The Price Guide to the Occult(41)
“Here,” Nor said awkwardly to Apothia, trying to hand Bijou off to her. “He throws a fit when I leave him behind.”
Apothia kissed her cheeks and pushed Bijou back into Nor’s arms. “Then you should take him with you.”
Nor nodded. She glanced at Judd one last time and then followed Sena Crowe. Outside, the naked trees shuddered in the wind.
Pike turned the key and — after a few false starts — the engine of the yellow Jeep sputtered to life. It gave a lurch, and soon the three of them were bumping down Meandering Lane. The cold seeped in through the Jeep’s open doorframe, and Nor pulled her jacket tighter. The Sweet and Savory Bakery was empty. Outside the Willowbark General Store, a discarded umbrella swung forlornly from the porch railing. It seemed only the Witching Hour was still open, though there didn’t appear to be any customers inside. Or anywhere for that matter.
They came to a stop before turning onto Red Poppy Road. Nor couldn’t hear any birds chirping or leaves rustling. Bijou whined softly; he didn’t like the unnatural quiet. Neither did Nor. It felt as if the entire island was holding its breath. As if, like Nor, it too was trying to determine if the danger had passed.
They continued driving in silence. At one point, Pike suddenly veered, taking the Jeep off road. Nor clung to the sides of her seat as they bounced over the rough terrain. Branches whipped at her face and arms. And just as Nor was beginning to think the island was far larger — and wilder — than she’d ever known, the trees finally gave way to a large circular clearing.
Pike parked along the perimeter. He grabbed Nor’s duffel bag, swung it easily onto his shoulder, and motioned for her to follow him and Sena Crowe toward the largest of the fifteen or so houses scattered throughout the area.
Most of the houses, while well kept, looked as though they were originally built a century ago, with lacy peaked roofs and pointed windows and doors like those of a cathedral. Equal parts sparse and elaborate, the houses brought to mind a gingerbread house. The kind of house a fairy-tale witch might live in.
The thought struck Nor as extremely funny. She started to laugh, but then composed herself before Pike and Sena Crowe could decide she’d gone completely crazy.
They passed by a grandiose fountain in the shape of a woman holding a giant bowl above her head. It was more than double the height of even the tallest of the houses. Water spilled from the bowl onto the woman’s breasts and into the basin at her feet. She wasn’t the only statue on the compound. Each house also had its own wooden sculpture. Most were beasts — a mix of real and imaginary: a bison with the wings of a bat, a brown bear with ox horns, a wild cat with the barbed tail of a dragon and the forked tongue of a snake, a horse with the head of an eagle.
The creepiest was what looked like a woman with abnormally long legs and arms that hung all the way to the ground. Her clawed fingers were curled as if awaiting something to grip or to strangle. This one was faceless, its features charred as if they’d been burned off.
“They’re supposed to be frightening,” a voice called.
Charlie was making her way toward Nor from across the compound. To Nor’s dismay, Gage followed closely behind, a scowl on his face.
“At least, that was the intention,” Charlie said, coming up beside her. She patted the leg of the statue fondly. “Rona called them our aegises.”
“Aegises,” Nor mused. “That’s from Greek mythology, isn’t it?” She was ignoring Gage’s dark look, the one burning a hole in the side of her face. Even if her hair caught fire, she would not turn her head. It’s not my fault I’m here, she wanted to say. It’s not like I was given a choice. “The aegis was the name of the shield that protected Athena,” Nor said instead. “She was the goddess of wisdom and of warfare.”
Charlie nodded. “And just like the aegis was made to protect Athena, Rona made our aegises to protect us.”
“She made them to protect herself,” Gage grumbled. He gestured with his cigarette. “That we also benefit from their protection was just an accidental but fortunate by-product.” Angrily, he stabbed out his cigarette on the statue’s leg. Almost as an afterthought, he brushed off the ash before storming away.
“I always feel better about my place in the world after talking to him,” Nor said.
“It’d probably be best to ignore him today,” Charlie said. “He’s pissed off that Dauphine still won’t let me or him join Pike and Sena Crowe on their patrols.”
“Patrols of what?”
“Well, you’ve noticed the change on the island, right? The plants and the weather and the whales disappearing? Whatever’s causing it — whether it’s your mother or something else — we’re betting isn’t anything benevolent or benign. For weeks now we’ve been sweeping the island to make sure we aren’t caught unaware. Did a whole lot of good, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Your mom got on the island anyway, didn’t she?” Charlie pointed out. “But I guess that’s kind of her whole deal, huh? Getting people to do what she wants? She didn’t want us to know she was coming, so we didn’t.” She caught Nor’s arm before they went inside. “But hey, don’t worry. We were made for this. We keep the Blackburn women safe, even if it’s from another Blackburn woman. It’s our duty. Our —”