Chapter Eleven

The Syndicate’s meetings revolved around the moon phase, but the full moon wasn’t until next week, so Agatha called a special session for Saturday night. That gave me another full day to rest my throat. I didn’t feel full-strength yet and hadn’t gone back to class while I was sleeping through the day. At least after downing all that nasty brew, I didn’t sound like I smoked four packs a day anymore.

Syndicate headquarters were somewhere in town, but until the year turned frigid cold, all their meetings were held outside. Agatha told me to wear hiking boots and a jacket, neither of which I had.

I dressed in sneakers and a hoodie but parked at my desk before heading downstairs to meet Agatha. I pulled my jewelry container out from the back of the desk drawer where I’d stashed it, hoping Fondant would leave the charms alone. It was just a dollar-store plastic box, but its square compartments made it easy to separate different kinds of charms. Earrings, rings, and a few bracelets were jumbled in the squares. Mom had given them to me as gifts over the years—the only exception to her self-imposed magic ban.

Now it was time to put them to use.

With three piercings in each ear, it took me a minute to remove all six studs. The poison charm was tapped out, cool to the touch and magicless. It had spent itself screaming a warning I’d missed. I dumped it in the square with the other dead charms that were just regular jewelry now.

What type of magic would protect me?

I ran my fingertips over the metals and stones, remembering what each enchantment did. I needed a mix of defense and attack, so I picked out a matching set of glittery quartz studs that were power wells. Those would fuel any spell I needed them to when my own magic started running dry. Then a shield charm, one to throw up a strong ward, the insta lockpick that was always good to have, and Mom’s special car-starter enchantment, which still had some juice after the fair.

I hadn’t even asked Mom about the fallout. Was she running around compelling cops to stop the investigation? A pang of guilt knifed straight under my ribs. She’d better not be. As soon as I had a chance, I needed to call home again.

“Anise?” Lonnie knocked at my door. “You’ll be late for the meeting.”

“Coming.” I jammed on a few extra rings, including the chunky black pentagram that had belonged to Nana. It wasn’t a charm per se, but it made me feel more connected to her, and it couldn’t hurt to have her spirit protecting me from the other side.

Agatha was waiting for me in the garage. She wore a silky black robe, the fabric flowing down her body like cream. Feeling way underdressed, I climbed into the back seat of the SUV.

“No Wynn?” I peeked into the back seat just in case he was passed out on the floor.

“I’ve got you tonight. Let anyone try coming after me.” Bolts of purple lightning crackled around her fingers on the steering wheel.

I buckled my seatbelt. No one with a brain would come straight at a witch like her.

Agatha drove far outside town in the darkness, and I could feel every inch closer to the vortex. As the hum grew, the stars sparkled brighter in the sky and my fingers moved restlessly, itching to cast.

The more we drove, the harder it was to focus on anything but the siren call.

“We’re here,” Agatha said, shaking me free of the night’s magic.

I hadn’t noticed we’d stopped driving. We weren’t anywhere particular—just a makeshift parking lot under the wide-open sky. The chilly night air shocked me out of my vortex haze. This was the closest I’d come to the vortex yet, but luckily we weren’t on top of the thing. I had to stay focused tonight. One, because I needed to ask my questions, and two…

Shining my cell flashlight showed a whole lot of stubby cacti on the ground, and I really didn’t want to end tonight with my toes as pincushions. There were other cars, but no people in sight. Agatha set off with purpose, cutting through the brush on a narrow trail I would’ve missed. The moon didn’t give off quite enough light for my liking, so I hurried to keep pace with her before I lost her robed shape in the dark. The vortex’s call still crawled over my skin, but we veered left down a thin path, heading slightly away from the source. I took in a deep breath, tasting the crisp air and the energy of the night.

The creepy-crawly magic sensation wasn’t all coming from the vortex. A certain…potential hung in the air. As if anything could happen under this moon and these stars. It took a bit more hiking before I understood why.

We stepped out onto a plateau cleared of bushes and cacti. The flat looked over a massive gorge that split the earth in half, and moonlight glittered on the river far below. We crossed ring after ring of stones as we made our way to the group of gathered figures.

The hairs on my arms lifted every time I stepped over a line of stones. Each ring had a protective enchantment, and the deeper Agatha and I moved into the circles the more deeply I breathed.

It felt safe. It felt magical.

It felt like home.

I counted thirteen rings of stone before we made it to the center of the clearing and a cluster of log-stump chairs. Agatha let out a breath and shook her shoulders, and I found myself doing the same as a deep calm spread over me. The goodwill of all the women who’d stood here before was soaked into the soil, and if not for the chill and the potential for renegade cactus needles, I would’ve taken off my sneakers to squish my toes in the earth.

“Agatha? Is that you?” A woman’s voice lifted above the low buzz of chatter.

“Damned straight it is.” Agatha shucked off the outer level of her robe. “Is everyone here?”

“Everyone accounted for.” The same woman stepped closer with a curious glance my way. “Is this…?”

“My new apprentice.” Agatha waved a hand with a flourish. “Anise Wise, meet Jane Thurston. She represents the women of the Pueblo.”

Jane wore the same black robes as the other women, with a curtain of long hair down her back and eyes that glittered in the moonlight. Even without a greeting, I sensed the power and tone of her energy—it was soft but incredibly strong, like millions of snowflakes about to avalanche. Just her aura had my mouth glued shut with awe.

“Welcome to our circle.” She didn’t offer a greeting, but I didn’t blame her. In such a sacred space, I didn’t want to be throwing out casual magic. Jane lifted her voice. “Are we all ready? Sylvia? It’s your turn to lead the blessing.”

“Ready.” A woman with a long, dark braid hanging over the shoulder of her robe stepped forward holding a plastic crate of icon candles.

We formed into a circle as ladies passed the candles around, and I took the chance to peek at everyone. All the women gathered were middle-aged or older. No teens or twenty-somethings. I ended up holding a candle with the Virgin Mary printed on its glass and held it stiff in front of myself. I was the youngest by a solid twenty years, at least. Should I not have come along? Not that Agatha had given me a choice, but the power pouring off these women was way above my pay grade. Like, maybe in forty years I’d be their equals, but today I felt like somebody’s kid who needed a babysitter.

Agatha nudged me with an elbow. “You’re welcome here. Just return a blessing when Sylvia offers hers.”

Sylvia stepped into the middle of the circle and lit a long match with a flash of power. She bowed to the moon and the four directions before beginning a prayer in Spanish. I couldn’t understand the words, but the intent was clear as Sylvia’s power filled our circle. Her energy was pure silver, sparkling as it purified the earth and air and banished ill intention.

She swept around the circle, lighting each woman’s candle and offering a few words. Each woman responded to Sylvia’s blessing with their own, adding their power to the center of the circle until our glow blotted out the moon. When Sylvia lit the candle of the woman to my right, I realized I hadn’t thought what to say.

May your bread never burn? May your biscuits rise tall and fluffy?

The woman next to me wasn’t much help. She started in Chinese, but my ears perked when she switched to English. “Let the spirits give us peace this night, and let the dead stay silent.”

Her magic brushed by me as it rushed into the circle, a spectral green energy with dark, fudgy notes that reminded me so much of Blair, I’d be surprised if this wasn’t Mom’s friend, Peggy. But mid-ritual wasn’t the time to say hi, and Sylvia was already stepping in front of me.

I caught Madre Santa and something about protection as she said her part and lit my candle. When it was my turn, I let my magic seep into my voice, crossing my fingers this wouldn’t be another burning-the-ceiling-with-power thing. I wasn’t on my A game with the vortex so close. “Let all gathered here know joy and sisterhood this night.”

Was that too corny?

Sylvia’s mouth turned up in a tiny vindicating smile before she moved on to Agatha at my left. Thank goodness.

“Let the moon shed light on that which we seek,” Agatha said, her power roaring out into the mix.

When all fourteen candles were lit, power glowed so bright around us it was like standing on some heavenly plane—only the sage-bush smell of the desert reminded me we were firmly on earth.

Sylvia stepped to the center of the circle again, and I would’ve expected our combined magics to surge, but the other women had a much tighter hold on their power than I did. Energy fell over our shoulders like a cozy blanket as Sylvia lifted her candle high. “So mote it be.”

“So mote it be,” the other witches spoke in unison. I was half a second behind on the response, but I managed to lift my candle right in sync.

It still felt like standing on a cloud. The magic glowed with the strength of the women who’d cast it, and folded into so much pure, powerful mojo, I’d never felt so safe. My shoulders eased downward and my jaw unclenched. A few of the women let out little sighs and someone slipped a giggle. No one could hurt us here.

With a nod, Sylvia stepped back into the ranks, giving Jane the center. Jane smiled as she looked around the gathered faces. “What’s first, sisters? News? Business?”

Agatha kept silent, and I definitely wasn’t speaking up. I’d speak when spoken to and try not to draw attention to myself.

I did sneak a peek at Peggy. Her black hair was pulled tight into a businesslike bun, and if she was my mother’s age, she didn’t look it, with an airbrushed complexion and not a laugh line in sight. Maybe she was a little stern, but I definitely wanted to say hi after this was over.

A few ladies spoke up with news to share and when one announced the birth of a daughter in her home circle, I realized something else about the Spellwork Syndicate. Most of the women must lead their own circles around town, and the glow of our gathering made it easy to pick out how different those circles were. Agatha was a kitchen witch, and I knew Peggy was a necromancer, but I could only guess what the other women cast. A few wore shamanic-looking necklaces while others wore heavy crosses. Whatever their background, everyone seemed welcome.

After news of an herb garden break-in, the voices lulled.

Jane nodded. “Our other business?”

Agatha bumped me forward and the gesture was so unexpected, I staggered a half-step into the circle. All the ladies turned to look at me and I bit my lip to stop myself from glaring. What the hell, Agatha?

“Why don’t you introduce yourself and tell them why you’re here, cupcake?” Agatha said like it was the most obvious thing.

Maybe it was obvious, but she could’ve given me a warning. I would’ve thought out what I wanted to say. Put on the spot, I tried not to sway, and instead, gulped the calming energy of our spellwork. The safe, welcomeness that sparkled in the air gave me the strength to push back my shoulders and meet their eyes. “I’m Anise Wise. Thank you for letting me join you. Um…” This was the hard part. “Someone poisoned me, we think, and Agatha and I were wondering if there was any news about Hayley. I’m afraid whoever took her is after me now…”

“We’d heard about the accident. You think it was intentional?” The tilt of Jane’s head said the question was more for Agatha than me, which was totally fine.

Agatha’s head shake swung her long hair. “What idiot would leave a jug of paralysis potion laying out? It was intentional or I’ll eat my undies. But we can’t know if Anise was the target unless we know who was doing the targeting, and unless one of you had a breakthrough and forgot to text, I’ve got nothing but fluff on my Hayley.”

“I’ve been scrying every night at the time Hayley went missing.” Sylvia rubbed her arms. “Still nothing.”

“And she’s not among the dead,” Peggy said.

A wispy woman with thick, round glasses piped in. “I haven’t found her dreams.”

Not among the dead was a good start. Maybe Hayley was hiding after all? Just because the Syndicate witches were crazy powerful didn’t mean they’d be able to find someone who didn’t want to be found. Outside of town and far away from the vortex, Hayley might have figured out how to avoid their scrying.

Glasses lady cast a furtive look at Jane. “I still vote for a time-space regression. If we gather at the vortex—”

“Ramona.” Jane’s whip-sharp voice cut across the night, making me shiver down to my toes.

“I’m sorry.” Ramona ducked her head. “I know it’s on Pueblo land, but—”

“No.” Agatha’s voice was equally sharp, but closer this time. I almost wanted to cover my ear. “There’s no but. We don’t tread on Pueblo land and we don’t play with the vortex. Full stop. Especially not to cast some madness that would probably see us all in coffins. We’ll walk that path when the moon falls and the rivers turn to blood and no one else can fix it. Not because of some silly tart who probably ran away.” Her voice was iron until that last line, but I couldn’t read Agatha well enough to tell if she believed the runaway theory.

Jane nodded. “We’ll keep investigating potential threats. In the meantime, we’ll take the usual precautions to make sure Anise and our other girls are safe.”

This was turning out exactly like Mom had said. I did feel protected in this circle of women, but I was feeling more like their granddaughter than their equal. They’d give me cookies and send me off to play while they dealt with the real trouble. I had no illusions I was up to dealing with that trouble myself yet, but could they at least clue me in?

I wouldn’t just stand around if someone tried to shove me into a panel van. I could cast. Not too long ago, I’d burned down half the county fair, and that was without the vortex juicing my power.

Not that I was looking for trouble, but I wasn’t some glass cannon. I could hold my own. I was building up my courage to step into the circle and say as much when a voice sounded beside me.

“Blair tells me you’re taking classes?” Peggy kept her voice low while the other women discussed something about the Shields.

I wanted to hear, but I couldn’t ignore her question without being rude. “I was. I missed a few while my voice was shot.”

“You should consider staying home until we solve the mystery.” Peggy leaned around me to speak to Agatha, and my heart sank a little more with each word. “Surely you and Stef can teach her everything she needs to know?”

Agatha stiffened, and I didn’t think I was imagining the tension crackling between the women at my sides. I wasn’t sure what Agatha would say, but I stepped forward an inch, not wanting to let her answer this one for me. “I wanted to go to school and I still do.” I’d wavered with Agatha making school seem like a punishment, but it had been my dream for too long to throw it away. “I’m not about to drop out now.”

Peggy nodded. “Then Blair will bring you your notes.”

I suppressed a wince. Blair would just love that situation. I’d better text and make it a request before her mom made it an order. “That would be nice of her.”

Agatha eased back a bit, so at least nobody was going to shatter the circle’s peace with a brawl.

“It’s decided. What else?” Jane looked around the circle.

I half-heartedly listened to the rest of the business, but my eyes glazed when Sylvia started rattling off a bunch of numbers for the Syndicate’s treasury. That statistics class might be needed if I wanted to get on the same level as these women.

When there was nothing left to say, Sylvia led the closing and we blew our candles out in unison. The sparkling haze that had glowed over the meeting slowly bled away. I had to blink to readjust to the darkness of the night because the sliver of moon wasn’t cutting it in comparison.

Even though the glow was gone, the wholesome feel of protective energy mostly stayed put now that a fresh layer of magic had soaked into the earth. Part of me wanted to linger to bask, but I made sure to call back my energy as we filed out of the desert in a line. I could probably visit the Syndicate’s circle again, and until then, I didn’t need to be leaving pieces of myself around—especially not when every other person in town practiced some type of craft.

“You look like her,” Peggy said behind me.

The path was too narrow to walk side-by-side, but I glanced back over my shoulder in surprise. “Like my mom?” Her full lips, I’d lucked out with, but the rest… I’d always thought I took after the potato-faced father I’d never met and never would because he freaked and ran when he found out his pregnant wife was on the pentagram side of life.

That was okay though. Potatoes were the best vegetable, and if I could only have one parent, I’d choose Mom every time.

“I couldn’t believe when she messaged. Is she well?”

That was a sensitive one. “We’re doing our best.”

Peggy clicked her tongue. “You’ll come for tea?”

“I’ll—” I almost stopped walking, confused by the quick topic change. “Tea?”

“Tomorrow. Spend some time with Blair.”

“Uh. Sure.”

“Good. Two o’clock.” Peggy’s firm voice didn’t allow for argument.

“Sounds great.” I wasn’t sure what else I could say. I couldn’t imagine Blair had been talking me up at home. But maybe Peggy just wanted to pick my brain about Mom?

Agatha pushed past a bush that looked dangerously prickly in the moonlight. I was trying to sidle past when a figure slipped onto the path ahead of me.

I yelped. Then jumping back, yelped again with a butt full of prickers.

“Careful.” The stranger oozed closer in the darkness. “You wouldn’t want those thorns in any tender places.”

A shiver of ew rolled down my body. He had styled silver-gray hair and a short beard that could’ve gone silver fox if not for his unsettling tone, which squicked me out right down to the bone marrow. A sword hung from his belt like a warning.

Peggy hauled me back with iron fingers on my arm, away from both him and the pricker bush.

“Zedock?” Agatha had backtracked and folded her arms on the path in front of us. “You know better than to show your face here.”

His cheek twitched, and I was glad when he turned away from me, shifting his shoulders square to Agatha. His hand brushed his sword hilt. “When else would I get a word with you witches?”

“What do you want?” Agatha had zero time for his shit.

“Wanted to see how little Wynn is working out for you.” Zedock’s gaze swung back to me. “Have you given him a test ride?”

My mouth opened. A… What?

He couldn’t be saying…? Could he?

Agatha made a disgusted noise. “If you came all the way out here to be an ass, Zed—”

“I came to make a diligent report to the Syndicate. Would’ve told you at the meeting. If I’d been invited.”

Agatha sucked a hard breath through her nose, like a bull pawing the ground before a charge. I would’ve stepped back and apologized if she turned those flame eyes on me, but Zedock smirked without fear.

“Then report.” Agatha’s voice came out a little muffled like she was willing herself not to stab the man.

“We found Hayley’s car.”

A jolt of hope shot through me. Did that mean she was safe?

“Where?” Agatha asked.

“Follow me.” Zedock gave a mocking half-bow and strode past Agatha, heading down the trail to the parking lot.

Peggy finally let go of my arm, and we hurried after them, the witches who’d gotten bottlenecked behind us whispering the news down the line. After a little more hurried trekking, we made it to the edge of the parking lot where a crowd of muscle-men waited. They stood rigid and wary but jumped to action as soon as Zedock appeared.

His Shields?

They hurried back into the cars they’d driven. Some of the Syndicate witches hopped in with them and others hurried to start their own cars.

Agatha found me just long enough toss me the car keys. “Go straight home,” was all she said before climbing into Zedock’s SUV.

I wished them luck as they tore out of the lot. Most of the other cars flew straight after, forming a 90-mile-an-hour cavalcade of witches that no sane cop would dare pull over. I really hoped this led to answers, both for Hayley’s sake and mine.

But standing alone in the parking lot, a shiver of truth wormed through my belly. I was the one left in the middle of the desert without a bodyguard.

So, it didn’t take a genius to figure out who was the Syndicate’s first priority.