November had been brutal—full-on migraines a good share of the month, but I had implemented my doctor’s suggestions. I tried to practice my magic daily. And on the days when I couldn’t manage it, I meditated and did yoga. The daily practice, along with doing whatever else I could to lower my stress levels, had brought December to a manageable level so far. I prayed that I would be good to go on our wedding day. Come hell or high water, I was getting married on the Solstice.

  I carried my dress into the bedroom and hung it in the closet. It still seemed strange to walk through the door to Killian’s house instead of my own, but I had to admit, the extra space in the house was great. And not having to tackle the stairs to get to the bedroom was a bonus, especially if I was battling a headache. I still had pangs over letting go of my childhood home, but it couldn’t be in better hands.

  After hanging up my dress and spending a few minutes playing with the cats, I headed to the kitchen. Killian’s house layout was different than mine. The utility room and pantry were off to the side of the kitchen, which faced the backyard like my house. The extra space meant that I had a sizable office and a ritual room on the main level, and that my ritual room wasn’t tucked into a secret space beneath the house.

  I opened the fridge and poked around, looking for something a snack. My stomach was protesting. I turned on the espresso machine and, while it heated, made myself a turkey sandwich. After pulling three shots for a latte, I carried the sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and my latte to the table and sat where I could look out at the backyard.

  Killian had removed the fence between our properties, so now we had the equivalent to three lots in an L-shape. Ari was renting my house and renovating it into her new salon, so Killian had built a fence across the back to prevent her clients from wandering around in my gardens.

  We also didn’t want them to enter the Mystic Wood by accident. While almost the entire town knew better than to go cavorting around the woodland that surrounded Moonshadow Bay, there were a misguided few who thought they could withstand the forces lurking within the magical forest. Even I was cautious entering the threshold of the woodland.

  I finished eating, then made a second sandwich and, pouring my latte into a travel mug, I headed over to my old home. Ari’s car was in the driveway, and I could hear her music blaring from inside the house.

  I hesitated at the door, then decided there was no way she’d hear me over the wail of Led Zeppelin. Opening the door, I peeked in.

  Ari was in the dining room. The sliding glass doors had been shut and the blinds closed, so she hadn’t noticed me make my way over. She was sitting on a stool, puttying holes in the wall. Several cans of paint were stacked along the wall, along with paint rollers, brushes, a massive box fan, and a screwdriver. A drop cloth covered the floor.

  I didn’t want to startle her by creeping up on her, so I pounded on the door frame. She froze, then glanced over her shoulder. Her frown broke into a smile and she set the putty knife on top of the quart of putty and pulled off her gloves. She picked up her phone and turned the music off.

  “January! Hey, what brings you over here today? You have the day off?”

  “Remember? I only work three days a week now—Tuesday through Thursday. I just got back from my last wedding dress fitting and the dress is now safely in my closet! I thought you might like a sandwich,” I added. “I ate lunch, so I made you a spare one.”

  She pressed her hand to her stomach, which suddenly rumbled. “That sounds good,” she said. “I didn’t realize I was hungry.” Standing, she arched her back and winced. “I’ve been sitting in one position too long.”

  “Time flies when you’re having fun.” I opened my purse and handed her a tube of hand sanitizer. She squirted some into her hands and rubbed it in. After that, she wiped her hands with a paper towel and accepted the sandwich. We wandered over to a long bench she had brought with her and sat down. I looked around.

  “You’re making good progress,” I said. “I like the color of the living room.”

  It was a pale blue with a few hints of muddled yellow, reminiscent of a spring morning when the sun begins to peek above the horizon.

  “I wish I could go faster but installing the new plumbing, along with the shampoo bowls, is going to cost a pretty penny. At least I’ll be able to afford it, though. Meagan told me to use the money we were going to use for a down payment on a new house to do all the renovations.” She shrugged. “At least the contractor you used—Lark ’n Sons Contracting? Jim Lark is giving me a deal since you referred me.”

  “That helps. He’s not cheap, but his work holds up.” I scooted onto the floor, leaning against the bench. “I’m tired,” I added. “I think another headache’s coming on. At least, it felt like it during my dress fitting this morning.”

  “What happened?” Ari asked.

  “Mandy’s grandmother showed up. She’s a ghost. She wanted me to relay some messages to Mandy. Namely, I had to find a way to explain why her mother killed herself without making her feel guilty. The woman abandoned her when Mandy was young, and all this time Mandy’s been under the impression that her mother committed suicide because of her. Which in a way she did, but there were some tragic circumstances there. Anyway, I managed to avoid any blame, but someday Mandy’s going to figure out what happened to her mother.”

  “That sounds heavy,” Ari said.

  I paused. “I know playing the medium and taking on this sort of work is supposed to help me, but it’s draining. I realized today that I have to learn how to protect my own energy even as I am relaying information to others. I was certain that I could ward against psychic leeches and black holes pretty well, but I think I’ve been deluding myself.”

  “Do you think it’s that?” Ari bit into her sandwich. She was barely a size 2—if that—but her metabolism was crazy fast.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m thinking that it seems to be the emotional pain that gets to you more than talking to the ghosts. I know you haven’t had ERS long, or rather it didn’t present until recently, but I’ve watched you over the past month or so, and from what I can tell, your headaches get worse when you’re emotionally invested in the case. When the person involved is distanced—or frightened rather than steeped in grief—you don’t seem to have as many headaches. I could be blowing smoke up my ass, but…just saying.” She finished off the sandwich. “Thanks. I needed that.”

  I thought about what she said. “You might be right. I’ll start making sure I record my emotions along with the mood of the haunting in my health journal.” I looked around. The energy of the house was beginning to shift as the renovations continued. I thought I’d be upset, but I actually felt relieved.

  “What are you thinking about?” Ari asked.

  “I’m thinking…I’m glad you’re doing this. I’m glad you’ve taken over the house. I need to let go of the connection to the past. The Ladies aren’t tied to a place. The only thing tied to these walls are my memories, and I’ll always have those, regardless of whether the house still stands.” I was about ready to leave and let Ari get back to work when Meagan came flying through the door.

  Ari’s wife had been a cheerleader in high school—she’d been one of the “mean girls” who had managed to transform into a wonderful adult. Some years ago, Meagan left her husband, came out as lesbian, and she and Ari had started to date. This caused a rift with her and her Clan—the North Cascades Bear Clan. She had walked away from them to be with Ari.

  Now, they were happily married and, while Meagan might not be one of my very best friends, we got along and I valued how happy she made my best friend. But today, Meagan had a somber look on her face and tears in her eyes.

  Ari took one look at her and jumped up. “What’s wrong?”

  I picked myself off the floor and sat on the bench, frowning. I didn’t want to interrupt but I could sense the flurry of emotions kaleidoscoping through Meagan, and they weren’t happy ones. I waited, unsure of whether or not to stay.

  Meagan sat beside me on the bench and the tears began to stream. “You remember Laverne? My best friend from France?”

  Ari nodded. “What’s wrong?” Ari was witchblood, like me, and by the look in her eyes, she knew the answer was bad.

  “She’s dead. She and her husband were killed during a home invasion. They were murdered.” Meagan stuttered over the last word and then broke down, burying her head in her hands. I was right next to her, so I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. The pain coming from her was raw and cut like a knife.

  Ari winced, looking like she might vomit. After a moment, she moved to the other side of Meagan and took one of her hands. I took the other and we sat there in silence for a moment while Meagan collected herself enough to speak.

  “What about their kids?” Ari asked, her voice shaking.

  “They were asleep. The killers left them alone, thank the gods.”

  “Do they have any idea of who did this? Where did it happen?” I’d never heard Meagan mention Laverne before.

  “Laverne and Jackson lived in Seattle. They didn’t live in the best part of the city, but it was all they could afford. The cops are on the job. Meanwhile, I never told you before because I never thought it would come up,” Meagan said, turning to Ari. “The cops are bringing Emily and LaKirk up here. Four years ago when Emily was born, Laverne and Jackson appointed me the legal guardian of their children, should anything happen.” She sounded almost afraid.

  Ari stared at her for a moment. “You mean that we’re going to be…the children are our wards?”

  Meagan paused, then said, “Yeah. I promised to adopt them and raise them. When you and I met, I never thought to say anything because…logistically it seemed such a long shot. And then we got married and busy with life and…” She hesitated. “What do you think?”

  “How old are they?” I interjected.

  “Emily is four, LaKirk is two. They have no clue why their mommy and daddy aren’t with them.” Meagan shrugged. “How could somebody mow down two innocent people for a thousand bucks? That’s all they got, along with a few pieces of Laverne’s jewelry.”

  “Do they have other relatives?” Ari asked. “Are we going to have to fight this in court?”

  Meagan shook her head. “That’s why Laverne and Jackson asked me to step in as their guardian in case of emergency. They came over from France ten years ago. All their relatives are there, and none of them have shown any interest in Laverne and Jackson over the years because they chose to walk away from her father’s business. He wanted Jackson to go into wine making with him, but Jackson refused. When Laverne insisted on marrying him anyway, her father unceremoniously cast them out on their asses. They decided to emigrate.”

  “So the children truly have no one,” Ari said. “Except for us. Of course we’ll take them. Thank gods I’m getting the new salon set up.”

  Meagan paused, then added, “I think we’d better put our own baby making on pause for the time being, don’t you? While we adapt to being parents to these two?”

  I stood, feeling altogether in the way. This should be something discussed between the two of them, without me there to anything awkward.

  Meagan saw me inching toward the door and pounced on me. “No, don’t go. You’re Ari’s best friend, and you and I are friends. I’d like your insight.”

  I froze. “How? Emotionally? My opinion about what you should do with the children? Or about whether you should try for baby-makes-three?”

  Ari snorted. “I know you. You’ll give us your opinion whether we want it or not, and that’s fine. I appreciate that.” She turned back to Meagan. “That’s a good question, though. Should we put our own lives on hold while we—”

  “It’s not just our own lives. They’re bringing the children up next week. From that moment on, we’re legally tied to these kids, and we’ll have an obligation to them. We’re going to have to figure out how to tell them their parents aren’t coming back. We’re going to have to explain what the word ‘murder’ means to them.” Meagan sounded as freaked out as she looked.

  “Why did you agree to this in the first place?” I asked.

  She swung on me, looking ready to argue, but then she deflated like a limp balloon. “I never thought this would happen. I never expected the children to lose their parents. So I thought, I’ve got this. I’ll buy them gifts every Yule and on their birthdays, I’ll visit during the summer and take them on a trip. I’ll be the best auntie they’ve ever had.”

  “And now, that’s all changed,” I said.

  “Right. And now, I have to do this every day. I know I was the one pushing for a baby, but that would have given us time to adapt to the thought and prepare.” She let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m numb over their deaths. With what this means for the children—and for our lives—I’m so overwhelmed that I’m floundering.”

  “You know that Killian and I will do what we can to help,” I said. “You’ll manage this. I know both of you, and you’ll be able to figure out all of the ups and downs.” It seemed the best thing to say under the circumstances. “I think I’ll go for now. I need to rest for a bit.”

  The truth was, a headache was setting in. I was pretty sure I could keep it from becoming a migraine, but given the emotions flying from both Meagan and Ari, I needed to retreat to a neutral corner and rest.

  I hugged both of them, then set off for home, grateful that Killian and I weren’t facing that problem. It wasn’t one I wanted to have.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I had no sooner gotten home when my phone rang. It was Rowan, my grandmother. “Hey, how are you?” I dropped onto the sofa, next to Xi, who gave me a sleepy yawn, then curled up and went back to sleep. The tortie, who was my familiar, was altogether too cute and fluffy, and I adored her and her tuxie brother Klaus.

  “I wondered if you might like to come over tomorrow night? Tarvish wouldn’t mind playing a couple rounds of pool with Killian, and I’d like to talk to you about something.”

  That could mean anything. But it had been a few weeks since we had gotten together, and it occurred to me that, if I was up for it, she could give me another magic lesson. “I’ll ask Killian, but I know that I’m free. Say, how would you feel about teaching me to ward off other people’s emotions?” I told her what had happened today with Mandy.

  “Of course, that’s not difficult at all. But first, I do need to discuss something with you. It’s coven business, but I don’t feel comfortable bringing it up with anybody else yet.”

  Rowan led the Crystal Cauldron coven that helped protect the town. We were connected with the Order of the Moon, the paramilitary division of the Court Magika. Every shadow town like Moonshadow Bay had a magical order like ours. We all received communications and direction from the Order, and were expected to obey.

  I sobered. If it was official coven business, then it could mean anything. “Of course. I’ll ask Killian if he wants to come, but let’s see… I get home from work around six. How about six-thirty?”

  “That works. Plan on having dinner here. I’ll make ravioli. I know you love it.”

  “Chef Boyardee?” I swear, my tastebuds were five years old, but I didn’t care.

  There was a brief silence and then, a laugh. “How about a little more upscale version? But I promise, you’ll love it,” Rowan said.

  “See you then.” I hung up and texted Killian.

  rowan and tarvish have invited us over tomorrow night for dinner. i need to go to talk to her about coven business and for a magic lesson. do you think you can make it? tarvish is determined to win a game of pool against you.

  Rowan was living with a Funtime demon I had accidentally downloaded from a website. He was the creation of a witchblood dungeon master, who hadn’t realized that her D&D campaign had taken on a life of its own. Tarvish was a special snowflake, all right, but he was good-hearted, loved kittens and crossword puzzles, and was doing his best to fit into suburbia. As long as he stayed in Moonshadow Bay, he had a good chance of assimilating. I didn’t hold much hope for him if he decided to move to a regular city, though, because he looked a lot like Hellboy with actual horns attached.

  Killian pinged me back. sure. tomorrow’s a slow day, so i’ll take off early. when do we need to be there?

  i told rowan i’d be there at six-thirty. when do you get off tonight? i’m thinking of taking a nap. i have a headache.

  i won’t be home till nine tonight. we’re hosting the free spay–neuter clinic this evening from five till eight.

  Killian had managed to get all the vets in town to agree to spend one evening a month—three hours—performing free spays and neuters for low-income residents. The program seemed to be a major success. Every slot had been booked in November and December, and they were filling out appointments into January already.

  i’m going to nap then. i’ll make dinner when i get up. love you.

  love you, too.

  I headed into the bedroom where, as soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

  I suppose now’s a good time to introduce myself. I’m January Jaxson and I’m a witch. Born of witchblood, I grew up in Moonshadow Bay, but my mother had discouraged me from practicing magic. I hadn’t realized why at the time, but she was trying to save me from a family curse. But the precaution backfired and, as of a couple months ago, I had developed a chronic illness due to the magic backing up in my system for so long.

  Even though I had begun practicing again when I moved back to Moonshadow Bay a few years ago, it was too late. My magical wiring, so to speak, had short-circuited and I had developed energy reflux syndrome. Now, I was navigating the murky waters of trying to keep myself as healthy as I could while coping with a chronic condition.