Fox blinked in surprise. “Well, yes. I didn’t mention that before—during our first introduction?”

  “No,” I answered as I continued to glare at him. “You failed to mention you were tracking a migratory ghost. And one which, coincidentally, came into my house the other night!”

  He had the audacity to clap his hands together in childlike glee. “Ah! That means she’s definitely within town limits.” His smile widened.

  With a soft growl of frustration, I walked away from the counter and rounded on him. “You are going to tell me exactly what this Todhchaí ghost is and how it’s connected to those missing kids.” But, then I remembered something. “Whatever took the children can’t be a ghost.”

  He frowned. “And why do you say that?”

  “Because a witch… friend and I used the town’s power to perform a scrying spell last night. And whatever power we encountered rebounded and knocked me out, which meant whoever or whatever took the children was more powerful than both of us. Last I checked, the dead can’t cast spells, let alone counter them.”

  The spark in Fox’s eyes suddenly dimmed and a frown marred his handsome features. “Hmm,” he said as he bobbed his fingers against his lips. “Did you catch a glimpse of what blocked you, at least?”

  I shook my head. “No, but whatever it was, they sent a message.”

  “And what was the message?”

  I took a deep breath and hoped I could trust him. Granted, Ophelia didn’t think I could or should, but I didn’t trust her as far as I could throw her. And, so far, it seemed Fox had more information on the potential whereabouts of the children than Ophelia did, so… “A tiny piece of paper appeared and on it was written: Give us Olwen, and we’ll give back what we’ve taken’.”

  Fox went still, his full lips parting. He tilted his head toward my door, as though he could hear someone calling his name through the inches-thick mahogany.

  “Of course,” he muttered as he breathed in deeply and then began shaking his head. “That explains a great deal.”

  “And when are you going to explain that ‘great deal’ to me?”

  His rich brown eyes only half-focused on me. “Your phone is ringing, Poppy,” he said gently.

  Until he brought it to my attention, I actually hadn’t heard the tone. When the shrill ringing did penetrate my clouded ears, I considered letting it go to voicemail. If I let Fox slip away, I could lose any chance I had at getting answers. But a quiet, niggling voice in the back of my head coaxed me to answer the phone, just in case the call was important.

  I compromised, reaching out and gripping Fox’s lapel with one hand while I fished for my phone inside my purse with the other. I caught it on the last ring and answered without taking my eyes off the hunter’s face.

  “Hello?” I asked, realizing too late that I hadn’t even checked the caller ID.

  “Ms. Morton?”

  “Yes?”

  “This is Principal Schultz,” she began as my heart dropped down to my toes. Her tone was calm, but there was an undercurrent to it that hinted at something else.

  “Hi,” I started.

  She took a deep breath. “Did you keep your son home from school today, because we have him down as an unexcused absence.”

  My heart started racing as I held my breath. “No,” I whispered.

  I couldn’t pay attention to the words that came out of her mouth. I was fairly sure she said something about Finn never making it to class.

  “I dropped him off this morning,” I managed. “He was walking into the building when I pulled away from the dropoff line.”

  I didn’t hear what Principal Schultz said next. Or maybe I heard it, but didn’t understand her words.

  I could only turn numbly, looking at Fox.

  He was the only one who knew what this Todhchaí ghost was. That meant he was the only one who could tell me how to get Finn back.

  But Fox wasn’t in the shop.

  The instant I’d released him, he’d disappeared, leaving nothing but the scent of earth and dried leaves behind him.

  ***

  The phone tumbled from my fingers, hitting the floor with a breaking sound.

  Finn wasn’t at school.

  Which meant he wasn’t anywhere I could find him.

  He was gone, just like the Stomper girls and the Rutledge boy.

  But who or what had taken him? The ghost, or the mysterious force that blocked Wanda’s spell? Or were both one and the same?

  Tears hazed my eyes and I took one shaky step away from the phone, and another step towards the door, then another. My legs felt like barely set Jello, and I was sure I’d spill onto the pavement any second, reduced to nothing but a pile of tears.

  They, it, she, had my little boy…

  I reached the door and remembered how Fox had been there one second and then he was gone the next. I’d been holding onto his jacket, and yet… he was gone. As if he’d never been here. I’d turned around for a fraction of a second. Not enough time for anyone to disappear without me noticing.

  He’d said his boss sent him after this ghost because it took an impressive skill set to capture it. What skills did Fox have that others didn’t? Magic? Had I been overlooking the likely culprit in these disappearances this whole time?

  I fished his card out of my jacket pocket and lunged for my phone, where it was still lying on my floor. When I flipped it over, I found the screen cracked and heartlessly black.

  Fresh tears pricked my eyes, and I clenched my jaw around a scream. I needed a phone to first call the house, then I’d call Marty, Roy, RJ, and Henner, and if they hadn’t seen Finn, I’d call the cops. And then I’d call Ophelia.

  First, I had to eliminate all the ordinary possibilities, before I started investigating the extraordinary ones. But I knew, deep in my gut, that Finn hadn’t played hooky. It wasn’t like him. No, whatever was behind the disappearances of the other children—that same entity had my son.

  And Fox knew who was behind it. I would track him down and carve the answers out of him if I had to. Fortunately, I didn’t think I’d have to resort to such measures myself. I had supernatural backup ready and willing to assist. Even now, I was trying to decide which supernatural creature was closest.

  “The Half Moon,” I whispered, voice barely audible above the beating of my heart. I pushed through my front door and was immediately caught in a gust of wind. It was rising, sending flurries of snow scurrying down the street, but I couldn’t say I felt the cold. I couldn’t feel anything.

  Roy would be able to track Fox by scent and that was the only thought going through my head as I broke into a light jog, going as fast as I dared on the snow-slicked sidewalk. After another few seconds, I realized I could have driven there faster. But I was now halfway to Roy’s so there was no point in turning back.

  The wind raked at my face, squeezing still more tears from my eyes. My chest was cold, and every long stride made the silver cherub amulet land against my breastbone with a painful little slap.

  Wait... the amulet!

  I didn’t need to call home because Darla could tell me if she’d seen Finn. I seized the amulet without breaking stride and gasped, “Darla!”

  She appeared with a soft pop a few feet behind me, staring with some irritation at the spot I’d been moments before. I rounded a corner, not pausing for anything.

  She emerged from a brick wall just ahead of me, putting herself in my path, so I’d either have to slow down, dodge into the street, or breeze straight through her.

  “Where’s the fire, dollface?” she asked, lips pursed.

  “Is Finn at the house?” I panted, still not breaking stride.

  I juked to the right, opting to take to the street rather than breeze through her. It would scramble her thoughts and mine for a few seconds, and those were seconds Finn couldn’t afford. I winced when I sank, calf-deep, into a puddle of icy water, soaking my jeans. Perfect. Just what I needed, on top of everything else.

  Darla appeared at my side a second later, floating a little higher off the ground. She weaved absently to avoid a street lamp as I rounded another corner. I may have been imagining it, but she seemed paler.

  “I don’t think so, babe, but I wasn’t looking for him. I can go take a look-see if you like? Your Uncles and I were just reliving the good ol’ days…”

  “Go!” I snapped. “Search every inch of the property and see if there are any ghosts skulking around. Tell Uncle Joey and Uncle Tobias Finn is missing.”

  “The kid’s missing?!” Darla’s mouth dropped open.

  “Yes.”

  Darla’s head bobbed once and then, with another soft pop, she was gone. I was left huffing all on my own, moving as fast as I could toward Roy’s.

  When I reached the restaurant, I thundered up the steps and flung the screen open wide, pulling my fist back to deliver a blow to the door that would have made Muhammad Ali sit up in his grave. The place wasn’t open this early, but Roy was usually there since he owned the place. As I banged on the door, I wasn’t prepared when it opened inward and I stumbled forward. I probably would have smacked into the floor if strong, calloused hands hadn’t caught me by the shoulders and pulled me upright.

  “Careful,” Roy muttered as he grabbed me. “Poppy?” he asked, clearly surprised to see me. “What’s got you in such a hurry?”

  I could tell by his cool manner and his lack of greeting that he was angry with me. Probably over the fact that I’d been avoiding him for the last couple of days. But, no matter, that would have to wait.

  At this range, the gruff basso of his voice felt like a subwoofer, and I trembled. I was close to going to pieces. I couldn’t force myself to look at him, because I knew I’d lose what little cool I had. All the hurt I’d felt towards him, the passive-aggressive posturing, it all seemed so petty now. My fingers wound their way into the front of his red-checkered flannel shirt, and I buried my face in his chest.

  And I burst into tears.

  I needed to find a phone, but I couldn’t force my legs to move. I couldn’t do anything except cling to Roy as the tears came in earnest, spilling over, and coming so thick and fast, I could barely breathe. My knees finally gave out, and it was only Roy’s arms that kept me upright.

  “Poppy, what’s happened?”

  Even when I tried to speak, nothing coherent came out. Just horrible moaning sounds that resembled my mother’s Whale Sounds For Deep Sleep album more than actual human speech.

  Roy smoothed one big hand over my hair while with the other, he rubbed circles into my back.

  “Shh. Poppy, breathe. Catch your breath and tell me what’s wrong.”

  My mouth was dry, my heart was thrumming like a bird’s wings, and my lungs felt like they were about to explode. I couldn’t stop the heaving sobs for long enough to explain anything.

  Darla arrived with a pop, and I was saved the trouble.

  I glanced up at her, feeling strangely detached. My hopes hadn’t been high when I’d sent her on the errand, and the helpless look on her semi-translucent face confirmed my worst fears.

  “I’m sorry, doll,” she whispered, shaking her head as she looked down. And I thought, for the first time ever, that she wasn’t acting. “The kid’s not at the house. Joey and Tobias are searching the woods but...”

  They wouldn’t find him there. I already knew that.

  Finn wouldn’t be home. And he wouldn’t be anywhere in Haven Hollow. Not anywhere we could easily find him, anyway.

  “What do you mean Finn’s not at the house?” Roy asked, looking from Darla to me. “Is Finn... missing?”

  “Phone,” I was finally able to manage, turning my face up to meet Roy’s horrified expression. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and sucked in a few ragged breaths as Roy produced his phone and handed it to me.

  “Finn is missing?” he asked again.

  I nodded and couldn’t handle the sentence as it came out of his mouth.

  Finn was missing. Finn was missing. Finn was missing.

  “Whatever took the Stomper girls and Zane… it has Finn. They’re all connected—the disappearances, the Todhchaí ghost. Fox, the hunter.”

  “What hunter?” Roy asked, his eyes narrowing.

  “Fox Aspen,” I answered. “He knows something about the missing children.”

  “Tell me everything you know so far.”

  I swallowed hard but then nodded. “When Wanda and I tried to locate the children, our spell backfired. All we got in return was a ransom note. And the note said ‘Give us Olwen, and we’ll give back what we’ve taken’. And Fox mentioned something about this spirit—this Todhchaí. Apparently that’s why Fox is in town—he’s supposed to find the ghost. And I… I think it has Finn.” I took a deep breath. “We need to find Fox Aspen. He’s the only one who knows what’s going on, and he knows what that note meant. He knows who Olwen is.”

  Roy nodded, his expression as serious as I’d ever seen it. His stormy gray eyes bored into mine with an intensity that made me shiver.

  “We’ll find Finn, Poppy.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  After calling the school again, Principal Schultz informed me they’d searched the school thoroughly, and there was no sign of either Finn or Wren Darrow. A suspicious part of me wondered if maybe Wren had persuaded Finn to play hooky and blow his allowance on candy at Sweeter Haunts, but a quick look around town dashed those hopes to bits.

  No one had seen either one of them.

  I’d called on everyone I knew to help me comb the streets of Haven Hollow but it was no good. Finn wasn’t here. He wasn’t anywhere as far as anyone could tell. It was just like Roy had described the disappearance of the other children—there was simply no scent to follow. It was like Finn had been plucked off the steps of the school by an invisible hand and spirited away.

  And there was no sign of Fox anywhere. I’d called the number on his card umpteen times and no one answered.

  “We’ll find Finn, Poppy. Don’t worry,” Marty said for at least the tenth time in the last hour, trying to inject some certainty into his voice. Though, at this point, I wasn’t sure if he even believed his words.

  “Marty’s right,” Roy said, echoing the sentiment from my right. Both men stayed close to me, seeming ready to swoop in at the first sign I might go faint.

  At this point, my spirits were resting around the soles of my snow-caked boots. The flakes were coming down in earnest, and I could barely see a few feet in front of my face. Now, it was officially time for drastic measures. Wren and Finn weren’t shapeshifters like the other children, which meant they had nothing to keep them warm. In this weather, they’d succumb to exposure if they weren’t found and found soon.

  I didn’t like sending Ophelia after Fox, but it was beginning to look like our only option. I had no way of reaching him, other than by continuously calling his phone number, which clearly wasn’t working.

  ***

  The driveway of Hallowed Realty had been shoveled recently, and a bell chimed somewhere inside the office as we entered the front door. I felt like I was on auto-pilot as I marched past the glass and steel partitions, heading toward Ophelia’s office for the second time this week.

  Sitting on the opposite side of Ophelia’s desk was Fox Aspen.

  I yanked the office door open and nearly threw myself at him. I was seething with anger, fear and despondency. “You!” I hissed as I glared at him, and he simply smirked up at me. “I have been calling you for the last I don’t know however long!”

  Fox Aspen was sitting calmly in one of the Windsor chairs across from Ophelia’s large oak executive desk, hands folded placidly in his lap. He was all smiles again, legs crossed casually at the ankles, looking to all the world like a man without a care in the world. He didn’t bat an eye at me and my outburst, nor did he seem fazed by the night hag that looked ready to launch herself across the desk and sink her yellowing teeth into the lean column of his throat. And he was completely nonplussed by the growling sasquatch on one side of me.

  It took me a second to realize there was someone else in the room with them. Officer Cain Morgan was seated in the second Windsor chair, his arms folded over his broad chest, which made his already impressive biceps bulge. His eyes were steely, and he glared at each of us in turn.

  “Now that the rest of you have arrived, you have some explaining to do,” Cain said as he faced me, his expression glum, his lips tight. “Why don’t we all take a stroll down to the station, hmm?”

  “No,” Ophelia said with such ringing finality, the word gave even the not-so-nice officer pause.

  Cain seemed to gather himself and stood, so that he loomed over her. She looked very frail, just parchment skin stretched over old bones. I knew better, of course. Ophelia was a lot stronger and scarier than she looked. Fox knew that too, so why had he dragged the Police Chief into supernatural business?

  As far as Cain was concerned, he thought he was intimidating an eighty-year-old woman. He didn’t know he was actually performing the supernatural equivalent of playing chicken with a semi-truck. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up very dead.

  Cain reached for his duty belt and detached a pair of cuffs. “I’d like to do this the easy way, Ms. Ponsobby, but if you force my hand, I can force yours.”

  I wouldn’t call what Ophelia did next a smile, though her lips did curl upwards a fraction. The expression was too eerie and mirthless, the motion too oily and inhuman. I could have sworn the sclera of her eyes went entirely black for a moment before returning to normal.

  “I would like to see you try,” she purred.

  Well, ‘purr’ was sort of a subjective term. It sounded more like a bullfrog’s croak. The longer she stared at him, the less human she seemed to get. The craggy lines in her face started to grow deeper, the bags under her eyes even more bruise-like. The sweet smell of rot that hung like a note of perfume around her grew even stronger.

  I gagged.

  “Ophelia,” Fox said in a warning tone.

  “You brought him here,” Ophelia responded, voice dripping sweet poison. I’d never heard her use a tone quite that saccharine, and could only assume it meant trouble. “That’s a violation of Section 373 of the Hollows’ codes with the Hunter Guild of the Americas.” She spat the words at Fox, but never took her gaze off Cain. “You are not allowed to out monsters to the mundanes. I am within my rights to terminate you and the mundane in question.”