While the rest of the world saw longitude and latitude, magic users knew about another kind of map. Lines of power crisscrossed the earth, some fixed in predictable patterns, some constantly shifting due to unknown forces. Whether conscious or unconscious in intent, sacred sites were often built on the fixed lines, like ancient Stonehenge or a plain mountain chapel emanating tranquility. The fault lines weren’t merely feel-good spots, however, though it was certainly helpful that most humans thought of them that way, visiting them with starry eyes, New Age ideas and chakra stones.

Fault lines provided the divine arteries that kept the earth flourishing, a spiritual flow as essential as the rivers and waterways that nourished physical life. Sorcerers like Derek knew how to draw on them at the deepest levels, all magic users connected to them in certain ways. At specific points, the fault lines also contained portals to other realms. Even after centuries of awareness, ongoing studies by magic users kept finding out new things about those lines.

Quite helpfully, Linda’s place was on the fixed fault line that needed reinforcing. Her home was a spread of twenty acres, the surrounding woodland and marsh ensuring privacy. As Ruby bumped down the gravel drive through a thick cover of pines and scrub, she frowned. The old energies were strong here, and there was a decent overlay of recent ritual to bolster them. A lot of solid Earth power clustered along the line to use for its reinforcement. What weakness had the Underworld detected to make this a target? She needed to quiz Derek further, but even if she hadn’t made such an abrupt departure from him, she preferred to get her own first impressions.

Just as she was beginning to wonder when she’d reach the house, the forest thinned and she pulled into the small clearing that had been allowed for Linda’s home. It was a charming two-story log cabin, with several guesthouses and a large gazebo on the property. The gazebo had swings Ruby suspected could be removed for rituals that were done under its cover. The house was North point, the three guesthouses at the other compass points and the gazebo in the exact center. To avoid the aesthetic faux pas of it looking too symmetrical, the guesthouses were angled differently, but there was a ritual purpose to that as well. Magic was often an important balance between harmony and a sprinkling of chaos for reinforcement. The theory was similar to allowing metal a certain amount of flexibility and movement to keep a bridge standing.

Winding stone paths ran between the buildings, expanses of grass liberally broken with natural areas dotted with flowers and frond-type plants that flourished at the southern coast. There was an herb garden near the kitchen entrance of the house. When she stopped the car, got out and stood in front of the van’s heated bumper to study everything in silent evaluation, she located statuary, wind chimes, rock formations. While they were well integrated into the landscape, everything was chosen and placed so it provided the maximum reinforcement to protect the home and guide and raise the spiritual awareness of the inhabitants. Someone had put a lot of care and planning into the design.

As she heard the screen door from the house thud, she turned to see a woman come down the steps. Linda Egret had thick blond hair cut in a shoulder-length style around her attractive forty-something features. The slacks and blouse suggested she’d recently come home from work. Her body was in the comfortable thickening stage that softened the face and padded the hips in middle age. Her earrings were simple, silver-wrapped clear quartz for focus. The pentagram nestled between her breasts, visible from the blouse neckline, had two silver crescents flanking a center round gemstone of calcite. It was well charged, such that Ruby could feel its protective and calming power like the heat coming from the van’s grill behind her.

“I would have come out earlier, but Derek said to give you about five minutes when you arrived.” Linda had a warm voice, smooth and assured. “He knows you well. You didn’t even look for me until about that fifth minute.”

“Well, I realized I need to go to the bathroom, and I didn’t want to water your azaleas.”

Linda smiled at that, extended her hand. Ruby took it, pleased with the firm grip. “He also said you were a smart-ass. I told him every woman worth something is. Come on in. You can use the bathroom; then we’ll get you settled in the guesthouse.”

“I brought a dog,” Ruby said as they moved in that direction. “It was last minute. He’s a good guy, won’t cause any problem.”

“My two Australian shepherds will be delighted. They love to herd guests, four-footed or two-footed.”

“Herding Theo will be like directing a lumbering elephant with a cat’s brain, but they can knock themselves out.”

THE GUESTHOUSE WAS ALSO A COMFORTABLE, REINFORCED space, a one-bedroom with kitchenette, bath, screened porch. With the angling of the house, the screened porch was private, not in direct view from the main house.

“This place could be a bed-and-breakfast,” Ruby commented.

“It’s fairly new. The owner built it as a B and B, a spiritual retreat destination, or his home to raise children and retire, depending on where the years take him. He asked if I’d like to live here rent-free in return for watching over it and keeping it up, because right now he travels a lot. And he has a house in town.”

Ruby stepped back out on the front stoop of the guesthouse, her eyes narrowing. “So the owner…. he set all this up?”

“Yes. And yes, he is a witch. Actually, a fairly powerful priest. I’ll tell you about him at dinner if you’d like. He’s an interesting story.”

Linda elevated herself further in Ruby’s eyes by helping her wake Theo, massaging his front limbs while Ruby took the more affected hips and rear haunches. The dog nosed Linda thoroughly, checking her out. When he got drool on her blouse, it didn’t faze her. The two women hefted him out of the van, steadying him until he woke up enough to become interested in his surroundings. Then Linda let the shepherds out so they could become friends. As Linda helped Ruby carry in Theo’s mattress, Ruby saw Theo lumbering off with them to investigate his new place.

She had forgotten what it was like to interact with a practitioner who understood what being a witch was about. Except for Raina and Ramona, Ruby didn’t often trust women or relax around them. While she certainly didn’t need a shrink to help her understand that, it didn’t change the fact she was always looking for that backstabbing competitive trait that most women carried in their X chromosome. In this case, it would have been pretty detrimental, so she was glad not to see it in Linda.

Probably sensing Ruby’s impending caffeine crash, Linda had encouraged her to turn in whenever she wished, and they could get started in earnest tomorrow. Because Ruby did have some questions she wanted answered tonight, however, she took Linda up on her offer of an early dinner. The woman proved she had awesome culinary skills, putting together a lightly spiced tomato-cheese spread on focaccia bread with a side of pita chips.

During the dinner, Ruby got her second wind and asked Linda some pointed questions about the other twelve women in the coven. If Linda was surprised about the intimate details Ruby requested, she didn’t show it. For the serious nature of the work they were doing, Ruby would need to know weaknesses and strengths of the group. For her part, Ruby found Linda’s answers thoughtful and not defensive, even when they were asked about herself.

In short, Linda was a well-grounded, quietly confident woman who seemed more interested in serving the Light than in proving herself more accomplished than the unknown magic user Derek had sent to help her and the coven.

To finish out the evening, Ruby joined Linda on the screened porch of the main house, curling up on a comfortable papasan chair to listen to the forest night sounds. Theo lay at her feet, his nose almost touching the flank of one of the sprawled Australian shepherds. Linda had changed out of her work clothes into a long patchwork skirt and a snug wraparound top that made the most of her voluptuous Renaissance figure. It gave her a sensual Earth-mother look.

Ruby cupped her hot tea, blew on it, keeping her eyes on the caramel color. “So, now that we have the preliminaries out of the way, how do you feel about me being here?”

“I’m relieved,” Linda said frankly. “I have the most experience in our coven, because I’ve been a practitioner for most of my life, learned the Craft from my grandmother, but I’m very much a hearth witch. Potions, spells, crystals, general energy raisings for the highest good. We have the foundation to do what Derek says needs to happen, but I’m in the dark about the best way to go about it. Do I need to be scared, for me or my ladies?”

Ruby gave her an honest answer. “To fight what comes out of the Underworld requires a Guardian of the Light, or a serious kick-ass magic user. A witch’s magic is often very intuitive, connected to Earth energies, related to maintaining balance or making slight adjustments to it as needed. For this, you’re the peacekeeping border patrol. Derek’s job is being the invading force, taking back territory from the enemy.”

Linda pressed her lips together. “Sometimes the border patrol gets shot.”

“Yeah, they do. But I’ll teach you how to heighten your senses, give you more lead time if hot spots happen. I’ll also give you ways to protect and defend yourselves if you miscalculate.” Ruby held her gaze. “It’s like having a firearm in the house. You train with it, make sure you’re comfortable using it, but in the end it’s for self-defense. If you have a way to get away from the threat, that’s always your first option.”

“Well, as long as whatever boils up from the Underworld isn’t here for my limited-edition Fairies of the World plate collection, that’ll work. Otherwise, I’ll fight to the death.”

Ruby didn’t smile. “You know you don’t have to do this. It remains a choice, for you and the rest of the coven.”

“I know.” Linda set her jaw. “Derek made that very clear. But this is our home, Ruby. The Craft has been my way of life since I was a little girl. What does it say about my faith if, the first time I’m called to use it in a way that I’m uniquely qualified to do, that can help others, I turn my back because I’m afraid?”