Page 8 of Air Of Mystery
“Howlonghave you been investigating that house?” he asked next.
“Off and on for a couple of years.”
“That cop, the one you were so friendly with. He made a comment about you finding a dead body. What was that all about?”
While I didn’t have Cordelia’s gift of empathy, I could feel the suspicion radiating off Charlie. “The cop’s name,” I said, trying to remain civil, “is Jason.”
He sneered. “And are you twoclose?”
The wind began to pick up speed. “He’s married and has kids,” I said flatly. “I happen to be friends with both Jasonandhis wife. I don’t poach. It’s not my style.”
“What is your style?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. “You made that detector go off, didn’t you? Somehow you did it from all the way across the street. Why?”
“Yes,” I said, crossing my arms over my own chest, as the sky grew darker from the approaching storm. “I’ll concede that the carbon monoxide detector thing was a tad manipulative, but itdidmake the fire department take precautions before they went inside that damn house.”
“So, you admit what you did was manipulative.” He pointed at me. “I thought your kind vowed to harm none?”
“Mykind?” I asked, pushing my hair out of my eyes.
He winced. “That came out wrong.”
“No,” I argued, “I think you meant it. The suspicion radiating off of you is so thick that it’s damn near making me choke. You’re worried about what I can do...and afraid of what I’m capable of.”
“Watch that.” His voice was low and for the first time, mean.
“And we’re done here.” Beyond frustrated, I stepped away from him. “Enjoy the rest of your evening Charlie.” I started walking toward the bank of the river and tapped into the electricity in the air around me. Pulling in a deep breath, I threw down the biggest glamour of my life and disappeared.
“Holy shit!” Charlie yelped when he ‘saw’ me fade out of sight.
For the most part I stayed where I was. I did move slightly over to one side in the grass because he had rushed forward, trying to figure out where I’d gone.
Spinning around, he yelled my name. “Skye?”
The volume made me cringe as he was standing very near to me. But I held my breath, tried to keep my dress’ skirt from snapping in the wind, and waited.
“Don’t you dare pull witchy shit on me!” His eyes swung around the area as he searched for me. “Come back, damn it!”
Silently, I called on my element and it answered. Around me the wind shrieked, and the thunder from the gathering storm grew louder, adding another level of protection and cover to my glamour. After a few minutes of looking around for me, a visibly shaken Charlie got back in his jeep, backed out of the parking space, and drove away.
I had never held a glamour for so long, and as soon as I could no longer see his jeep, I dropped it. Slowly, I walked over to a nearby bench; my legs were shaking from what that spell hadcost me. No sooner had I sat, when the clouds opened and it began to rain.
Who says the old gods don’t have a sense of humor?
“Damn it,” I muttered.
It wasn’t a downpour, and at least the thunder had stopped. Unfortunately, thiswasa steady rain, and I was drenched within moments. While I sat there trying to summon the energy to get up and leave, Charlie tried to call me. In fact, he called my cell phone three times.
I let all of his calls go straight to voice mail. Resting on the bench at the scenic overlook, I worked on regulating my breathing and trying to recoup my spent energy. My shoulders were quivering, and sweat was running down my back after doing such a large elemental spell. Holding a glamour that long was exhausting, and now I was paying for it. Mentally, my mind felt like oatmeal. Physically, I was wiped out.
An SUV pulled up in the spot where Charlie had been parked, and I watched as a woman with dark red hair climbed out. She wore fashionable oversized glasses, jeans, and a dark raincoat. Without a word, she snapped open an umbrella, walked straight to the bench, and sat down beside me.
“Do you need help, sister?” she asked politely as she gazed across the water.
A fellow Witch,I realized with a jolt.
“That’s some real power you threw down,” she said conversationally. “I felt it all the way into the village.”
Shaking with fatigue, I merely nodded in response.
