Page 58 (1/1)

I entered the park off of North Rarabbing the cross piece at the top, below the stylized, blunt spikes that pointed to the sky Usingsilently on the grass in a crouch The place s plants, pesticides, and other poisons, but not crowds of people There hadn’t been an event there that day, and if one had been one scheduled for that night, it had been canceled due to the vamp affair and citizen safety The only sounds were the traffic, the splashing of the fountains, and the ht and let her night vision, which was so reens and silvers, shading off into gray and blue No reds, notsharper and cleaner and clearer There was also soht be hints of ultraviolet or fluorescent colors--letting big-cats see body fluids the way a crih I had to work to see theht vision, even in hu to the shadows and doind of the scents, I followed the rounds and the narroays, across bridges over pools of water that had been sculpted to look natural, until I reached the redbrickOne side had shutters closed over the s, a space between the building and a wide pool, and an open laith few trees and no privacy, except the shi It wasn’t an invisibility char--but the obfuscation charm made it hard to focus on the women in the circle I was supposed to be in the park at sunset to be enclosed in the circle with the I’d have to do to rass hat smelled like powdered chalk was a circle; I stood outside it, watching, waiting Inside the circle, which, inlike a wall of pale white wind, were five witches, sitting equidistant frorainary star froh I had learned that there was nothing inherently evil about the star shapes Pentagray could floithout stopping, just as it could within a circle, but with points at which the energy could be drawn off and used in a working A star was a way to control power, like a resistor or regulator

Molly had once told ic users could have used squares, equilateral triangles, or a golden rectangle (a Greek mathematical concept), but the five points of a star--the shape taken from the shape of the human body, just as Leonardo da Vinci had shoith the Vitruvian Man--had proven to provide the best geo, and was best when five y to a purpose, what laymen called a spell

The wo at the east and was directing the energies of the working Molly, an earth witch, was sitting to her left, with Sabina at the fire point, and two others at the nized the last two as Butterfly Lily and her mother, Feather Storotten, the tearing si skirts and feathers in their hair The titches had only weak power and were used by other local witches as routing stations, or bodies through which the workings of energy could flow

It would be rude, and possibly dangerous, to interrupt a working, and since I was late, I dropped to the grass, crossed uru-style, and pulled patience to low in the presence of the vaht vision and avoid offending Sabina I could be patient I could If they’d hurry up Within ten round, bringing down the wall of energy A slow breeze escaped and tugged at ic danced across my exposed skin

Lachish held up her hands when Molly would have stood to greet uarded "You are Jane Yellowrock," Lachish said

"I am IuhI come in peace"

Molly rolled her eyes and even Lachish looked ah her face was ed than the picture had indicated She looked like a farrooved skin She sics

"No Seriously," I said "I’ as the MOC’s Enforcer I come as a partner in Yellowrock Securities, and, yes, we have a contract to do upgrades on the MOC’s properties, but I owe the vamps only the loyalty to keep Leo and his properties safe, not to take on other duties like causing trouble for witches Oh And I have a letter for you" I reached toIt looked rather the worse for wear, the paper creased and scuffed, but the blob of wax that held it intact was still doing its job

Lachishaway the chalk I stood and stopped, glancing to Molly "Weapons?"

"Silver and steel runted in dis off the weapons and crosses, ht interfere with the ainst a master vamp, they were likely worthless I was about twenty-five pounds lighter, and considerably less secure feeling, when I was done Leaving , approaching Lachish across the grass She snapped her fingers and I felt residual energy spin froht appeared at Lachish’s side It took serious control to create a witch-light fro and stable Lachish was showing off and letting me know that she was not someone to be trifled with And she kept seated, another show of being in control while I came to her

I lowered the envelope and the leader of the New Orleans coven took it, broke the seal, and re a look at Molly’s face, which was asking ed back, also withall the iven the letter to iven it to Sabina to bring, but he hadn’t, so this was an addenduirl Sabina--vamp face like a white plaster statue--looked neither surprised nor expectant, so that was no help