Page 8 of Feathered Web

“Way to love your kids,” Killian muttered.

“I know, right?” Bryan shook his head. “Magda is the epitome of the evil wicked witch out in the forest.”

“When did she join the Hounds?” I asked.

“Many years ago. Magda’s well over a hundred years old. She’s not technically witchblood, but her lifespan is far longer than normal, and her magic is incredibly intense. She’s deadly and cunning. And she has it out for me,” Kerris said. “Her goal—the Hounds’ goal—is to destroy me, given the feud between the Morrígan and Cú Chulainn, and the hunger of Baba Volkov.”

I thought about it. “Do you think any of Cú Chulainn’s Hounds live in Moonshadow Bay?”

“I doubt it,” Rowan said. “The Covenant of Chaos would have gobbled them up. While the two groups are working together now, the moment any of the Hounds tries to take control, the Covenant of Chaos will force them into obedience. So I can tell you, the Hounds may have come to the Covenant for help, but the Covenant of Chaos is the one running the show.”

She stood, pacing. “We need to check out the Wildcat Cove Pest House. That seems like the most obvious place they’d keep her.”

“Will they be expecting us to look there?” Killian asked.

Rowan shook her head. “I don’t think so. For one thing, I doubt they think you’ve noticed Penelope’s gone. How often do you contact the Gatekeeper?”

Kerris was quiet for a few seconds. “Every month or two, maybe? It’s not all that often. So, you’re probably right. In fact, the only reason I knew about this is that Veronica, the Queen of the Unliving, found out and contacted me. And I definitely don’t hang out with her.”

I picked up my plate and carried it into the kitchen, thinking. The Covenant of Chaos had one flaw that would help us. They were arrogant, and that arrogance led them into trouble more often than not. They were built on male ego. Though women belonged to the group as well, men were the backbone of it. So if they insisted on running the show, they were most likely operating with at least a few false assumptions. And those would probably give us an edge.

I stood at the sink, staring out into the night. A moment later, Rowan joined me.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just thinking. Kerris’s job seems incredibly difficult.”

“It is,” Rowan said. “I knew her grandmother. It’s not at all like how you work with the dead. Spirit shamans live in two worlds at once—the world of the living and the world of the dead. It can be a dark and lonely existence, which is why they rely so much on their guardians.” She leaned against the counter and, together, we stared out the window at the blustery night.

“Do you think we can help her?” I asked, as the first big windstorm of autumn started to play out.

“I think we can. But this won’t be comfortable. Penelope…I saw her once. When you think that her mother did that to her…Well, there’s a special place in hell for people like Magda.” Rowan shook her head, then wiped her hands on a tea towel and motioned for me to follow her. “Let’s get back to the others before they think we’ve deserted them.”

More curious than ever, I followed my grandmother back into the living room.

“I found that Pest House online,” Tarvish said. “It’s open during weekday afternoons, from October through the end of November, and then again in February and March, and June and July. From one-thirty until six.”

“We can go out there tomorrow afternoon, then,” Rowan said. “Can you get the afternoon off?” she asked me.

I nodded. “Kerris, I was wondering if you’d come into the office with me. My boss’s parents used to live in Whisper Hollow. They left before he was born, because they didn’t want to bring him up in the town. But he’d like to meet you.”

“I can do that,” Kerris said. “Is that all right with you?” she asked Bryan.

He gave her a smile. “Whatever you like. You know I’ll always have your back.”

“I’d be happy to,” Kerris said to me. “Just give me the address and we’ll meet you there. What time do you want us?”

“How long will it take us to reach the Pest House?”

Rowan opened her phone. “About fifteen minutes’ drive from Moonshadow Bay, so we should leave around one. Where do we want to meet?”

“My office,” I said. “Kerris, why don’t you come over around noon. We can eat lunch, you can meet Tad, and then we can head out when Rowan gets there. Rowan, did you want to come for lunch?”

“No, I have an appointment at noon for about thirty-five minutes. I’ll be there around quarter to one. We can talk about what to look for at the Pest House when I get there.” Rowan glanced out the window. “It’s supposed to rain nonstop the next few days. We’re looking at the first freeze next week. I’m harvesting the last of my tomatoes tomorrow.”

“I wish I could garden,” Kerris said. “Bryan takes care of that. He’s got a real green thumb.”

“I have a greenhouse, for winter veg. Would you like to see it?” Rowan asked.

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