Chapter 11

The drive into town felt longer than before, maybe because there was so much on Demetrius’s mind. Mostly it was Holly and his concern for her. It pressed down on him like a weight, and he had a feeling Holly could sense it too.

He tried to relax, but his whole body was rigid with worry. He couldn’t stop himself from scanning their surroundings as if he expected the shadows between the trees to come alive. Maybe they would. Who knew what this ancient magic was capable of?

The snowfall had finally eased, leaving a fresh blanket of snow on the ground that crunched beneath the SUV’s tires as they headed for Howler’s.

The town still looked as enchanted as ever with snow-covered rooftops, twinkling holiday lights, and the scent of woodsmoke lingering in the crisp winter air. But something sinister lurked beneath the festive surface. Something no one else knew about.

It made Demetrius look at everything differently. Could they save the town? They had to. Whatever it took. This was Holly’s home. And he was thinking about making it his, too. His permanent home. For that to happen, he had to protect it.

Demetrius stayed quiet as he drove, but a multitude of unanswered questions swirled through his mind. What was the power source of the darkness they were facing? How much stronger could it get? Who was behind it? He felt like a coiled spring ready to snap at the first sign of danger.

“What do you think we’ll find?” Holly asked, her voice barely above a whisper as he turned onto Main Street.

His gaze remained fixed ahead. The roads had been plowed, but they were icy in spots. The last thing they needed was to get into an accident. “I have no idea. But if someone in town is responsible for this, we should be able to find out soon enough.”

Holly nodded, a frown on her face and a hand on her stomach.

He didn’t like that she was so upset, but he understood. The idea that someone in Nocturne Falls—someone they might know, someone who knew better—could be dabbling in dark magic was unsettling.

The town was built on the idea of supernatural harmony, a place where witches, vampires, and all sorts of magical beings coexisted peacefully. The thought that someone could be using that harmony to hide something dangerous made his skin crawl. He could only imagine what it was doing to her.

He parked just outside of Howler’s. Wasn’t hard to get a good spot, as the town still seemed pretty quiet. No doubt most people were staying in, getting ready for Christmas and spending time with their families.

They got out and walked into the restaurant. He’d only been here once before, in the very early days of his family’s arrival here, but it hadn’t changed. The only real difference was how empty the place was. Only three tables had customers, with two more seated at one end of the bar. Those two were being served by a smiling redhead in a leopard-and-black Santa hat.

The faint smell of wolf, something he alone probably picked up on, permeated the place. He leaned toward Holly. “Is that Bridget behind the bar?”

Holly nodded. “It is.”

“Then let’s sit there to eat so we can talk to her.”

“Good idea.”

They took seats at the opposite end of the bar from the other two patrons to give themselves some privacy.

Bridget approached with menus. “Hello, brave people. Nice to see the snow hasn’t kept everyone away. What can I get you to drink?”

“Coke?” Holly said.

“Coffee,” Demetrius said. “Black.”

“Coming right up. We only have one special for lunch today. Christmas dinner. Roast turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with gravy, candied sweet potatoes, and a side of cranberry sauce. We also have pumpkin pie for dessert. Be right back with those drinks.”

She left, and Demetrius put his menu down. “The special works for me.”

“Me, too.” Holly let out a little sigh. “I hope she knows something.”

“So do I.”

Bridget returned with the beverages. “Need a few more minutes?”

Holly shook her head. “The special sounds great.”

“Same here,” Demetrius said.

“Good choice.”

Holly offered a small smile as she handed over her menu. “There is one other thing.”

“Oh?” Bridget stayed put.

“This is a strange request,” Holly started. “But have you heard anyone talking about dabbling in dark magic lately? Or have any reason to believe someone might be? I’m Holly Winters. My family built the barrier that?—”

“Protects the Voss mansion,” Bridget finished, her gaze on Demetrius.

“It’s not a mansion,” he corrected her.

Bridget snorted. “Um, yes, it is. It looks like a ski lodge, except it’s a private home. I’d say it’s a mansion.” Her amusement disappeared as her attention returned to Holly. “What’s going on now?”

Demetrius let Holly explain, and she did in just a few sentences, telling Bridget about the barrier, the strange ripple, and everything that had happened with Morgana.

Bridget’s concern was plainly visible on her face. “What a time for Alice and all the Ellinghams to be out of town.”

“We can handle it,” Holly assured her. “But getting a little more information would help a lot. We’re dealing with something dark. There’s ancient magic stirring in the woods—dangerous magic. And we think someone in town is responsible. Or they might have triggered it unknowingly. Anyway, if we could find out who that person is…”

Bridget’s eyes widened slightly, her expression turning serious. “You’re sure it’s dark magic and not just some weird fluctuation?”

Demetrius remained calm but firm. “Positive. We’ve already had a run-in with it, and it’s not done yet.”

Bridget chewed her bottom lip, her eyes shifting to the two customers at the other end before answering. “I’ve heard whispers—rumors, mostly—but nothing concrete. A couple of the local witches were in for lunch last week, and I overhead them talking about feeling strange energy shifts lately, but no one’s come forward about using dark magic. Not to me, anyway. Most people in town know better than to mess with forces like that.”

“As they should,” Holly said.

Demetrius sighed, his frustration building. He had hoped for more, something tangible that could point them in the right direction. “Do you have any idea who might be involved? Anyone who’s been asking about old magic? Family magic?”

Bridget hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Look, I don’t like to spread rumors, but there is someone. A newcomer. She’s been coming in here every night for dinner. Name’s Neeva. She always sits alone and always has a book with her. Usually some kind of old book that looks very much like a grimoire. She didn’t seem dangerous, though. Just … odd. But odd is pretty normal is this town.”

“True,” Demetrius said, thrilled they were getting somewhere. “Anything else you can remember? Like the titles of any of the books? Anything else you might have overheard?”

Bridget took a deep breath, eyes narrowing. “Now that you mention it, I think one of the books might have been about binding spells or boundary spells. I can’t really remember. I only saw the front cover in passing. Could be nothing, but it stood out to me.”

Next to him, Holly’s pulse quickened.

Demetrius smiled at Bridget. “That’s been really helpful. Thanks. Can’t wait to try that special.”

Bridget nodded. “Glad to help. I’ll get those orders in right now.”

Holly turned to him as Bridget walked away. “Binding spells are a type of magic used to lock away or contain something. That fits with what Morgana had said about the dark magic being dormant for centuries, waiting for something to release it. If this Neeva is looking into binding spells, she might know about the dark magic that’s been awakened, too.”

He nodded. “Makes sense. But she might know about it because she’s the one who released it.”

When Bridget returned with their meals, Demetrius wasted no time. “Where can we find Neeva? We need to talk to her.”

“She lives at 19 Broomstick Lane,” Bridget replied.

“Appropriate,” Demetrius muttered.

“I only know that because she’s gotten deliveries from us. But listen, be careful if you go see her. I don’t know what she’s up to or what she’s capable of, but if she’s been dabbling in dark magic … well, you know better than I do what that could mean.”

Holly gave a quick, uneasy nod. “I do. Thanks, Bridget. We’ll be careful.”

Bridget hesitated. “You know, my brother’s the sheriff. If you wanted, I could talk to him. Maybe see if he could help?”

“I appreciate the offer, but what can he do without proof?” Demetrius said. “And it’s not like a crime has been committed. That we know about.”

“Yeah, true,” Bridget said. “Well, let me know if anything changes. And enjoy your lunch.”

They ate quickly, both driven by the unspoken agreement that they needed to find this Neeva as soon as they could. Demetrius dropped a hundred-dollar bill on the bar, told Bridget to keep the change, and with a wave of thanks, they headed outside.

As they stepped back into the cold and went to the car, Demetrius worked through the possibilities. Could Neeva really be the one responsible for unleashing the dark magic? Or was she just another pawn in whatever was happening? Either way, they had to find out—and soon.

Demetrius walked around and opened Holly’s door.

“Thanks. You okay? You seem tense.” She wrinkled her nose. “Tenser than usual.”

“I’m fine. Just…” He sighed. “The closer we get to this thing, the more dangerous it feels. This woman, Neeva, she’s either involved or knows something about the dark magic. Either way, we could be headed into trouble.”

Holly nodded, her breath forming soft clouds in the frigid air. “I get that, but I don’t totally agree. If she’s been researching binding spells, maybe she didn’t mean to release the magic. Maybe she was trying to control it. And now she wants to fix whatever she did accidentally.”

“Or maybe she knew exactly what she was doing,” Demetrius replied darkly.

Holly’s expression twisted at his words. “Maybe. But it’s one thing to inadvertently unleash something dangerous. It was another thing entirely to do it on purpose.”

“And we won’t know until we confront her.” With a frustrated grunt, Demetrius shut Holly’s door and went around to get behind the wheel.

As they made their way toward Broomstick Lane, they passed houses decorated with evergreen boughs and festive ornaments, wreaths on the front doors, and snowmen in the front yards. Some were still being built by children bundled up against the cold. Smoke drifted up from nearly every chimney.

19 Broomstick Lane came into view, nestled between two larger homes, its roof dusted with snow and smoke curling lazily from the chimney. The little blue and white house looked quaint and peaceful, but Demetrius’s instincts told him looks weren’t everything. They had no idea about the woman inside or what her intentions were.

Especially where Holly was concerned, and that bothered him for reasons he dared not spend too much time thinking about.

Demetrius’s eyes narrowed as they approached the door. “Stay behind me,” he grumbled. “She could be dangerous.”

“I am a witch, you know. I’m not without skills. As you’ve seen,” Holly said.

“I know, but this woman is an unknown. If she’s going to do something, let me take the brunt of it.”

Holly looked like she wanted to protest. Instead, she nodded, standing close behind him as he knocked on the door, positioning himself so that he was ready for anything.

For a moment, there was silence. Then the door creaked open, revealing a woman who looked to be in her fifties, her dark blond hair tied back in a low ponytail. Her eyes—honey gold—wavered between Holly and Demetrius with a hint of suspicion.

“Can I help you?” the woman—Neeva, Demetrius presumed—asked, her voice edged with wariness.

“We’re here to ask you a few questions,” Demetrius said, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. Not something he had a lot of experience with.

Neeva’s gaze narrowed slightly. “What kind of questions?”

Holly stepped forward, her voice gentle but determined. “We know you’ve been researching binding spells. We need to know why. There’s dark magic stirring in the woods, and we think you might know something about it.”

For a brief moment, something shone in Neeva’s eyes—fear, maybe, or guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a mask of indifference.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Neeva said, her tone cold and dismissive. “Now, if you’ll excuse me?—”

But Demetrius wasn’t having it. His hand shot out, catching the door before she could close it. “We’re not leaving until we get answers.”

Neeva’s eyes flashed with anger, but Demetrius could see the truth in them—she did know something. And she was hiding it.

“Look,” Holly said in a tone that brooked no argument. “We’re not here to accuse you of anything. But something dangerous has been unleashed, and if we don’t stop it, people are going to get hurt. We just need to know what you know.”

Neeva hesitated, looking at the two of them like she was sizing them up for potential danger. For a moment, Demetrius thought she might attempt to slam the door in their faces, but then Neeva let out a long, shaky breath.

“Fine,” she muttered, stepping back to let them in. “But I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”

Demetrius went in first and had a quick look around as Holly followed. The house was small and nicely furnished, with shelves lined with jars of herbs and old books. A fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the room, but even to him, the air felt heavy, thick with the residue of magic.

Neeva moved to the small table in the center of the room and sat down, her hands fidgeting nervously against the table’s scarred surface. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Holly’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Neeva sighed, her eyes filled with regret. “I was researching binding spells to try and contain something—an old power I sensed in the woods. I didn’t think it was dangerous at first, but the more I worked on it, the more it resisted. And then…” She looked away.

“Then what?” Demetrius asked.

Neeva swallowed. “I lost control.”

Holly looked ill. “You released it?”

Neeva nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “I thought I could contain it, but it’s stronger than I realized. Now it’s out there, and I don’t know how to stop it. Nothing I’ve read seems capable of helping. I don’t know how to contain it again.”

Demetrius’s jaw tightened as anger surged through him. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

Neeva looked down at her hands, guilt written all over her face. “I was afraid. I didn’t want anyone to know I’d messed with something so powerful. I thought if I could fix it on my own, no one would have to know.”

Holly exchanged a glance with Demetrius, and the look said it all.

Neeva had unleashed the dark magic, and now it was up to them to stop it. But he wasn’t sure they could do it alone. They shouldn’t have to. Not if it meant Holly would be in danger.

“You’re going to help us fix this,” Holly said. Demetrius was surprised but proud of her for standing strong. “You know the magic better than anyone. We need your help to stop it.”

Neeva looked up, fear and determination battling in her eyes. “I’ll help. But we need to act fast. It’s getting stronger every day.”

“We know,” Demetrius said. “Which is why we can’t waste any more time. You need to come with us, and we need to take care of this immediately.”

Clearly resigned, Neeva got up and started to gather her things.

As they left the house and stepped outside, Demetrius wondered if Neeva really could help them. At least they’d found the source of the disturbance, but the real battle was just beginning. The dark magic was growing, and if they didn’t stop it soon, Nocturne Falls would be swallowed by the darkness.

Demetrius wasn’t sure their combined powers would be enough, but what really worried him was the toll it was going to take on Holly.

He couldn’t deny he’d started to care about her. And to him, that was almost more frightening than what waited for them in the forest.