“Unless….” Levi began, and paused as the others suddenly focused on him.
“Unless what?” Bryce asked.
“Unless it wasn’t a real car, but something conjured to bring destruction to our town. Lucinda Santiago said she thought the Escobars had sent it to bring harm to the McAllisters in retaliation for rescuing her.”
A silence fell after that pronouncement. The two women exchanged worried glances, while Bryce crossed his arms, his scowl deepening the heavy lines around his eyes.
Tricia was the first to speak. “Does she have any evidence for this?”
“No. It was just a feeling. She’s still a little disoriented, and that could have something to do with it. But I’m worried that she’s right.”
“I was right there, helping to board up the window, and I didn’t sense anything,” Bryce protested.
“But were you looking for it?” Levi asked.
Another pause. Then Bryce said, “No. No, I wasn’t. That’s not really my kind of thing, anyway. Allegra’s better at picking up on vibes that aren’t quite right.”
“We’d better go check,” she said, looking pleased at her fellow elder’s sideways compliment. “If there’s any residue from evil magic still lingering there, it won’t last forever.”
Levi hadn’t considered that angle. Then again, there was so much about this situation that was novel…and not in a good way. “Let’s take a look, then,” he said, getting up from his chair.
The elders rose as well, and the group of them exited the house and went down the porch stairs and on to the street. As they walked, Levi couldn’t help glancing around him, trying to see if anything was amiss. But everything seemed just as it should be, the bright May sunlight shining down on the fresh grass and budding roses in everyone’s front yards, the various hues of the “painted lady” Victorian houses gleaming in the sun. Down the street, he saw two small dark-haired children throwing a ball at each other in someone’s front yard, and an older witch he didn’t know very well looking on, and realized those children must be Connor and Angela’s twins, sent to a neighbor’s house while their parents were at the hospital keeping watch over Rachel.
All in all, it was a very ordinary scene, one so ordinary, in fact, that it was hard to believe all the people who lived on this street were witches and warlocks, or that dark magic might have been worked on another of these streets only a few blocks away. The little group continued down to Main Street, back to the scene of the crime, as it were. A few passing tourists paused to stare at the boarded-up window and murmur to themselves, but they soon lost interest and continued to their destination, which appeared to be the T-shirt shop across the street next to Grapes.
Allegra went to the window and pressed one pale, slender hand against its frame. Her eyes shut, and she murmured something to herself, although Levi couldn’t quite hear what she was saying. A spell of some sort, he supposed, which could have been anything from a formal ritual to words she’d strung together herself, to help with focusing her mind and her abilities. From what he’d seen, the McAllisters did tend to be rather freeform about such things, and didn’t rely on spell books the way the de la Paz clan did. But no one could argue that they weren’t strong, even if theirs was a different kind of strength from that of the other witch families.
A tremor went through her, and the dangling silver earrings she wore jingled softly. “Yes, there was dark magic here,” Allegra said. “I can’t tell where exactly it came from, or who sent it, because it’s already begun to fade. But I definitely feel something that isn’t right.”
“We don’t have to guess at who sent it,” Bryce growled. “Those damned Escobars had to have been behind this.”
Tricia crossed her arms, a frown creasing the fine ivory skin between her brows. “Can you sense anything more than that, Allegra? What I mean is, did the Escobars somehow reach out to influence someone who was driving by anyway, or was this some new kind of demonic manifestation?”
Her question made Levi frown as well, because he hadn’t even considered that angle. He’d assumed the Escobars must have figured out a way to control minds at great distances, or possibly sent one of the Santiagos here to do their dirty work, somehow masking that person’s identity so he or she could get past the wards. Such things weren’t outside the bounds of possibility, since Damon Wilcox had done the very same thing to get his brother Connor safely into Jerome without being detected.
No response from Allegra at first. She moved over slightly, and stooped so her fingers could trail along the bottom edge of the window, although she was careful to avoid any of the nails that held the boards in place. Some of her graying fair hair fell in her face, and Levi shifted his position just a little so he could shield her from being seen by anyone who might be casually driving by. Yes, Jerome had a reputation for being populated by eccentrics, but Allegra’s behavior would have appeared unusually odd to any passersby.
At last she straightened, one hand going to the small of her back, as though it pained her slightly. Perhaps bending over like that for an extended time had been difficult for her; Levi didn’t know her precise age, but he thought she was probably in her early sixties.
“I sense nothing human here,” she said, her faded blue gaze moving briefly to Levi before it returned to Tricia and Bryce, who stood close together, both of them practically radiating tension. “Or rather, I can still feel something of Rachel, because this is her shop and she’s spent so much time here. But anyone involved in a sudden, violent act — whether intentional or not — should have also left a bit of residue. I can’t feel anything like that at all. So whatever it was — a vehicle driven by a demon, or a vehicle with no driver at all, something animated purely by the power of Joaquin Escobar’s mind — it definitely didn’t involve a human.”
Those words were not what Levi wanted to hear. As frightening as the thought of a civilian being suborned by the Escobars might be…as terrible as it might have been to think of a Santiago witch or warlock sent hundreds of miles to do their bidding…it seemed somehow worse to consider that otherworldly powers had been involved here as well. Demons showing their true forms and attacking in lonely, unpopulated areas…that was one thing. A demon behind the wheel of a car, or a demon in the form of a car, seemed so much worse.
“How do we defend ourselves against something like that?” Tricia asked. Maybe the question had been meant rhetorically, but Levi still felt he should try to answer.
“I know something of these demons,” he said. “Not everything, of course, but maybe enough to help make our wards much more powerful, alter them so the demons simply can’t pass through the town limits and only set off an alarm. I’d need to know how you cast the spells, though.”
Bryce obviously didn’t care much for that request; his mouth thinned, and his arms crossed. “Those wards are the business of the clan elders.”
“I think we’re past caring about tradition, Bryce,” Tricia said crisply. “If Levi can help, then of course we need to let him try.”
Levi smiled at her in gratitude, glad that she didn’t seem nearly as stubborn as the sole warlock among the trio of elders. Allegra nodded.
“Yes,” she put in. “Desperate times, as they say. What do you need from us, Levi?”
He hesitated for a moment. It was one thing to ask to be let in on this one secret of the elders — they might regard him as something of an outsider, but at least they’d had some time to get used to him. However, he also knew the best chance of truly being to help was to have Hayley assist him, to lend her power to strengthening the wards. He couldn’t help but think that Bryce would balk at such a request. Hayley might be a McAllister, but she’d only arrived in town a few days earlier. In the elder’s eyes, she might very well seem like a stranger.
Still, Levi knew he had to ask. Otherwise, the endeavor might be doomed to failure from the start.
“I need you to take me to where all the wards are set,” he replied. “I need you to say the words of
the spell, or perform the ritual, or whatever else it is you do. And I need to bring Hayley McAllister with me, because her gift will greatly strengthen mine.”
Silence. A couple of tourists walked past and sent them some curious glances, but because the elders and Levi hadn’t been discussing anything sensitive at that precise moment, it was unlikely that the civilians had overheard anything.
Once the coast was clear, Bryce said, “Do you really think that’s necessary?”
Interesting that none of them had asked what Hayley’s particular gift was. Then again, while such matters weren’t generally shared amongst the clan, it was quite different for that kind of topic to be discussed amongst the elders. Angela had probably let them know as a matter of courtesy.
“I think it’s the only way,” Levi replied. “She’s already helped me twice when I had to drive off some of the Escobars’ demon slaves. We stand a much better chance of having truly effective wards if she’s helping me.”
Another silence. At last Bryce gave a grudging nod. “All right. If we have to, we have to. Go fetch her, and meet us down at the bottom of the hill, at the bend in the road by the abandoned gas station. That’s the location of the first and most important of the wards, so we might as well start there.”
“I’ll get her,” Levi promised. Both Tricia and Allegra offered him encouraging smiles, quite a contrast to the scowl that hadn’t quite erased itself from Bryce’s features.
Well, Levi thought as he walked away, toward the building where presumably Hayley and Lucinda still occupied one of the apartments on the top floor, he had wanted to spend more time with Hayley.
He just hadn’t imagined it being quite like this.
15
The knock at the door wasn’t a complete surprise, since Hayley had hoped that Levi would come by once his meeting with the elders was done. However, because Brandon was still standing up and therefore the closest person to answer that knock, he was the one who opened the door. He didn’t exactly give Levi a smile of greeting, but at least he had enough courtesy to say, “Hey, Levi. What’s up?”
“The elders need Hayley,” Levi replied.
At the sound of her name, Hayley startled slightly, then got up from the couch. Trying to ignore Lucinda’s curious stare, she said, “Me? What for?”
“We’re going to strengthen the wards, and I want you to help.”
“Okay.” Although Levi didn’t seem particularly agitated, Hayley couldn’t help but experience a flutter of worry in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t even met the elders yet; there hadn’t been any reason for her to. But now they needed her assistance. Her gaze moved to Lucinda, who hadn’t moved from her spot on the sofa, but who also now seemed a bit nervous as she realized she was about to be left alone with Brandon.
Levi must have noticed her unease, because he said, addressing Lucinda directly, “It shouldn’t take very long…I hope. I don’t know for sure, though.”
“It’s all right,” Brandon put in unexpectedly. “We can go for a walk or something, see a little of Jerome. Would that be okay?”
A flush tinged Lucinda’s high cheekbones. “Um…sure. It looks like an interesting town. And it would be good to get some fresh air.”
Whether or not the Santiago witch was really up to strolling around Jerome, Hayley didn’t know. At the moment, though, they didn’t have much of a choice. It would have been awkward in the extreme to leave Lucinda and Brandon alone in the flat, so Hayley could see why her brother would have opted instead for some sightseeing, something completely innocuous where they’d be out and around other people. And, the attack on Rachel’s store notwithstanding, they should be safe enough while surrounded by civilians. The Escobars were out for blood, but even they wouldn’t want to do something that might draw the attention of the authorities by injuring someone who wasn’t part of the McAllister clan.
“Well, then,” Hayley said, “we’ll leave you guys to it.”
She got up from the couch and went to meet Levi at the door. Should she have gone back to her bedroom to get her purse? No, that seemed like a waste of time. It wasn’t like she would need it for anything. She could always use Levi’s phone to text Brandon if she really needed to.
As Hayley went out, she gave Lucinda a little wave, one that was returned with some hesitation. Well, the other witch probably had thought she’d have more time to recover from her captivity, wouldn’t have to socialize quite yet, but fate had intervened.
No, not fate, Hayley thought as she descended the stairs with Levi. The Escobars.
To her surprise, Levi didn’t take her out to the street, but around back, to where his truck was parked. “We have to start at the bottom of the hill,” he explained as he put the key in the ignition. “It would take too long to walk, so we’re driving.”
“Got it.” She waited until he’d backed out of his parking space to ask, “And the elders are cool with me butting in?”
“I don’t know if ‘cool’ is the right word,” he replied. “It’s more that they need my help, and they know what your gift can do to my talents, so it makes sense to have your assistance.” He lifted one hand from the steering wheel and put it on hers, where it had been resting on the seat. It was good to feel his strong fingers against hers, even if she knew that was the only touch he’d be able to spare her for a while. “That wasn’t a human driver who hit the front of Rachel’s store. It was something else the Escobars summoned.”
“Goddess,” Hayley whispered. “And right in the middle of Jerome.”
“Exactly. So we have to do what we can to shore up our defenses. Maybe Connor and Angela could have helped, but they’re busy, obviously. Besides, this is the sort of thing the elders should be doing. They just need some extra firepower.”
He sounded casual and confident, but Hayley sneaked a quick sideways look at him and saw the way his lips pressed together, noticed how tense the muscles of his throat were. Not that she could blame him, but still, it was disconcerting to realize he maybe wasn’t as in control of his emotions as he would have liked to be.
Was he frightened? She knew she was, could feel the creeping dread constricting her chest and making her stomach roil. Even if she tried to tell herself that she was perfectly safe, she wasn’t sure she believed those inner reassurances. The car that had crashed into the store and injured Rachel had appeared out of nowhere, in bright daylight. Who was to say another one wouldn’t materialize right here on Highway 89A as it wound its way down toward Cottonwood, accelerating and forcing them off the road? It was a very long drop…most likely a deadly one, if the small crosses and other memorials that cropped up here and there along the roadside were any indication.
After all, Angela’s own mother had died here more than twenty-five years ago now, on an icy February night….
Hayley told herself to stop manufacturing problems, that it was now a sunny May day without a cloud in sight, let alone any black ice on the roadway. Besides, the man driving the motorcycle that had crashed and taken Sonya McAllister with it had been a civilian. Hayley was confident that Levi could handle whatever they might encounter, even if it turned out to be a modern-day version of the car from that Stephen King book, only this one powered by the Escobars’ own malevolence.
However, Levi wasn’t forced into a confrontation with a reanimated Plymouth Fury, because they reached the bottom of the hill without incident. The elders were already there, all of them standing by a white Volvo station wagon. They made an odd trio — a man in his late fifties, with graying brown hair and piercing blue eyes, one woman around the man’s age, maybe a little older, with dishwater gray-blonde hair and dangling earrings and a long patchwork skirt, the other woman quite a bit younger, with a chic red bob, in black capri pants and black flats and a crisp green tailored shirt.
Bryce, Allegra, and Tricia, Hayley reminded herself. They were the elders, so of course she knew their names, but this was the first time she’d been able to put faces to those names. All those faces looked gr
im enough, although Tricia did smile at Hayley as she got out of Levi’s truck.
“Hello, Hayley,” she said. “I’m Tricia, and this is Bryce and Allegra. Levi says you’re going to help us out today?”
“I hope so,” Hayley returned, giving an awkward little wave at the other two elders. Allegra nodded in encouragement, her eyes kind, but Bryce just stared at Hayley, his expression indicating that he preferred to reserve judgment until he saw some results.
With any luck, she’d show him soon enough that she wasn’t here merely to keep Levi company.
He had just gotten out of the truck as well, and stuck his thumbs in his belt loops as he stood there and surveyed the surrounding landscape. It looked innocuous enough to Hayley — although abandoned gas stations always seemed slightly creepy to her — but she knew the wards that protected Jerome had to be here somewhere.
“Right here,” Bryce said, leading Levi over to one of the derelict, rusting gas pumps. “Can you feel it?”
Levi put his hand on the pump, his expression distant, as though he listened to far-off music only he could hear. “Yes, I feel it.”
“We come down and refresh it every quarter of the year,” Allegra added in as she walked over to join them. “As we do with the rest of the wards. But even though we did that less than a month ago, at the equinox, clearly it wasn’t enough.”
“Can you show me?”
“Of course. Tricia?”
The red-haired elder, who’d bent inside the Volvo to check on something, straightened and headed over to join her compatriots. “Is the coast clear?”
Bryce nodded. “We have a few minutes before the next car gets to this spot.”
“All right.”
The three of them joined hands, making a small circle. Eyes shut, they recited in unison,
Forces of earth, air, fire, and water
Forces of light, forces of dark
Deep Magic (The Witches of Cleopatra Hill Book 13) Page 19