Eye of the Storm (The Charmed) (8 page)

Sam bristled with excitement. “I’ve heard of portals like this.” He placed a hand on the wood.

“Why do you think I live here? Imagine what would happen if this was in the wrong hands! Before you leave, how is Jaden?”

Sam gave her a small smile. “He’s been well, he’s a great kid, when all this blows over, we’ll come visit for a while.”

She smiled back. “I’d like that, now go before my store gets blown to smithereens.”

Sam opened the door, “Thank you, Amanda.” He stepped through the door and directly into his car five streets away. He gripped the steering wheel. “Amazing.” He ran his hand along the rim and looked around. The garage was empty. He started up his car and headed to the ferry, time to get some distance between he and Amanda and whoever was watching him.

Sam waited in line to board. If he could get out in Bainbridge without being seen, he was home free. The line was moving and he was in luck, his car was last to get on. He wanted to go up and enjoy the water but this was no pleasure cruise. The less people saw him, the better, and still no sign of the coffee man. He wanted to read the book, to just peek at it but knew better. Thirty minutes later he was driving off the enormous boat and out into the sweet town of Bainbridge. But this was not his destination. He would drive for a while until he made it to Whidbey Island. His final destination was Langley. Sam had friends there who could keep him safe while he read the book.

Sam stepped out of the car. His friends ran a two story bed and breakfast called Saratoga Inn overlooking the view, and what a view it was; water for as far as the eye could see.

Jennifer and Kenny Davis came out of the Inn, walking to Sam with huge grins on their faces. “Sam! It’s good to see you! How’s Jaden?”

“He’s good, Kenny. Hello, Jenny.” He gave them a hug as they ushered him quickly inside. Sam felt an odd pulling sensation as he stepped over the threshold of the house. “What was that?”

“We’ve prepared for you. Now that you’re here, anyone walking by will keep going as if a house wasn’t here. Come, we have tea set up in the parlor.”

Sam smiled at that. Jenny and Kenny were a throwback in time. They were right, an English tea was set up in the middle of a table complete with finger sandwiches, sausage rolls and small cakes. Sam’s stomach growled, he hadn’t realized how hungry he was.

They sat for a while getting caught up on each other’s lives. As precaution, Sam didn’t tell them about Chase and Lyla. He didn’t want them in danger as well. After lunch, it was time to get down to business.

Sam opened his bag and took out the book, handling it carefully. It still had the appearance of a normal paperback but the minute he opened it up, the book revealed its true form. Dust poofed up from opening the book and he handled it carefully as the pages almost disintegrated in his hands.

“Amazing!” Kenny observed.

“I wanted to be careful.”

“You’ve always been the gifted one, Sam. I can grow gardens, but this…” He gestures to the book. “I had no idea you had these kinds of abilities.”

Sam looked worried. “Something is different this year. I’m hoping this book gives me information I’ve never found.”

Kenny looked on in interest. “Well, we know it happens every hundred years. We know the person is born on November first and we know it’s a male and both he and the person he falls in love with die within a few months of the marks showing up. It could have happened already for all we know. Maybe we’ll never know. I’d sure like to see that power though, it must be amazing.”

Sam smiled. He wasn’t telling them anything. The fact that Lyla and Chase were already affected and there were no signs of madness yet was positive and alarming all at the same time. He didn’t want to put Kenny or Jenny into any more danger than necessary.

Sam skimmed the text carefully. He carefully moved the pages with a butter knife not wanting to damage the pages with his hands. He estimated it was hundreds of years old.

Jenny sat down next to Kenny after cleaning up lunch. “Have you found anything yet?”

Sam already knew most of what he read. He was looking for a loophole in the text that would tell him what was to come. He struck gold toward the end in small neat handwriting scrolled down the side of the page:

Occlumency will continue until the cycle is broken:

Two such as never before

Two such as will be

And two to end the score

Sam pulled out a notebook and wrote the words down exactly how they were. He closed the book carefully, placed his hand on it, bowed his head and spoke the vanishing charm in his head. He could hear Kenny and Jenny gasp as the book vanished.

“Where did it go, Sam?” Jenny continued to look at the place where it had been.

“I sent it somewhere safe.”

Kenny stood. “Did you find what you were looking for?” He crossed to the table and poured himself some water.

“Possibly.” Sam looked at his notes one more time. It could be an error, the writing, but he guessed not. Someone else had figured it out and placed it in the book for another person to see.

“Well Sam, I have to tell you. It’s refreshing to be around a Charmed after so long.”

“You mean there’s nobody here?”

“Nope, we’re the only ones. We searched pretty far and wide, too. We let our powers go down to a dull roar, so to speak.”

“Well, if you call that monstrosity of a garden out back ‘going down’ in power, you don’t really know what you’re talking about.”

Kenny laughed. “Well, I guess I use them differently now.” He thought for a moment. “Sam, is there something you’re not telling us?”

The young man’s look of concern shadowed his face. Sam had mentored him and then he had joined him in the Occlumency study. When he got married he moved back home to Washington State, with hopes of starting a family. Sam knew all of this and couldn’t bring himself to tell Kenny a thing.

“It’ll be a great story for another time. This is a beautiful life you have here, I’m jealous.”

Kenny understood and nodded. He put his hand out and shook Sam’s. “Good luck.”

H
arley looked up from Kayla’s dressing table. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

Kayla nodded and shut the door quietly. She had stolen back into her house to get ready for the masquerade. Kayla thought it a little awkward to go on a date from Jaden’s house. Harley’s date had a friend so they were going together, all four of them. For Kayla, this would be a departure from her obsession with Chase, for Harley, it would mean her first date away from Brendan. Kayla went downstairs and searched the house. Nobody was there. She didn’t even feel a spell keeping her there. The Bender wasn’t that powerful, Kayla could usually break anything he did, although the force of his surprise attack had certainly held her in place, she shivered.
Hurry up Harley
, Kayla thought to herself.

Harley was finally alone. Her thoughts were never her own and it felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on her. She looked at herself in the mirror and realized she had the look of pained sadness on her face. “Nonsense.” She said to her reflection. “It’s time to get over this once and for all.” Harley placed her mask over her eyes and stood. The room swayed a bit. It would take some getting used to, these heels which were entirely too tall and the dress too snug. She was used to baseball hats and old soft Levi’s, this was foreign. She took one more look in the mirror. She looked so old, so grown up. Good, she thought, Brendan will see another part of her that he could have had. She slicked some red lipstick on to match her dress and put her chin up. She heard the doorbell ring. Their dates were here. Harley squared her shoulders and walked out of the room.

It took a few tries, but by the time Harley walked down the stairs she had mastered the heels. She walked gracefully into the living room where Kayla, Thomas and Harrison were waiting. Harrison stood once she rounded the corner, his mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Uh, wow! Golly you look purty!”

Harley winced inward. Harrison handed Harley a bouquet of daisies, dyed red, white and blue. “Thank you, Harrison.”

Kayla giggled and Harley gave her a sideways glare. Harley looked down at Harrison’s shoes, well, boots. They still had mud on them, getting Kayla’s carpet filthy.

“Harrison, why don’t you get the car ready, I’ll be right out.”

Harrison tipped his cowboy hat. “Okay. Better get those flowers in water before they droop.”

Harley managed a small smile. “I will, I’ll do that right now.”

Thomas followed Harrison out to his truck. Kayla followed Harley to the kitchen.

The minute they were out of earshot, Harley rounded on Kayla. “I can’t go. I’ll be the laughing stock of the dace. He still has mud on his boots!”

“Okay, okay. This is what we do. I’ll get a clean-up spell ready while you put them both in a trance. That’s the only way the spell will take. Okay? It’ll be just fine.” Kayla was slightly shaking Harley by the shoulders.

Harley put her hand on her forehead and another on her stomach. “This is bad. Really bad. I just wanted Brendan to see what he screwed up, not how bad I could do without him.”

“Listen, it’s the best we could do with such short notice. You’d be surprised what spells I’ve learned. We’ll be the envy of everyone there, trust me. Now come on or we’ll be later than we already are.”

Harley turned, filled up her drinking glass with water and put the daisies in.

“There, happy fourth.”

When the girls came out of the house, it was their turn to drop their jaws. The truck was a rusty Dodge, complete with mud on the body and tires, a pig tied up in the back and a gun rack. Both boys were smiling from ear to ear.

Kayla smiled. “Nice pig Thomas, shouldn’t that be in a fridge somewhere?”

Thomas smiled, “Nah, all the blood has to be drained out first, see, there’s a bucket back here.” He pointed to the truck bed.

“I’ll take your word on it. Shall we go?” Kayla was feeling a little queasy.

Both boys turned to get a door for the girls and Harley hit them with a trance spell. Both boys froze. Kayla walked up and went to work. First was the truck, she vanished the pig and the bucket of blood then removed all the mud and shined the truck up removing all the rust. She vanished the gun rack too, might as well do it all, Kayla thought. The spell was a simple one that didn’t require her to do much except move her hand over it. She moved to the boys next. Their clothes were tidied up and boots polished. Kayla whispered into each of their ears a charm spell. Harley released them and both boys went to open their doors.

“After you, my lady.” Thomas smiled wide for Kayla.

“Why thank you, Thomas.” Kayla looked back at Harley and winked.

“Harley, you look stunning tonight, shall we?” Harrison helped her up into the truck. Harley beamed. This was going to be good. Harrison looked over at Harley all buckled in. “I hope you like to dance?”

A smile spread across Harley’s face. “I do Harrison, thank you.” Relief danced in her stomach as the butterflies went away.

When they arrived at the Magnolia Building the boys helped Kayla and Harley down out of the truck and put their arm out for the girls to hook theirs into. Harley beamed as they walked toward the front doors but as they got closer Harley was starting to get an uneasy dread creeping into her. Something was wrong. She looked up at Harrison, he looked just as dashing with his hair smoothed off in a side swoop, his tuxedo sparkling. They walked into the building and straight on to the dance floor. Harrison danced beautifully, twirling Harley in an elegant swirl.

Brendan saw them come in and noted with regret that they were indeed with dates. He had almost fallen over from how stunning Harley was in a shocking red dress that went to the floor but had a slit in it so she could walk. One shoulder was exposed while the other had a long sleeve. Her curves drove him mad. She had on a colorful mask and her hair was partially tied back with loose red curls down her back. For the first time he was worried he wouldn’t get her back.

Harley smiled at Harrison during a waltz and Harrison smiled back. Only when he smiled, two teeth were missing. Harley’s entire demeanor was shaken. The spell was slipping off. She looked over at Kayla who had an equally shocked look on her face. Harley motioned to meet in the corner of the hall.

“Harrison, do you mind getting me some punch, I’m very thirsty from all this dancing.”

“My pleasure.” He let go of Harley and walked over to the punch bowl meeting Thomas there. They both patted each other on the backs and laughed.

Harley met Kayla at the corner. “Kayla, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know. The spell should be working, my spells are usually pretty strong.” They looked over at the boys again. Mud was caked around the bottom of their boots and a trail led up to the punch bowl. Other dancers were staring at the trail and looking at the boys who were now looking rumpled and dirty.

“I have to get out of here. Brendan is walking this way, oh my god!” Harley slipped out the side door as Brendan made it finally to Kayla.

“Hi, Kayla. Nice night, huh?”