Page 21 of Fated Midlife Christmas
“Why is that?” Amanda stopped at an intersection and waited for her turn. “You were the one who figured out the issues with the ley lines in the first place.”
“Maybe so, but you seemed very concerned that another coven might be the issue. I don’t know anything about the politics of witches.”
Amanda laughed. “I like that. ‘The politics of witches.’ It’s pretty accurate, really. There are covens galore in Salem, as I’m sure you can imagine. Each one is a little different, but we all try to respect each other as much as possible. Mine’s the only one whose members are all shifters.”
When Amanda had picked up Lars at the clanhouse, though, he’d sensed there might be some tension there. “I take it that doesn’t always happen.”
She turned onto the next street. They were taking a much more direct route to the covenstead now that they knew exactly where they were going. “The Crimson Veil is pretty new. Aunt Maeve and my mom have been running Artemis Eclipse fordecades. They were part of the new wave of witches and covens that came back into this area and revived the witchy history behind it. Being one of the older covens, they’re held in pretty high regard.
“Aunt Maeve sent out a little welcome package when she heard about The Crimson Veil, but they snubbed her. They never replied. She probably hasn’t thought about it again until now, but she’s worried about what we might find there.”
“Does she have any idea how they could be causing such a drain on the ley lines?” Lars hadn’t been part of the discussion between the women beforehand, and he wanted to be prepared before they went in.
“They don’t know any more than we do.” Amanda slid to a stop, parking alongside the curb. “Here we are. And it looks like Mom and Aunt Maeve are right behind us.”
The two older women pulled up in a sedan right behind Amanda’s car. Maeve got out of the driver’s seat, and Lars hurried over to open the passenger door.
“Well, aren’t you a gentleman!” Lucille said, taking his hand as she got out. “It’s nice to meet you, Lars. Arthur and I had other plans or we would’ve been at the dinner party, as well. I’m sorry that we don’t have much time to talk right now.”
“I’m sure we’ll get another chance,” Lars replied politely. Lucille had to be about seventy years old, but her skin was still smooth and soft. She had her thick white hair cut at her chin and worn in a tousled style that made her look much less like a matronly librarian and more like a well-aged actress.
Maeve straightened out her dress as she came around the front of the car and looked up at the house. “Let’s hope this is all just a big misunderstanding.”
“Have you met any of this coven in person before?” Amanda asked.
“No, not at all.”
“Not even at a convention?”
Maeve shook her head, her mouth a thin line. “She didn’t show up.”
Amanda let the two older women go ahead on the narrow walkway and stayed next to Lars. “The High Priestesses get together once a year,” she explained to him. “It’s a social event more than anything, but it’s pretty strange for someone not to come. A young Priestess, especially, should want to introduce herself and make some connections in the community.”
“If the house itself is any indication, maybe they’re just not very friendly,” Lars commented. The overgrown bushes on either side of the walkway reached out and plucked at his clothes like tormented spirits.
“Or they’ve got a problem with gardeners.” Amanda plucked a branch off her coat, and then they stepped up onto the porch.
Maeve rang the bell. The tone echoed deep within the house, and for a long moment, there was no response.
Lars waited patiently next to Amanda, taking the moment to once again feel out the energy around the house. Though the ley lines that surrounded the covenstead were nearly empty, the house itself practically radiated with energy. Whatever was going on in there, it was something big.
A young woman with wide eyes and high cheekbones finally answered the door. “Hello,” she said sweetly. “Can I help you?”
“Yes. I’m Maeve Wright of the Artemis Eclipse Sisterhood.”
The name of the coven itself carried just as much weight as Amanda indicated it might, considering the way the young woman widened her eyes. “Oh! Were we expecting you? I wasn’t told.” She glanced uncertainly behind her, into the house.
“I hadn’t made arrangements with anyone, but I have been wanting to introduce myself. May we come in?” Maeve asked politely. To Lars, she was being far more diminutive and polite than she was when she was comfortable.
“Um, yes. I suppose.” The woman stepped back and held the door open as they stepped inside. “Please have a seat. My name is Lorelei, by the way. I’ll get Corinna right away.”
The living room they were in was spacious, but the low ceiling and dark décor made it feel much more closed in. Considering how much ley line power was gathered, it should’ve felt good simply to be there, but Lars immediately sensed that something wasn’t right.
Amanda was still next to him. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” he replied quietly. “The energy feels…off. That shouldn’t be possible. It’s not like some other energies, where it can be good or evil. It justis,and when there’s a lot of it in one place, it feels special. It’s why people are filled with such awe when they visit Stonehenge or Uluru.”
“Could this be a site like that?” Lucille asked.
