Page 65 of The Cursed Sebastian Storm

They hurried back to the van. Sebastian’s hands shook as he locked the gate.

“Why do they like my property so much?” he asked as they drove away.

James twisted around in the front seat to look back at him. “It was like they were gathering there. Do you think it has to do with the fuel cell?”

The fixation some of the shades had on the fuel cell was odd, but Sebastian didn’t think it was what was drawing them in. “There’s always been way more shades around Storm House than in town. Whatever’s drawing them has been here a lot longer than the fuel cell. It has to be the veins, right?”

“But why would shades care about the intersection? And why are there so many more now than ever before?” James didn’t sound like he expected Sebastian to have any answers. They all had to be wondering the same thing.

“At least they’re not in town,” Hazel pointed out.

James grunted his agreement before adding, “There’s nothing stopping them if they decide to head into Moonlight Falls, and with so many out here, how do we know there aren’t large groups of them in town too? Or in the woods? It’s not a good time to be wandering around.” He pulled out his phone and made a call. No one answered, and he hung up.

Sebastian could feel the tension in James growing. “Calling Eli?”

“Yeah. I don’t like not knowing where he is. Not with that many shades so close and this darkness going nowhere.”

Sebastian understood. James’s fear of losing Eli ran deep, and while he could deal with every day worries, this situation was way higher risk. Anyone would be stressed.

Hazel drove past the electrical shop into the center of town. A few shades hovered around the stone while others swooped between the streetlights. Most of the shops were dark. The diner had its lights on, but the closed sign glowed in the window. It seemed like everyone had been happy to go on as usual yesterday, but the sun not rising a second time was too much, even for Moonlighters.

James made another phone call as they drove around the circle. “Where are you?” he barked as soon as someone picked up.

As James spoke into the phone, Hazel took them past the bed and breakfast where a couple was loading suitcases into a car and the elementary school that only had the lights on in the main office and two cars parked out front.

The whole place had a creepy, deserted vibe that even the cheerful, well-maintained building couldn’t counteract. The fall leaves blowing across the road didn’t give off the same cozy feeling they usually did on crisp mornings. The sight gave Sebastian a sense of dread he’d only ever felt late on winter nights at Storm House. Alone in the dark, in a world that felt deserted.

James hung up the phone. “Parker and Eli are out on Pine Steet, past the bridge.”

Hazel took the next left. They drove through the east side of town, where more lights were on in the houses, making it seem like people had chosen to stay in, protected by their wards, and wait out whatever was happening.

Word must not have gotten out about the wards on Parker’s house being penetrated, but since that night, Sebastian hadn’t seen any more of the shadowy tendrils. Not even at Storm House. None of the houses seemed to be under attack, and it looked like there were fewer shades out this way, so at least there was that.

The houses grew thinner, giving way to larger plots of land and small paddocks. Trees loomed in the distance. Past the creek, Parker’s car was pulled over next to a plot of land for sale, the car running, high beams on, and hazards flashing. He and Eli were standing in the road, Parker holding a flashlight.

As Hazel pulled over behind them, Sebastian noticed something odd about the trees in the distance. It seemed almost brighter over there, but somehow, the light wasn’t reaching the cars.

“Found the boundary.” Parker gestured in front of himself as they approached.

Eli stood in front of Parker, pulling on a rope tied to a skateboard.

“What are you doing?” James grumbled, hands shoved in his pockets. “I thought you were staying in the car, driving around, and measuring things? There are about a million shades at Storm House. You shouldn’t be standing out here like this.”

“Hold on.” Eli sounded exasperated as he pulled the skateboard back to himself. A metal box sat on top of it. “We’re figuring out important shit. The darkness boundary is in the exact same place as the barrier trapping us.” He stepped forward and pushed on an invisible wall. “See?”

Parker handed Eli his laptop. “We’ve been to the spot where you crashed your truck already, James. It was the same there.”

“Ha!” Eli exclaimed as he looked at his laptop screen.

James rubbed a hand over his face. “Can we go somewhere the shades can’t get to us? Then you can tell me all about whatever you found.”

“You said the shades were at Storm House. That’s miles from here.” Eli looked up from the laptop. “I know you want to wrap us all up in bubble wrap, James, but how are we going to fix anything if we do nothing but hide?”

“I’m not saying that.” James’s expression pinched, showing his hurt.

Sebastian put an arm around James. He couldn’t help wanting to protect everyone.

Eli must have noticed James’s reaction. He looked down at his feet. “Sorry, I know.”

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