nancy werlocks diary s02e11 by julie ann dawson Read Free Book Online Page A

Houston and Eric were complaining that they were hungry. Now on top of everything else going on, I have to babysit a fiend.
    Eric calls from the shop to let me know that the last of Vivika’s ritual components arrived via courier. It took some effort to keep Anastasia from opening the box to confirm the contents with the manifest. Not that Eric let her read the actual manifest, but she has gotten very insistent regarding confirming shipment contents after reading some case study of her mother’s business textbooks about proper inventory control and a florist that was fined by the FDA when an erroneous shipment of marijuana was shipped along with some tulip bulbs.
    I’m fairly sure there was more to the story, but I didn’t ask because I didn’t want to know. She means well, but her meaning well doesn’t make her desire to open boxes filled with expensive ritual components and less problematic.
    After confirming with Eric that the box was, in fact, secure and that there was no other issue, I lock Amy in the lead box and Houston and I summon Vivika to discuss her other requirements.
    Vivika manifests in a translucent form. Her face bears the usual haughty smile, but the rest of her body language indicates anxiety. Apprentices are often surprised to discover that ghosts have “body language” just like the living. But so much body language is learned behavior that the habits carry over into death.
    “Tell me you have good news, Nancy,” says Vivika.
    “The last of the components arrived. Everything is stored at the shop.”
    “I don’t suppose your friend in the Justicars has learned anything about Brynwolf’s whereabouts?”
    “The last I spoke to Steve, they still didn’t have any leads.”
    “On the bright side, no leads means he has yet to play his hand,” she says with a nod. “We may yet get the jump on him.”
    “So, where do we go from here, Vivika?” asks Houston.
    Vivika stares at her son blankly. Even I am a bit surprised that he would call his mother by her name. His aura is flaring a muddy dark blue, which you normally find when someone is afraid for the future. If he was a concerned son worried about his mother’s survival, such an aura would be expected. But I know the truth and realize that flaming aura would be red with anger if not for the fact that the Lord Advocate had taught Houston how to alter his aura.
    Vivika looks down at her feet. “In my current form, Nancy, it is impossible for me to naturally summon up the amount of energy required for this ritual. How close can we get to the cairn without attracting attention?”
    “You want to tap the cairn?” I ask. “You never mentioned tapping the cairn.”
    “I won’t need to tap it, nor would I ask you to allow it to be tapped. But the Veil is already thin and will be at its thinnest during Samhain. There should be enough latent energy leaking naturally from the cairn to power the ritual. And on the bright side, if we channel that latent energy, it should prevent any more cryptids or thought beasts spontaneously forming in the Pine Barrens, yes?”
    “Theoretically, yes,” I reply. “And all things considered, I suppose I can arrange for Houston and me to get assigned to watch over the cairn that day under the pretense of preventing anyone from tapping it.”
    “I will leave it to you then to mark off a suitable location. We will also need to arrange a decoy. Something to deflect Brynwolf’s attention away from us. Perhaps your mother and grandmother could contrive some false ritual here at the house to draw his attention?”
    “I would think you would want their help with the ritual considering that they can easily help you call up as much energy as you might need.”
    “And don’t you think Brynwolf would in fact notice such a huge pooling of power?”
    “Valid point,” I say. Vivika has never liked my mother or Nanna Morri. If it weren’t for the fact that I knew the truth about her identity, I would chalk it up to