Chapter 70

By the time she reached the elevator, Wes and Mitch were getting off of it. She followed them down the hallway and into the boardroom. Teegan, Kat, and Leland were already there. Hurrying in, she closed the door and leaned against it.

“Have a seat, Mister Sullivan,” Leland motioned to a chair.

Ben walked over and sat down without complaint.

Mitch tossed his hat on the table and went over to Kat and hugged her.

“Now what?” Wes looked around.

“For starters—” Leland glanced over his shoulder at Mitch. “We could lift the daze you’ve got him in.”

Mitch jolted and released Kat and came back over to the man that just sat there. He traced something on his hand and then put his palm against his forehead.

Ben jerked in his seat like someone had decked him. “What…” He looked at Kat, his expression growing darker.

Mitch leaned down, close to his face. “Don’t look at her.” His tone held enough warning that Ann thought the man best comply.

“So you kidnapped me. Now what?” Ben crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Mitch.

“No one kidnapped you.” Leland perched on the edge of the table across from him. “You walked into the building with Wes and Mitchell.”

“I did n—” Ben rubbed his hand against his forehead. “What did you do?” He looked at Mitch.

Mitch shrugged. “Nothing special.” Taking his hands out of his pocket, he did something on his palm and then put his hand on Ben’s shoulder. Ben jerked so he wasn’t touching him. Mitch turned and looked at Wes. “Nothing strong enough to be concerned.”

“Okay, so we have an errand boy.” Wes walked around the table and then pulled out a chair across from him, and placed his hands on the table. He looked at Ben for a moment before he spoke. “Why are you following Kat?”

“Who said I was?”

Wes pulled out his phone and tapped the screen, and then swiped it a few times. He turned the phone around and held it toward him. “This is you following her when she was out on a photo shoot.”

“So it’s a coincidence we were at the same place one time.”

Setting the phone down so Ben could see it, Wes swiped the screen again. “—and here,” he repeated his action, “—and here, all on the same day.”

Ben scowled at the phone.

“Also,” Wes slid his finger over the screen twice more. “This is you parked outside her place, isn’t it?”

“Maybe I just wanted some of my stuff back.”

Kat leaped for the table, and Mitch caught her before she could get all the way across it. “You wanted your toothbrush and socks from three years ago, Ben? Really?”

Mitch wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. He leaned down and whispered something to her.

“I’m calm.” She pushed out of his arms and then spun around and glared at Ben with her hands on her hips. “Just admit it. Don’t be a weasel, Ben. You’re helping Celia and Bonnie.” She snorted, “Bonnie left with her tail between her legs when I was done with her.” She snarled at him and leaned down so their faces were level with each other. “You were only with me because you thought you’d side with the good magic, right?”

His entire demeanor changed, and he sneered right back at her. “Good magic? Don’t be ridiculous. My family has always been on the side that is going to prevail and make it so we don’t have to stay hidden all the time.”

“Your family are a bunch of idiots.” Kat spat and then spun away from him and went to the other end of the table with jerky movements.

“Your magic isn’t strong enough to be of use to those women.” Wes glanced at Leland. “So, Ben, who is helping them?”

“No one. They don’t need our help.”

Wes smirked. “Our? You refer to yourself in the plural?”

Ben blinked about three times and then shook his head. “Do whatever you were going to do. It’s not going to help you in the end.”

“I’m going to call Brother Kale,” Leland stood up and went out the side door that had a small, empty office on the other side of it.

Ann set her tea on the table and went over and stood closer to this man who had used one of her best friends. “You are quite a sad creature.” She crossed her arms so she wouldn’t follow through on the urge to bop him over the head with something. “Using people.” He gave her a bored look. “If you knew anything about magic, you would understand that karma plays a huge part in it.”

“Right,” Ben rolled his eyes, “that comes back to you in threes thing.” He chuckled.

“Well—” Ann shrugged. “I don’t know if it comes back in threes. I just know that karma always collects and makes sure the scales are balanced.” Ann gave him a big fake smile. Leaning down, she put her hand on his shoulder and made sure he looked right at her. “With your breath, you speak only true words; with your eyes, you will only see honesty, and with your heart, you will only feel peace if you’ve been honorable.” She smiled, an almost real one this time, and then moved her hand away from him and went back to her cup of tea.

“Uh,” Wes looked from Ben to her and then over at Mitch. “—what did…”

“I did like Kat, really.” Ben said hastily. “—but I had to follow what my family wanted. I can’t go against them, or they’ll cut me off.” He nodded. “Celia is pissed, you cut off the ancestors somehow, and Bonnie is pouting.” He looked at Mitch. “Liset doesn’t know much magic at all—” He shrugged. “—that’s what John says.” Turning back to Wes, he sucked in a breath. “I honestly thought you were sleeping with Kat when we were together, but now I think I was wrong, and you’re gay.” He snorted. “No man should be so pretty.”

Wes blinked and then looked at Ann. “Can you fix this?”

Ann took a deep breath. “I’m not sure what compelled me to do it.”

Leland came back into the room.

“You are a very scary man.” Ben blurted out.

Leland glanced around. “What did I miss?”

Wes cleared his throat but was still grinning. “Ann has him under some sort of truth spell.”

“Really?” Leland looked at Ann for a moment and then at Ben. “And have we learned any truths?”

“Celia is angry, Bonnie is pouting, and Liset is weak.” Ann supplied. “—and someone named John is involved.”

“Ah.” Leland turned back to Ben. “Does John have a last name?”

Ben frowned and looked down at the floor. “Norman.” He looked up, “of the Salem Norman’s” He mimicked in a snotty way.

“Oh, lovely.” Wes exhaled, “Are we ever going to be rid of that family?”

“I think they should bind them; they’ve proven dozens of times they’re not going to stop.” Mitch looked from one to the other. “What did Brother Kale say?”

Leland motioned to Ben. “That we shouldn’t keep him.”

“That’s it, nothing other than that?” Wes stood up and put his phone in his pocket.

“Is it safe to send him out there under this spell?” Mitch winced. “He’s going to say the truth to anyone he sees.”

Ann winced and put her hand over her mouth. “That won’t go well for him.”

“No, despite him possibly deserving it.” Leland looked from Wes to Mitch. “Would either of you like the honors?”

Wes shrugged. “I’ll do it.”

Ann moved so she could observe. She still wasn’t sure how she had known to do what she did. She knew Bridget was no longer lurking in her mind, if that’s even what she had been doing, because she hadn’t had that feeling since last night. So how had she just known what to do? She glanced briefly at Mitch and wondered if his theory was correct and if the magic had just grown all these years.

Wes sat on the edge of the table in front of Ben and leaned down. “Ben—” He looked at him. “Close your eyes and count to five, then look at me again.” Ben did what he was asked as Wes reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It was a small envelope; he pinched it and sprinkled a bit of the contents into his hand, then blew it on Ben just before he opened his eyes, “Go home, forget everything said to you today.”

Ben blinked and then sneezed. He looked around the room. “You can’t keep me here.” The hostile tone was back.

Wes stood up and motioned to the door. “You are free to leave.” He tucked the envelope back in his pocket. “Mitch, why don’t you show Mister Sullivan where the elevator is.”

“Happy to.” Mitch went over and opened the door and motioned for Ben to go.

Ann picked up her tea and watched him leave the room. “I’m sorry, I…”

Wes grinned. “Don’t be. It was very helpful.”

She motioned to his pocket. “What was that?”

“Oh, a little something I mix up and carry with me.”

“Magic dust, that is so cool.” Kat went over and looked out the door. “All of that was helpful, right?”

Leland pulled out his phone. “Very, now we know who is pulling the strings.”

“I thought it was Alana’s spell.” Teegan gave him a confused look.

“Oh, it is, but the Norman family has been lurking around for ages, waiting to jump on that train when it was in motion.” Leland motioned to his phone. “I’m going to implore the Brotherhood to bind them, now. Today.”

“I agree.” Wes looked at Ann and then back to him. “If we’re not allowed to help the ladies, no one should be helping the others.”

Ann blew out a breath. “I’m going to go see how the printer did.”

“Oh, no, the print deadline.” Teegan gasped and ran out the door.

“Guess I’ll go take some photos now that I don’t have a creepy stalker ex.” Kat popped a bubble and followed her out the door.