Satisfied, I sat down on the loveseat in the library and took a deep breath. The energy felt cleansed and clear, and I felt a peace of mind that I hadn’t felt in a long, long time. I’d never felt this way in Seattle.
I glanced at the clock. It was eleven-thirty. Not quite the witching hour, not yet. I padded out to the living room and over to press my nose against the front window. The snow was still coming down. If it kept up, we’d have at least sixteen inches by morning.
As I turned back to the living room, I saw Xi watching me with wide eyes. She bounced over, then launched herself up, into my arms.
“You know when you’re a big girl, that sort of thing is going to knock me off balance,” I murmured, stroking her fur.
“Purp,” she trilled, then snuggled against me. I caught a wisp of a thought—though cats thought in imagery and feelings more than words. Xi felt safe, which meant the circle of protection had taken. Carrying her up the stairs, I stroked her fur gently as we both yawned. The last thing I remembered after crawling into bed was Xi’s rumbling purr as she curled on my pillow. Klaus was curled up next to Killian, and just before I fell asleep, I thought that—ghosts or not—I was a pretty lucky woman.
Next morning we all got up late. I didn’t bother to set the alarm. There was no way in hell I’d be going in to work today, and I texted Tad to tell him I couldn’t make it.
nobody else can either so enjoy the day. did you get hold of louise? what happened?
i have to tell you, that building is so haunted that i just kind of recommend burning it to the ground right now, though i doubt that would help. there were incidents when i went to get louise—several, and they weren’t fun. i’ll call you in a bit and tell you about everything.
just stay safe today. and january, think of a spell to keep slater out of the office.
i’m on it, I texted back, wondering just how I was going to do that.
Killian volunteered to make breakfast and Louise volunteered to do the dishes, so I enjoyed my meal, feeling like a pampered woman. The storm had stalled out over us, and it was still dumping snow. As Killian got ready to set the platter of waffles and bacon on the table, I slipped out the back door, shivering in the chill of the morning.
The backyard was a blanket of white, and the trees of the Mystic Wood were weighed down, the branches of the firs heavy with the fresh layer of snow. Everything looked crystal clear and beautiful. I closed my eyes and I could feel the edges of the protection spell I had cast the night before. The energy stretched out almost to the back of the yard from here, and while I could still sense creatures watching from the woods, their energy was muted. I closed my eyes.
Esmara whispered, They can’t see as clearly now. You’ve blurred their ability to spy on you. Good girl.
Rebecca… She’s been there since I was a little girl.
Yes, she has, and longer. She was here before the city began, only back then she didn’t take the form of a child. She’s an embodiment of the hunger that pervades the forest. This land isn’t tainted, but it’s wild and feral still, and it likes to feed.
Another shiver ran down my spine, this one from nerves rather than weather, and I turned to hurry back inside.
“Anything interesting going on out there?” Killian asked.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” I said. I glanced at Louise. “If you decide to talk a walk while you’re here, don’t go into the thicket.”
She shook her head. “No, not much could get me to enter the Mystic Wood voluntarily. I’m optimistic, not head blind.”
We dug into our food, which was delicious. Afterward, Killian went over to check on his house while Louise rinsed the dishes and stacked them in the dishwasher and I wandered into my office. I sat down, staring out the side window, and decided to call Teran.
“Hey, you stuck at home, too?” I asked.
“Well, I’m not out running a marathon. What’s up, sweetie?”
I thought for a moment about how I wanted to phrase my question, then finally said, “Mom and I didn’t talk about magic much during the time I was married, and then of course, she died before I left Ellison. Tell me, what was her specialty? Was she an aquanista?”
“No, actually. She wasn’t an aeromage either, but she did work heavily with the element of air. Your mother was exceptionally good at clearing spaces and cleansing. She specialized in banishing/binding magic. Why?”
“I got up in the middle of the night and cast the first actual circle I’ve cast in a long time last night. I was surprised by how strong it was, but I was wondering if I might follow in her footsteps. I left too soon when I was young, before we could fully ascertain what kind of magic I’d be drawn to, and I feel somewhat at a disadvantage. I feel like I’m starting too late.” I paused.
“You’re feeling inadequate?” she asked.
“Not exactly, but…” I paused. “My mother didn’t believe in telling me what to focus on. She thought I’d develop it as I grew older. But then I met Ellison and, well…you know. I just feel like I have so much to catch up on. I don’t want to waste my time.” I settled on the sofa. “I don’t want to go about this haphazardly.”
“Trust me, you won’t. You’ll find your way. My guess is that you’re a strong medium. It would be easy for some creature to jump you. So you should probably focus on personal protection magic. Your mother had a beautiful silver pentacle with obsidian in it—if you can find that, then that’s a good start. I don’t know when the pendant was made—it’s old, though. I can’t even remember where she got it.” Teran paused and I heard her speaking to someone in the background. It sounded like a man.
“You have a date there?” I asked, laughing.
“I do. He got stuck here. Same as Killian’s at your place.”
“Oh, Killian’s here for more than just fun. He rescued me and Louise last night.” I told her what had happened.
Teran paused then said, “Don’t bring anything into your house that you take out of the restaurant. The creatures down at the Spit & Whistle are restless and they are looking for fresh meat. I’m not talking about Louise, by the way.”
I thanked her and hung up.
Wandering into the library again, I opened up my mother’s chest and sorted through the other things in it. There was a diary—her book of shadows, the magical journal every witch kept—and then I found a small box at the bottom of the chest. It was wood and looked hand carved. I opened it up and there, on a velvet cushion, was a large silver pentacle with a central stone that looked like obsidian—a shiny faceted cabochon. I lifted it out and the metal sparked against my hand, but it was more like a Hello, who are you than a Put me down spark. It was hanging on a long black ribbon and I draped it over my head, feeling the weight of it settle against my chest.
“Well, hello then.” I reached up to hold the pentacle in my hand. It felt warm, almost as though it had a heartbeat of its own. Xi came bouncing into the library and bounded up on my lap. As I reached to pet her, she caught sight of my pentacle and reached over, biting down on it. She sat there for a moment, the rim of the pentacle in her mouth, and I could feel her energy through the pentacle. After a moment, she let go, stood up on my chest, balancing with one front paw on my chin, and licked my nose, before she turned and scurried off, clearing my lap in a single leap. She really is my familiar.