Chapter 7

• Sitting down, she uncovered the oversized leather-bound book on the corner of her desk. She placed a hand on it and took a deep breath. “Professor Ginger Wist.” Opening the cover, she watched the blank page until her favorite professor and hopefully saviour, appeared on the page.
• “Maddy? I don’t think you’ve ever paged me on a Saturday, what’s wrong?”
• Maddy leaned closer to the book. “Ginger, I have a serious issue here and have no idea what to do.”
• Ginger frowned. “What’s happened? Was it that text...”
• Maddy quickly shook her head. “No, no. I haven’t screwed up a casting.” She sighed, “I was out at the museum and something happened to me and a man I don’t even know—” She hesitated for a few seconds, “I think some sort of spell has been placed on the two of us.”
• Gingers eyes widened. “Really, at the museum?” She looked away for a moment and then glowered. “Did you see any students from Hidden Cove? I don’t think there were any trips planned today but—”
• “I don’t think this is from a bunch of kids Ginger.” She stood up and looked down at the book. “When we’re further than roughly sixty feet, there are pains that hurt so bad we can’t move or breathe.”
• Ginger leaned over the book, eyes wide, “I’ll be right there don’t do anything!”
• Maddy sighed and closed the book. She debated whether to go out and tell Colin help was on the way, or to sit here and try to figure out more before Ginger got here. Colin came bolting into the room.
• “A woman just came out of your tree!” He looked over his shoulder and then back to her.
• Maddy grimaced, she probably should have warned him about that. “She’s come to help figure this out.”
• He turned and watched as the woman reached the house. “A-and popping out of a tree is okay?”
• Maddy glanced behind him to see Ginger coming in. “Uh, yeah.”
• Colin turned and backed up to the desk, then perched on the edge of it.
• Ginger came in the room and stopped short, looking at the man leaning on the desk. “Oh, I hadn’t thought to ask if it was a man from our community, but I see by the look on his face he’s not.”
• Colin shook his head and sighed a loud breath, “Lady, I don’t even think we’re from the same planet.”
• Ginger sat in the first chair she came to and then smirked at Maddy. “He’s taking it well.”
• Maddy came around and stood beside Colin. “Actually if I were in his place I’d be running and screaming by now.”
• Colin gave her a half-hearted smirk, “I thought about it, but with this whole distance issue I decided sticking close to you, for now, was the best course of action.” Her pretty eyes had nothing to do with, he decided. Maybe once he was free to leave, he’d let his mind go back there.
• Maddy smiled, “if it makes you feel better I want to scream ‘why me?’ very loudly.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Colin, this is Professor Ginger Wist. I called her to see if she can figure it out and reverse it.”
• Colin inclined his head towards the least professorial like woman he’d ever seen and shrugged. “So what do we do?” He held up a hand and looked from the professor to Maddy, “and, do we have to go through that pain again to do it?”
• Maddy turned to Ginger. “Do we?”
• Ginger got up and went over to Maddy’s oil cabinet. “I’m hoping not. Just let me dig around here and see if you have what I need.” She glanced back to Maddy for a moment, “I’ll need the book I loaned you.”
• Maddy nodded and went over to her desk to get it. “I really hope you can figure this out without having to bring Professor Galt into it.”
• Ginger grimaced, “me too.”
• Colin continued to stay right where he was. It’s not like he could offer any assistance as the two women went back and forth between cupboards and the book. He just wanted to go home. He shook his head, this was what he got for ogling women. Maddy stopped and glanced over at him.
• “Are you hungry or anything?”
• He shook his head. “Yes, but I’ll wait and see if we have to do this the painful way first, thanks. I think it would be worse on a full stomach.”
• Maddy rubbed a hand over her stomach, “yeah, you may be right.”
• “Okay.” Ginger straightened up from the book and turned. “We’re ready to give this a try.” She motioned to the floor in front of her. “I need you both to stand over here.”
• Colin pushed away from the desk and walked over. “What exactly are you going to do? I’ve had more than enough surprises for one day.”
• Ginger grinned. “I’m not going to physically do much,” she picked up the small dish. “I’m going to wave some of this around while I recite a chant—mostly in my head and it should show me what color, or type of casting we’re dealing with.” She shrugged, “then, I’ll figure out how to fix it.”
• Colin exhaled and nodded. “Okay.”
• Ginger placed a hand on Maddy’s arm. “Turn and face him, the two of you stand and look at each other, I’ll need to see how this link works.”
• Maddy turned and faced Colin. He turned and looked down at her. She smirked because she knew he felt as silly as her standing face to face staring at each other. She could smell the oils Ginger was waving around them and took a deep calming breath so her mind was clear and nothing she thought would interfere with this.