Izzy

Though the rock kept her attention, Izzy didn't miss the way Rowan's fingers curled around the hilt of the knife. The audacity to try to lure her and Brie into a basement of horrors, threatening them with a knife when they refused! Heat flushed her cheeks, anger coursing through her veins, buzzing and hot.

"Rowan," the older woman cautioned.

The stone glowed brighter still, Izzy's attention laser focused. The world narrowed to this rock and the person that kept it from her. Her fingers flexed, static sparking between them.

"Rowan!" The woman stepped between them, blocking Izzy's view of the object. "Put it away!"

"Sorry! Don't know what I was thinking." Rowan turned abruptly, jogging down the stairs.

The mood shifted, the stone's hold on Izzy broken. She shrank back, heat leaving her body. Brie grabbed her arm. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" She wasn't about to get into it here.

The older woman turned around to face them. "Sorry about that. We don't get many actual witches in the store." Actual witches? The witches' part was less surprising than the fact that the woman seemed to be referring to her and Brie. "My name is Phoebe."

Brie tugged on her coat, edging back to the curtain.

"There's no need to run. Rowan got a little jumpy because of something she sensed."

Rowan hurried back up the stairs. "If they're actual witches, that makes it worse."

Again, actual witches?

Brie pulled harder on Izzy's coat. "Unless you're keeping us here, we'd rather shop literally anywhere else."

"We're not keeping you here, but this is not about shopping." She turned to Rowan. "Go lock up so we aren't disturbed."

This time, Brie succeeded in dragging Izzy backward. "Let's go before they lock us in!"

Phoebe held her hands up in a placating gesture. "Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but if you give me a chance, I can explain why Rowan thought you were dangerous."

"Still do!" Rowan called from the other room.

"You think we're dangerous?" Brie asked.

Izzy jerked out of Brie's grasp, standing her ground. "Threatening us with a knife and a glowing rock is way more than getting off on the wrong foot."

Phoebe rubbed her forehead, her silver nails opalescent in the low light of the kitchen. "Rowan shouldn't have done that."

Rowan pushed back through the beads, addressing Phoebe. "Shop's closed. And you remember what happened last time we saw someone with..."

"The black threads!" Brie said. "You can see them."

Rowan turned and met Brie's eyes. "That's why you wanted the book, right? Do you know what those threads are?"

"I have some guesses." Brie tilted her head toward Phoebe. "She has them, too."

That must have been what Brie tried to tell her earlier. They needed to work out some subtle communication system.

"If you're not completely ignorant, then I assume you came here looking for answers. Why don't I make you some tea and we can talk?"

They did need answers, and Camila had sent them there. Right. "Camila told me to ask for you. I doubt she'd have done that if she knew you'd try to stab me."

"The Brazilian woman? And please. I didn't try to stab you. I just needed to be sure that you weren't infected by one of those–"

"Rowan!" Phoebe looked back at Brie, staring at her arm. "That explains a lot. You're the young woman that was attacked a couple of weeks ago, aren't you?" Brie nodded warily. "And you're better." Brie nodded again. "I've been meaning to follow up with Camila, but I was afraid to ask." She walked to the corner of the kitchen, turning on the kettle to boil and pulling several mugs out of a cabinet.

"What was that stone? And why do you think we're witches?" Izzy stepped back next to Brie, who tracked Phoebe's movement around the kitchen.

"And what's the point of having a witch store if you don't expect anyone to be an actual witch?" Brie asked.

Phoebe laughed. "Just because witches are rare, it doesn't mean that people can't benefit from rituals and spell components. Many people have untapped potential. We carry items that can help them focus that energy in small ways. Every bit helps. Actual witches can tap into their power more directly. That's rare." She turned to them. "What's even more rare is two people turning up who don't even realize they're witches. You wouldn't have called yourselves that, right?"

"Given the whole burning-at-the-stake thing? No." Brie shifted back and forth on her feet.

Phoebe popped a tin open, scooping herbs into metal tea balls. "You want some Rowan?"

Izzy had almost forgotten about Rowan while they were talking just now. Amazing, considering their presence before. It was like they'd just blended into the wall.

"No, thanks. I'm going to finish taking inventory. You can fill me in after." Rowan left back through the hallway, Brie stepping aside to let them go.

"You know we're between them, now," Brie whispered as the tea kettle popped and Phoebe poured the boiled water into three mugs.

"We need answers," Izzy said. Plus, Rowan had been worried about them. They weren't defenseless, even if they couldn't reliably tap into their power. Yet.

Their power. This could be amazing.

"Fine, but I'm tossing scalding water into their faces at the first sign of trouble." Not defenseless at all.

Picking up a mug, Phoebe blew on the tea before taking a small sip. "So you don't think it's poisoned."

"I didn't before," Brie mumbled.

Yeah, what would give them that idea?

To her credit, Phoebe laughed again. "You don't have to drink the tea. It's up to you. Now, do you want to see what's in the basement?"

"Yes," Izzy said.

"No," Brie said at the same time.

"Tell you what. Why don't you leave Camila a message? Tell her where you are and who you're with before we go downstairs. Would that make you feel better?"

With a nod, Izzy pulled out her phone. "One sec." She pulled up Camila and recorded a voice text. "Eu tô aqui no Moonlit Arcana. A gente perguntou pelo Rowan e eles estão agindo muito estranho. Phoebe quer mostrar o porão assustador. Liga pra mim em meia hora de qualquer forma. Envia ajuda se a gente não responder." When she finished, she grabbed a mug of the tea. "Okay, let's see the basement."

Phoebe didn't comment on the Portuguese, just led them down the stairs.

Brie hung behind, taking a mug for herself while waiting for Phoebe to be out of earshot. "You asked for help?"

"I told her they were creepy and to call us in thirty minutes to check in."

"Good thinking." Brie nodded to the stairway. "You first."

Izzy took a breath, heading down the stairs. She rounded the corner and entered the basement, expecting dark and sinister, but it was almost as cozy as the store - though much more dramatic. Two alters sat in the far corner of the room, with draped fabric in maroons and purples covering the walls. Candles were scattered about on tables, sconces, and within lanterns. The other lighting came from crystal lamps, the fairy lights even appearing to be made of raw amethyst. A circular rug with a pentagram lay in the center of the room, but the most impressive feature was the dark flooring, which had a phosphorescent sheen. Mystical.

Before she stepped down, Phoebe held up a hand. "Please take your shoes off before entering this space."

"That'll make it harder to run," Brie whispered in Izzy's ear.

Izzy set her mug down and unzipped her boots. "I doubt anyone would be able to stop you from running if you wanted." She kicked them to the side and stepped into the basement, the flooring hard and cool under her stocking feet.

Phoebe walked around, lighting candles along with a bundle of something that smelled like sage and lavender. She pressed a speaker button and low-frequency music flooded the room, the kind someone would play at the end of a yoga class.

Izzy's gaze settled on an ornate lacquered box in the middle of one of the altars. That's where the rock was. She felt it.

"Come sit." Phoebe pulled oversized pillows out and laid them around the pentagram rug. She put a couple of small trays down off to the sides for the tea.

Izzy sat down on a pillow while Brie perched on hers, still looking ready to spring at a moment's notice. She took a sip of her tea, grassy and herby, minty and sweet. Not bad. "So why do you think we're witches?"

"She sees auras, right?"

Brie shifted onto her knees. "Doesn't feel so special anymore since you both got it too, right?"

"It's the most common gift, though none are truly common. However, it's natural for those with gifts to seek answers here." Phoebe took one more sip of her tea before setting the mug aside. "Now I'd like to join hands." When they hesitated, she added, "Just for a moment. I want to feel your energy."

Izzy scooted forward, grabbing her hand, taking Brie's in the other. The moment that Phoebe connected with them, she felt it – that pulsing static.

Brie dropped her hands like she'd been burned. "Yo, what in the actual hell was that?" The feeling subsided.

Phoebe opened her eyes and looked at Izzy. "Your energy is wild, erratic, and there's a mild block. Tell me what's going on."

Brie and Izzy shared a glance. Probably best to just start with the reason she came. "I have nightmares."

"You've always had them?"

"My whole life."

"Go on."

"I usually see shadow people. Sometimes, there are several. Sometimes, just one, a tall man in a hat and trench coat. Sometimes I remember them and sometimes I don't."

"They're more than nightmares because I've seen them, too." Brie wrapped her fingers around her mug. "That's how I got scratched."

"Oh," Phoebe's eyes widened. "That's bad." Thank God they'd found a witch to clear that one up. "You need to learn to control your energy, otherwise it'll destroy you."

Izzy pressed her nails into her palms, releasing a slow breath. It's not like she hadn't figured that out, but hearing it out loud like that? "How can I control it?"

"I can help with that. You have a connection to the astral. Those creatures are using it as an anchor to this world, but that connection works both ways. It's dangerous unless you know how to control it. It can warp your mind, among other things."

"Is that what Rowan meant by infected?" Brie sank into a cross-legged position.

"Not exactly." Phoebe stood up and walked over to a cabinet. "It's rare, but it can happen when people are attacked. You were very lucky. Perhaps it didn't get you deep enough, or perhaps you have a strong soul. Your energy is remarkably calm considering what happened, so I'm guessing it's a little of both."

"Are you sure I'm not?" she asked in a small voice. Izzy reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. Sometimes she forgot she wasn't the only one dealing with this now.

"You're not." Phoebe pulled a few items out of the cabinet. "I would have felt it when we joined hands. It's a way of amplifying and sharing our power. The crystal would have affected you differently, as well."

"What crystal?"

Phoebe returned with five white candles and a small cast iron bowl about a third filled with what looked like black salt. She placed the bowl in the middle of the circle and a candle at each of the points of the pentagram. "The one inside the rock Rowan brought upstairs. Izzy reacted to it. That's why it glowed."

So many questions, but Phoebe didn't sit down. She went to a small table containing glass jars filled with herbs and pulled out a mortar and pestle. Izzy settled on the most important question. "Where do those things come from and how can I stop them?"

"You can't. Not entirely." Phoebe sighed as she began grinding an herb mixture. "But you can limit their influence on you. They slip through cracks where the barrier is weak between worlds. Otherwise, they must be tethered to a person who's in a semi-conscious state. Like you, with your dreams." She returned, dumping the herbs into the bowl and stirring them with her fingers. "You can't stop them from coming through, but you can stay away from places with that kind of energy. Have you ever felt that before?" Since neither of them responded, Peobe paused what she was doing and studied them. "I see. You need to stay away from those places. They're very dangerous and feed off your energy."

When Phoebe turned around and walked back to the cabinet, Brie poked her in the side. No party, she mouthed. Agreed, Izzy mouthed back. She couldn't abandon James and Austin like that, though. Wait, wait, wait. "Is there a way to know if someone is dead?"

"Necromancy?" Phoebe spun around, rubbing oil on a small purple candle. "We have nothing to do with that here, nor is there any way to bring back the dead." Her tone was as final as her words. She returned to sit with them, setting a plate-like candle holder down. She sprinkled the herbs around the plate, rolling the candle to coat it. Then she set the candle upright in the center.

"That's not what I meant," Izzy said. "I'm looking for someone, and I need to know if they're alive."

"Ah, that's different." Phoebe took a small cloth out of her pocket and cleaned her fingers off. "It is possible to figure out if someone is still alive through astral travel, but that's also dangerous, especially with wild energy like yours. You need to learn to control your energy before I can teach you."

"Why is it dangerous?"

"There's always a chance that your soul will become untethered to your body, and that's a horrible way to die."

Izzy's heart beat faster. So there was a way! Without going near the portal, there was still a way to know if they were alive.

"This is the first step to controlling your energy. I've prepared a simple meditative spell. In a minute, I'm going to light this candle, and I want you both to focus on the flame until it burns out. Try to clear your mind to enter a meditative state."

But that flame only ignited the fire in her heart. She had power and a way to find out if James and Austin were still alive. Maybe there was an end in sight to all these nightmares after all.