Page 4 of Solar Shadows

I’d been neglecting my modeling career. At some point, I would have to deal with Helen. She kept calling, leaving furious messages, demanding a better explanation for my lack of working other than me wanting time off.

Shit. How was I supposed to balance this new life with my old one? I couldn’t be a supermodel and The Sun. The public wasn’t aware of House Aurora’s return and wouldn’t be happy about it, given my family’s tainted past.

Should I retire? Finally cut the strings of my career? Riley had left his librarian job, but his resignation didn’t cause a media storm. Mine would.

Thank Hecate for the glamouring potion inside me, making the world see me as a witchcop. Theadded bonus of the cloaking potion also hid my magical activity, although it couldn’t be relied on lately after it failed Riley when he’d been running from the Kingwoods with Drake, resulting in the High Coven finding us.

We worked with them now, which was interesting. They provided us with witchcops to help in the field and boost the mansion with an extra layer of protection.

But it didn’t remove the constant crackle of unease.

The High Coven had gone to great lengths to stop the return of House Aurora, so trusting them wasn’t exactly a breeze. I couldn’t help but wonder when the knife would finally slide into our backs.

Still, thank Hecate for this newfound freedom. No more sitting around the mansion waiting for the apocalypse to land on our doorstep.

Cheers to that.

Jake finished popping the lock, Ollie pulling the chain free and opening the gates. They squeaked as I thought they would, the sound fresh out of a horror movie.

I shook my hands, cracking my neck.

The plan was to scope the place out and see what these people were up to. Along with the other two potions sloshing away inside me, there was Rubberskin—an unreliable potion that tried to help deflect any harmful attacks.

Drake quickly sent a message to Alice and AprilBramble, who were waiting as lookouts at the end of the dark entrance road, along with two extra witchcops for emergency backup.

Okay. We’re doing this.

“Come on,” Jake commanded, taking point.

Ollie gestured for us to follow him so he could make up the rear. As I did, I made brief eye contact with him, but got nothing back, of course. The pile of bricks on the other side of the gate would probably give me more emotion if I struck up a conversation with it.

Maybe drop this infatuation bullshit while working?

I clicked on my flashlight, inspecting my surroundings. I’d only use my Defensive Sunshine power when it was appropriate to, because it would get too hot and bright for Drake and the agents, but not for me and Riley. Our powers didn’t affect each other.

A mulchy carpet of dead leaves smothered the ground, trash scattered everywhere. Ticket booths rotted away beside the corpses of rusted rides and various stands where you could once shoot water pistols at targets to win prizes.

A thick sadness permeated everything in this place, the whole vibe a painful reminder of what used to be. Well, if you remembered it for what it was, I guess. Being new to the city of Coldharbour, I didn’t know anything about this place apart from it being disused and eerie as fuck.

We passed the bumper cars, Hecate Crystalsgrowing on the stationary vehicles. The beam of my flashlight found nothing else in the arena for bumping apart from decay.

Jake and Ollie spread out a little, checking every nook and cranny. Nothing stirred, nothing showed its face, nothing sounding around me other than the wind.

I shivered, the bitter air creeping under the collar of my jacket.

My senses were on high alert, the best they’d ever been in my life, thanks to the strength of my Aurora blood. Ears attuned to every sound, eyes waiting for any sign of movement. But that didn’t stop more goosebumps breaking out across my skin.

I didn’t like the way this fairground held its breath, keeping it secrets until the opportune moment arrived to unleash them.

If something jumped out at me, I’d so be kicking its ass from here to the end of the universe. I hated surprises, and jump-scares were the worst of them all.

Riley stopped by the Ferris wheel. By Hecate, it was taller than I thought. A real metal giant, its cars rocking in the wind, squeaking and rusted at the bottom, the spokes in a terrible state.

“How long until this falls down, do you think?” I asked, pointing my beam at the center of the wheel.

“Hopefully not tonight,” Riley answered.

Hearing the slight crack in his voice stopped me cold. Memories of his death landed on my shores again, as they liked to do a lot.