After dealing with her family, and Ivy. Courtney, after driving Srey back to her school, and bidding good bye to her Auntie, was tired. Driving home she decided to stop at her favorite coffee shop. A good cup of dark roast Columbian, and the enthusiastic support of Pop, made up her mind.
The coffee shop in question was called Beaner's, not so odd when you considered the sole proprietor was a young slender Mexican-American gentleman, with a sense of humor, and to Courtney's sense, the possibility of becoming a powerful wizard. He had no idea, but Courtney was sure that one day it would manifest. Considering the White Counsel's record with such individuals, she wanted to shuttle him off to her father, as soon as it manifested. Male wizards without guidance, didn't have a great track record, but this good hearted young man showed no desire to become a monster.
He called himself T.J., Tijuana Jones, and besides him, only two other young ladies, obviously Mexican, worked in his shop. Gentle, and well mannered, he made a killer cup of coffee, but for Courtney's companion there was another draw. Pop's best friend lived here. A small Siamese cat, named Samantha.
Whenever they came, Pop and Samantha played, and T.J. always had treats for the two. For all present, the antics of the two small creatures, Samantha was a runt, unusually small, was uplifting. The Least Weasel, and his pal, romped across the room in play. Wrestling, and running, in a most comical fashion, and later ending up curled up together, in a basket on the counter sleeping.
Entering the shop, Courtney noticed, that it was past closing time, 10pm. "Hey, T.J.", she says. "You still got some coffee in that pot"?
"You bet Court. Did you bring Pop. Sam has been all kinds of depressed without her friend".
Unzipping her bag, she reached for Pop, to find him gone. Looking around she sees him on a shelf, and chuckles. "Where is Sam", she says? Whereupon he pounces behind the counter. A scuffling sound comes out, and then from behind the counter, a small Siamese cat, ridden by a tiny Least weasel appear. Rolling on the ground, in a mock fight, the two diminutive creatures play. Both T.J., and Courtney smile.
Their good-natured battle ends, when T.J. produces a small bowl of vanilla ice cream, which the two demolish, then curl together for a nap. T.J. continues to finish cleaning, while Courtney, lost in thought, drinks her coffee. T.J. being a long-time friend is quiet, as he knows Courtney is much more than an attractive young lady. Whenever he is in her presence, his inner sight shows her to be glowing with an incredible amount of light. She is a "Mujeres Poderousas de Magia", as his grandmother had told him one day when Courtney had come in and she had been there. A person to be respected. Of that he had no doubt.
The small bell on the shop door rang, as three gentleman, two in turtleneck sweaters, and one in a business suit entered the shop. T.J. had already put out the "CLOSED", sign. Walking around the counter, he spoke. "Excuse me gentleman, but we are closed". Walking toward them to escort them out. One of the turtlenecks turned and locked the door while the other pulled down the shades.
Behind him he heard a hiss, as Sam, no longer sleeping bounds in front of him.
"Do not resist", says the one in the business suit in a dry reptilian voice. He raises his hands, and T.J. can feel something, a building of energy. Also, behind him, he feels another building of energy, like a fire against his back. Courtney steps up next to him, and she felt as if she was like a warm lamp, now she was like a fire. He notices, that in her hands she holds a for real sword, of Norse design.
"Pardon me,", she says. "But it seems you have made a mistake", she says in a hard voice that T.J. has never heard. "This one belongs to my father, The Baron of Montana. You may leave now, with no insult, but if you persist", she shrugs and loosens her shoulders.
"I feel no mark upon him", says the reptile. "He is free to collect".
"Collect"! "Court, what the hell is he talking about".
"Head for the rear exit", she whispers aside. Louder she speaks. "Well it seems as though you have come at the same time that I have come to collect him". "You will yield him to me".
"Young lady I do not know your name, but you are outnumbered here. You shall yield him to me"!
"No shithead, I don't think I shall", and with those words the suited man threw a ball of light at Courtney. He didn't quite understand when it broke apart on a shield, that Bob the Skull had said could not be broken by any being he had seen. Courtney slashed out with her Ulfberht sword, and the suit barely missed being decapitated. His two accomplices moved freakishly quickly towards her, but one suddenly was having trouble breathing, and blood erupted from his mouth. Pop, inside his lungs tore at them from the inside, moving towards the heart.
The second stepped forward, and Courtney ran him through. He embraced her in his powerful arms, and only her shield kept him from crushing her. Leaning down hard, the unnaturally sharp sword, dissected the creature, splitting it in half, in a spray of blood through It's genital area. As the two halves fell, the sorcerer bolted out the back door, after T.J. Courtney throwing a knife edged plane at it's legs was blocked. A huge explosion of energy thrown back in the door made her duck, and throw out her shields to protect Pop, and Samantha. Encompassing the energy so it wouldn't destroy a city block was hard, but what to do with the energy was the question. The question was answered when a small runt kitten jumped on the ball, and "ATE IT". A small voice in her mind. "Save him".
Courtney leaped through the door to see the reptilian dragging T. J. bodily up the alley. With a word of force borrowed from Dresden and enforced from her godmother Mab. "Infringa", she breathed, and the chill of winter rushed down the alley, to catch the reptile by surprise. Raising an obsidian dagger, it began to chant. Courtney, mistress of force, threw out a plane that threw the reptilian away, but not before the dagger glowed an evil red. On her shoulder a familiar weight. "Pop fuck him up", she says. Then with a burst of light he is gone.
T.J. laid still as Courtney kneeled beside him. Reaching into her gym bag she removed the small, golden skull, and summoned BOB. If anyone could help it would be him, and in less time then it normally took he was there.
"Hey, Court, what's shaking", Bob said cockily. Then as he surveyed the situation, he again spoke. "Courtney, why are you kneeling next to a corpse"?
"Bob, the fucking Formor, tried to take him. We fought, and the fucker killed him", Courtney sobbed.
Bob looking closely saw something surprising. "Ahh Court, he's still breathing". Then with a closer look he saw the true travesty. "Court, he separated his soul from his body. He's not dead, In fact". Bob looked around, and there a few feet away stood a ghost.
"Am, I dead", said the young man, when another voice spoke.
From the back door of the café, a small cat emerged, slowly changing into a sloe- eyed, dark, beautiful young women. Totally naked, and unconscious about the fact, she strolled up to the ghost, and embraced it.
"Samantha", asked the ghost, confused.
"Yes, and no", said the young woman. "I am your cat Samantha, but I am also an Egyptian god. Companion to Nephitrie, loved by Hatshepsut, I came to America because my own people had forgotten me. Their new religion one of violence and hate. T.J. you are not dead, but we must find this necromancer, and have him restore you".
"Bob", Courtney says questionably?
"My Lady", Bob says, in a voice of respect that Courtney has never seen before.
Walking over to Courtney, the young lady reaches out her hand for the small skull.
Courtney, not understanding draws power.
Knelling, the young women totally disarms her. "Please".
"It's OK Court", Bob says
Then as Courtney hands her the skull, T.J. draws a deep breath, and stands up.
Samantha nods. "Until you restore T.J. to his body, you will inhabit it".
Bob is aghast, as for the first time he feels. He has possessed, but this is different. This time he is real. Flesh and blood.
'I can't ", Bob says, as the emotions cascade down upon him.
"You must", says the small Egyptian girl. "Or he will die, and I will destroy you", she says quietly.