Tricking Tara by Viola Grace Page B

the stability that she needed to gain the speed that was required for forward movement. So home she went.
    The flash of red and blue lights made her sigh. One of her eager recruits must have called the cops when the freak took off with her. Damn, now she had to try to land on the roof. She slowed her approach to a slow glide, dipping into her backyard before rising slowly to the tower on the third floor. As soon as she settled her feet on the rough asphalt, she used her mind to pop open the small window leading to her private sanctum. Keeping a locked door between her and the police that were now crawling all over the house, she got into the pyjamas that she kept in a small drawer in her study and went to confront the panic mongers who had called the cops on a werewolf.
    "Can I help you, Officers?” Her hair was wild, she could feel it, but her calm demeanour belied the report that she had been kidnapped.
    "Sure, Tara. We had a report that you had been kidnapped by a werewolf and taken from your home. With witnesses .” Odd things tended to happen around her so the stress on the witnesses was a signal that they had to take this seriously.
    "He was one of the rejects that had applied for a job. He was trying to prove that he had the costume and was ready for the work."
    "Then how do you explain how you came to be back here and in your study?” It was Officer Matt that asked that one. He had been one of her monsters the first year that she had taken over from her parents. A good zombie, but no imagination.
    "That is a mystery that will have to remain, gentlemen. I am here. I am sound. The goober who took off with me has been dealt with in a humane manner and I have no doubt that I will see him here soon."
    "You are expecting the kidnapper to return?"
    "Well, the police knew I was taken from the house and yet, here you are. Some things are inexplicable.” She delivered that line with a wink. Matt had been trying to get into the brain of her home for years. She couldn't blame him for taking the opportunity. However, she knew that if she had been anyone else, who could not simply make a shield between herself and her attacker, she would have felt differently. “Can we continue this discussion tomorrow? I am really quite exhausted by my ordeal."
    "Yeah. I suppose so.” Matt was once again taking charge of his companion. “Let's go, Scott. She can come and make a statement tomorrow morning."
    "Thanks guys. It's appreciated.” During the entire course of the conversation, she had been moving them down the stairs by the simple matter of walking toward them. When they turned to see the front door behind them, she smiled. “See you tomorrow.” She punctuated her statement with a yawn.
    The instant that the two officers were out of her house, she heaved a sigh of relief. She locked and bolted all the doors and turned to view the interior of her home. A lot of people would not be comfortable living in a house that was a torture chamber with disorienting floors and paints along the walls. For Tara, it was home.
    First on her evening's agenda was a shower to wash off the grit and dust that her body wore beneath the PJ's.
    She was just towelling off and wandering into her bedroom when she got another surprise. Michael and Alexi were coming toward her through the walls.
    As one, they asked, “Are you all right?"
    The towel wrapped around her in record time, they had both seen enough of her for this evening. The appreciation in their eyes was flattering, but the sneak attack was unwelcome. “Yeah, how are you? I mean, I didn't fight a werewolf."
    Alexi looked embarrassed. “We gave him enough magic to complete his transformation. He had run out of power and was too proud to admit to his problem."
    Michael followed up, “Alexi and I work fairly well together. It will be hard for you to choose. We also share the same talent and I didn't think that that was possible.” He seemed to have come to a sort of brotherhood with the Lios,