I touch my finger to the circle and whisper, “Clausa.” The magic already filling the space is heavy, rebounding off of my erected magical barrier and settling over me. I sway a little.
Remy’s presence is with me, just as Gray’s and Felix’s is. Proof of our bond. “I feel him,” I croak out through a tight throat.
“He’s going to be fine,” Gray soothes, but it comes out more like a demand.
I wrap the shirt around my fist and gather the end of my necklace in my fingers, making sure the fabric is touching the chain. With my other hand, I slowly place the paper onto the water. The golden lines remain on the surface, but the paper slips to the bottom of the bowl, useless now as it disappears into the depths.
Closing my eyes, I intone, “What we seek, we shall find. Show me what is mine.” The words flow over and over in my head, repeating on an endless loop. My only thoughts are of finding Remy. I visualize him in my mind just as I saw him this morning.
A tug on the chain prompts me to open my eyes. I blink several times, trying to clear my blurry vision so I can see where it’s indicating.
“He’s not far,” I offer and cough right after. My throat is so dry, I must have been here awhile. The tautness of the chain is a constant tug. I wish there was a way to use this to track him. As soon as the thought forms, I whisper words I wasn’t expecting to say. “Sought and found, guide me to what I have been denied.” The accumulated magic in the circle abruptly drops over my head and splashes some of the water out of the bowl and onto my legs.
Nothing remains of the golden map but shimmering slicks floating on the water. All the definition is gone, but the pendulum is still tugging as if directing me where to go. I look up at Felix and Gray. Their shocked expressions probably mirror mine. “I think it worked.”
No thinking, it worked.Percy sounds proud and confident.
“Did you just turn a scrying spell into a tracking spell? You shouldn’t be able to do that,” Nash whispers.
“Says who? Because I’m pretty sure I just did.” I can’t let her doubt infiltrate my confidence. Belief is almost as important as intent.
TELL ME HOW I HAVE UPSET YOU, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO DO IT AGAIN.
The tug on the chain remains consistent, almost like the needle on a compass always finds north, even after I step out of the circle. I keep the shirt and chain clenched in my hand. There’s no way I’m letting go and chancing the spell dying. “The scry pointed to the other side of town, we should head that way.”
“Should I call for backup?” Nash asks, and she touches her side as if feeling for her weapon.
“We don’t know where we’re going yet, and I don’t want to alert Bursa that we’re on to him.”
“I’ll tell them to be on standby,” she offers, and I can’t think of a reason why that wouldn’t be a good idea.
“Okay, but I don’t want him slipping away with Remy,” I warn. Nash steps over to the side of the front door and speaks into the phone. I use the time to tell Gray and Felix, “Bursa is an illusionist. He’s a pretty big deal on the West Coast. He can make you see shit that isn’t real, but we have an advantage. We know what to look for, and I can feel magic, so I should know if he’s casting.”
A painting hanging on the wall crashes to the floor, breaking the frame and shattering glass all over. I open my mouth, ready to scream that I don’t have time for this shit, but Gray places his heavy hand on my shoulder, stopping me.
He brings me back to the topic. “One thing at a time.” He meets my eyes. “What kind of illusions? Can he look like you?”
“Yes, but you guys would be able to tell. He would only fool someone who doesn’t know the person well. He can make you see other things though, like tricking your mind into seeing more gruesome things like one of us dying or being hurt. Those images are harder for your mind to distinguish from the truth because it’s processing the trauma too.”
“You think that’s how he got Remy? I can’t see him going along otherwise,” Felix muses.
“It could be, just remember our bond. He can’t mimic that or make it go away. Remember, I could feel Remy when I entered the circle, so I know he’s okay,” I remind them.
Nash comes back over to us after ending her call, and the front door flies open. Instead of being pissed, I just use it to get out of the house faster.
“Damn, it’s like it wanted us to leave,” Felix mutters as we climb into the SUV. This time, I’m up front so I can direct Gray where to go.
“Head toward Rawsonville Road. Near the park.” Felix used it as a landmark on the map and that was near where the pendulum pointed.
The ride feels long, even though we reach a fork within ten minutes. Gray makes a right turn to head toward the park, but the chain tugs in the opposite direction. “Stop!” I lay my hand over his leg, and he slams on the brakes. “We have to go the other way.” I look down at the quartz wavering just a little to the left.
Gray puts the SUV in reverse and the tires spin as he floors the gas. The moment we’re heading back in the right direction, the pulling settles to the same constant pressure. Another mile or two pass without incident and the area, even in the dark, becomes familiar. “Is that Route 4?” I point to the stop sign about a half a mile up reflecting the headlights.
“Yeah,” Gray replies quickly without suspicion, but something in my gut shifts.
“Don’t the Dobys live on Route 4?” Nash leans forward from the backseat.
“Make a right,” I say once we slow down for the intersection. There’s no one around, so Gray rolls right through the turn. Sure as shit, the pull on the chain remains the same. I know from being out here so often recently that there isn’t much else out here.
