Page 74 of Wind Called

“Looks that way,” he replied, then touched the ignition button. “I hate to think what would have happened if the storm had started while we were still out on the trail.”

Worst case, they probably would have been trapped for a while if one of the dry creeks really began to flow. But that hadn’t happened. They’d made it to the truck, and that meant they could drive to the ranch and shower, and then decide what to do next.

No matter what, though, she guessed they’d have to talk to the elders. They deserved to know what had happened — and she wanted to hand that silvery amulet or charm or whatever the hell it was off to them as well. Although she hadn’t noticed anything weird when she picked it up, she thought it better to have the elders deal with the thing.

Maybe they could put it in the safe next to the bronze one that enhanced your abilities. It did seem as if the two artifacts were almost polar opposites from one another, with the silver orb taking away one’s magic rather than strengthening it.

Or maybe it only affected magic that was currently operating rather than cutting it off at the source. She couldn’t know for sure, and thought that better minds than hers could figure it out.

“Once we’re cleaned up, we should probably call your grandmother,” she said after they were back on Dry Creek Road and headed toward the ranch.

Marc let out a breath, but he didn’t bother to contradict her. “Yeah, I’m not thrilled about that, but we shouldn’t keep something like this from your clan’s elders…or from Angela and Connor. And we’ll need to hand over that orb, too.”

At least he hadn’t suggested that she should keep it. While she could see how possessing such a powerful artifact might give a witch or warlock a definite advantage, she was glad Marc also thought it would be much better in more experienced hands. The twenty-dollar bill and the lottery ticket were a different matter altogether, since it was clear they were ordinary, everyday items and nothing theprimaof the clan needed to worry about.

The rain followed them all the way to the ranch. Because Bellamy had grabbed both the remote for the gate and the garage from her Fiat and thrown them in her pack, they were able to pull directly into the garage and avoid getting soaked all over again. Once they were inside, they headed right for the main bathroom, where they pulled off each other’s filthy clothing and tossed it in the hamper before they got in the shower.

They kissed, and took turns massaging soap over each other’s bodies, but they both seemed to understand things shouldn’t go any further than that, not when they still needed to make contact with the elders…and probably get called to Jerome to discuss the whole mess in person. Some things just shouldn’t be handled over the phone.

That turned out to be exactly the case when Marc called his grandmother. No, he didn’t go into a lot of details, but after he informed her that the Collector’s servant wasn’t going to be any more trouble, she told him flat out that they needed to come over as fast as possible.

“I’ll have everyone else gather here,” Tricia added, her voice coming clearly enough from the phone’s speaker that Bellamy could hear her as well. “Well, not Connor and Angela. They’re up in Flagstaff today to attend a Wilcox funeral. But we elders will pass along what you’ve told us, so you don’t need to worry about waiting for them to get back to Jerome.”

Well, that was something, she supposed. The mention of a funeral made guilt stab through Bellamy again, even as she did her best to remind herself that if she hadn’t called the winds to defend herself and Marc, then both of them would probably be dead.

“All right,” he told his grandmother. “We’ll be there as fast as we can.”

“I know you will.”

He ended the call and returned the phone to his pocket. Dark eyes met hers, steady, telling her that he’d be at her side through all of this, no matter what.

“I guess we’d better get going,” he said.

Bellamy had transferred the silvery orb to her purse after they were done with their showers, so there was nothing to delay them from getting in his truck and driving up to Jerome. And although some people might have used this time to get their stories straight, Marc knew he didn’t have to worry about that. What had happened was straightforward enough, even if there was far more left unknown about the whole situation than he would have liked.

What was the identity of the thief, and what was his connection to the Collector?

Where had he gotten the orb? Was it something the Collector had given him in his quest to track down more magical artifacts, or had he stolen it recently and was planning to take it back to his master, and had died before he delivered his prize?

If that turned out to be the case, then Marc could see how the Collector might be extra pissed off to have lost one of his minions and a valuable item he’d found, all in one fell swoop.

When they were just on the outskirts of Old Town Cottonwood, Bellamy’s phone beeped from within her purse. She pulled it out and unlocked it, then read the message on the screen.

Abruptly, her face fell.

“What is it?” he asked, alarmed. Was her former boss threatening additional actions besides just firing her? Had something happened to one of her fathers, or someone else in the clan?

She put on a weak little smile that didn’t fool him for a second. “Oh, that was Ike. He said the house sold, so I’ll need to be out of there by the end of the week.”

Which was tomorrow, Mac supposed, since today was Friday.

“Wow,” he said, since he wasn’t sure how else to respond. “That was fast. Have there even been any showings since you started watching the place?”

At once, she shook her head. “No. Ike says the buyer is taking the place sight unseen. Cash offer, too, which means there won’t be any lengthy escrows or anything like that.” She was in profile to him, so he could see the way she swallowed before she continued. “I guess I need to be looking up Airbnbs, too. Either that, or move back to my dads’ apartment.”

The reluctance in her voice was obvious, and Marc thought he understood why. Sure, it seemed as if she had a great relationship with her parents, but now that she’d had a taste of freedom, she wasn’t too eager to return home and be their little girl.

“Well, there were plenty available when I looked,” he said, trying to sound encouraging without being falsely upbeat.

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