It was. Joy was sure she’d be having nightmares about the vision she’d witnessed. But she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Carly’s niece was missing, in the hands of only the goddess knew who, and Joy ached for her. Everything in her wished that the photos in the house would lead her right to Harlow Preston.
Joy walked through the sleek, modern beach house to stare out the window. The silver moon shone down on the churning Pacific below, and Joy walked out the glass doors to let the salty scent of the sea fill her up and recharge her magic. She’d always gotten a charge from the ocean. It was one of the reasons witches seemed to gravitate to Premonition Pointe. The night was clear with the stars illuminated above. The scene was so beautiful that it was hard to imagine a terrible crime had been committed in the house just a few hours before.
The cool wind blew in from the ocean, causing Joy to shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself and retreated back into the mostly white living room.
“The pictures are over there.” Carly pointed to the mantle over a gas fireplace before gesturing to a sideboard in the dining area. “And there.”
Joy made her way to the mantle and scanned the framed photos. Carly’s niece was in most of them, but she narrowed in on a joyful shot of the vibrant young woman. She was on the beach, her head thrown back as she laughed. Joy trailed her fingers over the glass as if tracing the picture. She cleared her mind and thought only of the woman reflected back at her and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Nothing. No vision. There wasn’t even a tingle of magic.
Joy sighed and put the picture back on the mantle. Maybe her magic was the issue. Hadn’t she felt that tingle of magic last time right before the vision? She thought so, but so much had happened since then that she wasn’t sure.
She reached for another photo. In this one Harlow was standing on the beach, her head bowed as the waves crashed around her feet. Joy thought of the water and conjured enough magic that her skin started to tingle. But even as her magic flared to life, it didn’t bring any visions. Instead, it just slipped away.
“Any luck?” Carly asked from behind her.
Joy replaced the second photo and shook her head as she turned to face her costar. “I’m afraid not. I don’t even know if it’s something I can will myself to do. The last one came out of nowhere.”
Carly frowned, looking disappointed, but she nodded. “I was afraid of that. Do you mind trying a few more times?”
“Not at all.” Joy desperately wanted to help her find Harlow. The younger woman’s abduction weighed on her, and she felt like she was letting both Carly and her niece down by not being able to do more. She spent the next half hour staring at every picture in Carly’s beach house before she finally flopped down on the white couch and let out a frustrated groan. “I think it’s time I admit defeat.”
Carly placed a silver tea service on the coffee table and took a seat in the armchair across from her. After she poured water into the two cups, she handed one of them to Joy. “I understand. Thank you for trying.”
There was so much disappointment in Carly’s tone, it made Joy hesitant to give up on trying to find Harlow. But the visions just weren’t coming. “What do you think about me calling my coven? If we were all together, we might be able to make something happen.”
“Your coven? Do you think they would come?” There was so much hope in Carly’s voice that Joy almost felt guilty for suggesting it. There wasn’t any reason to believe her coven sisters could do anything to find Harlow, but she just couldn’t give up yet.
“I’m sure they will if they’re available—” Joy started, but then she stopped abruptly when her phone started to play “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns and Roses, indicating it was one of her kids. “Give me just a sec.” She fished her phone out of her pocket, accepted the call, and said, “Hey, Kyle. What’s up?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Kyle?” she said again, frowning. “You there?”
“Yeah. I’m here.” His voice was shaky as he added, “I’m okay, but I need you to come. I’m in the hospital.”
Joy’s chest tightened, and her head started to spin until she realized that she’d stopped breathing and sucked in a shaky breath. “What happened?”
“Car accident.”
“I’ll be right there.” She ended the call and turned to Carly. “I have to go. My son…” She trailed off, realizing she had no idea what Kyle’s injuries were. “He’s been in an accident. I’m sorry about—” She waved a hand, indicating the photos.
Carly shook her head and grabbed her keys and then Joy’s hand as she tugged her toward the garage. “Don’t worry about that. Come on. I’ll take you to him.”
Chapter Three
Joy rushed into the emergency room of Pointe Memorial hospital, singularly focused on finding her youngest child. She quickly scanned the waiting room and then hurried to the admissions window. Just as she reached the counter, she did a double take when she recognized Jackson, one of Kyle’s best friends. His normally tamed dark curly hair was sticking up in all directions as if he’d just woken up and rushed to the hospital. It wasn’t that late, was it? She’d just stopped behind him when she heard the receptionist ask if Jackson was family.
Joy was about to say yes but was shocked into silence when Jackson spoke.
“I’m his boyfriend.” Jackson sniffed as if he’d been crying. “Please. I need to make sure he’s all right.”
“Normally we only allow family in,” the nurse said.
“But—” Jackson started.
“Excuse me,” Joy said softly.
Jackson stiffened, and when he turned around, there was a look of horror on his beautiful face. “Mrs. Lansing, I—”
“It’s okay, Jackson.” Her mom instincts kicked in, and she gave him a reassuring smile before turning to the receptionist. “I’m Kyle’s mother. Can we see him now?”
“Just a moment.” The receptionist left the desk area and retreated behind a door that Joy assumed led to the restricted part of the hospital.
“Mrs. Lansing, I’m so sorry.” Jackson’s gaze darted around the waiting room, looking at anything other than Joy. “I thought if I told them I was his boyfriend that they might let me back to see him. I know it’s supposed to be family only, but the tow truck guy told me the ambulance took him and I—”
“Ambulance?” Joy cried. “Just how bad is it? What happened?”
Jackson swallowed and, in a small voice, said, “I don’t know for sure. We were on the phone having a… disagreement. Kyle was yelling at me and then suddenly he cried out, and all I heard was screeching and...” He shook his head. “He was headed home from his dad’s, so I knew the route and went to find him. By the time I found his car, it was being towed and he’d already been brought to the hospital. It looked like he sideswiped a tree.”
Joy’s entire body went cold at the thought that her son had hit a tree. He could’ve killed himself. But he didn’t, she told herself. He’d called her. He’d been coherent. Whatever his injuries, they couldn’t be life threatening, could they? “Do you know his injuries?”