Witchcraft

you will pay." Kimberly concealed the tremor of fear that went through her. Ariel meant it. "Well, I know a one-hundred-fifty-mile drive through a storm probably isn't the brightest thing someone can do at three in the morning, but what can I say? I was bored." Ariel shook her head once as if unable to believe such stupidity. ' Foolish woman. You had no option but to make that drive tonight. You were summoned. That was not a matter of choice for you. No, you made your mistake two months ago when you chose to interfere in matters that did not pertain to you."
    "The little matter of the kidnapping?" Kimberly swallowed the sickening taste of fear and swung her gaze to the standing woman. "You're the one who was holding Scott in that beach house, aren't you? The one I took him away from so easily that night." She turned her attention back to Ariel. "It seems to me you've got some problems in the personnel section of your organization, Ariel. I know good help is hard to get but you've really picked some blunderers. This idiot didn't even hear me the night I came by to fetch Scott. And then there was that turkey with the knife who kept tripping over his Halloween costume. This guy with the gun probably forgot the ammunition." There was an ominous growl from the armed man and the nose of the gun lifted menacingly. "I assure you it is loaded," Ariel said calmly. "But I do hope you won't force him to use it. We have much more interesting plans for you, Kim."
    "Wonderful. Are we going to sit around and read cards?" "I told you the day of the card reading that you should take the omens seriously. Of course, I knew you wouldn't. But you learned a lesson that night, didn't you, Kim?"
    "Why did you do things the hard way the other night, Ariel? Why make your hit man use an antique silver dagger, which, I have on the best authority, isn't a particularly efficient weapon? Stylish, yes.
    Efficient, no." Ariel's mouth hardened and in the glow of the candle flame her eyes seemed to glitter. "It was important that you die properly. It has been a hundred years since the Dagger has been blooded. You were chosen as its victim."
    "Because I interfered in the kidnapping." Kimberly nodded, as though it all made perfect sense.
    "Why did you take Scott two months ago? Was he the original choice for the sacrifice?"
    "Oh, no. Kidnapping Scott was purely a financial move," Ariel assured her. "We needed the money. It was decided that Cavenaugh should be the source."
    "You mean this magical power of yours can't conjure up something as simple as a credit card?" That seemed to crack Ariel's unnatural serenity. "It was the power that decided the money should come from the Cavenaughs ."
    "But you never got it, did you?"
    "We will in time," Ariel declared, calming again. "All will happen as the power said it would happen. In time." Kimberly glanced at the shadowed faces of the other two people in the room. "Are you guys as crazy as she is? Do you actually believe in all this inane nonsense? Sooner or later, you know, the whole mess is going to cave in on you and you're going to get caught. That turkey who tried to kill me the other night is probably singing his heart out to the cops now!"
    "That punk knows nothing," the figure with the gun assured her. "No names, no faces. It was all arranged very carefully. He knew only that he had to do it in the prescribed manner, using the Dagger, because he would not be paid otherwise."
    "You're out of your mind if you think he won't be able to provide the authorities with some clues. The knife alone is a very big one."
    "No one but the Select know the meaning and purpose of the Dagger," Ariel put in evenly. "There are only a few of us in each generation. The secrets are always guarded most carefully. The authorities will learn nothing from the Dagger."
    "Where did you get it, Ariel?" Kimberly couldn't think of anything esse to do except keep the conversation going. Ariel seemed willing enough to chat about her "power" and the other two seemed totally under her control. But before Ariel could answer, the phone rang. Kimberly wasn't the only one who flinched at the unexpected, shrill command of the instrument. The guy with the gun must have jumped an inch, she decided. And the young woman looked momentarily panicked. Without even having to think about it, Kimberly knew who was on the other end of the line. "That will be Cavenaugh ," she said quite clearly. "He'll be checking to see that I got home safely."
    "No!" The