Here, she was letting him know that there was a significant match between Col’s experience and another anomaly, culled from the various databases that Simon was able to access, even uninvited.
And what a match it was.
Recently there had been a rash of similar abductions — young, buff men who were running or hiking in the woods of upstate New York. Their bodies had been found after the latest victim had been tracked using the records of the watch he’d been wearing. The fitness company was more than cooperative in handing over the coordinates of his run, and where it had come to an abrupt stop.
The police were still trying to find the persons responsible, but had only said that the closest residents —some type of religious retreat —were nowhere to be found, perhaps not even present at the time of the abductions.
That by itself, was suspicious, but the next part, from a different set of databases, had Simon pushing his glasses back up on his nose, leaning forward in astonishment.
The area where the bodies had been found was rich in crystal deposits, and important to New Age visitors. It was, in their parlance, an energy vortex of some sort.
Just like here.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, furiously clacking out more instructions.
Nothing more.
He blew out an exasperated sigh, the lock of hair on his forehead bobbing up in response. But he knew in his gut that it was connected.
He’d talk to Miller about it, see if it was worth hiring a private investigator to send up there so they could root around some more and find out what might be behind the murders. It might very well have something to do with The Dark Warlord. And if that were the case….he started tapping his sternum. He futilely wished he knew more, but anyone who could tell him anything was long gone.
In addition to looking for anomalies or any news items that might indicate the re-awakening of The Dark Warlord, he had set his computer programs to root out any details that would lead to the mystery of his parents’s deaths, any clues as to who killed them or why.
But in this, Jemima’s voice was frustratingly silent. Similarly, he had exhausted all other avenues, including the little that Miller could tell him.
Miller had been hired by his parents. Miller did know that they called themselvesDiviners. It had something to do with their ability to divine magical energy. He also knew that they had a tradition of going into the military or law enforcement to get the training necessary to — as he learned later — protect the five Sarcophagi and their contents that had been hidden on their property. When Miller had received an honorable discharge, he took up his friend Jeffrey’s offer to move to Gardendale. Jeffrey was Simon’s father.
It was Miller who raised him, from the time he found Simon, still alive after the massacre of his parents. That memory swept through him with a shudder. He had been in his hidey-hole that only a five year old could fit into. It was small, cramped, and kept him from the killer’s sight. But it couldn’t keep out the sound of his parents’ screams, or the evil dripping from the killer’s voice afterwards.
He kept tapping his medallion rapidly, forcing himself to deepen his breaths. Slowed them down by looking at the wide expanse of his office space, the even larger open area in the vista beyond. Since that time, he had a problem with tight, confined spaces. There were other triggers for panic attacks, of course, but thanks to Miller, he was as reasonably well-adjusted as a five year old kid present at his parents’ violent ends could be.
He was freakin’ Batman, minus the cowl and cape and the physical prowess. With a recorded actress’s voice the closest he would get to having a girlfriend. And one step away from having to bolt down furniture because of the shifters brawling in his living room.
Reasonably well-adjusted, riiiiiiiight.
* * *
Cadmus hated what he was wearing, but he knew that he had to fit in here. Make himself invisible. So he’d reluctantly taken Micah’s advice on what to wear to look like the head of a tech company, and outfitted himself in what he was assured was a top of the line long sleeved tee-shirt and pants that could unzip into shorts. Never in a million years would he have thought he would have to wear garments made out of garbage —4.8 plastic soda bottles were recycled to make this!,the shirt tag proclaimed —in service to His Terrible Majesty. The only saving grace was that somewhere out there, Micah was wearing clothes that he similarly detested.
He had come to this little shop of horrors, to get what he needed so he could track down the man-wolf. His ticket to getting back in His Terrible Majesty’s good graces. The store was billed as the most extensive purveyor of metaphysical goods, including ingredients used in spell work and the crafting of charms. Even so, it had a light and airy feel, with soft flute music piped in that featured sounds of rushing water and gentle bells. There were sashes of lavender fabric draped over every available space, and wind chimes and dreamcatchers everywhere that he kept knocking into.
“Did you hear about us from the Faire?” The speaker was a short, rotund woman with purple feathers woven into her grey hair. Her t-shirt was large, deep purple and readThis Is My Resting Witch Facewith a helpful upwards-pointing arrow.
“Excuse me?” Cadmus asked, meaning the Faire, but really it was the woman who should have been apologizing for that abomination of an outfit.
“Oh, most people find us from the huge booth we have at the Faire, where we make most of our sales. I’m there at night, giving my readings, but the regulars know that if they come here, they’ll get a more private setting, so we can really go in depth, you know what I mean?”
She obviously mistook Cadmus’ look of horror for encouragement to continue.
“In fact, I have my custom-made cards here, featuring my cats dressed up in outfits I designed myself. Would you like a reading? I can tell you’re in desperate need of my special Soulmate Finder Reading. In fact, I’ll give you an hour long reading for the price of 45 minutes!”
Cadmus was speechless at the onslaught of words that really didn’t belong together. Did she really say her tarot cards had dressed up cats on them? He wanted to kill her just on principle. But then he wouldn’t get what he needed. He finally cleared his throat.
“No, actually I’m in need of some ingredients that I am hoping you might have available.” He listed them, and Resting Witch Face laughed.
“Wow, I haven’t had a request for that in many years. But I know I definitely have everything on your list, because nobody else has bought them. It’ll take me a few minutes to pull them together from the back, so why don’t you take a look around, make yourself comfortable?”
“Of course,” Cadmus said. He’d continue looking around, with the same fascination reserved for seeing photos of medical abnormalities, but he could never find comfort here. She disappeared past some lavender curtains, setting off more wind chimes, and Cadmus settled himself by looking at an array of crystal pendulums hanging from a display stand.
One of them seemed to respond to his gaze, and started spinning tightly without being touched. He raised an eyebrow. It was clear quartz, and swung impossibly high, towards him, the chain stretched straight out as an arrow.
He took a deep breath, clearing his mind of the distracting irritation at his surroundings, the annoyance at what he was wearing, and allowed himself to feel the message.
The pendulum wasn’t pointing at him. It was pointing to indicate the imminence of what he had wanted. He could sense it now. The potential darkness for him to tap into. A possible recruit.
The pendulum was almost pulsing, as if it were screaming,Now do you get it?All of a sudden it stopped, dropping back into position alongside all the other pendulums for sale as if it had never moved at all. The bells at the store’s entrance noisily jangled to announce a new customer, at the exact moment the chimes at the lavender curtains heralded the return of the proprietor.
Cadmus turned to look at who had entered the store. He barely had time to hide his surprise at what he saw, just as Resting Witch Face called out.
“Hey, Jordy, back again so soon?”
