Chapter 17
IVY
The evening air carried the scent of woodsmoke and roasted chestnuts as Ivy finished her solo set between the larger performances. She'd chosen a simple ballad, something gentle that wouldn't overshadow the main acts while still giving the crowd a moment to catch their breath.
The applause was warm and appreciative, and several people called out requests for her return later in the evening. Ivy smiled and waved, then moved to the side of the stage where she'd left her guitar case.
That's when she saw it.
A glossy black calling card lay nestled against the velvet lining where her guitar had been, stark against the fabric like a spider in a flower garden. Even without reading it, she knew what it was. Who it was from.
Her hands trembled as she picked up the card, and the name printed in silver lettering seemed to burn her fingers.
Sebastian Crowe
Signatures & Sound
The familiar logo, the elegant font, the smell of expensive cologne that still clung to the paper after all these months. The name tasted like iron and old fear, coating her tongue with memories she'd tried so hard to leave behind.
How had he found her? She'd been so careful, used cash only, avoided any trail he could follow. But here was proof that her hiding place wasn't as secure as she'd hoped.
"Everything alright?"
Ivy spun around to find Twyla approaching with a concerned expression.
"Fine," Ivy managed, her voice barely steady. "Just tired."
"You look like you've seen a ghost. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I need to go." Ivy shoved the card into her pocket and fumbled with her guitar case latches. "Something came up."
"Ivy, wait—"
But Ivy was already moving, threading through the crowd with her guitar case clutched tight against her chest. She needed to think, needed to plan, needed to figure out how Sebastian had tracked her to Hollow Oak.
More importantly, she needed to figure out how to disappear again before he arrived in person.
The Book Nook's windows glowed with warm light, and Ivy could see Moira moving around inside, straightening shelves and organizing the day's returns. She pushed through the door with perhaps more force than necessary, the bell chiming frantically overhead.
"Ivy!" Moira looked up with a smile that quickly faded when she saw her expression. "What's wrong?"
"You mentioned the Council. The ones who handle magical contract disputes."
"Yes, of course. What about them?"
Ivy set her guitar case down carefully and pulled the black card from her pocket. "How quickly can they act? If someone's in immediate danger?"
Moira's eyes sharpened as she took in Ivy's obvious distress. "Very quickly, if the threat is credible. What kind of danger are we talking about?"
"The kind that finds you no matter how far you run." Ivy held out the card with shaking fingers. "He left this in my guitar case tonight. While I was performing. He's here, Moira. In Hollow Oak."
Moira accepted the card and studied it with a frown. "Sebastian Crowe. I've heard that name before."
"You have?"
"There was a case a few years ago in Virginia. A young witch who claimed her manager was using coercive magic to control her performances. She tried to take it to the local supernatural authorities, but the case was dropped when she suddenly recanted her testimony."
Ivy's stomach dropped. "What happened to her?"
"No one knows. She disappeared shortly after withdrawing her complaint." Moira's expression was grim. "The prevailing theory was that she'd been magically compelled to silence herself."
"That's what he does. Creates contracts that look legitimate on the surface but contain clauses that give him complete control over his clients." Ivy's voice was barely above a whisper. "By the time you realize what you've signed, it's too late to break free."
"Is that what happened to you?"
"I thought I was signing a standard management agreement.
Representation, bookings, promotion. The usual.
" Ivy wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly cold despite the bookstore's warmth.
"But there were hidden clauses. Magical bindings that made it impossible for me to perform without his permission, to sign with anyone else, to even speak about the terms of our agreement.
Not only that but… he was my boyfriend."
Moira's face hardened. "That's exactly the kind of predatory contract the Council exists to address."
"But I don't have proof anymore. When I left, I destroyed everything I had from him. I thought if I disappeared completely, if I cut all ties, the magic would weaken enough for me to break free."
"Did it?"
"Partially. I can perform again, make my own choices about what to sing and when. But the deeper bindings are still there. I can feel them, like chains I can't quite see."
Moira was quiet for a minute, processing this information. "The Council meets Tuesday evenings. If you're willing to testify about your experience, they can begin an investigation immediately."
"And if Sebastian tries to stop me? If he uses the contract magic to compel my silence?"
"Hollow Oak has its own protections. The Veil doesn't just keep the town hidden from mundane humans, it also blocks most forms of external magical influence.
" Moira moved to the tea kettle she kept on a small table near the back of the store.
"That doesn't mean he can't try, but it does mean his power here is limited. "
"He's not powerless, though. He got past the Veil somehow."
"True. But getting in doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants once he's here.
" Moira began preparing tea with practiced efficiency.
"The Council has jurisdiction over any magical crimes committed within the town boundaries.
If he threatens you here, if he tries to use coercive magic against you here, they can act. "
Ivy pulled the crumpled card from her pocket and stared at it again. Such a small thing to carry so much fear.
"What if I run again? Leave tonight, before he can find me?"
"You could. But running didn't solve the problem before, did it?
The bindings followed you, and now he's found you anyway.
" Moira handed her a steaming mug that smelled of chamomile and something else, something that made the tight knot in her chest begin to loosen.
"Sometimes the only way out is through."
Ivy reached for the tea gratefully, wrapping her hands around the warm ceramic. "I'm scared."
"I know. But you're not alone anymore. That has to count for something."
The tea was perfect, somehow exactly what she needed to steady her nerves and clear her thoughts. Ivy took another sip and felt some of her panic recede, replaced by determination.
"The Council meeting. What do I need to do?"
"Tell the truth. Explain what happened, describe the contract terms as best you can remember them, provide evidence of the magical coercion.
" Moira sank into the chair across from her.
"I can be there as a witness to your current condition, and we can research precedent cases to strengthen your petition.
But like all hearings, we will need proof or documentation before just telling them about it. Research."
"And if they can't help? If the magic is too complex to unravel?"
"Then we find another way. But let's start with the legal approach. The Council has resources and expertise that individual practitioners don't."
Ivy stared down at the black card in her hand, Sebastian's name mocking her from the elegant script. With deliberate movements, she began tearing it into smaller and smaller pieces, letting the fragments fall to the floor like black snow.
"There," she said, her voice stronger than it had been since she'd found the card. "Let's see how he likes having his calling cards treated like garbage."
"That's the spirit." Moira smiled approvingly. "Now, let's talk strategy."