AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Four girls! Our girls?” He covered his mouth and his eyes shimmered as he shook his head. “Julian!” He cried.
“I’m here. What’s that about our league?” Julian asked, jogging from the back, his long hair swinging around his shoulders.
“More girls are missing and they were members of our league,” Howard told him in a shaking rush.
Julian looked at Nox, his eyes huge. “There were more?”
“Several young women are missing and so far, four of them are volunteers with the Witches For Literacy League,” Nelson confirmed tightly. He had his notebook out and Nox was encouraged by how focused and ready he looked. He’d shaken off the effects of the dreams and his tiny pencil scratched away as he slowly circled them and searched the store.
“Hold on!” Julian said, gesturing for everyone to follow him as he speed-walked past the sitting area to the office at the back. “This is it,” he told them as he pointed at the opened laptop on the desk. “The league is just a few Google sign-up sheets, calendars, contacts lists, and a Facebook group. We don’t actually know each other or get together. Dad and I just handle the admin end of it and mail out certificates,” he explained.
“What do you mean? How is it a league if you don’t meet?” Nox asked.
Julian’s cheeks puffed out as he exhaled loudly and scrubbed his locks. The roots looked a little greasy and his hair wasn’t as lustrous as last time. Nox also noticed that Julian’s clothes were slightly rumpled and he had dark circles under his eyes. He and his father were clearly having a difficult time. “People sign up if they need help and provide their contact info and dates and times they’re available on one sheet, and people who identify as witches sign up on the other. I use a program to match readers with witches and they get introduced via an email and handle the rest themselves from there. They log in their meetings and their progress and I print out certificates whenever they hit certain milestones. That’s pretty much it.”
“What about meetings to talk about the league as an organization? To raise awareness or money to cover whatever you’re putting into it?” Nox asked, but Julian shook his head.
“Money for what? It’s a few office supplies and some postage. And we handle all our announcements and networking through Facebook. Not having meetings is part of the appeal because it’s easier to fit into everyone’s schedule. You just turn up and help or get help when you have time.”
“Turn up where?” Nelson asked.
“Oh, right!” Julian said, nodding at the cozy seating area in the middle of the store. “Always a bookstore or a library for safety and to support local businesses and libraries. Several independent bookstores that specialize in the occult have partnered with us and we have over 500 volunteers and readers.”
“That’s…awesome,” Nox said with a thumbs up for Howard, but he waved it off.
“It was mostly Julian and Elsa. I just supply the ink and paper for the certificates and a place for people to read.”
“It’s a lovely program and I’d love to get involved once we’ve found those girls,” Nox stated sincerely.
“I’ll help,” Nelson said with a shrug. “Can we get a look at those contact lists and calendars?”
Julian winced as he glanced at his father and then at Nelson, clearly torn. “Could we get into trouble for giving out private information? I do want to help!” He insisted. “But do you need a…warrant or an order?” He swore under his breath, sweeping his hair back and giving it a frustrated tug.
“Just give them whatever they need!” Howard said, throwing a quick look over his shoulder but they were alone in the store. “There are more girls like Elsa out there. We will help them,” he stated with a firm nod and raised his chin defiantly.
“Good man,” Nox whispered as he gave Howard a reassuring nudge.
“Okay…” Julian chewed on a knuckle. “What if you gave me the names of the other missing women and I’ll see if any more of them were members? And I’ll print out the names of the readers they were paired with and the dates, times, and locations of their meetings. That way I’m not violating everyone’s privacy,” he suggested hopefully.
“Thank you. I can work with that,” Nelson said and strode around the desk as Julian bent over the laptop. “How are you holding up?” He asked Julian quietly.
“I…” Julian sniffed hard, keeping his eyes on the screen. “I’ve been too busy to really stop and process it, but there are times when I feel like I’m going to scream. I’d do anything to get her back.”
“I’m sorry,” Nelson murmured, then asked him to check for Mila Cleary’s name to confirm that she was on his list.
“My gods, they’re all here.” Julian gasped at his father and then at Nox. “I’ve been so busy. I didn’t notice that almost all of them had missed appointments in the last two weeks.”
“That’s understandable,” Nox said to Julian. He smiled and gave Howard’s hands a comforting squeeze, careful not to hurt his aching joints. “You can’t blame yourself,” he whispered to the older man.
“How did you know?”
“I can feel that you’re terribly sad and deeply concerned,” Nox murmured softly.
Howard nodded and his eyes tightened behind his spectacles. “And I can tell that you have been heavily warded, young man,” he said, his neck craning for a better look as he held onto Nox’s hands and leaned closer. Julian and Nelson were watching, the laptop and their lists momentarily forgotten. “Might I get a look at that sacred geometry and those sigils?” He asked and gestured at the tattoos peeking from under the collar of Nox’s shirt and his sleeves. “I noticed them the last time you were here.”
“Um… I’m not sure.” Nox drew back slightly, not sure if he liked how Nelson’s interest had sharpened or the way Julian was slowly rising to his feet. Nox had been able to gloss over several details when Nelson had asked about them, but Howard and Julian would have a much better understanding of what they were looking at.
“I’d be interested in their opinions,” Nelson said, raising a brow at Nox and daring him.
