Shadow towns were heavily steeped in magic, and they existed in a realm of their own. While they were still part of the state or country in which they were located, there was a shadow over them—a cloak that allowed them to escape the notice of passersby. Oh, sometimes tourists visited, and sometimes one of the shadow towns would summon someone in. Mostly, the shadow towns seemed, on the surface, benign and fairly boring. But below the surface, magical politics simmered and world shaking events were either prevented or set into motion.
My grandmother’s house, like mine, bordered the Mystic Wood. She lived in a one-story house that looked as old as the town. While it was weathered, it wasn’t shabby. It had the feel of one of the old cottages in Ireland with mullioned windows spaced along the walls, and shutters that closed over them to keep out the storms.
Boxes beneath the windows were a cascade of color in spring and summer, with pansies and primroses blossoming out. A trellis arched over the sidewalk leading up to the house, covered with ivy and the barren boughs of climbing roses. They were moss roses, and I had fallen in love with them over the summer, begging my grandmother to give me clippings so that I could grow them on my own property.
Like my yard, Rowan’s house was surrounded by trees with cedars and firs, and a weeping sequoia that reached out like some enchanted creature, its trunk twisted and bent. Hydrangeas lined the walkway, and also mums that were still in full flower. The entire lot felt like it guarded a mystical entrance to Faerieland, and in some senses, that was very true.
As I pulled into the driveway, I saw that the others were already there. I recognized their cars. Hustling up to the porch, I rapped the gargoyle doorknocker once, then entered the house.
“I’m here!” I called out. I could hear them in the living room, and I took off my cape and hung it in the closet before following their voices.
Rowan’s living room was spacious, as was her kitchen. In fact, the one-story house was far larger than most ranches, built for a family instead of a single person. I estimated it to be about 2300 square feet or more.
Rowan sat in a rocking chair next to the gas fireplace, which was crackling merrily. The living room was more of a square than a rectangle. A sofa was set against one wall, and a big-screen TV hung on the wall opposite. There was a china curio, which held figurines and crystals of various sorts, and large quartz crystals were tucked into each corner of the room, the spikes at least two feet long and a foot wide. They pointed inward toward the center of the room, and as I walked past them, they hummed with energy.
Kitty-corner to the sofa sat a loveseat, and three recliners spread throughout the room. A coffee table had been pushed out of the way so we could conduct our meeting, and on it sat a plate of lemon iced sugar cookies, a bottle of wine, and a number of goblets.
Despite the furniture and crystals, the room felt uncluttered. There were a few pieces of art on the walls, but no real knickknacks or bric-a-brac.
“I’m glad you decided to join us,” Rowan said, giving me a pointed look. “You’re late.”
“Be glad I’m here. Today’s been…eventful.” I set my bag down by the sofa.
“Well, you’re here and that’s what counts. All right,” my grandmother said, calling the meeting to order. “Let’s get busy.”
Chapter Five
The Crystal Cauldron had nine members in it. My grandmother was the high priestess, and her word was law. The other members varied in age from Daya, who was slightly younger than Ari and me, to May and Berta, who were closer in true age to Rowan. Nerium and Yolen were sisters, as different as the sun and moon. I had no clue how old they were. Nerium had long raven hair, and reminded me of Morticia Addams. Yolen’s hair was as bright as spun platinum, and she wore her lightness like a crown. Fraternal twins, it was obvious that they cared for each other deeply, but whereas Nerium worked in the shadows, Yolen worked with the light.
We took our seats as my grandmother stepped into the center of the room. “Court Magika has asked us to look into a case, so we start with that tonight. There’s a relatively new resident of Moonshadow Bay. Her name is Sheryl Brown and she’s in from a shadow town called Grand Deros, which hails out of Utah. The town is a hotbed for the Covenant of Chaos, so we’re leery about anyone coming in from there. We have reason to believe that Sheryl’s looking to expand on a magical scam she started, one that could be highly dangerous for the members of our community.”
“Are we going to be doing ritual tonight?” Nerium asked. “If not, do you mind if I bring out some cheese and crackers?”
Rowan stared at her for a moment. My grandmother hated being interrupted. “You should have eaten at home if you were hungry. Yes, we will be doing an esbat ritual, though it will be short, just to honor the full moon. But if you can’t wait, grab the cheddar and some water crackers. Be quick about it.”
Nerium dashed into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a Tupperware container filled with cheddar squares and a package of water crackers. She opened them and I held out my hand, stifling a yawn while I was at it.
Rowan stared at both of us for a moment and then shook her head. “Scratch the ritual for tonight. Neither one of you are in the right space for it. But we do have to discuss what I have found out.”
It wasn’t wise to do magic when you were tired, stressed, or sick.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “As I said, it’s been a long day and so much has happened that I can barely keep my eyes open. If it weren’t for the meeting tonight, I’d be in bed.”
“What happened?” Teran asked.
I glanced at my grandmother, who sniffed and waved her hand. “Go ahead.”
As she settled into the rocking chair I told everyone what had happened. “So, Ellison was sentenced to two years of house arrest and thanks to that anklet he won’t be able to bother me. But then something odd happened. While I was downloading a zip file, my laptop cord melted. I smelled something burning and ended up calling the fire department because I wasn’t sure if something had sparked off inside the walls or not. They came out and said everything was okay, but I have an odd feeling about all of it. I’m not sure what to think.”
Rowan straightened her shoulders. “Have you checked your wards?”
“Yes, that’s the first thing I did. And then I checked the basement to see if anything had happened. You know, where the portal was.”
“Did you find anything?” Nerium asked.
I took a couple more crackers and pieces of cheese. “No, everything seemed normal. But Xi was uneasy. She alerted me to something. What that something is, I dunno. I couldn’t figure out what she was worried about.”
“Do you want me to come home with you, just in case?” Teran asked.
I thought about it for a moment. “I’d appreciate that. Ari, can you drop by too?”
Ari gave me a thumbs-up. “Of course I can. Meagan left on a visit to her cousin this morning. She won’t be back for a couple days.”
“Thanks,” I said. I turned back to my grandmother. “So what was it that you wanted to discuss with us? You said you’re concerned about Sheryl somebody who moved into town?”
Rowan pulled a notepad out of her purse. “The Court Magika asked me to check into Sheryl Brown—a new witch in town who appears to be running some sort of multilevel marketing scheme called Majikoil. I can’t show up on her doorstep. She’d recognize who I am and would hide what she’s doing.”