The Witching Hour

Chapter 30 - Pursuit

Ella's SUV glided onto the dirt just off the side of the road. A month ago the Pentacle had come to this very spot in search of answers, and they departed with more questions. On top of that, Ella had very nearly lost her life. A shudder ran through Ivy's spine at the memory.

Ivy took note of Ella's body language as an indication of her anxiety. Ella didn't want to admit it out loud, but her worry shone through. Throughout the drive, Ella's right hand wandered up to her face and trailed down her neck. When she parked, Ella was the last one to exit the car, Ivy catching a glimpse of her taking a set of deep breaths.

"You good, Ella?" Ivy decided to ask, earning a stare from Marina who no doubt already knew what Ella felt.

Ella waved Ivy off, pulling her dark hair into a high ponytail. "I'm fine." She stole a glance at the rest of the group who tried not to stare at her. "Girls, I promise. I'm fine. This is a new day, and it's not like we're snooping in the middle of the night."

"I didn't say anything," Aura said raising her hands in defense. She moved closer to Ella, leaning over to whisper something in her ear.

Marina crossed her arms over her chest, angling her body away from Ivy. Her demeanor mirrored that in the shop, especially when Ivy began talking about Griffin. Ivy opened her mouth to say something, but Marina shifted closer to the other two witches.

"We should get going," Marina stated, voice weirdly devoid of emotion. Ivy's eyebrows knitted together, but she refrained from commenting.

The Pentacle descended across the open field, noticing the drop in temperature. Ivy pulled her jacket closer to her frame, cursing herself for not wearing more layers. At least she had picked her boots, keeping her feet warm and dry. Ella dressed prepared with a giant jacket, ear-warmer headband, jeans and boots. Ivy wished she had thought of the headband.

The trees swallowed them whole as they crossed over into their domain. Ivy glanced over her shoulder, but she couldn't see the car. She reached out to her vines, relaxing when she felt them around her. She tried to connect with the trees, but they rejected her. Jaw clenching, Ivy let out a groan.

"What's up?" Aura asked appearing at her side. Ella and Marina strayed further out attempting to look for clues.

"I can't connect with the trees." Ivy ran a hand through her curls, sucking in a breath. "It's like when we were attacked."

"Maybe someone else has domain over them?" Aura tapped her chin, her green eyes darting around them in anticipation. "This is fairy land."

"I forgot about that." Ivy looked over her right shoulder, rustling in the leaves catching her attention. A squirrel appeared from under a pile of leaves clutching something between its paws. They locked eyes, the animal's nose twitching, before it darted back up.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to be extra careful to avoid the Council coming down on us." Aura pulled her red locks into a low ponytail and bounded forward, linking arms with Ella, who froze at the contact. When she realized it was Aura, the tension eased from her shoulders.

Marina drifted to the side, closing her eyes and muttering a few phrases. Ivy passed her up then paused to hang back and ensure no one strayed too far from the group. Marina's eyes shot open.

"What? What did you sense?" Ivy rushed toward Marina, her hand brushing the other's elbow. Marina jutted back from the contact, her lip pulling upward.

"A lot of pain has happened in this forest," Marina said tucking hair behind her ears. Her eyes slid past Ivy and focused on something behind her.

They walked in silence for a few yards behind Ella and Aura. The sounds of twigs and leaves crunching filled their ears and provided the only dialogue between the two of them. Ivy looked at Marina from the corner of her eye, noticing her fidgeting with her hands.