Page 56 of My Blind Date is a Ghost

“Depends on the magic,” Beverly says. “But if you are asking if what Jacob did gives you legal cause to go out there and look for Cora, then I can assure you it does.”

“Fine,” I say. “Everyone in the car.”

* * *

We drive so fast out to the Clarke family home, I have to wonder if one of the witches with me is giving the car unnatural speed. I park at the end of the drive. I don’t know where Cora is or what they’ve done to her, so I don’t want the family to have time to hide her.

I turn the safety off on my gun and get out of the car. “I suppose you all think you are going with me?”

“You ask the silliest questions,” Beverly says as they all pile out.

“Fine,” I whisper. “But stay behind me. I don’t want to accidentally shoot one of you.”

“Careful!” Jacob calls out as I start to walk. He picks up a tree branch and tosses it onto the property. It immediately fizzles, catches fire, and then disintegrates.

“Awesome,” I say sarcastically.

“They have enough shields up to power the whole town,” Sophia says. “Something is definitely going on in there.”

“Something they don’t want interrupted,” Beverly says. She reaches into a shoulder bag that she brought with her and pulls out a selenite athame. I wonder what other kinds of magical items Beverly just happened to bring with her.

Beverly chants something and makes some movements with the athame. Then she cuts a hole in the shield big enough for us to walk through.

“Careful,” she says. “Don’t touch the edges.”

We slip through, and then Beverly removes her athame, letting the shield close again. Reinforcements wouldn’t be coming even if we could call for them. I look at my cell phone and see that there is no signal.

I hear barking and see three large black Doberman pinchers running toward us, their teeth bared. I hesitate. I really don’t want to shoot three dogs. Thankfully, Sophia seems prepared for this. She steps forward and holds her hands up, chanting something. The dogs are nearly upon her when they suddenly stop and sit down in front of her, whining like puppies.

“Good dogs,” she says as she pets them and rubs their tummies.

We finally get close enough to see the house. We hide behind some bushes and watch for a moment. I see a man walking around outside like a guard. I wait for him to get close and then jump him from behind, locking him in a sleeper hold until he passes out.

We make out way around to a locked basement door. Beverly merely grips the padlock and it falls away in her hand. We enter the basement as quietly as possible. I put my finger to my lips to warn the others not to make a sound. We make out way down the only hallway in a single file. After only a few steps, we hear voices, so we move toward them.

“What did you do?” I hear a voice ask.

“I don’t know,” someone replies.

“This isn’t possible,” someone else says.

“Please.” Cora. My heart seizes in my chest. “What do you want from me?”

“Well, not this,” someone replies.

We finally make our way to a doorway. I peek inside and see a bunch of hooded and cloaked figures standing in a circle. I can’t see Cora, so I assume she’s in the middle.

“She’s useless this way,” someone says.

“How could this happen?” someone else asks. The hooded figures are arguing.

“We can’t let her leave.”

“We can’t keep her prisoner.”

“I’ve seen her around town.”

“Beverly knows she’s alive.”

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