UnderCut - A Shear Disaster Mystery (Book Three) by Terri Reid

Author:Terri Reid [Reid, Terri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2021-04-26T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-four

Van and I walked through the house to the parlor and were surprised to find it empty.

“We’re in here,” Trudy called from the doorway to the dining room. “We felt that it might be more conducive to conversation to meet around the table.”

We followed her into the dining room and found the room completely transformed from the friendly, casual setting we experienced when eating. The lights had been dimmed and glowing white pillar candles sat on tall wooden candle holders of various heights that were placed around the room. The buffet behind the table also held a grouping of candles whose flames were reflected in the polished wooden surface below.

I stepped forward, to be gently stopped by Trudy, who pointed to the floor just ahead of me. A thin strand of salt lay on the floor and circled the table.

“For protection,” she whispered.

I nodded, stepped over the salt, and was immediately assailed with the scent of ozone, like the smell in the air after a thunderstorm but filled with energy and electricity. I turned to Van and could see that he was looking around the room, observing the differences too.

“It feels…” I whispered, searching for a word.

“Different,” he said.

“Hallowed,” I added. “Like I’ve just entered a church.”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah,” he agreed. “That’s a good term.”

We took the same seats we had at dinner, I sat at the head and Van sat to my right. Trudy took her place across from me at the other end of the table and then nodded to everyone seated.

“And now we can begin,” she said. “Clarice why don’t you begin by explaining what we’ve done in here.”

Clarice turned to me and smiled. “We performed a simple ritual before you came in,” she explained. “We cast a circle around the table. It creates a barrier that protects us from outside influences, and it also keeps whatever happens in the circle within its boundaries.”

“It feels like a lightning storm has just gone through,” I said.

Clarice smiled and nodded. “The energy of nature,” she said. “It helps us create a sacred space to interact.”

“Thank you, Clarice,” Trudy said. “Now, Dottie, what do you have to report?”

Dottie’s eyes had been closed and her breathing had been slow and even. I had wondered if she’d snuck in a nap. But when she opened her eyes and turned to me, I saw a concentration and concern.

“The moon is shadowed,” she said softly. “And there is a red mist slithering across the earth. The dark energy is gaining power as evil supplants good and fear replaces trust.”

She paused for a moment and closed her eyes again.

Okay, for someone who didn’t even believe in this woo-woo stuff a couple of months ago, it was obvious that my experiences since I’d been home had changed me. So much so, that I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Dottie to open her eyes and tell us more. And, so far, the news wasn’t very positive for our side.

She opened her eyes and I sucked in my breath, almost afraid to hear what she had to say.

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