Chapter 35

I was awoken rudely by the ringing of my phone. I stared at the screen blearily: Liv. I swiped to answer, still yawning. ‘Your mother isn't answering her phone. I need her to meet us at the first gem site,' she said without preamble.

Liv's wasn't the voice I wanted to hear when I woke up, but I got it. Mum must have either crashed hard after our fight or had turned off her phone. ‘I'll find her,' I promised grimly. After all, the gems were the real reason she'd come to Portlock. ‘When and where?'

Liv had changed the rota of elemental witches who were in charge of the gems and was keeping them warded. Although I'd known all of the previous gem custodians, I didn't know the newly appointed ones.

‘Water. Dakota Caples, 666 Nordic Ave.'

‘Six-six-six? Really?'

She huffed. ‘Really. Then we'll go to the fire gem. I need your mother in two hours.' She hung up.

I sat up in bed. I didn't want to talk to my mother but at least the phone was a good buffer. I dialled her number and let it ring. Nothing. For fuck's sake. I Googled the Portlock Hotel's number and rang it. It was the only hotel in town so if Mum had actually left after I'd chucked her out of my house, that's where she would be.

When the phone was answered, I asked to be put through to her. There was a bemused silence before they confirmed that they didn't have a Victoria Barrington staying with them. Concern wormed its way into my heart; I was a soft idiot.

I hung up and threw off the covers, then dressed and marched the short distance to my house. She'd better damn well be there.

She wasn't. One of her fancy bags sat on my porch but there was no sign of the woman herself. Instead, a note was flapping on my door in the gentle breeze – and I could smell blood. The note said: Bring all four barrier gems to the following location. That was followed by a string of numbers that had to be GPS coordinates. You have 24 hours, or your mom gets it.

As I ripped off the note, the rhythm of my thudding heartbeat was almost human. I twisted the door knob. Locked. I unlocked it and peered inside. The house was quiet. I raced through it but there was no sign of Mum – and no Arabella.

After I'd searched the whole place, I returned to the porch and opened Mum's bag to search for clues. As I unzipped it, Arabella's fear-filled eyes met mine; her mouth was duct taped shut. ‘Hey now,' I greeted my nemesis softly. ‘It's okay. Let's get you out of there.'

Apparently the kidnappers hadn't been in the market for a yapping dog. I removed the tape as gently as I could but even so she whimpered and trembled as I apologised profusely. I looked through mum's bag; she'd only packed a few things so she'd obviously expected to be invited back to mine fairly quickly, but she had been moving out like I'd asked.

And someone had snatched her right off my damned porch.