The Witching Moon: The Witches of Redwood Falls - Book 1 (5 page)

“She’s lost. She was playing in the yard. I
had to go inside. Just for a minute. She’d been talking about
taking a walk through the woods, but I told her that we couldn’t
today. She was fine. Seemed fine. But when I went inside, she must
have decided to go on her own.”

An eerie calm settled over Poppy. It was
always the same. She could feel it moving over her, through her.
She knew what had to be done. “How long has she been gone?”

“A few hours now. I called the police.
They’ve been searching. We’re rounding up everyone to look for her.
If she’s still lost once it gets dark…” Helen’s eyes widened in
panic.

Poppy patted a slim shoulder. “That’s not
going to happen.”

Drake stepped up from behind Poppy. “Here.”
He helped her put on her coat. His jacket was already zipped up,
and his mouth was grim. “We shouldn’t waste any more time.”

“I thought,” Helen said, grabbing Poppy’s
hands. “I thought you could help.”

“Of course! We’re coming with you. We won’t
stop until we find her.”

Helen’s eyes shifted. “I
meant… maybe there’s something else… something
more
… you could do.”

Poppy’s eyes softened. She didn’t openly
discuss what she was with others in town, but her family had been
there for generations. Even if she didn’t talk about it, the town
members were aware of her abilities. “I’ll do everything I
can.”

“Thank you.” Helen squeezed Poppy’s hands.
“Everyone’s meeting at my house in fifteen minutes.”

Drake nodded. “We’ll be there. I’ll make a
few calls to see if we can get more people.”

Poppy ran to her kitchen once Helen left,
gathering items she’d need for a location spell. “I have to find
her.”

Drake stood quietly behind the counter. He
was calm, supportive, and she felt so lucky to have him in her
life. “You will. We both will. Together.”

Her eyes locked with his, and they
connected. They were one. They had one purpose, one goal. He was
her rock, her support, and it robbed her of speech.

What was she going to do when fate corrected
their mistake?

The sun stretched toward the horizon by the
time Drake and Poppy parked at Helen’s house. The street swarmed
with people from the town who’d come to help find Molly.

They vaulted out of the car, ignoring the
deafening noise from the crowd around them. Confusion abounded as
information was traded like baseball cards. No one knew much, just
snippets they’d heard from others, but the one thing they did know
was that a little four-year-old was lost.

Drake held her arm, guiding her through the
crowd. “What do you need?”

“Something of hers. And somewhere
quiet.”

Ted Sommers, the town sheriff, blocked the
group of searchers from entering the house. “We need to get
inside.”

“Do you see Helen?” She craned her neck
searching through the shocked faces.

“She’s probably inside.”

He maneuvered around groups, his arm
protectively around her as he declined conversations as politely as
he could. “Sheriff Sommers.” Drake nodded in greeting.

“Drake, can I help you with something?” The
middled aged man’s voice was hard.

Drake stepped aside so Poppy had more room
when she answered. “Helen asked me to come.”

Sheriff Sommers’s eyes darted between the
two before nodding in understanding. “We have things well in hand,
but if Helen wanted you here…” he shuffled aside, letting them pass
into the house. “We’re happy for anything you can do.”

“I’ll try,” she whispered.

Drake squeezed her hand. She wasn’t alone in
this. She had an ability, one that could help them find the girl.
It had to weigh on her. If she failed…

No. She was strong, capable as she strode
through the house, surveying pictures, studying the toys strewn
across the floor as if Molly had just ran away from playing with
them. She could do this.

It was eerie. He didn’t have magic, but he
could sense the girl here. Could sense her in every fiber of the
house. She was a part of it.

“Can you help me?” Helen stumbled to Poppy’s
side, wrenching her hands.

“I’ll try, Helen. I’ll do everything I
can.”

“What do you need? What can I do to help
you?”

“Could you show me her room?”

Helen’s eyes widened. “Of course. I should
have thought of that.” They walked down the narrow hall to the
second room. “I’ve been meaning to have her clean it.” Helen
sniffled as her eyes teared at a memory. “She always fights me on
it.”

Drake reached out to the woman, his hand
resting on her shoulder. “What kid doesn’t?”

“She’s a good girl.” A raspy chuckle escaped
her. “She just can’t keep her room clean.”

“We’ll bring her back,” he reassured her.
There wasn’t much he could do, but if he could bring this mother
even a tiny hint of hope, he would.

Poppy drew her attention again. “I’ll need a
minute, Helen, if you don’t mind.”

With a jerky nod, Helen said, “I’ll just be
out in the front room. Let me know if you need anything.” She
closed the door softly on her way out.

Drake waited a moment, not wanting to
interrupt Poppy’s thoughts. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked
softly.

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. “No.
Stay.”

Her eyes pleaded into his.
She needed him, his strength. And his heart answered for
him.
Always.
“I’ll be right here.”

Poppy scanned the room, letting calm settle
over her mind and heart. She could feel Molly here, in the clothes
spilling out of the drawers, the unmade bed, the half eaten cookies
by her tea set. She’d been happy here. Loved. And the child had
always known it. This was her refuge, the place where she could go
play, or calm herself. It was safe. It was secure. The room echoed
that.

There’d been tears here. Scrapes and bruises
from a growing child, but nothing had tainted her. Nothing had
truly hurt her spirit.

Poppy brushed a hand over a frazzle-haired
doll perched at a small table. “Hold on, sweetheart. Just a little
longer.”

She needed something of Molly’s, something
she loved. A stuffed animal or blanket she favored. Poppy lifted
the covers and revealed a scraggly bear, its matted multi-colored
fur detracted from the missing eye, but just barely. There were
large stitches where someone, most likely Helen, had reattached his
legs, arms, and head, mimicking a colorful mini Frankenstein.
Looking at the sad toy, most people wouldn’t see its value. But
Molly did.

Poppy stretched for the mangy bear. Fur
crunched under her hand, and she couldn’t imagine what had dried on
the toy. “You’re just what I need.” She hugged the bear before
turning to Drake. “Can you clear off the table?”

He didn’t question her. He moved quickly,
efficiently, sliding stuffed animals off the chairs, and carefully
placing the china tea set on the dresser before brushing crumbs off
the table.

A dark lock of hair fell over his forehead,
and breath stole from her chest. For the first time, she could lean
on another person. She didn’t have to handle everything on her own,
or hold it all in until she collapsed from both worries and
exhaustion after a spell. He was there, silently supporting her in
whatever she needed. She was scared this was something she could
get used to. Something she couldn’t live without.

Fishing a map out of her back pocket, she
spread it over the table, eying the layout of the forest. It wasn’t
the largest park in the area, but it covered miles of rough
terrain.

Placing the bear on the edge of the map, she
lifted a chunk of amethyst that rested on the end of a chain from
her shirt.

She held the chain dangled from one finger.
“If this is going to freak you out, you should step out now.”

“I’m staying.”

His jaw was set, his eyes determined. Thick,
muscled arms crossed in front of him. He knew what she was. There
was no way around that. They’d known each other for too long. But
knowing something and seeing it were two different things. Sure,
he’d seen her mix a few potions, dry herbs, gather materials, but
that was preparation for her craft. This was different. Personal.
No one outside of her family had seen her practice, and to let him
in now meant something she wasn’t ready to acknowledge yet. “If you
faint, you’re on your own.”

His lips twitched. “I think I can
manage.”

Deep breath, she closed her eyes, stilled
her heart. Focused. Her breathing deepened as her mind sought out
Molly’s.

Poppy gasped as she connected with the girl.
Molly was scared, cold. But safe. For now anyway. She wandered
around, tears spilling at her feet as she tried to navigate a
forest that looked the same everywhere she looked.

Poppy cleared all thoughts, envisioning a
white canvas in her mind. Her finger curled around the chain,
harnessing it before she twirled it. The stone swirled beneath her
closed eyes. She didn’t need to watch it. She could feel it.

Her mind rushed from white into the thick
green of the forest as she searched over hills and valley. There
was so much ground. So many places for a little girl to hide.

“Help me, sweetheart. Come on.” She felt the
first trickle of recognition as Molly’s mind latched on to hers.
The amethyst swung wide, arching across the page before the point
planted into the map.

Breath Whooshed from her lungs as her eyes
fluttered open. “Found her,” she whispered as the energy that
charged her fled, leaving her weak.

She glanced to Drake, using precious energy
she needed to conserve the first moments after a spell.

His eyes were wide, locked onto the gravity
defying stone. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Her gut clenched. Was he repulsed? She
should have sent him away, shouldn’t have let him see what she was.
She hadn’t been thinking straight, she scolded herself. She’d
gotten too comfortable with him.

“That was the most incredible thing I’ve
ever seen.” He brushed his hand against her shoulder.

Power flowed back into her, staggering her
with its strength. She sunk to the ground, holding a hand to her
head to stop her vision from spinning. What was that?

Her mouth fell open as she shifted, all
weakness in her limbs gone. How was this possible? It normally took
her days to fully recover from a spell like that.

He knelt in front of her, his eyes filled
with worry. “Are you all right? What happened? You went completely
pale.”

“I’m fine.” Deep
breath.
More than fine
. “I get a little shaky after spells. It will pass.” It
wasn’t a lie. That’s normally how it worked. She didn’t know why
power had surged back into her, but until she figured it out, she
wanted to keep it quiet.

He helped her up, leaning her body against
his, but she didn’t protest. She didn’t need his assistance,
although normally, it might’ve been necessary. Instead of balking
at their closeness, she relished the feel of him against her, the
strength that surrounded her.

Helen jumped from the couch when they came
into view. “Did you find her?”

Reaching out, Poppy smiled. “Yes. She’s
okay. She’s about a mile southeast.”

Helen burst into tears before lunging into
Poppy’s arms for a hug.

“Southeast?” Sheriff Sommers scratched his
chin. “Everything indicates that she headed north.”

“She’s southeast. You’ll find her by a small
creek.”

She’d barely finished speaking before he was
barking orders into his radio.

“Thank you, Poppy. Thank you.”

Poppy shook her head. “You don’t need to
thank me. I’d do anything to help find her.”

“Bless you.” Helen gripped her hand one last
time.