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It made sense to practice on a person since they were essentially trying to locate Dane. “Okay. But this time, I’m not using the pendant.”
“Are you sure?”
“Totally. I think I know you well enough to trace your presence.” She studied Adriel one last time to be sure, memorizing every feature from her delicate elfin bone structure to the feathered cowlick of her short copper hair. “I’m ready.”
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the soft scent of her skin and the way her voice shifted from throaty to dulcet when she laughed and ran out of the room.
Juniper whispered the location spell, her brow pinched in concentration and her mind’s eye fully visualizing Adriel.
After finding a small bookshop selling occult books in town, she at least understood how these things worked. The texts were nowhere near as intense as the grimoire her aunts had owned—there was a lot of pop-culture nonsense—but Juniper knew enough to piece some spells together.
So far, so good. Confidence, she realized, played a large part in her success, so every time a spell worked, her power seemed to amplify.
But what they really needed was a computer. Ruth wasn’t wired for the internet, and Adriel generally viewed technology as unnecessary because, as an Amish female, she couldn’t fully grasp its abilities. Juniper was working on it.
“…ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one-hundred, ready or not, here I come!” Juniper channeled all of her energy toward Adriel and a sharp but painless zap of awareness buzzed through her.
She smiled, sensing Adriel smothering a laugh as she hid somewhere dark and cramped. The odorous hydrocarbon odor of mothballs blended with the woody scent of cedar when she closed her eyes. Where would she find mothballs and cedar?
“A closet!” But which one?
She sprung to her feet and rushed out the door. In her mind, she saw loose hangers and a wool coat. She had an idea and paused in the hall, which was essentially the center of the house. “Veni ad me suaviter.”
A muffled clatter came from the den, followed by a startled shriek.
“Gotchya!” Juniper rushed down the steps, past Ruth, and wrenched open the closet. “I did it!”
“You cheated. The hat box fell on my head.”Adriel held out a pillbox hat that could have belonged to Jackie Onassis herself.
Juniper snatched the vintage accessory and perched it on Adriel’s head. “Lovely.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do I look ridiculous?”
“No. You look like you should wear hats more often. I can’t believe I made the box move.”
“I’m grateful it wasn’t a bowling bag.”
She pulled her out of the closet and glanced over her shoulder. “A few hours ago, you didn’t even know what a bowling ball was.”
“We’re both learning so much.”
They took a break to help Ruth make turkey sandwiches and decided to eat out back while the autumn weather held out. Adriel was incredibly kind and patient with the older woman, always asking if she needed anything or was warm enough.
Juniper liked Ruth but lacked Adriel's nurturing instincts. Perhaps she was that way because she was also older, or maybe it came from being a mother.
While the two women discussed the weather, Juniper thought of convincing arguments that might help her get online. If she had a phone or a computer—anything that gave her access to the Internet—she could find more witches and enhance her skills.
A trustworthy coven could teach her some basic skills. But it wasn’t like witches were broadcasting their existence for the world to see. Most still lived in the broom closet.
The following day, when Danny stopped by, Adriel sent him home without feeding. Juniper looked up from the newest book she studied and raised a brow. “Not hungry?”
Adriel shrugged. “It didn’t feel necessary.”
Juniper had reached a point of acceptance with Danny acting as a blood donor, but she was nowhere near the point of encouraging the act, so she didn’t mind when Adriel skipped a meal. But Adriel appeared withdrawn and preoccupied.
“This waiting game can get annoying. Not that I want him to find us. We’re far from ready. But some days, it feels like we’re just wasting time.”
Adriel turned her attention to the window, but Juniper kept talking. She’d been reading for days, and sometimes her brain needed a break. But no matter what she said, Adriel had little response.
