Eye of the Storm (The Charmed) (5 page)

Seconds later it did just that. The circle re-appeared from the same point it went in but slightly different in color and evaporated in the air. “Okay, off we go then. The plan is to distract Chase while Kayla comes up behind him with the charm. Let’s go.” Jaden set off up the mountain at a brisk pace with Kayla walking quickly behind.

“Crap, what did you do to him Harley?”

“What do you mean? I didn’t do anything!” She looked up at Jaden and back at Brendan, “Uh, why?”

“Not only is he going the wrong way but he’s whistling. He’s freaking whistling, Harley.” He stared down the small pixie.

“Maybe the spell was too strong.” She cowered under his gaze.

“Ya think? So help me if he picks flowers on the way I’m going to….”

“Wait. He couldn’t have the spell in him anymore, the charm!”

“Oh great, he’s acting like a loon of his own free will. Come on pixie, we have to get prince charming to the right mountain.”

They found Chase in the same place chopping wood.

“Hey, Chase!” Jaden yelled.

Chase stopped chopping wood and looked over at Jaden. He picked up another log and set it on the large stump. “Hey.” Thwack! The ax met its mark. He turned to Jaden, “What brings you guys up here?”

A cold chill ran down Jaden’s spine. He looked over at Kayla, signaling her to slow her walk behind him.

“We just thought a hike in the mountains would be fun before we all split for college. Then we realized you were
in
the mountains and thought, why not? We’ll go kill two birds with one stone.” Jaden stalled.

“Well, you found me. I’m a little busy though.” He stopped and looked back at the group. “Where’s your gear?”

Kayla blew the charm toward Chase but it flew past him like he knew it was coming. Chase’s eyes had turned from his light green to a dark brown in seconds. “What are you doing?”

“Holy shit.” Jaden muttered under his breath. The spell was really strong in him.

Kayla started backing up, Jaden moved to stand in front of her. “Chase, you’re not yourself.”

“What was that spell? I don’t recognize it.” Chase was walking forward. He threw a hand out to Brendan and Harley, Brendan dove but Harley was hit straight on with the energy and was flown back a few yards. Brendan looked at Harley and then back to Chase and ran at him. Chase flicked his hand to the side and Brendan flew into a tree and slumped to the ground. Jaden had kept Chase in constant eye contact, guarding Kayla the whole time. Chase didn’t move a muscle but Jaden was slowly rising off the ground, Chase did a small twirl with his finger and Jaden began spinning. Meanwhile Kayla had moved slightly closer to Chase, he looked down at her then and tilted his head. “What are you doing?”

Kayla gulped. This was a modified Chase. This is what evil did to protect power they wanted. Kayla stopped in her tracks. “Chase, I think you should listen to me, you’re not yourself.” She looked up at Jaden who was still spinning, only faster. “Please let Jaden down. We didn’t mean any harm.”

“You could have fooled me. What was that spell?”

“It was a charm. It’s to find what spell you’ve been put under.”

He crooked his face into a sideways smile. “I’m not under anything, I’ve never felt better. This power feels amazing.”

Kayla gulped again, “What about Lyla?” She was trying to keep him talking.

Chase faltered ever so slightly. “I don’t know who you’re talking about. Brendan mentioned that name, too. Is she someone that wants my power?”

Kayla was breathing heavy and couldn’t get the panic out of her voice. “Chase, please, you’ll kill him, let Jaden go.”

Chase looked up then and when he did, Brendan, who had risen from his black-out, snuck around the back side while Kayla was distracting him and struck Chase in the back of the head. Jaden fell and Kayla ran to him. He lay in a heap on the ground.

“Kayla, I know Jaden might be hurt but you have to get Chase before he wakes up, and he’s already moving!”

Kayla ran over to Chase, spoke the charm into her hands and blew it onto his marked arm. He arched his back as if in pain. The gold glow moved through his body, slowly changing colors until it finally re-emerged through his arm as a fiery red sphere. The charm spun in the air and exploded into a million little red flowers.

Harley walked up and put her hands in the air. “Flowers, how creative, Kayla. Is Jaden alright?”

Kayla walked toward him and placed her right hand on his head. Harley could see her mutter something. She didn’t know what it was but when she stopped, Jaden woke up. Kayla apparently has more gifts than they all thought. She helped him up and he staggered a little toward Chase, draping his arm over Kayla for support. His mouth was bloody and his hair a mess.

They all stood in a circle over Chase, cautious about his waking. The minutes dragged on until he finally stirred. When he finally woke and sat up, the group slowly took a few steps back. Jaden was the first to speak. “How ya feeling, man?”

Chase looked up at the group, alarmed. “Hey! Guys!”

The group took another step back, worried.

“How did you find me? Where am I?” He looked around at the field and the chopped wood. His breathing was heavy as he unfolded his six foot two frame from the ground and walked over to put his shirt on and clear his head, then turned to his circle. “What day is it?” He sobered up.

Kayla spoke, “It’s June thirtieth. Two weeks from the date you disappeared.”

Chase looked at his surroundings and rubbed the back of his head. “Why does my head hurt?”

“Well, uh, that would be me. You weren’t yourself Chase; I had to knock you out.”

“From behind?”

Brendan smiled. “Would you really have forgiven me if I messed up that pretty face of yours?”

Chase broke out into a smile, the group relaxed finally and walked over to him, each giving him a hug. Jaden said, “Chase, we thought you were dead. What is this place?”

Chase looked around and up the mountain. “Safe house in Tennessee, we arrived on the front doorstep. Lyla was in a bad way…” He stopped his sentence short realizing she wasn’t here.

Harley spoke, “Chase, where is she? Where’s Lyla and why are your marks so faded?”

Chase looked down at his arm, indeed, the marks were almost gone. He had a sick feeling in his stomach. He walked over and picked up the ax. “She’s at the house, being fed some horrible thing that makes the power drain out of her.”

Brendan was looking at the ax in Chase’s hand. “Uh, Chase, what are you going to do with that ax?”

Chase, his face a mask of stone, turned and walked up the hill shouting back at them, “I’m going to let Tom know we’re leaving.”

Harley walked up to Brendan, “He’s changed a little.”

“You could say that.” Brendan said.

They followed Chase at a safe distance. He was putting off energy so strong the plants were all wilting as he walked by them. Kayla frowned looking around the field, “I wish I could revive them!”

Harley looked at Kayla rolling her eyes, “After this, the flowers aren’t going to be the only things you might have to revive. Chase is on a tear, let’s try to keep up.”

Finally they arrived at the cabin but Tom Henderson knew they were coming. Chase stepped into the clearing in front of the small cabin. “Tom.”

“Chase. Who are your friends?”

“They’re my circle. I want Lyla.”

“She’s not well enough to leave, you know that Chase.”

“Bullshit!”

This startled Tom for just a second but the older man easily masked it. “Now Chase, you know how important you and Lyla are. Think of the possibilities.”

“What possibilities? So we can be used like some science experiment? Where did two weeks go, Tom?”

Tom hung his head down but when he raised his head back up a force of energy knocked everyone off their feet. “You’re not the only one who has benefited from that pretty girl. I could feel it the moment she stepped foot in the house. Don’t be selfish, Chase, you can share.”

Chase flew a bolt of fire toward Tom who deflected it with a bolt of water, both disintegrating at the touch.

“It’s no use, I can feel what you’re about to do, the only thing is, I’ve had more experience.” The look on his face curled Harley’s toes.

Tom spoke the most powerful spell he could muster–he hoped it worked. A wave of some unimaginable invisible water flow fell over the group. Kayla started to giggle. Chase looked over at them and laughed.

Tom walked over to Chase and put his arm around him. “Chase, who are your friends?”

“Oh, Tom! This is Jaden, Kayla, Harley and Brendan. My buds.”

Tom smiled a pleasant smile he reached out a hand and shook everyone’s in hello, sealing the spell. “Nice to meet you. Thank you for coming. I’m sure Chase would love to see you again.”

Kayla beamed, “Thank you! We had a great time! Bye Chase!”

Everyone gave Chase a hug good bye and turned to leave.

That was a close one, Tom thought. If he hadn’t felt the spell leave Chase he never would have been prepared. He put a hand on Chase’s shoulder and patted it. “Ah, good friends.”

Chase smiled over at him, “Yep, sure are. I’m hungry, think I’ll go get something to eat.”

“I’ll join you.” Damn, thought Tom, now he was going to have to get all that wood that Chase chopped up by himself.

J
aden and the rest arrived back in Lakeland at ten o’clock the next morning. They hadn’t been sleepy and felt like driving through the night. With a few stops on the way to eat, they were finally back. Jaden dropped the others off and arrived exhausted at his place.

“Dad! I’m home!” Jaden walked into the eerily quiet house and turned the lights on one by one. By the time he reached the kitchen the house was ablaze and he was standing scratching his head in wonder. He turned and saw a note taped to the fridge.

Jaden, I couldn’t reach you. I’m hoping if you are reading this that Chase and Lyla are safe with you. I think I found the location of the first book. I will call when I can. Dad.

Jaden stared at the paper. Chase and Lyla were on their honeymoon. Jaden didn’t understand why his Dad talked about being safe. He put the paper down and opened the fridge. He was starved. After he finished the mother of all sandwiches he headed to bed. He lay awake in the quiet house thinking. Every time his mind placed itself on Chase, it would slide off. Like his mind didn’t need to go there. He wondered if this was what Alzheimer’s patients felt like. A thought would bloom and then slip away.

The next day Jaden knocked on Brendan’s door. Mr. Ellis, Brendan’s dad, greeted him with a slight smile. He was a tall man but lanky in build. His hair was salt and pepper but Jaden suspected it had been jet black at one time. He shook Jaden’s hand with a firm grip, making him wince.

“Jaden, come in. How is your father these days?” Mr. Ellis walked Jaden into the living room, which overlooked the pool. Immense windows brought light into the darkly furnished room. Jaden sat down on a large uncomfortable chair, his back to the windows.

“He’s good, can’t complain.”

“I called him the other day but he didn’t pick up, is he out of town?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that so? What took him away? Family visit?”

Jaden had barely spoken to Mr. Ellis before. He wasn’t the warmest of men so the conversation was starting to become peculiar to him. “Uh, no. Some book, you know Dad, always reading or chasing an old book that is too dusty to read.”

A shadow passed over Mr. Ellis’ face so subtle that if Jaden hadn’t felt uncomfortable in the first place, he wouldn’t have noticed it. Mrs. Ellis walked into the room, impeccably dressed, dark hair in a french twist, dark long skirt and a peach blouse. A string of pearls were flush around her neck. She was trying her best to smile but it came across as a grimace. “Hello, Jaden dear, how are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Jaden attempted a half-hearted smile.

“Dear, Jaden’s father is out of town locating another book.”

A look passed between them before she answered. “Is that so? What kind of book, Jaden?”

How odd, Jaden thought. “He didn’t say but if I know dad, it’s something to do with King Arthur and the round table.” Jaden lied.

“Where has Chase been hiding himself lately? We haven’t seen him around. In fact, your trip didn’t last as long as we thought it would, Brendan hardly looks camp weary.”

Brendan told his parents they were going on a fishing trip when in reality they were doing something with Chase. Right? Chase? Jaden couldn’t place what it was but he knew it had something to do with him. “He stayed behind.” Jaden said until he could figure out why Chase wasn’t here. Honeymoon? That has to be it, he thought.

“Jaden! Hey! Didn’t know you were here! Wanna run the lake?” Brendan came jogging down the stairs two at a time in shorts and a tank top.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Jaden stood up and walked around Brendan’s parents. “Nice to see you.”

“Come by anytime, Jaden.” Mr. Ellis put an arm around his wife.

Brendan and Jaden started walking down to Lake Hollingsworth. “Brendan, do you remember much from the last two weeks?”

Brendan scanned the lake, usually Harley was out this time of day. “No. In fact, I was just coming to get you because I couldn’t.”