AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was no stranger to the cold, although I agreed with Phaedra. Not a fan.
They seemed friendly enough as far as witches were concerned; I decided to go ahead and ask the other question burning my tongue. “While I’m here, any chance you could do a locator spell?”
“That’ll cost as much as a ward,” Penelope said.
I didn’t doubt it, but I needed to exhaust all the avenues in relation to Ashley.
“Who are you trying to find?” Kelsey asked. “A man?”
“Gods, no. I’m not in the market for a relationship. I’m pouring all my energy into my house.”
“That’s a safer bet than a man,” Sierra said, nodding agreeably.
“There’s a missing young woman by the name of Ashley Pratt. I have one of her belongings with me, if that would help.”
“It certainly increases the chances of success,” Penelope said. “Sierra is our resident expert on those sorts of spells.”
Sierra’s face grew flushed. “I’m not that much better than the rest of you.”
Penelope patted her hand. “Don’t be so modest.”
I pulled Ashley’s bracelet from my pocket and placed it on the table. “This is special to her.”
Sierra’s long, elegant fingers stretched to retrieve the gold chain. She dangled it in the air, holding it up to the light for a better view. “Pretty trinket.”
“It’s one of her favorite pieces.”
“I’ll do my best.” Sierra rose to her feet and padded to the kitchen. “This will only take a few minutes.”
Kelsey eyed me curiously from her place against the wall. “Where are you from?”
“Most recently, London.”
Kelsey gasped. “I’ve always wanted to go there. And Paris. Have you been to Paris? I want to try every pastry they bake.”
Brenda shot her daughter a silencing look. “You’ll have to excuse Kelsey. We don’t get too many visitors at the farm. She’s forgotten her manners.”
I turned my attention to Sierra in the kitchen, who was currently frowning at the marble mortar on the counter. “Is there a problem?”
“I’m not getting anything at all. I usually get a hint of a location, if nothing else. A smell. A glimpse of surroundings. A sound. But all I’m getting are the sounds around me.”
“We’re still charging you,” Penelope said.
“Two favors it is.” I wouldn’t dream of trying to cheat Penelope Bridger; she’d probably turn me into a toad and then charge me for it.
I left the farm feeling dispirited over Ashley. At least I’d have my ward.
CHAPTER8
Dinner was a simple affair. A four-ounce salmon and a side of asparagus. A glass of water to wash it down. I would’ve preferred a glass of wine, but my current budget didn’t allow it. A huge fixer-upper hadn’t been the most brilliant decision I’d ever made. I was beginning to wonder whether I’d been under the influence of a magical substance when I made the purchase. I’d been to a bar the night before; it was within the realm of reason that someone had dropped an illicit substance into my glass.
No. I couldn’t blame anyone else. This had been my decision, similar to the ones I’d made many times before. A knee-jerk reaction. An emotional response to an unwanted situation. And now there were consequences to my rash decision.
I was in a town teeming with supernaturals, where even some of the humans seemed aware of our existence. If Pops had known there were places like this, he never said.
While I ate, I sat at the table and leafed throughA Complete History of Fairhaven. “It can’t be that complete,” I murmured. “The copyright date is 1979.” A quick flip to the index showed no references to vampires or werewolves either.
I carried my empty plate to the sink, preparing to dive into the book.
