The Nomad Witch

Scarlett Prynne is new in town, but that won't stop trouble from finding the young witch. It always does. Before her brother kicked her through a magical portal that eventually landed her in nowhere Tonopah, Nevada, he called her an agent of chaos. But let's be fair. Our Scarlett doesn't create problems. Her magic just attracts it in all shapes and furry sizes. Like her familiar, Runeclaw. The black cat's tongue is as sharp as his nails, and he has a snark that can cut through just about anything. This time though, trouble was already here.

Scarlett Prynne, her feline familiar Runeclaw, and her beloved motorcycle Dusk Runner tracked the instability in the local magic flows to Moab, Utah. A surge of magic and the earthquake that followed it made clear why they'd been led to this place. Scarlett didn't look for trouble, but it always seemed to seek her out like a hound on the trail of a choice steak. And this day was going to make what she'd dealt with before seem like amateur hour. Is Redthorn Industries, the town's biggest employer at the center of the troubles?

Why is everyone trying to kill Scarlett Prynne and her magical cat, Runeclaw? He'd say it's because she's attracted to trouble. She'd say it's because trouble is attracted to her. Either way, danger is on their tail. A stop at a ghost town ends with the ghosts trying to kill Scarlett, and okay, worse, trying to damage her enchanted motorcycle, Dusk Runner. Provo, Utah isn't much better. Magicals aren't exactly welcome in the town. Scarlett catches word that Redthorn Industries wants it that way.

Scarlett Prynne and her magical black cat partner are in the crosshairs. Again. This time it's the mysterious group of bald baddies allied with Darrin Redthorn, who's been busy stripping magical metal out of the Earth. Double trouble. Darrin is no more, courtesy of the bald baddies. They're eager to send our favorite witch to the same fate. They have their reasons. Maybe it's because Scarlett is hot on the trail of missing college students in Provo, Utah, and all signs point to the bald men with wands as the culprits. Some bad guys don't know when to give up.

The "Bald Baddies," officially known as the Luminous Veil, have big plans to control the minds of the rich and powerful. Scarlett's travels have made her a roadblock, which can't be allowed. The fight against Darrin Redthorn and his minions was nothing compared to what these thugs bring to the party. They're magically powerful and utterly vicious. And they have friends. Runeclaw's leap into the enemy's portal has denied them one of their gathering spaces. But a group this powerful, this old, surely has some in reserve.

Scarlett Prynne, Runeclaw, The Spell Riders, and the Witches on Wheels beat down the Chrome Ghosts and disrupted the Luminous Veil's plans once again. The Veil didn't like that. Not one murderous bit. And if Scarlett shows up in their sights again, they won't hold back. And, of course, Scarlett being who she is, she's looking for an opportunity to do just that. The Veil's mind control collars are a looming threat, and Scarlett and her allies are doing their best to get the dirt on them. Step one is breaking into the mansion of the one Bald Baddie they've identified.

While they were guarding against one kidnapping spree, the Veil performed another. But Scarlett has a lead on the captives, and for once, she's going to be the one delivering trouble rather than receiving it. The Veil won't be stopped by just one strike, though. Camus' plans to control captives and their owners with magical mind control collars could make him unstoppable. All he needs to do is get the collars on, place the servants, and activate the magic inside them.

Time is running out for Scarlett and Runeclaw to save the captives of the Luminous Veil. Despite their efforts to disrupt the Veil's plans, they're still marching toward their ultimate goal. Whatever that is. It involves the mind control collars, but creating an army of menial servants seems less than ambitious. And if there's one thing that Camus and the Veil have in plenty, it's dark ambition. Amber is using her infomancy to try to track down leads, Snow is working on figuring out the collars' magic, and Maddox is upgrading and repairing Dusk Runner.