“Don’t forget the attic,” Teran said, so we crept up the retractable ladder into the spacious room above. The room had been outfitted into a crafting room for my mother, with storage on the other side. I could feel energy moving and shifting, and little creatures slinking out through the walls, leaving the space as our magic seeped into every corner, driving away the cobwebs.
Once we were done with the upstairs, we moved down to the first story and once again, we moved through each room, our spell feeling stronger the longer we wove it. Killian watched us in silence, a reverent look on his face. Once we finished inside, we moved to the outside, first putting on our coats and boots.
The sky was clear for the first time in a while, and the stars glittered down, brilliant and icy from the height of the heavens. I looked up, seeing the Milky Way spread out, a filmy veil of stars. All the magic we had been doing suddenly swept through my system, leaving me feeling buoyed up and floating. I caught my breath and closed my eyes as everything around me began to spin.
“January! Come down here, now.” Teran’s voice echoed through the air and I opened my eyes, startled to find I was no longer standing in the snow. Instead, I was about three feet off the ground, hovering in mid-air. Of course, the moment I realized what was going on, I immediately dropped down into the snow.
“What the… Was I levitating?” I stared at them from where I was sprawled on the icy snowbank. I burst out into delighted laughter.
“Yeah, you were,” Ari said, her eyes wide. “I knew that was possible, but I don’t know if I have ever met someone who could do it.”
“You have,” Teran said, staring at me. “Rowan can levitate. She can do a number of other things, too.”
I sobered. “Okay, then.”
“Where did you learn that?” Ari persisted.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I can’t ever remember doing it before, but…” I wanted to tell her about Rowan, but with my aunt there, I wasn’t sure if I should.
“Let’s finish the warding and then we can talk,” Teran said.
I scrambled up with their help; it was as much of a chore to get out of a snowbank as it was a bean bag chair. Still dizzy with an odd sort of glee—it wasn’t every day that I found myself floating in the air—we finished the ritual, walking the perimeter of the house, blessing and sealing the layers of protection, until we were done, back at the front door.
I glanced out at the street. “Well, that takes care of that. I suppose we should leave the yard for a day when it’s clear?”
“That would be easiest, and I think this will make your house safe from intruders for the time being,” Teran said. “All right, let’s head inside. We’re nearing eleven and while it’s stopped snowing, the temperature is dropping. It’s colder than a witch’s tit. And my nipples prove it.”
Laughing, we headed inside where Killian had made a batch of hot mulled apple cider. We shed our coats and boots, and gathered in the living room to relax.
“So,” I asked Teran over my second mug of cider, “do you think you can help us exorcise Louise’s restaurant?”
“It’s not going to be easy—”
My phone rang and I answered it. Rowan was on the other line and I felt suddenly shy, wondering whether to say anything about what Teran had told me.
“I talked to Clarence again,” she said. “He verified there is a portal in there, and he told me how to shut it down. He just asked that we leave him out of any reports. He’s afraid that if the Covenant of Chaos knows that he helped us, they’ll quit ignoring him and come after him.”
“Would they really do that?” I asked. “It seems—”
“Yes, they would. They’re not just a group of frat boys running around, January. They’re a well-oiled organization that’s geared toward the destruction of order. They have killed before, and they will probably kill again, especially if they believe a member betrayed them. If you’ll recall, members are in for life. Clarence can run as far as he likes, but if they choose to come after him, they’ll know where to find him.” She paused, then said, “She told you, didn’t she?”
I blinked, startled by the swift change of subject. I hesitated, then said, “Yes, she did. I didn’t know whether to bring it up.”
“Don’t tell anyone. Oh, I know you’ll tell your boyfriend and Ari, but warn them to keep things quiet. For your sake, you need to pretend we’re just friends. At least for now. I’ll explain later, but do you understand?”
I didn’t, but I said yes. “But can you tell me…how does that affect me? I mean, I thought my father’s blood was from the Jaxsons.”
“We’ll talk soon. There’s a great deal I need to tell you about your background.” She paused. “In my family lineage, the women bear the power. The men are strong and have psychic flashes, but the magic itself? Only comes through the women. Men carry the gene, like your father, but women are dominant.”
“I thought you came down from the Merlin.”
“Yes…and there’s a story there, as well. But one for another time.” She paused, then added, “I’d better help you with the portal. I don’t think you’re strong enough to handle the magic yourself, not yet. But you will be soon, now that you’ve returned to Moonshadow Bay. The magic inherent within the community encourages powers to blossom and grow.”
“When should we tackle the job? The Spit & Whistle? I need to call my boss and tell him what we’re going to do.” I also needed to tell Louise what we were going to do.
“The dark of the moon is coming up, so we’ll go then. Let me check my calendar.”
I heard her set down the phone. I glanced over at Ari and Teran. “Rowan’s coming with us to take care of the restaurant. She found out how to close the portal.”
Ari cocked her head, looking at me with an odd expression. “What are you not telling us?”
Teran started to shake her head but I said, “I’ll tell you in a few minutes. It’s…about Rowan and she’s given me permission to tell you.”
“I’m back. We’ll want to go down there tomorrow night. We don’t want to wait until the moon begins to wax. Always banish on a waning moon. I’ll come over around four tomorrow and we’ll prepare.” And with that, she ended the conversation. Grandmother or not, Rowan was still abrupt.
I set down my phone and turned to Teran. “She said I could tell Ari and Killian.”
“Of course,” Teran said, laughing.
“She also told me that otherwise, I need to keep it secret.”
“Tell us what?” Ari said, leaning forward. “What’s going on?”
I turned to my best friend. “Ari, you know everything about me, but here’s something that even I didn’t know. Here’s the thing…it turns out that my father’s parents? The Jaxsons? They were his foster parents. He never knew that his real mother was Rowan Firesong. So…she’s my—”
“Rowan is your grandmother?” Ari stared at me. If her eyes had been lasers, she would have burned a hole directly through me.