“And in doing so, you’ll cut off a very powerful tool at your disposal,” Miss Sophia says. “Jackson, Oliver and Annabelle are a part of your journey in this. They’re tied to you, and I think it’s lovely that you want to keep them safe, but you have to remember that they’re the only parents you have. And they love you. If they can help, there’s nothing they won’t do.”
“That’s just it,” I say and stand to pace. “There’s nothing they won’t do. They’d give their lives for mine, and I won’t have that.”
“Of course, not,” Miss Sophia replies. “No one’s asking that of them. But I know they’ll help in any way they can.”
“Where are they?” Millie asks. “I’ve hardly even known they’re here.”
“They’ve been spending a lot of time researching on their own,” Ruth says. “Reading, meditating. Oliver is healing. They want to be as strong as possible for the battle to come. And they love you so much, Jackson. Give them the opportunity to help.”
I take a deep breath. “I’ll ask. We need to find the women, so I’ll ask. But we keep them safe. They don’t leave this house. That’s my line in the sand.”
“Sweet boy,” Miss Sophia says, cupping my face in her hands. “We won’t let anyone hurt Oliver and Annabelle.”
I nod and look over at Ruth. “Do you know where they are?”
“Last I saw them, they were enjoying the garden,” she says with a smile.
“I’ll be back.”
I walk through the house and out the back door. Sure enough, they’re sitting in the shade, each with a book in front of them, sipping some sweet tea.
“Well, hello there, darlin’,” Miss Annabelle says with a smile. “How did it go?”
“We didn’t find him.” I sit across from them and lean on the table. “He’s playing with us, and we’re running out of time to save those women.”
“How can we help?” Oliver asks without hesitation. He looks so much better than he did the day we brought him here. He’s healthy and whole now, no longer tormented.
And I plan to keep it that way.
“Miss Annabelle, I know you have the gift of blood magic. I know opening yourself up can be dangerous, and I don’t like to ask, but I’m going to. I think he’s in the bayou. It’s where he’s the most comfortable. But the bayou is big, and I need help narrowing down his location.”
“Of course,” she says. “I need a map and a sterilized and charmed dagger. I’m sure we can get those things.”
“Are you sure?” I reach over and take her hand. “We will do everything in our power to keep you safe. There are some pretty powerful witches in there.”
“I’ve been a witch for a long time, my boy,” she says with a soft smile. “I know what I’m about. I have you and Ollie here with me, my two loves. And my friends. I’ll be safe. Now, let’s go find those poor babies and get them home, shall we?”
Several hours later, we’re set up around the dining room table. Candles are set around the room, and a large map of the bayou, a dagger that’s been spelled with protections, and some other things I don’t quite understand, sit on the surface.
Lucien swirls his finger in the air, and all of the candles light, casting the room in shadows.
“So cool,” Daphne says with a grin. Lucien winks at her.
“I could learn to do that.” I narrow my eyes at Lucien. “You have your own girl.”
“That I do,” he says with a laugh and kisses Millie’s cheek.
Miss Sophia and Ruth flank Miss Annabelle, who lifts the dagger and begins to chant.
“North and south; east to west, blood to blood at my behest. Show the way, flying free, location found, so mote it be.”
Miss Annabelle holds up her hand and slices her palm, letting the blood fall on the map.
“Illuminate what we want to see. Lead us to those we must set free.”
The blood swirls around the map and separates into droplets, scattering over the page. I look up at Lucien, whose face is creased in confusion.
Finally, Miss Annabelle wiggles her fingers and whispers something in Latin. The blood lifts into the air and then settles into a small vial that she seals and sets aside.
Oliver takes her hand in his, closes his eyes, and the wound heals.
“It didn’t work,” Daphne says and looks at Miss Annabelle with grief. “Why didn’t it work?”
“Because this isn’t my quest,” Miss Annabelle replies. “My blood can’t unlock what we need to see.”
Immediately, Daphne thrusts her hand toward the other woman. “Take mine then. This is my quest.”
I want to step in and say no. The thought of anyone deliberately cutting Daphne makes me crazy and stokes my need to defend her.
But I stay quiet.
Miss Annabelle begins the spell again, cuts Daphne’s hand this time, and the blood drops onto the map. As Daphne pulls her hand away, Oliver takes it and, with a whisper, heals the wound.
“Illuminate what we want to see. Lead us to those we must set free,” Miss Annabelle says again, and the blood begins to glow and move, this time in one circuit around the large map on the table.
When it settles onto one spot, everyone looks up at me.
“I knew it.”
“There was nothing in that house,” Cash says, shaking his head. “It’s empty. Been abandoned for years.”
“It’s a spell,” Lucien says. “He blinded us to what’s really going on in there.”
“We were there,” Daphne whispers. “Oh, my goddess, we were there. The girls. We have to go back. How do we break the spell?”
“We have to hurry,” Cash says. “And I’m calling Asher. He’ll believe me. Hell, he was part of this before.”
He leaves the room to make the call, and Miss Sophia and Miss Annabelle discuss different spells that might break the one Horace placed on my childhood home.
“Did he buy it?” I wonder aloud, catching Lucien’s attention. “Did Horace buy the house all those years ago in preparation for this?”
“I doubt it.” Lucien shakes his head. “He couldn’t have known that things would end up like this. But it worked out well for him that no one has been in that house in a long time. I bet he got his rocks off when he discovered it.”
“Let’s move,” Cash says as he returns to the room. “Asher’s meeting us.”
I pull into the driveway, again ahead of Cash. I already see the difference.
“It doesn’t look the same at all,” Millie says in surprise. “There’s a car in the driveway, and you can tell that someone’s been in and out.”
“The spell is already broken,” Lucien says as we hurry to the front door. “And I’d wager that he’s gone.”
Cash turns to us and brushes his hand over his mouth. “I told Asher I’d wait, but damn it, those girls could be in there.”
“Oh, they’re in there,” Brielle says. “And they’re also standing behind me. But one is weird.”