tomorrow morning.”
Both Marigold and Rain glanced at him, surprise filling their faces.
“You’d do that?” Rain asked.
Kipa nodded. “We’d be glad to. Just give us a dozen ears of it so we can have it for dinner tomorrow night, all right?”
Rain laughed. “How about two dozen ears? I know what appetites you have.”
“It’s a deal. I’ll come out with Raven, then. Meanwhile, stay away from the maze. I saw…that coyote while I was in there escorting people out. Just keep away from it,” Kipa said.
Evie flashed me a grateful look. “We will, I promise.”
“All right, then we’re taking off,” I said.
Kipa helped Llew and Jordan carry their boxes to their car while I waited in the passenger seat of my Subaru. I locked the doors, gazing into the ravine. The feeling of being watched was stronger than ever and, as I stared into the depths of the foliage, it began to register in my tired brain that there were brilliant yellow eyes—luminous, like a cat’s eyes—staring at me from deep inside the ravine. They were intelligent and cunning, and I caught my breath as they stayed focused on me. I wanted to reach out, to try to suss out who or what it was, but a warning inside whispered, It’s a trap. Don’t touch the energy. And so I left it alone, waiting till Kipa returned, anxious to get the hell away from Dream Circle Farms.
Chapter Eight
I waited until we were on the way home before asking, “Tell me. What did you find?”
Kipa shook his head. He was driving, and he had been quiet the entire time. He cleared his throat. “I have no idea of what’s actually going on, but there’s some creepy-assed shit happening out on that farm. How well do you know Marigold and Rain?”
“Not that well, but Llew’s been their friend for years. Why?”
“I’m not saying that they’re causing this, but when I went into that corn maze, it felt like I was chasing after a psychopath. I know that sounds odd, given I have no clue of who or what I was after, but as I worked my way in toward the center, I just kept expecting to find dead bodies along the way. I thought I was going to catch whatever it was, but every time I dove through into the area where the corn was moving and rustling, I came up…empty. It was like a wild goose chase.”
“So, you didn’t find out what was in there?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. But I did catch a glimpse of the spirit over by the pumpkin patch—I went over there to check it out. You were right—it’s a young woman. I think maybe a teenager. She knew I saw her, too, because she started waving at me—frantically, like she was trying to get my attention. But I don’t speak with spirits, not easily, and I couldn’t make out what she was trying to tell me.”
I thought for a moment. “What did she look like?”
“Early to mid-teens, she was wearing a green skirt and a brown top. Long brown hair.” He frowned. “She wasn’t what I felt in the corn, though. In fact, I can’t be sure, but I think she steers clear of whatever that thing is.”
“Evie told me some of the history of the land. A young teen went missing there. She belonged to the family of earth witches who originally owned this farm. The father went missing as well, after the girl disappeared.”
“Do you really have to read the cards tomorrow? I don’t like the thought of you being out there.” Kipa stopped at a red light. The rain was pouring harder and while the lightning had backed off, the skies were opening up to drench the streets.
“I promised Llew I would. So, at least for part of the afternoon. Why?”
“The place just makes me uneasy. Tonight, I suggest we do some research on the farm and its previous owners.” Kipa flipped the windshield wipers to high, and then made a cautious left turn. “Want to stop and pick up pizza for dinner?”
“That would be good. And you know, I think I’ll give Yutani a call. He’s so good at ferreting out information on the web. I can ask him to see what he can find.” I pulled out my phone as Kipa turned at the driveway for Pizza Pizza.
While he went in to order three pizzas, I called Yutani. When he came on the line, I apologized for interrupting his evening.
“Not to