Witching For Joy (Premonition Pointe #3) - Deanna Chase Page 0,5
was thinking, too, but I don’t want you to feel pressured to do this.” She averted her gaze and, in a quiet voice, added, “I’m sure it’s traumatizing.”
It was. Joy was sure she’d be having nightmares about the vision she’d witnessed. But she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Carly’s niece was missing, in the hands of only the goddess knew who, and Joy ached for her. Everything in her wished that the photos in the house would lead her right to Harlow Preston.
Joy walked through the sleek, modern beach house to stare out the window. The silver moon shone down on the churning Pacific below, and Joy walked out the glass doors to let the salty scent of the sea fill her up and recharge her magic. She’d always gotten a charge from the ocean. It was one of the reasons witches seemed to gravitate to Premonition Pointe. The night was clear with the stars illuminated above. The scene was so beautiful that it was hard to imagine a terrible crime had been committed in the house just a few hours before.
The cool wind blew in from the ocean, causing Joy to shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself and retreated back into the mostly white living room.
“The pictures are over there.” Carly pointed to the mantle over a gas fireplace before gesturing to a sideboard in the dining area. “And there.”
Joy made her way to the mantle and scanned the framed photos. Carly’s niece was in most of them, but she narrowed in on a joyful shot of the vibrant young woman. She was on the beach, her head thrown back as she laughed. Joy trailed her fingers over the glass as if tracing the picture. She cleared her mind and thought only of the woman reflected back at her and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Nothing. No vision. There wasn’t even a tingle of magic.
Joy sighed and put the picture back on the mantle. Maybe her magic was the issue. Hadn’t she felt that tingle of magic last time right before the vision? She thought so, but so much had happened since then that she wasn’t sure.
She reached for another photo. In this one Harlow was standing on the beach, her head bowed as the waves crashed around her feet. Joy thought of the water and conjured enough magic that her skin started to tingle. But even as her magic flared to life, it didn’t bring any visions. Instead, it just slipped away.
“Any luck?” Carly asked from behind her.
Joy replaced the second photo and shook her head as she turned to face her costar. “I’m afraid not. I don’t even know if it’s something I can will myself to do. The last one came out of nowhere.”
Carly frowned, looking disappointed, but she nodded. “I was afraid of that. Do you mind trying a few more times?”
“Not at all.” Joy desperately wanted to help her find Harlow. The younger woman’s abduction weighed on her, and she felt like she was letting both Carly and her niece down by not being able to do more. She spent the next half hour staring at every picture in Carly’s beach house before she finally flopped down on the white couch and let out a frustrated groan. “I think it’s time I admit defeat.”
Carly placed a silver tea service on the coffee table and took a seat in the armchair across from her. After she poured water into the two cups, she handed one of them to Joy. “I understand. Thank you for trying.”
There was so much disappointment in Carly’s tone, it made Joy hesitant to give up on trying to find Harlow. But the visions just weren’t coming. “What do you think about me calling my coven? If we were all together, we might be able to make something happen.”
“Your coven? Do you think they would come?” There was so much hope in Carly’s voice that Joy almost felt guilty for suggesting it. There wasn’t any reason to believe her coven sisters could do anything to find Harlow, but she just couldn’t give up yet.
“I’m sure they will if they’re available—” Joy started, but then she stopped abruptly when her phone started to play “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns and Roses, indicating it was one of her kids. “Give me just a sec.” She fished her phone out of her pocket, accepted the call, and said, “Hey, Kyle. What’s up?”