Both White and Dark witches had their own versions of locator or tracking spells. Iris’s Dark witch version was excellent, but it required hours spent on pre-spells and aura-detecting spells—that’s if I did it right—not to mention adding the compass link to Marcus’s pen. Then I would need to add all the mix and link it to an amulet that would act like an actual compass, which would then lead the way.
I didn’t have hours to mess around with spells. I needed to find Marcus like yesterday. The longer we wasted time working spells, the further away we would be at discovering what happened to Bernard, and the worse off my Aunt Ruth would be.
Six days sounded like a lot of time, but it really wasn’t. Not when someone’s life was at stake.
So, we opted for the White witch approach.
With my Witch’s Handbook lying on the floor to my right, I leaned forward and flattened the map of Pennsylvania we found from a large hardcover book called The Atlas of North America, which we’d discovered in my aunts’ library.
Iris knelt on the floor next to me. “Thank you for helping me,” I told her. Though I’d never tried one myself, with Iris’s help the locator spell was completed in record time. She was freaking amazing when it came to spells.
Iris’s dark eyes lit up. “I’m just super psyched you’re letting me handle White magic. It’s like Christmas… only better, without the creepy fat guy in the beard and the red suit. But the elves and reindeer are a nice touch.”
I laughed. “You’re nuts.”
Ronin made a strange sound in his throat and I pulled my eyes up to look at him.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“There’s nothing hotter than two women on their knees,” answered Ronin.
Iris laughed, but I threw a chalk at his head. “That’s gross.”
“Ow,” he laughed. “Just stating the obvious.”
“Stop stating all together,” I said. “I need to concentrate. Can’t have you spilling your vampire mojo while I’m trying to work.”
While Ronin chuckled, I leaned forward and placed Marcus’s ballpoint pen on the map of Pennsylvania before leaning back, my gaze back on my spellbook. “Okay. I’ve placed the tangible piece of Marcus’s property with his aura on the map.” I let out a breath. “Next comes the spell.”
Iris let out a squeal of delight and clapped her hands. “This is soooo much better than sex.”
“Hey,” called Ronin. “Nothin’s better than sex… other than…say… lots and lots of sex.”
Pulse picking up, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, took a small container the size of a saltshaker, twisted the top, and sprinkled some blue-colored powder over the map. It fell like makeup glitter, glimmering in the light as it settled and coated the map and the pen.
I took a slow breath. Touching my will to the elements, I ran my gaze over the spell and chanted in a clear voice, “Power of the elements, I summon thee. I seek your help in finding the one called Marcus who is hiding.”
Power surged. I stiffened, and my breath hissed in through my nose. The outpouring of energy from the elements fused with my aura, and I almost fell as my equilibrium shifted. Gritting my teeth, a tingling sensation fluttered from my fingers to my toes.
Putting out a hand on the floor, I steadied myself as the incoming energy continued to build and pull with tremors that shook me like a fever.
A burst of dazzling light flashed before our eyes as magic tore through the room. On the map, Marcus’s pen spun around on its axis in a blur.
“Is that supposed to happen?” Ronin was leaning behind me, his breath hot on the back of my neck.
I stared at the pen. “No idea.”
“Ooooh! I’m getting the feels!” expressed Iris, her eyes wide with a huge smile plastered over her face. She looked like she’d just performed her darkest curse ever as she rubbed her arms.
With another flash of light, the blue dust lifted off the map, hovering over it like a cloud. I watched in amazement as the dust came together to form an arrow and moved to the top of the map. Then the dust compressed together into a single tiny ball the size of a pea—and fell flat on the map.
“Holy shit,” I breathed.
“Holy poop on a stick,” expressed Ronin.
I leaned forward. “The dot is covering an area called Allegheny National Forest. And look—right on the Allegheny Tionesta Creek Camping site.”
“The chief’s on a camping trip?” asked Ronin, his voice thick with disbelief. “All this time, the dude’s been hiking and making campfires, eating s’mores, and singing Kumbaya?”
He did have a point. Frowning, I stared at the blue dot, thoughts of Marcus spiraling in my head. Emotions cascaded over me, things I did not want to feel and experience right now in front of my friends. I hated that he made me feel like that.
But I had big lady balls now, and this wasn’t about me or my feelings.
“Camping or not,” I said, as I stifled my feelings away and yanked out my book The Ley Lines of North America from my bag on the floor next to me. “I’m going to drag his butt back kicking and screaming. I really don’t care at this point.”
Iris let out a creepy laugh. “I love it when they kick and scream,” she said, as a strange smile flickered over her. “Means it’s working.”
My eyes met Ronin’s and he shrugged.
Moving on, moving on…
“Wish I could come with you.” Iris folded her hands on her lap. “I want to help Ruth any way I can, but I’m not going to lie. I just really want to see Marcus kicking and screaming.”
“Me too,” I answered, touched that my new bestie wanted to come. “But I haven’t mastered ley lines. Well, with me yes. But I have no idea how to bring others with me. It might not work. It might even kill you.”
“But I’m a witch,” protested Iris, her cheeks darkened with color. “It’ll work. I know it will.” Her face was hopeful as her hands clasped before her.
My chest tightened at what I saw on her face. “And you’re my friend. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Iris looked down at the map. “Promise that one day you’ll teach me. You’ll let me ride a ley line with you?”
“Promise,” I said as Iris looked back at me, a smile on her pretty pixie-like face. I flicked my gaze back down at my ley line book. “Got it. I’ll have to transfer two ley lines, but there’s a stop close to that campsite. I’ll have to walk about a mile, but no big deal in the right boots.” I snapped my book shut, shoved it in my bag, and leaped to my feet. “Speaking of boots. I’ve got to go.”
“What?” Ronin spun on his feet. “Like right now?”
“Yup.” I dashed into the bathroom and closed the door. I did not want to have the urge to pee while traveling via ley line. The idea of what my pee could do to a passerby while traveling at light speed was a pretty disturbing visual… and a funny one.
Once I was done, I rushed out of my bathroom, grabbed my winter coat from my bed along with my black wool tuque and matching mittens, wrapped a thick scarf around my neck, and dashed to the hallway. I stared at Ruth’s closed door for a moment before heading towards the stairs in the hallway with Iris and Ronin running to catch up.
“Hey, Flash. Slow down. Don’t you want to tell your aunts where you’re going?” asked Ronin, climbing down the stairs behind me.
“No.” A thrilling mix of excitement and duty washed over me. I was going to fix this thing with Ruth. Right now.
I ran down the hallway to the entryway and slipped my tall winter boots on. Once I had my coat zipped up and my hat pulled over my head, I turned to my friends. “Don’t tell them anything until I get back,” I warned, hearing Dolores’s and Beverly’s voices trailing from the kitchen. “Don’t want to get their hopes up if it doesn’t work. Got it?”
“It’s going to work,” encouraged Iris. “He’ll come when he hears about Ruth. I know he will.”
For some reason, I couldn’t answer, but I hoped she was right.
Ronin stepped forward. “Don’t worry. We’ll keep the old bags in line till you get back.”
Nodding, I let out a breath. “Be back soon.”
I spun around and faced the front door. Excitement pounded in my veins at the prospect of the hunt, the thrill of the chase, and the promise of kicking Marcus’s butt if he didn’t follow me home.
Yeah. Good times.
With my pulse throbbing, I called up my will and reached out to tap the ley line. A blast of energy hit me, just as I felt it vibrating beneath Davenport House.
My fingers curled around the door handle, and I yanked it open and jumped.