Page 6 of A Second Roar for Love

“Ellie Theren, as I live and breathe,” Ivy exclaimed, hurrying around the counter to pull Ellie into a hug. “It’s been too long.”

Ellie returned the embrace, the familiar scent of herbs and honey enveloping her. “It’s good to see you, Ivy.”

Ivy ushered her to a table, already putting on a pot of tea. “I heard about what happened. I’m so sorry, Ellie. Losing a husband, I can’t even imagine.”

Ellie accepted the steaming cup of tea, the warmth seeping into her hands. “It’s been hard. But being back here, it feels right, you know?”

Ivy nodded, a knowing glint in her eye. “Speaking of things that feel right, have you seen Reed yet?”

Ellie nearly dropped her cup. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

Ivy laughed. “Because, my dear, some things are just meant to be. You and Reed, you had something special. Maybe this is the universe’s way of giving you another chance.”

Ellie shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips. “You sound like Elsie.”

Ivy grinned. “Great minds, and all that. But seriously, Ellie. Don’t let the past hold you back. You never know what the future might bring.”

With a final hug and a promise to catch up soon, Ellie left the tea house, her head spinning. Between the mystery of her grandmother’s past, the awakening of her own powers, and the sudden reappearance of Reed in her life, she felt like she was standing on the edge of a precipice, the world she knew crumbling beneath her feet.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed when she arrived back at her grandmother’s house. But the sight of a familiar figure on her porch brought her up short.

“Reed,” she said, climbing the steps to stand beside him. “What brings you here?”

Reed turned to her, his amber eyes intense. “I have some preliminary findings from the medical examiner and I just wanted to check up on you to make sure nothing happened overnight.”

Ellie nodded, not wanting to make too much out of this surprise welcome visit. “I appreciate that.”

They settled in the living room where he showed a handwritten document from the ME’s office that said the dead man in her home had died of a massive myocardial infarction.

“A heart attack?” she asked.

“Not just a heart attack,” he replied. “His heart had practically exploded in his chest.”

She gasped. “How could that happen?”

“The ME said it definitely wasn’t natural. She believed magic caused it. Powerful dark magic.

“Maybe I can help with that mystery.” Ellie pulled the copy of the letter from town hall from her pocket and handed it to him. “I found out my grandmother was part of a secretive magical council,” Ellie said. “And there was a warning about a buried secret beneath the house.”

Reed frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. “We should explore the cellar. See if we can find anything that might shed light on this.”

Ellie agreed, and together they made their way down the creaky wooden steps to the underground room. The air was damp and musty, and Ellie shivered, goose bumps rising on her arms.

At the bottom, Ellie paused, her hand on the light switch. She could feel the magic pulsing through the walls, a low, insistent hum that set her teeth on edge.

“Do you feel that?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Reed nodded, his hand on his gun. “What is it?”

Ellie shook her head. “I don’t know. But it’s strong. Powerful.”

She flipped the switch, the bare bulb above them flickering to life. The cellar was small, the walls lined with shelves of old jars and boxes.

They searched the space, moving boxes and old furniture, until Reed called out, “Ellie, look at this.”

A trapdoor, set into the floor, the wood old and rotted.

Ellie approached it slowly, her heart pounding. She knelt, her fingers brushing the rusted handle.

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