“The consultant still can’t manage to explain that,” Ben told me, indicating the pictured words. “He says it probably has somethin’ ta’ do with blood sacrifice rituals. Says he thinks it might…”

“No,” I interrupted him, holding up a hand, “those words have nothing to do with a blood sacrifice ritual.”

“Whaddaya mean?” he queried, sitting up a little straighter and focusing his attention.

“Your expert is apparently pretty full of misinformation. I’m not saying that there wasn’t a sacrifice ritual performed mind you, but just because the victim’s blood was used, that doesn’t make it so,” I detailed. “The Pentacle and the inscription are components of a spell.”

“You mean a hocus-pocus-poof-you’re-a-frog kinda spell?”

“No. That’s a fairy-tale misconception. While spells sometimes do involve what can be called magick, they are primarily something like a prayer. This particular spell is a separate ritual unto itself, and if I’m right, then I’m willing to bet your killer performed it because of the murder, not as a part of it.”

“I still don’t get it,” Ben told me, both eager and frustrated.

“Just a second…” I got up from the table and went across the room to the bookshelves. “I just want to verify something real quick to make sure I’m right.” I scanned the shelves reserved for our Wiccan and alternative religious literature and quickly found what I was after. “Here it is…”

I pulled the book from the shelf and leafed quickly through it as I strode back across the room and once again took a seat at the table.

“What is that?” Ben asked as I continued rapidly turning and perusing the pages.