Chapter 7

• The fog moved over the lake as a sheet would slip over a bed. Alana smiled at the gasps from the others, this was her gift to use. Bringing her hands back down to her side, the fog stopped moving and just hovered above the water’s edge, brightening the night as the light from the moon reflected on it.
• “Alana, that you can do this is a wondrous task.”
• Turning she smiled at Ella. “It just came to my mind. That I did not try to find it makes my heart giddy.”
• Lenora clapped her hands gently. “There seems to be no limit to what you can do.” She sighed. “I am so jealous as I have only mastered moving things I do not touch.”
• Alana laughed. “Think upon what you just said, sister, to many that alone would be astounding.”
• The five girls moved closer to the edge of the water and looked at the fog still lying over it.
• Alana turned and looked up to the sky. “The time is near, Teegan, we need your strength to stave what is to come.”
• Teegan gasped as she bolted up from her bed. Why, why, why was she dreaming of these same girls? Her brain was stuck in the past and she had no idea how it got there. She couldn’t even recall seeing a movie with people dressed that way. The time is near? What was that supposed to mean? Dropping back down on the edge of the bed, she glanced at the clock and was at least thankful she’d managed to wake up before her alarm today. Beside the clock sat her bottle of pills. The useless things that they were turning out to be, since taking them the dreams had become more frequent, instead of being less. She was done taking them.
• What she needed right now was work. Immerse her brain so deep into deadlines, layouts, and research for the new prototype magazine then the dreams would be washed out, erased, gone. She would have included Mister Leland McKay in that brain rinse, but considering he was very much real, very sexy, fleshy real and she’d be seeing him at some point today, she knew she couldn’t pretend he wasn’t there.
• If she were to admit the truth, she could still feel the effects of his kiss. Her body reminded her at every pause in thought. Which was something she didn’t need right now. A man in her life that she’d have to explain her family’s medical and mental history. If the last few weeks were any sort of indication, the mental part was up to some new tricks she couldn’t begin to explain what she didn’t understand herself.
• When she reached Ann’s office, she whipped open the door, like any other day, and then froze on the spot. What had happened to Ann’s office? Her paintings were gone, those peaceful portraits of serenity Ann had created. In their place were some strange oriental decorations.
• “Isn’t this much better? So much more businesslike.”
• Spinning, she faced Celia. “Does Ann know about this?”
• Celia looked bored and examined her painted red claws. “She will when she gets here. This is my space too and I couldn’t work with all that cluttered, tacky art.”
• Tacky art? Oh God, Ann would kill her. Before she strangled Celia herself, Teegan bolted back out the way she’d come in, slamming the door shut.
• She didn’t get three feet before Kat was jogging beside her. “What’s going on?”
• Throwing her hands up Teegan waved them around and then stopped and grasped both of Kat’s arms. “Do not under any circumstances let Ann go into her office.”
• Kat winced. “Ow.” She pulled her arms free. “Why?”
• Teegan began walking again. “I’ll explain later.” She turned and headed through the isle of cubicles.
• “What do I do with her?” Kat called out.
• Increasing in speed, Teegan pointed. “Take her to the board room. I have news.” When Ann found out what Celia had done, they’d be lucky if she didn’t dangle her from the rooftop.
• “Teegan?”
• Wincing when she heard Bonnie whine her name, she kept going, hoping she would take the hint. She couldn’t deal with a Bonnie-type trivial problem right now.
• “Teegan, I need to talk to you.”
• Throwing her hand up she held it towards her to warn her off. “Not. Now. Bonnie.”
• Bonnie squealed from behind her but stopped following her.
• Looking over her shoulder, she saw Bonnie sitting on the floor. That was a new tactic, even for Bonnie.
• Turning back, she spotted her target. Wes stood at his door with Leland beside him, both had a strange look on their faces. She found that momentarily odd, especially Wes, he was used to seeing her on the rampage.
• He offered her a weak smile. “Teeg, everything all right?”
• She shook her head and pushed through them to go into the office. “No.” Taking a few strides into the room she snapped back around to look at him. “We have an impending disaster to avert.”
• Wes frowned. “The press isn’t...”
• “Not the press. Ann.”
• His eyebrows shot up. “Ann? What’s wrong with Ann?”
• Dropping down into the chair she glared at him. “She’ll go to jail for murder and it will be your fault.”
• Leland looked from Wes back to her. “Ann Walters? I can’t see her even associated with something like that.”
• Wes’s confusion grew. “Tell me what you’re talking about.”
• Huffing out a breath she realized she wasn’t exactly being clear. “Celia Barnes removed all of Ann’s paintings and called them cluttered, tacky art...”
• “Oh shit,” Wes stated loudly. A panicked looked appeared on his face. “Has Ann seen this?”
• “Not yet. I have Kat running interference.”
• “Good. Good.” He paced over to his desk. “They can’t share a space.”
• Teegan gapped at him. “Ya think?”
• Wes rolled his eyes towards her and then turned back to the confused board member. “That space we were just discussing, is no longer free.”
• Leland looked back and forth between them a few times. “Does anyone care to explain what is going on?”
• Wes grimaced. “Later.” Going over to the door he opened it and then turned back to Teegan. “Go tell Ann she has a new office. That one across from Kat, that old... what’s his name had.”
• Teegan nodded and got up quickly. “Will do. Let’s get someone up here to start moving things. Ann doesn’t like to fall behind when the next deadline is this close.”
• Wes nodded and went out the door.
• When Leland looked like he was going to step in front of her and slow her down she held up a palm towards him and walked right by him without a word.
• Leland paused outside the door where Wes stood watching after Teegan. “You caught that too?”
• Wes didn’t turn to look at him. “The part where she sent Bonnie on her ass without looking at her or touching her?”
• “That would be the part.”
• Glancing briefly at him, Wes’s eyes widened. “We’re running out of time, aren’t we?”
• Leland chuckled. “I think we’re on borrowed time now, to be more accurate.”
• Wes motioned for one of the runners to come over. “Keeping her and Celia out of each other’s aura might be wise.”
• Leland had to laugh at that. “I’ll take Teegan, you run heard on the other one.”
• Wes shot him a stunned look. “And if I don’t survive?”
• Leland shrugged. “You’ll have a plaque with your name on it at the main coven house.” He started in the direction Teegan had raced off in.
• “Oh. Well, that makes it all worth it then,” Wes mumbled drily from behind him.