“I think I can make it work on a small scale,” Astrid said.“If I’m right, the spell can only be done in a place of high magic.”
“High magic?”
“You’ve heard of ley lines?”
“Only in fiction.”
“Fiction based loosely on fact,” she said.“Currents of power run through the earth.Owen’s store sits on an intersection.Camille’s shop in Cincinnati does too.The Rainshouldbe at a crossing…”
“But it’s not?”
“Nope.I never noticed it before, but it’s like the Null sucked in the currents that would cross here.”
“That would mean there would be more magic though, right?Not no magic?”
She shook her head.“I think that’s where most witches get it wrong.They’ve been trying to create Nulls since The Rain was first established.No one has come close to being successful though.They didn’t have the help of the treaty, and they were trying toeradicatethe magic.I think the lack of magic hereisthe magic.”
I wasn’t sure I was following.“You’re saying The Rain isn’t a void?”
“Yeah.Instead, I think it’s a crazy-powerful spell fueled by the crossing currents.”
“Okay,” I said slowly.
“Look, a werewolf triggered the treaty’s protection spell when you first took over, right?”
I nodded.That was when werewolves had found Deagan in a bush at the edge of the Null.My parents had still been alive then.I’d still been a college student only temporarily covering a shift at my family’s hotel.
“If The Rain is a void of magic,” Astrid continued, excitement making her words come more quickly, “then why would that curse work?It wouldn’t have.It makes more sense that the Null is suppressing magic.”
I guess it was… plausible.I’d wondered why the protection spell had kicked in.“You said you can re-create it?”
Her eyes brightened.“I’ve thought about calling in the coven to test it, but I’m still missing something.Something expansive.”She swooped her hands out wide, then turned the motion into a shrug.“I can’t explain it.The spell just feels tight.If paranorms are cool with living in a shoebox, I’ve got them covered.”
“Maybe you could cater to tiny, flying fairies,” I joked.
She pursed her lips.“I’ve never seen one, but if they exist, they’d be under fey control.”
Oh.Well, okay.Maybe I hadn’t been joking.I knew I hadn’t encountered even half the paranormal species out there.I mean, prior to today, I hadn’t known djinn existed.
My mood soured.I wished Istilldidn’t know they existed.
“See if you can find the expansive element,” I said.“Just be careful with your research.Don’t let anyone know what you’re looking into.”
She nodded.Slowly.
“What?”I asked.Slowly.
“Melissa has seen some of my books.”Astrid half grimaced, half smiled.“I might have mentioned I was looking into the Null spell.Honestly, I thought she already knew.”
A strange punch of emotion thumped against my chest.It felt too hollow to be suspicion.Was it jealousy?Because she and Melissa had time to hang out?Astrid and I had been close friends when we were kids.Now that she’d returned The Rain, we should have been making up for lost time, laughing and joking about all the crazy pranks we’d played back then.Instead, we barely had time to hang out, and I’d been feeling more and more isolated over time.In college, I’d grown used to being around friends and having my guard down.That wasn’t possible anymore, even with my promise to visit Carrie soon.She and John had driven out here last week, threatening an intervention if I attempted to ditch them.If I kept putting off hanging out, they were going to come back to The Rain, probably at the worst possible time given my luck lately.
“I’m sure Christian told her,” I said to Astrid.“It’s not a big deal.Just make sure she doesn’t tell anyone.”
“Yeah.No problem.She won’t say anything.”Astrid had more confidence than I did, but it’s easier to judge someone when you take the time to develop a friendship.It hadn’t even occurred to me to try to get to know Melissa.Maybe I was holding a grudge—Blake certainly was—but there was some other kind of disconnect between us.Just something that felt out of sync, which could very well have been me.I was the human upending the paranormal world.I brought friction everywhere I went.
Giving Astrid another smile to assure her it was okay, I led the way out of Deagan’s suite and back downstairs.Astrid reclaimed her place on her couch, and Melissa waved when I said goodbye.I stepped out into the night and drew in a deep breath to reset myself.It was time to refocus on my most urgent problem.
I made a loop through the hotel, searching for Garion in all the logical places, and a few illogical ones as well.He didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d go to the Valkyries’ fight club, but since they held it behind the barn-converted-to-staff-residence, it wouldn’t cost any effort to check.
