The Cravers

8. Messages

BEEP BEEP.

I opened half-closed eyes to the ringing of my phone. At first, I ignored it.  Curse back pain.  But it didn't stop the mighty alarm.

"What now?" I reached for my phone from the nightstand. My eyes popped out of my sockets when I realized that it was a call from my boss, John freaking Perry.

I threw off the covers and answered the phone in a croaked voice. "Hello? This is Diana speaking."

A slow, angry laugh came from the other side. 

This was not a good sign.

"Diana, are you done with your beauty sleep yet?" He continued when I didn't answer. "Well," he dragged. "Get your ass here, right now! The meeting has started an hour ago!"

There was a meeting today? 

I shoved the phone away from my face, scowling with the need to strangle him. Well, that was a wake up call. "Yes, sir. Yes."

"Lowe is waiting downstairs." He scowled. I could actually imagine his dark gray eyes shooting daggers at me. "I expect you."

"I'll get-"

He hung up without a decent goodbye.

"Bastard." I hissed and rushed to the bathroom with piles of clothing off my suitcase. I threw on a off-the-shoulder  sweater with skinny black jeans. I hastily put mascara on and ran out.

I spotted Mr. Lowe waving anxiously at me. He opened his mouth a smile but I shunned him.

"No time to talk! Drive! The devil's calling me!" I slammed the car door.

Apparently the "emergency" meeting was being taken somewhere else due to a collateral damage that happened from last night. The storm damaged the Archive and things were out of place so the meeting was being held at a different building. 

I walked in. Before I could even take one breath,  Ella, the secratary, was right up in my face. "Welcome to New York and you are officially very late." 

She quickly ushered me upstairs. Perry's voice could be heard from the distant. 

"Diane, wasn't it?" Ella asked as we reached up,  she turned the doorknob but not opening it. There was a skeptical look under her dark-rimmed glasses. 

"It's Diana," I rolled my eyes as I waited what she was about to say.

She stared into my eyes with intent. "There is an air about you, the same air I felt when you came back to marry that human boy," she murmured. "Don't think we forgot who Miss Jackson was." She sneered. " You're betrayal to the Coven is unforgivable. But seriously, when was the last time I felt this strong magic? As if almost like it was the feeling of the last-"

"The last war, I get it." I winced. "You're point?"

"Who are you? I felt the same energy with Kingsley, too..." now she was talking to herself. I think she forgot that there was a potential danger of me getting whipped by Perry.

"You'll know it in no time." I said dryly. "And I mean it."

I merged into the back of the crowd, finding Kingsley. My heart stopped at the sight of his side profile.  I sat beside him. "Hey." I whispered.

"Took you long." Kingsley murmured.

"Don't ask." I mustered.

"I am glad for everyone who came to Jenifer Clark's Memorial yesterday. I know our support has meant a lot for her family. With that being said, I would like to talk about our next agenda.  There must be reason why Jenifer was chosen as a target. From what we gathered from the crime scene, it could have been a cruel game from the new generation. And we will find them."