Eye of the Storm (The Charmed) Read Free Page A

figure before him.
    “Are you feeling any better?” The man’s voice was strong and held the deep resonance that comes with age.
    “Yes.” He paused. “Who are you? And where am I?”
    “I’m Tom, Tom Henderson at your service. You’re in my house in Tennessee.”
    Chase shook the man’s outstretched hand. He looked around at the room. No, nothing looked familiar. “How did I get here?”
    “Why don’t you tell me what your last memory was?” Tom pulled a chair over and sat next to Chase’s bed.
    “I was in school, beginning of senior year.”
    Tom felt a chill go up his spine. A whole school year? He hadn’t meant to go back that far when he hit Chase with the spell. “You must have hit your head pretty hard. You’re done with school and interning up here at the Tennessee safe house.”
    Outside the door Maddie placed a hand on her mouth.
    “You see those marks on your arm? You came up here to learn how to use those powers you got with them.” Tom motioned to Chase’s arm.
    Chase looked down at his arm, the black intense design went from his shoulder to his wrist, wrapping from the top to bottom. “I have powers from these?”
    “Yep. You came up here to learn.” Tom scratched his closely cropped gray beard.
    “Why can’t I remember anything?”
    “You bumped your head outside. We have a low hanging branch I need to cut down. You were helping me with it when you accidentally ran into the thing.” Tom lied. “When you’re feeling better I’ll give you another tour of the place.” Tom patted Chase on the shoulder and walked out of the room.
    Madeleine was leaning against the wall. Tom took one look at her and paled.
    “I’m just trying to protect him, Maddie.”
    “Really? What point is there in making him forget Lyla?” She kept her voice low but scolding.
    Tom lowered his voice a few notches, “You saw how miserable he was! By helping him forget for a while we’ll give him the ability to heal himself as well as her.”
    “How is it healing her if he’s away from her?” She poked him in the chest.
    Tom took a step back so he wouldn’t get poked again. “You don’t understand the way of the Charmed. Emotions are everything. If there are too many tragic ones, they could lose their powers. They have amazing powers, Maddie.”
    “Madeleine narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you’re not doing this so you can keep a powerful one near?”
    Tom scoffed. “What point would there be in that?”
    “I may not be charmed but I’ve lived with one for forty years. I’m keeping my eye on you, Thomas.” She turned to walk back into the kitchen where she had bread in the oven.
    He watched her walk away. She had already kept an eye on him these past years, and very well, too. He smiled and walked the opposite way to his study.

    Jaden, Harley, Brendan and Kayla drove in silence. It was getting dark and they had just barely entered Tennessee.
    Jaden looked at the somber group. This was summer, they should have been enjoying the last few carefree days before they all split up for different colleges. Instead they were on a frantic drive to find two people who were probably safe. “Let’s find a place to stay, we can start out early tomorrow.” Jaden didn’t see any reason to get lost. The Tennessee hills were famous for little trails that were hidden and went nowhere.
    They eventually stopped in Chattanooga. Jaden knew this place well, he and his father took summer trips here when he was in grade school. The only place Jaden knew of to stay was the original Chattanooga Choo-Choo Station Hotel.
    Harley stepped out of the car and looked up. “Not exactly coming into Tennessee under the radar, are we?” They all looked up, the station was a massive landmark structure lit up like the fourth of July. It was a testament to the south, the first railroad to go from one end of the south to the other over battle lines.
    Brendan’s eyes sparkled as he looked around. The ground was meticulously kept