“I found zilch is what I found. Which is something.”
I frowned. Samuel’s attention sharpened.
“Explain,” my alpha ordered.
Didi closed the book she’d been reading with a sharp sound.
“The Lincoln sisters’ stale magical signatures. The Forgetting spells on the blocks where their clinics are located. The way the building on Maple Street felt wrong yesterday. Not a single witch chat room has reported those anomalies. The Cauldron, Witchboard, Hexbook, The Scrying Pool.”
“Hexbook?” Bo whispered.
Somehow, witches having chat rooms felt appropriate. They probably shared recipes in there about how to turn people into frogs.
“Witches are naturally nosy,” Didi said dismissively. “They like to poke around in other covens’ business and they love gossip. Plus, the forums are perfect for finding out where to shop for the best ingredients for potions. I checked all of them and couldn’t find a single whisper about the sisters and their abandoned clinics on any of them, although there was subdued chatter about receiving substandard treatment at the alternative supernatural clinics a few witches visited recently. ” She tapped a finger on the table. “More worryingly, I dropped by the Lincoln sisters’ home last night. Their household staff appear to have been affected by the same Forgetting spell as the businesses close to their clinics.” Her expression hardened. “I believe it all points to my worst fear.The Lincoln sisters didn’t just disappear.” She pinned us with an unflinching stare. “I think they were kidnapped. And I think someone is making sure no witch pokes her nose into why.”
My wolf perked up as my pulse quickened.
“Kidnapped?” Gavin asked nervously. “For what reason?”
“I doubt it’s for a ransom,” Samuel said in a hard voice. “The Alliance would have heard by now. Cornelius would have informed us.”
Cornelius Heathwood, the head of the fae, was currently acting as the Alliance chair in Daria’s absence.
“I don’t know.” Didi sat back and pinched the bridge of her nose, frustration underscoring her voice. “Maybe somebody has a grudge against them.”
“They’re witches,” Samuel grunted. “Lots of people have grudges against them.”
“Specially the ones who got turned into frogs,” Bo contributed, tail wagging.
None of this sounded good.
“So, they rattled the wrong cage and got bitten?” I asked hesitantly.
Gavin paled. “You thinking vampires?”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
Bo’s ears drooped. “I mean, it could be another lunatic like that Ludvik.”
We considered this for a moment and shared a group shudder.
“Let’s hope not,” Samuel muttered. “Those googlyeyes still give me nightmares. Besides, I checked already. Barney doesn’t have any other psychotic nephews lurking in his bloodline.”
This wasn’t exactly reassuring. There were hundreds of vampires in Amberford, most with extensive lineages.
“Maybe we should talk to Melody,” I suggested.
Didi looked unconvinced at this.
“You said yourself it’s unlikely she’s the one behind the magic we sensed at the Lincoln sisters’ main clinic yesterday,” I said levelly. “She took over their seat in the Alliance. She might know something about their disappearance.”
Samuel rubbed his chin. “Abby is right. As the covens’ representative, she should be our first port of call.”
Didi made a face. “How about I leave Melody to you two? I’ll start working my coven contacts. Gavin can look into their financial records and see if anything is amiss.” She shrugged at our blank expressions. “Like they say, always follow the money.”
“By the way, I can’t keep calling them the Lincoln sisters,” I said. “What are their names?”
Samuel flinched. Gavin’s horns popped out. Didi pursed her lips.
