“Where are you headed in such a hurry? Got another house on fire?” someone calls out.
I twist around, only to find Jinx racing up behind me in her bright red scooter.
Despite myself, I huff a laugh. Leave it to Jinx to make light of one of the biggest events in my life—and track me down in the weirdest of places.
“I’m on my way to see Alanna. What are you doing here?” I ask, glancing down the street.
After a quick text to Alanna this morning, she gave me her address, saying it was the safest place she knew to talk. Now that I’m in downtown Black Crater, about to enter a seedy apartment building near the bar district, I’m inclined to disagree.
Even in the late morning sunshine, the place smells like last night’s booze—mixed with the stench of piss and puke.
My werewolf senses aren’t exactly happy about any of it.
“Mermaid class was canceled, so I was on my way to have a chat with the witchy bar owners who took it upon themselves to enter a fray they had no purpose in entering.” A wide, almost feral smile slides across her lips.
No good can come from a smile like that.
I lower my eyebrows and blink at her.
She shrugs, laughing it off. “I wasn’t going to say anything. Just wanted to… hang out, have a drink, and enjoy the ensuing chaos.”
“Jinx,” I blurt out, laughing. “As much fun as that would be—it’s probably not wise to provoke them. Not right now. There are things—big things—going on behind the scenes.”
It’s her turn to quirk an eyebrow. “Is there now? And what could you possibly have learned since last night?”
I inhale a sharp breath, my eyes wide. “Oh, you have no idea.”
“Well, go on then. Fill a girl in,” Jinx says, shutting off her scooter and getting comfortable.
However, her gaze flits past me and down the street.
Behind me, I hear the distinct sound of trash cans banging together and someone cursing. Loudly.
She chuckles under her breath and focuses back in on me.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and try, unsuccessfully, not to chuckle. “I wish I could, but I really need to chat with Alanna.”
“Why don’t I come with? Since you won’t let me have my fun, I’ve got nothing better to do right now,” Jinx offers, getting her scooter ready to follow after me.
“I’m not entirely sure Alanna will want me to bring company. I need to have a delicate discussion—”
“About what kinda supe she is, right?” Jinx guesses.
“How’d?” I blink at her.
“Because I know you, Ella. You had your house ripped apart and burnt to the ground. You’re gonna want to know why. And the only way to do that is to ask the woman responsible,” Jinx says, matter of factly. “Besides, I already know what she is, so I doubt she’ll care.”
And the hits just keep on coming.
“You do?” I ask, my mouth gaping open.
“I read the energies of the beings around me. Of course, I know what she is. Besides, it’s not that difficult to figure out if you think about it.” She shrugs one shoulder and glances past me again.
I brace myself for the inevitable scream, curse, or crash—but none of it comes.
Instead, Jinx clears her throat and returns her attention to me. “So, ya gonna take me, or what? I ain’t got all day to wait in the middle of the street.”
“Huh?” I mutter, following Jinx’s gaze that’s again focused behind me. A woman with silver hair is leaning against a lamp post near the end of the block and her gaze is locked on us. I turn back to Jinx. “Do you know her?”
Her expression sours and she mutters under her breath, “Wish I didn’t.”
“Why? Is she someone messed with, here for retribution?” I snicker to myself.
“Worse,” Jinx blurts, rolling her eyes. “She’s my sister.”
My hands rise to my cheeks as my gaze lifts to the sky. “Oh, my god, there are two of you?”
She shoots me a ‘bitch please’ sort of expression right before she says, “There’s only one of me.”
“Well, I know that. I just meant—” I cut myself off.
“Trudie’s the goody two shoes of the family. So, if she’s here, the only thing she’s good for is to be a pain in my ass,” Jinx laments.
“Well, don’t you think you should go see what she wants?”
“What for?” she snorts.
I gape at her.
“Pull your jaw outta your trousers. You’re the one who’s a magnet for magical misfits. I haven’t seen her for sixty years. So, I’m gonna blame you and whatever’s going on in your camp, girly,” she fires back.
“That’s a bit ridiculous, don’t you think? I’ve never met your sister, so why would she be here for me?” Taking a deep breath, I decide it’s worth a shot to mediate. “Look, Jinx, sixty years is a long time. Maybe she’s got something important to say to you. Besides, with the way things have been going around here, can we really afford to ignore any potential ally?”
Jinx looks like she’s about to protest, but then something in my tone or maybe the resigned tilt of my shoulders gets to her.
She sighs, the sound heavy with a history I can only guess at.
“Fine,” she finally grunts, “but if she starts with her ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude, I’m out.”
I snicker softly under my breath. “Fine. Whatever you say.”
Looks like complicated family dynamics aren’t just a human thing.
As we draw nearer, Trudie straightens from her casual lean against the lamppost, her expression one of cool composure. Yet, beneath the surface, I sense a torrent of emotions—a complex web of feelings only siblings could evoke in one another.
The thought of having two Chaos Demons in town kinda fills me with dread. The potential for mayhem seems limitless. However, watching Trudie’s calm demeanor as we draw near, I start to question my assumption. She’s definitely got a different vibe from her sister.
“June, still causing chaos, I see,” Trudie remarks dryly, her gaze flickering between her sister and me.
There’s an undercurrent of affection in her voice, layered beneath years of distance and difference. Her voice is smooth, lacking the edge I’ve come to associate with her sister. Despite myself, the contrast only heightens my curiosity about her.
“And you’re still sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong,” Jinx retorts, though the edge in her voice softens ever so slightly as she shuts off her scooter and studies Trudie.
Trying to diffuse the situation, I extend my hand to Trudie. “Hi, I’m Ella.”
Trudie’s intense brown eyes survey me before she says, “Ella, I’ve heard much about you.”
“I wish I could say the same,” I reply, trying to keep the mood light. Though, how she’s heard about me is a bit of a concern. “Jinx here was just saying what a pain you are.”
“Oh, sure. Throw me under the bus right out of the gate,” Jinx mumbles, flicking her scooter keys with her forefinger.
A faint smile crosses Trudie’s lips, and she spares Jinx a glance that’s surprisingly warm. “She’s not wrong. But then, I suppose we’ve both been pains in each other’s sides for quite some time.”
“Understatement of the year,” Jinx grumbles, leaning back and crossing her arms over her torso.
Turning her attention back to me, Trudie’s demeanor shifts, becoming more formal, yet not unfriendly. “I’ve felt the disturbances here—the energies in disarray. Your presence, Ella… it’s like a beacon amidst the chaos.”
Jinx harrumphs, clearly unimpressed.
“You can sense that?” I ask, narrowing my gaze.
Shit, was Jinx actually right?
“Indeed. The ley lines have been speaking to me. They’re in turmoil—flux. Something big is unfolding,” Trudie says softly. “And with the Supermoon coming…”
Her gaze flits to her sister for a moment and I swear I catch a tinge of regret.
I exchange a quick glance with Jinx, whose usual confidence seems momentarily shaken by her sister’s words.
But for me, there’s only one word that stood out.
“You’re here because of the Supermoon?” I ask, my heart hammering in my chest.
Jinx snorts, shaking her head. “Knew it was because of you.”
Trudie’s eyebrows tug in, as if she’s trying to suss out whatever that meant. Then, her expression turns serious. “Yes, the energy it’s pulling in, the way it’s affecting the ley lines—it’s not something to be taken lightly. I felt the disturbances from half a world away.”
“Always the drama queen,” Jinx blurts out.
But I’m caught on something else Trudie said. “Ley lines? Are you saying you can sense... what, the magical energy of the Earth? How is that possible?”
“In a manner of speaking,” Trudie admits. “It’s part of what I do—balancing energies, maintaining harmony.”
“Harmony?” The word slips out before I can stop it, a puzzle piece clicking into place. “What Chaos Demon wants harmony?”
“Indeed.” Trudie’s laugh is light, almost musical. “I’m not a Chaos Demon, though. I’m what you might call a Harmony Demon.”
“Goody goody, more like,” Jinx mutters under her breath.
Trudie’s eyes flick over to her sister, but she returns her attention to me and continues, “My... talents lie in restoration and balance—not disruption.”
The revelation leaves me blinking in surprise.
A Harmony Demon.
Is that even a thing?
Jinx, who had been quietly sizing up her sister, snickers. “Alright, I’ll bite. What’s so epic that it’s got you ditching your harmony gig to play hero in my backyard?”
“The currents of energy that guided me here—your town—it’s at the epicenter of something much larger.” Trudie smiles softly, the warmth in her eyes suggesting layers of untold stories. “It’s not just the ley lines or the Supermoon, though they play their part. They whisper to me, helping to guide me to where my gifts are best used. However, there’s an artifact—a relic of sorts—that’s become a focal point of concern for me.”
A shiver skitters down my spine.
Isolde’s words echo in my mind, the weight of her warnings suddenly crystalizing into sharp focus.
“The Breath of Selene?” I ask, the words falling from my lips like a whispered oath.
“Yes, that’s it. How did you know?” Trudie asks, her eyes alight with curiosity.
I take a deep breath, glancing at Jinx. “Last night, I was visited by a witch named Isolde. She said that something was happening—something big. She mentioned the Breath of Selene and how it’s tied to the moon’s energy. But I think it’s a part of something bigger.”
Jinx’s eyebrows rise, but she doesn’t say anything.
Trudie’s interest is piqued, her brows knitting together in thought. “She’s right, of course. The Breath of Selene is ancient, a conduit for the moon’s frequencies. In the wrong hands...”
She lets the sentence hang, an unspoken dread filling the space between us.
I glance at Jinx, expecting a dismissive snort or a sarcastic remark, but find her unusually silent, her usual bravado tempered by the gravity of Trudie’s words.
For a moment, I close my eyes, processing all that’s just been dropped in my lap. Stone was right—somehow, everything around us seems to be connecting. Like giant magnetic pieces all coming together.
“Okay, so if the Breath of Selene is real, and it’s as big of a deal as it seems like it is,” I start, trying to piece together a plan from the fragments before us. “Where does that leave us? I assume you’re here to help us. What do we do about it?”
“That’s where things get interesting,” Trudie replies, a hint of a challenge in her voice. She looks between Jinx and me, a spark of determination lighting her eyes. “I believe I know where it’s hidden—or at least where to start looking. And now that I realize you’ve been in contact with my sister, I also believe you’re going to need both of us to acquire it.”