I handed him the potted plant and raised my arm for a hand up, letting him help me. “House grass is the most self-absorbed, self-centered plant on the face of the earth. Pasture grass knows its purpose is to be chomped on and it’s a little less pretentious.”
“Okay,” he said, not disagreeing with me. And more importantly, not laughing at me. Or at grass.
“Other side of the driveway,” I said, this time taking the plant and the blanket so he could keep his hands free.
We repeated the process and I found nothing there either, except more complacent, self-assured lawn. The groundskeeper was doing a great job.
We tried again at the back of the house, close to the witch circle made by Astrid and her witches today. Nothing. Nada. Standing, my blanket over one arm, I stared around the dark grounds. “Talk to me,” I muttered. “Where isdeath and decay?”
The only death magics I had seen up close were the kind that resulted when salamanders from another dimension began to reproduce on earth. Wherever they walked, those energies had killed every living thing they came in contact with. Every blade of grass, every tree, everything had begun to die, a by-product of their reproduction and lives. Witch death magics were reportedly different. Witch death magics weren’t a by-product, they were a weapon in the hands of a killer.Death and decay?I had no idea what it was, but it was killing things and I was good at figuring out about things that killed.
“Over there.” I pointed. Occam led the way to the lawn nearest the barn and, when I nodded, arranged the folded blanket on the grass. I assumed the position and took the potted plant, placing it between my legs.
With one fingertip, I touched the grass. Shock and horror and fear shot through me. I jerked my hands to myself and stood up fast. Nausea rose in my throat and I shook my hand to restore the circulation.
“Nell?”
I snatched up the plant and the blanket, remembering Etain saying she could feel death through her shoes. She had been standing almost here. For a moment, I considered that Etain had known where thedeath and decaycame through because she had brought them onto the property. I tucked that one into the back of my mind. Being part of PsyLED had made me suspicious of everyone.
“Nell?” Occam said again, his tone sharper.
“Oh. Sorry. Got it,” I said. “Right here. They came through here.”
“They?”
“Thedeath and decayand the person who brought it on the property.”
“Can you tell from which direction?” Occam asked.
My fingers clutched on the vampire tree’s clay pot. I really, really did not want to touch the ground again. But it was my job. “I need to read twenty feet left and then twenty feet to the right of this spot.”
“Okay.” He took my elbow. Softly he asked, “Any roots?”
“No.” I swallowed the disgusting, sour, pizza-based nausea back down. “Just death. Gimme roots in my belly any day.” Which told him how bad the energies were.
“I want you to stop if you feel leafy or if you get any sensations you might have felt today before you went into the null room.”
“Okay.” I didn’t tell him that I wasn’t sure that I’d know if I got the working on me. He’d just worry. And I would be back at HQ and the null room there by midday tomorrow, so I was good. I hoped.
I felt nothing to the right. But there was a strong sensation to the left. Carrying the blanket and the pot, I rechecked two other spots and decided that thedeath and decayhad entered on a direct line from the barn. We ducked between the white railings of the four-board fence and approached the white-painted barn. Thirty or so feet out, a spotlight blinked on, blinding us.
The metallic sound of a lever-action shotgun working cut through the night.
Occam shoved me to the side, out of the spotlight. Drew his weapon.
SIX
A man’s voice called out. “You cops or reporters dressed to look like ’em?”
“They’re the real deal,” Deputy Stanhope called.
We heard the sound of the shotgun being unloaded. “Give a man a heart attack, why don’t you.” The light went off and I felt Occam at my side again as he holstered his weapon.
“Cat reflexes?” I asked quietly. “And shoving the little woman out of the line of fire?”
“Your hands were full, your weapon in the car. I had to protect both of us.”
“I wasn’t complaining. I might have a bruise, but I’m not complaining.”
