Read Online Black Moon Sing (The Turquoise Path Book 1) by L. M. Hawke - Free Book Online
Authors: L. M. Hawke
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exactly what happened on the Rez.”
Sylvia’s cheeks darkened again; she blinked tears away from her big blue eyes. “I’m really worried about Vivi. If some creep is out there targeting traders, she may be in danger.”
“And you may be in danger, too, Ellery,” River added soberly. He wrapped an arm around Sylvia’s shoulders, trying to comfort her.
“Don’t worry about me,” Ellery said. It was a knee-jerk response, as automatic as could be. But a cold knot of fear was twisting in her stomach, and she had no idea what she ought to do about it.
River squinted at Ellery in an appraising way. “What?” he demanded.
My friends are far too observant for my own good . “Nothing,” Ellery said, folding her arms defensively.
“You’ve got some serious anxiety right now,” River said. “More than we’re feeling.”
Who says fae don’t have strong magic? she thought sourly. River’s ability to pick up on other people’s most deeply hidden emotions had always struck Ellery as thoroughly Paranormal. Creepy, even.
She sighed and gave in to River’s expectant stare. “Ever since last night, I’ve been feeling this… call . Like something’s telling me to come toward it. Like something’s forcing me to come toward it. It’s very hard to resist.”
“What is it?” Sylvia asked.
Ellery snorted. “Hell if I know. I’m not going to go toward it, though; I can tell you that much. And last night, I tried to shift but couldn’t. It was like there was some kind of barrier between me and my animals—some kind of interference with my magic. I couldn’t get to Ghost Owl or Dusty, no matter how hard I tried. I don’t know if that’s related to the call or not, but it was scary. Real scary.”
“Do you think whatever’s calling you is doing the same to Vivi?” Sylvia said. “She’s a trader, too, after all.”
“Obviously I can’t say for sure. But with two traders in the area murdered and one missing, I think we’d be crazy not to assume there’s some kind of link here. And I spoke to somebody last night at the Blue Room—a vampire.”
River grimaced.
“He told me that other people have reported that their trader friends missing,” Ellery said. “Something’s not right in Flagstaff… at least, something’s not right for traders.”
She reached into the pocket of her jeans and found the turquoise bead, small and hard between her fingers. She pulled it out, held it up where her friends could see it clearly.
“This is the only clue I have—if you can even call it a clue. Along with his shifting tokens, William Roanhorse’s ceremonial turquoise was taken from his home. I found this dropped in the killer’s tracks. I don’t know if it’s of any use to us, or what the theft of turquoise might mean, but—”
Sylvia leaned forward eagerly. As an elemental earth witch, she had a strong affinity for all kinds of rocks, minerals, and metals. Her eyes blazed with interest, as bright and shining as the turquoise itself.
“Can I touch it, please?”
“Sure.” Ellery dropped the bead into Sylvia’s palm.
The moment it touched her skin, Sylvia gasped. She closed her fist around the bead, and then closed her eyes, concentrating. Ellery felt the faintest throbbing in the air, a shift in the local energy so slight she almost wasn’t aware of it at all. She knew Sylvia was working her Caster’s magic, but she had no clue what the witch might be doing.
Finally, after a long silence, Sylvia opened her eyes. “This bead was once a part of a much larger rock,” she said. “I can still feel that old memory inside it. The rock was cut into many smaller pieces, and then turned into beads just like this one.”
“That makes sense,” Ellery said.
“Turquoise is a very special kind of mineral. It’s porous, you know: it can absorb all kinds of elements and substances, and many of those substances can retain and conduct energy. Oils, dust—even, I sometimes think, feeling and sound
Sylvia’s cheeks darkened again; she blinked tears away from her big blue eyes. “I’m really worried about Vivi. If some creep is out there targeting traders, she may be in danger.”
“And you may be in danger, too, Ellery,” River added soberly. He wrapped an arm around Sylvia’s shoulders, trying to comfort her.
“Don’t worry about me,” Ellery said. It was a knee-jerk response, as automatic as could be. But a cold knot of fear was twisting in her stomach, and she had no idea what she ought to do about it.
River squinted at Ellery in an appraising way. “What?” he demanded.
My friends are far too observant for my own good . “Nothing,” Ellery said, folding her arms defensively.
“You’ve got some serious anxiety right now,” River said. “More than we’re feeling.”
Who says fae don’t have strong magic? she thought sourly. River’s ability to pick up on other people’s most deeply hidden emotions had always struck Ellery as thoroughly Paranormal. Creepy, even.
She sighed and gave in to River’s expectant stare. “Ever since last night, I’ve been feeling this… call . Like something’s telling me to come toward it. Like something’s forcing me to come toward it. It’s very hard to resist.”
“What is it?” Sylvia asked.
Ellery snorted. “Hell if I know. I’m not going to go toward it, though; I can tell you that much. And last night, I tried to shift but couldn’t. It was like there was some kind of barrier between me and my animals—some kind of interference with my magic. I couldn’t get to Ghost Owl or Dusty, no matter how hard I tried. I don’t know if that’s related to the call or not, but it was scary. Real scary.”
“Do you think whatever’s calling you is doing the same to Vivi?” Sylvia said. “She’s a trader, too, after all.”
“Obviously I can’t say for sure. But with two traders in the area murdered and one missing, I think we’d be crazy not to assume there’s some kind of link here. And I spoke to somebody last night at the Blue Room—a vampire.”
River grimaced.
“He told me that other people have reported that their trader friends missing,” Ellery said. “Something’s not right in Flagstaff… at least, something’s not right for traders.”
She reached into the pocket of her jeans and found the turquoise bead, small and hard between her fingers. She pulled it out, held it up where her friends could see it clearly.
“This is the only clue I have—if you can even call it a clue. Along with his shifting tokens, William Roanhorse’s ceremonial turquoise was taken from his home. I found this dropped in the killer’s tracks. I don’t know if it’s of any use to us, or what the theft of turquoise might mean, but—”
Sylvia leaned forward eagerly. As an elemental earth witch, she had a strong affinity for all kinds of rocks, minerals, and metals. Her eyes blazed with interest, as bright and shining as the turquoise itself.
“Can I touch it, please?”
“Sure.” Ellery dropped the bead into Sylvia’s palm.
The moment it touched her skin, Sylvia gasped. She closed her fist around the bead, and then closed her eyes, concentrating. Ellery felt the faintest throbbing in the air, a shift in the local energy so slight she almost wasn’t aware of it at all. She knew Sylvia was working her Caster’s magic, but she had no clue what the witch might be doing.
Finally, after a long silence, Sylvia opened her eyes. “This bead was once a part of a much larger rock,” she said. “I can still feel that old memory inside it. The rock was cut into many smaller pieces, and then turned into beads just like this one.”
“That makes sense,” Ellery said.
“Turquoise is a very special kind of mineral. It’s porous, you know: it can absorb all kinds of elements and substances, and many of those substances can retain and conduct energy. Oils, dust—even, I sometimes think, feeling and sound
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