Karen stared at her. “You didn’t see the shining door-like thing that opened or the baby goat?”
“Nope. What I did over the body of the goat was tell it how sorry I was that it had died, and then I urged its spirit to go free—to enter the Goddess’s realm, which Pagans often refer to as the Summerlands. Karen, I imagined a glowing entrance and the spirit of the goat trotting happily through it.”
“Mercury, that is exactly what I saw. I–I’m not making it up!”
“I believe you. I’m shocked, but I believe you.”
“And what about the sparks you threw with Ford?”
“Today is Ostara, the Spring Equinox. It’s a Sabbat—a sacred Pagan holiday—like Easter is for you. I usually have friends over for Ritual. To simplify it greatly, that means that we call on the elements, as well as the goddesses and gods; honor nature; and then, as part of my Practice, we write blessings on pieces of prayer paper, light the papers, and toss them into the air, where they flame and then extinguish in a second or two. Ford and I performed a mini version of my Ostara Ritual and I imagined that I was tossing prayer paper into the air after lighting it.”
Karen looked stunned. “I saw it… just like the glowing door and the spirit of the goat. What does it mean?”
“Well, I think we should talk with Stella about it, but I have a feeling it means that your blood might actually have been changed too. It seems you’re able to see the—”
“Get in there! Now!”
“Ron, there’s no reason to be rough with her. You know I abhor violence and do not condone torture.”
From the far side of the roof, voices lifted with the wind. Mercury pressed her finger against her lips as Karen’s mouth dropped open. Then, she gestured for the older woman to follow her as she crawled across the roof and slowly, silently, got to her knees so that she could look down on the courtyard that was so carefully concealed from everyone. Beside her, Karen did the same.
Amber had certainly been telling the truth about one thing: the large, square courtyard was covered with garden beds, but they weren’t any kind of a mess. They were bursting with vegetables. In the center of the courtyard, surrounded by dozens of tomato plants, were two familiar male shapes—Ron and Wes. Wes carried a lantern exactly like the one Amber had led them to the Suburban with the night before. He placed it on the earth in a round space between the tomato beds. Even in its wan light, Mercury could clearly see the beefsteak tomatoes that swelled on the vine, ripe and ready to pick.
Then Ron stepped aside and Mercury realized that Amber and Mayor Eva Cruz stood near the third woman. She had been knocked to her knees before them. Her hands and ankles were duct-taped—as was her mouth. The full moon glinted off the silver in her long hair as she glared up at the people who held her captive.
“It’s Moira!” Karen whispered.