Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble Read Online Free PDF Page A

client, the spirit you recently met.”
    Okay, I believed in ghosts, and I’d accepted the fact that I’d seen one, and I was beginning to be okay with the existence of warlocks, but time travel? I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “You can time travel?”
    He shook his head. “I used that word lightly. You wouldn’t be going back in time; your mind would.”
    I nodded like I knew what he was talking about. “So, what does that mean?”
    I noticed he hadn’t touched the bread. Did warlocks eat?
    “It entails a lot of focusing and projection, something I’ll have to teach you. It seems that although your powers are plentiful, they need guidance.”
    Back the mule train up.
    “I haven’t agreed to go with you,” I said.
    “I’d make it worth your while.”
    This appealed to the businesswoman in me. “How?”
    “If you accompany me to Chicago for what should take no more than a fortnight, I’ll double whatever income you earn at your shop in a year.”
    “A fortnight?” I could never remember how many days that was. I must’ve learned it five times in the course of undertaking my English degree, but somehow it never stuck.
    “Two weeks.” Ah, that’s right.
    Wow. That was a pretty good offer. I narrowed my eyes—things that sound too good to be true usually are. “For two weeks of work?” I wondered when the terms and conditions would reveal their ugly selves.
    “Well, however long the job takes. I don’t think it’ll take longer than that, but I can’t predict it.”
    I shook my head. When it comes to business arrangements, I’m black and white. Either it’s a good deal or it isn’t. “No deal. That could mean years.”
    “Very well…how about we agree you assist me for no longer than two weeks?”
    “And if I did decide to agree to this, of course you’d pay me some of the fees up front?”
    He nodded. “Half up front and the remainder upon completion.”
    Ias quiet as I considered it. From most angles, it didn’t look half-bad. If this guy actually believed I could help him, who was I to argue? Hell, even if it didn’t work out, I’d still get paid at least half. No harm done. Hmm, money certainly does talk. This would mean I could relax a bit as times had been tough.
    “What if I want to bring Christa with me?” Now that we’d handled the monetary side of things, I should also consider my safety. I’d seen Rand perform some strange stunts, but that didn’t mean I believed his story one hundred percent.
    “Bring whoever you want. I’ll cover her expenses, as well.”
    The cynic in me raged against the ease of the arrangement. “Why me?”
    He leaned back in his chair and toyed with the saltshaker, cupping the cover in his palm while he rotated the shaker up and down. “I’ve been searching for people with the innate abilities required to perform such a task. I’ve been looking for months. When I found you, I sent Jack, the spirit, to ensure me of your abilities. Once you passed that test, I came to see you for myself. I must say, I’ve been quite impressed, Jolie.”
    “How did you find me?” I asked, noticing I’d been picking at the crust of the bread, and now it looked like a battlefield of littered crumbs.
    “The Yellow Pages.”
    Note to self—advertising in the yellow pages paid off. I nodded, thinking this conversation something out of the Twilight Zone. “You must be pretty powerful yourself?”
    I disregarded the smile he sent my way and refused to notice the dimples that lit up his entire face. “I’m considered to be one of the strongest warlocks, yes.”
    My eyes narrowed. I didn’t like arrogant men although Rand would appear to have more cause than most. “So, if you’re so strong, why can’t you do it yourself?”
    That had the desired effect—his irritation.
    “It requires two people. I’ll be focusing on you, and you’ll be focusing on Jack. I can’t very well send myself back as I’d have no way of returning.”
    I’m sure my eyes