Surge Of Magic (12 page)

Teagan clasped the table. “How is that possible? I didn’t see something like this coming.” She had a premonition when Elana’s parents had been murdered. Why not about something as vile as a theft?

“Teagan, it’s Elana. This isn’t your fault. You can’t know everything. Besides, we have both been rather busy and we haven’t seen each other as much as we used to.”

That was no excuse. Teagan glanced over at Kip. “Do you think that Changeling who grabbed me took my powers without my knowledge?”

“No,” Kalan interjected. “They need the sardonyx to draw out the magic. James previously told me that the red onyx is necessary to the Changelings, like the pink quartz is to the Wendayans. It has something to do with preserving powers.”

She remembered that Elana’s parents had been killed over the onyx. “Elana, do you still have the piece your parents gave you?” It might have been what they were looking for.

“Yes, it’s locked in our safe that’s screwed into the floor,” she said.

Kalan spoke up again. “We agree with you. I believe that was what they were after.”

“Any clues to indicate who it was?” Kip asked.

“Not yet, but I called the department since I wanted them to check for fingerprints. They found nothing, so I have to assume that the thief or thieves wore gloves.”

That really sucked. “Was anything else stolen?” Teagan asked.

“Not that we can tell, which was what led me to believe they were after the red stone,” Kalan said.

Teagan was confused. “I thought Changelings didn’t have a lot of power if they entered the shifter compound.”

Kip nodded. Apparently, he’d thought the same thing.

“The closer to the lake, the weaker their powers. I know from experience that their ability to fight and heal is limited,” Kalan said.

Kip leaned over the phone. “What can I do to help?”

“Make sure that Teagan stays safe. If they attacked her once, they might try again. Though without more sardonyx, they might have to regroup.”

Heavy oil-like sludge filled her veins. She wasn’t as sure that they wouldn’t try again soon, nor was she convinced that a Changeling had to slice her open to steal her magic. Just because they did that to Randy, didn’t mean it was the only way a theft could occur.

It really bothered her that she never had a vision about the Changelings breaking into Kalan’s house.

Wanting to test her powers, she stared at the cell phone then whipped her hand in front of it. When it moved two inches, she sagged against the seat. At least, she hadn’t lost all of her abilities.

Kip replaced the phone in the center of the table. “Let us know, Kalan, what you find out. Sorry this happened. I’ll give Connor and Jackson a heads up.”

“I already called my brother.”

“Then I’ll contact Connor.”

Kip swiped off the speaker, and he and Kalan chatted about logistics. By the time the call ended, her food was cold, but she’d lost her appetite anyway.

Without saying anything, Kip stood and placed his dishes in the sink. “I think we need to set up security alarms in your house.”

“You heard Kalan. The Changelings need time to regroup. Without the sardonyx, could they even use my magic?” An alarm system would cost a lot and use up most of her savings. It didn’t matter if Kip could get her a discount or not. “Besides, this is the Cove, remember? Crime doesn’t happen here.”

“Did you forget about the attack on Randy?”

“Oh, yeah.” Izzy’s stalker had also come to the Cove to do her harm.

He stroked her cheek. “I want you safe. Things can be replaced, but your magic cannot.”

“If you’re here, we should be good, right?”

He returned to the table and grabbed the empty bowl that had contained the meatballs and set it in the sink. “I’m not sure how effective I would be against a couple of werewolves. They got the drop on Randy. If one attacks me and the other tries to grab you, I’m not sure who would win.”

Chills raced up her spine. “Way to scare me.”

Kip walked around the table, pulled her to her feet, and then hugged her. “I can’t lose you.”

That was what she’d told herself about him after her premonitions. “You won’t.” She looked up at Kip, needing to talk about something other than her attack. “Why do you think I didn’t have an inkling that something like this break-in would happen at Kalan’s?”

He dragged a knuckle down her cheek. “Maybe you have enough to deal with. You know how people say you are given only what you can handle? Maybe that’s what’s happening now.”

He had a point. “I was pretty traumatized when I thought someone was after you.” She had truly been on overload.

Kip held her tight. “Before it gets too late, we should head on over to my place since I need to pack. Right now I want to kiss you so bad, but we might not stop and then leave here too late, and I don’t want to wake up anyone at the house.”

It wasn’t even nine p.m. “You wish you could last a few hours.”

He tapped her nose. “Look who’s talking.”

He had a point.

“I’m ready when you are,” she said. “I’ll wash the dishes when we return.” Teagan had been tempted to say she’d stay there and do the dishes, but Kip would never go for it. In truth, she didn’t want to leave his side.

She wasn’t naïve enough to believe her attacker would give up so easily. “When that man put his hand over my mouth, we were less than twenty feet from the sidewalk. Where do you think my attacker planned to take me?” The restaurant was on Main Street, and he had to realize people would be within sight.

“He might have parked in back, and when he spotted me, decided to go around another way.”

It was possible, but not likely. “He’d have no way of knowing you’d go back to the truck for my sweater though.”

“True. It’s a long shot, but maybe Connor can check out the lot for any cars still parked there. The man might have been too injured to drive. Connor can then have Kalan run the plates to see if the owner lives in the hills.” He dialed his boss’s number. Once Connor answered, Kip explained what happened to both her and Kalan. Kip nodded and then paced while he listened to Connor’s response. “Do me a favor? Go to the back of the restaurant and see if maybe the guy left his car there. Most likely he’s picked it up already, but who knows? Let me know what you find out.” Kip faced her. “Everything that can be done is being done. Now we wait.”

‡

T
he next morning,
Kip insisted on following Teagan to work to make sure no harm came to her. He told her he would have kept watch outside the spa for a while, but he had a conference at nine with Kalan, Rye, and three of the other men who worked at McKinnon and Associates. Because of the seriousness of the theft, Devon McKinnon had returned to town to help. Kip left only after she’d entered the spa and waved to say all was good.

It was times like these that Teagan wished Izzy had remained working there. Even though she’d lost some of her magic, she could do some serious harm to an intruder.

Close to ten, Uncle Len strolled into the spa, and Teagan could guess why he’d shown up—to make sure no one had tried to grab her again. He’d been as protective when Izzy’s stalker had been in town too.

“I’m fine, Uncle Len.”

“Just checking. We can’t be too careful.” He chuckled then leaned closer. “I can incinerate the bastard if need be, but the cleanup might get a bit messy.”

She held up her hands. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Teagan didn’t want to think about the issues that would ensue if a human saw the devastation. It was bad enough that someone probably had seen her toss the trashcan around. The town didn’t need further evidence of the Wendayan’s magic.

“Call if you spot the guy,” her uncle said.

“I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup of one.” She’d already explained that he’d come up behind her.

“I bet if you smelled him again, you’d recognize him.”

“Perhaps.” The only problem was that she’d been so petrified during the attack that she wasn’t paying attention to that kind of detail. All she could recall was that he was very strong.

Her uncle smiled, gave her a lazy salute, and left. No sooner had her uncle stepped next door to his cell phone store than her aunt came out from the back. “Was that Len’s voice I heard?”

“Yes. He was worried something might have happened to me.”

“You can’t be too careful.”

She chuckled. “That’s exactly what he said to me.”

“Say, would you mind checking the inventory in the storage closet to see if we need to reorder anything?”

“Sure.” Yesterday, Teagan had made a comment about needing more towels and a few robes, so she headed to the back. In the middle of counting, her cell rang. When she saw her brother’s name on the screen, joy spread through her.

“Sam! I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” He wasn’t supposed to be on leave for another few weeks. She might have jumped to the conclusion something bad happened, but she would have sensed it if it had—or so she hoped.

“Got my leave time moved up, so I thought I’d come visit my baby sister, and then head on down to Florida to check on the folks.”

“That’s fantastic.” With Kip staying at her place, her home would be a wee bit crowded, but she’d make room. “When are you arriving?”

“Day after tomorrow. I’ll rent a car at the airport. Want me to come to the spa?”

“I have the next two days off so you can meet me at the house. Call first though to make sure I’m there.” She’d have to fill him in on everything that had happened once he arrived.

“Perfect. See you soon.”

Once he hung up, Teagan hugged her phone and smiled. She’d get to see her big brother in two days.

“You look happy,” Aunt Kathryn said stepping into the storage room.

“I am. That was Sam. He’s on leave and coming for a visit.”

Her aunt smiled. “Fantastic. Perhaps you, Kip, and Samuel would like to stop over for dinner while he’s here.” Her aunt always had called him by his full name.

“I’d like that, assuming he has time.”

Her aunt hugged her then returned to the front of the store. Sam was coming to visit. Wonderful! Then she recalled him saying he would be heading to Florida to visit the folks afterward. Crud, that would mean she’d have to call her parents and tell them about what happened before he spilled the beans. No way would Sam keep something like her attack a secret. No question about it, they’d be upset. Knowing them, they’d rush back home, charge into the mountains to hunt down the Changeling who attacked her, and then demand answers—assuming they could find him. Nothing good could possibly come of that inquiry.

They’d been gone for close to eight months. In that time, the town had more crime than ever. Her parents probably weren’t even aware what those creeps were capable of—other than killing Elana’s parents.

Pushing aside that future conversation, she turned back to what she had been doing. Once she made a list of the items the spa needed, she returned to the front. Missy was helping a customer, and Aunt Kathryn was in the back room, possibly with a client. Teagan stepped behind the counter, and using the spa credit card, placed the order.

Knowing she would see Sam, Teagan’s attitude vastly improved. She debated asking Elana if she wanted to go to lunch today, but if that man spotted her, she might be putting her friend in danger. While Teagan hadn’t had a premonition that something evil would occur, she couldn’t take any chances that her psychic powers had been damaged somehow. In the end, she asked Missy to pick her up something when she went out to eat.

Right at five, Kip showed up, and her libido instantly shot skyward. It didn’t matter she’d watched him dress this morning, the man sure wore jeans and boots well, and having his hair loose was an extra eye candy bonus. What she wouldn’t give to run her fingers through his silky strands, but that pleasure would have to wait.

“You ready?” he asked. From the excitement in his eyes, something was up.

“Let me log out of the computer.”

When she finished, Teagan said goodbye to her aunt and cousin then grabbed her purse and sweater. It had been chilly this morning, though the TV weatherman had claimed that they were in for a few days of Indian summer.

Kip escorted her to his truck. “I’ve been thinking with the weather about to turn nice for the next few days, what do you think about hiking into the Smoky Mountains tomorrow and camping out?”

Teagan loved the outdoors. “That sounds fantastic. What time are you thinking about going?”

“It will take us a few hours to get into the mountain, so how about we leave about eight?”

“The timing is perfect.” She told him about Sam coming in two days.

“I can’t wait to see him again. How about we stop at the store tonight and pick up what we want to eat in the woods? I already grabbed some Mountain House meals for dinner, but we’ll need other stuff.”

“Sure, but let’s make it easy.” Chopping onions and dicing ham for omelets in the woods was never easy. Kip opened the truck door and she eased in while he hurried over to his side.

He jumped in the driver’s side. “You don’t want to slave for hours over the camp stove?”