Read Online Spell Booked (Retired Witches Mysteries Series Book 1) by Joyce Lavene - Free Book Online

accumulated.”
    We approached the alley where Olivia had been killed. The yellow crime scene tape at each end of the old street flapped forlornly in the breeze from the river. There were no police officers working, but it appeared to be safe.
    Still, the evil deed that had been done had left its shadow. There was a gray pall over the entire area that only witches could see and feel. Going into that alley wasn’t a task any of us did without reservation.
    “Maybe we should talk to the man who heard Olivia scream,” Elsie suggested. “We might be able to pick up something more from him than he thinks he can remember.”
    “Is that like hypnosis?” Dorothy poked her head between the front seats.
    “Something like that.” I parked the car at one end of the alley. There was no point in letting Dorothy get too far ahead of herself. It would be confusing. “We should also consider trying to find out which bar or restaurant Olivia came out of before she was killed. Joe is looking for videotapes. We should be able to follow her energy signature.”
    Elsie shook her head. “There are only a few places around here that Olivia
would
have walked into. You know how particular she was. That narrows the search considerably.”
    She was right. This was an old part of town. There were unpleasant memories embedded in the broken and dirty cobblestones. Not many people with finer awareness would want to be there for long.
    I took a deep, cleansing breath and gathered my thoughts around me. I felt the power of the river close to where we stood.
    Elsie did the same, except I knew she had to banish the water influence from her thoughts. We were standing next to a spot that advertised flame-grilled food. I hoped she could tap into some of that fire.
    Dorothy closed her eyes and tried to emulate us. She opened them quickly and stood off to one side, looking a little forlorn and embarrassed.
    “You gave up,” I said. “Did you try to feel the earth and the power of living things around you?”
    “Kind of hard standing here between these buildings.”
    I noticed a small patch of velvety green moss with several tendrils of climbing weeds struggling up into the watery sunshine.
    “Close your eyes,” I said. “Lean down and put your hand here on the moss. Let yourself feel the strength and power of the earth. Strip away the brick and cobblestones—though they’re also made of earth. The living earth fills you, Dorothy. Draw it into you and let it go.”
    She did as I suggested and then stood up quickly and looked at her hand.
    “What was
that
? It felt like an electric shock, only different.”
    “That is power you can draw from the earth to help balance nature. You can call it inside you whenever you need it.”
    I covered her hand with mine and felt the earth magic surge inside her. The water magic had once been strong like this in me. I could still call on it, but it was weak. I knew someday it wouldn’t be there at all.
    “All right.” I tried to keep myself from trembling. “We have to go into the alley now. Hold hands. Elsie and I will focus on Olivia. Dorothy, you focus on us.”
    We walked timidly under the yellow tape and proceeded to the area where the police had found Olivia’s body.
    There was nothing there except for a few dark stains on the wet ground that could’ve been blood—or grime that had been tracked around during the night.
    “I can see her.” Elsie’s eyes were closed, but tears slipped from them. “I can
feel
her. She was so afraid. She panicked and forgot who she was, what she could do. She called out, but it wasn’t a scream for help.”
    I saw Olivia too. She was fighting someone much stronger than she was. She knew she had no chance of winning. At the end, she was calm, and had left a message for us.
    “Dorothy Lane.”
Dorothy was first to say it. “She called my name!”
    We opened our eyes, sniffling a little from the experience. It was a sobering moment, watching helplessly as our friend