Thorn was feeling much better after breakfast and the side effects were all but gone by the time they started preparing for the trip. It was very unusual, given the unpleasant side effects could last even after the hallucinations ended. Whatever the reason, not dealing with any more physical pain was great and she could focus on preparing for their trip to the Regal Hotel. Sitting in the chair in the bathroom, Thorn carefully went through her herbs, packing various ointments, dried leaves, and extracts that could be used to treat or clean injuries. She even grabbed the jar of Manuka honey she received several months ago as part of a gift but never had a chance to use it. Of course, she packed her purse with more standard medical supplies including bandages, gauze, and alcohol pads. They'd received too many injuries last time, Dusk especially as she took a bullet to her waist. While none of their wounds were fatal, including Dusk's bullet wound as it only grazed her, Thorn wasn't taking any chances this time around.
Satisfied that she had everything she needed, Thorn turned her attention to the jewelry box on the counter and opened it. Luna suggested they bring silver as the metal was capable of neutralizing magic to an extent. Thorn sighed as she looked at the silver ring in the box. Perhaps this time would be different. With a trembling hand, she reached for the ring.
"Ahhh!" she cried as she touched the ring, the instant burn causing her to pull her arm back and inadvertently fling the ring across the counter. She clutched her hand and assessed the damage; her fingers were bright red and she easily had a first-degree burn. Yet the pain subsided and the redness faded within a few seconds, leaving her hand unscarred.
What were you thinking? You're a witch, you can't touch silver. Thorn sighed. She wanted to deny the truth one last time and grab the ring, prove to herself that she wasn't a witch. Of course, Thorn couldn't defeat reality. She was, no matter how she felt about it, a witch.
"You alright in there?" Dusk asked, poking her head in the doorway.
Thorn closed the jewelry box and pushed it aside. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I was just packing some first aid supplies."
"Okay," Dusk said. "When you're ready, I got something for you."
Curious, Thorn quickly tidied up the counter before getting up from the chair. She followed Dusk into the main room where she saw her and Luna standing by the door. She noticed that Luna was wearing a silver moon pendant and Dusk had a silver ring in the shape of a bat.
"You ready?" Dusk asked.
"Yeah, I'm all set," Thorn said.
Dusk reached into her purse and to Thorn's surprise, she pulled out a small, sheathed knife, very similar to the hidden one Dusk kept on her ankle. Dusk handed the knife to Thorn.
"I…I can't take that," Thorn stammered. "Isn't that yours? How will you defend yourself?"
"I still have mine," Dusk said. tapping the side of her boot. "Plus, I got this up the other night." Dusk reached into an inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a large dagger with a blade that was easily six inches. Where she got that, Thorn didn't know nor did she want to know but she didn't get a chance to ask as Dusk quickly returned it to her jacket.
Thorn shook her head. "Give it to Luna."
"I'm good," Luna said and she pulled a can of mace from her purse. "Picked up a can the day after we escaped the cultists."
Huh, not a bad idea. Thorn made a mental note to do the same when this was over before her attention was brought back to Dusk.
"Take it, you need it to defend yourself," Dusk said, gesturing for her to take the knife. "Unless you're actually going to use your magic."
Thorn grunted and looked away from Dusk. Dusk had a point, but Thorn didn't care. Her magic was dangerous and she could easily kill her friends if they got in the way or she wasn't careful. While accidentally hurting her friends was a major concern for her, it wasn't her only reason for not using magic. Part of her still believed she could separate herself from the other mages and prove the Fallen wrong by not killing or hurting others, even though she failed when she killed Cyrus and almost killed Dusk.
Grunting, Thorn snatched the knife and put it in her purse. "I'm not using magic," she stated.
Dusk shook her head. "This cult is full of witches and warlocks who have no problems using their magic to kill us. You can fight back."
Thorn crossed her arms. "I'm not using magic."
"You have these wicked awesome powers that you can protect us from danger with," Dusk said, raising her voice.
"I'm not using magic," Thorn said, raising her voice to match Dusk's.
Dusk groaned. "Why not?"
"Because I said so," Thorn asserted.
"That's bullshit," Dusk muttered as she put her hands on her hips.
"That's enough, we haven't even left the room and you two are already arguing," Luna said stepping between the two girls. "We've taken precautions and we don't even know if there will be any cultists there, so as long as we stay calm and focused, we should be fine." She looked at both of them. "Can we please stop arguing?"
Thorn and Dusk shot each other a glance and sighed. Luna was right, fighting and arguing with each other wouldn't help. Thorn just hoped this would be the last time this subject was mentioned.
"Okay," Thorn said.
Dusk stared at the ground for a second before glancing at Thorn. "Fine." She turned around and exited the room.
"Let's go," Luna said to Thorn.
Thorn didn't say anything and just walked past her, grabbing her black jacket from the coat rack as she entered the hallway herself.
Ding! The elevator door opened and the girls entered the lobby. There were a handful of people standing around the entrance carrying briefcases and talking on their phones, likely waiting for their rides to pick them up or waiting to get checked in. Looking out the large windowed walls, Thorn frowned upon seeing the dull grey sky and the steady rain drenching everything outside. Thorn wanted to walk, as it would've been a good way to clear her head and mentally prepare for what was ahead of them. So much for that...
"Ah, there are my groovy gothic chicklets!...and Dusk."
The familiar, upbeat voice was a pleasant surprise for a day that started out so badly.
"Hey Gus," Thorn said with a smile as she, Dusk, and Luna turned around and greeted their manager.
Gus Boggs was smiling and he spun around in dance as he reached the Hex Girls before giving a slight bow as he concluded his delightful approach. His purple jacket, pink pants, and rose-tinted glasses seemed to brighten up the room and Thorn caught his infectious smile and upbeat attitude.
"You're in a good mood," Luna said. "What's going on?"
"Oh, I have some wonderful news to brighten this dreary day," Gus said clasping his hands together.
"What? Dusk can't use the band credit card anymore?" Luna teased; Dusk stuck her tongue out in retaliation.
"Indeed, and thankfully that mess has been dealt with but that's not it," Gus quickly rattled off before resuming his jovial composure. "I just confirmed an interview for you three with Chris Maxwell this afternoon!"
Thorn's eyes lit up with excitement. "Wait, you mean the famous talk show hostess Chris Maxwell?"
"The one and only," Gus replied.
"That's wicked awesome!" Dusk cheered.
Chris Maxwell was the hostess for the immensely popular talk show Chris that aired on the channel Americana. Anyone in the entertainment industry worth something made an appearance on the show: actors, writers, musicians, sports stars; if one wanted to become a household name, then one went on Chris. Thorn even recalled a segment in which Daphne Blake appeared and promoted her old TV show and another where Mystery Incorporated appeared in their entirety. And after her horrible experience last night, this spectacular news was something she needed.
"That's amazing," Thorn said. "How'd you manage to get us on?"
"Yeah I'm curious," Luna said. "Isn't there a notoriously long waiting list to get on and even then, most people don't end up making it?"
Gus chuckled to himself as he adjusted his glasses. "Oh it certainly wasn't easy and I spent many a night emailing her producers, but in the end, Chris herself called and asked for you three to be guests on the show this evening!"
"Wait, Chris asked us to come on the show?" Thorn gasped.
"She did, quite enthusiastically I might add," Gus replied.
The girls gave each other an excited glance before turning back to Gus.
"So what time does the show start?" Luna eagerly asked.
"Six," Gus said. "Though we need to be there an hour before for all the preparations, so I'd like to depart around four-thirty." Gus paused and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and removed several sheets of paper.
"That reminds me, the producers sent me the questions Chris will ask you," Gus said, handing each Hex Girl a copy of the questions. "Please read them over and prepare your responses."
Thorn took her copy and glanced through the questions, her smile waning. Aside from a couple of questions about their interactions with Mystery Incorporated, the bulk of the interview was about their current tour. Ugh, it's just marketing. While she understood the importance of promoting themselves and the tour, Thorn hoped they'd get to talk about themselves, both as individuals and a band. Instead, their appearance on one of America's favorite talk shows was nothing more than a marketing ploy for the tour.
"Um, yeah, I'll take a look at it later," Thorn said, folding the paper and putting it in her purse as Dusk and Luna put their copies away. "But thanks for setting this up."
"Yeah, you're great," Dusk added.
"Oh darlings, I'm the best in the business," Gus said with a grin.
Thorn nodded and turned, ready to depart the hotel with Dusk and Luna. Thorn barely reached the door when she heard Gus call out to them.
"Do pray tell where you three are going?"
Thorn paused. She wasn't about to tell Gus that they were going to find a cult treasure because a god told them to.
"Oh, we were going to do a little sightseeing and grab lunch somewhere," Thorn said.
Gus frowned and his posture slouched as the excitement and joy drained from his face. "Do my ears deceive me?" he said, raising his hand to his ear. "You three are going out?"
"Yeah, just for a few hours," Thorn replied.
Gus sighed. He adjusted his jacket and straightened his scarf. He gave each girl a quick glance before clearing his throat.
Thorn gritted her teeth. Oh shit, we're in trouble.
"No, that's not happening, not today," Gus said, crossing his arms and shaking his head.
"Why not!?" Thorn said, raising her voice.
"Because I'm not letting you three ruin this much-needed interview by running off into the unknown again," Gus replied.
"We're just going sightseeing," Dusk said. "What's wrong with that?"
"What's wrong with that!?" Gus exclaimed as his attention turned to Dusk, though he was addressing all of them. Thorn flinched, discomforted by his uncharacteristic outburst as Gus had never once in his entire time as their manager raised his voice at them. "You told me the other night in Bolfied that you were just going to a bar after the concert. Then the three of you return at five in the morning in some random car looking like shit!" Dusk went to say something but Gus quickly cut her off "For Chrissakes Dusk, you were covered in blood! I nearly fainted upon seeing you!"
Thorn bit her lip and looked away. She noticed a couple of people in the lobby staring at them as Gus wasn't hiding his anger. She glared at them; the nosey individuals quickly turned away as Gus continued his rant.
"And when I ask what happened, the three of you hide in the tour bus and refuse to answer me! I nearly canceled the following day's show because I didn't know if I needed to take you all to the hospital. I probably should've, since that was your worst performance to date, but didn't because you three insisted you were alright, and doing so would've put the entire tour in jeopardy of failing. And if the tour fails, well, the record label will flush you three down the drain quicker than they did poor Fantzee Pantz," Gus continued, his face bright red. "So no, unless you girls tell me what happened the other night and where you're actually going, you will all stay here and prepare your responses for the interview!"
Thorn sighed. Gus had every right to be angry at them and under different circumstances, she'd agree with him. She hated lying to him considering everything he's done for their careers, as without him, they'd still be in Oakhaven, perhaps doing weekend gigs at clubs in Boston if they were lucky. As much as it pained her, she couldn't tell him the truth. That there were things greater than humanity and almost all of it was evil. That magic was real and dangerous. That they were following the vague instructions of an actual god. That she was a witch and a threat to everyone around her. It was too much. It was far safer to let him live in ignorant bliss.
"We'll be back well before four," Thorn said. "And there won't be any drinking or partying, so you don't have to worry about us getting hurt or ruining our PR."
"And we're only going a few blocks away," Luna added.
Gus shook his head. "I don't care if you're going to the store across the street; you three are not leaving this hotel."
"Ugh, this sucks," Dusk groaned as she kicked the ground.
"Until you three start acting like adults, you're not going anywhere," Gus dictated.
Thorn grunted as she turned away from Gus. He was absolutely right, he needed the truth. Well, a truth, something he'd believe. She stood there for a solid minute, constructing a web of lies. I'm so sorry Gus, you deserve better. With a heavy sigh, she turned to her manager and already regretted what she was about to do.
"I'm sorry about the other night," Thorn said. "You deserve the truth."
Dusk and Luna looked at her in shock. She dismissed them for the moment and focused on Gus.
"Well," Gus said, awaiting Thorn's response.
"We really were at the bar in town," she began. She felt sick like she was ingesting a drop of poison with each lie. "While there, we met some people from the concert and they invited us to a party an hour away in Albany. We got a ride there and things were great. Evidently, I got a bit too drunk and somehow broke this giant mirror the host owned. Dusk helped clean up but she accidentally cut herself on the broken glass. At that point, Luna wanted to get out and some guy let us borrow his car so we could leave."
You don't give a shit about the people you use. The Fallen's words from their first encounter with the entity in the temple echoed in her mind. In an attempt to get Thorn to submit to it, the Fallen called her out on her manipulative behavior; it even mentioned her lying to Gus so she could get away with all sorts of things. And now you're doing it again. She felt like Matella, the witch who nearly tricked her into sacrificing herself in a magic ceremony that would free the Fallen, and Thorn felt disgusted with herself. Stop it! This is nothing like what Matella did to you. You're lying to Gus to protect him from the horrors that are out there; this is for his own good.
Thorn kept a straight face and looked at Gus. She needed him to believe her.
"Is this true?" Gus asked, turning to Dusk and Luna.
Thorn nervously glanced at them, hoping that they would continue the lie.
"Yeah, stupid piece of glass cut my hand," Dusk said with a sigh. "Though it was kinda funny seeing Thorn wasted and knocking the mirror over."
Luna nodded. "I'm honestly surprised that guy let us leave with his car."
"I'm not," Dusk said as she looked at Thorn with a mischievous grin. Thorn rolled her eyes in anticipation of Dusk's teasing. "Considering she was all over him…"
"Okay I get it," Gus said, cutting her off. "Why didn't you three tell me about this? This could be horrendous for your images, not to mention the legal mess you made."
"We were drunk, scared, and embarrassed," Thorn quickly said. "Fortunately no one recognized us and we made it back without incident."
While Dusk was certainly reveling in the lie, Thorn wanted it to end. The more she lied, the worse she felt. She just wanted Gus to accept the story and let them leave so they could deal with whatever was at the Regal Hotel.
"This is even more of a reason to not let you three leave," Gus sighed. "Not to mention Dusk's fiasco this morning with the credit card."
"Look, we're only going to do some sightseeing and get lunch; no drinking, no partying, nothing that would cause a PR disaster," Thorn said trying to salvage her situation.
"What could possibly want to see in the rain?" Gus asked, still very much against the idea of letting them leave the hotel.
"There's an um, art museum that has, um, paintings from a Wiccan artist I like," Thorn quickly answered.
Gus sighed and looked away from them. Thorn could tell he was torn about letting them go. Considering her lie wasn't much better than the truth, Thorn wasn't surprised that Gus was struggling to make up his mind.
"What if we checked in with you every hour we're out?" Luna suggested.
"Hmm, I would feel more comfortable with that," Gus said. "But still…"
"We can text you pictures if you want," Dusk added.
"And we'll be back by three, three-thirty tops," Thorn concluded. She glanced at the clock over the front desk of the lobby. It was 11:00 AM. She had no idea how long it would actually take to accomplish whatever the Broken wanted them to do but hopefully, five hours would cover it.
"I can't believe I'm saying it, but fine, you all can go out," Gus said with a frown.
Thorn sighed with relief as their manager gave them permission to leave. Sure, it wasn't how she wanted to get it, but it worked.
"Now I expect a phone call every hour from you and you all must be back no later than three," Gus mandated. "And please do look at those questions, we really need this interview to go well."
"Will do," Thorn said with a smile. "Thanks for letting us do this."
Gus nodded and with that, he turned and headed over to the elevator. After pressing the button, he faced the girls one last time.
"Don't make me regret this," he said as the elevator door opened and he stepped inside.
"We won't," Thorn replied as the doors closed behind him. And with that, the Hex Girls were on their own.
"Damn Thorn, you really pulled the wool over his eyes," Dusk said. "I was certain he was going to send us back to our rooms."
Thorn grunted and elbowed Dusk. "Shut up, I feel really bad about lying to him, please don't make it worse."
Dusk just rubbed her side and said nothing, taking the hint that Thorn wanted the topic dropped.
"Hey, we can do something for him when we get back," Luna suggested.
Thorn smiled. "That's a good idea." Even if it was buying him a new scarf or helping him with his managerial tasks, they needed to do something to show their appreciation for him and apologize for causing so many problems. The exact details would have to wait as they had a divine task to complete.
"So what's the plan now?" Dusk asked.
Thorn looked outside. Several cars drove by in the rain, including numerous taxis. While she preferred a nice walk to help clear her thoughts, the weather and their time restraints ruined that, so driving was the only option.
"We get a cab and go to the Regal Hotel," Thorn replied. "And then we go from there."
Dusk and Luna nodded and the three Hex Girls headed toward the door. As they left the building, Thorn set a timer on her phone. They had just under five hours to complete their task, whatever that was. And in the back of her mind, Thorn knew that they were likely heading toward certain danger.
AN: I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. Just wanted to say thanks to all who left a review, favorite, or follow. It's very encouraging and supportive. You all are great.
~The Wandering Piney
