Chapter 13 #2
By eight-forty-five, they were making the walk over to Mrs. Peabody’s house. The morning was clear and bright, a sharp contrast to the darkness of their investigation.
“Think she’ll talk about Wardenclyffe?” Lina asked as they turned onto Mrs. P’s street.
“If she asked for the meeting, then she’s found something. Mrs. Peabody doesn’t seem the type to waste time on maybes,” Liam said as they walked up the old lady’s front walkway.
Mrs. Peabody answered the door before they could even knock, as if she’d been watching for them. She wore a cardigan despite the warm morning, and her expression was grave.
“Come in, come in,” she said briskly, ushering them through to her workroom. “We have much to discuss and not much time to do it.”
The workroom looked different today. The table had been totally cleared, and a large map was spread across it, marked with symbols Lina didn’t recognize.
“I’ve been researching power nexuses on Long Island,” Mrs. Peabody began without preamble. “Places where the veil between realms is naturally thin, where magical energy pools and amplifies. There are seven major sites in this region, and perhaps two dozen minor ones.”
She gestured to the map, where red circles marked various locations. “Most are protected—sacred sites watched over by various magical communities, or places so public that using them for dark work would be impossible. But there’s one that meets all of Mrs. Entwistle’s requirements.”
Her finger landed on a spot near Shoreham. “Wardenclyffe. The site where Nikola Tesla attempted to build his wireless transmission tower.”
Lina exchanged a glance with Liam. Called it.
“Tesla was drawn to that location for reasons, even he likely didn’t fully understand,” Mrs. Peabody continued.
“The site sits atop a natural convergence of ley lines—channels of earth energy that crisscross the planet. He thought he was tapping into electromagnetic fields for his experiments. It was likely he was working with something far older and more powerful.”
“Is it protected now?” Liam asked. “Any wards or watchers?”
Mrs. Peabody shook her head. “It should be, but it isn’t.
The magical community lost track of it during the industrial era when the property changed hands multiple times.
By the time we realized what we’d lost, it was contaminated with industrial waste and declared a Superfund site.
We assumed the mundane pollution would be protection enough—no one wants to spend time on a toxic waste site. ”
“But the cleanup’s been completed,” Lina said, remembering her research. “The property’s been cleared for years now. I found that out last night when I was researching the place.”
“You were already researching it?” Mrs. Peabody asked, one old eyebrow rising as she regarded Lina.
“I put in a few hours late last night, and the site made sense, though I’m not sure if it was intuition that led me to that site or just a hunch. Either way, it made sense on paper, and I wanted to check it out today,” Lina admitted.
Mrs. Peabody beamed at her. “Always trust your intuition, my dear. It sounds like you have more than the average cat’s sense of direction.
” Then, her expression sobered. “I think it’s imperative that you go to Wardenclyffe and see what’s what at that location.
If Mrs. E has been scouting the area and plans to use it, then she’ll have access to one of the most potent magical sites on the Eastern Seaboard, completely unguarded and largely forgotten. ”
Liam leaned over the map, studying the marked location. “If she performs the summoning there, how much amplification are we talking about?”
“Enough to make the spell nearly unstoppable once it begins.” Mrs. Peabody’s voice was grim.
“At a normal location, even with the grimoire page, she’d need hours of ritual preparation and significant personal power reserves.
At Wardenclyffe?” She shook her head. “Minutes. Perhaps less. The power of the site itself would do half the work for her.”
Silence fell over the room as they processed that information.
“We need to check it out today,” Lina said finally. “We should set up surveillance and keep watch. We’ll need to intercept her before she can begin if she does, indeed, plan to use the place.”
“Exactly,” Mrs. Peabody agreed. “But beware. She’ll have prepared for resistance.
If she’s chosen Wardenclyffe, she’s probably already done her homework.
There will be defenses, contingencies, probably more of those explosive traps you’ve already encountered if there are any structures on the property. ”
“We’ll be careful,” Liam promised.
“Your strength will be needed, but don’t let your protective instincts override your tactical sense. Lina is a warrior in her own right. Trust her to hold her own.” Mrs. P advised him.
Liam nodded. “I will.”
Mrs. Peabody studied them both for a long moment, then sighed.
“You two have become quite the team in a very short time. That bodes well for the fight ahead.” She gestured toward the door.
“Go. Scout the site, set up your surveillance. But whatever you do, if Mrs. E shows up, don’t engage her alone.
She is dangerous enough without the power of Wardenclyffe behind her. ”
They thanked her and headed back out into the bright morning, the weight of their mission settling heavy on their shoulders. They walked back to the safe house in comfortable silence, each processing what Mrs. Peabody had told them.
At the house, they gathered the things they’d need for the day ahead. Liam had replaced the pieces of equipment they’d used yesterday and added a few new things to his little box of gadgets in the back of the SUV.
He finished stowing the new gear and started the engine. “Let’s go see what we’re dealing with. We’ll act the part of sightseers. There’s a small museum on the property, and we can start there.”
Lina pulled up directions on her phone. “Shouldn’t take long to get there now that rush hour is over.”
They drove in focused silence, both of them mentally preparing for what came next. It felt like the case was coming to a head, all their leads converging on a single location.