Page 90 of Real Fake Hauntings

But no, the days around Halloween were charged with power, especially where spirits were concerned. They would’ve tried right away. Especially if they were worried Bagley’s spirit might fade away now that she’d been torn from the shop and Bagley’s original spell to try to keep her around after death.

What other places carried enough dark-magic baggage for a witch to try to use?

The answer came in a flash of metaphorically blinding light.

The haunted house.

One of the Three Sisters, to be exact. The Victorian mansion where a coven member had been said to eat her master’s heart after he’d dumped her, dooming him to a lifetime of terror and pain inside a closet as he could never quite die from his injuries while the servant had been alive.

A little extreme, but I could see the servant’s side.

If a place had absorbed dark magic into its walls, that one had to be on the top three.

“Up to some scares, Fluffy?”

Fluffy barked, letting me know that she was up to anything.

TWENTY-SEVEN

By the time we made it back to the center of Old Olmeda, the afternoon was tilting towards early evening and my feet were starting to kill me, as were my arms from carrying Fluffy half the way. I didn’t even want to know the state of my green makeup, but judging from the shouts and comments thrown our way, it must either be picture-perfect, or a true Halloween nightmare.

The Three Sisters weren’t too far from Bolton Square, which made our progress slow as the streets filled with locals and tourists. More than a few groups of kids with accompanying adults were going house to house through the quieter residential areas, and the sight warmed my heart.

As did the jolt of recognition when I spied a certain adult with three kids in tow. Sonia. Dressed in some sort of pirate costume, hat included. I hid behind a tree and took a picture for posterity and absolutely not future blackmailing purposes. She walked with purpose with the help of her cane as the three kids shoved each other and laughed loudly.

Sonia Aguilar, possibly being friends or more with Brimstone and Destruction and out trick-or-treating during Halloween. Would the wonders never end?

My phone began ringing, and I answered absentmindedly, my attention focused on Sonia and the kids as they turned a corner out of sight.

“Yes?”

“Hutton is about to blow a gasket,” Dru said.

“He’s still there?” I asked in surprise.

“He wants to talk to you.”

“He can call.”

“That’s what I told him. He said he wants to strangle you in person.”

“Aww. He cares.”

Dru snorted. “The customers love him. I think word has gotten out that he’s here and we keep getting paranormals coming in and asking him for orders.” Her voice got deeper and hushed, as if she was covering the phone with a hand. “Keith came in earlier and took photos of him.”

I winced. “How bad was the damage?”

“The organic candies bowl did not survive, but Keith laughed it off, and people thought it was some sort of joke.”

“Tell him to go home.”

“Not unless you’re here to take up the slack.”

“I need to check on something else first.”

“Hope…”

“It’s about Crane. I found the fifth pentagram. I’m onto something here.”

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