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He meowed at me and hid his face.

  “There’s no reason to be embarrassed. There was nothing you could do to help her. But you could be a strong anchor to help bring her home.”

  I put Hemlock on the table. Elsie and I sat close to him.

  Elsie shook her head. “We could sure use our book right now. I can’t remember a single word of any locator spells, can you, Molly?”

  I was fine until she asked. Then the only locator spell fled my mind like the clouds after dawn. “I can’t think of one either.”

  “Don’t look at me,” Olivia said. “Even if I could think of one, it might be the wrong one.”

  “Any locator spell would be better than none,” I told her.

  We all tried to think of a spell we could use. Most of the spells we’d cataloged down through the years were spells we’d used only once or twice. Most witches knew their everyday spells by heart.

  “This is crazy.” Elsie got up and filled the teakettle. “It’s bad enough when we can’t do them, but when we can’t even remember them? I need a nap.”

  Olivia yawned. “Me too. You wouldn’t think I’d get tired floating around like this all day.”

  “All right. Let’s concentrate. We need this spell if we’re going to try to find Dorothy.” I rubbed Hemlock’s back to make him feel better.

  “Maybe we could call someone and borrow their locator spell,” Elsie suggested. “There’s Phoebe. She’s always been friendly.”

  “Or Kay,” Olivia said. “I’ve always liked her, even though she has such bad taste in clothes.”

  “I don’t know if they’d be willing to share a spell,” I said. “But I’m willing to try anything.”

  We tried Phoebe. She’d gone out of town on a fishing trip. We called Kay. She had never used a locator spell and didn’t know one.

  “How can she not know a locator spell?” I asked after putting down the phone.

  Elsie cleared her throat. “She’s not exactly a sweet young thing. Maybe she can’t remember either.”

  Olivia sighed and sank to the table beside Hemlock. “This is so depressing. My little girl is in trouble, and I don’t even have any chocolate to eat.”

  “Wait!” Elsie jumped up suddenly. “I have an idea. Remember when we were much younger, and we used to hang out in the cave a lot. We’d scratch spells into the cave walls. Maybe we scratched at least part of a locator spell.”

  I nodded. “I remember that. I think I’d know the spell if I saw it.”

  “Me too,” Olivia agreed. “Let’s go down there and see what we can find.”

  It was true that the walls of the cave contained spells we’d played around with years ago. Some had worked, and we’d included them in our missing spell book. Others hadn’t been so good.

  Despite Elsie’s large and illuminating fire, we couldn’t find a decent locator spell. After an exhausting hour of climbing around, squinting at spells etched on the walls, we went back upstairs.

  “You aren’t giving up already, are you?” Olivia asked. “I don’t think you looked at all the spells down there.”

  “I think we did.” I dropped to the chair with a sigh.

  “I can’t believe we had so many dog grooming spells.” Elsie sank down too. “What was that all about? None of us even have a dog.”

  “Don’t you remember when we were thinking about opening a dog spa ten years ago,” Olivia reminded her. “There was that spot where the old dog grooming place closed in the Cotton Exchange. We thought it might be a good way to make extra money.”

  “Oh yes.” Elsie tapped her chin. “I remember that now. Joe had been furloughed for a few weeks during that city budget crunch, and Bill had lost his job at the car dealership.”

  “That’s right.” I sat back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. “Things were slow here at the shop too. We just never got into the idea of dog grooming.”

  “I could go down and search higher on the cave walls for the locator spell,” Olivia offered.

  “You know we didn’t climb up there and put spells on the walls. Six feet is the most we could have managed,” Elsie said.

  I agreed with her. “Without the council’s help, I don’t see any way we can get Dorothy back.”

  Olivia cried.

  I’d almost had it for the day. I was exhausted and disheartened enough to lie down and cry. I wanted to know what Joe had to tell me too. Maybe it was something that would make all of this okay—though I doubted that was possible.

  Then I suddenly had the best idea ever. “Brian owes me a debt. He probably knows a locator spell!”

  CHAPTER 28

  Capture and hold, stay with me.

  Capture and hold, your fate to be.

  I called Brian with the shop phone. There was no response. We had to get his attention. I tried to think what I would do to get Mike’s attention, since Brian was probably only a little older than him. Nothing came to mind, except cutting off his allowance. That wouldn’t work with Brian.

  “What about the clarion spell?” Olivia asked. “We could lure him here. Once he’s here, we could collect on the debt. I’ve used the call plenty of times!”

  Elsie rolled her eyes, but it was really a very good idea.

  “What should we do?” I’d never done a clarion spell, since it was mostly used to attract a mate. I felt fairly certain that Elsie had never used it either.

  “It’s so simple,” Olivia assured us. “It’s the easiest summoning ever!”

  The plan was simple. We each needed to be in our element. We’d entice Brian to come to us and then talk him into helping with a locator spell.

  We set our spell for midnight. There was so much to do. We had to rush home to bathe, according to ritual, and change clothes. A potent spell needed serious magic. Olivia stayed at the shop, complaining that there wasn’t much she could do.

  It was raining, a cold breeze blowing in from the Atlantic. I could feel the angry water around me. The rain was fierce, pelting the night, while black clouds moved quickly through the sky.

  I stopped for Elsie. True to her word, she was wearing her full-length, hooded purple robe.

  “I don’t even remember when I wore this last. You should’ve seen Aleese’s face when I came downstairs with it on.”

  “You still look lovely and mysterious in it.”

  “You’re just saying that so I’ll go to the shop with you.” She giggled and made sure her sword was pulled all the way in before she closed the car door. “What’s that you’re wearing, Molly? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

  “I’ve only worn it a few times.” I looked down at my tight leather pants and matching vest. I’d paired them with a loose-fitting white blouse. My amulets settled well in the square neckline. “I wasn’t even sure it would still fit me.”

  “I guess Joe didn’t see you in that outfit. I can imagine the questions it would bring up.”

  In fact, it had raised Joe’s dark brows. He didn’t ask about it. It was hard to see the questions in his eyes and not be able to answer. One thing at a time, I reminded myself. Don’t get ahead of what you can do.

  We’d discussed his newest lead in Olivia’s murder case. It didn’t involve magic, so we sat and talked quietly in the bedroom while Mike watched an old movie on TV in the living room.

  There wasn’t much for him to tell me, after all my excitement. He was following a new development in the case that he wasn’t happy about, but he didn’t go into detail. He said he’d know more later. Our conversation was stilted—probably because both of our minds were elsewhere.

  I started the car, and we headed back to Smuggler’s Arcane.

  Elsie turned to me at a red light on Market Street. “Do you think we could do a big love spell for Aleese before we retire? I know our best love spells were in the book, but maybe we could come up with something.�
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  “I think we could do that. That way, you wouldn’t have to leave her alone when we go to Boca.”

  “Why do you think witches have such a strong compulsion to retire there? It’s a huge hotbed of old witches.”

  “I don’t know.” We’d reached the shop, and I parked beside Dorothy’s car. It reminded me why we were putting so much extra effort into what we did tonight. “Maybe it’s the weather. Every witch I’ve ever known has retired there.”

  “I wish I were as excited about it as you and Olivia are—were. I suppose it doesn’t really matter to her where she lives now.”

  “Are you afraid?”

  “I am. I’ve seen what life has been like with limited magic. Why would I want to live with no magic? That’s what’s kept me here. Well, that and you and Olivia. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere without you.”

  We got out of the car as a mournful sea bird cried out in the darkness. The river was still alive with lights and traffic, despite the storm. The large structure that was the old Cotton Exchange was silent and empty before us.

  “This is like the old days, huh, Molly?” Elsie nudged me with her elbow. “It’s great to be back in the saddle again.”

  Olivia met us at the door. “I’m glad you’re back. Let’s get this over with. I’m tired of being stuck here alone.”

  “You might have to get used to it,” Elsie remarked.

  Olivia ignored her. “This is so exciting, isn’t it, girls? We used to get together like this all the time, talk about spells and brew potions.”

  “The good old days.” Elsie nodded. “When you were still alive.”

  “Molly, tell her to stop doing that. I don’t need to be reminded every five minutes that I’m dead. I know I’m dead. I can look right through my hand.”

  She held it up and peered through the transparent semblance of her former flesh.

  “Let’s focus,” I said. “This is serious magic that can have very bad consequences if we don’t do it right.”

  “Kind of like what happened to Cassandra.” Olivia tried to get her own back by making fun of Elsie’s magic.

  “No. Not like that,” I disagreed, not convinced that Cassandra was really hurt by it. “That was magic gone awry. This could be much worse. We could call something we can’t control. We could hurt Brian.”

  “That would be terrible,” Olivia added. “I know you don’t like him, but he really is a very nice young man.”

  “Give it a rest,” Elsie sniped. “Even if he didn’t kill you, he’s not a nice young man! And maybe if you had better taste in nice young men, we wouldn’t be here tonight!”

  “It’s almost midnight.” I took off my jacket. “Let’s get started.”

  “Ooh! You look fabulous, Molly!” Olivia soundlessly clapped her hands. “I haven’t seen you dressed like that since we did the spell that helped Joe propose to you.”

  “Joe was already in love with you,” Elsie said with a roll of her green eyes. “You must have something to work with. No one can truly make someone love you. Lust after you, be obsessed with you—yes. But not love.”

  “I know that!” Olivia scoffed. “I’ve done my fair share of love spells and potions in my day.”

  “But no love spell worked for you?” Elsie guessed.

  Olivia floated through the trapdoor and the rug.

  “She’s really getting the hang of being a ghost,” Elsie remarked.

  I lifted the trapdoor to the cave and started down the stairs. “She won’t have anything else to do for a hundred years.”

  “I’ve heard that’s the life span of a ghost,” Olivia said.

  “Really? A hundred years?” Elsie shook her head. “At least she won’t need plastic surgery.”

  “Why are you being so mean to me, Elsie?” Olivia circled the roof of the cave. “The dead have feelings too, you know.”

  “Time to end the chatter, ladies.” I stood near the cauldron. “Elsie, call the fire.”

  It was important for us to be actually based in our elements. I had filled the mop bucket with water. I planned to stand in it to get the best effect from my element.

  Elsie drew her sword. She stood as close to the fire as she could.

  Olivia’s staff was with us, even though I wasn’t sure it would do any good for it to be there. I didn’t see what it could hurt either, and it made her feel that she was part of this important spell.

  The flames made dancing shadows on the cave walls. Olivia floated near the ceiling and tried to restrict her movements so we wouldn’t be distracted.

  Elsie raised her sword and began the incantation Olivia had recited for us. We had already discussed what order we would use.

  I followed with the same incantation until our voices mingled.

  The fire roared as it reached for the ceiling. The heat from it was stifling. My face was hot and sticky.

  The water in the mop bucket began churning around my feet like a spa. It had been cold to begin with but quickly heated. There was a slight trembling to the ground. Small rocks danced around us as our voices got louder and stronger in the spell, as though shaken in a huge sieve.

  We repeated the incantation five times before we stopped. It was exhausting. I wanted to collapse on the ground but held my place with my feet in the water bucket.

  “We did it!” Elsie’s voice cried out as the chant echoed away.

  I opened my eyes, and there was Brian, standing in the cauldron. The fire raged around him. He was protected only by the balance of our elements—and Elsie’s control of the flames.

  He was wearing blue boxer shorts with a sports emblem on them. I didn’t recognize the team name, but that was okay. We’d found a way to get his attention.

  “What’s going on?” He was suddenly aware of his surroundings. “Why did you bring me here?”

  CHAPTER 29

  Tell the truth—you cannot lie.

  This spell defies you to decry.

  Black or white, big or small.

  The truth will come—or naught at all.

  “We need your help to find Dorothy.” I thought we might as well get to the point. She was the immediate problem. “I want to collect on the debt of honor that you owe me.”

  “So soon?” He scratched his head and yawned. “I have a big test in the morning. Can’t we do this later?”

  “No! The rogue witch took her. She could be dead by morning.”

  “Are you sure? What would someone like that want with an untrained witch?”

  I’d asked myself that a hundred times since Dorothy had disappeared. The only answer I could come up with seemed ridiculous, but I said it anyway. “The witch wants her magic.”

  He laughed. “Yeah. The Big Bad wants that little-kid magic Dorothy can do. That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Any magic is better than none, if the witch is really trying to live forever,” Olivia added.

  “And she has absolutely no defenses to overcome.”

  “I have a small problem, Molly,” Elsie whispered. “I really have to pee. I think it was all the excitement. I’m sorry.”

  “Seriously?” I sighed. “Didn’t you go before we came down here?”

  “No. I didn’t have to go then.”

  “But you control the fire,” I reminded her. “Either it will die out completely while you’re gone, or it will get even hotter and possibly roast Brian alive.”

  “Hey!” Brian gave us a nervous but winning smile. “I don’t know where Miss Witch-in-Training is, but I’ll help you find her. Have the old chick release the clarion spell.”

  “Old chick?” Elsie glared at him, and the flames roared even higher. “Can’t we roast him? I don’t like his attitude.”

  Olivia came down from the ceiling. “Girls, he said he’s willing to help. Give him a chance to prove himself to you.”


  Brian glanced up at her. “Thanks, Olivia. You were always very sweet.”

  She giggled and pirouetted near the sandy floor.

  “All right, Elsie,” I said finally. “Let’s release him. Then you can go to the bathroom.”

  It was a lot easier to let go of the spell than it had been to use it. I felt the effort leave me. I took a deep, cleansing breath before dragging myself to my chair and collapsing.

  Elsie scooted upstairs quickly for a woman her age.

  Brian sat in Olivia’s chair, obviously comfortable despite his lack of attire. I could see what had attracted Olivia to him—he had a very athletic body. “So you think this rogue witch is scared of you two?” he asked in a doubtful voice.

  “No. I can’t explain why he or she would be worried about Elsie and me. But why else threaten us and take Dorothy?”

  “Maybe you have something the witch wants,” he suggested.

  “That could make sense, except that we don’t have anything of great value to a witch with that kind of power. The witch didn’t ask us for anything. And this is the second time we’ve been attacked.”

  “Third, if you count my murder.” Olivia pouted.

  “How do you plan to find her? If the witch is as powerful as you say, she could cloak herself.”

  “We needed a third witch for a locator spell with Dorothy and Olivia gone.” I didn’t plan to tell him that we couldn’t remember one. Needing another witch to make it work made sense too, without the embarrassment.

  “Sure.” He got to his feet and took stock of our cave. “Sweet spot down here!”

  “Thanks.”

  “Why do you think this witch wanted your spell book?” he questioned.

  “I don’t know. The witch is collecting items of power from our community. Even the council isn’t sure why.” I glanced at Olivia. “All we’ve heard is what Olivia said. The witch is trying not to die. Killing Olivia is part of that, I suppose. What happened that night?”

  He shrugged. “We went out and had a few drinks before dinner. Then we ate.”

  “And we danced!” Olivia swirled around the cave.