grandmother said something about fear feeding other powers?
It was one of the reasons, she was sure, that she’d grown up to be relatively fearless. Heck, she wouldn’t be able to do her job as a cop if she were constantly afraid of what might happen, and while a little fear could be a good thing in a bad situation—self-preservational, even—she wasn’t sure it was always the most useful response.
It didn’t seem like a useful one now. She wasn’t yet scared enough to reach the flight-or-fight response of adrenaline, which in past dangerous situations had made it possible for her to confront her fears. What was different this time?
The fact that she couldn’t see the threat? No guns were being fired? Or maybe the lingering belief somewhere deep inside that something intangible couldn’t really hurt her.
Maybe that was the hardest bit of all to swallow. Maybe she needed to swallow it, and quickly.
Something had certainly put her into an unnatural sleep early this morning, haunted her dreams, fed on her fears. So it could affect her. Maybe the only reason it hadn’t killed her was that Damien had gotten her to Jude’s, where the spell or effect had worn off.
Or maybe it had something to do with the inherent power her grandmother had always claimed she had.
“Damien?”
“Yes?”
“If I have power, can you teach me how to use it?”
“I can help you start,” he said slowly. “But how far into this world do you want to go?”
“I think I’m already into it up to my neck.”
“That’s debatable. Other people can fight it for you.”
“No. I’ve got to play a part in this. I have to be able to live with myself, you know.”
He didn’t say any more until they were parked in front of the Candlelight New Age Shoppe. “All right,” he said. “We’ll start small because I’m rusty and need to practice, and because if we try anything really big, you’re apt to grow doubts rather than belief.”
“Fair enough.”
As they stepped into the shop, Caro was struck by how different it was from the previous two. This owner believed in light and cleanliness and space. It might have been a large, traditional bookstore except for the heavy scent of incense and the candles burning in sconces. The crammed rows of jars behind the counter made the shop look like an old-fashioned apothecary.
The lady who greeted them apparently didn’t feel her job called for any theatrics. She looked like a middle- aged businesswoman in a hot-pink suit that flattered her coloring. Her graying hair was so perfectly coiffed that Caro almost reached up to pat her own dark hair into place.
The woman’s smile was warm and inviting. “Can I help you with something? I’m Jenny Besom, the proprietor.”
Caro immediately reached out to shake hands. Damien, she noticed, hung back a little, and that was so unlike him Caro felt her alert level rise just a bit.
“We’re doing some research,” Caro said when Damien didn’t launch into the matter. “We’re curious about elementals.”
“Elementals?” Jenny sounded surprised. “I don’t get many people asking about that.” She gave a little laugh. “Most want to know how to cast a circle or how to invoke a healing. Or, of course, whether there’s such a thing as a love potion.”
Caro smiled, glancing at Damien, wondering what had made him stay in the background. Damien was never in
Jenny looked past her at Damien and seemed to do a double take. Her smile faded a bit. Caro immediately wondered if Jenny was seeing his aura or sensing something else. In the diner she had certainly seen people’s body language express some uneasiness as Damien passed.
Then Damien spoke, and Caro heard that tone again, the one that evoked obedience. What in the world had set him off?
“Elementals,” Damien said. “Do you have any personal experience of them?”
“No.” The smile had faded from Jenny’s face.
“What powers do you use?”
“I invoke powers to heal and help.”
“And nothing else?”
“No, never.”
“But help can be interpreted in various ways, can’t it?”
Jenny nodded.
“I thought so. Have you sensed something going on in this town?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know who is behind it?”
“No.”
“Are you
“Nothing.”
He pulled out one of Jude’s cards and placed it on the counter before her. “If you hear anything about someone using power for ill, call this number and report it.”
“Yes.”
“What will you do?”
“Call and report it.”
“Forget I was ever here. You can talk to this lady now. She’s the only one who came in.”
“Yes, the only one here.”
With that, Damien turned and the only sign of his departure was the sound of the door.
Caro stood looking at Jenny, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do now.
Then Jenny seemed to shake herself. “Sorry, I was woolgathering. I spend so much time alone I’m used to wandering in my own thoughts.”
“No family?” Caro asked sympathetically.
“Never had one. Most of the time I think that’s a good thing,” Jenny said. “I have friends, of course, but I’m still alone a lot in this store.”
“I’m sure.”
Jenny picked up the card on the counter. “I should call if I hear about something bad going on?”
“Please, anything at all.
“Of course.” Jenny became brisk. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything on elementals. My customers don’t get far into the weeds on these things. In fact,” she added almost humorously, “they dabble around and come back in a month looking for something else to play with.”
Caro laughed. “Thanks for your time, Jenny. It was a pleasure to meet you.”
“Come back sometime. In fact, on Thursday nights I have a medium who comes in. Whether she’s gifted or not I don’t know, but she sure is fun to listen to.”
“Thanks. I might do that.”
Outside, Caro found Damien already in the car. She climbed in beside him. “What the hell was that all about?”
“Let’s go to your place. Or Jude’s. Whichever. Some things need to be talked about inside protected space.”
Puzzled, but wanting familiar space and a few of her own personal comforts, she told him to take her home.
It was a quiet drive, and for the first time she felt waves of uneasiness radiating from Damien. He always seemed so confident, so comfortable, but right now he was almost jangling.
The result was that she was pretty well jangling, too, by the time they entered her apartment. Nor was she comforted when he asked for the holy oil and sealed her door again by dabbing it on the lintel.
