Kevin awoke from a restless night's sleep, his head heavy from a hangover, and was greeted by the inviting, fragrant aroma of freshly brewed coffee. He opened his eyes to find a steaming cup hovering inches from his nose and Cassie standing over him, playfully urging him to take it. With a grateful smile, he sat up and accepted it as she nestled beside him on the couch with her own mug.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked gently.
"Mostly on my left side."
Cassie rolled her eyes, but his playful banter reassured her that he was feeling better—hopefully for the right reasons.
"Did you get to talk to Charlie last night?"
He nodded as he gently sipped the hot liquid, savoring the rich warmth. It helped him feel a little better, but he'd need to find some Tylenol soon. "A little bit. We were both exhausted by the time she came back down from the roof, but I think we sorted some things out."
Licking her lips after a taste of her coffee, Cassie prompted, "And did you tell her?"
Smirking at the memory, he chuckled softly. "She decided to have a drink with me and passed out before I could say anything. I bet she could drink anyone under the table, but with the exhaustion from the mission and our fight, she was done for. I took her to our bed and tucked her in. I figured it was best to sleep on the couch until we could talk again."
Cassie fell silent, studying her brother's face.
He glanced at her. "I will tell her, Cassie. I believe in what you said: power in love. I want her to know how I feel, that we can find a way for this to work, even with the challenges of who she is."
She smiled wanly but shook her head. "And you will, but it's not that, Kevin. I woke up early again and checked my emails and messages. I discovered some concerning things."
Setting his cup on the coffee table, Kevin shifted to face her directly. "Tell me."
"A few of my Wiccan sisters up in Baton Rouge have been gossiping about a strange, suspicious man who's been visiting some of their shops over the past couple of months. He's been gathering supplies related to demon summoning, dark magic spells—including body manipulation—and magics designed to cover a practitioner's presence. He always paid in cash, so there are no records, but one of the sisters did get a name. Samedi."
"Samedi," Kevin repeated the name, turning it over in his mind. "What kind of body manipulation could those magics do, theoretically?"
"There are many kinds," Cassie admitted, wrapping her hands around her warm mug. "Including ones known to be used to burn a body beyond recognition, leaving no evidence."
"Jesus." He rubbed his temple, feeling the hangover throb behind his eyes. "Do such magics really exist? Why isn't it more common?"
"We police ourselves, Kevin. Most of us do, anyway. We discourage improper use and denounce anyone who may try to use any of the magics for wicked reasons." Taking a drink to collect her thoughts, she continued. "We keep most of what we do on the down low, only advertising the most benign of our gifts: amulets, incense, love spells, and earth magic. We're very careful to remind new users that any spell they create will come back on them tenfold and to only practice for the sake of the Earth's energies."
"So where do demon summonings come in?"
"Some magic is very real, Kevin, like the amulet I gave Charlie or the powders I use." Cassie set her coffee mug down with deliberate care. "And some magic is very dangerous. We hope that over time, those types of magic will be nearly forgotten. But some wish to explore their dark powers, summon demons from Hell, and create havoc. So, despite our hopes, there are still those who keep the knowledge alive—if only to combat them."
He nodded, absorbing the information and filing it away for later. "Samedi would be a good reason to learn more about how it works."
She agreed, adding, "As well as how Charlie got here and how to get her memories back."
"Samedi," Kevin pronounced the name slowly, then held up his hand and used his fingers to count as he spoke. "New in town, at least according to what your sisters say. Gathering supplies and possessing magic that we've seen in action. Charlie's gut feelings after seeing the dead girl. The children's description of a monster. The puzzle pieces fit. We have a new player on the board working for Bible, and if he was in the warehouse at any point, he may have seen Charlie and realized what she is."
"We need to tread carefully here. Let's go to the shop. I want to show you some things and explain how they work. You have the necklace to protect you from Charlie should she lose control, but I think it's prudent that you become more versed in my world."
Reaching for his cup, Kevin took a long drink, hastily emptying it. The caffeine was already beginning to chase away the fog in his head. "Six months ago, I would never have thought that I'd be interested or even eager to learn, but now? With finding Charlie, I want to know everything."
"Should we wake her and tell her? Have her help with research?"
Silent for a moment in thought, he decided against it. "No, let her sleep. She went through a lot last night and isn't trained like I am to compartmentalize her emotions. Plus, she deserves the rest."
"She is one of the toughest souls I've ever encountered, Kevin, but I could sense she was drained last night from everything." Standing, Cassie moved to the kitchen to collect the carafe so they could fuel up on caffeine as they worked. "This should keep us going for a little while, at least. Will you grab the keys?"
Standing, Kevin stretched, feeling his spine pop after a night on the couch. "Will do."
He picked up his empty cup and stepped to the entrance, fishing the keys from the bowl on the table beside the door. Cassie joined him with the coffee pot in hand, and they left the apartment to go to the shop downstairs.
Stirring from a jumble of dreams, most of which slipped away as her eyes opened, Charlie shifted subtly under the covers. Gradually, she rolled from her side to lie on her back, her dark hair spilling across her face like a curtain. Breathing softly through the strands, the hair tickled against her lips as she clung to the one dream she never wanted to let go of. In it, Kevin had told her he loved her, and it was so soft, sweet, and real that she felt it had truly happened.
Reaching out to feel for him, she found herself alone in the wide bed and assumed he must have decided to sleep on the couch since they hadn't fully recovered from their fight.
Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she double-checked the time. 12:26 p.m. stared back in bold red numbers.
Kevin had let her sleep in.
Sighing softly, she turned her gaze to the ceiling. It was kind of him, but they had plenty to do, and she needed the air to clear between them. Using her feet, Charlie pushed the blanket down and away from herself, then sat up slowly, shifted to the edge of the bed, and groaned as the full force of a hangover hit her like a sledgehammer.
She immediately declared that alcohol definitely wasn't her thing, especially in such an emotional state. Having a drink now and then might be okay, but getting drunk? That would be a no-go for her.
Taking a deep breath, she focused her heightened senses and heard the siblings downstairs in the shop, and felt a warm glow in her chest at hearing Kevin's voice. But then the throbbing pain surged in her head, forcing her to hold back her power while she internally scolded herself again.
Standing up slowly, Charlie took a few steps toward the door to shower when a thought crossed her mind. She backed up and turned to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall by the dresser and scrutinized herself. If she could heal her wounds, maybe she could also chase away her headache.
Transforming into her hybrid form, she concentrated her magic, and her body shimmered softly as she summoned her healing power. The gentle light radiated around her for a few moments before fading. She then pulled her powers inward and reverted to her human form, the change flowing smoothly like water.
Cautiously, she gave a shake of her head and smiled as the pain from her hangover eased to a manageable throb. Maybe she could drink as often as she wanted if she could magically eliminate any hangovers. Then she remembered that Kevin didn't really drink, and she chastised herself once more for the selfish thought.
Feeling physically and emotionally better, Charlie opened the door to go to the bathroom and take a shower when she suddenly winced at a sharp, unexpected itch between her shoulder blades. After a failed attempt to reach it with her nails to scratch, she leaned against the door frame, using the corner to try to relieve the irritation.
It barely helped, so she resolved to scald it away under the hot water of a much-needed shower. Then, after freshening up, she would join the siblings in the shop and face whatever new challenges the day might bring.