“You believe he was taken?” Kai asks.
I shrug, and panic creeps up my throat. He left work, but maybe this is a dead end? I would be thrilled to know that I led my coven out here for no reason, that Gordy is fine, taking a turtle nap in some swamp nearby. But none of that makes any sense.
Before I can spiral further, Kai takes my shoulder. “You used to feel him, didn’t you? The magical tether to your fated mate, the Ruby Turtle. It’s a connection you forged, yes?” Self-consciousness prickles my face, and I glance at the others. Auntie and Taina gaze at me expectantly. While we haven’t hidden our relationship, I don’t know how I feel about everyone knowing we’re fated mates. We haven’t even defined our relationship, for crying out loud.
But there won’t be a relationship if someone took Gordy. I nod and say, “I…used to feel him. When we spoke I c-c-could sense him, but…”
“Now you cannot,” Kai says. When I nod, he drops his hand and shares a look of concern with his own fated mate.
“Guys,” Kenta announces. We all turn to see him crouching near a bush behind the bus stop. When he stands, he’s holding what appears to be a broken cell phone. After pushing to the front of the little crowd, I study it, then the blood drains from my face.
It’s Gordy’s. Letting out a gasp, I cover my mouth and pace down the road. Where is he? What happened? So many concerning questions flood my heart. It feels like there’s a vice grip on my soul. Gordy has assuredly been taken, but how? And how can I get him back?
The voices of the others are drowned out as I pace up and down the street in front of the bus stop. As I struggle to keep my mind clear, one idea comes to mind.
Standing up straight, I stride up to Kai. I pull him to the grassy side of the road, and everyone else follows. We’re far enough away from any potential cars, so I tell him, “Infuse me with arcana.”
“What?” he asks.
“I’m…an empath witch. I need…to scan…and find him. They…couldn’t have gotten far.”
“Whoa, what?” Seb asks, and everyone else talks over him. I drown out their argument, all of them telling me to rethink this, but I don’t care. This is my calling as an empath witch.
As I sternly look at Kai, I hope he knows how serious I am. With a deep breath, his eyes turn green, and the seven of us are instantly surrounded by fog. No mortals can see what I’m about to do.
But can I handle it? Every time I’ve tapped into the auras of more than one person, the pain has been unbearable.
Then I glance at the broken phone in Kenta’s hand. Gordy needs me. With another nod, I say, “Do it.”
Kai shares a concerned look with Seb, then turns back to me. He raises his palm above my head, and I close my eyes. The wild magic warms my skin. It’s nothing like when I’m with Gordy, but it will have to do. With this burst of arcana, I focus on my magical instincts and tap into the auras around me.
I’m an empath witch; this is my destiny.
With another deep breath, I allow my magic to go far and wide. Mortals are all over the city, all over the county, and their auras soon flood my ears. Thousands of people’s desires threaten to overload my system, and I hiss.
When I feel something in my hands, I open my eyes; Auntie is holding my right hand, and holding her other hand is Shugo,who’s holding Kenta’s hand. To my left, Taina holds my hand as well. The Boysen House witches, my coven, are all here to help.
So, I shut my eyes again and allow my magic to go farther. I can’t find Gordy’s aura, but someone has to know him.
“Augh.” I grunt and hiss as the waves of auras burn through me. But I must endure.
“I have a huge crush on her…”
“I need a new outfit for my interview since…”
“Why would anyone want to use generative AI to…”
“I hate my boss and his…”
“We should undo capitalism because the environment is dying and…”
“I captured a giant turtle freak, but won’t get to sell him. This is bullshit…”
There!
Letting go of the others, I reach forward and place my hand in Kai’s. “I…found him,” I rasp.
“What?” Seb and Auntie ask in disbelief. Before they can say more, I send a magical thought to the powerful mage in front of me. When I open my eyes, brilliant rays of green float around us.
