Phoenix in My Fortune (A Monster Haven Story Book 6) by R.L. Naquin Page B

where Maurice was keeping them, or if they meant anything other than as a calling card from the First Hidden. Knowing Maurice, he was probably using them as a craft project. I smirked, thinking how big the dreamcatcher would have to be for feathers this big.
    We’d had visions from the Simurgh three times before, each accompanied by these ridiculously oversized rainbow feathers. And each time, our visions had been identical to each other. Something about the expression on Mom’s face troubled me, though. She was being evasive.
    I touched her sleeve. “Did you get something more in your vision? Something you’re not telling me?”
    She covered my hand with hers and gave me a stern look. “If I had more information, why wouldn’t I tell you?”
    Well,
that
didn’t exactly answer the question, did it?
    “I had a little more,” I said. “Since the message didn’t make sense, I asked for clarification. She said the answers were in the book.”
    Mom scowled and dropped her hand. “The book is blank.”
    “Yeah.” I nodded. “That’s what I said.”
    “I hate to interrupt.” Maurice squinted up at the sky, noting the position of the sun. “But I’ve got a pot roast that needs attention. I’m going in.”
    Kam looped her arm through mine. “
Wheel of Fortune
will be on soon. I want to see what Vanna’s wearing. She’s not usually as fancy as she was back in the eighties, but I still like to see what she’s got on.”
    I strolled arm-in-arm with Kam toward the back door behind Maurice, with Riley and Darius following us, talking in low voices—no doubt discussing the visions Mom and I had seen.
    I’d assumed Mom was right behind us.
    She screamed, the sound chilling me and sending a spike of adrenaline through my gut. I whirled around and found her still standing where we’d left her and facing the direction of the path down to the beach.
    Darius was the first to reach her, and she buried her face against his massive chest. He made soft, comforting sounds and stroked her hair while her body shook. After a moment, she calmed enough to raise her head.
    “I saw him.” She choked on the words and had to clear her throat. “I saw Shadow Man standing over by the cliff. He was watching us.”
    Kam and Riley took off in the direction of the beach, while I stayed with Darius to help calm Mom.
    Maurice, caught between an emergency outside and the possibility of a ruined pot roast inside, looked stricken.
    I waved at him to go inside. “We’ll call if we need you.”
    He moved up one step, then paused. “I’ll send Sara out. She’ll want to take a look, too.” He disappeared into the house.
    Mom sniffled and pulled away from Darius. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d be prepared once I saw him, but I guess I wasn’t.” She stood straighter. “I’ll be ready next time.”
    I so hoped there’d be no next time.
    Kam jogged back to us, barely out of breath. “He’s not there. I don’t even see where he could have gone that fast.”
    Mom stiffened. “I didn’t imagine it.”
    Kam gave her a look like she was crazy. “Well, of course you didn’t. His footprints are right there outside the fairy ring.”
    I frowned. “How do you know they’re his?”
    Riley joined us and put a protective arm around my waist. “Because the footprints are filled with crickets.”

Chapter Seven
    Our heavy hitters—Sara, Darius, Kam and Riley—spent the next hour and a half searching the perimeter of the fairy ring, the beach cove below the house and the area around the cottage. The only sign of Shadow Man was that single set of cricket-filled footprints and Mom’s word that she’d seen him.
    Considering I’d had a similar experience, I couldn’t sustain my doubt in his existence—though it hadn’t been strong to begin with. I couldn’t explain how he’d disappeared from the news photo, but I knew he’d been there. And now he was appearing to Mom.
    The thought of him being that close to her—to all of us—gave