YOUR DEATH

Her gasp was still strangled in her throat when the room suddenly burst with light and wind. She heard someone scream, threw up an arm to shield her eyes as a form coalesced out of a whirlpool of air.

The board shattered as if made of glass.

“What are you playing at?” Rowena stood in the center of them, the sharp heel of her shoe digging into a shard of the board. “Have you no more sense than to open a door to such things as you cannot understand or defend against?”

With an annoyed sigh, she stepped gracefully out of the circle and picked up the wine. “I’d like a glass, please.”

“How did you get here? How did you know?” Malory pushed herself up on rubbery legs.

“It’s fortunate for you that I did both.” She picked up the salt, and upended the box over the remains of the board.

“Oh, now, just a damn minute.”

“Sweep it up together,” Rowena ordered Zoe. “Then burn it. I’d very much appreciate a glass of wine.” She handed the bottle to Malory, then sat on the sofa.

Outraged, Malory stalked into the kitchen, yanked a wineglass from the cupboard. She marched back and shoved the glass into Rowena’s hand. “I didn’t invite you into my home.”

“On the contrary, you invited me and whoever else chose to come through the opening.”

“Then we are witches.”

Rowena’s expression changed as she looked over at Zoe’s rapt face. “No, not the way you mean.” Her tone was more gentle now, patient teacher to eager student. “Though every woman has some magic. Still, together your powers are trebled, and you had just enough skill, just enough desire to issue an invitation. I’m not the only one who answered it. You felt him,” she said to Malory. “You’ve felt him before.”

“Kane.” She cupped her elbows and shuddered as the memory of the cold seeped into her. “He moved the pointer, not us. He was playing with us.”

“He threatened Malory.” The thrill forgotten, Zoe was on her feet now. “What are you going to do about it?”

“All I can.”

“Maybe that’s not good enough.” Dana reached up to link her hand with Malory’s. “I heard you scream. I saw your face when you did. You felt something Zoe and I didn’t, and it was real terror. It was real pain.”

“It’s the cold. It’s . . . I can’t describe it.”

“The absence of all warmth,” Rowena murmured. “All hope, all life. But he can’t touch you unless you allow it.”

“Allow it? How the hell did she . . .” Zoe broke off, looked down at the broken board at her feet. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry. Mal, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It’s not.” She took Zoe’s hand, so for a moment the three of them were linked.

Seeing them, Rowena smiled into her wine.

“We were looking for answers, and you had an idea. Which is more than I’ve had the last couple of days. We tried something. Maybe it was the wrong something,” she added as she whipped back to Rowena, “but that doesn’t give you the right to slap at us for it.”