Page 71 of In the Dark

“It took some practice. Practice and a bottle of aspirin for a headache. After a while, you don’t notice the handwriting anymore.”

“I highly doubt it. I’ve seen some scratchy penmanship before, but this…this is illegible.”

“Good thing you won’t be the one reading it, then.”

Morgan finished his brief perusal and tuned in to the energies of the book, that spell in particular. Yes, there was true power there. It lay in wait. Ready for the right incantation, the right ritual, the right oomph behind it to unleash the magic. The right year and month and position of the moon.

Fate was behind this, he knew. They wouldn’t have found the spell without a guiding hand.

“It’s been waiting a long time for someone to appreciate it. Lots of secrets here,” he said.

Astix shook her head and stared at him. “Good to hear. Anyway, the spell, plus black onyx, bloodstone, agate, and the fact that it’s a Saturday should be enough to get the bitch back where she belongs.” She stalked forward. “Out of my sister.”

“I don’t know about the Saturday thing but I’ll trust your judgment. This is too far outside my purview for me to offer any kind of concrete help. I’m a Greek philosopher by nature. If you need help dealing with mythology of the Mediterranean—”

“I’ll know who to ask, thanks.” She pressed her lips together. “You’ll be my magical backup if we need it. And we are going to need it.”

“Somehow you don’t seem too sure.”

“Who can be sure of anything?”

Morgan closed the book with a breath of dust rising from the pages. “When all of this is over, I would like a chance to talk to you,” he reiterated.

“When all of this is over, I expect you to tell me who you really are.” Astix turned her odd-colored eyes on him. “I would be happy to have a chat once we get that bit out of the way.”

Morgan grinned, holding out his hand. “You have a deal.”

He caught the flash of tattoos as she gripped his palm, shaking once.

Karsia stalked toward them, furious. “I would appreciate it if we kept the touching to a minimum.”

Astix made sure to step a solid two feet away from Morgan on the off chance Karsia went back on her word against hurting family. “It’s fine. We’re set.”

Aisanna opened the door behind them, shrinking back from the cold. “It’s like the Antarctic out here.”

“And getting worse,” Elon said over her shoulder, staring at the snow. “Are you sure I can’t come?”

“You would only be in the way. Or worse, you might get hurt, and I couldn’t handle that. I would tear this world apart.” Aisanna leaned in for a farewell kiss. “I’ll come back to you.”

He tried to give her a smile. “You’d better.”

“If everyone is done with this touchy-feely nonsense, I would love to get on the road and actually do something instead of talking.” Karsia cracked her knuckles. “We’d waste the next month talking if it were up to any of you.”

Morgan gestured toward the trees, where somewhere out there his car was collecting snow. “After you, my sweet.”

She pushed past him. “You’re a disease.”

“That’s why you keep me around.”

Aisanna trailed after them, while Astix stood for a moment, staring out into the distance. There was nothing, just the crunch of feet fading as the others walked away. Soon she heard only the wind.

“Leo, where the hell are you?”

**

They piled into the car, with Morgan graciously offering to take the back seat when Aisanna complained of motion sickness. With the eldest at the wheel and the youngest by her side, they took off down the snowy road. Prepared for anything. Prepared to lose whatever tail may appear or whatever car beams cut through the gloom of the woods.

The sisters were not taking any risks.

---