by Wendy Wang
She sliced through the rope freeing them both. Jen pushed out against the cut sisal and it dropped to the floor. Ben got up leaving her back cold. He reached down and took her hand pulling her to her feet.
“Come on,” Layla said. “Your friend is outside. They're are in a circle holding hands and chanting from what I can tell.”
“They're trying to break the spell,” Jen and Ben said at the same time.
“Come on!” Layla said, walking backwards. Ben took Jen's hand and they began to follow Layla through the house toward the back door. Drywall from the ceiling crashed down and large plumes of dust filled the air. Layla led them through the dining room and Butler's pantry into the kitchen. The glass from the French door exploded, covering them in glass. The brass door handle glowed red and Jen didn't dare touch it.
“Layla!” Melinda screamed from the kitchen door. Melinda carried her terrified daughter as the world crashed around them.
Ben grabbed hold of Jen and held onto her, shielding her head with his body.
“Aunt Melinda, break the spell,” Layla pleaded.
“She's right, Melinda. Break the spell,” Ben said. “If you break it this will all be over.”
“No, it won't,” Melinda said. “Not after what I've done.”
“We'll find a way, Melinda. Break the spell, let us out. If not for us, for your daughter,” Jen said.
Something shifted in Melinda's face. “Layla take Camille.”
Layla took the girl from her aunt despite the child's protests.
“Go, go with Layla, baby.” Melinda stroked her daughter's hair. “It's going to be okay. I'm gonna make it stop now.”
Camille wrapped her arms around Layla's neck and they hugged each other tight. Melinda disappeared through the kitchen door.
“Come on,” Ben said. He picked up one of the kitchen chairs and threw it through the grill of wood. He pushed Jen through first and then Layla and Camille. The four of them rushed into the yard. The building gave one loud groan, a thunderous rumble as the first floor imploded, sending dust and debris out in every direction.
“Oh sweet goddess,” Jen said as realization washed over her. “Melinda was still in there.” Ben put a hand on her shoulder and she turned, pressing her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.
“I don't think she ever meant to come out,” Ben said softly against the top of her head. Jen hugged him tighter.
“We need to let them know that we're safe,” Jen said. Ben stroked her hair and held her for a moment longer before they went to find her family.
Chapter 22
“What's going to happen to Camille?” Charlie sat on the back-porch swing of her uncle Jack's house. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them.
“She's gonna go live with her dad.” Jen sat in one of the old metal chairs and rocked back and forth.
“And they never found Melinda's body?” Lisa sat next to Charlie on the porch swing. “According to Jason they didn't find any human remains in the rubble,” Charlie said.
“You think she escaped?” Jen asked.
“I don't know,” Charlie said. “That whole thing is just very strange. I mean once the building started to shake, we stopped the ritual to break the spell.”
“Right, but the building still shook.” Daphne leaned back in the chair across from Charlie and Lisa. She took a sip of the mimosa that Jen had made.
“Ben thinks she may have just continued to bring the house down as a way to escape,” Jen said.
“Is he going to go after her?” Lisa asked.
“I don't think so.” Jen said.
“What's going to happen to Layla?” Charlie asked.
“There's an apprenticeship program for witches like Layla that have no family and need someone to give them some guidance,” Jen said.
“I don't know about that,” Lisa said. “That whole program makes me nervous.”
“Why?” Jen asked.
“Because entities like the DOL? They don't do anything altruistic. Oh, they may say it's for the greater good but more than likely they are investing all that training into kids like Layla so that they have their own little army of mercenaries that can carry out their laws and judgments.” Lisa frowned.
“That may not be such a bad thing. She'll get to learn how to really control her magic and make some friends. Who are like her,” Charlie said. “It may be a mixed bag I don't think you have to be so cynical about It.”.
“Well, maybe so,” Lisa said.
Charlie glanced across the porch at her cousin. “You know, I'm sorry I got mad at you Lisa. If you and Jason wanted date I think that's great.”
“We're not dating. Not exactly,” Lisa protested, but her lips curved into a smile as she said it.
“Right,” Daphne said. “It's just a little slutty fun, right?”
“I am not a slut!” Lisa sat up straight, a look of disgust wrinkling her forehead.
“Nobody thinks you're a slut,” Jen said.
Daphne cocked her head. “Well some people think she's a slut.”
“Daphne! Hush.” Jen scolded.
“What?” Daphne grumbled. “It's pretty common knowledge that she slept with her partner.”
“I did not sleep with any of my partners. God!” Lisa banged her hand down on the arms of the swing, making it shake.
“Well that's what people say,” Daphne said in a small voice. “They say that you slept with one of the partners to make partner.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Lisa snapped. “I made partner because I worked my ass off for eight and a half years. You would think the people in this town had better things to talk about than me and my career! Oh and thanks for partaking in the sexism, Daphne. That's just great.”
“I don't think you're slutty,” Daphne protested. “I'm just telling you what people say. I hear a lot in my work.”
“Well people suck! And you suck too for not standing up for me,” Lisa said, sounding wounded.
Daphne frowned. “You're right. I'm sorry. Sometimes it's just easier to nod my head and keep quiet. I'm sorry, really.”
“I just wish I understood why,” Lisa said.
“I can tell you that,” Charlie said softly. Lisa shifted her gaze to her cousin. “It's the same reason I was mad at you. Which I guess means I suck too. You're smart and you're beautiful and you are tough as nails and driven as hell. You stand up and get what you want and that includes men. And when you do, they fall for you, Lisa. Hard. Every single one of them. I guess I was just scared that Jason might fall for you, too.”
“Were you jealous?” Jen asked.
“Maybe a little,.” Charlie shrugged. “But not because I wanted to date Jason. I don't. I swear on the stars above. It's just...the whole reason any of y'all even know him is because of me. It's silly.” Charlie shook her head and rolled her eyes at herself. “But it was more than that, too.”
“You're afraid I will hurt him,” Lisa said.
“You don't exactly have a great track record,” Charlie said. “I don't think you mean to hurt the guys, I really don't. I think that because you're so great and because these men fall hard for you it scares the crap out of you. And you turn tail and run every single time. The problem that comes in is before you take off, you turn around and crush them with your boot heel to make sure they don't follow you.”
Lisa's green eyes widened, becoming glassy and her lips quivered.
“Oh honey, I didn't mean to make you cry.”
“I'm not crying.” Lisa muttered under her breath. She turned her head and wiped at the corner of her eyes.
Charlie wrapped her arm around Lisa's shoulder. “You know it would be okay if you were. I won't tell anybody that you're actually human. Cross my heart.”
Lisa rested her head on Charlie's shoulder. “I don't want you to worry. Jason and I agreed that we would be together as long as it was fun. That's all. It's not going to get serious. Neither one of us has time for that. And yo
u know he's not the only one that could get hurt. Jason's pretty great, too.” Lisa wrapped her arm around Charlie's waist, and Charlie hugged her tighter, comforting her.
“I know,” Charlie said.
“You like him.” Jen said, only half teasing.
“What's not to like? Have you seen his chest?” Lisa said.
Jen made a singing noise in the back of her throat, grinning. “You do like him. And not for his chest. And no, I have not thank you very much.”
“Well just know that if you chase Jason off he's not going to come back like Billy did,” Charlie said.
“Yeah, you know, I never could figure that out,” Daphne said. “Billy just kept coming back and you just let him wheedle his way back in.”
“Bless his heart. It's not Billy's fault that he's dumb as a post,” Jen said.
“Hush up. Billy was always sweet to me and he made me laugh. I just didn't see spending my life with him, that's all.”
“Well there's definitely something to be said for a sweet, funny man,” Charlie said.
“Amen to that,” Jen and Daphne said in a chorus.
“So are we all good?” Charlie asked squeezing Lisa's shoulders a little tighter.
“Yeah,” Lisa said nodding.
“Yeah,” Jen said.
“Yeah,” Daphne said.
“Good,” Charlie said. “Now I don't know about y'all but I've been thinking about the salted caramel pie in the icebox all afternoon.”
“Come on,” Jen said. “I'll slice it up. Daphne would you please get the dessert dishes out of the cupboard?”
“Sure,” Daphne grinned and hopped up from her chair.
“I'll get the silver,” Charlie said.
Lisa sniffed and straightened up. “And I'll get the pitcher of mimosas.”
The End
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading. If you love Charlie and want to go along on her ghostly adventures, please join my readers list: http://eepurl.com/czMPg1
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Thank you again for reading!
Check out my other books:
Witches of Palmetto Point Series (Supernatural Suspense)
Book 1: Haunting Charlie
Book 2: Wayward Spirits
Book 3: Devil's Snare
Book 4: The Witch's Ladder
The Book of Kaels Series (Fantasy)
Book 1: The Last Queen
Book 2: The Wood Kael
Book 3: The Metal Kael
Book 4: The Fire Kael
Book of Kaels Box Set: Books 1 -4
Short Stories: Love Lacey
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