Chapter 15
”Sounds like Mateo and Jolene made some headway.” Morgan held her phone up toward Fiona, who was busy putting together a collection of frequency-muting stones based on the information Luke had gotten from Dorian.
Fiona squinted over at Morgan. ”What did she say?”
”They met with a contact of Mateo”s, and I guess we”ll need a combination of herbs, crystals, and spells to mitigate the effects of the alignment.”
”Sounds right up our alley.” Fiona held up a small burlap bag and dropped the stones in. ”Hopefully, these will be the crystals.”
Morgan continued grinding white sage and rosemary with the mortar and pestle, the herbs” pungent aromas filling the air. She tipped the finely crushed mixture into small glass bottles and added a splash of rosewater to each, creating a protective spritzer for their impending foray into the woods.
She held the bottle to the light. ”And hopefully, these are the herbs. I hope this is potent enough to shield us from whatever is in the woods.”
Fiona nodded. ”What about the spells?”
”Good question. Hopefully, Celeste will figure that part out.”
Before Fiona could respond, the door burst open. A gust of wind swirled into the cottage, fluttering loose papers and curtains. Framed in the doorway stood a woman draped in an emerald-green cape. Long silver hair spilled over her shoulders, partially obscuring a sharp, angular face. Her piercing gaze fixed on Morgan and Fiona.
Fiona gasped. ”You! You were here before.”
The woman inclined her head. ”Yes. I”m sorry I couldn”t be more straightforward when last we met, but I didn”t want to fully reveal myself then.” Her voice was smooth yet powerful. ”I was searching for the stones, you see, in hopes of averting the coming crisis.”
Fiona held up her hands defensively. ”We don”t have the stones.”
The woman”s icy gaze didn”t waver. ”I am aware. Unfortunately, they are more dangerous now than ever.”
Morgan straightened her back, eyeing the woman suspiciously. ”We know who you are. You”re Sofie Dove, aren”t you?”
A faint smile curved the woman”s lips as she inclined her head. ”Indeed, I am.”
”Maynard told us about you,” Morgan said. ”He seemed quite concerned about you causing a disaster in Noquitt.”
Sofie let out a low chuckle that was devoid of humor. ”Is that so? How ironic.” Her gaze met Morgan”s squarely. ”It”s Maynard who poses the real threat.”
Fiona crossed her arms over her chest, regarding Sofie with a skeptical look. ”Funny you should say that, considering Maynard said the exact same thing about you.”
A sigh escaped Sofie”s lips, and she looked genuinely tired for a moment. ”Yes, I suppose he would,” she admitted, her voice heavy with regret. ”You see, we both want to control the ley lines—to ensure the paranormal effects of the celestial alignment don”t allow entities from the evil realm to escape—but our methods differ greatly.”
”How so?” Morgan asked, intrigued despite herself.
”Maynard believes in brute force,” Sofie explained, an edge of disdain creeping into her voice. ”He wants to bend the ley lines to his will, control them completely. But such power is not meant to be harnessed or controlled—it should be guided and respected.”
”And what do you propose?” Fiona asked warily.
Sofie”s gaze softened as she looked at each sister in turn. ”A more natural approach. One that respects the balance of power and allows the ley lines to align naturally, without interference. It”s a more difficult path, certainly, but it”s the only way to truly prevent disaster.”
Fiona glanced at Morgan, her expression mirroring the confusion and suspicion in her sister”s eyes. ”How do we know which one of you is right?” she asked, voicing the question they were both thinking.
Sofie smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. ”Look to your heart,” she advised. ”Ask yourself, do you believe in letting nature take its course, or do you believe in attempting to control it?”
”But nature can be unpredictable and dangerous,” Morgan argued. ”Shouldn”t we try to control it if we can?”
Sofie shook her head. ”The natural world has its own balance, its own rhythms. Attempting to control it often leads to more harm than good. You must either dampen the power of the stones or convince Maynard to relinquish his control over the ley lines. Perhaps both.”
Fiona frowned. ”That”s easier said than done.”
”I know,” Sofie admitted, her gaze growing distant. ”But I have faith in you and your sisters. You are far more powerful than you realize.”
A sense of urgency crept into Sofie”s voice as she continued. ”Now that the stones are in the woods, they will seek out the epicenter of the celestial alignment on their own. The energy within the woods will grow increasingly powerful as we approach the alignment. You will need a three-tiered approach—herbs, spells, and crystals.”
”And what happens if we can”t dampen the stones or stop Maynard?” Morgan asked.
Sofie didn”t answer right away, her gaze lingering on each sister as if committing their faces to memory. ”Then I fear for Noquitt,” she said quietly.
With that, she disappeared as suddenly as she”d arrived, leaving Fiona and Morgan staring at the empty space where she”d been standing moments before.
For a long moment, silence hung heavy in the room, punctuated only by the soft ticking of an antique clock on the mantel.
”Well,” Fiona said at last, breaking the silence, ”that was interesting.”
Morgan sighed, rubbing her temples as if to ward off an impending headache. ”I think I preferred it when our biggest problem was Sheriff White.”
”Good thing we are already meeting tonight for supper. Everyone needs to know about this latest development,” Fiona said.
Morgan”s phone pinged, and she looked at the message. ”At least one thing is going well: Celeste is bringing Chinese takeout.”