Addison stared down at Amara Jane, watching her daughter’s chest rise and fall as she settled in for an early morning nap. So sweet. So peaceful. Leaving her was never easy, but in situations like the one she found herself in now, she had few options—none of them ideal. She wasn’t sure what to expect at Crawley Manor, and who or what she’d find when she got there. Here, at home, Amara Jane would be safe, shielded beneath the protection spell her grandmother cast several decades earlier when the manor was erected.
A car rolled to a stop outside. Addison glanced out the window, watching Lia McReedy exit her car, toss a backpack over her shoulder, and walk to the front door. Lia was the medical examiner for Dutchess County and Addison’s closest friend.
Addison eased Amara Jane’s bedroom door shut and headed downstairs.
She opened the front door and pointed at Lia’s short, dark bob. “You cut your hair.”
“Yeah, I woke up yesterday and decided it was time for a change. Like it?”
“I love it. Looks great on you.”
Lia smiled and entered the house, following Addison to the kitchen.
“You want some coffee or something other …?” Addison asked.
Lia grinned and reached inside her backpack, pulling out a coffee canister. “I brought my own. Blended it myself—robusta coffee with cinnamon, cardamom, and a hint of vanilla. Wanna try it?”
Addison nodded and removed two cups from the kitchen cabinet. Lia poured, and Addison sat down on the barstool next to her.
“Thanks for offering to watch Amara Jane today,” Addison said.
“You got it. Speaking of … where is the little cutie?”
“I’ve just put her down for a nap.”
Lia rested her arms on the countertop and said, “So … on the phone you said you received a letter from a woman on your dad’s side of the family.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“I’m a little confused.”
“About what?”
“Didn’t you tell me once that your mother cast a protection spell so you couldn’t be found by anyone who’s, you know … like you?”
“Yes and no,” Addison said. “A spell was cast, one of the last my mother ever took part in before she quit practicing magic. From what I’ve been told, it only works on those seeking to do me harm.”
“Huh, I guess that makes sense. What did the letter say?”
Lia sipped her coffee while Addison filled her in on the letter, the vision, Eve’s murder, the raven—all of it.
When she finished, Lia said, “Aren’t you worried? I mean, what if you get to the manor and that evil dude shows up again? Or what if you get there and Samael shows up, or what if you get there and Samael is the evil dude and—”
Addison placed a hand on Lia’s shoulder. “I get it; you’re worried. You don’t need to be. I’ll be all right.”
Lia blinked at Addison like she wasn’t so sure. “Yeah, well, I want the address, and I want you to check in when you get there and when you leave.”
Addison jotted down the address, stuck it to the refrigerator, and grabbed a handbag sitting on the counter. “I’m off, then. Luke should be home in a couple of hours to relieve you.”
“Good. But I’m not leaving here until you get back. We’ll await your safe return together.”
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be. Might take a while. The drive alone will take up a good part of the day.”
Lia shrugged. “I have nowhere else to be today. Besides, I packed my flannel pajamas just in case you’re not back by dinner. No rush, either. I plan on talking Luke into binge-watching the original Dexter with me before I watch the new season.”
Staring at her now, Lia seemed a lot more tense than usual. Addison reached out, giving Lia’s arm a squeeze. “Hey, it’s going to be all right. I mean it.”
“Yeah, uhh … just be careful, mmkay?”
“I will. Promise.”
Addison grabbed her bag, waved a quick goodbye to Lia, and drove toward Crawley Manor. Along the way her mind flooded with questions, most related to Samael. If it was him, if he was the raven, there were so many things she wanted to ask—so many things she wanted to know. Starting with, why had her father abandoned her, taking her twin brother, and leaving Addison behind? Was it because Addison’s mother planned to raise the children without the use of magic?
Or was there another reason, one she had yet to discover?
Was he good or was he evil?
Or a combination of both?
Winding her way up the long, private drive leading to Crawley Manor, Addison rounded the corner and pulled off the road, parking behind a cluster of sprawling trees. Unsure of what she’d face when she reached the home, she decided shielding her car and herself from sight was her best option.
Taking in a deep breath, she pressed her hands together and chanted: “Ancient mothers be my guide, shield me now, and let me hide.”
She checked her reflection in the car’s rear-view mirror.
There wasn’t one.
Invisibility has its perks.
Showtime.