Author note: Yes! I'm finally able to post this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that is recognizable in this fanfiction story. The Midnight, Texas series belongs to Charlaine Harris.
Chapter 9 – Riders On the Storm
It had been a strangely quiet day, Winnie thought as she sat cross-legged on her porch. Everyone had gone back to their normal lives and daily routines...well, except for Olivia and Lemuel who still weren't talking, and Creek was still staying a Fiji's.
Winnie rolled the baseball sized crystal she held, from one hand to the other and back again, absentmindedly. Her seven-times-great-grandmother's crystal ball was acting more like a worry stone than anything else.
A small breeze came to circle around her and played with her dark-red tresses. There was a hint of power in the air that sparked along her senses. Before she knew it, the crystal ball started to glow, and among the glow there was fire as ghostly screams echoed in her ears.
Winnie dropped the ball in surprise. Thankfully, it landed safely in her lap, but the connection was broken and the glow was gone.
"Yeah, yeah," the gypsy muttered under her breath, "Demons are coming. I get it. Thanks for the reminder," she quickly snatched the crystal up and plopped it into her messenger bag, "so much for a quiet day."
Picking up the tea she had made before sitting outside, Winnie registered the cold temperature of the mug; with several gulps and a slight sigh she finished the drink.
After going back inside and grabbing her shades off the counter the redhead went for a walk around town. She wandered aimlessly through streets and alleys until she came to the small park next to the church.
A spark of whimsy traveled through her and she went over to the swing set to sit. Feet still touching the ground, Winnie bent her knees and let gravity swing her back and forth.
As quiet as it was, everyone waited on tenterhooks for the veil to open. At least everything outside of Midnight seemed to be better. Chuy would occasionally text with a message, letting Winnie know he and Joe were okay, but he could tell that Joe was feeling guilty about leaving. The half-demon and gypsy both felt that it wouldn't be long before the angel was back in Midnight.
Winnie's gaze scanned the surrounding buildings as she continued to let her mind wonder, but it wasn't long before something caught her attention. A smile split the psychics face as she saw a familiar vehicle coming down the road. She was on her feet instantly and quickly walking toward the street.
The vehicle stopped in front of her, a sleek black town car also pulled up, and both drivers seemed to step out at the same time.
"Guys! It feels like forever since I've seen you," Winnie announced as she threw herself at the man who had stepped out of the RV. The tall dirty-blonde haired man gave a bright smile that wrinkled the corners of his hazel eyes as he returned the woman's hug.
"Piccolo tesoro," the dark-haired, dark-eyed man, who had been driving the black car, spoke as he paused beside them; the man's tongue perfectly shaping the words of his native language, and his deep voice, combined to make the endearment sound sultry, "It is good to see you."
Winnie quickly shifted and was suddenly hugging the other man. Her words muffled in the lapels of his Armani suit but he didn't seem to care, "You too, Dante."
"How are you doing, kiddo?" the blonde asked as he tousled the red curls on Winnie's head, "That brother of yours still getting you into trouble?"
The gypsy girl pulled away from the brunette as she swatted at the pestering hand of the other man.
"You mean, is she still getting him out of trouble," the previously named, Dante, uttered quietly. His eyes had narrowed giving his face a darkly-unhappy expression.
"Be nice guys," the psychic admonished with a chuckle, "Besides, you're not one to talk, Tony. Remember what happened to that girlfriend who thought you were two-timing her with a younger woman?"
Tony let out a guilt laugh. "Yeah, she never believed me when I said you were a friend of the boss."
"Speaking of Mr. Gagliardi," Dante began, "He sends his regards but was unable to make the trip to see you due to business."
"Oh, if we're being formal," Winnie said sharing a smirk with Tony, "Please, let him know that I wish him and his daughter well, and thank him for his help in returning my property. I think we're even."
"Mr. Gagliardi owes you for saving the life of his daughter, accidentally or not, and feels he will always be in your debt," the brunette told her, "so he expects you to call again if you need anything else."
Tony spoke next, "Viola still talks about you. She'll tell anyone who will listen, about the girl who rescued her from a hitman. Of course, she leaves out the part where you stumbled across them in an alley by accident and surprised the guy," he chuckled, "It all sounds very heroic when she tells it."
"I'm sorry to cut things short, bambino, but Antonio and I need to be getting back. I wish there was more time but you're deathtrap needed more repairs than we originally thought," Dante explained.
"I get it, it was good seeing you two," Winnie said as she stepped back but was stopped when Tony brought her into a one armed hug.
"You too, short stuff. Take care of yourself," Tony said, while handing Winnie the keys to the RV. Then he and his companion got into their car and drove away.
Winnie got into the RV and smiled at the obviously cleaned interior, which was a nice gesture considering the RV was so old. Salvatore Gagliardi may be a mob boss but he was still a good man, who treated Winnie like a second daughter.
She started up the engine and drove it down the block to park the RV in its usual spot. Her grandmother may not be there but the RV was back in place and Winnie felt like she could breathe a little easier.
Winnie was making her way to the restaurant to have dinner with Olivia, when Mr. Snuggly crossed her path and stopped in front of her, causing the gypsy to halt in her tracks.
Once he seemed to have her attention the cat gave a quiet meow and took off toward Fiji's greenhouse. Thinking that the animal wanted something, Winnie followed.
Waiting in the middle of the small greenhouse, the cat spoke as soon as the woman entered, "Things are getting bad."
"Is Fiji alright?" Winnie asked quickly.
"No, that demon sunk its claws in deep, won't give her a lick of rest. She's wound tighter than an eight day clock and I don't know how long she can keep this up," he informed her.
Winnie frowned as she picked the cat up and began to stroke his ears. "I don't get it," she murmured, "Originally it was in my house, but it didn't do anything to me or Manny. Then it gets banished and starts going after Fiji. What does it want from her?"
"Her power," the cat said, "Witches and demons have history and not a happy one. Demons can steal the powers of witches, and the most powerful witches are virgins, I reckon that's why it wants her so bad."
She blinked in surprise. "Oh wow, poor Bobo, I totally get it know," Winnie thought aloud before shaking her head, "Wait, you're telling me, that demon is after Fiji because she's a virgin? So I'm guessing the way it plans on stealing her powers is by…" she scowled, "There is no way I'm letting that demon anywhere near her," the gypsy vowed.
"Then you're going to need an army, girly. I don't think there's any way to stop it from coming to town, I can feel it in these old bones," the feline remarked.
"I know," Winnie whispered, remembering her vision, "when the time comes, there will be people to fight against the demons. I just can't say how it will end."
"Hmm," the animal hummed before wriggling out of her grasp and jumping to the ground, "You should go on, girly, I just wanted to let you know what I've been seeing."
"Good night, Mr. Snuggly," Winnie called quietly as the cat left and she was quick to leave also, she didn't want to make Olivia wait, not that the woman would wait long.
The female psychic was right about the blonde woman's priorities. When Winnie arrived, Olivia was in the back room slowly eating. The other woman seemed to be preoccupied by whatever was on her mind and only acknowledged Winnie when she sat down.
"You're late," Olivia commented, "I'd ask if you got lost on the way, but this town's not big enough for that."
Winnie gave a shrug, "Stopped to have a quick chat. What about you? Still not talking to Lem?"
Olivia gave her a sharp look, "There's a reason for that."
"A very valid reason," Winnie agreed before quietly adding, "but I'm sure Lem must be hurting too. Losing his reasoning the way he did, hurting the person he loves, and then not even being able to apologize for it. He must be devastated."
"Looks like the Rev was able to handle it," the blonde stated.
"Thankfully. If it had taken Fiji any longer with that potion, or Emilio was any less in control, you can bet your ass Bobo would have put one of those silver bullets in him," the redhead stated with a look that conveyed her knowledge of just where said bullets had come from.
They lapsed into silence, Winnie's food came and she was halfway through her meal before the blonde spoke again.
"I noticed that you're RV is back. Did you have it picked up by a tow-truck?"
Winnie smiled softly, "No, some...friends found it and brought it back for me."
"Must be pretty good friends," Olivia replied.
The redhead gave a noncommittal shrug. "Tony and Dante are good guys and their boss is a devoted father. There are worse people to know."
The blonde raised an eyebrow but Winnie didn't add anything else to the conversation. After a few minutes, the blonde announced that she would be heading home and bid the psychic good night as she left.
Not long after Olivia's departure, Lem entered. Winnie looked up as he walked into the room and the vampire almost appeared sheepish as he sat in the chair previously occupied by the blonde woman.
The gypsy sighed, "I see you're avoiding her as much as she's avoiding you."
"I thought it best," he said quietly.
With a hum and lift of her eyebrows at his comment, Winnie leaned to the left and made eye contact with a waiter. When the man enter she said, "Lem said he's ready to order. He'll have a chicken and almond salad and a glass of water. Thanks."
The vampire gave the woman across from him a confused look. "I don't eat...food," he stated, in a tone that clearly said the vampire was questioning if she had hit her head recently.
"I remember," she replied dryly, "There's still an hour before you have to work, so I thought we could sit and talk while I nibble on a salad."
"Forgive me, but I don't feel like talking," Lem told her as he seemed to straighten even more in his chair, the body language was obvious.
"Then don't," Winnie said simply, and settled in to wait.
For someone who didn't want to talk, it was no surprise to the gypsy that Lemuel was the first one to speak after only a few minutes of silence.
"There is no apology I can give, nothing I could possibly say or do that will atone for what I have done, and yet I would go crawling back on hands and knees if I thought Olivia would forgive me even a little," the vampire said his tone quiet and heartbroken.
"She loves you," the psychic stated quietly, "she'll forgive you, if she hasn't already. It just might take some time for her to trust you again but what is time to a vampire."
The vampire stayed quiet and the waiter came and went. The salad stayed in front of Lemuel even as Winnie occasionally took bites. The gypsy chewed thoughtfully but they didn't speak until it was almost time for the male to leave.
"Olivia's wish is not to become like me," Lem stated and then clarified, "a vampire."
"And you have respected her wishes," Winnie said as she looked him in the eyes, "as much as it breaks your heart."
"I know that I will continue living long after the woman I love dies, of course it pains me."
"Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you'll live forever. Sunlight still burns you, silver hurts you, and I'm betting a stake through the heart can still kill you," The gypsy told him, "All things die eventually. Olivia wants to die a human and I see no problem with that. It's not like she has an "actual" death wish, and you can still protect her or help her when she needs it. You know her, you know what she really wants and you're the only one who can give it to her, and it's not immortality."
It took a moment for Lemuel to speak, "How can someone so young be so wise?" he wondered softly; his voice and expression seemed almost defeated.
She sipped her water before letting out a deep sigh, "I know about death because I've lived my whole life knowing the dead, and I know about the feelings people hide because I'm an empath. I'm also a fortune-teller, so I know when to speak and when to bite my tongue. But, I'm nowhere near wise."
"On that, we will have to disagree," he murmured before letting out a sigh, "I should go, I'm already late for work. Good night, Winifred."
"Night," she said as he got up to leave and was quickly gone.
Choosing to change seats after Lemuel left, Winnie sat in a booth at the front of the restaurant watching the world outside the window as she ate her ice cream. It was as she watched that she saw a familiar truck amble down the road. She almost dropped a spoonful of ice cream on her lap as she stared in disbelief.
Joe was back, and just in time for the apocalypse.
She frowned and for a moment thoughts swirled around in her head before her eyes drifted back to her half-melted dessert. Shoveling another spoonful into her mouth she let the sweet flavor on her tongue distract her. When the ice-cream was gone, Winnie let out a sigh as she picked up the check and paid for her meal at the counter.
Stepping out of the restaurant, she didn't even think about where she was going until she found herself across the street.
'Joe's back', was the simple text she sent her brother before entering the tattoo shop.
"You know, your timing is either really amazing or really terrible," Winnie said when she found Joe. She was smiling when he turned around, "…and now I have to make my two layer, triple chocolate with strawberries, extra decadent devil's food cake for Chuy. That's what I get for betting with your husband on when you'd show up."
The angel laughed softly, "I'm not surprised. We have gotten to know each other pretty well over the years. Though, it does give him an unfair advantage."
"That's okay," Winnie said with a shrug before smiling deviously, "I said I would make him a cake, but I never said he was the only one who would be eating it."
Footsteps came from the hallway and the two in the room looked to see Manny walking in. He paused and looked at his sister and Joe, before focusing on the angel and saying, "I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"
The blonde gave a half-nod and shrugged, "Sure."
Winnie sat and listened to the two men talk. Manny started off by filling Joe in on everything that had happened since the brunette psychic had returned.
A moment later, Winnie could barely focus on the conversation, due to the sudden pain between her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, Winnie fell into a vision, Fiji's house, a demonic voice, and then she was suddenly in the street listening to a conversation between Fiji and a stranger.
The voices were still there when she opened her eyes again, it confused the redhead since she could hear both the words from the vision in her head and Fiji's voice from outside. Struggling past the pain and confusion, Winnie went over to the window as Joe and Manny moved to see what the noise was. She couldn't see the stranger in the street only Fiji, but she could hear what was being said by the growling voice.
Joe turned to head outside, and the twins followed him.
Winnie cursed under her breath as the headache became worse the closer they got and she stumbled. Manny's steadying hand keeping her from falling.
Outside the dark-haired witch was repeatedly refusing the stranger.
"Fiji, you okay?" Manny questioned, but she didn't seem to hear him, "Fiji wake—wake up."
The voice kept speaking and the redhead realized only she and Fiji could hear it.
"You've been lying this whole time. I know the truth about you, Fiji. You bring death to those you love."
Heat washed over Winnie as her brother pulled her back and the vision was broken. Fiji had conjured a jet of fire.
Seconds later, Lem had ahold of Fiji and was slowly draining her; and the paler the woman got, the more the fire died down.
Bobo came running. "Fiji? Fiji? You all right?" he asked, slightly panicked, as he gently took her from Lem.
Fiji was panting and looked both confused and frightened, as she saw the people around her.
"Were you sleepwalking?" Bobo questioned.
"No," the witch denied, "No, it was real. He was real," she finished in a whimper.
"Come on, let's get you back inside," the pawn shop owner offered as he started to guide Fiji back to her home.
Lemuel and Joe remained outside while the others went in. Creek, who had been woken up, helped make sure the dark-skinned woman was comfortable. When the younger girl asked what happened, the witch tentatively began to tell them what she had seen.
"The man you saw in your dream…" Manny started.
"Colconnar sent him." Fiji confirmed.
"Well, maybe it was just a nightmare," Creek tried to sooth.
"I wish," Bobo grumbled.
Manny took a deep breath and continued talking to Fiji as he came closer to her, "While, you were sleepwalking, you kept yelling 'stop saying that'. Stop saying what?"
The way Fiji pursed her lips and shook her head, showed she didn't want to answer the question but she spoke up, "He said I'd give myself to Colconnar."
"That's not gonna happen," Bobo said intensely.
"Why is he after you?" Manny continued, "What's he want?"
"I don't know," Fiji whispered with a head shake.
Winnie frowned at the lie. The redhead knew she should call the witch on it and tell everyone what was going on, but she didn't want to upset the older woman, so she stayed quiet.
The curly haired brunette went on, "But I don't want anybody getting hurt because of me."
"Stop!" Creek told the witch, "You are the one who's hurting now. We're taking care of you."
Manny sat beside Fiji with a loud exhale before quietly asking, "The man in your dreams, did he say anything else?"
There was a pause before a quiet, "No," and then a beat later she stood and announced, "I'm gonna go make some tea," before leaving the room.
Later, the two men and Winnie said their goodnights and left Creek to look after Fiji. Outside, the four males and one female stood on the porch and Lemuel spoke once the door was closed behind Bobo.
"I leeched her pain. There was a lot. It ran deep."
"Of course she's emotional," Bobo defended, "She's being stalked by a demon."
"So emotional, she almost set us on fire," Manny added.
"Colconnar's not the only threat to Fiji," Joe said, "She's a threat to herself, and others. We need to keep an eye on her."
"I'm not going anywhere," Bobo announced in a growl.
"Sun's almost up. I'll be back tonight," Lem told them before leaving.
Almost collectively, they each let out deep breathes.
Manny waited a few seconds before turning to Bobo, "So are he and Olivia better?"
"Well, they haven't talked since the fight. He's sleeping in the back of the pawn shop. So no," the shop owner admitted with a sigh.
They went quiet and a little while later, Manny, Joe and Winnie left.
It was late, or possibly early, Winnie hadn't bothered to check. All she wanted to do was get some sleep, which was easier said than done. After what happened to Fiji, the feeling of eminent danger in the air was making her twitchy.
Her feet carried her down a familiar path and before she had fully stopped outside the entrance to Emilio's, the door was swinging open.
Seeing the man's face had a rush of emotions filling her that quickly left her calm though exhausted, with a small grin she gave a tired, "Hey, Tiger."
There was a small crease between his brows as he stepped aside to let her in.
"You seem exhausted. Did something happen?" he quietly asked as he took her jacket to hang in the small entry closet. Eyes scanned the gypsy as he inhaled her scent and was relieved when there was nothing out of the ordinary.
"I talked to Olivia, then Lem, and then I went over to Joe's, who just got back. All before Fiji tried to set her nightmare on fire," Winnie said, then quickly relayed what had happened to the witch as she slowly made her way to the bedroom, "But everything if fine for now."
Noticing the bed was still made she glanced at the weretiger over her shoulder to say, "Shouldn't you be in bed by now? You're day always starts early and you're not a cub anymore, Tiger."
He chuckled at the light teasing, "Yes, but my day often ends late, as well. I just got back and was only here a few minutes before I heard you coming."
Winnie kicked off her shoes and made sure to set them out of the way. "Even more of a reason to hit the shower and head to bed early," she started to say as she shimmied out of her jeans before placing them in the chair beside the bed, "The powers-that-be keep sending me visions, and with Joe back in town plus Fiji's visitor, it won't be long before the veil rips open and we're facing a demon army."
Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her into an equally strong chest, and she leaned into the embrace.
Emilio placed a light kiss on her temple and murmured into her ear, "You shouldn't worry about that tonight. Go take your shower. I'll get you a change of clothes."
Reluctantly pulling away Winnie went into the bathroom.
It was a little while later as she and Emilio were curled together in his bed that the gypsy finally remembered to check the calendar. She retrieved her phone from the nightstand and saw that the blood moon was only two nights away.
Putting the phone down, the redhead turned to face the man beside her. She worried what the blood moon would mean for Emilio; it was dangerous and had a strong effect on Supernaturals. Curling into the weretiger's chest, Winnie wrestled with her thoughts for the next hour before she was finally able to fall asleep.
The light touch of lips to her forehead woke Winnie the next morning. She opened her eyes to find Emilio dressed and smiling down at her.
She pouted before her lips quirked into a playful grin, "No fare. How come you're an 'early bird' while I'm the antithesis of a morning person?"
He grinned back. "I hear opposites attract."
She let out a short laugh as she said, "Right. Just look at Joe and Chuy."
"Exactly," he replied before shifting topics, "Today I have something I need to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. There's fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen."
She scrambled to get up as she followed after him toward the door. Gently gripping the sleeve of his jacket to catch his attention, Winnie waited for him to turn around before placing a kiss on his cheek, "See you later, Tiger."
He gave her a gentle smile causing Winnie's heart to skip a beat, before returning the affectionate gesture and said softly, "Have a good morning."
Winnie waited five minutes before going back into the bedroom to pull on her clothes, and left Emilio's shirt in the clothes hamper. She paused long enough to guzzle down two cups of coffee, fill up her traveling mug that had thankfully been left at Emilio's, and rinse out the pot before she was out the door.
The first thing Winnie did was move the RV onto the street before getting Manny to help her hitch up the trailer to the motorhome. When he questioned what they were doing, she told her brother flatly, "It's better to be prepared than dead."
"So you're leaving?" he accused as he followed her into the RV.
She rounded on him with a hurt look, "No! I'm getting ready, which you should be doing too…," She spun, pulled open a cabinet, and grabbed something inside, before shoving it into his chest, "…here!"
He automatically grabbed it before glancing down at the book she had knocked the air out of him with. "You know I can't read Romanian!" he told her as she opened the door.
"This is the age of technology, use the internet. I'll meet you at Joe's," she replied before she was gone.
She went into their house, took a quick shower, put on what she lovingly referred to as 'the demon-slayer outfit' with the embroidered protection runes and her gloves and sword, before fixing some toast and eggs for breakfast and going to the tattoo shop.
Winnie was just in time to see Manny pass Joe their ancestor's journal as she walked into the art studio.
"Xylda left us all our ancestors' demon-killing journals." Manny told the angel.
Joe gestured at the book and raised his brow at the text as he asked, "Are they all in Romanian?"
"Uh, I've been using an app to translate but it's slow going," Manny admitted. "Okay, so you say that I'm destined to fix this, that I'm—I'm the guy with the vision who can bridge the living and the dead."
"That's the prophecy," Joe stated as he glanced over the translated notes.
Manny huffed in resignation as he paced. "Who sealed the veil last time?" he wondered.
Joe paused in his reading to answer and Manny stopped pacing, "It didn't hold forever, obviously, but it was a shaman. Catori was his name. Weird guy..."
Winnie swallowed her giggle, at the same time Manny started to pace again.
"Tall. Covered in brands and tattoos," Joe finished.
"Didn't happen to tell you how he did it?"
Joe became somber and spoke haltingly, "He didn't survive. He went out to the crossroads alone. We found the body a day later. In pieces. Broken and burned."
Manny's face fell before he seemed to get an idea. "Where was he buried?"
"On sanctified ground," Joe said gesturing to the window as he stood and gazed across the street, "Underneath the Rev's church."
"Well, let's dig him up. Dead bodies, I can work with." Manny said as he came to stand beside the angel.
"Ah, you better work fast," the blonde said, "The veil's opening."
In the distance a sandstorm was making its way toward the town.
"We need to tell everyone to leave," Winnie said.
Joe nodded, "She's right, we need to get as many people out of here as we can."
"I'll go tell Emilio. We'll warn anyone who will listen," Winnie volunteered.
"You can start with those closest to the church, and I'll take the far side of town."
"I'll go tell the others what's happening," Manny said.
Manny and Joe met up with Emilio and Winnie at the church. Taking a pair of lights they had been using while fixing the inside, a pickaxe and three shovels, they all headed down to the basement.
"Where's Creek? Still with Fiji?" Emilio asked as they set up the lights.
"No. I told her to evacuate," Manny answered.
The reverend gave the medium a pointed look. "She's strong. Survived more than most."
"She doesn't need to survive this," the gypsy retorted.
"You're complicating it. You love her. Be with her."
Manny looked over to his sister, who just smirked, and rolled his eyes.
They began working in earnest, all three shovels stabbing into the ground while the pickaxe broke up the harder patches. Shovel-full after shovel-full was scooped up until the shovels hit something and the top of a small tomb was revealed.
"Joe," Winnie called as she handed over her shovel, which was taken with a raised brow. "I need a quick break," she explained as she started to rub the feeling back into her fingers.
The three men cleared away the dirt from the top.
Winnie winced as she finally voiced the thought that had been circling around in her brain. "You know I'm not trying to be annoying or anything," she began, "but this guy was buried a long time ago, right? So, uh, do we honestly think there will be anything left? I mean this guy has to be dust by now."
None of the others seemed to listen as they moved to open the lid.
"I thought you said he was tall," Manny commented.
"There wasn't much left of him to bury," was Joe's reply.
The men grunted as they pried off the stone slab and threw it aside. Manny pointed the flashlight into the coffin to reveal only dust and broken stones.
"That's what I was afraid of," Winnie said quietly.
"There has to be something left. Bones, clothes, anything," the male psychic said as they leaned further over the tomb.
The reverend reached in and moved the stones and dirt but found nothing. "I'm afraid not."
"It's been a thousand years. It was a long shot," Joe told them.
Manny looked to the blonde. "It was our only shot."
The sudden sound of gunshots startled them.
"What was that?" Emilio questioned.
Everyone was quick to leave the basement. Winnie was first being the only one standing and near the stairs.
"Run!" she yelled as they looked to see the screaming corpse-like figures coming towards them.
They scrambled across the street to Fiji's were the others were waiting, with Manny turning and closing the door just in time.
Winnie sneezed, the dirt in the air had not only gotten into her eyes, but up her nose, "…and I hate the beach, this is as bad as getting sand under your swimsuit…" she grumbled.
"What the hell are those things?" the male gypsy asked.
"Wraiths," answered Joe breathlessly, "Evil spirits heralding the arrival of a demon."
"Colconnar's coming," Emilio stated with his eyes on Fiji, who looked up in fear.
"Great, so now what do we do?" Olivia asks as she turns to look at Manny.
"What happened to Bobo?" Winnie asked quietly as she stepped toward the curled up figure of her friend.
"One of those things touched him," Olivia spat, angry that he was hurt.
"I've got something that will help," Fiji told the injured man as she slowly urged him into another room.
The others moved to get comfortable as they talked. Emilio leaned against a support column. Winnie wasn't far from the reverend as she propped her hip against Fiji's work table, while Olivia stood on the other side. Joe was facing Olivia, while Manny paced in the middle of them all.
Emilio spoke, "At least they're spirits. They can't come into this house."
"And Colconnar? What about him?" Olivia asked.
"He's not a spirit," Joe told her, "He's alive. Once he rises…"
"We're screwed," the blonde woman finished.
Manny turned as he reached the window slowly making his way back across the floor, "She's right. We've got no way to stop them. No way to stop Colconnar. We're sitting ducks."
"Quite the motivational speaker, aren't you?" The assassin says as he passes her.
"He's a realist," Winnie said with a scoff at the same time her brother started speaking.
"No, I'm—I'm a realist and my realistic self knows there's only one thing we can do," he turns back to look at the blonde, "Get out."
"So you bail just to come back and tell us all to bail?"
"I'm not saying we bail. I'm saying we get Fiji somewhere safe, we regroup, rethink come back with a plan to kill the wraiths and Colconnar."
"Joe and I are going to the garage," Emilio said before turning to leave. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Winnie move to follow but turned and shook his head.
The redhead gave a frown that was a hair's breadth away from being a pout but she didn't follow as he left.
Olivia stepped closer to Manny. "Well, before we leave, I need you to wake up a vampire."
Manny took a deep breath and nodded. When he went for the back door, he could hear someone behind him and turned to see his sister.
Holding up a hand as Manny opened his mouth, Winnie narrowed her eyes, "Don't even try it. Those things can burn you, at least I can hurt them back," as proof of her claim she laid her hand on the hilt of her sword, then shrugged, "besides I need to get the RV."
He swallowed and nodded, "Yeah, right. Let's go."
Entering through the back door of their house, Winnie went directly to the front door and grabbed her bag she had left there before turning and grabbing the handle.
It was just as she was twisting the door handle that the sound of dripping water came to her ears. The noise came again almost louder and a breeze buffed her cheek.
"Okay," the redhead said as she let go of the door, "…what…" just as she was speaking an image of Emilio flashed in her head and the message clicked, with wide-eyes she whispered, "Holy water."
Another drip sounded, this time even louder than the last. Walking back into the kitchen she grabbed the case of water bottles she had just opened the day before. As she turned to leave, her eyes strayed to the sink and she was unsurprised when she couldn't find a trace of water anywhere.
With a smirk and a quiet "thanks" she left.
Everyone was scrambling into the vampire bus and the RV was idling behind the large transport vehicle. Winnie watched as Lemuel got onto the bus, and then saw her brother talking to Fiji, who seemed reluctant to leave. Manny turned away and walked through Fiji's gate as the witch got onto the bus and a few seconds later the vehicle in front of the RV was moving.
Winnie quickly dialed her boyfriend's number, and was only a little surprised when Joe picked-up.
"What about my brother?" she asked rapidly.
"He went back for Fiji's cat. Manny took the keys to her car before telling Bobo we should go," the angel explained.
Winnie huffed, "Alright. I'm right behind you, just—just keep me on speaker," he said as she too pulled onto the road to follow the bus.
The redheaded psychic kept her phone to her ear as she drove, and could hear when Olivia answered a call from her brother.
"Guys. Behind us," Manny's voice said.
With a glance to the rearview, Winnie could see Creeks care and the sandstorm coming for them.
"Olivia!" Emilio's voice sounded slightly worried.
The blonde assassin's voice was incredulous, "It's following us?"
"We gotta get some distance," Manny told everyone.
"Well we can't outrun it in a tour bus," Olivia snapped.
"We need to hold up somewhere without windows, somewhere nearby," Bobo said.
"Where?" Creek asked.
"Take that road. I know the perfect place," Bobo spoke, possibly to Emilio, who Winnie assumed was driving the bus.
Brakes screeched on the bus as it made a sharp turn to the right. Winnie moved the hand she was holding the phone in to the steering wheel so she could make the turn as well.
Putting the phone back to her ear, Winnie jokingly said, "Did everyone hold onto their potatoes? Hey, it's shaken not stirred, Tiger."
Olivia's voice grumbled over the speaker, "It felt like both."
The three vehicles pulled up outside of The Cartoon Saloon and everyone scrambled to get inside.
Winnie and Manny saw Fiji hesitate at the door and as she seemed to be heading back outside the twins grabbed her and brought her in, Manny closing the doors behind them.
"So much for outrunning the storm," Lemuel commented as he took off the hat and scarf he had used to cover himself, "It's following us."
"No," Fiji said her voice shaking and she seemed rattled, "It's me. It's...It's following me."
"Fij…" Bobo said as he stepped toward her, "There's something you're not saying?"
"If you know why the storm is chasing you, it's time you tell us," Manny pleaded.
"Keeping secrets in a life or death situation is not a good idea," Winnie added.
Fiji took a breath before speaking, "I don't know why Colconnar's after me."
"And I've got prime real-estate on the Moon," Winnie said as she gently took the cat carrier from her brother.
Manny shot his sister a look before stepping around Fiji to look the witch in the eye. "You and I were there, that first time Colconnar showed. He threw me out. Went after you. Grabbed you."
"G—Get out of the way," Fiji stuttered as she tried to walk away.
"He's been talking to you ever since," the psychic stated as he walked next to the witch keeping a hold on her arm so she couldn't leave, "Has he told you something? Why he's after you and no one else?"
"I said I don't know!" the brunette woman yelled, and a light in the ceiling exploded causing her and Creek to let out startled cries.
"Fij!" Olivia spoke sharply, her tone demanding as she asked, "What is going on?"
Manny moved away to give Fiji space and stopped beside his sister, who was still holding the carrier.
The witch looked at the others but didn't respond.
"We're all here to protect you," Bobo said calmly, "You owe us the truth. What…"
He was interrupted as Fiji blurted out, "I'm a virgin!"
Suddenly the whole room was quiet and everyone had their eyes on the dark-skinned woman.
"I'm a virgin witch, a powerful virgin witch, and that is why it wants me," she finally admitted with a quivering voice.
"Well, um…" Manny began, "thanks for being honest. I, uh…" Manny stopped shutting his eyes hard and shaking his head.
Joe tried to smooth over the male psychic's awkwardness, "Yeah. Glad to know the truth."
"I'm not," Lemuel said bluntly.
"What difference does it make?" Creek questioned.
"Virgin witches, especially older ones," the dark-skinned woman explained as she gave a shy glance to Bobo who stood in front of her, "we're rare. Powerful. That thing wants my magic."
"Well, it's not getting anywhere near—" Bobo started as he tried to comfort her.
Fiji stepped back. "No, please don't!" she exclaimed, "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life, so if you don't mind, I'm just gonna need a minute." She picked up a bag that had been left on the stage and then turned to Winnie and reached for the pet carrier, "The cat."
Winnie carefully handed it over and watched as Fiji walked into another room. She bit her lip before turning to the others who had started to move away.
"There's more," the redhead said quietly drawing the others attention, "Last night I heard the herald that spoke to Fiji…"
"Why didn't you tell us," Manny demanded.
"Why didn't Fiji," his sister countered, "Anyway, it said something about Fiji hurting the people she loves," Winnie turned to Bobo, "I don't know why, but I can 'feel' that for some reason she's afraid of hurting you specifically. It may be up to you to help her overcome that fear."
Bobo nodded silently, and everyone started to move around the room and get comfortable.
Winnie went to sit with Manny, both placed their bags on the table and sat as Manny pulled out a journal.
"Give me that," Winnie said as she gently took the book from his hand, "I actually know Romanian." She scooted her chair to sit beside him as she started to read out loud and he wrote down the translations.
"…that probably won't help," Winnie commented as she finished reading about a demon possession, "Once the veils open, Joe says he'll be able to come through in his true form."
They thumb a few pages before she stops, "This passage is talking about lost souls," she explained.
They share a look and Manny nods. "That just might help," he replies and gestures to the book, "Read it to me."
Winnie had just finished telling her brother what was written, when Creek joined them. "No pressure, but do you have any idea how to fix this?" she questioned.
The male twin's shoulders slumped as he answered, "Not a one. I can't fix this."
The waitress took a seat, "Well, I'm gonna choose to believe you can. Don't lose faith."
"It's not faith, it's fact," he stated bitterly, "Fiji is a lot more powerful that I am, and…" he paused as he seemed to realize something.
The brunette woman nodded for him to go on.
"And…And leading sometimes means knowing when to delegate," he finished as he reached for his stuff and got up heading towards the opening Fiji had disappeared into earlier, Winnie hot on his heels, though the female psychic had caught the smile that appeared on the waitress' lips.
They found the witch pouring over a collection of open books and other things covering one of the pool tables.
"These are some curses my ancestors used. To punish the wicked. To vanquish demons," Manny started explaining as he laid down the journal, "Here, I, uh, translated what I could."
"And then I read the rest to him," Winnie informed the other woman.
The witch leaned over to read the notes Manny had taken. "This is very dark magic," commented Fiji.
"Meaning dangerous as hell," he concurred, and received a nod from both women, "Then again, so is Colconnar."
The brunette woman's eyes looked from the man to his twin, who gave a small shrug. "Don't have much to lose that isn't already in danger," the redhead said.
With pursed lips Fiji walked around and opened a cylindrical traveling case. "Gypsy dark magic…meet witchcraft dark magic." she voiced while pulling out a leather bound book that she placed next to the journal.
A while later the three exited the back room. Everyone's attention was suddenly on the psychics and witch.
Joe was the first to speak, "We were getting worried."
"Might still want to be worried," Manny stated.
Then Fiji explained, "We combined a curse, with an ancient witches' spell to get answers."
"Problem is," the psychic continued, "it's, um…it's black magic. Meaning, it needs a sacrifice."
Winnie's eyes fell to the floor, as she dreaded what would be said next.
"Okay," Olivia says with reluctant acceptance, "An eye? Finger?"
"A life," Fiji answers, voice choked with emotion, "Answers given in exchange for a life."
"So that's a no," Creek says succinctly.
Winnie looks up at the waitress and her lips quirk at the girl's words, but then her eyes widen as the weretiger sitting beside Creek rose.
"Take me," were the words that came out of Emilio's mouth, and Winnie felt like someone hit her in the chest.
"What?" the gypsy woman asked breathlessly, her hand automatically moving to clutch the stone pendant around her neck and her fingers trembled.
Lemuel stood from the bar. "Don't be ridiculous Emilio."
"I'm not," the black clad man replied, "I've taken many lives…"
"We all have," Olivia disputed his statement.
"…but saving Midnight can be my way of making amends."
"Everybody, just shut up," a familiar voice said from the stage, where Mr. Snuggly was front and center, "Take me. I'm sick of this life."
"Is that cat talking?" Olivia asked, tone incredulous as she pointed her finger accusingly.
"He is."
"Yep."
Bobo and Winnie said simultaneously.
Olivia's head swiveled from the pawn shop owner to the redhead. Everyone else was glancing around to see how the others were taking the sudden revelation.
"I'm really old. My bones ache. I've spent the last seven years without her. I want to see Mildred," the cat stated his reasons to the silent room.
"You've been by my side for so long—" Fiji said and was cut off by the cat.
"But I never liked you."
Fiji nodded and tried to keep from showing how the statement affected her. "I know."
"Don't be an asshole," Winnie quietly reprimanded, before picking the animal up to cradle him close and scratch his head. "Besides," she says looking at the others, "The best case scenario is that it doesn't work, because the worst scenario is that it does. The sacrifice is a part of the gypsy curse. Gypsy black magic always calls for a personal sacrifice from the gypsy casting it. Combined with witches' magic…we don't know what will happen."
"We have to try," Manny reminded her.
She heaved a sigh and nodded. Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone approaching and looked to see Emilio stop at her side. The gypsy woman shook her head at the dark-haired man, before turning to help the other two magic users.
"Winnie…" he said as he watched her walk away.
Mr. Snuggly's head popped up over the psychic's shoulder, "I'd be quiet if I were you, Rev. You're already in a heap o' trouble. Telling a room full of friends that you don't care whether you live or die, when each of 'em would go through hell for you. Hm."
With those final words both gypsy and cat disappeared around the corner into the back room again.
It took a while to set everything up, and they all stood gathered around a circle as Fiji used her magic to cast the spell; Mr. Snuggly sat inside the circle watching just as expectantly as the others.
Several of the group winced in sympathy when the athame sliced through the skin of Fiji's palm and everyone pretended not to hear her words as she whispered to the cat.
"Give Aunt Mildred a kiss for me," then with her head back, eyes closed and palms open, Fiji began, "We offer this life for an answer."
There was a beat before the witch took in a deep gasping breath, but as she exhaled a large black cloud rushed out of her open mouth.
The black miasma flowed into the circle where it spun and whirled like a small tornado.
"Hey, why am I not dead?" the feline questioned as the darkness writhed around him.
Winnie's eyes widened as a vision flashed through her mind, causing her to quickly turn and throw her arms around her brother, Manny's arms curling around her reflexively as he looked down into her green eyes.
The male psychic turned blue like a corpse as he fell to the ground.
What the redhead hadn't known was that the same thing would happen to her. As Manny slumped in Winnie's arms, the seer felt her own strength leave her. Numbing cold flashed through their bodies and breath caught in their lungs.
"Manfred," Creek called.
Bobo's voice sounded as concerned as the waitress' as he called, "Winifred?"
The twins fell to the floor in a tangle, lifeless.
Opening their eyes, the siblings found themselves standing on the street in Midnight; but everything was bathed in cool light, leaving them in a blue monochrome world.
The sound of a bell ringing drew their attention to the church where a figure stood. An older man dressed in furs was watching them, his body covered in scars and tattoos.
Manny was the first to speak as he realized who the figure was, "You're the shaman. Cato—"
The man spoke up, "Catori. Any you are?"
"Manfred," the brother said as the sister answered, "Winifred."
"So this is…this is death?" the brunette twin asked quietly.
The shaman nodded before confirming, "This is death."
With a slightly surprised huff Manny replied, "I like it here. It's peaceful. A lot more peaceful than Midnight is at the moment."
"That's for sure," Winnie said quietly and with a small grin.
"Is Xylda around?"
"Don't you have a question for me?" the other man asked abruptly.
"Yeah. Sorry," the psychic replied trying to focus past the calm feeling that had enveloped them and on the reason they were there, "How do I close the veil?"
Winnie squeezed her brother's hand, only then did she realize they had been clasped together the whole time.
Suddenly the shaman was standing in front of them, and he leaned over to whisper in their ears. The words were spoken in a foreign language, one they didn't know but could strangely understand.
When he was done speaking the shaman pulled back and nodded in finality.
"Thank you," the redhead said with a smile before looking over at her brother, "We should go back now."
"How?" he asked her.
"Together," Catori said in a tone that implied he was teasing, "You came here looking for an answer. You have found it, it is time for you to leave."
Manny's brow furrowed as he looked to his sister, "Why did it take us both?"
"I can see that you two share a strong bond, one that transcends death. It can be a great help and a terrible burden," Catori informed them, "Now go and save your home."
With a weightless feeling they fell into darkness and awoke in their bodies, gasping in precious air as their hearts pounded in their chests.
Creek let out a surprised cry as she scrambled off of Manny's chest. Winnie shook as the numbness in her limbs left as quickly as it had come, and she felt the arms that had been around her tighten as she was cradled against someone's chest.
Turning to the person holding her, the redhead found familiar brown eyes, eyes that were flooded with relief and a lingering hind of grief.
"Hey, Tiger," Winnie said quietly through gasping breaths as she reached for Emilio's face.
The weretiger huffed out a stilted breath that was caught somewhere between happiness and surprise. A tear finally fell from dark eyes as a thumb brushed over his cheek and was quickly swept away by warm fingers, which only a moment ago had been ice cold.
"Hey! Your heart was stopped," Bobo said as he came closer.
"What the hell?" Olivia questioned breathily in shock.
"Fiji's spell," the brunette told them, "It worked."
The groups eyes widened in surprise.
"You got answers?" Joe asked.
"Yeah," Manny said as he looked at Creek, who smiled softly back, "I met the shaman. Where's Fiji?" he asked as he continued to look around the group.
The whole group seemed to turn at the same time but the witch was no longer in there. Bobo was the first to scramble for the door.
"Fiji!" he yelled as he burst through the exterior doors and into the storm outside, and the others followed.
Manny stopped as he passed Bobo. "She's going to him," he said eyes gazing into the darkness and toward Midnight.