Kyla lifted her head off the ground, still catching her breath. As her hands came into her field of view, a strange thought entered her head: "I should get my nails done."
But she shook it off, and concentrated on her breathing so that she could regain control of her muscles, but also to regain control of her energy. Kyla had not anticipated Sarah being capable of this kind of struggle, had not anticipated her being able to run off like she did.
But, Kyla allowed herself a smile, Sarah was now out of the picture, even if it wasn't how Kyla had planned. The person who ran out of the music room was not a cheerleader, even if she also wasn't under Kyla's control. It was still a win.
Kyla stood up on creaking knees that were only just barely up to the task, watching as Tiffany did much the same. Kyla's eyes flashed with a realization.
When the cheerleaders met for practice in the afternoon, Sarah would almost certainly be absent. Someone would need to take the role of head cheerleader. And Tiffany was the most experienced member of the team left standing, so she would clearly take that position. And it would still leave Kyla in control of the most powerful coven in the school.
With that settled, Kyla's thoughts shifted to a more... recreational endeavor.
"Tiffany," Kyla put some extra magic in this command, just in case her control had weakened with the Sarah encounter, "we still have some time before first bell. I know you'd never go there willingly, but I want you to go to Ms. Simon's AP Calculus class, and I want you to approach Jay Duncan, and I want you to place a minor lust spell on him. The target is me."
Tiffany's eyes flashed. "Yes, Kyla. I am powerless before you. I am your servant, yours to command."
Kyla smiled as the cheerleader turned to leave the practice room, but the smile dropped as she spied the hand that wrapped itself around the doorknob. For a moment, for a brief instant, Kyla wished her nails were as pretty, as professionally-done, as Tiffany's.
But a moment later, Tiffany was out the door. And out of sight, out of mind.
