Page 3 of Haunt Me, Maybe

And do they have to worry about the precious seconds between escape and ritualistic death?

“Fine!” I growled. “I get your point.”

Fenn settled more comfortably in the satchel until only the large eyes on the top of his head were visible under the flap. I rested my hands on the steering wheel and quickly tried to form another illusion. Lucky number seventeen.

Might as well cover those bags beneath your eyes while you’re at it. Even for a human, you look too exhausted.

Glaring at my bag was no less insane than shouting at it, but I couldn’t help myself. With a huff, I added a glamour over my eyes as well and held my breath until Fenn gave a small croak. Success. Brittle leaves swept across the two-lane road on the next breeze, their dry scraping an eerie sound for the deserted roadside.

Thankfully, the officer arrived at my window before my imagination could come up with any other reasons to keep me on edge. And small mercies, he seemed kind.

“Evening, ma’am. License and registration, please,” he asked, the laugh lines around his eyes crinkling.

I nodded, mouth too dry to speak, and handed over my spelled Post-It notes. I wasn’t worried about them passing inspection; my illusions were damn good. But if he took them back to his car and ran them through the system, we would have a problem, and a high-speed chase wasn’t on my short list of how to stay under the radar.

I kept a pleasant smile on my face as he looked back and forth between the little picture on the card and me. He turned his head and made a quick glance into the back seat, catching sight of my bag and obvious rough-made bed. I steeled myself for any extra illusions I might need to cast.

“Do you know how fast you were going?” he finally asked, stern but kind.

I shook my head. “No, sir. I wasn’t really paying attention.” He frowned, taking a firmer look at me, and I fought the urge to fidget. Fenn wiggled in the bag beside me, and I began to ramble. “I got lost looking for a town called Amber Grove? Everything looks the same out here, and I couldn’t find the sign, and I wanted to get off the road before it got dark, and⁠—”

“Alright, alright, take it easy, kid. There was no harm done.” His brows bunched, giving me the idea that he was looking right through me, but he lifted his hands in a calming manner instead. “I can tell you’re not from around here and have had a long ride.”

I nodded along with a well-practiced frown, faking an embarrassed smile as I shrugged my free shoulder.

“I’ve been driving all day.” And wasn’t that the truth?

My smile slipped when he glanced back at my fake license. The strain of travel, of being on the run, as well as holding my current illusions, was beginning to take its toll. My head throbbed, and it only got worse as I drew on more magic.

The officer’s fingers slid back through the window. “I’ll let you go with a warning if you can promise to be more careful.”

“Absolutely,” I swore, taking my Post-Its back with trembling fingers.

My illusion wasn’t too deep, only a basic glamour on already existing paper, but it caused a steady throb behind my right eye. The officer noticed my painful wince and took pity on me. I practically felt his sympathy floating toward me like a falling leaf. A young girl, obviously exhausted, with all her belongings in the back seat? Yeah, that wasn’t usual.

“You’re actually not far from your destination,” he said, turning so that he could point to the stop sign behind us. “If you had made a left at that intersection, you would have been on the main road into town.”

Damn, I really was that close. Thank the Goddess. I was about ready to drop dead, which I didn’t think would go over well right now.

“Thank you so much,” I told him, relief in my tone.

“If you need a place to stay, check the Harvest Hill Inn. Old Mrs. Haverly should have a room or two still open. But don’t dawdle, this time of year her rooms fill up fast.”

His kindness made me feel the smallest bit guilty for the trick, but I did what I had to do. Within minutes, he was back in his car, and I was once again on the road in search of sanctuary.

Fenn stayed in my bag as we took the Jeep slowly down the main road into town. Amber Grove, a small dot on the map, was a place I heard the aunts discussing a time or two. They said it was steeped in old magic, which hadn’t seemed like a bad thing. Now, I was second-guessing my intelligence.

I was supposed to be avoiding magic, not running right toward it. But when one lived in panic mode for too long, logical thinking left the building.

Raindrops sprinkled on my windshield as we arrived, and the road before me glistened, growing more damp by the second with that telltale scent of petrichor. I slowed to a crawl as I hit the main town square and took it all in. Under the quaint cobblestone sidewalks and red-leafed trees, a quiet magic hummed.

Ley lines, Fenn murmured. They run right through the center of this place.

Well, that explained the weird energy.

Maybe the lingering magical traces here would conceal mine. We didn’t plan on staying long, only a month, but I desperately needed to be able to rest without constantly looking over my shoulder.

The iron lampposts gave off a warm, safe glow, showcasing the large storefronts with their welcoming signs and woven wreaths.