Chapter 9
”Ithink the stones are trying to tell us something!” Morgan said as she tried to catch them. ”Earlier, I noticed the herbs in the garden are growing at an unnatural rate, almost vibrating with energy themselves. And I saw Belladonna dart into the woods right near that spot, as if she sensed something there.”
Morgan hurried toward the kitchen door, struggling to contain the vibrating stones, which now felt hot in her hands. Everyone shoved away from the table and followed. Luke flung the door open for her, and Morgan ran outside.
The stones grew even more energetic, pulsating with heat. ”I think the center of the ley line alignment must be somewhere in those woods. These stones are being drawn there for some reason. I can feel it.”
The stones throbbed urgently in Morgan”s hands as if affirming her words. They pinged against her skin, which stung. ”Ouch!”
The stones shot out of her hands and hurled straight into the woods.
”Meow!” Belladonna shot toward the woods after the stones, pausing only for a quick second at the very edge to look back.
”I think she wants us to follow,” Jolene said.
The hairs on Morgan’s arms prickled as they got closer to the woods. The trees here seemed to lean closer together, blocking out more of the afternoon sun and casting dark shadows across their path. The air felt heavy, and Morgan noticed the others becoming more alert as they moved deeper into the forest.
Celeste paused, tilting her head as if listening. ”Can you feel that?” she asked. ”It”s like a hum... a vibration.”
Fiona nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. ”It”s getting stronger the farther in we go.”
Morgan reached out with her senses, probing the currents of magical energy that flowed through this place. The humming vibration Celeste had described thrummed against her psychic touch. It was chaotic, swirling with an almost angry intensity.
She glanced back at Jolene and Mateo. It seemed they could detect the disturbance too. Jolene rolled her amulet between her fingers, her eyes vigilant. Mateo scanned the woods, one hand resting lightly near his hip.
Fiona had picked up some rocks and was walking cautiously, staying close to Jake.
”I feel like we are on the right track,” Morgan said. She quickened her steps, following the faint trail left by the bouncing stones. The air seemed to crackle with power now. Her skin prickled where dark magic roiled just out of sight.
”Y”all getting creeped out too?” Celeste asked, glancing back at the others.
Jolene rolled her amulet between her fingers, eyes scanning the woods. ”This place gives me the heebie-jeebies something fierce.”
”No kidding. Even the animals are acting weird.” Mateo gestured toward the top of a pine tree, where a blue jay hung upside down on a branch above them, blinking and swiveling its head unnaturally as they passed.
Fiona edged closer to Jake. ”This is like something out of The Blair Witch Project.”
Jake nodded, lips pressed into a grim line. ”Stay close. I have a bad feeling.”
The group moved closer together and slowed their pace, wary of the shadows in the woods. If this assignment was like their others, they could be attacked at any moment.
A rustle in the leaves had them all pivoting toward the noise, ready to fight.
Morgan relaxed when she saw it was just a rabbit.
”Aww… a bunny,” Jolene said as the furry brown creature hopped up to them.
”Weird behavior,” Mateo said.
The bunny looked up at him, flicked his pink ears, and then hopped onto Cal”s boot.
”Very weird.” Cal reached down and gently pushed it off.
”Glad it didn”t turn into a killer rabbit,” Jake said.
The bunny simply stood there blinking at them.
They kept moving through the woods, leaves and twigs crunching under their feet. The air hummed louder. Morgan sensed they were very close to the focal point of the strange energy that had drawn them there.
”Is it getting darker in here?” Fiona asked.
”And creepier,” Celeste added.
Morgan stopped short. ”Did you see that? Something moved behind that tree.”
Morgan”s heart pounded as she pressed her back against her sisters, ready to face whatever emerged from the shadows. An ominous laugh echoed through the trees, raising the hairs on her neck. She peered into the gloom, searching for the source. A flicker of movement caught her eye—a flash of green darting behind a broad oak.
”Over there!” Morgan pointed, her voice sharp. In sync, the four sisters pivoted, magic crackling at their fingertips as they turned to face the potential threat.
Mateo”s stance widened, ready to charge or defend. ”Someone”s here,” he confirmed grimly. He crouched into a battle stance.
Another dark chuckle rolled through the trees, closer this time. The shadows seemed to stretch and swirl at the edges of their vision. Morgan”s breath quickened, and her palms grew slick with sweat. She reached out again with her senses, probing the area psychically even as her eyes darted about. There—a human-sized void, an empty spot where no life energy emanated.
”I don”t sense a human presence,” Morgan said, her voice low. ”But there”s something there.”
”Something dark,” Fiona added with a shiver.
Jolene clutched her amulet, the obsidian warm in her fist. Jake and Cal shifted closer to the sisters protectively.
Morgan saw it again—a flash of emerald green swooping between the trees. Was that a cloak? She pointed, ready to give chase, when a wave of dizziness washed over her. The ground seemed to tilt and swirl beneath her feet. She stumbled, thrown off-balance by the sudden vertigo.
Celeste grabbed her arm, steadying her. ”You okay?”
Morgan blinked hard, shaking her head to try and clear it. ”Dizzy... like the whole forest is spinning.”
”It”s this place,” said Jolene with a scowl. ”All the wild magic—it”s messing with our heads.”
Morgan blinked hard, trying to shake off the dizziness. A cold wind swept through the trees, sending leaves spiraling up in tiny cyclones. The air crackled with power—she could feel the hairs on her arms standing on end.
Out of the corner of her eye, Morgan saw something move. Her sisters sprang into action beside her. The air filled with light as Fiona sent a volley of glowing orbs arcing toward their attacker. Celeste drew intricate symbols in the air, chanting under her breath while Jolene thrust her palms up, sending arcs of purple energy outward. Mateo stepped to the side and lobbed some sort of power ball at the shadow.
Morgan grabbed Fiona and Celeste”s hands, linking their power. Together, the sisters summoned a blinding flash of light, momentarily dispelling the shadows. They heard an otherworldly shriek.
Seizing the opportunity, Jolene lunged forward. ”Begone!” she cried, sending out a volley of energy streams.
The shadow jumped out from behind the tree and sent a streak of black energy in retaliation. Morgan deflected it with her amulet, sending it back toward the attacker.
With an unearthly wail, the dark shadow dissolved into smoke before their eyes.
”Is it gone?” Cal asked, peeking out from behind Celeste.
”I think so.” Jolene walked slowly toward the pile of ash.
Morgan held her breath, expecting the ash to rise up and attack, but it didn”t. ”The energy here seems to be getting less heavy.”
Her sisters nodded. They all glanced around, still wary, but the forest had grown strangely silent.
”Well, we sure showed it who”s boss,” said Jolene. She rubbed her palms together then turned to her sisters. ”Good teamwork, guys.”
Mateo cleared his throat, and Jolene grabbed his hand. ”You, too, of course.”
Morgan was still on edge after the confrontation with the shadowy being. ”Did anyone see the swirl of a green cloak?” she asked. ”I only caught glimpses as they darted between the trees.”
The others shook their heads.
”Do you think it was the woman who came into the shop?” Fiona frowned. ”She certainly was mysterious.”
Jake nodded slowly. ”If it was her, do you think she was controlling that shadow creature? Trying to attack us?”
Morgan bit her lip, considering. The flashes of green she”d seen had seemed more like someone trying to flee than someone trying to orchestrate an assault. ”I don”t know. It almost seemed like she was running from it, not working with it.”
Celeste crossed her arms, gazing back at the ashes. ”If that lady summoned something nasty, it could have turned on her. Messing with forces you don”t understand is dangerous business.”
”I guess we still have a lot to learn about this,” Morgan said. ”And even though things seem okay now, I have a feeling this is just the beginning.”
”Agreed. We can”t let our guard down,” Fiona said.
Just then, a white blur sped toward them.
”Belladonna!” Morgan exclaimed as the cat sprinted by, ears flat against her head. A large squirrel with spiky antlers was hot on her heels, chittering angrily.
As Belladonna raced past, Morgan could have sworn she heard the cat”s voice in her head, a panicked meow. Run!
Morgan didn”t hesitate. ”You heard her—let”s move!” She took off after Belladonna, trusting her sisters and friends to follow.
”What is that thing?” Fiona yelled from close behind as the antlered squirrel scrambled after Belladonna.
”No clue, but it can”t be good!” Morgan vaulted over a fallen log, never taking her eyes off of Belladonna”s swishing tail. She could feel the others right on her heels—apparently, they were all eager to get away from this area.
Morgan could see light through the opening in the trees that led to their yard. Belladonna was heading straight for it, and so was the antlered creature. But right before they reached the opening, the creature took a sharp left and veered deeper into the forest. Morgan burst out into the yard with the others close behind.
Belladonna sat a few feet away, lazily swooshing her tail.
”Belladonna, are you okay?” Morgan ran to the cat, who stretched and flicked her tail as if nothing had happened.
”Okay, that”s weird.” Fiona picked the cat up and looked her over. ”She seems fine. Normal.”
Celeste turned to Morgan. ”What did you mean when you said, ”You heard her. Run!””
”Oh, did I say that?” Morgan glanced at Belladonna to see if the cat had anything to say, but all she got was a blank stare. ”I thought Belladonna was communicating with me telepathically.”
”Cool,” Celeste said.
Morgan tensed as their mother rushed out of the house, worry creasing her brow. They had given Johanna strict orders not to engage in any paranormal confrontations for her own safety since Dr. Bly had drained Johanna of her powers. But Morgan knew how hard it was for her mother to sit idly by while her daughters faced danger.
”Are you girls all right?” Johanna asked anxiously, looking them over for any signs of injury.
”We”re okay, Mom,” Morgan said.
”What happened?” Johanna ushered them all inside and locked the door behind them.
As Johanna bustled about the kitchen brewing tea, Morgan and her sisters recounted the strange events in the forest—the oppressive atmosphere, the swirling shadows, the attack by the cloaked being.
”We didn”t find the actual epicenter,” Morgan explained, ”but it”s somewhere in those woods. The magical energy is so intense there.” She shuddered at the memory.
Morgan jumped at the sudden ringing of the doorbell, her heart pounding as she exchanged wary looks with her sisters. ”I guess I should get that.”
Everyone nodded, so Morgan went into the hall, her sisters right behind her.
Peering through the peephole, Morgan saw an elderly man leaning heavily on a gnarled wooden cane on the porch. His wispy white hair stuck out at odd angles from beneath a faded ball cap. Morgan hesitated then cautiously opened the door a crack.
”Good evening,” the old man rasped, his voice like sandpaper. ”I”m Maynard Dove, and I believe you have something that belongs to me.”