Chapter 9

They were sitting around Leena’s living room when Kasey stormed into the house looking flustered. Chris’s smile faded when he saw the look on her face.

“I’ve just had the worst day of my life, the past hour at least.” She waved a piece of crinkled-up paper at them. “You’ll never guess what this is!” She waved it some more, then looked down at it. “I’m so screwed!” she spat out, and then the page flew up to the ceiling and stuck as if it had been glued there. She threw her hands up in the air and stomped into the kitchen.

Everyone looked at the door she’d slammed, then stared up at the paper still on the ceiling. Dade got up and stood under it looking up at it. “Oh.” He turned to Chris. “I believe this would be a legal matter, counselor.”

Eyebrows drawn together, Chris got up and walked over. Holding out his hand, the page floated off the ceiling into it. He read it for a moment. “I believe you’re right.”

Leena stood there looking at Dade. “What is it?” she whispered.

Dade scowled. “I think it says Kasey’s landlord has sold the property she lives in and the new owners are tearing it down, giving Kasey three weeks to move out.”

Leena’s mouth dropped open. “Oh no! Can they do that?”

Dade shrugged. “I guess that’s for Chris to figure out.”

All eyes turned to Chris. “Give us a moment.” He walked into the kitchen.

Kasey turned when Chris walked in. She was boiling mad and wanted to beat something, but curbed the urge because this wasn’t even her house.

“Kasey. Calm down.” Chris stood looking at her all calm and relaxed, and that annoyed her right now.

She whirled around to face him completely. “Calm down? Easy for you to say, you’re not going to be living in your car!” she spat at him. “I tried to call my landlord. Oh, I don’t blame him. He’s such a sweet old man, probably just wants to retire and travel. He apologized, said he had no idea they intended to tear it down.” She put her hands in her face and groaned. “What am I going to do, Chris?” Kasey flipped a hand out, and the crinkled paper flew from his hand into hers. She looked down at it.

Chris walked over and pulled it from her hands gently. “You’re going to let me have it. I’ll make a few calls. If there’s a way around it, I’ll find it for you.”

She went from mad to teary-eyed and looked up at him. “I can’t afford to move, Chris. I can barely afford where I’m living now.”

He leaned down and softly kissed her mouth before straightening and smiling at her. “Just let me handle it, all right?” She nodded. Tucking her under his arm, they went back out to the others.

Dade winked at her and glanced up at the ceiling. “That was pretty impressive stuff, Kase.”

Kasey let out a deep breath. “Sorry about that. I was just so upset. I almost blew up my cup of tea when I read it.”

Leena went over and hugged her and then looked at Chris. “Is there anything you can do?”

Chris shrugged. “I don’t know at this point, but I’ll see what can be done tomorrow.”

Owen grinned at Kasey. “I will never run out of ideas for books as long as I’m around you guys.”

Kasey chuckled halfheartedly. “Yes, I’m sure you could write a whole book about short-tempered witches.”

He laughed. “I haven’t even begun that series yet.”

Steven sent a cushion floating over at Owen’s head. “Now that the show is over, would anyone like an update on the recovery of Rhonda?” All eyes went to him when he said her name.

Not one of them had known her name, Kasey realized. Suddenly she became something more than she had been to them. Rachel nodded and sat on the floor looking up at him.

“She’s still in ICU and pretty incoherent. They’re keeping her medicated and relaxed. She has a lot of stitches everywhere, so they want her comfortable through the worst part of recovery. But she’s getting stronger each day. They’re not certain how much use she’ll have of her hands at this point.”

He paused to watch a tear roll down Rachel’s cheek. “But the damage to her back wasn’t as bad as first thought, and she should be able to walk.” Steven reached down and wiped the tear gently off Rachel’s cheek and offered her a small smile. “She’s still alive, and at this point, Rach, that’s all that matters.”

Straightening, Steven looked around the room. “I’m going to go see her on Friday afternoon when I’m off duty, so I’ll have more to tell you after that.” He gave Chris a serious look for a moment. “I spoke to Patrick. They weren’t able to get any DNA to trace, or prints, or anything, really. His only thread of hope is that Rhonda may have seen something.”

Chris stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down. “I talked to him last night too. He’s placed a guard on her room just to be sure nothing else happens to her.”

Leena leaned into Owen’s arms. “Take her some flowers from us, Steven, and if you speak to her, tell her we’re all pulling for her.” Leena turned and looked at Kasey for a moment. “Maybe Kasey can charge a stone or two to leave with her.”

Kasey nodded. “I’ll do it tomorrow night and drop it off at the hospital for you.”

Cora had sat there quietly through the whole conversation. She looked from Kasey and Leena to Steven. “Will they let us see her once she’s out of recovery?” Dade leaned forward and watched Cora. “I’d like to see her when we can. It was such a strong connection...” She looked at Dade. “I think she sent out the call for help to me, which would mean she has real magic inside her.”

Dade sat squatted in front of her and touched her hand. “You’re sure?”

Cora nodded. “Yes. I wouldn’t have been able to hear the creek she heard, or known as much as I did, if she wasn’t able to send the information out to someone. To me.” She looked up from his hand. “I’d like to find out. I still feel her inside my head sometimes, Dade.”

He reached up and touched her cheek. “The Doc will let us know as soon as we can see her, and then I’ll take you.”

She nodded and looked back down at their hands. “Thank you.”

Rachel studied Cora for a moment. “That must have been so awful for you, Cora, to feel what she did. I want to go with you when you do see her.” She looked at Steven. “I’ve been working on a spell to bring peace, and I’d like to do that for her.”

Steven nodded slowly for a minute. “I’ll have to make sure she’s stable before any of us try anything more to help her. It could possibly hurt her further.”

Chris cleared his throat. “Just let us know, and we’ll all go together. If she’s as Cora suspects, she might feel better knowing we’re still around.”

Owen nodded. “I know I would.” He looked over at the Doc. “Would I be able to help her recovery at all?”

Steven frowned. “It’s possible. Of course, you all realize any of us doing anything magical while inside the hospital is risky as hell. Too much energy flying around could set off alarms and wreak havoc with monitors.”

Dade stood up and looked at him. “We’ll be careful, Doc, no worries there.”

Chris glanced at his watch. “On that note, I need to go. I think a Sunday brunch at my house is in order, and then Steven can update us, and hopefully we’ll come up with a plan to help Rhonda.”

Chris looked at Steven for a moment. “When I spoke to Patrick, we discussed what was going to happen if she does know who attacked her. No one outside of us and Justin and Gwen can hear of anything that takes place. He’s told Justin no one gets told anything. If she remembers anything, she’s going to need to disappear until the killer is caught.”

Kasey looked up at him, knowing he would see the fear in her eyes, but she couldn’t hide it right now. “What about her family?”

He rested his hand on her shoulder. “There’s going to be a lot to figure out, Kasey, but one step at a time. First she has to get stronger.” He kissed her quickly. “I’ll call you when I find out about your situation.”

Kasey smiled at him. “Thank you. You’ve quite possibly saved some corporate jerks from falling off a building.”

Chris shook his head laughing. “You’re really starting to scare me, woman.” He saluted to the others and walked out.

Rachel waited until the door closed, then grinned at Kasey. “I want in on this shopping trip Friday.”

Leena leaned forward and whispered, “Count me in too.”

Cora grinned over at her around Dade’s shoulder. “You’re going to look so good he’ll be speechless.”

Dade lifted an eyebrow at Owen. “Have I missed something here?”

Owen nodded towards the kitchen. “Let’s go have a beer.”

Grinning, Steven got up. “I need beer too.”

The door had barely closed behind them when Dade turned, lifting his hands. “What is going on? Who’s going to be speechless? What shopping trip?”

Steven hopped onto the counter. “Yeah, fill us in here. You get the inside scoop now being coupled up with one of them.”

Owen handed them a beer. “It seems Chris finally worked up the courage to ask Kasey to some big fancy dinner with a judge or something.”

Dade took a long drink, then grinned. “Really? Does he know he’s got all the women coaching little Kasey?”

Owen shook his head and looked over the bottle at him. “Nope.”

Steven laughed. “I would kill to see how this date goes. Chris has been wanting to drag her off to bed for so long.”

Owen sobered. “Well hopefully he doesn’t actually drag her.”

Dade paused in drinking. “What do you mean?”

Owen cursed softly and then looked at the door. “Lee will rip my heart out if I tell you and she finds out.” Please don’t let her find out, he thought.

Dade leaned over closer as Steven stepped to listen by the door. “That’s why we won’t let her find out. Give.”

Owen hissed, “Chris had just better...well Kasey...” He cursed again. “Leena’s gonna kill me.” He searched for a moment on how to say this without saying it. “Let’s just say there’s a really good reason why little Kasey looks so innocent all the bloody time.”

Steven straightened away from the door and looked at Owen blankly. Dade stood back and stared at him for a moment, and then his eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

Owen nodded.

Steven’s mouth dropped open. “Lucky bastard!”

Owen nodded again.

“Well fuck!” Dade said before taking a drink. “This just keeps getting more interesting.” He grinned. “Don’t suppose either of you have a talent for seeing?” They shook their heads. “Well that sucks.”

“What sucks?” Cora asked, pushing through the door.

Dade took a drink quickly, and Owen turned and opened the fridge, trying to appear as if he was getting something out.

Steven shrugged. “They wanted a guy’s night out Saturday, and I have to work.”

She grinned. “It will keep all of you out of trouble then.”

Dade nodded. “Yeah, probably just as well.”

She looked at him for a moment. “I came in to say good night. We’re all heading home.”

Owen closed the fridge. “Oh, I’ll go out and say good night to everyone then.” Steven went out the door Owen held open.

Dade grinned at Cora. “Come to give me a kiss good-bye, honey?”

He watched her smile slowly. “No, I didn’t.” Then she walked back into the other room.