killed, at least not very easily, and he sure wasn’t short on time.
“Okay.” I nodded. “But we leave tonight. I have to be at the lighthouse before midnight.”
Smiling, Zane lifted his glass and tapped it against mine. “Then I guess we better get going.”
14.
The wind had died down, but there was a heavy mist in the air that made driving the Island Loop Road even more treacherous than usual.
Zane was waiting for me at the lighthouse, but Delia hadn’t arrived.
“If you have second thoughts, now would be the time to back out,” I told him.
“Not at all.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t dream of missing an opportunity like this. To be honest, I miss Victorian London.”
“Hmm … okay. If you say so.”
The glow of headlights approaching caught my attention, but it wasn’t until the car was much closer that the light cut through the fog and I could see it was Delia’s little red smart car.
Delia’s car was so small that I sure hoped she didn’t hit a clump of weeds too hard. No doubt it would total the thing.
She parked next to Lady Luck and got out, lugging a large book and small leather bag that I assumed must contain her casting supplies.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” she said, shaking her head in what I interpreted as dismay.
“Don’t worry, Delia. I have faith in you.”
A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Glad you do, because I’m not sure I do.”
I fell into step beside her as she headed toward the beach. “I’m confused about something, According to Granny’s letter, the portal is offshore. How are we supposed to reach the right spot in order for you to do the spell?”
“Unless you have a boat in your pocket and don’t mind diving in the middle of the night … we’ll have to widen the portal.”
“Can you do that?” I gasped.
Delia gave me a sideward glance. “You were a witch at one time, right? I can’t believe you were never fully trained.”
I gave her a guilty smile. “That was kind of my fault. Granny wanted me to train, but I wasn’t that interested. Annabelle was always the better witch anyway.”
“Hogwash!” Delia waved my words away. “You were just lazy.”
Zane shook his head. “Pointy hats just aren’t for Izzy. I think the black wings are far more attractive.”
“Whatever!” I rolled my eyes.
When we reached the beach, the fog was even thicker. It gave new meaning to the old saying, thick as pea soup.
“I don’t even know how you are going to see out here,” I commented, letting my sour outlook shine through.
Delia settled on a spot that was only a few feet from the water’s edge. “This will have to do.”
Pulling a flashlight from the pocket of her jacket, she handed it to Zane. “Here, make yourself useful. Keep the light pointed to the area where I’m working.”
“Of course, Ms. Antson.” Zane gave her a gracious smile and switched on the flashlight.
If she’d ruffled his feathers with her comment about his usefulness, he wasn’t letting on.
Delia pulled a bottle of white powder from her bag and started sprinkling it on the sand, making a complete circle around her.
“You two stay on the outside of the circle. Until I am finished with the spell, the circle cannot be broken.”
“Isn’t it dangerous for us to be outside the circle?” I asked.
I wasn’t an expert witch, but I knew that much.
“It probably is … but you have to go through the portal, and you cannot do it if you are inside the circle with me,” she explained.
Well, that made sense.
“Okay, are the two of you ready?”
We both nodded.
“When you see the portal, jump into it. The spell will only keep it open on the other side for three days. I’ll do my best to make the spell strong enough that it remains open the entire time it is supposed to, but I am not giving any guarantees. I suggest that you find Stella and bring her back as soon as possible.”
“How will we know if it is still open on the
“Okay.” I nodded. “But we leave tonight. I have to be at the lighthouse before midnight.”
Smiling, Zane lifted his glass and tapped it against mine. “Then I guess we better get going.”
14.
The wind had died down, but there was a heavy mist in the air that made driving the Island Loop Road even more treacherous than usual.
Zane was waiting for me at the lighthouse, but Delia hadn’t arrived.
“If you have second thoughts, now would be the time to back out,” I told him.
“Not at all.” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t dream of missing an opportunity like this. To be honest, I miss Victorian London.”
“Hmm … okay. If you say so.”
The glow of headlights approaching caught my attention, but it wasn’t until the car was much closer that the light cut through the fog and I could see it was Delia’s little red smart car.
Delia’s car was so small that I sure hoped she didn’t hit a clump of weeds too hard. No doubt it would total the thing.
She parked next to Lady Luck and got out, lugging a large book and small leather bag that I assumed must contain her casting supplies.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” she said, shaking her head in what I interpreted as dismay.
“Don’t worry, Delia. I have faith in you.”
A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Glad you do, because I’m not sure I do.”
I fell into step beside her as she headed toward the beach. “I’m confused about something, According to Granny’s letter, the portal is offshore. How are we supposed to reach the right spot in order for you to do the spell?”
“Unless you have a boat in your pocket and don’t mind diving in the middle of the night … we’ll have to widen the portal.”
“Can you do that?” I gasped.
Delia gave me a sideward glance. “You were a witch at one time, right? I can’t believe you were never fully trained.”
I gave her a guilty smile. “That was kind of my fault. Granny wanted me to train, but I wasn’t that interested. Annabelle was always the better witch anyway.”
“Hogwash!” Delia waved my words away. “You were just lazy.”
Zane shook his head. “Pointy hats just aren’t for Izzy. I think the black wings are far more attractive.”
“Whatever!” I rolled my eyes.
When we reached the beach, the fog was even thicker. It gave new meaning to the old saying, thick as pea soup.
“I don’t even know how you are going to see out here,” I commented, letting my sour outlook shine through.
Delia settled on a spot that was only a few feet from the water’s edge. “This will have to do.”
Pulling a flashlight from the pocket of her jacket, she handed it to Zane. “Here, make yourself useful. Keep the light pointed to the area where I’m working.”
“Of course, Ms. Antson.” Zane gave her a gracious smile and switched on the flashlight.
If she’d ruffled his feathers with her comment about his usefulness, he wasn’t letting on.
Delia pulled a bottle of white powder from her bag and started sprinkling it on the sand, making a complete circle around her.
“You two stay on the outside of the circle. Until I am finished with the spell, the circle cannot be broken.”
“Isn’t it dangerous for us to be outside the circle?” I asked.
I wasn’t an expert witch, but I knew that much.
“It probably is … but you have to go through the portal, and you cannot do it if you are inside the circle with me,” she explained.
Well, that made sense.
“Okay, are the two of you ready?”
We both nodded.
“When you see the portal, jump into it. The spell will only keep it open on the other side for three days. I’ll do my best to make the spell strong enough that it remains open the entire time it is supposed to, but I am not giving any guarantees. I suggest that you find Stella and bring her back as soon as possible.”
“How will we know if it is still open on the
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