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She led the way, and Nick grabbed his mace as he followed her. He wasn’t getting caught unarmed again. They stepped out of the house, and Nick took a breath. The fresh air helped to calm him, and the void lingered in the back of his mind, taking the darkest emotions and giving him space to breathe.
Nick scanned the area outside, and Cara walked around the garden, searching for the wards carved into the ground.
“Under the grass,” she said. “Interesting. She must have decided to go for a simpler circle spell instead of keeping the runes on solid surfaces.”
“She?”
“The witch Henry hired. I’m just assuming it was a woman, but it could’ve been a man.”
Nick joined her, frowning at the shapes that were almost hidden by the grass. “What if someone pulled up the grass and kicked the dirt out of the way? Would the runes stop working?”
“No. The ground was just a surface to draw the runes, but with some work, the surface doesn’t need to remain intact. If the earth is disturbed, the runes adapt to the new surfaces, reforming where they can.”
“Impressive.”
“Not really,” Cara said. “It only works on weaker spells, and a big enough disruption would break the circle.”
“That’s not what you want for a security system.”
“No, it’s not,” she said.
“So Henry really didn’t get his money’s worth.”
“It doesn’t look like it.”
“Can you do a better job?” he asked.
She smiled. “Are you really asking me that?”
After a second, he returned the smile, and then he got out of her way.
Fire flickered on her fingertips, and she kneeled in the grass. She touched the nearest rune, and the flames burned through the grass, following the rune lines. He had the sense that she was removing the old spell, but he didn’t interrupt her to ask. When the fire passed on, there was nothing left behind except burnt grass.
Seconds became minutes, and Nick fidgeted, trying to stave off the intrusive thoughts that filled the silence.
“Thanks for helping me,” he said, taking another few steps back to make sure his void didn’t interfere. “I owe you for this.”
She kept her eyes on the runes as her fire burned through them. “No problem.”
“I’m serious, I appreciate what you’re doing for me.”
The flames finished their work and faded to nothing, and she looked up at him. “It’s not just for you. Julia and Quinn need help, and it’s my fault they were taken. They’re wrapped up in the same thing as Brett, and if I can help, I have to do what I can. This house could be important as a refuge later.”
She started to say something else, but she stopped, and Nick knew she was about to mention Henry’s body. They didn’t want anyone to disturb him. Nick’s grip tightened around the handle of the mace until his fingers ached.
“Nick?”
Nick didn’t look at her. He tried to focus on his breathing, but he felt himself spiralling. The void swirled in his chest, offering sanctuary, and it filled him with calm.
“I’m fine,” he said, and Cara frowned, but she nodded.
She stood up and walked to the side of the house. There was a stone path that ran along the wall, and she knelt down there, murmuring words as her fingertips lit up with fire again.
“Why did you move?” Nick asked, keeping several feet away from her.
“Different spell,” she muttered, eyes closed.
He stayed silent for a few seconds, but he was too curious to stop himself. “How is it different?”
