AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And we also know the Conclave takes a year or so to come to a decision about literally anything, so we’re here to help, because goddess knows they’re useless,” Nova said, gesturing back toward the house.
“Good because… because it’s not just my mom. I think… I think I’m in danger.”
“Well, sure, without the Covenant, we’re all in danger,” Zale said.
“No, I mean… ugh, this is complicated,” I moaned, covering my face with my hands.
“It’s okay,” Eva said. “Just take a deep breath and start at the beginning.”
And I did. We sat down right there in the shade of the Rose of Sharon and its lush white blossoms, and I started talking. The more I talked, the easier it became. They listened intently and, aside from the occasional exclamation or muttered curse word, without interruption, as I told them about every interaction I’d ever had with the Gray Man.
“And of course, I don’t actually know what to call him, or who or what he is, and so I’ve always just called him the same thing I called him when I was three years old: the Gray Man,” I said. “But he’s connected to all of this, and I don’t exactly understand how, but I think if we can find out, it might help find my mom,” I finished, a sob hitching in my throat.
Three blank faces stared back at me, evidently stunned into silence.
“Uh, hello?” I said, waving my hands in front of their faces. “Anyone want to chime in here?”
Eva recovered first. “Sorry, uh… it’s just… I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’tthat.”
“Seriously,” Nova murmured.
“So… have any of you ever heard of anything like the Gray Man before? Is this some sort of witch thing, like familiars and cauldrons and stuff?” I asked impatiently.
“Not a normal witch thing, no,” Zale said, shaking his head.
“It sounds like it could be more dark magic,” Eva said, “like that spell we found in Nova’s library.”
Nova fired up at once. “We don’t know if that was actually the—”
“Okay, okay, damn,” Eva exclaimed. “The spell from the beach, then. But whatever the Gray Man is, it’s not good.”
Zale looked thoughtful. “What if we checked the Archives?”
I perked up at once. “The Archives? What’s that?”
“They’re in the basement of the Historical Society. It’s where they keep the historical records and documentation of all the dark stuff that goes on in this town.”
“Dark stuff? Like… you mean like the Darkness?” I asked, my fear peaking again.
“No. Well, I mean yes, that too,” Zale said quickly, “but the Darkness itself isn’t the only evil thing to take root here. The deep magic has drawn lots of evil things here, and it takes lots of forms. We should see if we can find anything out about this Gray Man.”
“Why don’t we just ask the Conclave?” I suggested. “Wouldn’t they know?”
Nova snorted. “Please. You’ve seen what they’re like. They’d have to hold three meetings and seven votes before they agreed to tell us anything, even if they did know what you were talking about.”
“The Archives are restricted, though,” Eva pointed out. “How are we going to get access to them?”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem,” Nova said, tossing her hair. “I’ll just tell Phoebe I want to show you the Claire collection. She can’t say no, it belongs to my family. And once we’re down in the basement, we’ll just… wander a little.”
“I don’t know…” Eva said, hesitating.
“What’s the matter? Unless, of course, Eva Marin is now a rule follower?” Nova said with a smirk.
Eva recognized her own words thrown back at her and put up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay! You win! We’ll go to the Archives.”
* * *
It wasn’t easy to get away. The Conclave was still there an hour later, asking me a million questions, like I was being interrogated for a crime. All I wanted to do was scream, “Someone took her! She’s not safe! What are you all sitting around asking me stupid pointless questions for?!” My face must have been giving away these silent thoughts, because Rhi swooped in and came to my rescue, taking me by the arm and steering me off the couch and into the kitchen with a cheerful call over her shoulder of, “I’m sure Wren has told you everything she can, and this is all very stressful, so she’s just going to take a little break for a cup of tea, okay?”
