Chapter 8

• Colin had no problem standing here looking into those eyes, which once again seemed to be a different shade. Of course with the circumstances he’d prefer to be looking into them without the witch professor walking around them whispering. The entire linked-together-with-a-spell part, he could definitely live without. He smiled down at her, sensing she was nervous about whatever her teacher was doing. “All will be well, lass.” He blinked. Lass? Did his voice suddenly slur with a thick Scottish brogue?
• “Aye, it will.” Maddy’s eyes widened. Where had she come up with an Irish accent? Her Da had a slight one, but nothing like what she just had. A feeling tingled over her, and seeking spell or not, she turned to glance at Ginger. Ginger stood there looking bewildered. “What?” She looked at Colin and realized her hands were resting on his chest and his hands were over hers. They quickly stepped apart.
• Ginger shook her head. “I’m not sure.” She walked over and glanced in the book.
• “You’re not sure?” Colin walked over and looked down at the woman. “What aren’t you sure of?”
• Ginger glanced up from the book. “Oh, well I know you’ve definitely both had a spell placed on you.” She gave Maddy a hesitant look and then looked back into the book, “it’s a very old one too.”
• Maddy crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you mean old? How can an old spell just fall on us out of the blue?”
• Ginger straightened up and cleared her throat. “I don’t know. Did either of you feel anything, odd just now?”
• Maddy chewed her lip. “I could swear I suddenly developed an Irish accent.”
• Colin scowled, “I thought I was just hearing things, but I became very Scottish when I spoke.”
• “Huh.” Ginger rubbed her hands together. “You both sort of shimmered for a moment.”
• Colin looked down at himself. “Shimmered?”
• Ginger shook her head. “Not a sparkly kind of shimmer, as in you sort of faded and became someone else very briefly—but you were still you—at the same time.”
• Maddy sighed and went over and sat behind her desk. She put her face into her hands and groaned. “We’re going to have to call Professor Galt aren’t we?” She dropped her hands and glared at Ginger. “I had nothing to do with this, but she’s going to blame me. It will be one more excuse for her to keep me going to stupid classes at the Academy until I’m fifty!” She groaned again.
• Ginger went over and leaned on the desk. “There is no way she can pass this off on you Maddy. No way at all. I’ve only ever read about something like this, and while I’m sketchy on the details right now, we’ll figure it out.”
• Maddy pouted, “I may never leave the house again.”
• Ginger sighed, “I’ll deal with Regina—why don’t the two of you go have a snack or tea or something.”
• Maddy stood up and sighed again. “Fine.” She turned and walked towards the kitchen and then called out over her shoulder. “You make sure she understands I had nothing to do with this.”
• Colin looked at the blonde woman for a moment and then turned to follow Maddy into the kitchen. She was dumping chips into a bowl. She looked angry now. He sat on the stool he’d been sitting on when his reality was rocked. “So, this other professor isn’t a good thing I take it?”
• Maddy reached into the fridge and got out the dip. “It’s a good thing as far as figuring this out goes.” She set the dip beside the chips and motioned to the fridge, “I have apple juice, root beer or milk.”
• “Root beer’s fine.”
• She turned and pulled out two cans of root beer. “Professor Galt just likes to make me her biggest pet peeve in life.”
• “Ah.” Was the only thing he could think to say, “I understand that, I have one superior at work that rides me non-stop.”
• Maddy sat on the other stool. “Exactly.” She opened the dip and picked up a chip. “So what do you work at?”
• Colin opened the pop and took a drink. “I’m a research manager.” He smirked at her, “or, a science geek—either fits.”
• Maddy almost choked on the chip in her mouth. “You definitely do not fit into the geek stereo-type.”
• He grinned, “So I’ve been told.” He slowly ate a few chips, as he looked out the window. “Another woman just came out of a tree—”
• Maddy didn’t bother to look. “Is she old, short and angry looking?”
• “Yes to all three.”
• “Professor Galt.” She turned to see Ginger meet the older woman half way down the lawn. Professor Galt turned and looked back at the house and then back to Ginger. Ginger’s arms were flying around, telling Maddy one thing, she wasn’t nearly as calm with all of this as she let her believe. Professor Galt took a few steps and then stopped and talked to Ginger again. Ginger was shaking her head vigorously. Professor Galt stood there for a moment holding a hand over her chest without speaking. When she turned and started walking towards the house again, she walked quickly and was frowning.
• Maddy pushed the chips away from her. “This is so gonna suck.”