Page 47 of A Seer and Present Danger

With Jules in her layers of gossamer scarves and skirts, Dusi in her stylish coat and mirrored sunglasses, and me (comfortable shoes, sweater, and pants—hey, it was my day off) we made a motley but eager investigation crew.

“I really appreciate you all coming out here,” Joanie said. “The fire department and police have cleared me to take down the tape, but I’ve left it up until I can get the area cleaned so I don’t have to worry about someone twisting their ankle. So please be careful where you step.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Xtelle said. “Just take us to the murder box.”

“It’s not a murder box,” Lochlan said. “It’s a safe.”

“No,” Xtelle insisted. “It must have murder. Otherwise, what are we doing out here? We only investigate murders. We are a murder book club.”

“We,” Sage put in, “don’t investigate anything. Officially.” She gave a big cheesy wink.

“Well, now I’m bored!” Xtelle stomped across the gravel her tail stiff and straight. “Someone said it was a crime.”

“If Pandora left something dangerous behind that was stolen, it could be a crime,” Joanie said.

“Or it could be just an empty melted safe,” Herman added.

We all made thoughtful noises, but really, this book club loved a murder. If there was a crime to solve, all of them wanted in on it.

“This is it.” Joanie stopped a few feet from a hole in the floor.

“Let me see how and when that hole was made,” Lochlan said. “I should be able to tell if it’s a recent cut, or if it’s been open for a while.”

He strode forward with confidence and crouched to study the stone.

“Oh,” he said. “Yes. The cut is recent. With a concrete cutter, I think. But the chamber? Yes, I’d say it’s a chamber. That was created by power. You can still feel the magic in it.”

“Magic?” Jules moved up and carefully lowered herself so she could place her fingers on the floor. “Wards. They’re not working, but there was magic here. Very subtle, too.”

“Shouldn’t Delaney have noticed the magic?” I asked.

Jules shook her head. “It’s very faint. I can only feel it by touching it. If Lochlan hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed.”

“Can you tell what those wards were guarding?” Joanie asked.

Everyone drew in closer. Fawn knelt and sniffed at the space. She dragged one finger in the soot and sniffed that, too, her eyes distant.

Herman stared at the hole, his hands on his hips, then he turned and slowly paced the perimeter of the roofless room.

Xtelle studied her fingernails (hoof), looking every bit as bored as she ever was.

Futures bubbled and flashed:

Xtelle yelling about something

Xtelle storming away

Xtelle telling us what was in the safe

I knew which of those futures I wanted to come true. Was it worth using free will to try to make it happen? Would the information she gave us be worth messing up the future?

If something dangerous had been stored in that safe, it would be worth using a little free will to find out.

I hoped.

“You might as well tell us,” I said to Xtelle.

“What? What are you talking about?”