“No, I’ve been a little busy.” Mia thought Brandon had led her down the primrose path, but she was too smart to fall for his trickery. If she joined the coven, it would be because she thought it was best for her, not because Brandon wouldn’t tell her something. She could find out what she needed without him. She had in the past. “If that’s all, I’d better get to work. I have a staff meeting coming up.”
“Of course. Thank you for taking time to talk to me. It was most … illuminating.” Brandon bowed slightly and then headed to the door.
Mia watched him leave. Whatever he’d come for, it wasn’t just to ask her if she’d received the money from Nationals. He’d been looking for something, and her questions had distracted him. Something that he hadn’t had to deal with for a long time. As he was coven leader, people usually deferred to him and answered his questions directly. Mia probably just frustrated him. She headed to her office.
A piece of paper was taped on the door, and she ripped it off as she unlocked the door and went inside. She set the note on her desk as she took out her planner and put away her tote. She hung her jacket on the coatrack, then opened the note. She read it aloud. “‘Whathave you done? Come to my office as soon as you arrive.’”
Blake had scheduled the meeting with the National Office tomorrow. Mia wondered if Blake thought Mia had turned her in for what she’d done. Or she might have seen Brandon sitting in the lobby, waiting for Mia. Whatever it was, Blake was freaking out. The handwriting was even a little shaky.
Mia booted up her computer and answered some emails. She wanted Christina in her office before she went to see Blake to verify the time Mia spent with her boss. She didn’t trust Blake not to put her under a spell again, which, as she thought about it, was not a very good sign for their professional relationship. She knew why Blake didn’t trust easily, but that didn’t excuse what she’d done to Mia.
As the saying went, Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me. She wasn’t going to be the girl who was too stupid to live, like some of the characters in Christina’s books.
“I brought you coffee and an apple turnover. I bought two, but I already ate mine,” Christina said as she came into the office. She set down the bag and coffee carrier and hung up her coat, setting up her temporary workstation as she talked. “James is so cute. He really knows his stuff in the kitchen. He just hired a new pastry chef. Maybe I should have gone into that instead of event planning. I love a good cookie.”
“Sorry to break into your dessert dreaming, but I need to go to Blake’s office. Can you time me?” Mia held up her watch. “If I’m gone more than ten minutes,go to the kitchen and get James to come with you to get me. Tell him my grandmother called and she’s sick or something. Just get me out of that office.”
“You don’t think she’s going to try to read you again, do you?” Christina checked her watch and wrote down the time. “I’ll set an alarm too.”
“I don’t know what she’s planning. I just don’t trust her. I’m probably overreacting, but …”
“Fool me once,” Christina said, mimicking Mia’s earlier thought.
Mia met her gaze. “Exactly.”
CHAPTER18
Blake Sandburg totally remodeled her office when she came on board last year. The wood paneling and heavy dark furniture that was Frank’s version of a 1920s gentleman’s den was lightened with a coat of peach paint, and the furniture was a white reproduction of the French baroque period. She had installed a wall of bookcases on one side of the room and put a floral love seat there with a small coffee table in front, for a coffee or tea service.
Mia noticed that not only was the coffee service fresh and hot but Blake had also ordered scones from the kitchen for their meeting.
Usually, Blake only got out the good presentations for customers who were planning large events at the Lodge. Mia’s typical meeting was five minutes at the desk with a pile of papers shoved at her at the end. Today, the room smelled of Christmas trees and peppermint cocoa.
Now she was concerned. Maybe Blake had another meeting right after theirs.
Focused on her computer, Blake hadn’t seen Mia arrive, so she knocked on the open door. “Blake? You wanted to see me?”
“Oh, Mia. I’m so glad you could squeeze me in today,” Blake said as she got up and moved to the couch. She waved her over.
Mia wasn’t sure if the opening had been sarcastic or not, but she decided to assume it wasn’t. No use starting a fight when her boss seemed to be offering an olive branch. This version of Blake had not been what Mia was expecting from the note. “I got your message. It seemed urgent.”
“No more than any of the other messages I’ve sent you. Of course we are all swamped with holiday events and parties, but you know that. You’ve been managing your job duties well, especially considering what you’re going through in your personal life. How’s Trent doing with his familiar’s training? He’s lucky the coven made a special dispensation for Cerby to be trained at home. Well, with the dragon and Sarah’s new hellhound. It’s quite a team you’re building. Almost like you’re preparing for something big.”
Mia didn’t know who had told her about the in-home hellhound training or about Buddy, but she didn’t like her boss knowing this much about her personal life. The announcement of her new level had been broadcast all over the witching world, so there was nothing she could do about that. The National Office loved presentingnew witches and their skill level to the entire group of covens. Mia thought it felt invasive, especially when she didn’t know how to use this new power or what it meant for her.
“I’m just a kitchen witch,” Mia said, ignoring the question and statement about her team. One of Grans’s tricks to surviving the testing was to answer the question you want to be asked, not the question they ask you. Maybe her trick had worked too well.
“Of course you are.” Blake smiled as she patted the couch. “Coffee? Or a scone?”
Mia walked over as Blake poured coffee into two of the fine china cups. Mia perched on the edge of the love seat. She had ten minutes before Christina would come looking for her. She planned on being out of this Martha Stewart–designed office way before that. “Sure. What can I do for you, Blake? As you said, we’re all really busy with upcoming events.”
“I know we’ve gotten off on a bad note. I was too worried about keeping my identity here secret and I didn’t want you to look at me differently. I thought maybe we could spend some time getting to know each other better.” Blake picked up her coffee and sipped it. “What are your plans now that you’ve tested higher? You realize there are only three or four witches in the state at your level or above.”
“I didn’t know that.” Mia needed to talk to Abigail and Grans again. They should have told her this, not her boss. “I’d love to sit and chat, but my day is really packed. We have events all week.”
“You’re right. But you made time for Brandon Maxwell this morning. What did he want?” Blake’s eyes went dark, and Mia could feel the power behind the question. “And why are you meeting with the National Testing coordinator tomorrow?”
“You didn’t just try to compel me to answer those questions, did you?” Mia stood and took a step away. “I’m sure you didn’t, because that would force me to report you to the coven, and we both know you don’t want to deal with that headache.” Mia paused again. “Brandon was making sure I knew that opportunities would be coming my way if I joined the coven, which I haven’t, yet.”