Chapter 20
Joell stood at the base of the pentacle she had painted on the floorboards and placed her wand at her feet. Her significator card, the Queen of Wands, rested on top of the deck. There couldn’t have been a more fitting card.
The Queen of Wands represented Joell perfectly—practical, adventurous, and fiercely committed to helping others. Upright, the card signified a sympathetic and understanding person. Friendly. Sincere. Graceful. An entrepreneur whose work benefited others whenever possible.
The League even had its own pet charity—Shifter Rights. Crowe’s tail flicked as he thought about the pun… Pet charity. If he could laugh, he would have.
A portion of whatever the witches earned went toward combating shifter prejudice, one frightened idiot at a time.
Of course, the reversed meaning of the card told a different story. Instability. Fickleness. Jealousy. Wanton, indiscriminate sexual behavior.
Crowe blinked slowly. Well, everyone has a dark side. Give it a day or two. PMS will bring out the evil twins soon enough.
Joell closed her eyes and raised her hands toward the ceiling. She drew several deep pranic breaths, centering herself as she connected to the energies above and below the earth. She raised her wand and walked the perimeter of the circle three times, clockwise.
When she spoke, her voice had already slipped into trance. “At this time and in this place, I reach out with my mind toward space. I reach to times since time began and what shall be of Earth and clan.”
The protective circle she had cast with her wand glowed bluish-white around them.
Crowe sat quietly beside the edge of the pentacle. Guarding. Watching.
Joell drew in several more breaths, strengthening her connection to the universe.
“I draw in power. I draw in images. I draw in words. I draw in emotions. I draw within myself things that have never been seen, or heard, or felt before. To these images, I give life so that others know the magic, the beauty, the mystery that I have sought and found within and in the world around me and in the stars strewn like jewels on the velvet-black sky. So mote it be.”
She crouched and gathered the Tarot cards, shuffling slowly while concentrating and pouring her energy into the deck.
At last, she cut the cards and passed her hand over each half. Then she stacked them again.
It was time.
“I call upon the mighty forces of Nature! I call upon all good and protective spirits! The forces of the earth, of the waters, and of the air. Hear me now. Help me now. Lend power and protection to the Goddess’s precious life forms that are now endangered.
May the vast forces, the power and energy which I call forth, grow and redouble! ”
The candle flame surged.
The room brightened.
Joell’s eyes remained closed.
“Sahara, name these men while I concentrate.”
Sahara studied a separate screen and began reading slowly.
“Tristan… Marco… Rocco… Brett… Gabriel… Giorgio… Jonah… and Scott.”
Joell nodded, still deep in trance.
“These men are aided and protected. Our power to find them grows, and my vision is true. Lead us to them, Goddess, keeping them safe until we can return them to their rightful place and destiny. So mote it be.”
She opened her eyes and passed her hand across the deck.
The Queen of Wands flew from the deck of the cards and landed on the pentacle.
Reversed.
Crowe’s ears flattened.
Well, hell. PMS has already started.
Joell passed her hand over the deck again. Several cards leapt free and scattered across the floor in front of her.
She studied them in silence.
Four lay slightly to the left of the reversed Queen. Four others fell to the right.
Her eyes narrowed.
“It seems they’ve been split up,” she murmured. “Four models with at least one perpetrator… heading in opposite directions.”
She studied the spread more closely. One of the cards was the Star.
“Lioness,” Joell said softly. “Are you still in California?”
“Yes.”
“Half of the models are coming your way.”
Joell closed her eyes again as images began swirling behind them. “Take care. There are two perps. Ugly inside and out, and cunning. They’re working with others. Their intentions are exploitative. They’re heading toward the Valley.”
Lioness’s pencil hovered over her sketchpad, ready.
“As soon as I have the sketches, I’m on my way.”
“Lioness,” Joell said quietly. “Tie your consciousness to mine. Are you receiving the images?”
Lioness’s eyes were closed. “I am.” Her pencil moved quickly.
Crowe watched in fascination. Even after all these years, the process still amazed him. Joell’s mind gathered the images somewhere beyond normal sight and projected them directly to Lioness. The results were always frighteningly accurate.
“Take another League sister with you,” Joell continued. “The perps have backup waiting.”
“Then they won’t reach it,” Lioness said calmly.
“I’ll go with her,” Victoria said.
“Good. Take your helicopter. You may be able to intercept them enroute.”
Joell inhaled slowly, focusing on the other cluster of cards. “The Magician Card… East Coast.”
Her voice sharpened.
“A major city. New York… maybe Washington, D.C.”
Crowe’s whiskers twitched.
“I’m sensing them more clearly than the others,” Joell continued. “There’s magic involved.”
Lioness looked up from her sketchpad.
“Of course there is.”
Joell exhaled slowly.
“That’s how they subdued eight muscular men in the first place.”
Crowe’s tail flicked. Yup. Magic. Kidnapping. Male models…
This mission just keeps getting better.
Joell remained deep in trance, her voice calm and steady despite the tension buzzing through the call.
“Where do we take the models once we have them?” Victoria asked.
“To the mansion. In Bum-fuck Tennessee.”
Lioness chuckled. “You mean Mount Funk?”
“Yeah, whatever. The usual hidey-hole. We’ll meet here, then reunite them with their agent, hopefully in time for the convention. We can even provide security for the contest if we resolve this quickly. The agent will pay extra if they’re back and participating in time.”
“I assume that bonus comes our way?” Victoria asked.
“Absolutely. Be careful, you two. I sense strength there. The perp with the scar and the nose like a bird of prey is the boss. The other one, who looks like a shaggy wolf, is just as cunning. Don’t go anywhere without each other.”
“I want to help, but bugger, I’m in Oz,” Magda complained.
“Oh, now she wants to help,” Lioness teased.
“You’re back!” Joell said. “You can take the calls while we’re—”
Magda cursed loudly. “You always get the sexy assignments while I have to answer the bloody phones.” Then her voice dropped to a whisper. “You don’t mind if I ignore you for official business, do you, lover?”
A pause.
Crowe blinked. Now we know why she didn’t show up on video right away.
“Good. I’ll meet you in the shower when I’m finished,” she whispered.
Rayna spoke up next. “Maybe I can help. I have my pets, after all. They can go with me.”
Unfortunately, those two human “pets” would be little help if things turned magically ugly. They had strength, military training, and good looks, but no supernatural abilities.
Joell, still deep in trance, barely nodded.
“The Magician card is on the East Coast with the other four models. A major city. New York. They’re still in Manhattan. I’m sensing them more clearly than the ones heading West.”
Her brow furrowed. “There’s definitely magic involved in the East, but not the West.”
Lioness leaned forward. “Thank the Goddess for small favors. As soon as I finish these sketches, scan them, and send them to all of you, I’ll head out.”
“Thanks,” Joell said. “Fax mine, please. My printer’s acting like a little bitch.
And be careful, everyone. There are dark, mystical forces in play.
I should get involved myself. Not only because I’m nearly on top of the models here in New Yor—” She stopped.
“Damnit. I forgot for a moment that the mansion moved.”
“Magic is probably how they captured eight muscular men in the first place,” Sahara said smoothly.
Crystal spoke up. “What can I do from Saint Petersburg?”
“Just stand by,” Joell said. “If Lioness or Victoria need you on the West Coast, perhaps you can cross the strait to Alaska and head down to California.”
“But I’m in Saint Petersburg, Florida,” Crystal said. “I finished my Russian assignment early.”
Joell blinked. “Oh? Why didn’t we hear about that?”
Crystal rolled her eyes. “It was supposed to be a surprise. I was going to invite everyone down to my beach house for the week.”
Lioness smiled warmly. “That’s sweet. Not much of a surprise now.”
Even in trance, Joell managed a pout.
Victoria tilted her head. “What about helping Joell with the kidnapped models on the East Coast, Crystal?”
Joell suddenly straightened. “Yes! Crystal and I should interview the agent immediately. He might be withholding information. So, Crystal,” Joell asked, “are you available to help me?”
“Officially under protest,” Crystal replied. “You know this is the week we lock up the weapons. That means no staff, no bow and arrow, no spear, no sword, no Harpoon, and not even my trumpet.”
“Shit,” Rayna shouted. “You mean we’re still handing everything over to my pets, so they can hide our weapons and hold onto the key?”
“I’m sorry,” Joell said. “Chad insists. If we’re distracted and off our game, innocent people could get hurt.”
“How the hell are we supposed to apprehend anyone?”
Joell sighed. “We work with the police.”
Six simultaneous groans erupted over the call.
Crystal eyed her suspiciously. “So, you’re surrendering your cute little Derringer with the pink mother-of-pearl handle?”
Several witches snickered.
Joell scowled. “Stop calling my weapon of choice ‘cute.’ It’s easy to hide. I had special holsters added to my belt, my boots, and my Louis Vuitton bag. And yes. It goes in the safe with everything else. We’ll call the police only for the arrest.”
Victoria nodded. “I’ll head toward the West Coast and back up Lioness.”
“Thanks,” Lioness said.
“And I can fix your printer,” Sahara added. “Give me a few minutes to access it remotely.”
Crystal nodded, “I can reach New York this afternoon to help you.”
“Good,” Joell said. “Speed matters. If anyone needs magical backup, just ask. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Meanwhile, we can all infiltrate the romance convention. Are any of you registered attendees?”
“All of us are,” Crystal said proudly. “I registered and paid for everyone’s ticket.”
Joell smiled. “Awww. Thanks, Crystal. The first thing I’ll do after this mission is have a little chat with the liaison, so this never happens again.”
“Goddess bless you!” several voices said at once.
“I’ll man the boring phones,” Magda offered. “Call if you need anything else.”
The fax machine on Joell’s desk began to whir and squeal. Lioness’s sketches rolled out of the machine one by one, incredibly detailed.
The kidnappers were spectacularly ugly. One had greasy dark hair hanging in strings and a crooked nose that had clearly been broken multiple times. A jagged scar slashed across his chin.
The other had beady eyes, oversized ears, and a nose far too large for his face.
Meanwhile, Sahara sent everyone the modeling agency’s website and told Joell to try the printer again.
Joell closed her sacred circle and miraculously printed the files. The four missing models believed to be in New York were Tristan, Gabriel, Scott, and Marco.
Marco leaned against a small plane in the photo, bomber jacket open with no shirt underneath. His abs looked carved from marble. His dark curls and trimmed beard framed a classically handsome face.
Joell actually sighed.
Tristan had a completely different appeal. Boyish face. Hazel eyes with thick lashes. Lean athletic body.
Joell muttered, “C’mon. We have places to save, people to do, and things to go.” She stopped. “…Wait a minute.”
She shook her head. “Never mind.”
Joell and Crystal agreed to meet the agent at an outdoor café in Manhattan. They sipped cappuccino and discussed strategy.
“I’m glad you made it,” Joell said. “I really need you.”
“Yeah, I know,” Crystal replied. “You want me to question the agent?”
“Please. I’ll watch and read his vibes.”
“My favorite psychic bullshit detector.”
Joell gave her a look. “That’s what you call my sensitivity?”
Crystal shrugged. “Just being direct—and entertaining. I thought you’d appreciate that.”
They waited. Then Joell leaned slightly to one side. “Here he comes from behind you. Salt-and-pepper hair. Armani suit.”
Crystal turned and spotted him immediately. “Yum.”
“He’s all yours,” Joell said. “I prefer younger men.”
“Well, he’s young enough for me.”
The man approached and extended his hand.
“Good day, ladies.”
“Yes, Good afternoon, Mr. Gold. I’m Joell,” she said pleasantly.
He turned to Crystal.
“And who is this enchanting lady?”
“This is my colleague, Crystal,” Joell said.
“Lovely to meet you,” Crystal replied in her beautiful British accent.
“Delighted,” he replied, and actually kissed the back of Crystal’s hand. Then he sat next to her and across from Joell.
When the waiter appeared, Stan ordered bottled water.
Crystal turned to face him. “Stan, can you tell us anything about Tristan, Gabriel, Scott, and Marco?”
“Why those four?”
“We believe they may still be local.”
Gold scratched his chin.
“Well… Tristan is from New Zealand. Marco is from Italy. They were sharing a room,” Gold added.
Crystal smiled slowly. “Then we should take a look at that room.”