that there had been a fire at his house. I’d told everyone who asked the standard story: that we’d broken up and I didn’t know anything about the fire or where he was. But the people I’d been good friends with before Wicca came into my life, people like Tamara and Janice Yutoh, could tell there was a lot I wasn’t saying.
I got through my morning classes, and then at lunch period I left school. I had an appointment for Das Boot at the body shop to get an estimate for the repairs. Unser’s Auto Repair was off the highway on the outskirts of Widow’s Vale. It was a big fenced lot, filled with cars, with a garage in the middle of it. With the exception of the Afton Enterprises gravel pit, which I passed about a quarter of a mile before Unser’s, the road stretched out bleak and empty. I gave the gravel pit a glare as I drove past it, thinking of Practical Magick.
I pulled into the garage. Bob Unser, a gruff, gray-haired man in coveralls, wiped his hands on a rag and came over to the car as I got out. His big German shepherd, Max, bounded over, shoved his wet nose into my palm and licked it, then bounded away again. Max was technically a guard dog, but he was a total sweetheart. He and Bob both knew me pretty well. Being a genuine antique, Das Boot had had its share of problems, though nothing as major as this before.
Bob squinted at Das Boot’s crumpled, scorched nose and smashed headlight. “What happened?”
“It kind of . . . collided with a building that was on fire.”
He grunted. “That’s original.”
I huddled in my coat while he looked over Das Boot and made notes on a clipboard. “Let me call and get an estimate on the parts,” he said. “Then I’ll give you a total.”
“Great.” I had a feeling this repair was going to cost a fortune, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for it. I didn’t want to put it on my parents’ insurance and risk raising their rates.
Bob went into the little office, and I stayed in the garage. Max trotted back to my side, and I ran my hand through his thick coat. Then I felt the fur near his neck start to rise, and a low, rumbling growl filled the garage. I let go of him at once, wondering what was wrong.
Max swung his head toward the entrance of the garage. His growl deepened, and he loped outside. Then my own senses prickled. Something was out there. Something magickal.
My pulse rate picked up. I stood still, trying to get a better sense of the presence. It didn’t feel human. Cautiously I stepped outside. Max stood on an icy patch of gravel a short distance from the garage, fur bristling and teeth bared. Then he began to race around the perimeter of the lot, barking furiously.
I cast out my senses and got feelings of stealth, concealment, malevolent power. Cold fear coursed through me, and my breath came fast as I traced the shape of Peorth in the air, the rune for revealing what is hidden. I visualized the rune, tracing it in my mind in bright red light until I felt its shape become a three-dimensional entity. Instinctively I began saying my power chant. “An di allaigh . . .”
There was a weird, whooshing noise, as if a whole flock of birds had started up from the ground at once. Something that felt like an ill wind brushed past me, making the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. I gasped. Max raced over to me, barking frantically. I saw nothing, but the air felt lighter, and I knew that the intruder was gone.
Bob walked out of the shop. “What’s going on out here?” He frowned at Max, then at me. “What was all that noise about?”
I leaned against the car so he wouldn’t see how I was shaking. “I guess Max heard something.”
Max sat down in front of Bob and elaborated with short, eloquent barks.
“Okay, boy, okay.” Bob was petting him now, comforting him. “We’ll lock up good tonight.”
We went back inside, and he handed me a written estimate for $750. That made me gasp again. “I’ll have to special-order you a bumper and
I got through my morning classes, and then at lunch period I left school. I had an appointment for Das Boot at the body shop to get an estimate for the repairs. Unser’s Auto Repair was off the highway on the outskirts of Widow’s Vale. It was a big fenced lot, filled with cars, with a garage in the middle of it. With the exception of the Afton Enterprises gravel pit, which I passed about a quarter of a mile before Unser’s, the road stretched out bleak and empty. I gave the gravel pit a glare as I drove past it, thinking of Practical Magick.
I pulled into the garage. Bob Unser, a gruff, gray-haired man in coveralls, wiped his hands on a rag and came over to the car as I got out. His big German shepherd, Max, bounded over, shoved his wet nose into my palm and licked it, then bounded away again. Max was technically a guard dog, but he was a total sweetheart. He and Bob both knew me pretty well. Being a genuine antique, Das Boot had had its share of problems, though nothing as major as this before.
Bob squinted at Das Boot’s crumpled, scorched nose and smashed headlight. “What happened?”
“It kind of . . . collided with a building that was on fire.”
He grunted. “That’s original.”
I huddled in my coat while he looked over Das Boot and made notes on a clipboard. “Let me call and get an estimate on the parts,” he said. “Then I’ll give you a total.”
“Great.” I had a feeling this repair was going to cost a fortune, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay for it. I didn’t want to put it on my parents’ insurance and risk raising their rates.
Bob went into the little office, and I stayed in the garage. Max trotted back to my side, and I ran my hand through his thick coat. Then I felt the fur near his neck start to rise, and a low, rumbling growl filled the garage. I let go of him at once, wondering what was wrong.
Max swung his head toward the entrance of the garage. His growl deepened, and he loped outside. Then my own senses prickled. Something was out there. Something magickal.
My pulse rate picked up. I stood still, trying to get a better sense of the presence. It didn’t feel human. Cautiously I stepped outside. Max stood on an icy patch of gravel a short distance from the garage, fur bristling and teeth bared. Then he began to race around the perimeter of the lot, barking furiously.
I cast out my senses and got feelings of stealth, concealment, malevolent power. Cold fear coursed through me, and my breath came fast as I traced the shape of Peorth in the air, the rune for revealing what is hidden. I visualized the rune, tracing it in my mind in bright red light until I felt its shape become a three-dimensional entity. Instinctively I began saying my power chant. “An di allaigh . . .”
There was a weird, whooshing noise, as if a whole flock of birds had started up from the ground at once. Something that felt like an ill wind brushed past me, making the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. I gasped. Max raced over to me, barking frantically. I saw nothing, but the air felt lighter, and I knew that the intruder was gone.
Bob walked out of the shop. “What’s going on out here?” He frowned at Max, then at me. “What was all that noise about?”
I leaned against the car so he wouldn’t see how I was shaking. “I guess Max heard something.”
Max sat down in front of Bob and elaborated with short, eloquent barks.
“Okay, boy, okay.” Bob was petting him now, comforting him. “We’ll lock up good tonight.”
We went back inside, and he handed me a written estimate for $750. That made me gasp again. “I’ll have to special-order you a bumper and
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