“Yeah,” I agree. “I think so, too. Maybe she left something behind. Personal items make it easier to scry for someone.”
“Let’s look.”
We start in the kitchen and find nothing. The fridge and cupboards still have food in them, furthering our theory that she left here in a hurry. There are various occult books in the living room, all which came from a modern publisher. None of the spells in them are real.
There are two small bedrooms in this cabin, and one is set up with two beds that have been slept in. A big suitcase is on the floor between them, and Lucas picks up a shirt inside.
“It’s Carly’s,” he tells me. “They were staying here.”
The other room is empty, and Ruth’s scent lingers weakly in the air. She’s gone, and she’s left nothing of hers behind.
“Ugh!” I throw my head back in frustration. “We were so close!”
The energy ball above me starts to splinter apart, and little tendrils of red magic swirl down to the floor. “We finally get a lead and she’s one step ahead. She was literally right here!” I sweep my hand out at the cabin. “I almost had her, but she slipped through my grasp like water.”
“We will find her,” Lucas says calmly, believing it. “She’s going to be desperate, now more than ever, and desperate people make mistakes.”
“You think she’s going to attack?”
“I know she will.” Lucas takes my hands in his and pulls me to him, kissing me gently and calming my pounding heart. “Her puppets are out of commission for a while at least. She’ll either find news ones or wait until the previous are well enough to act on her behalf again. We might have another day or two to prepare for a battle.”
“You’re right, and as much as I want to be mad at Carly and Maria, I don’t think they knew what they got themselves into. They’re just regular kids, and they’re probably in danger.” I toss my head back. “Dammit.”
“What’s wrong?”
“They are in danger. They’ve been exposed. Ruth is smart enough to use a conduit spell, so she’s smart enough to know the second Maria and Carly were hospitalized, someone from the coven could recognize their symptoms were from a spell. Several people from our coven work at the hospital, and they…they…should be alerted,” I say slowly. “I need to tell Evander right away. Those girls need protection ASAP.”
“You want to protect the girls who sent a hex bag to your store?”
“Yes.” I let out a breath and step back, taking Lucas’s hand so we can leave the cabin. “I don’t think they really knew what they were doing, and if they honestly believed they were seeking vengeance on a ‘bad witch,’ then they probably thought they were doing the right thing. Bottom line is they were taken advantage of and now they know too much. Just having an idea of how to actually summon something dark is dangerous for people without magic. They have no way of protecting themselves.”
“Call Evander, then.” We go out onto the back patio, and Lucas sniffs the air. “I’m going to sweep through the woods. Stay here.”
“Okay,” I say. “Do you have your phone on you? I left mine in the car.”
He gives me his phone and takes off. I call Evander while I wait, and the call goes straight to voicemail as I assumed it would. Kristy’s does, too, making me wonder if she’s at the Academy again. I don’t know anyone else’s numbers off the top of my head, so I lower the phone and look around. If Ruth was performing dark magic here, there should be traces of it.
Narrowing my eyes, I spot a shed about a hundred yards away from the house. I conjure a string of blue magic and walk through the yard, wet grass tickling my legs. The door is locked and sealed with magic.
I toss the string of magic up above me, where it hangs in the air sparkling down on me, and put both hands up.
“Patentibus,” I say, magically unlocking the metal lock. I hear it click, and then I try the handle, opening the door an inch before hitting a wall of energy. I take a step back, hold up my hands, and telekinetically shove the energy back.
It works, and the door swings open with such force it breaks clean off the hinges.
“Oops.” I hang back a second and then swish my wrist, bringing my string of magic inside the shed. The smell hits me right as the light shines down on severed body parts. I bring my hand to my face, covering my nose.
There are jars of various herbs lining the shelves, along with other magical supplies. Holding my breath, I inch inside even more. This place was sealed with magic and got zero airflow. It’s ripe as fuck, and I don’t know how much more I can stomach before throwing up.