Page 28 of Witch Moon

"Save her." Ashley whispered, long and slowly.

"How?"

Ashley's arms slid around Bella. It looked as intimate as an embrace between sisters. But he could see...or sense...her lips moving near Bella's ear. And then there was a wind, so strong it sent the door banging against the wall behind him. The candles went out in a whoosh. The cat leapt out of his arms.

He couldn't see Ashley or Bella any more, and frantically, he searched for the light switch, and found it.

With a flick of his hand, the room was flooded with light. Bella was sitting on the floor, shaking her head as if stunned. Gwenyth, the blond who owned the shop, stooped as the cat ran to her, and she scooped the animal up with a shout of joy.

Bella got to her feet, saw him, and started forward, looking dazed.

"Cut a door!" someone yelled, and the woman in front of Bella traced an arch in the air.

Bella moved through it, and straight to Jonathon.

"What the hell just happened here?" he asked, and his voice was strained to the point where he could barely form audible words.

"We have to go. We have to go to Rowan."

He barely heard her. He was still staring at the spot where he'd seen Ashley. "Was that...how could she...Ashley's dead.... "

"There's no such thing as dead."

"But...but...."

She slapped him. Her palm was hot, he noticed, and it didn't sting much. Just enough to make him focus on her.

"Rowan is in trouble. We have to go.Now." She spoke with authority and power he'd sensed in her, but never seen before. And he found himself believing every word.

He nodded, still too stunned to speak. Mirabella took his hand firmly in hers and pulled him along toward the door. Over her shoulder she called, "Take up the circle. Call the police and send them to Bryan Marcomb's house. And hurry."

And the next thing Jonathon knew he was being tugged out the door, around the house to the driveway where her car was parked. She opened the passenger door and shoved him into the scat. Then she went to her side and got behind the wheel. A second later, they were speeding through town.

Chapter 9

Rowan was standing outside Bryan's house, pushing up his bedroom window with Shauna tight to her side when she saw something moving inside the room.

She went stiff and still.

"What?" Shauna whispered.

Rowan backed up, pulling Shauna with her. "Someone's in there."

"Did they see you?"

"I don't know. I don't—" The window was yanked open, and a dark form filled it "—Think so," Rowan finished.

The two girls turned to run, but Rowan could hear the footfalls behind them. And in less than a second, a big hand hit her hard, right between the shoulder blades, and sent her face-first into the ground.

She rolled over onto her back, crab walking backwards from the man looming over her.

"Mr. Hayes," she panted. "What are you...why are you—?"

Shauna screamed for all she was worth, and Rowan looked toward her, only to see Mrs. Hayes, their own high school principal grabbing hold of her.

The man reached for Rowan, and she flung up a hand like a stop sign. She didn't know what made her do it, but every part of her was focused on one thing. Pushing him away from her. And though she never touched him, he went backward, staggering, then falling. She scrambled to her feet, turned to run, and hit a solid chest.

Jonathon sawhis daughter send the attacker stumbling backward. And sure, he might have tripped, or just lost his balance. But he didn't think so.

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