Silas Key
Tornado moving toward town, stay put
Your mom is OK
My breath catches, nervous system officially in fight-or-flight mode. Just as I’m about to call the Warlock, he calls me.
It’s not his voice on the other end. Ms. Zeen’s normally stoic tone is shrill in my ear.
“Slow down, Ms. Zeen—”
“Lazlo is missing. His favorite sneakers are gone. And his coat. Even his little umbrella.”
My stomach rolls like dough in a bread machine, my thoughts cycloning back to earlier. He was so upset with Mr. Knight—
Do you think Beauregard is okay? Can we go check on him?Please.
Oh no no no.
Surely not. Even if he did, how could the kid get all the way from the Manor to town? A bike? If he’s on foot, maybe I can intercept him…
I clutch the steering wheel, head bubbling with worst cases. “Does the Warlock keep any functioning portals around the Manor?”
A frantic sentence comes through the phone. I have to kill the Dodge’s engine to hear.
“—not for ages,” Ms. Zeen’s saying. “I suppose something could’ve been left open; there was always a tricky one in Mr. Knight’s study—”
“Does he know Lazlo is gone?”
“Not yet, but only because he’s busy futzing with the wards. He thinks the storm is—”
“The Widow Witch.” Of course. “Stay there. Double-check the usual hiding spots. But try to act normal. I’ll find Lazlo.”
As soon as we hang up, I pull up the group chat.
kentucky fried coven
Everyone OK?
Carolina Vázquez
We’re moving patients to safer rooms
Hospital’s fine but in a panic, text y’all later
Arna Jean Claywell
shop is safe and secure, I’m headed home
got too much delicate crystal sitting around
is this the WW? finally?
Ms. Marrow
I think we’re on the edge of it out here.
We needed the rain but Lord, not like this.
