Page 54 of Thunder Road

Simon smiled at Pete’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail. “That’s great. Just give me the receipt, and I’ll reimburse you. Did the bikers show up?”

“If you mean the six really big guys in leather lined up outside the shop, I think this is the safest we’ve ever been,” Pete replied.

“Good. I’ll let you know when we finish, but I’m going silent now so we can do the incantation,” Simon reminded him.

“Good luck and be careful,” Pete said. “Talk to you after.”

Simon checked his newest text message and looked to Vic. “The North Carolina covens have activated, and they’ve supercharged the seven-pointed star. Maret’s coven showed, thebikers are on duty, the store is full of witches, Pete is feeding them, and it’s turned into a house party with magic.”

“Why do we always miss the fun stuff?” Vic said in a dry tone. He grew serious and laid a hand on Simon’s arm. “Remember what I told you. Back off and let the others fill in if it gets too much. Saving the world is important, but I want you in it.” He fixed Simon with a look.

Simon took his hand. “I’ll be careful. Saving the world matters, but I want to be with you.” He understood Vic’s caution and hoped he could keep his promise.

Father Anne joined them. “Gabriella and Miss Eppie are ready. Sister Cecilia is also finished. If you’ve done what you need to do, I think it’s show time.”

“Let’s go.”

Vic stood on guard, gun in hand, watching the forest. Father Anne, Simon, and Hardin stood together to speak the incantation, and the others formed a circle around them and Gabriella’s candlelit workspace. Their updated version combined the best features of several variations since no one had the original text.

Hardin’s assistant Dan joined Vic, standing where he could help keep watch and also witness the ritual.

Simon closed his eyes and sent out a silent summons to the ghosts of the Georgetown Lighthouse. He felt their presence flutter and grow stronger. “Ghosts and guardians of North Island! Lend us your help to replace the wardings and keep the creature at bay.”

Spirits grew closer. Some he guessed to be the ghosts of the lighthouse keepers, while others were wives and children. A few of the revenants looked like ship captains, and Simon wondered if his call raised them from the deep.

“The power has faded. We were left alone,”the ghosts accused.

“We’re here to fix that. We’ll raise the protections and make sure they stay renewed.”

“The dangerous thing we kept at bay has gotten stronger,”the spirits howled.

“Strengthening the wardings should bind the troll again. Help us.”

The air grew colder, the sky darkened, and the wind picked up as the chant continued. The sea had been calm when they headed for the island, but now whitecaps rose, and waves pounded against the shore.

The troll could choose any of the lighthouses to strike, but Simon had to trust his gut that it would be drawn to protect its most powerful sources—the two strongest lighthouses.

“I’m going to cast off and go out a ways, or the boat will slam into the pier,” the captain said on the frequency for Simon’s earpiece. “I’ll check back every half hour to come pick you up.”

Without the boat, they were stranded on the island with the ghosts, the fluctuating energy of the magic—and possibly the troll. Simon tried to push that from his mind and focus on sending his energy into the spell.

He staggered when he felt the power of their ritual connect with the weak pulse of what remained of the old protections. For just a second, the invisible sigils on the tower walls lit up like flame. The warded circle where they stood glowed, and a translucent, shimmering dome of power rose over them.

Simon felt tendrils of energy expand like vines from inside the warded circle toward the tall, white tower, twining their way up the old brick walls. A flicker of light drew Simon’s attention, Sister Petroula’s ghost joined them, standing next to Sister Cecilia, helping with the chant.

The power of their magic rose like the tide, flowing toward the lighthouse. He recited the old words, feeling them draw from his power.

I’m glad I didn’t try this alone. I’m not sure one person has enough energy to survive raising such strong protections. The spell might have taken everything I had.

Simon heard a commotion from the forest and sensed the ghosts’ sudden agitation, but he couldn’t spare it his attention. Not yet. Faltering now would mean failure and could be disastrous.

He felt the hair on the backs of his arms rise and knew they were no longer the only ones present on the island.

Simon had memorized the words of power. He finally dared to glance away from the page in front of him and caught his breath, only hesitating for a second as he continued to recite the words.

A tall man with the build of a professional bodybuilder—bronzed skin, broad shoulders, thick muscles, and large fists—strode toward them. His wild mane of dark hair framed plain features, and his eyes blazed golden with fury. He looked more like a warrior than the gnarled figures from fairytales and pop culture.

And here’s the troll—right on time.

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