Page 27 of The Sasquatch and the Hairdresser

That’s when Baxter appears, striding toward us with Astraea at his side. I’m a little surprised to see them together, but I have a feeling it doesn’t mean anything good if they’re both investigating the situation.

Astraea studies the trees with her lips pursed tight.

“What the heck’s going on here?” I ask her and Baxter.

They look at each other before turning back to me and Laurelis.

“It appears that the secret ley line node that powers the protective magic in town is becoming… unstable,” the dragon goddess admits, her right eyelid twitching.

That does not sound good.

“Can’t you… uh… fix it?” My voice is barely a whisper.

She shakes her head. “I’m afraid not. Although I was the one to establish a node in each of the Sanctuary Havens in this realm, I then transferred magical control of them to twelve of my sons. Each of them has one they are connected or ‘keyed’ to, so to speak. Only my son who’s tied to the one here in Mystic Hollow can do anything to stabilize it.”

“Well, can’t you just summon him here or something?”

She winces again and Baxter rubs his forehead in obvious frustration, large nostrils flaring as he huffs in displeasure.

“I wish it were that simple,” Astraea says. “I’ve sent a message, but this particular son of mine is currently not in the Terran Realm.” She scowls. “It seems the irresponsible little shit’s gone on an other-realm adventure where I can’t reach him telepathically, so it’s taking some time to track him down.”

“Oh, my,” Laurelis murmurs softly.

Astraea starts pacing. “I’ll be honest. Even if we can manage to bring him here, he probably won’t be able to do much to help the situation.”

“Hold on. I’m confused. Doesn’t he just have to use his dragon thumbprint or whatnot, and access it?” I ask.

She grimaces. “Sort of? It’s more like the node is a battery he needs to recharge and balance every so often. But the bigger issue is that he hasn’t found his mate yet, which means his own magic isn’t super steady either, and that’s affecting the source here. It’s kind of a reciprocal dynamic. Until he finds his mate, he can’t stabilize the node.”

Baxter clears his throat. “In the meantime, the town’s protective magic will gradually become more and more… inconsistent.”

My worry turns to alarm. “What are we talking about here? Could the magic go haywire and blow up the town or something?”

Worse yet, maybe the magic could allow dangerous folks to cross into Mystic Hollow.

So many of our residents stay here because they cherish the peace of mind the magic’s safety barrier brings. Without it… I don’t even want to think about all the possibilities. First and foremost in my mind, though, is Skylar. He needs the town’s magic to protect him, or he might not stay.

Astraea stops pacing and tosses her ponytail over her shoulder with obvious irritation. “I’m honestly not sure. I foolishly assumed that my sons would have gotten their tails out of their asses and found their mates by now. Things were stable for a long time.” She scowls again. “Until now. Your guess is as good as mine as to what the long-term consequences might be. I never planned for this.”

Baxter groans and gives her an admonishing look. “That’s not reassuring right now, Astraea.”

I sway on my feet, lightheaded at this revelation. “Are you talking about us having to evacuate the town? Leave Mystic Hollow?” I choke on those last words as every fiber of my being rebels.

This amazing town is the only place I’ve ever felt at home. I can’t lose what I have here, and I know I’m not the only one who shares that sentiment.

Laurelis places a gentle hand on my arm, and a soothing sensation washes over me, calming my racing heart.

“Fear not, my friend. I’m sure everything will work out the way it is meant to.”

I don’t say it, but I’m worried that could be bad rather than good.

Laurelis favors me with a serene smile. “Don’t forget, the magic’s primary purpose is to protect the town and its residents. Even if it is becoming unstable, I don’t think it would ever do anything to harm any of us.”

“I hope you’re right,” I whisper.

Astraea crosses her arms, surveying the orchard. “Let’s deal with this situation for now. Although instability seems to have started and is clearly manifesting here at the moment, the node’s not going to go completely off the rails overnight. We have time, and we’ll use it to hunt down my wayward son and drag him back here by his tail if we have to.”

The fiery look in her eyes and smoke coming out of her nostrils send shivers down my spine. Just when I start to get relaxed and comfortable around this woman, she can’t help but demonstrate her true nature as a Celestial dragon goddess. She is incredible—and more than a little bit terrifying.