literal leigh 05.7 - mission impawsible Read Free

leave by broom travel, but I know for sure the Union would be able to track me if I zapped us out of here.” The Chihuahuas yelped their approval. I’d have to wait until morning to leave, and I knew it would be a long, anxious night. I talked myself into believing I had enough time before they were hot on my trail for improper use of magic or whatever charges they cooked up this time.
    The next morning I stood in the bank lobby. It was my last stop on my way out of town. I didn’t like the idea of writing a check or using my ATM card while I was on the run. I wanted to at least make an attempt to hide from the Union, even if it was an exercise in futility. Incidentally, I had no idea the bank could limit how much cash I could withdraw. I snapped! Who the hell were they to tell me I couldn’t take my money and do whatever the hell I wanted with it?
    “What do you mean I can’t take all of my money in cash? It’s my money… ” I’m pretty sure I actually winced when I realized I was about to repeat a catch phrase from some damn TV commercial, “… and I want it now!”
    But what do I know about money? Before Karma Inc., my checking account balance hovered somewhere between flat broke and how-am-I-going-to-cover-that-check broke. In any case, I expected to see enough cash to stuff a small duffle bag. When the teller handed me a neat little bundle of fifty dollar bills, I asked, “Where’s the rest of it?”
    The teller politely forced out a tiny laugh at what she thought was a lousy joke. I was serious and so was the bank.
    With a measly five thousand dollars in my bag and my tail between my legs, I slinked out of the bank before I drew any more attention to myself. With my luck, I’d not only have the Witches Union looking for me, but the FBI as well. This was so not how I imagined my day going.
    As I drove north, away from Chicago, I felt sick to my stomach. I was more nervous with every mile I traveled, and I started questioning myself out loud. “Kelly, what the hell are you doing? You can’t just skip out of town like this. It’s ridiculous. You’re jumping to conclusions. You should just turn around.”
    I even slumped down in the driver’s seat when I spotted several squad cars racing down the oncoming traffic lane. “Now I’m really being paranoid. It’s not cops I need to hide from, it’s the Witches Union I need to be worried about.” I continued my drive, speculating on the Union’s actions. Would I suddenly be transported away with a flash of magic? Would I be cornered and accused on the spot?
    Randy was back at the Plantation, probably not even trying to hide. I made up my mind to call him, once I reached Caldron Falls, to see if he found out how bad I screwed up. I tried to convince myself the odds were good it was a very insignificant spell.
    When I crossed the state line into Wisconsin, my excitement pushed aside my anxiety. Gabe consumed my every last thought. I couldn’t wait to see him again. The only problem, I didn’t call to let him know I was on my way. I didn’t want to leave any clues to my destination. It never occurred to me there was a chance I could have been wrong about him wanting to see me as much as I wanted to see him. What if I got there and Gabe wasn’t alone? That ugly thought didn’t creep into my mind until it was too late and I was driving down Caldron Falls’ main street.
    Let’s face it. Showing up unannounced on your relatively new, long distance lover’s doorstep isn’t really a pro move. Even if said lover isn’t messing around with someone else, it still makes you come off as the suspicious, crazy, stalker type.
    By the time I passed through Caldron Falls and made my turn onto Gabe’s woodsy trail, my excitement once again beat back my worries. After all, this is Gabe I was going to see, a real man. Okay, he’s technically part man and part bear, but so completely different than anyone else I’d been with. I mean, not different because he’s a