Chapter 6
Iwoke early Saturday morning, invigorated with renewed purpose.
After a quick shower, I rushed through my morning routine, letting Basil and Sage out of their enclosure.
It occupied a corner of the living room, with acrylic walls that were four feet tall.
I’d learned the hard way that bunnies were expert climbers and jumpers.
And while mine were potty trained, they chewed on literally everything if I didn’t watch them, hence the enclosure.
Since this was a rental, I didn’t want to explain to the landlord why all the baseboards had teethmarks.
“What did you two gremlins get up to last night, huh?” Their space was a wreck. One of them had pulled half the hay out of the feeder. Some of it was in their litter box, but the rest was on the rug. Toys everywhere. Their flop mats and blankets piled up in a nest. The food dish overturned.
“You guys are impossible,” I teased. “Sage, did you put him up to this?”
My precious little girl just stared up at me, blinking.
I looked at Basil. “She did, didn’t she.”
I put away their toys, prepared their morning salad—far fancier than the salads I ate, with three types of lettuce, some cilantro, a few dandelion greens, and a small handful of blueberries—then set about vacuuming the floor and cleaning out their boxes.
It was a daily chore. Not many people realized how much work being a bun mom was.
That was probably why so many bunnies were dumped in the first place.
I refreshed their hay and water. Then spent a few minutes playing with them and spoiling them with affection.
Sage was desperate to give my hand a bath while Basil was content to do an entire lap of the living room, sniffing everything before side-flopping against the wall to watch us.
I was jittery and even a little anxious.
Now that I had one fewer obstacle in my path in the form of an uncivilized wolf, there were fewer reasons I might fail.
Sighing, I stood and brushed the fur off my leggings.
While the buns roamed the house under light supervision, I got my pack together.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d be on the mountain, so I made sure to toss in some granola bars.
My hiking boots weren’t broken in yet, but perhaps after a couple of days spent tromping, as Axel had so kindly put it—that asshole—they’d be more comfortable.
Axel.
My thoughts kept returning to him. It was annoying, really.
Especially when the picture forming in my mind kept me up well past midnight.
He was grumpy, aggressive, but also…something else.
Someone who was isolated, which had to be lonely.
Someone who enjoyed chocolate cookies. Someone who generously tipped.
Who stood in front of a female witch to protect her, even though he clearly couldn’t stand witches.
There was a lot more to Axel than met the eye. I shouldn’t have cared. And yet…
I did.
After our detente at The Roost yesterday, I’d returned to campus, desperate to get through the day. Two lectures and one lab session later, I’d gone home and called Elle. That’s how we’d spent our Friday evening. On the phone, both of us drinking wine, rehashing the entire encounter.
She was particularly entertained by Axel’s go-to order of coffee and a chocolate cookie, because, a cookie guy?! The fact that he’d returned my detector with fresh batteries, because, how thoughtful! And that he had even paid for my cafe order, because what a gentleman!
“You know, you’re focusing on all the wrong things here,” I’d teased. “Like the fact that he actually agreed to let me on his land. Not to mention the fact that he literally killed the mercenary wolves who were sent by Ambrose. And never mind Ambrose. That piece of shit.”
“Yeah…” She’d sighed. “That is a lot.”
We had proceeded to talk shit about Ambrose and his family for another solid twenty minutes.
Before hanging up, I gave her my plan, which consisted of spending as much time as possible on the weekends combing through Axel’s land, working through my map of high probability locations. Obviously I had obligations for my job, but the witchbone knife was the entire reason I was here.
After returning my gremlins to their enclosure, which required a handful of dried apples, I shouldered my pack and headed outside. I took a moment to inhale the cool morning air. It was starting to feel crisp. We were mere days away from the first official day of fall.
A flash of giddiness stole over me. Fall was my favorite time of the year. Practically its own holiday, in my book. I needed to rummage through my remaining unpacked boxes and find my autumn decor. The little bungalow would look so cute once it was decorated.
A quick glance up the street showed a few houses already had pumpkins on their porches. I made a mental note to find out where the local pumpkin patch was. It would eat into my weekend free time but…priorities!
Usually I walked to The Roost, but since I’d be heading straight out of town, I decided to drive. I parked out front and headed inside. Iris wasn’t working today. But another favorite was. “Hey, Benny.”
“Hola, chica. ?Cómo estás?”
“Bien. ?Y tú?”
“Bien, gracias. Just heading out for a hike today. In case you couldn’t tell.” I did a little spin, showing off my athletic wear.
Benny smiled, eyes flicking over my clothing.
He a was recently retired teacher and just a little over sixty.
Mona and Iris had brought him on part time.
He’d taught Spanish at Redding High. And while I’d taken two years of Spanish back in high school, our conversation just now was about the extent of what I remembered.
Still, I know he loved it when I conversed with him in his native language, even if it was only a little bit.
“Make sure you bring a sweater, just in case,” he warned. “Temps can drop real quick here in the mountains.”
“Got one in the car,” I assured him.
“Good. Now what can I get you? Iris just added new specials—”
“Ohmigod. The caramel apple latte please.” I happened to look at the specials board just as Benny was mentioning it. Even The Roost was falling in to fall, and I was so here for it. “And a breakfast burrito. Hash browns, sausage, eggs, and cheddar, please.”
“Want jalapenos, peppers, and onions added to it?” He lifted a brow, as if challenging me to decline.
“Actually, that sounds amazing. Sí, por favor.”
“Anything for you.” He rang me up and I ran my card. A few minutes later, I emerged with my to-go cup in hand, and a giant burrito wrapped in foil. I’d grabbed extra napkins and salsa. It wasn’t something I could eat on the drive so I saved it for when I got there.
My eyes caught on Sage and Cedar across the street.
An artist stood outside of the bed and bath storefront on a ladder, paints littering the sidewalk as they painted a fall theme onto the window.
Ugh, I was going to die of happiness in a place like this.
The small town vibes were vibing and it was just too perfect.
For a moment, I let myself wonder what it might be like if I stayed. If I broke the curse, got my magic back, and then let myself settle in this place. What was stopping me? Nothing, really.
When I looked at my life, there had only ever been a single path.
Getting my Ph.D in physics, then going on to do research in academia.
It was as far away from magic as possible—something I knew I wouldn’t have much of by adulthood.
It’s what our family had encouraged us to do.
Which was why Vera worked in the medical industry and Robbie worked in software engineering.
The plan had always been that I’d go on to do my post doc at WU. Try for an academic position as a research professor. Eventually go on to earn tenure.
That all changed when Ambrose came along and noticed me.
And then things had changed even more when Elle made her discovery, offering me a possible out.
Because the reality was, I couldn’t be so selfish as to deny my family—and future generations of my family—a cure for the curse that plagued us.
However, if there was a way to do it without marrying into the Blackthorn family, you bet damn certain I was going to find it.
Starting now.
With that thought in mind, I strode forward and climbed into my car, heading out of town.
The drive was gorgeous. Everything was mostly green still.
But a couple of the buckeyes, dogwoods, maples, and sugar trees were showing a few yellow leaves.
I grinned. Give it a couple of weeks and this place would be a picturesque postcard.
Which was why it got so many tourists in the fall season.
When I reached the turnout, I pulled off the road and started eating. Then I sent a quick photo of my half eaten breakfast burrito with the forest through the windshield to Elle.
Ready for a day of exploring.
It was still early for Elle, so I didn’t expect a text back.
Polishing off my burrito and latte, I grabbed my pack, locked up, and headed into the woods.
I was already semi-familiar with this area.
Still, I slipped my handheld GPS out of the side pocket of my backpack and checked it.
I already knew what areas I wanted to check today, so once I was certain of my bearings, I tucked it away, using my lunarium detector instead.
The forest was alive. I could hear running water in the distance, one of the many creeks that ran through Axel’s land. There were birds and other insects. Squirrels were busy hiding nuts in preparation for winter, and a few chipmunks darted out across my path, scurrying for hiding places.
For the next hour, I simply enjoyed my surroundings. Once I reached new ground, I began my search in earnest, paying close attention to my detector, my GPS, and my surroundings.
I pulled out my laminated map that showed not just Axel’s property boundaries, but some of the surrounding land beyond.
What was most special about it, was that it also showed key geological features.
I balanced it against a fallen log while I marked section C3 with a green X.
The GPS showed I’d covered the entire grid square.
I made note of the readings from the detector.
It was time to move to C4, where the contour lines showed a small ravine that might hide an entrance.
When I rolled up the map and slipped it back into my pack, the hairs on the nape of my neck prickled. I went motionless, just listening. The forest seemed quieter than usual, as if it knew there was a predator in its midst.
The wolf?
I spun around, searching, but found nothing.
The sensation of being watched didn’t go away.
After several long breaths, I set off again.
The sensation continued.
Eventually the forest sounds picked up again, though they ebbed and flowed when I got close to various critters.
Before I’d even arrived in Redding, I’d spent hours sitting at Elle’s kitchen island with county property records from the GIS website and a USGS topographical map, thanks to Bastian, who had acquired them for us. Fifteen thousand acres. The number still made my stomach sink.
Elle and I had devised a plan, dividing the laminated map into a grid of hundred-acre sections using a ruler and permanent marker.
A1 through O15—each section roughly half a mile by half a mile.
One hundred and fifty sections total. If the terrain was manicured hiking trails, it would be one thing.
But this was raw, rugged, unforgiving wilderness.
At four to six hours per section, I’d be searching for the next two years.
I didn’t have two years.
So we’d gotten strategic. Yellow highlighter marked the most promising areas first—sections near water sources where the contour lines showed streams and ravines, areas with steep elevation changes that might hide cliff faces, anywhere the topography suggested sinkholes or natural depressions.
Caves didn’t just appear randomly. They formed in predictable geological patterns.
Twenty-three priority sections scattered across the grid. Still massive, but manageable if I was systematic.
The plan was simple: use the handheld GPS to mark waypoints for strong detector readings, then color-code completed sections directly on the laminated map.
The turnoff I’d been using put me right into the C section of the grid, which was why I’d started there.
The artifact was hidden in the caves beneath this land.
The entrance had to be somewhere accessible—somewhere the original werewolves could have reached centuries ago.
I just had to be smart about where I looked.
C4 proved more challenging than I’d expected.
The contour lines on the map had promised a small ravine, but they hadn’t prepared me for how steep the descent would be.
I picked my way carefully down the rocky slope, using trees for support where I could find them.
The sound of running water grew louder with each step—a good sign. Water carved caves.
I continued to feel the sense of being watched, and yet, I saw no sign of anyone—certainly not the grumpy werewolf.
My detector started picking up stronger readings about halfway down. I marked the GPS coordinates and kept going.
The ravine bottom was maybe twenty feet wide, with a creek bubbling over smooth stones. Moss covered everything, making the rocks slippery. I worked my way upstream first, checking every shadow that might hide a cave entrance.
Nothing.
Downstream wasn’t much better. The readings stayed consistent—present but not promising. Besides, readings didn’t indicate a cave entrance, considering I was likely picking up whatever was deep underground. It was getting there that mattered.
I was beginning to think C4 might be another green X when I spotted something odd about thirty yards ahead.
The creek disappeared. Not gradually, like it was flowing away around a bend.
It just... stopped. One moment there was water rushing over rocks, the next moment there was only a dry stream bed continuing down the ravine.
Underground. The water was going underground.
My heart sped up as I approached the spot.
Sure enough, the creek vanished into a crack in the limestone bedrock.
Not big enough for a person, but definitely big enough for water.
I knelt beside the water’s disappearing act, running my hands along the rock face.
If water was going down here, there had to be a larger system below. And if there was a larger system...
There had to be another way in. I just needed to find it.