Now or Never: Wizards of Nevermore by Michele Bardsley Page B

face of his mystery woman. He sent a quick prayer to the Goddess that she was not suffering from demon-wrought spellwork.
    “Not demon,” said Ember, shaking her head. “Dis magic Raven.”
    “Well, that’s not much better,” said Gray. “Why would the Ravens want to hurt her?”
    “How’d they get into Nevermore?” asked Taylor. “Into
my
forest? And into the
nemeton
?”
    Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on him.
    “What?” Gray frowned. “There’s a
nemeton
in your woods?”
    Even Gray, who basically protected and governed all of Nevermore, understood that Taylor’s land, and those mysterious woods, belonged to the sheriff. Taylor rubbed his face. What was wrong with him? He was doing this whole thing ass-backward. He couldn’t keep his eyes away from
her
, and he couldn’t keep his thoughts straight, either. He sucked in a steady breath. Then he told the story—skipping the part about his nightmares and hearing his mother’s voice.
    After he was finished, silence blanketed the room.
    “The raven was white,” repeated Gray incredulously. “And it actually said Lenore?”
    Taylor nodded toward the girl. “I think it might be her name.”
    “Well,” said Lucy, “that’s just…weird.”
    “Raven magic, raven bird, raven poem,” said Ember. Her gaze drifted over the prone female. “Raven girl.”
    Taylor stared at Ember. What the hell did all that mean?
    “Let Lucy and Ember heal her,” said Gray. “You show me the
nemeton
. Then we’ll figure out how the bastards got in, and we’ll seal the gaps.”
    “All right,” said Taylor.
    Gray kissed his wife and then clapped Taylor on the shoulder. “C’mon.”
    Taylor cast a final look at the woman tucked underneath his mother’s quilt, his heart clenching, and then he followed his friend and boss out the door.
    After Taylor put on a clean shirt, he grabbed his pistol, even though having Gray along was like carrying a magical bazooka. He was a very powerful wizard and the only shape-shifter in the world—probably. Who knew what secrets other magicals held? Gray had only figured out the ability a few months ago, and Taylor still didn’t quite understand how it all worked. But he’d seen Gray as the dragon, and it was damned impressive. There were plenty of myths about magicals who could shift into animals—tales as bold and unbelievable as any of the ancient stories archived in the Great Library. It seemed those legends had grown from seeds of truth.
    He’d grabbed his flashlight, too, but as he, Gray, and Ant made their way into the forest, Gray whispered a spell that created a basketball-sized orb of light. It bobbed on the path ahead of them. When they got to the half-dead tree, Taylor sucked in a steadying breath and dove once again into the dark, tangled forest.
    He had no idea how he managed to lead the other men to the
nemeton
. But he was able to get them there,and his skin started to prickle again as they reached the entrance. He realized now that it was an actual entryway; a stone arch covered with moss that was tightly wedged between two oaks. He hadn’t even noticed before—he’d been too distracted by the unexpected discovery of the
nemeton
.
    Gray went first, and then Taylor. Ant followed. They all stopped to admire the massive ring of blue-gray stones.
    “Holy shit,” said Ant.
    Gray flicked a look at him. “You didn’t sense it at all?”
    Ant shook his head. “It’s as if a big Do Not Disturb sign hovers over this place. It repels people on purpose. Except Taylor, apparently.”
    “He’s the deed holder to the land,” said Gray. “Ol’ Joe gifted him more than just a farm. He’s been the unknowing guardian of it.”
    “Terrific,” muttered Taylor. Why hadn’t the old man ever said anything?
    Gray started forward, the magic light pushing through the gap between the stones. Taylor followed, and his little brother entered last.
    Ant whistled.
    “Six stones,” said Gray. The orb rose into the air and made a