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I shiver at the memory. “I think I can handle that.”
I turn and hover my hand over the grimoire again, thinking of the spell I need. The pages glow and flutter, and then open to a passage:
Sun and fire
Moon and stars
Banish this evil
Vanquish the dark
“This should do the trick,” I say. “If you can distract him long enough for me to summon my magic.”
Xander growls. “I’m not letting that monster get away again.”
I look back down at the book. “I wonder if there’s some sort of a tracking spell, or location spell, so we can find him before he snatches someone else.”
I pick up one of the sandwiches and take a bite as I hold my hand over the book again, letting it guide me. One of the cats runs up and starts meowing at my feet again. Then a second, then a third.
“What is it, guys?”
Circe, Minerva, and Catticus Finch continue their incessant chorus as Xander and I stare at them in bewilderment.
“Did Ven forget to feed you before work?” I ask.
At the sound of Ven’s name, the cats begin to yowl even louder. At that same moment, my grimoire flashes, and an image rises up from the pages. It hovers in the air before my eyes, spinning slowly. It’s a holographic version of the mark of the Nobilis Draco.
“I think this will lead us to the cloaked man,” I say in a whisper of amazement.
Xander’s eyes are wide, the glow from the pages reflecting off them. “Your grimoire really is something special. I think it’s enhanced to match your powers.” He looks down at me. “And you’re one of the most powerful witches I’ve ever met.”
As I stare at the image and then down at the cats, still meowing wildly at my feet, a heavy feeling of dread forms in my stomach. “I need to call Ven,” I say.
My purse is still back at the police station, along with my cell phone, but I go to the landline phone in the kitchen and dial the coffee shop. One of the staff answers, and a few moments later, my fears are confirmed. Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I hang up the phone. I spin, right into Xander who had come up behind me.
“Ven was a no-show at work an hour ago,” I say, and then burst into tears. The cloaked figure must have snatched her almost immediately after I escaped. If only we’d come straight back to the house, this never would have happened. Guilt simmers in my gut.
Xander looks furious, his jaw clenching and unclenching. “We’re going to find her. I promise.” He steps back and looks me in the eyes. “Let’s go finish this bastard.”
I nod and wipe away my tears. My fear hardens to resolve. “I’ll go get my grimoire.”
We walk back to the library, and I pick up the book. The image of the Order is still floating above it. Taking a deep breath, I reach out and take Xander’s hand. Then I call on my magic. It rushes in, red-hot and golden, rustling everything on the desk and whipping my hair back.
“Take us to that which we seek,” I intone, my voice vibrating with power.
There’s a whoosh like a whirlwind encircling us, and everything goes black.
