Starlight Web (Moonshadow Bay #1) - Yasmine Galenorn Page 0,54

gives me the creeps. It feels like a ghost ship, oddly enough.” She huddled, her hands under her arms. “I don’t know how it feels colder out here than it did in there, but it does.”

“We’re exposed to the wind out here. Even with broken windows, at least inside we were out of the elements.” I opened my recents list and hit Crichton’s name. The phone rang three times before he answered.

“Charles Crichton. May I help you?”

“This is January—remember me?”

“Of course. What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you could tell me something. Just how big of a patch of land did the Lummi people think was cursed? I know the area that the institution sits on, but to what extent does the curse extend outward? An acre? Half an acre? Do you happen to know?”

He paused, then said, “Let me call you back in a few minutes. I think I have the information but I have to find it.”

“Thanks. If you could call me as soon as possible, I’d so very much appreciate it.” I hung up and then marched over to the van. “Come on, we don’t have to wait out in the cold.”

Caitlin glanced back at the building, then followed me. “All right.”

We reached the van and I stopped. “I forgot. I don’t have the key.”

“I have a spare,” Caitlin said, pulling out a key ring. She opened the side door and we clambered in. She fit the key in the ignition and turned on the heater and we huddled around the vents until Charles returned my call, about ten minutes later.

“January? I have your information,” he said. “In my records, I have a note that the curse seems to extend about two acres, with the asylum being center. So a mile outward from every direction. It seems to be circular—a perfect circle, actually—the last people to investigate the area ascertained. Given the asylum is dead center, I’m thinking that Leeland deliberately planned for the building to be at ground zero.”

“Why would he do that?” I frowned. “Unless he was planning on making use of all the chaos.”

“Precisely. Remember, Leeland and his band were chaos magicians. They weren’t just witches. They thrived on chaos and shadow magic, and anything that they could do to increase those powers, well…they did.”

I let out a long sigh. “So what you’re saying is that they pulled a Ghostbusters move—they built the institution directly over the center of the curse to harness and expand the energy driving it?”

“Since Leeland died in prison, I can’t tell you for certain, but that certainly seems likely, given the evidence. How’s your investigation going?” he asked, sounding like he wanted to talk.

“We found a corpse candle that seems very keen on hunting down quarry.”

“Oh, lovely!” Crichton paused, then quickly added, “I didn’t mean to come across that way. I know it’s not so lovely if you’re the one facing it, but I’ve always wanted to see one.”

“I don’t recommend it,” I said. “Thank you, I’ll talk to you soon.” As I hung up, I slumped back in my seat. “Okay, get ready for this—” I started to say, but Caitlin interrupted me.

“I heard. The asylum is directly over the strongest area of the curse—the central point?”

“Yes, and it extends about a mile out from every side, in a circular pattern. Odd, though—why circular? Perfect circles don’t exist in nature, so how did the curse form? Did someone start it, before the Lummi people lived in this area? I know that other settlers reached the shores of this country, though nobody’s sure who—besides the Natives—were here first.”

I shook my head. “Do you think…could something be buried in the ground to cause this?”

“What do you mean, buried? You’re not talking about a flying saucer or something?”

I don’t know what I’m asking,” I said. “I’m just thinking out loud, I guess.” Reluctantly, I pulled my hands away from the vents that were still pumping out warm air. “We’d better get back to Tad and Hank before they start to worry.” I glanced at the clock. “Killian should be here in about ninety minutes—he said he’d be here by three.” I’d feel better with more bodies around. It always seemed like most of the ghosts in movies didn’t become a bother until there were only a few people around.

We slid out of the van after Caitlin turned off the ignition and she locked up. We began to hike back over to the building, blinking as the thick flakes