Elemental Flame - Phaedra Weldon Page 0,19

for coming.

By the time I finished, my Gnome, Sylph, Salamander and Undine were present and watching. Kyle set out his small cauldron, a green candle and a yellow candle, matches and a small tin. We watched as he set the small charcoals in the cauldron on fire and once they burned red, the Hedge Witch opened the tin and sprinkled powdered incense on the charcoals.

A plume of purple smoke engulfed Kyle immediately and I felt a slight pressure in the air. The smoke continued to grow until it filled out the entirety of the warehouse's interior. As the air turned a light pastel purple, I started seeing images in the mist. Movement all around me. "Is there a way to slow it down?"

And on cue the movements did slow and then reversed. A quick look at Kyle and I could see his eyes squeezed tight in concentration and his hands moving in front of him. Kyle was manipulating the herbs he'd used in the incense, directing the spell. This was magic that I just couldn't do.

My Undine made flapping noises as she did rolls in the air, speeding toward a group of shadows near the kitchen. I followed her with my Gnome close at my side, her axe at the ready. I stood in the center of the kitchen and watched as Kyle let the events roll forward. There had been a bed in the left corner, several shelves and a chest of drawers. Shadowy figures moved about with gestures, though I couldn't hear them. They packed things into large bags and made their way in and out of the warehouse.

This continued for several minutes before the purple mist faded and the images disappeared.

I jogged back over to Kyle who flopped onto his back and lay sprawled out. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah. A few of those herbs give me a headache."

"I could see shadows and people moving, but that's all they were. Shadows. No faces. No features. I couldn't even tell if they were male or female."

"That's why I got a headache. There was a concealment spell cast. So whoever they are, they used magic. And it's not Arcane Magic, it's our magic."

"What?" I looked at the now empty warehouse. "Witches?"

"It wasn't Magicians. And they didn't want to be seen. So they moved Crwys's things out of here under a cloak. If so many days hadn't passed, I might have been able to push through their block. But it's just been too long. The images aren't fresh anymore."

He did very good. His power's growing Sam. Just like Ivan's and yours.

Yeah…only their power had a natural progression. Mine had an Arcane booster in tow.

"It's okay." I started toward the candles and gathered them up, dismissing my Elementals with thanks. When I reached the candle by the door I paused and stepped outside. A quick look around and I came back in and handed Kyle the candles as he packed everything but the hot cauldron. "So…where did Crwys get his mail?"

"I don't know. A P.O. box?"

"Prescott said she got a resignation letter from him with a note saying where to send his last check."

"What does his mail have to do with anything?" He handed me the bag, and with oven mitts carried the small cauldron out the front door. He dumped it onto some concrete and then scattered the smoldering ashes. I summoned my Undine and she happily squeezed some water from a few muddy puddles and put the charcoals out. Once finished, she disappeared.

"Prescott didn't see Crwys put the letter on her desk. I don't think he resigned at all. Levi's sure of it. So what if the person that took him or is hurting him put the letter there so no one would look for him, and added in the address to deliver the check."

"Possibly," Kyle rubbed the goatee on his chin. "Sam…why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do all this? I mean, I doubt anyone but Levi knew he was a Dragon. Come on. Even I'm having a hard time swallowing it, though it does sort of explain his ifrit-like powers."

"Ifrit?"

"Fire devil. Fire beast," he shrugged. "Why go through this much trouble to make sure no one would go looking for him, to the point where even you thought he dumped you?"

"I don't have an answer to that."

"I do. Someone wanted him and they want to keep him. They don't want anyone rescuing him. We know they're Witches. We just have to find out what coven discovered his secret. But what has me a