. She took off on her own because she figured out that she was being followed. I’m guessing she’ll show up safe once her ego allows her.”
“I hope so.” Kade ran his hand over the top of his short-cropped hair. “So … now what?”
“Now we let Luke search,” I replied, watching as the huge wolf at my side lifted his nose and scented the air. “Stand back. He needs room. We need to stay back while he does his magic.”
Kade did as instructed, sliding his arm around my waist to offer me solace and comfort while we waited. “So … am I the only one who thought he would walk on two legs while in wolf form?”
I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. “Don’t ever say anything like that to Luke. He hates it when people believe the stereotypes.”
“Good to know.”
We lapsed into silence. Kade was the first to break it.
“If it is a witch – one who can do the things you guys were talking about right before we left the circus – can you fight her?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I won’t be alone, though. That’s why Naida and Raven are here. We can always pool our magic. I’ve never met a creature that could stand up to all three of us.”
“And if that doesn’t work, we’ve always got my ax,” Nellie announced, brandishing his weapon of choice for good measure. Surprisingly, he’d dressed for the occasion, opting for jeans rather than a dress. That meant he expected a fight and wanted to be ready … or perhaps simply that he didn’t want to risk any of his pretty dresses. “You know how I feel about beheading witches.”
I smirked at a memory. “Yes, I loved that one you took out in Maine. Her head continued spitting out curses even after it was severed from her body.”
“She was a mean cuss,” Nellie agreed. “We had to burn the head in a fire to shut her up.”
“Good times.”
Kade made an odd throat-clearing sound. “Sometimes you guys freak me out.”
“Just wait until we find whoever is doing this,” I offered. “We’re going to be downright terrifying when that happens.”
“I believe you.”
22
Twenty-Two
I knew Luke had found something before he shifted back into human form. He didn’t bother hiding his nakedness when he rolled to his back feet and stood.
“Here!” He pointed toward a dark wall in the back of a rather distinct rock formation.
Kade, close at my heels, pulled up short. “Dude, where are your pants?”
Luke shot him a withering look. “Some of us don’t need to cover our assets.” As if to prove his point, he flexed his impressive arms. “Now, who wants to pet the dog and tell him he did a good job?”
I eyed my best friend for a long moment. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”
Luke smirked. “You don’t have to say anything.” He accepted his clothes from Nixie and immediately slid into his boxer shorts, which was frankly a relief for us all. “Paige has been here. Whether she was under duress or walked in herself, I can’t say.”
I turned serious as I focused on the wall. I couldn’t find an opening, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there, somehow hidden. “Okay. We need to fan out in this immediate area and see what we can find.”
“It’s dark,” Nellie pointed out. “How are we supposed to see anything?”
“I’ve got it.” Naida lifted her hand in the air and tossed a handful of pixie dust above our heads, muttering a word from her language – one I couldn’t quite make out – and igniting the dust. It glowed like a million tiny fireflies and lighted the area immediately surrounding us. It was breathtaking … and also a bit troublesome.
“What happens if anyone sees that?” I challenged.
“Then we’ll have some explaining to do. We should work fast if we don’t want to explain it.”
Her answer was so simple it set my teeth on edge. “And if someone comes to investigate?”
“We’ll use your handy-dandy mind powers to convince them they were never here. Do I have to think of everything?”
I blew out a sigh and risked a glance at Kade, only to find him smirking. “You’re okay with that?”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing you in action,” he replied. “Naida is right about time being a factor. We need to find a way into … whatever this is. There must be an opening.”
“While you’re looking for that, I’m going back into the water,” Naida announced. “I want to double check that we’re in the right area. I also want to get another look at the wards. I won’t be gone long.”
I balked. “What if we need you to get inside when we find an opening?”
“I won’t be gone long,” Naida repeated. “If something terrible happens, you’re strong enough to call me. You’ve done it before.”
“Fine.” I wasn’t happy, but I knew arguing with her was akin to beating my head against these very rocks. When Naida made up her mind to do something, she did it. “Hurry back.”
“That’s the plan.”
WE SPLIT INTO GROUPS, Kade joining me and Luke in following Nellie toward the water line. I was curious why they headed in that direction, but Nellie merely grunted when I questioned him and made a rude gesture with his hand. I figured it was better to let him decide for himself.
That left Nixie and Raven to search with us. We split to either side of the rock formation. It made for slow going, but we didn’t exactly have many options. The search took time and forced me to use my magic, glittery light flowing from my fingertips as I ran them over the rock face.
Kade sucked in a breath when he saw what I was doing, and even though I knew he tried to hide his surprise he was unable to stop himself from openly gaping.
“Problem?” I asked.
Kade shook his head. “No. I just … I didn’t know you could do that.”
“I can do a lot of things. If you have questions, you’re more than welcome to ask.”
“Good to know.”
I shifted my hands lower. “If you’re afraid of me … .”
“I’m not afraid of you,” Kade said hurriedly. “Don’t think that. It’s more that I’m in awe of you.”
“That’s sweet, but you’ve seen me use
magic before.”
“I know. It’s different this time, though.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a quieter moment.”
I flicked my eyes to Kade and furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that it’s a quieter moment,” he repeated. “The other times I’ve seen you use your magic have been times of crisis. I never get a chance to watch because I’m too busy trying not to die. This is different.”
I snorted. “I guess that makes sense. I never thought of it like that.”
“What does it feel like?”
“The magic? Um … I don’t know. I don’t even notice it any longer.”
“Do your fingers burn?” Kade seemed legitimately curious.
“Come here,” I prodded, gesturing for him to join me. “Stand behind me and put your hand over mine.”
Kade did as instructed, not questioning whether he would be injured in the process. I waited until his hand rested over mine and then fired up the magic. Kade initially jerked back. I wasn’t sure if the magic burned or he was merely surprised by the light.
His smile was on full display, though, and he moved his fingers back to mine right away. “It kind of tickles.”
“It doesn’t for me, but I’m so used to it I might simply push it out of my mind.” I slowly moved my fingers to the east. “What else do you feel?”
“Honestly? I’m incredibly turned on.”
“Well, I wish I could oblige you there.” I really did. “But now doesn’t seem like a good time.”
“No, but can we do this again when we have time together, just the two of us?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Fun.” Kade pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Have you sensed anything?”
The question caused me to sober. “I’ve sensed a lot of things. We’re definitely in the right place.”
“Melissa?”
I shook my head. “No. I can’t pick out individuals. But something terrible is inside this big bluff. Something very, very terrible.”
“Then we need to find a way in.” Kade pulled back his hand. “I don’t want to get in your way. We’ll play with your glowing hands later.”
I didn’t bother to hide my smirk. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Oh, how cute,” Raven drawled, catching us both off guard when she appeared directly behind Kade.
My smile dipped. “Are you spying on us?”
“No. I came to tell you we found something. I was a little worried for a minute that you guys were going to jump each other right here, so I decided to watch. What a disappointment.”
I rolled my eyes as I dropped my hand and extinguished the magic. “What did you find?”
“You need to see it to believe it.”
Kade and I exchanged a quick look before following Raven to the other side of the craggy rock formation. Nixie stood with her hands pressed to the stone exterior. The expression on her face was hard to read.
“What is it?” I asked, moving closer.
“Runes,” Nixie replied. “I’m having trouble reading them. I was hoping you might be able to make them out.”
“Okay.” I glanced at Raven. “You couldn’t make them out?”
“Two of them,” she replied, all traces of mirth vanishing from her features. “Some of them are much more difficult. For example, this is the purification symbol. We’ve already seen that. It’s inverted again.”
“Which I understand is bad, right?” Kade prodded.
“It’s not good. Whenever you have a symbol that’s supposed to be used for good and it’s upside down you can almost always be assured that you’re dealing with abject evil. I’m having trouble making out this symbol.”
I followed Raven’s finger and leaned closer to study the faint lines. “Hmm.”
“I think the only reason we can see the runes at all is because of the pixie dust,” Nixie offered. “They weren’t here when we first started searching. The longer the dust burns, the brighter they get.”
“She’s right,” Raven said. “The runes were invisible at first and only showed when the dust was introduced. It seems the dust is fighting whatever magic we have going on over here. I was about to send Nixie down to Naida’s clothes so she could grab more from her sister’s pockets, but I wanted to hear your ideas first.”
“I don’t see how it could hurt,” I replied after a beat. “Get the dust, Nixie.”
She nodded and took off, seemingly excited to be able to contribute. That allowed me time to turn back to the runes. “I think this is four circles with x’s in them, right?”
“That’s what I believe, but I’m not certain,” Raven replied. “If so, that makes it a strength symbol.”
“Why is that important?” Kade asked.
“It’s not important as much as interesting,” I replied. “Whoever warded this cave wanted to make sure no one found their way inside. That means it might be tricky for us to try.”
“You’ll try, though, right?”
“We’ll succeed,” Raven answered. “We need to know how to approach it the right way. These runes are powerful.”
“This one.” I ran my finger over one of the runes that wasn’t brightly illuminated. “It feels like an energy symbol.” I dropped my fingers about six inches. “And this one feels like the health symbol, although it’s also inverted.”
“Really.” Raven drew her eyebrows together and moved her fingers close to mine. She traced the symbol in question and then widened her eyes. “You’re right.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
Raven ignored my snark. “All of these symbols together mean something. We need to figure out how to separate the symbols before going inside. I think that’s the only safe way to do this.”
“Can you do that?” Kade shifted from one foot to the other, uncertain. “I mean … can you figure out a way inside that will keep you safe?”
“We can’t guarantee anything, but we’re always careful,” I reassured him. “Feel this.” I grabbed Raven’s hand and moved it to the left. “Does that feel like the symbol for mother to you?”
Raven pursed her lips. “It does indeed. That’s an odd symbol to include.”
“Unless we’ve been looking at this the wrong way,” I said. “Earlier we thought we might be dealing with a siren who happened to be a lesbian. What if we’re not dealing with a siren, but rather a creature that fancies itself a mother?
“I mean, all the girls were roughly the same age,” I continued. “My initial reaction was to think we were dealing with some sick pervert who was building himself a harem. Then we had the idea for the siren … or a very powerful witch. What if it is a witch, but one who thinks of herself as a mother – or at least a leader – of all the girls she’s taken?”
“I get what you’re saying and I’m intrigued by the notion,” Raven said. “To what end, though?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did.” I moved my fingers back to the wall. “I can’t sense an opening. Someone warded the heck out of this place, that much is obvious, but I can’t find a door. Could it be possible that whoever is using this place only approaches through the water?”
“Perhaps if we’re really dealing with a siren,” Raven replied. “But that doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact … .” She broke off, narrowing her eyes. “Make your fingers glow, Poet.”
I didn’t question why. I recognized the look on Raven’s face and did as she asked, pushing my fingers closer to the wall and waiting for further instruction.
“There.” Raven pointed. “That’s the sign for Aquarius. And there.” She pointed again. “That’s the sign for Virgo. I’m willing to bet she has every astrological sign covered – probably more than once.”
“Why is that important?” Kade asked. He was learning fast, but still at a disadvantage when it came to all things magical. “Why would astrological signs be important? I thought that was all hocus-pocus.”
Raven and I chuckled.
&nb
sp; “I’m sure people say that about us, too,” I said. “Astrology is many things, but it’s not hocus-pocus. It has its uses.”
“It’s not a strong field of study, but it’s not complete bupkis,” Raven added. “Look. There’s the sign for Pisces.”
“Gemini is over here,” I added. “I think you’re right. Each astrological sign is here.”
“I still don’t know why that’s important,” Kade pressed.
“Because our witch – and I do believe we’re dealing with a witch, whether mutant or otherwise – bolstered her power base by getting someone from each astrological sign,” Raven explained. “Whoever we’re dealing with knows what she’s doing.”
“I’ll definitely agree with that,” Naida said, appearing from around the corner. Her hair dripped from her swim and her clothing clung to her body. That meant she’d been in a hurry.
“What is it?” I asked, instantly alert.
“I heard noises from the cave,” Naida replied. “Crying. I tried to break in underwater again, but the wards are too strong for me to do it alone. Nixie was on the beach when I surfaced. She said you guys haven’t found an opening.”
“We haven’t.” My stomach twisted. “You heard crying?”
“Whether I really heard it or merely brushed up against their minds while I cast my net, I cannot say,” Naida replied. “We can’t wait any longer. We must go in.”
“How do you expect us to go in?” Raven challenged. “We haven’t found an opening.”
“Then we shall make our own door.” Naida was determined. “The time for indecision is over. We’re going in.”
Kade ran his tongue over his teeth as he regarded her. “Wow. I feel as if I just stepped into the middle of an old western. Are you going to challenge the crone to a gunfight at sunset?”
“I don’t need a gun,” Naida replied. “I do need help breaking the wards.”
I figured that was the case. “What do you want us to do?”
“We’ll have to weave a web of our own,” Naida replied without hesitation. “We need to funnel as much power into the spell as possible. If I’m right, the magic will glow hot enough for us to smash the stone.”
[Mystic Caravan Mystery 05.0] Freaky Places Page 20
