Use your wand!
I jutted my wand hand above my head, picturing the basement filled with light. I heard the creak and clatter of the cellar doors as a blinding flash emanated from the tip of the wand, throwing back the darkness.
Whoever had broken in was gone. They’d left a trail of toppled boxes and crates in their wake but no other clues.
Letting out a furious combination of a growl and a scream, I moved to the wooden door and began pounding on it, determined to get inside and figure out what that stupid person was so desperate to find.
Stop! You’re going to hurt yourself. We need help. Who can you call?
I stepped away from the door, breathing hard. “I don’t have any help except you. I can’t call Faith. I don’t want to bring whatever is happening to me to her doorstep.”
I know all that. I wasn’t thinking about Faith. What about Maria?
I pushed back the tears rising behind my eyes. “She’s not good at magic.”
I could feel myself giving in to panic, though I tried desperately to push it down. Taking out my phone, I scrolled through my contacts, wondering idly if I should try calling Theresa. I knew she wouldn’t pick up, but what else could I do? I needed a strong witch.
Jo’s name came up on my contacts. I’d completely forgotten that I’d saved his number.
“I’m calling Jo,” I said, glaring a challenge at Jade.
He’ll make it worse!
“I haven’t got anyone else, Jade. We need help.”
It was past eleven, but the twinge of guilt I felt wasn’t enough to make me stop. He answered after two rings, sounding sleepy.
“Jo? It’s Sage. I’m sorry to call so late, but someone just broke into my house and…”
“I’ll be right there. Celeste Black’s old house, right?”
“Yeah.”
He showed up less than ten minutes later, wearing flannel pajama pants and a faded t-shirt, his sandy hair rumpled.
“I’m sorry…”
He waved away the apology. “Where did they break in?”
I led him down to the basement and showed him the cellar doors. Jo frowned as he examined them.
“Why aren’t these chained?”
“I…I tied it with rope, but someone must have gotten it loose.”
I pointed to a coil of rope on the floor beneath the doors. He picked it up, his eyes going wide.
“This wasn’t shaken loose. It was burned.”
He held out the ends of the rope to show me the charred fibers on either end. I swallowed hard. Since I didn’t know if he knew about witches, I just shrugged.
“That’s weird.”
Jo let the rope drop and turned his attention to the floor.
“You’re right. Someone has been down here. Those are definitely not your footprints.”
He pointed to a few muddy boot prints the culprit had left behind. I moved my foot over to the print, which was at least three sizes bigger than my size five and a half.
I looked up to see him staring at me, a look of deep concern on his face.
“This is bad, Sage. Do you have any idea who it could be?”
Chapter Nineteen
“I…I don’t know.”
I sucked in a breath, trying hard not to let the tears escape. Jo looked around the basement some more, but didn’t seem to have come up with anything. He turned to face me, his arms crossed, his brow furrowing.
“Sage, you mentioned the Farrows at lunch the other day. Have you met any of them besides Theresa?”
“No.”
He gave a deep sigh as he stared down at the floor, his chin resting on one of his fisted hands. I could tell he was wrestling with some sort of internal dilemma, but what? Though I wanted to know what he was thinking, I kept quiet in case he thought twice about helping me.
At long last, he looked up, his face set with determination.
“We need to secure these cellar doors. Have you got locks on all your first-floor windows and doors?”
