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"Sure. Be down in ten." His tousled hair was sticking every which way as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.>"I'm on it," I said. "You have a picture of Peyton I can take with me? I think you should stay here in case she calls and needs help."
"Here, take this one." Anadey pulled open a small ornate silver frame and withdrew the picture, handing it to me. "Thank you, Cicely. Thank you for looking for my baby. I know she's a grown woman but . . ."
"But she's your child." I paused. "And Heather's my aunt. We can't just act as if nothing happened and go on as usual. Listen, while I'm out looking for her, can you do me a favor and write up a good, strong protection spell? We have to ward the house. I'll tell you why later."
Anadey nodded. "Of course. Go now, please. Find my daughter for me."
I leapt into Favonis and gunned the motor. Time to make tracks.
I stopped at the gas station on Twelfth and filled up Favonis. As I headed inside to pay for my purchases, I pulled out Peyton's picture. Nobody else besides the clerk was in the store and so I tossed a ten on the counter for my gas, then held out the photo.
"Can you tell me if Peyton Moon Runner was in this morning to fill up her car? I need to get in touch with her and she said she'd be coming here. Wanted to see if she showed yet."
The guy pushed the picture back to me. "I know Peyton. And yeah, she dropped by to fill up her tank. She in trouble?"
"I hope not," I muttered. Then louder, said, "Not from me. I'm just trying to track her down. Listen, did the cops come by to check whether she'd been in?"
He blinked. "Cops? No. I've been here all morning and you're the second customer I've had since she was in. Why do you ask?"
"No reason . . . apparently," I said, adding a candy bar to my purchase, then headed back to the car. So the cops hadn't even bothered to see if she'd been at the station. Which she had. Which meant that she'd vanished after she'd gassed up.
I stood beside Favonis, closing my eyes as I tried to listen to the wind for any whispers that might give me a clue. Any clue.
First layer down . . . human contact . . . emotionally charged discussions . . .
She said that she was at her girlfriend's house, but I found out later she was fucking my best friend . . .
Mother has cancer. Are you going to come visit or not?
What the hell are you talking about? I didn't scrape your car--you've got the wrong guy, you idiot.
And then, I lowered myself a little further, tuning into the astral, the world of the unseen, the world of the elements themselves.
Winter comes hard this year.
There's been a migration of Fae away from the area since the Shadow Hunters have come out to play. They hunt by day and night. Dangerous.
And then . . . into the level of magic itself.
The energy buzzed, and I caught hold of the tail. I opened my eyes, now able to visibly see the strands surrounding the area. It was like watching electrical impulses running through a body, only what I was seeing was residue from those who walked along the streets, who flew through the air, from magic-born and those not born to the human world alike.
At the pump next to mine, I saw a trail of purple sparkles, and they led out of the lot and down the street. Something called to me and I sensed . . . Peyton. I'd picked up her energy signature.
I jumped back into Favonis, and cautiously eased out onto the street. It was hard to see through the strands of energy lining the sidewalks and road, but I did my best to keep my focus carefully divided so I didn't get in an accident or lose track of the tracers I knew had come from Peyton. And then, they turned into a driveway ahead. I eased Favonis down to speed and followed.
As the car jostled over a speed bump, I glanced at the signs posted on either side of the drive. SUNSET PARK. Great. A four-hundred-acre park complete with jogging trails through the woods and a bicycle path. Wild wood. Perfect place for Fae to hang out. Or the Indigo Court.
I parked in the lot and slowly stepped out of my car, scanning for anything that might tell me . . . Hello? A red Kia, compact, sitting on the far side of the lot. Dreading what I'd find, I broke into a run and sprinted across the lot, skidding to a halt just behind the car. A glance around and a listen on the wind told me nobody was near here--but the energy trails led right to the car and then abruptly cut off, as if they'd been dampened.
The driver's door was unlocked and so I opened it, peeking inside. Peyton's purse was on the passenger seat, but the keys were nowhere to be seen. I glanced around, but found nothing unusual. Her gym bag was in the back so she'd definitely been on her way to meet me. A receipt for the gas poked out of the cup holder.
Stepping back away from the car, I glanced around. A trail led off to the left, into the woods. A faint wisp of energy tapped me on the shoulder.
Did she go that way, Ulean?
I believe so--a faint residue of her aura remains. But she is nowhere near here, that I can tell you.
I shaded my eyes from the silvery overcast glare and looked around. There was no way I was going in those woods alone. Too dangerous. I could feel it creeping around me like tendrils from a vine. Just then, a glint of shine caught my eye and I squinted. Something was in the snow near the trailhead.
