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“Shante,” I yell, trying to pull my hands from hers. “You’re burning me.”
Smoke begins to rise from our palms, and I scream. Law’s firm arms yank me by the shoulders out of her grip, disconnecting her hold on me.
Her eyes open and she slouches back in the chair, breathing heavily.
“What was that?” I bellow in outrage, hands still red from the burn her touch created. “This has never happened before,” she says almost angrily. “Spirits are easy to call upon. A part of them is tethered to the earth, and when a piece of their past calls upon them, they easily come,” she says to nobody in particular. It’s almost as if she’s trying to remind herself of how things are supposed to be. Law and I remain quiet, listening to her rationalize whatever the heck just happened.
“I tried to call upon the goddesses to show me her location, but all I saw was fog. The further into the fog my mind went, the warmer it became. It was as if I were stepping right into a fire.”
I scrunch my nose. “That’s never happened before?”
She shakes her head. “Never has anything like that happened.” She shares a glance with Law, who seems just as perplexed.
“What do you make of it?” he asks Shante.
She whistles. “A strong magic.”
“What does that mean?” I press, not understanding how magic would play into the spiritual realm. Then again, what the hell do I know about any of this? I just found out that vampires exist.
“Someone”—she bites her lip in concentration—“or something,” she corrects, “doesn’t want us to know where Maggie is.”
“We know where Maggie is,” I stress. “She’s dead, Shante.”
She scrunches her nose as if she’s not so sure.
“Shante?”
A moment of hope springs forth and is dashed in a second with her next words. “Yes... but a force is keeping her from speaking with us,” she explains. “This is impossible for someone who is dead,” she mumbles to herself.
“Black magic could do it. Right?” Law asks, and she tilts her chin, closing her eyes again and concentrating. She bites her bottom lip, drawing blood, before finally sagging back once more.
“It’s not black magic.” She takes several deep breaths, staring into space. “But whatever it is, it’s very powerful.”
“What do we do?” Law asks, sounding concerned, whether for Shante or whatever magic is keeping Maggie from us, I don’t know.
“I need to call my sisters. This is beyond my power.”
I sit back into my chair, defeated. I got my hopes up that I’d have the answers I was seeking. Patience has never been a virtue of mine, but knowing that there’s more to Maggie’s story just adds to the already daunting list of questions.
“I’m sorry, Marina,” Shante says, eyes downcast. “I wouldn’t have offered to call upon your sister if I wasn’t very sure I could. What happened here tonight”—she shakes her head—“it’s unnatural. And that’s saying something coming from a witch.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“I know, Shante. Julian speaks highly of your talent. I don’t doubt your ability at all.”
“And you’re right not to,” Law chimes in. “Shante has worked with our family for centuries. There is no other witch that matches her strength.”
Shante scoffs. “That may be an exaggeration. There are many talented witches.”
“Not one as trustworthy as you.” Law says it with so much reverence, I wonder how exactly Shante came to be so trusted by the royal family.
“When we share common goals, it’s easy for me to call upon my full powers.”
“What is our shared goal?” I ask, wanting to know what part of this current mess has Shante wanting to get involved.
She purses her lips, as though I’ve offended her in some way, but eventually, she speaks. “If Marcellus manages to create an army of new bites, chaos will rain down on us all. It’s in all witches’ interest for humanity to survive, Marina. Whatever it takes to ensure a natural balance, we’ll sign up for.”
I bob my head, liking her answer. It’s simple, but the most crucial of all goals at the moment. “In that case, it appears we’re all on the same team. Thank you for trying.”
“I must be going,” she says, standing from the table. “I’m needed in New Orleans this evening. I’ll consult with my sisters and get back to you on what I find.” She comes around the table and leans down so that we’re at eye level. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Marina.”
