Page 100 of Wicche Hunt

“Well, that’s easy. Let’s go and help him.”

That made me smile. “I had the same thought, but I’ve been forbidden to attend.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’ll drive us and we’ll park far away. They won’t even know we’re there. We can level the playing field for him.” Bracken took another sip of tea, as though the whole thing had been decided.

“That’s what I said and was told no.”

Bracken opened his mouth to argue.

“In order for Declan to be accepted as the true Alpha, there can be no question about his strength. If we’re there, he’ll always be doubted. They’ll assume his wicche girlfriend fixed the fight. And these are wolves. They see and hear for miles. They’ll know we’re there. Even if we could come up with a scheme to shield ourselves, I couldn’t. I promised him I wouldn’t interfere.”

“That was silly of you,” he said.

“I know.”

“You went and chose an honorable man, eh?”

“Looks like.”

He sighed, took another bite, and watched the waves with me.

“Did you just wake up or are you going to bed soon?” I had the feeling he was a night owl.

“Bed soon. I love watching the sunrise before I go to sleep. I find I have fewer bad dreams.” He crossed his legs. “Shall I give you good news?”

I turned to him. “Yes, please.”

“I’ve found references to a house laden in black magic.”

I sat up straight. This could be it. The house where Calliope was doing her sorcery.

“I’ve been going through books and journals since we spoke. If I’m right and all the disparate references I’ve found relate to a house of sorcery, then what we know is that it’s been in the family for generations, probably from when Coreys first moved here. The original house burned down perhaps a hundred years ago, and a far grander one was built in its place.”

He scratched at his cheek. “It’s hidden behind a large wall of stone and sits on the water. It’s two stories high, but the upper floors are largely empty. The basement is where the sorcery is conducted. Candlelight and torches.”

“Yes,” I said. “I’ve seen her in a basement with sconces on the walls. She’s sitting at a large, dark wood table that holds a grimoire.”

“That sounds right. I haven’t found an address, but it was referred to as The Shades once. The shades is another term for Hell, so I don’t know if it’s a description of what goes on there or the name of the house. The capital T and S make me hopeful the house was named, as that gives us another avenue to research. I’ll keep looking this afternoon.”

“Thank you, but you need sleep first.”

He stood and stretched. “I do. I’ve found the breadcrumbs, though.” Walking to his RV, he said, “Try not to worry. The valiant are often victorious.”

Often, not always. That was what had me worried.

I went in and got to work, painting the wall on the café side of the gallery. It was difficult with the shelving brackets and the café area itself, which helped keep my mind focused on what I was doing, not on what I might soon be losing.

Taking a break at midday, I went to have some leftover pizza and realized I still couldn’t eat. My mom called, asking if Bracken was with me. I told her he was parked here and was researching where Calliope might be holed up. She was happy he was settled and very interested in what he’d learned. I told her I’d call her if he found anything we could use and ended the call.

Sitting on the couch, I willed myself not to consider the possibilities, while also envisioning every possible way Declan could be overpowered and killed. These weren’t visions, just me terrified and imagining the worst.

When I couldn’t stand my own thoughts any longer, I turned on the gallery sound system, turned it up to eleven, and played heavy metal while I painted.

Hours later, brain numb, I turned off the music and climbed down from the scaffold for the last time, studying the wall I’d just completed. I looked at the other two walls and then back at this one. A storm was brewing over here. The ocean was churned up, with tsunami-sized waves forming at the surface.

The last wall to paint, the wall of original cannery windows, would be the most difficult. This was the closest to the light and therefore just under the surface of my watery gallery. The sunlight, the sea-foam, the paint colors here would be lighter, all of which was fine. The annoying part was trying to create that image while painting around five rows of twenty-five windows. I had only the strips of wall between windows as my canvas.

I was starting to move the scaffolding when I noticed the sun setting. My stomach cramped, watching the sky go red and gold. I wasn’t ready for night. I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, dreading what was coming but unable to stop watching the encroaching darkness.

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