No, but through my connection with the wild magic, I can devise a safe path.
If I fall down a mineshaft, I’m going to be pissed.
I won’t let you fall down a shaft. She paused. And if you do, I’ll catch you.
Hate to tell you this, but you’re a soul locked to a wellspring. You can’t catch anything.
She laughed. I meant via the wild magic.
That didn’t fill me with a whole lot of confidence, given the ethereal nature of the wild magic. I swept up my phone and keys and headed out. There was a creak of springs, and then Beverly said softly, “Everything okay?”
“Yes. We finally have a lead on the witch who terrorized your sister. I’ve called in a friend and fellow witch—Belle—to keep an eye on things here, so if you hear a new voice, don’t panic.”
“I gather she doesn’t need to be let in?”
“No. She’s on her way over right now, so she’ll be here before I leave.”
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
I hadn’t actually intended to, so it was just as well she’d woken up. I padded down to the reading room and filled the backpack with absolutely every magical charm and blessed item and every bottle of holy water we had. I had absolutely no idea what it took to destroy an altar, so overkill was a must.
Gabe said overkill probably won’t be necessary if the dismantlement and cleansing spells are done correctly, but it also won’t hurt given what we’re dealing with.
Always better safe than sorry has become my motto of late. I zipped up the now overstuffed pack. The minute we start dismantlement, she’s going to know.
Yes, so speed is of the essence.
Speed often led to mistakes, in my limited experience. The growing closeness of Belle’s thoughts told me she and Monty were only seconds away, so I slung the pack over my shoulder and headed toward the front door.
Contact me when you near Argyle, Katie said, then her awareness retreated.
I unlocked the front door but didn’t move beyond the protections of the café’s magic until Monty—once again in Aiden’s truck—pulled up at the front. Belle jumped out, leaving the passenger door open as she strode across to me. “How’s Mrs. Rankin?”
“Asleep and snoring.”
“Just as well I’m not intending to sleep then.” She gripped my arm. “I know I keep saying this, but be careful out there.”
“Katie and Gabe will be with us. We’ll be fine.”
She groaned. “Will you stop tempting fate with proclamations like that?”
I grinned, squeezed her arm, and then ran over to the truck and climbed in.
“Where are we going?” Monty said as he pulled out into the empty street.
“Head for Argyle. Katie will give us more specific instructions once we get there. Gabe will help us disconnect whatever protection spells the witch might be running once we get close to the altar.”
“Gabe? The dead husband?”
“Who’s now a ghost and haunting the reservation. We did mention this, didn’t we?” To be honest, I couldn’t remember exactly what we’d told him. He knew about Katie, but not the second wellspring. Surely one of us must have mentioned Gabe in passing.
“Huh.” He glanced at me briefly. “I’ve a feeling there’s more to this story than what you’re saying.”
I shrugged. “There are many secrets in this reservation, and they’re not all mine to tell.”
He didn’t say anything, but his aura suggested annoyance. I had a bad feeling I’d just set him on an information hunt, and Monty was the type not to let go until he’d uncovered every little secret.
We turned onto the highway and sped down to Argyle. It didn’t take us as long as it would have during the day because the roads were all but empty, and Monty was once again making full use of lights and siren.
When we were a few minutes out, I reached out for Katie. Just heading into Argyle now.
At the roundabout, turn right, and follow that. When you reach St. Leonards—which is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town—slow down and then turn right at Barkstead Road. Contact me again, and I’ll guide you from there.
Her awareness departed again. Perhaps she was conserving both our strength. While I didn’t yet have a headache, the promise of one was definitely lurking.
I repeated the instructions to Monty, and he nodded. We drove through Argyle’s main retail sector at speed and followed the single lane road through the various twists, turns, and tiny towns. St. Leonards itself consisted of little more than six houses and a community hall. There wasn’t a shop or even a post office. Monty glanced at the GPS and then slowed down and swung right into Barkstead Road. I immediately reached for Katie.
Okay, she said, deepen the connection.
I obeyed. It felt rather weird, because it wasn’t just the telepathic link that strengthened but also a deepening of awareness and state. I was still me, but in many ways, I was also sharing all that I was with her—and vice versa. I also suspected it was this connection—one we’d done previously—that was responsible for the physical changes in me.
“Take the right fork up ahead,” we said. “And kill the lights and sirens.”
Monty did so, then shot me an alarmed look. “What’s happening? You sound … strange.”
“Katie is with me, guiding me.” This time, the reply was mine.
“How is that possible when you’re not the one capable of spirit communing?”
“Long story, but it’s happening through the wild magic.” I paused, then we added, “The road gets rough and narrow up ahead. You need to slow.”
He obeyed, then swore and wrenched the truck sideways to avoid a wombat that decided to stroll out in front of us. We skidded for several seconds before he brought it back under control.
The sheer thickness of the surrounding forest meant it was completely black out here; even if the moon had been out tonight, it was doubtful it would have helped all that much. The headlights, even on high beam, certainly weren’t piercing the gloom too successfully. As for the road, well, rough and narrow was a definite understatement.
Katie retreated from our connection once again, briefly easing the physical toll on us both, but returned a few minutes later. We said, “Left-hand turn coming up. It’s a tight fit.”
Monty slowed and then, as the headlights picked out the turn, said, “That’s not a fucking road—it’s a walking track.”
“The truck will fit.”
He gave us a disbelieving look, slowed to a crawl, and carefully eased onto the smaller track. Branches scraped the side of the truck, and the trees were way too close for my liking, but we did fit.
We continued on at a snail’s pace, Monty carefully guiding the truck down a path that was never designed for a vehicle this size.
After what seemed like forever but was probably only a couple of minutes, Katie’s presence surged again, and we said, “Here. Stop here.”
He did so, but didn’t immediately turn off the truck, leaving the engine running and the headlights on while he studied the surrounding trees. “It’s goddamn black out there. Even with flashlights, it’ll be easy to get lost or fall down a mine.”
“We won’t let that happen.”