Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

"Marion!" Autumn called as she rushed to catch up with me.

I stopped at the entrance to the trail that led to the bluff where we were meeting the coven and waited for the pottery shop owner.

"Hey," she said, smiling brightly. "It's a gorgeous evening, isn't it?"

I glanced up, realizing that I hadn't even noticed. The moon was full and there was only a slight chill in the air. "Yeah, it is. Good night for a cleansing ritual."

"It's my first one. So I'm excited." She slipped her arm through mine, and we made our way along the trail. "Tell me about Kai. Have you made any plans for our first date yet?"

I held back a wince. "Not yet. He's been kind of busy. But Charlotte is working on finding some men for a mixer if you're up for it."

"Oh," she said, looking disappointed. But then she quickly brightened. "Sure. I guess it doesn't hurt to give it a go, right? No sense in putting all my eggs in one basket."

"Definitely," I said, feeling defeated. I already knew Kai was her match, but after yesterday's phone call, I just wasn't sure if he was going to talk to me again. And if there was any suspicion of Kai or the pack being involved in Lacey's disappearance, Kai was a nonstarter.

Again, my stomach started to ache at the idea that Kai was involved. It made me feel… wrong. Like I was totally on the wrong track. I put those thoughts aside and tried to clear my mind so I was ready for the cleansing.

"Hey! You made it," Grace said, running over to give both me and Autumn a hug when we reached the circle. All of the other coven members were already there and had prepped the circle with salt and white pillar candles.

"Are we late?" I asked Grace as I glanced around.

"Oh no." She shook her head. "I was just so eager to lose this energy that I came early to get it all set up."

"Then let's get to it,' Hope said, clapping her hands together. Then she waved Grace into the middle of the circle as the rest of us took our places on the edge around her. When Autumn stood back, Carly waved for her to stand next to her.

"Sorry," Autumn said. "I've never done this before. I wasn't sure what to do."

"Just stand there behind the candle and follow along," Carly said. Then she glanced around. "Who's leading this shindig?"

"I am," Hope said as she raised her hand.

I glanced around, noting that in addition to Hope, Grace, and Carly, the rest of the coven, Iris, Gigi, and Joy, were there, too. It had been a while since we'd all been together, and the collective energy began to make me feel better.

"Let the cleansing begin!" Hope cried and raised her arms. Instantly, flames ignited on the candles as they rose in the air seemingly all on their own. It was a ritual I was completely familiar with as all of our callings and spells started the same way.

Magic encircled the coven, making me feel like an important part of the small group we'd formed. Each of us tapped into each other, giving and receiving our powers for the greater good. Participating in the coven rituals always made me feel more grounded. More connected. Like I had a purpose.

We chanted along with Hope and watched as magic poured into Grace. The energy around Grace turned into a dark fog, becoming jet black the longer our magic penetrated her.

Our chants were being drowned out by the wind, and the flames on the candles had enlarged, flickering angrily as the rancid energy clung to Grace.

"Goddess of above, speak the name of the cursed one who tainted Grace's energy and release her from their hold!" Hope called.

We all repeated the chant over and over until finally the wind whistled and then vanished altogether.

We all stood there, staring at the darkness clinging to Grace.

I was certain the spell hadn't worked and worried that she'd be tainted with the sour energy for the foreseeable future. But then the wind whipped up again, and with it, a voice spoke the name, "Sharon Krass."

The black energy clinging to Grace shattered into a million pieces, and our coven mate fell to her knees, exhausted.

"Finally," Hope said, letting out a huge sigh.

There were murmurs among the members, all expressing their relief.

Autumn started to take a step back, but Carly grabbed her wrist and said, "Not yet. There's still more to do before we close the spell."

Grace looked up at Carly, appearing confused, but then she closed her eyes and nodded. She grabbed the white tote bag near her feet and pulled out a green journal. As she got to her feet, she held it out in front of her and said, "Now."

Hope started to chant again. This time it was a burning spell. We all repeated her chants until the journal flew from Grace's hands and went up in flames, the smoke appearing bright white.

The moment the book vanished, the smoke swirled around Grace and folded in on itself, and when the chaos stopped, the smoke had formed an image.

An image of a man.

The man looked exactly like John Vincent. Lacey's ex.

The man I'd met on the beach.

I let out a sharp gasp.

"You know him?" Hope asked me.

I nodded. "He's the man I think abducted Lacey."

Everyone started talking at once.

I sank to the ground, my head spinning. There were clues everywhere, but I couldn't make much sense of them. What did John have to do with Grace's journal?

"What I don't understand," Grace said, cutting through the chatter, "is why this John guy appeared when I was burning the energy of Sharon."

I jerked my head up. "What?"

Grace blinked at me. "The journal was all the dark thoughts I've been having ever since my energy was tainted. The energy that came from Sharon Krass." Grace made a face. "I should have known she was the cause. That woman was the absolute worst. You know, the type that acts sweet but is really a snake in the grass. Real backstabber energy. Anyway, when her lowball offer was rejected, she blamed me and then send me a lawyer letter, terminating our agreement while asking to be reimbursed for her time."

"You're kidding. She wanted you to pay her?" Hope asked.

Grace nodded. "But there's no contract or precedent for that, so I had Sebastian send her a letter back saying if she wanted payment for anything, she'd have to sue for it. I haven't heard anything since. Now I'm guessing she cursed me instead. Rude bitch."

"Who is Sharon?" I asked, still trying to make heads or tails of what had just happened.

"Who is she?" Grace parroted. "Oh, she's just a woman who walked into my office about a month ago and said she wanted to look for a house. I honestly don't know much about her. She had cash and bank statements to prove it."

"So we don't know how she's connected to John?" I asked. "Or anybody else for that matter?"

"No. All I know is that she's not married and she lives at the base of the mountain. All of that was on the offer paperwork," Grace said. "But don't tell anyone I said that. It's a breach of privacy that really could get me in trouble."

"Right." I stood, glanced around at my coven mates, and said, "Looks like I need to call Sebastian again. These background checks are starting to add up."

Gigi walked over and gave me a hug. "He'll get you the answers you need."

I nodded. "He always does. Thank him for me, will you?"

She nodded. "Of course."

I turned and headed for the trailhead.

"Marion!" Grace called.

"Yeah?" I said as I paused and glanced back.

"Let us know if we can help, okay?"

"Always." Then I hurried back to my vehicle, and on my way home, I called Sebastian.

When I walked in my house, the place was dead silent. Minx wasn't even there to greet me. I pulled out my phone to call Jax but then saw the text on my home screen.

Jax: Going out tonight for a run. See you tomorrow morning .

I glanced out the window at the full moon and headed straight for the freezer. It was definitely going to be an ice cream-for-dinner night.