The book opened and pages flipped by until it stopped at the locator spell.
“Cool,” Cris said. “Can you show me how to make my grimoire do that or is it a Wanderer thing?”
“I can show you, later. Now let me concentrate. I’ve never tried looking for someone related to me.”
“We can help,” Tess said.
“Of course, you may need this someday too,” I agreed. I always tried to include my apprentice in any magic I cast. It was the only way she’d learn.
“Keep your needle ready, I’ll need another drop of blood,” I said.
“Sure.”
I pulled my phone from a pocket and called up Google Maps.
“You’re using your phone in a spell?” Cris asked.
I shrugged. “Well, this locator spell is for maps and not for something nearby. I figure the map program is as good as anything.”
“Really, what if it just burns it up?” Cris asked.
“Why would it do that?”
It was Cris’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know, but advanced technology and magic is iffy at the best of times. Maybe you should get a paper map.”
“I don’t think there’s a large map in the cabin. Either this will work or I’ll have to run to a book store for an atlas.”
“It’s your phone,” Cris added.
“What’s the matter, no faith in my abilities?”
She grinned. “Oh, I have faith all right, but I’m from Missouri, you have to show me.”
“I thought you were from Alabama,” Tess commented.
I grinned. “It’s an old saying about having to prove things to people from Missouri. The state nickname is actually The Show Me State.”
“Really, why?” Tess asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. The saying goes as far back as the state itself.”
I focused on the locator spell and then recited the words while I drew a glowing pattern in the air above the grimoire. When I’d read the words and finished the pattern, I held out my hand and Cris pricked the same finger. This time I managed to avoid flinching.
Concentrating on the spell, I tried to focus on my mind’s image of Alex as I raised my finger to the glowing pattern. When the bloody spot on my finger touched the center of the pattern, there was a snap of power.
The screen of my phone glowed and the image pulled back until a globe view of the Americas displayed. It swirled around, and then the bird’s eye view began a rapid descent into North America. For a moment, I thought it was coming to Colorado to show my location, but as it dropped lower, I saw it was focusing northeast of us. The image continued to zoom in until green mountains appeared, not the Rockies, the Black Hills. Somewhere west of Rapid City.
I noticed an astringent odor just before there was a snap of power and the phone burst into flame.
“Crap!” I said as I focused on pulling the flames energy away from the phone. I should have burned a chiller tat replacement. The quantity of energy was more than the three of us could safely pulled into ourselves. I dropped our meshing and the circle, picked up the flaming phone by the edge, and tossed it into the fireplace.
I triggered my healing tat and stuck my blistered fingers in my mouth. “Damn, that smarts!”
“What?” Cris asked.
I realized that talking with my fingers halfway in my mouth did not come out intelligible. I removed them and repeated myself.
“I would say so. Does the mighty Wanderer want me to kiss his boo-boo?” Cris asked with her lower lip poked out.
“Don’t forget what Tess told you about being overly sassy,” I said and then blew on my fingertips. The blisters were already shrinking in size. In a few more minutes, I’d be able to cancel the tat.
“Promises, promises.”
I gave Cris one of my best icy glares and she smiled wide enough to produce dimples.
“Did you get enough before it self-destructed?” Tess asked.
“I think so. It looks like the Black Hills area. We’ll go there and then I’ll redo the locator spell to narrow their location.”
“You’re going to need another phone,” Cris said.
“Ya’ think? I’ll buy another burner before we leave town.”
“Fly or drive?” Tess asked.
“Depends on our familiars. If they’ve already changed once today, we’ll go in whatever form they’re in. If they haven’t, we’ll fly.”
“Are you sure they’re back?” Cris asked.
“Beast has no problems opening portals. He’ll be around here somewhere. I’ll whistle him up when we’re ready to go.”
“Am I going with you or staying here?” Cris asked.
I met her hopeful gaze. I was torn. Normally, I’d feel she’d be much safer here, well away from any fights that I might have, but after being attacked twice in the last twenty-four some odd hours, I was afraid to leave her alone. If someone tracked us here and attacked while Tess and I were gone…
Even without the meshing, she could read the expression on my face and hers brightened. “All right! Another ride on Beast.”
I sighed.
Chapter 38
raphael
An hour later, we had a replacement phone for the one I destroyed, and we had landed in a clearing atop a promontory in Palmer Park, just a short distance from Tess’s aunts’ home.
We’d decided to attempt to open a portal to the Black Hills. I wasn’t positive I could remember the area well enough, but the monument to four of our better presidents did leave a lasting impression on me, so I was willing to give it a try.
While astride Beast, with Cris sitting behind me, much closer than she actually needed to, I cast a portal spell while concentrating on the enormous granite monuments.
My memory was better than I hoped, for a portal opened immediately and we flew through before the altitude
