4 Terramezic Energy by John O'Riley Page A

of the way with coffee, cream, and sugar. She knew that her stomach would squawk at any food or drink this early in the morning. She must be catching the flu. It was the only logical explanation. Josephine frowned with annoyance as she gazed down at her mug. She was tired of waiting to eat breakfast and drink her coffee until she arrived at the police station. It would be so nice to recover completely from this cold. Josephine and Helen joined Alice at the dining room table.
    “I’d like to punch Arthur in the face,” Alice grumbled.
    “Me, too,” Helen chimed in. Alice and Josephine threw her looks of surprise. “What? I can’t be frustrated by bullies, too?”
    “You’re so goody two-shoes. I can’t believe you just said that,” Alice remarked.
    “I’ve been thinking long and hard about this.” Helen’s expression was determined. “Once I’ve finished creating a stable white magic power center here, I’m going to apply for work as an enforcer with the Sarasota PD. I’m a White Knight and I feel I have a responsibility to do my part to keep this world safe.”
    Alice leveled a warning gaze at her. “You might want to think twice about that. Have you forgotten the restrictions of white magic and the burnout?”
    “I think that my magical connection to Josephine and Mark will prevent that from ever happening. I’m certain that’s the answer to our problems. Just to be safe, we should include Perry in our network,” Helen said.
    “I don’t think we can do it. Remember when Perry was dying and we channeled light energy to save him in my enchanted garden? It caused us to form a link with you but it didn’t happen with Perry. I’m sure the white magic from the power center would have brought him into our network automatically if it was possible,” Josephine said.
    “I have a theory about that.” Helen’s lips curved in a pleasant smile as she paused to organize her thoughts. “One of the components to successfully linking with white magic is love. You and Mark formed a connection first. When Perry was dying, we’d only known him for a week. We were fond of him but hadn’t formed a strong emotional bond to him. You and I have been friends since childhood, Josephine. When you used the light energy from the enchanted garden to activate my power, the garden acted on an instinctive level to connect us because it recognized our bond.”
    “What about me?” Alice demanded.
    Helen gazed at her with puzzlement. “What about you?”
    “I’ve been friends with you and Josephine since forever. Why wasn’t I pulled into the connection?”
    “Because you aren’t a white magic practitioner. If you ever decided to become one, I’m sure you would have no trouble joining the network.”
    “But Josephine isn’t a White Knight,” Alice pointed out.
    “She’s always shared a special connection with Mark. I think it was love at first sight.” Helen’s green eyes reflected a wistful quality.
    “Balderdash,” Alice grumbled.
    “Perry is like family now. We all love him. I’m certain we can bring him into our magical network,” Helen said.
    Her words resonated inside Josephine’s mind. Josephine found herself nodding in silent agreement as she mulled it over.
    “Perhaps you’re right,” Alice said with slow deliberation. “I have to admit it sort of makes sense.”
    “Mark stopped having his problems with burnout when the three of us formed a white magic network,” Helen pointed out.
    “That’s true,” Alice agreed. “But you also need to keep in mind that he’s been sleeping in a white magic power center every day. And so have YOU. If you decide to work for the government, especially in law enforcement, you’ll find yourself in hostile situations. Plus, you may not be able to sleep in your condo every night. Federal enforcers and state enforcers are stationed in centers away from their homes.”
    “They would have to make an exception for me. I would insist on a limit of three days away