Then why did her lynx want to yowl in distress every time she told it to wait?

  By eight-forty-five, they were making the walk over to Mrs. Peabody’s house. The morning was clear and bright, a sharp contrast to the darkness of their investigation.

  “Think she’ll talk about Wardenclyffe?” Lina asked as they turned onto Mrs. P’s street.

  “If she asked for the meeting, then she’s found something. Mrs. Peabody doesn’t seem the type to waste time on maybes,” Liam said as they walked up the old lady’s front walkway.

  Mrs. Peabody answered the door before they could even knock, as if she’d been watching for them. She wore a cardigan despite the warm morning, and her expression was grave.

  “Come in, come in,” she said briskly, ushering them through to her workroom. “We have much to discuss and not much time to do it.”

  The workroom looked different today. The table had been totally cleared, and a large map was spread across it, marked with symbols Lina didn’t recognize.

  “I’ve been researching power nexuses on Long Island,” Mrs. Peabody began without preamble. “Places where the veil between realms is naturally thin, where magical energy pools and amplifies. There are seven major sites in this region, and perhaps two dozen minor ones.”

  She gestured to the map, where red circles marked various locations. “Most are protected—sacred sites watched over by various magical communities, or places so public that using them for dark work would be impossible. But there’s one that meets all of Mrs. Entwistle’s requirements.”

  Her finger landed on a spot near Shoreham. “Wardenclyffe. The site where Nikola Tesla attempted to build his wireless transmission tower.”

  Lina exchanged a glance with Liam. Called it.

  “Tesla was drawn to that location for reasons, even he likely didn’t fully understand,” Mrs. Peabody continued. “The site sits atop a natural convergence of ley lines—channels of earth energy that crisscross the planet. He thought he was tapping into electromagnetic fields for his experiments. It was likely he was working with something far older and more powerful.”

  “Is it protected now?” Liam asked. “Any wards or watchers?”

  Mrs. Peabody shook her head. “It should be, but it isn’t. The magical community lost track of it during the industrial era when the property changed hands multiple times. By the time we realized what we’d lost, it was contaminated with industrial waste and declared a Superfund site. We assumed the mundane pollution would be protection enough—no one wants to spend time on a toxic waste site.”

  “But the cleanup’s been completed,” Lina said, remembering her research. “The property’s been cleared for years now. I found that out last night when I was researching the place.”

  “You were already researching it?” Mrs. Peabody asked, one old eyebrow rising as she regarded Lina.

  “I put in a few hours late last night, and the site made sense, though I’m not sure if it was intuition that led me to that site or just a hunch. Either way, it made sense on paper, and I wanted to check it out today,” Lina admitted.

  Mrs. Peabody beamed at her. “Always trust your intuition, my dear. It sounds like you have more than the average cat’s sense of direction.” Then, her expression sobered. “I think it’s imperative that you go to Wardenclyffe and see what’s what at that location. If Mrs. E has been scouting the area and plans to use it, then she’ll have access to one of the most potent magical sites on the Eastern Seaboard, completely unguarded and largely forgotten.”

  Liam leaned over the map, studying the marked location. “If she performs the summoning there, how much amplification are we talking about?”

  “Enough to make the spell nearly unstoppable once it begins.” Mrs. Peabody’s voice was grim. “At a normal location, even with the grimoire page, she’d need hours of ritual preparation and significant personal power reserves. At Wardenclyffe?” She shook her head. “Minutes. Perhaps less. The power of the site itself would do half the work for her.”

  Silence fell over the room as they processed that information.

  “We need to check it out today,” Lina said finally. “We should set up surveillance and keep watch. We’ll need to intercept her before she can begin if she does, indeed, plan to use the place.”

  “Exactly,” Mrs. Peabody agreed. “But beware. She’ll have prepared for resistance. If she’s chosen Wardenclyffe, she’s probably already done her homework. There will be defenses, contingencies, probably more of those explosive traps you’ve already encountered if there are any structures on the property.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Liam promised.

  “Your strength will be needed, but don’t let your protective instincts override your tactical sense. Lina is a warrior in her own right. Trust her to hold her own.” Mrs. P advised him.

  Liam nodded. “I will.”

  Mrs. Peabody studied them both for a long moment, then sighed. “You two have become quite the team in a very short time. That bodes well for the fight ahead.” She gestured toward the door. “Go. Scout the site, set up your surveillance. But whatever you do, if Mrs. E shows up, don’t engage her alone. She is dangerous enough without the power of Wardenclyffe behind her.”

  They thanked her and headed back out into the bright morning, the weight of their mission settling heavy on their shoulders. They walked back to the safe house in comfortable silence, each processing what Mrs. Peabody had told them.

  At the house, they gathered the things they’d need for the day ahead. Liam had replaced the pieces of equipment they’d used yesterday and added a few new things to his little box of gadgets in the back of the SUV.

  He finished stowing the new gear and started the engine. “Let’s go see what we’re dealing with. We’ll act the part of sightseers. There’s a small museum on the property, and we can start there.”

  Lina pulled up directions on her phone. “Shouldn’t take long to get there now that rush hour is over.”

  They drove in focused silence, both of them mentally preparing for what came next. It felt like the case was coming to a head, all their leads converging on a single location.

  Chapter 14

  The Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe was smaller than Liam had expected. The brick building sat on a modest patch of land, its historic facade restored but showing its age. A small parking lot held maybe a half-dozen cars. Likely, they were tourists and Tesla enthusiasts making their pilgrimage to what remained of the inventor’s grand dream.

  Liam pulled into a spot near the entrance and killed the engine. Through the windshield, he could see the open field beyond the building, stretching toward a line of trees in the distance. Marked out by orange safety cones, the foundation of Tesla’s tower was visible beneath the grass. That was the convergence point Mrs. Peabody had warned them about.

  “Looks quiet,” Lina observed, scanning the area with the same careful attention she brought to everything.

  “For now, at least.” Liam grabbed a small pack from behind his seat. The black bag was casual enough not to draw attention, but packed with the miniature surveillance equipment they’d need. “Let’s start with the visitor’s center. Get the lay of the land, see what access points exist.”

  They walked to the entrance like any other visitors, though Liam’s trained eye was cataloging details with every step. The building had motion-activated security lights mounted at the corners. It also had a pretty standard commercial-grade burglar alarm. He could see the sensors on the doors and windows. Nothing sophisticated, just enough to keep casual vandals out after hours.

  Inside the visitor’s center was a modest collection of Tesla memorabilia, historical photos, and interactive displays about wireless energy transmission. A bored-looking volunteer sat at a small desk near the entrance, barely glancing up as they entered.

  “Feel free to look around,” the woman said pleasantly. “We’ve got a short film about Tesla’s work that plays in the back room every half hour.”

  “Thanks,” Lina said with a smile that transformed her usual reserve into touristy enthusiasm. “This is so exciting. We’ve wanted to visit for ages.”

  The woman’s expression warmed at Lina’s apparent interest. “It’s a special place. Make sure you walk the grounds too. There’s a path that goes around the property.”

  “We’ll definitely do that,” Liam said, already moving deeper into the museum.

  They spent fifteen minutes playing their parts, reading plaques and examining photos while subtly assessing the building’s layout. There were two exits. One in front and one in back. The rear door opened onto the field. Large windows on that side gave a clear view of the grounds.

  “The building’s not the target,” Liam murmured as they stood at one of those windows, ostensibly admiring the view. “Any ritual work she does will probably be outside, in the field where the tower once stood.”

  “Agreed.” Lina pretended to take touristy photos with her phone, while actually capturing strategic images of the terrain. “The tower foundation would be the focal point. That’s where the ley lines converge according to Mrs. P.”

  Liam studied the field. It was grassy and kept mowed, bounded by trees on three sides. A worn path led from the building around the tower base and into the woods. There were little plaques at intervals with descriptive information.

  “Let’s take that walk,” he said, nodding toward the path.

  They exited through the back door. Outside, the air smelled of grass and earth. The field stretched before them, deceptively peaceful in the late morning sun.

  The path was paved and well-marked. Liam kept his pace casual, tourist-slow, while his enhanced senses swept the area for threats. Beside him, Lina did the same, her lynx no doubt as alert as his lion.

  “The tower was pretty big,” she said softly, gesturing toward a marker with a weather-proof image of the tower as it had been in the early 1900s.

  They approached the marker, reading the plaque that described Tesla’s grand vision for wireless power transmission. But Liam’s attention was on the ground itself. There was a slight depression, and the grass grew a little differently, as if the earth beneath remembered what had been built and destroyed.

  “This is it,” he said quietly. “This is where she’ll do the work.”

  Lina crouched down, ostensibly tying her shoe, but her eyes were scanning the immediate area. “Good sightlines from the trees. Multiple approach routes. It’s isolated enough for privacy but not so remote that someone working here at night would automatically draw attention.”

  “Especially if they kept their lights minimal.” Liam turned slowly, mapping the terrain in his mind. “We’ll need cameras covering all approaches. Motion sensors in a grid pattern to detect if, and when, she arrives.”

  “Can you set that up without being obvious?” Lina straightened, brushing dirt from her hands.

  “Already working on it.” Liam adjusted his backpack and started walking again, this time angling toward the tree line on the eastern edge of the property. “Keep playing tourist. I’ll plant a few things as we go.”

  They strolled like any couple enjoying the grounds, pausing occasionally to admire a view or point out a bird. Each time they stopped near a tree, Liam would lean against the trunk or adjust his backpack, and a small wireless camera would end up mounted in the bark, its lens barely visible among the rough texture.

  He placed the first at eye level, angled to capture the central field. The second went lower, covering the approach from the parking lot. The third, tucked into a split in the bark, had a clear view of the building’s rear exit.

  “You’re good at that,” Lina murmured as they moved to the next position.

  “Practice.” He attached another camera, this one high enough to give an overhead view of the tower site. “I’ve done this in a lot less forgiving environments than a public park.”

  They worked their way around the perimeter, Liam placing cameras and motion sensors while Lina provided cover with her tourist act. She’d stop to examine plaques, take photos, and she even pulled out a small notebook at one point and started sketching, playing the role of an enthusiast documenting her visit.

  It was when they reached the northern edge of the property, where the trees grew thicker and the underbrush more tangled, that Liam noticed something off.

  He crouched down, ostensibly to examine an interesting rock, but his attention was on the arrangement of twigs and leaves just off the path. At first glance, it looked just like natural forest debris. But his lion stirred uneasily, recognizing something wrong in the pattern.

  “Lina,” he said quietly. “Look at this.”

  She moved closer, her casual tourist demeanor not slipping, even as her eyes sharpened with focus. “What am I looking at?”

  “The way these twigs are arranged. See how they form a rough circle? And these leaves are all facing the same direction, but that’s not how they’d fall naturally.”

  Lina tilted her head, studying the pattern. “A magical pattern?”

  “Could be.” Liam didn’t touch it, just memorized its position. “Take a photo of this, and we’ll get Mrs. P to confirm, but I think this is proof that Mrs. E has been here and that she’s prepping the site.”

  They moved on after Lina took a few discreet photos, and now that they knew what to look for, they found more. Small arrangements of natural materials that looked random but weren’t. Stones placed in deliberate patterns. A twisted vine that formed a symbol Liam didn’t recognize. All of it subtle, all of it easily dismissed as coincidence by anyone who didn’t know better.

  “She’s marking boundaries,” Lina said as they discovered the fifth talisman, this one near the western tree line. “Creating a ritual space.”

  “How many do you think there are?” Liam planted another motion sensor, this one positioned to detect anyone approaching the northern side of where the tower once stood.

  “If she’s doing this properly? Maybe four, eight or even twelve? They usually mark cardinal points and intervals in between, from what I’ve read, and in this case, they’d probably be placed at specific intervals around the tower site.” Lina pulled out her phone, pretending to check messages while actually marking the locations they’d found on a map of the grounds that she’d downloaded from the visitor center’s website. “This is sophisticated magic. She’s been planning this for a while.”

  Liam’s jaw tightened. They were running out of time. If Mrs. E had already laid the groundwork, she could show up any night to complete the ritual. Maybe even tonight.

  “We need to finish the sensor grid,” he said, keeping his voice low. “Get full coverage on the site. Then we come back after dark to adjust for better angles, if necessary.”

  “What about backup? Do we call this in to your SEAL friends?” Lina asked, her eyes meeting his.

  “Yeah. I’ll call Mike and see if some of his guys are up for a bit of surveillance and possible enemy action. We should probably loop in Rich and Billy, too. They’re close, and they’ve dealt with Mrs. E before,” Liam explained as they kept walking slowly through the wooded area.

  Once they completed their circuit of the property and Liam placed the last of his initial cameras and sensors, they made their way back to the visitor’s center. They’d established a basic surveillance grid. It wasn’t as tight as he’d like, but there was already enough in place to give them warning if Mrs. E showed up unexpectedly.

  Inside, they thanked the volunteer and made appropriate noises about how interesting the place was. The woman beamed and handed them brochures about donating to the non-profit organization that ran the site.

  Back at the SUV, they climbed in but didn’t immediately leave. Liam pulled out his phone and brought up the camera feeds. All eight cameras were transmitting clearly, showing different angles of the field and approaches.

  “Motion sensors are active too,” he confirmed, checking the app. “If anything larger than a rabbit moves through there, we’ll know.”

  Lina was studying her map, the one marked with talisman locations. “I count seven that we found. If there are more, they’re better hidden, or on the parts of the property we couldn’t access without looking suspicious.”

  “Seven is more than enough to establish a pattern.” Liam zoomed in on the center of the field where the tower had stood. “They’re forming a rough circle around the ritual site. Classic boundary magic.”

  “So this is definitely the place.” Lina looked up from her phone. “Now we wait for her to show up and try to use it.”

  “Not just wait. We have to prepare.” Liam started the engine, his mind already running through logistics. “We’ll come back tonight to tighten the sensor grid and add a few more cameras. We’ll set up our own observation post where we can watch without being seen. And we need to make sure we have enough firepower on hand to stop her if she shows.”

  “You think it’ll come to a fight?” Lina’s tone suggested she already knew the answer.

  “I think Mrs. E didn’t rig two houses with explosives because she’s planning to surrender peacefully.” Liam pulled out of the parking lot, heading back toward the main road. “When she shows up here, she’ll be ready for resistance. We need to be ready too.”

  They drove in silence for a few minutes, both processing what they’d found. The investigation had narrowed to a single point now. Wardenclyffe was the target. All they had to do was wait for Mrs. E to make her move.

  Lina broke the silence. “We have to set up properly tonight. Full surveillance, backup in place, ready to respond the moment she shows her hand.”

  “Agreed.” Liam glanced at her, seeing the determination in her profile. “This ends at Wardenclyffe. One way or another.”

  She met his eyes briefly, and he saw his own resolve reflected back. They’d come too far, learned too much to let Mrs. E complete her ritual. Whatever it took, they’d stop her.