Declan walked me around back to the deck while I told him what I’d seen.
“Can you check?”He’d tipped into worried again.“Did your Gran’s death weaken your wards?”
Shaking my head, I patted his arm.“She thinks I’m a magical dud, that I’m half human.At least that tells us that Coreys haven’t been telling tales on me.That’s something.”I held up a finger.“That does give me an idea, though.I can tweak the ward to ban all Swans.”
I sat on the bench by the studio back door, took off a glove, and rested my hand on the side of the building.Pouring out my fae magic to wash over the gallery building and Bracken’s RV like a wave, I added a prayer to the Goddess to protect me and mine from wicches who would take Her magical gifts and corrupt them for evil purposes.
When I was done, I turned to Declan, who’d sat beside me.I rested my hand on his gorgeous face.“Not to worry.My wards are strong.And don’t forget, the Swans are second-rate compared to my family.”
His brown eyes twinkled in the early morning light as he kissed me.“I know, but black magic is like sorcery, right?They do evil stuff to get more power?”
I held his hand in both of mine.“Yes,butI’m pretty powerful all on my own.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.”Resting his forehead against mine, he added, “Promise me you’ll try to be less selfless.I need you and the little one to be safe and healthy.”
I kissed the tip of his nose.“I’ll do my best.”
“I guess I can’t ask for more than that.”He stood, pulling me up with him.“I was wondering while you were doing that.With the pearl on, can you hear my thoughts now?”
“Why?Are you thinking mean things?”I squinted up at him, suddenly irrationally suspicious.
He laughed.“More like you might be shocked by how much of my day is taken up with thoughts of you naked.”
“Oh.Okay then.”Color rushed to my cheeks and I felt like an idiot.“Um, no.You’re still a closed-off null.It’s your effect on me that changes.”
“Good to know.”He kissed me again.“Have a safe and incident-free day.I’ll swing by to pick you up at closing.”
After he left, I got to work.When I noticed Frank and Faith sitting on the deck, I realized I’d screwed up my timing.The last octopus’s tentacles had been giving me a hard time, so I’d snapped off three, adding, pulling and twisting them again.
Frank, like his sister, was a gorgeous combination of Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Robert.He was almost two years older than Faith, getting ready to start his senior year, and already looking to manage the gallery for me.He was aware of everything going on in it and had an eye for marketing.
I placed the last octopus for the day in the annealer with his friends and slid open the door.“Sorry.I lost track of time.”
Faith was hanging over the railing.“I called down hello to Cecil, and he waved at me!”
Frank laughed.“He did.I saw it too.We thought he only responded to you.”
I walked over and stood beside them.“Nah.Cecil’s a friendly guy.He knows you two now.If you ever want to go for a swim and meet him for real, let me know.”
Faith looked excited at the prospect.Frank less so.
“There was a news conference with the police and the mayor,” she told me.
“Okay.”I had no idea what that was about.
“Show her,” Frank said.
Faith took her phone out and started tapping.“Here it is.They’re talking about that creepy horror camp that was in your vision.”
She handed me her phone, and I watched the captain discuss finding the crime scene and how it was an active, ongoing investigation.A man I didn’t know stood behind him.He took over, assuring reporters that Monterey was a very safe community and that this could be an ancient burial site.Regardless, all available resources would be used to investigate the situation, perhaps bringing in archeologists from the university.
As the men spoke, my stomach twisted.I didn’t want to think about those poor victims.It was so dark and ugly.
I handed the phone back.“I was there yesterday.”At Faith’s look of interest, I added, “It was horrible.I’ll tell you about it later when the thought of it doesn’t make me sick.”I pointed at the open door to the hot shop.“You two can cut through there.”I flicked my fingers to unlock the gallery’s back door.
Frank took one step in and stopped.“Whoa.You weren’t kidding.No wonder your face is so red.”
I pushed him in farther and flicked my fingers at the ceiling, opening the roof vents.“Art is pain.”I pointed at the door into my studio.“Go that way.If you’re hungry, grab something out of my kitchen.I need to go shower.Hester and Carter know to come around back.”I closed and locked the hot shop door, then followed them into the studio, where the temperature dropped a good thirty degrees.
