Out Of The Dark by Phaedra Weldon

again. Those peanuts just hadn't done it.
    "The who?" Jemmy said.
    Rhonda had already mentioned them today.
Let's see what mom was going to say.
    "A local Ceremonial group. Pretty much known
more for their politics in the magical world rather than their
works," Nona said. She was still looking over the documents.
"Originally they were more of a nuisance --you'd hear about these
public rituals in North Georgia and all the Wiccan groups would
protest, going on camera to say this isn't what magic is all
about."
    I pursed my lips. Okay.
    Dags looked from Rhonda to Nona. "How do you
know about them like that?"
    "Because I was at a few of those protests,"
Nona said. "Anyway --they vanished about three years ago. I figured
internal politics had rotted them from the inside out. But
apparently Dr. Bonville is back in town and I'm assuming he's their
new leader." She looked at Dags. "And from the reaction you had in
the hospital that close to him, unprotected, I'd say he's got a
caller out on you, Mr. McConnell."
    I got up and found my dry erase board on the
papasan in the Botanica and came back to the table. I scribbled for
a bit and then held it up. WHEN I TOUCH HIM, WE GO TO MOUNTAIN
TOP.
    Mom frowned. Rhonda grabbed up the Big Book
of Everything and started flipping through it.
    "Was it a mountain top that overlooked
ruins?" Steve piped up.
    I glanced at Dags. He nodded to the ghost and
cleared his throat. He looked a little better. A little. "Yes. But
the sky was all orange, and there were lots of odd shaped creatures
coming up the side toward me."
    Mom and Steve exchanged glances before Steve
said, "I think he's using some sort of spell to summon Dags to the
Abysmal."
    Dags frowned. "The Abysmal?"
    Rhonda gave him a brief explanation of
Physical, Mental, Astral, Ethereal and Abysmal. Dags didn't look
very comforted. "So you think Dr. Bonville is trying to draw me
into the Abysmal –what the hell for?"
    "I don't know why—unless he's trying to get
rid of you. If you weren't in physical form, it could be used as a
jail," Steve said. "But since you are and got yanked inside—you'd
die pretty quick. The Physical can't exist in the Abysmal for more
than say a few seconds before the lack of oxygen, lack of any real
atmosphere would cause your body to implode. My assumption? I think
he's using it as a short cut to summon you to him. Like, a portal
between dimensions. A teleporting short cut." He frowned. "Only
with some very ugly side effects if the summon fails."
    "Side effects?" Dags squeaked.
    Steve nodded. "Yeah, that dying thing I
mentioned."
    Dags looked like he was going to throw
up.
    Finally Rhonda asked the question. "So, what
happens to Dags if he doesn't pull him out?"
    Steve looked irritated. "What part of die
here are we missing?"
    Rhonda made a rude noise. "Touchy. Look, I'm
just wondering--since there are four Guardians to represent the
four quarters--then have the other three already been pulled
through? Or is he specifically after Dags?"
    Steve shrugged.
    Good point.
    Mom held up the brown papers. "These are contracts --and very much worded like the one you
stumbled on with Hirokumi and the Reverend between the Phantasm and
symbiont. Only these all have blanks in them and there is a phrase
here that talks about the Shadow Realm Walkers."
    "You mean the Shadow Folk?" Rhonda said,
looking up from the book. "Like the ones we just ran into at the
restaurant?"
    "Oh I don't know if they're the same shadows
--but I think this is a contract between the Cruorem and --well
--maybe the Brownies? I just can't be sure. The language is
evasive."
    Aw geez. Erase. Scribble. SO WHY BROWNIE WANT
US TO FIND.
    "Yeah," Rhonda said with a nod. "Good point.
And I think we mentioned this to each other--but I got the distinct
impression we --or rather Zoë --was dealing with two different
camps in that restaurant."
    Mom shook her head. "What do you mean?"
    I nodded to Rhonda to talk. Easier for you,
dude.
    "Like we said, when we got there