Spelled

Chapter Fourteen

Charlene's POV:

I'd sent everyone to the parlor before I went to see Jess. I needed to talk to all of them, at once. We had to find Philby and then I wanted all of them gone. Forever.

With a confident facade, I strode into the parlor. Scanning the room, I saw Finn and Amanda curled up on the loveseat, Willa was having a spat with Maybeck, and Wayne was no where to be seen.

"Where's Wayne?" I asked.

"He needed to rest," Amanda explained. "Giving your feelings back exhausted him."

"Willa?" I called. She glanced back over her shoulder at me, stopping her colorful word exchange with Maybeck. "Come over here," I gestured to a wingbacked chair. Maybeck made to follow her, but I put up my hand, palm out. "No, Maybeck. You stay. I want you as far away from me as possible."

"What did you need to tell us, Charlie?" Finn asked, not taking his eyes off of Amanda. I sank into a red, leather seat, and crossed my legs. The skirt of my dress was dramatically splayed out, hanging over the arms of the chair.

"We need to find Philby as soon as possible," I said. "We need to find out how to get all of you home."

"Wayne knows how to get home, actually," Amanda offered. "There's a portal that will open up when we all stand on the jewels on the floor of your room. The one that supposedly leads to a safe room?"

I smiled weakly, "Fabulous. We need to get you guys home ASAP."

Maybeck gaped. "What do you mean 'you guys'?"

"Any ideas on how to find Philby?" I asked quickly. "Willa? You had the closest relationship with him back home."

Willa shrugged. "I really have no clue."

"We're just going to ignore the fact that she's not coming home?!" Maybeck thundered from across the room.

"What do you mean she's not coming home?" Amanda exclaimed, standing up.

"Please calm down, guys," I pleaded, standing up. Willa rose to her feet as well as Finn. 

"You can't just," Finn ran a hand through his hair, "stay."

"You can't run away from your problems!" Amanda shouted. "It won't fix anything!"

"How can you not understand why she wants to stay?" Willa hollered back, backing me up. "You all have made her home a living HELL."

I sighed. "This is really not how I wanted today to go." I yanked down the curls that the stylists had pinned up against my head, and they fell to my shoulders in a heap. I looked over at Maybeck. "Did you get Jess's call?"

"Why do you think Willa was screaming at me when you walked in?"

I looked at Willa. "I told Jess to call. It's okay. They love each other. I want them to be happy, just not in front of me."

"When can I meet her?" Maybeck asked. 

"When it's time for you all to go." I replied shortly.

The mention of them leaving without me sent Finn, Amanda, and Willa back into a shouting match that I wanted nothing to do with.

"WAIT!" I shrieked, flinging my hands out to my sides. They fell into their seats. My tone softened. "Listen."

Schreech! The sound of metal on stone rang out into the parlor. I clasped my hands together. "We just hired a new handyman to work on the parlor."

Willa gasped. "It couldn't be?"

I smiled and nodded. "I think it is."

Child-like excitement lit Willa's eyes.