Cassie paused in the act of mixing some herbs for a tea that she and Diana were making. She looked around the room trying to find what had caught her attention. She left the herbs and walked to the window that looked out over Crowhaven Road. A young woman and a boy were walking up the street. Cassie's eyes lingered on the two for only a moment before sliding away. She looked around the room wondering what she had been doing.
"Cassie?"
Diana walked into the room and moved to stand next to Cassie. She peered out the window at the deserted street.
"Is something wrong?" Diana asked.
The brown-haired girl shook her head. "I was just taking a small break."
It was late Sunday afternoon, four days after the battle with Black John. Cassie's mom was still staying with Melanie's Great-aunt Constance while Nick, Adam, and the Henderson brothers rebricked the fireplace in Number Twelve's kitchen and replaced the damaged floor boards.
"We should have it all done by Monday," Adam had said. "Then you and your mom can move back in whenever you're ready."
Diana gently nudged Cassie, who was staring out the window again.
"Come on. Let's get this tea finished and take it over to Deborah. She's cranky because she can't ride her bike with a broken arm."
Cassie smiled and turned back to the table, completely forgetting the girl and boy that had been walking up Crowhaven Road.
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"Did anyone see us?" the boy asked.
Ballad Weaver was a slight boy of fifteen years of age. He looked like he was twelve. His fine silvery hair and large green eyes didn't help dispel the impression.
"They might have, but they won't remember us," the girl, his sister, said.
Crystal Weaver was seventeen but could have passed for twenty. Her long hair was the color of honey with sun-and-moonlight mixed in. Over her left brow was a pitch-black lock of hair. Her sparkling green eyes matched her brother's. Forest green, fathomless, with a ring of silver around the pupil separating it from the iris.
"You're sure it went this way?" Ballad asked.
"Yes Bal," Crystal said. "It's faint, but it was definitely here."
They walked past the last house, a large grey clapboard affair that had seen better days. Crystal once again cast a minor glamour so that the boys lounging at the side of the house wouldn't notice them. She and Ballad made for the empty lot at the top of the street. A house might have stood there at one time, but now it was mostly just dirt and weeds with a few foundation stones poking through. Ballad stopped as Crystal kept walking. She held her hands out at her sides, palms down, 'feeling' the place. She muttered something under her breath as she stopped facing out over the ocean.
"What's up?"
"It didn't find what it wanted here and it's moved on. I think it knew we were following cause it went out over the water. It'll take some time to pick up the trail again."
Crystal dropped her hands and turned to face her brother. Ranged out behind him were four boys and a German Shepherd. She gave a small start and then smiled ruefully. Ballad gave her an odd look and turned his head. He let out a squeak and darted to stand next to his sister.
"Can we help you?" asked the boy with wine-red hair.
Crystal shook her head. "We were just getting ready to leave."
"Good," said the dark-haired boy with mahogany eyes. He turned and walked away.
"This isn't a place for kids to play," one of the blue-eyed, blond-haired boys said.
At Crystal's side, Ballad bristled but didn't say anything. She threw an arm around her brother's shoulder and began walking.
"Come on Bal," she said when she felt him hesitate.
"Yeah. Sure."
He moved out from under her arm and started down the street to where they'd parked the rental car. As Crystal passed the three remaining boys, she bent to scratch the German Shepard's head. The dog sniffed her hand and whined.
"See you at school," Crystal said before walking away.
She ran to catch up with Ballad. As they passed the sixth house, they were momentarily accosted by two kittens who twined around their ankles and then ran away when Crystal bent to pet them.
"This place is crawling with familiars," Crystal said.
"Is that how the boys caught us?"
"Yeah. That German Shepard is tied to the red-haired boy. I didn't even think to check for familiars."
Ballad gave her an oh-how-the-mighty-have-fallen look. She just grinned back.
"And the kittens?" he asked.
"They belong to whoever lives in Number Six."
"Guess we'll find out on Monday, right?"
"Probably."