Raintree: Oracle (Raintree 4)

Gideon snapped, “My rental car died two miles back. What the hell is going on here? I haven’t been out of control like this since I was fourteen!”

She ignored the electrical sparks and threw herself at him. The air around him buzzed. It tickled her all over, but she knew Gideon’s powers would not hurt her. He would never allow it. She had never been so glad to see him! He was her best, last, only hope.

“There’s a very strong stone circle in the area,” she explained as she let him go and stepped back. “Like Stonehenge but...not Stonehenge.”

Echo released her cousin and smiled at Hope.

Gideon’s wife was not a member of any magical clan and she was not a stray. Unlike the rest of the family, she had no abilities at all. Well, she had abilities, just not supernatural ones. She was a whiz at keeping her husband and two magically gifted daughters on the straight and narrow.

Knowing what was causing the influx of energy helped Gideon to control the excess electricity that flowed through his body. Thunder and lightning ceased, but he retained an unnatural blue glow. She resisted telling him that he looked as if he’d eaten a neon sign for breakfast.

“We have an audience,” he said, nodding his chin to indicate the growing crowd behind her.

Echo glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, twenty or more villagers stood behind her. At least none of them carried pitchforks and torches.

“It’s all right,” she said, raising her voice so all could hear. “This is my cousin Gideon.”

The murmur that followed was not one of relief. Like her, Gideon was Raintree. Until she’d come here, she’d had no idea her family was so intensely disliked by some strays. No, disliked was the wrong word. They were distrusted. That was going to have to change, and fast.

“Come on inside,” she said

, taking Gideon’s arm as Hope drew up beside him. “We have some serious catching up to do.”

* * *

Cassidy stood at her bedroom window and watched the lightning. Twice she had tried to leave the cottage, but her da’s magic still kept her trapped here. She didn’t like it. It was not good magic, not at all! Neither did Mr. McManus, who had complained for hours before finally falling asleep on the sofa.

Granny, on the other hand, was perfectly content to wait out whatever was happening. They were safe here. Nothing could touch them; they were invisible to the outside world. Cassidy could not relax, no matter how often her granny advised her to do just that. Too much was undecided. Maybe they were safe at the moment, but would they remain safe?

What if something happened to her da and they were trapped here forever? What would become of them? Would they starve? Go crazy? Would they simply fade away?

The lightning ceased, though in the distance where Cloughban stood a strange blue glow continued, as if a huge and unnatural light shone there. Eventually that faded, too.

She knew something bad was coming, and she wanted to help. She could help! If only her da would let her.

Her da but not her da.

The sky changed again, but this time it was the rising sun that lit the sky.

This was the day. Cloughban was about to be under siege.

And she’d never had the chance to warn her da or Echo that Maisy had not been the only spy in Cloughban.

* * *

Gideon shook his head. Again. “I don’t call spirits back to earth. It’s dangerous, for them and for us. When ghosts come to me it is their choice, not mine.”

Echo tried to argue. “I know, but...”

“Once a spirit has moved on, it’s extremely difficult for them to travel to us. And then, getting back where they’re supposed to be is even harder. I will not trap a spirit here, not even to save your friend.”

Friend. Ryder was so much more than a friend, but that argument wasn’t going to sway Gideon.

After being introduced, Gideon and Ryder had parted as if they could not stand to be in the same room. Maybe they couldn’t. She was more sensitive to energy than she’d ever been, and her cousin and the man she loved mixed like oil and water. Did Dark Ryder realize what a danger Gideon was to his existence?

Hope had gladly taken up Echo’s offer of her bed in the boardinghouse. She and Gideon had had a long night, after an already long day. The girls were with their grandmother—Hope’s mother—probably being spoiled horribly. Every little girl deserved to be spoiled now and then.

Echo lowered her voice as she made her argument. “Ryder’s mother cast this...this curse on him, trying to make him more powerful. Maybe her intentions were good, maybe she was trying to help, but her spell almost killed him.” It very well could kill the man she loved. Today, tomorrow...he could not bear this for much longer.