Eye of the Storm (The Charmed)
Read Eye of the Storm (The Charmed) Online
Authors: Dianne Nutting
Dianne Nutting
The Eye of the Storm
Copyright © 2013 by Dianne Nutting. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
I would like to thank my husband Eric who is my creative partner and rock that holds us all together. Without your support and (sometimes) guidance, I never would have had the will to continue. Thank you to my kids Alec, Scott, Rachel, Brett & Rebecca who give up chunks of time for me (and have to listen to stories…) Rachael Killen for the main first edit read-through and your sweet way you go about life. Russ Knudsen, your artwork is so incredibly lovely, your attention to detail amazing and without your artistic touch and sweetness, I would have been completely lost! Thank you! Also a big thank you for doing my website, I love you so much.
I’d like to thank Karen, Giesle, Roy, Rosemary, Amy L, Natasha, Ciara, JR Roberts, Diane, Dee, Clever Comments, Bec, Senta, Lori, Trish, Crystal, Maggie and Erandi. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to give me a great review on Amazon. It meant the world to me and helped shape the next two books!
To Senta, Brian, Maddie, Nikki, Sue, Rick, Pat, Jenny, Kenny, Lara, Margaret, Megan, Amy, Brittany, Kaitlynn, Pebbles, Lizzie, Walta, Paul and Ann. You all made my day with encouragement, thank you!
A warm thank you to Amy and Rob at 52 Novels. You make this journey fun, your attention to detail and professionalism made this journey a delight.
I would also like to thank everyone who has been following this story! Without your exuberance and excitement about it, I never would have had the courage to give up the time to continue.
Chapter 1
H
arley McGillicuddy was a temperamental, short, red-haired pixie of a girl, and right now she was in the passenger seat of a car trying to help navigate it through Atlanta, Georgia.
“Jaden, turn here. Here!”
“Damn Harley, you can’t tell me to turn two seconds before we miss it!”
“It wasn’t my fault. Atlanta is hell. It’s too busy up here.”
The car passengers were Harley’s circle of the charmed: Jaden, Kayla and Brendan. They were headed north to look for the other two of their circle, Chase and Lyla, who they believed were in a safe house somewhere between Georgia and Tennessee. For almost a year the circle had been dealing with a whole new kind of stress. Lyla brought in a centuries-old curse by being born on November first and lucky for the circle, Chase was the recipient because he fell in love with her. Certain members of the higher-ups found out about their powers and hunted them down, Chase set off a sonic boom that catapulted he and Lyla to safety and the rest to find them. Although at this point, they couldn’t even navigate themselves out of Atlanta.
“I’m hungry.” Kayla was in the far back of the SUV. She hadn’t stopped complaining since they left.
Jaden glanced in the mirror at her. He wasn’t sure she would ever get over Chase, the person she was arranged to marry. Knowing your parents set-up a marriage for you was one thing, following through with it, another. But Kayla had feelings for him where Chase had regarded her as an annoying sister.
“Yeah, I’m hungry, too. We already missed our exit to bypass the city, let’s just go to Varsity and we can re-group.” Jaden appeased Kayla.
The whole car bristled with a resounding yes. Varsity was one of those places you just had to see. It was a throwback in time. Burgers, shakes, fries, pies, loud environment, strange rooms like the one where you sit in a classroom and watch sports channels. Jaden looked around as he exited. Maybe they would be able to get refreshed eyes. Tallahassee turned up nothing. The safe house there had heard of Chase and Lyla but thought it was the beginning of a new urban legend.
He parked and they all exited the car quickly. Once they had their food, they found a normal seat and chowed down. Brendan had four burgers, Jaden two and the girls one. But Jaden knew by experience that Harley would give at least half of hers to Brendan and Kayla would merely pick at hers.
Brendan, talking around a mouthful of food said, “So, here’s how I see it. We have to get to that park before it gets dark or it’s no use. Plus we have to find a hotel, but not until we know whether they’re here or not. Hey Jaden, how many safe houses are there?”
Jaden looked over at Brendan. He was sitting opposite Harley. He had never seen that before. In all the years he’d known them, Brendan had always been glued to her. “One in each state. They’re hard to find on purpose. You basically need to have a really good reason to appear on their doorstep.”
“Well, death would get them there. I just hope Lyla didn’t die. That hit she took was pretty intense.” Brendan absently muttered around his mouthful.
Jaden put his burger down, his stomach turning sour. It had been an incredibly hard hit by a really powerful Charmed. It was possible that both were dead. Jaden stood, dumped his food in the trash. “Ready guys?”
Brendan was half-way through his second burger. “I’m only…” He looked up and saw Jaden, his skin color white as a ghost. “Yeah, yeah we are.”
Jaden turned and walked away. Brendan hurried the girls up and they met Jaden at the car, the engine was revving already. They were headed to the next location, Chickamauga National Park.
C
hase wiped the sweat off Lyla’s brow. Her skin had turned a sickly green and her breath labored.
Madeleine Henderson walked into the room carrying a bowl full of a broth the shade of tomatoes. “Feed this to her, she’ll feel better in a matter of hours.”
Chase was losing his composure. They had been there roughly a week and Lyla was only getting worse. “That’s what you said about the last soup. I don’t think it’s doing any good.” He continued to wipe off her face.
“Dark spells and charms take a while to get rid of. You have to do it in stages, and Chase, it will get worse before it gets better.” Madeleine placed a hand on Chase, trying to reassure him. It did no good, Chase would worry no matter what.
He continued to wipe her face down, eyeing the soup as he did. He finally gave in and started spooning the soup into her mouth. Within minutes the sweat eased up and her greenish hue began to recede.
Madeleine stared at the two for a moment by the open door. Chase had been so attentive with Lyla since they arrived, worry etched on his face for the full week he had been here. She guessed he must be handsome when he smiled but she had yet to see one. Lyla, on the other hand, looking like a sickly sleeping beauty was stunning. She had long blonde hair that draped over milky-white skin, full pouty lower lip and high cheekbones that accentuated what must be narrow gray eyes. She looked forward to talking with them and getting to know their story. It was clear they were in love but what brought them here was a mystery to her and her husband was no help in that matter. According to him, she was to forget that they had strange black marks snaking up one of their arms like tattoos. For Chase it was the left, for Lyla the right, when they put their arms together they matched, Madeleine knew that. In all the years she had been at the Tennessee safe house she had never seen a couple quite like this.
She shut the door quietly behind her. The caretaker of the sanctuary was her husband, Tom; he was one of the Charmed. Madeleine remained hidden when others came by for help, since she wasn’t one of them, but Chase and Lyla needed much more help than what Tom could offer. They needed a maternal figure to dote on them and it was a relief to have younger kids to care for since she herself could never have kids with Tom. They were leading a criminal life according to the Charmed, but it was a moot point now since they were both in their sixties, whatever happened to them, would happen. Madeleine’s only problem was her husband’s unnatural interest in the marks on the two kids. She made a mental note to keep a stronger eye on her own husband. She walked to the library to have her evening tea with him.
Harley took navigator position again. They were worried about the GPS giving away their location so Harley had to be primitive and read the map. “Why don’t they teach this in school? How am I supposed to know what all these marked lines mean?” Harley was looking at the map upside-down.
Jaden watched her out of the corner of his eye, “You were valedictorian of our class and you can’t read a simple map?”
Harley threw the map down. “I can’t think when I’m upset.”
“Sure you can, you’re upset most of the time. Which exit do I take?”
Harley picked the map up again, “Exit two-seventy. There, happy now?”
“Yes, since it’s the next exit.” Harley and Jaden had bonded this last week. Ever since Kayla became sullen over Chase and Brendan and Harley weren’t talking, it fell on him and Harley to propel the group to their next destination.
They arrived at Chickamauga Civil War Memorial Park twenty minutes later. Brendan whistled low, “Man, this place is huge. How are we going to find an invisible house here?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Jaden stepped out of the SUV, boots loud on the concrete. He looked out over the miles and miles of trees and grass. There appeared to be some trails but mostly they would be driving straight through on the road. Civil war monuments were on plots of land from each state involved, a house or two were plopped down here or there, remnants of time gone by. People were walking through the grass to get pictures, horses, bikes, motorcycles, the place was busy.