Chapter 16
Celeste”s phone pinged rapidly as everyone messaged her back with their Chinese food orders. Crab rangoon was always a favorite. Mateo liked veggie fried rice, and Fiona was a coconut shrimp gal. She”d put the order in later.
Celeste tucked her phone back into her pocket. She felt comforted that her whole family would be together tonight, even if it was to discuss the monumental task that lay ahead.
She navigated across the quiet street toward Reed Antiques. As she pushed open the heavy wooden door, a small bell jingled merrily overhead. The familiar scent of old books and polished wood comforted her, momentarily displacing her concerns.
Reed Antiques was an eclectic haven for history buffs and curiosity seekers. It operated as both a pawn shop and antique store. Dark mahogany shelves lined the walls, groaning under the weight of ancient tomes, ornate trinkets, and faded photographs. Gilded mirrors hung precariously above overstuffed armchairs, reflecting the dim glow of crystal chandeliers suspended from a high ceiling.
Calvin was behind the counter, deep in conversation with a pair of customers. He flashed Celeste a warm smile as she walked in, his eyes sparkling behind the wire-rimmed reading glasses he”d recently started wearing. Celeste returned his smile and meandered through the narrow aisles.
Her fingertips grazed brass statuettes and delicate china figurines, lingering on a set of intricately carved chess pieces. She admired a dusty old gramophone, its brass horn gleaming under the soft light.
The shop was a testament to forgotten times and cherished memories; every item held a story waiting to be discovered. Celeste felt a pang of comfort amid the uncertainty looming over them. As she waited for Cal to finish with his customers, she couldn”t help but feel drawn into the hushed whispers of history echoing around her.
Celeste glanced up as Calvin approached, his steps echoing on the hardwood floors.
”Sorry about that,” he said, leaning against the counter next to her. ”Mr. and Mrs. Elliott like to chat.”
Celeste smiled. ”No problem. It looked like they were interested in that art nouveau mirror.”
Cal nodded. ”They”re furnishing their lake house. I”m sure I”ll be helping them decorate for months.” He chuckled softly.
His assistant, Emma, appeared from the back room then, tying an apron around her waist.
”Hey, Celeste,” Emma said warmly. ”Good to see you.”
”You too,” Celeste replied.
Calvin straightened up. ”Emma”s got things covered up here if you want to head downstairs. I pulled out some of the older maps and books that might help us figure things out.”
Excitement flickered through Celeste. ”Definitely. Lead the way.”
Calvin lifted a hinged section of the counter and gestured for Celeste to follow him through a narrow doorway. A steep staircase descended into the basement, lined with framed botanical prints and seashell sconces. Celeste grasped the smooth wooden railing as she carefully made her way down, Calvin a steady presence behind her.
The basement was cool and dim, with exposed stone walls that gave it an ancient feel. A small desk lamp provided a circle of light amid the shadows. Several large leather-bound books were spread open atop a heavy wooden table alongside unfurled scrolls and yellowed maps weighted down by geodes. Celeste ran her fingers over the cracked spines of the massive tomes, inhaling the comforting vanilla scent of aging paper.
She”d been there before, but each time, she was still filled with awe as her eyes roamed over the array of ancient books and documents. ”I can”t believe you have all this incredible history right downstairs.”
Calvin chuckled. ”Perks of owning an antique shop in a town as old as Noquitt.” He leaned over the table, tracing his finger along the intricate contours of an ancient map. ”I was looking for any references to ley lines, energy channels, sacred sites—anything that might give us a clue.”
Celeste followed his gaze. Faded symbols and calligraphic text annotated the map, with odd sketches of stars and symbols in the margins. Her eyes widened as Calvin”s finger rested on a point just west of Noquitt.
”See here? There”s mention of ”mystical currents” flowing from the forest to the sea. And this symbol indicates a site of power.”
Celeste peered closer. ”That”s so close to our house,” she murmured.
Calvin nodded, rolling up his sleeves. ”There”s more.”
He turned the giant pages of one leather-bound book until he reached a chapter titled “The Hidden Forces of New England.” Scanning the text, he summarized, ”This talks about early settlers sensing strange energies in the wilderness. Some believed the area was a supernatural nexus.”
Celeste”s pulse quickened. She joined Calvin in examining the books and maps, searching for more clues. After almost an hour, a pattern emerged—multiple sources referencing odd energies corresponding to the forest near Blackmoore Manor.
Celeste stared at the ancient maps, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her eyes darted back and forth among the various documents, seeking out any additional clues. The maps had faint dotted lines that all seemed to converge near a stream that ran through the woods west of their home. Could those be the ley lines? She was familiar with that stream, but because of the age of the maps, some of the other landmarks didn”t match up with her memory of the area. The precise location of this convergence remained elusive.
Calvin ran his fingers over the parchment, his expression thoughtful. ”I think this is as close as we”re going to get for now,” he said, tapping on the map where the dotted lines seemed to intersect. ”I”m not sure these lines represent the ley lines, but if so, they seem to converge where the stream jogs to the east.”
Celeste nodded slowly, taking in the information. They had narrowed it down significantly, but she still felt a pang of frustration at their inability to pinpoint the exact location. She looked down at her hands, stained with ink from tracing over lines and symbols.
They were so close.
”I think you”re right,” she said finally, lifting her gaze to meet Calvin”s.
Just as they began to gather up their materials, a sudden chill ran through Celeste. It was as if a gust of winter wind had swept through the basement, making her shiver uncontrollably. But more than that, it was as if some unseen force was guiding her attention toward something.
She looked up and found herself staring at a brass instrument resting on a nearby shelf. It was tarnished and dusty. And it was also familiar.
Celeste walked to the device and picked it up.
”Cal,” she called, her voice echoing slightly in the hushed quiet of the basement. ”Look at this.”
Calvin looked up from the table and squinted at her. ”I never really figured out what that was. Some kind of old sextant or binocular thing. It”s been here for a long time.”
”I guess I never noticed it before,” she replied. ”I saw Rebekah using one just like this when I was communicating with her ghost.”
Calvin”s eyebrows shot up. ”Do you think it could be connected to the alignment?”
Celeste shrugged, turning the instrument over in her hands. ”I”m not sure. Rebekah said she knew nothing about the alignment. Her time was hundreds of years later. But every time I”ve tried to contact a ghost who knows about the last alignment, I get Rebekah, and she is looking through a device that looks exactly like this.”
The cold chill had dissipated, but Celeste could still feel a residual tingling sensation in her fingertips as if the sextant was resonating with some kind of latent energy. It had to be connected.
”I think we should bring this to the meeting tonight,” Celeste said, her voice filled with conviction. ”I think it”s meant to help us. This may be the very thing that helps us find the exact location of the epicenter.”