Stars and Spells by Julie Nisse

Author:Julie Nisse [Nisse, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Magical Mystery Books
Published: 2021-04-19T22:00:00+00:00

Eleven

“Are you all right?” Hank asked, the concern in his voice settling around me like a warm blanket. He steadied me on my feet, and I leaned against him.

“Yeah, I'm good.” At least I was physically fine. Emotionally, though, I was a bit of a wreck. “How about you?”

“Not great,” Hank admitted. “I don't know what that was all about, but I hated it. Feel like I need a hot shower and about a gallon of chicken noodle soup before I’ll be warm again.”

“You and me both,” I murmured. “Did you see where Angie went?”

Meownster left my side and rooted around in the snow. He came back a moment later with something dangling from his jaws.

“What do you have?” I asked, kneeling down to get a closer look. My familiar opened his mouth and dropped a silver chain into my outstretched hand. It was a dinky thing, so fine I could barely make out the individual links. A pendant hung from the chain. It was a silver hoop, with wires wrapped around its rim. The metal threads connected dots of silver that hung in the ring like drops of morning dew on a spider’s web. I had no idea what it was supposed to be, but it was pretty.

I held it up for Hank to see, and he pointed to the sky.

“Big Dipper,” he said. “That looks expensive.”

“I bet,” I said. “Clasp's broken. This must've been Angie's.”

Hank looked around, frustrated, and clapped his hands against his legs to warm them. “She was just here,” he said. “And then…poof. I didn’t even see her move. What got her?”

“A ghost,” I muttered. “I tried to stop it...”

Tears of frustration leaked from my eyes, and I wiped them away with the back of my hand. I was so mad and disappointed. I didn’t know what to do. The ghost had taken the worst I could throw at it without blinking. How could I fight something like that?

“Hey,” Hank said, wrapping a much-needed arm around my shoulders. He pulled me in close and rested his chin on the top of my head. It was comforting, and I melted against him, craving his warmth and support. “It’s not your fault. You did more than anyone else could have.”

I leaned on Hank for a few more moments but couldn’t allow myself more than that. Angie was in danger. Every minute counted.

“I need to call Gray,” I said. “Let's go inside Angie's business.”

Hank nodded and followed me around the side of the house. Meownster trotted next to me, his tail high in the air. Despite everything that had just happened, the sound of Christmas carols from the PA on Main Street reached my ears. There was something so innocent, so clean, about that. I couldn’t help but feel my spirits buoyed.

Things looked dark, but maybe the good guys could still win.

We just had to work harder.

Hank stood nervously just inside the front door, shifting from foot to foot while I called Gray. He wasn't nervous about me talking to the deputy, but about the way I swiftly went through the stuff in Angie's store.

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