Visions of Skyfire

Chapter 11

Elena stepped outside, key in hand to lock the clinic door. It was still raining. Seemed like someone in heaven had upended a bucket on Sedona.

That thought brought a smile despite the trickle of icy water that sneaked beneath the collar of her jacket to roll along her spine. She shivered at the sensation, like a ghostly finger trailing along her skin—then she whirled around to look over her shoulder. She had creeped herself out. Not hard to understand why she was on edge. She knew there were federal agents crawling all over Sedona at that very moment, looking for Teresa.

Still, she couldn’t afford to appear nervous. Or suspicious. If the people who were after Teresa were watching the clinic, then Elena had to make it look as if nothing was wrong. As if this was just an average day. Thankfully no one was around to see the flash of temper on her features as she quietly fumed.

How had the world come to this? she wondered. Chasing down women because they were “different.” But she knew the answer as well as anyone else did. Fear. The strongest motivator in the world. Fear could turn ordinary people into a raging mob. The very people Elena served at her clinic would probably turn on her like a pack of rabid dogs if they knew her best friend was a witch.

So, to protect herself, she would do as Teresa had asked. She would pretend to loathe the woman she loved like a sister, but all the while she would pray to Whoever was listening that Teresa would survive those hunting her.

A skittering sound reached her and she instantly turned to glance up and down the street, searching the shadows. But she saw only rain and deserted shops and quiet homes.

“Get a grip, Elena,” she muttered. “No one’s out on a day like this. Just close up and go home.”

“I don’t think so.”

The deep voice behind her startled her enough that she dropped her keys into the puddle at her feet. Suddenly terrified, she turned slowly and looked into a pair of pale gray eyes. “Who are you?”

The tall, impossibly gorgeous man gave her a slow once-over that made her feel as though she was standing there naked. Then he said, “We have to talk.”

At that he scooped up her keys, took her arm and ushered her back into the darkened clinic.