S4: Chapter 07: Witch’s Brew

I woke up to the sound of the television playing rather loudly in the den. I walked down the hall and saw Drake and Sarah watching the news.

“Are you guys deaf or something? What’s with the volume?” I asked walking into the room.

Drake jumped up and ran to me. “Are you ok? How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. My head is pounding from the noise, but I’m fine.”

“Sorry about that sweetheart,” Drake said giving me a good morning kiss. “I was so worried about you. Last night was scary. I’ve never seen that happen before.”

“Yeah it was very scary. I thought for sure whatever that hold was would consume me, like Teresa’s vision. Have you looked into that object at all?”

“Honestly after feeling the surge of electricity it shot through me, I didn’t touch it. It’s still sitting on the living room floor. Maggie is right though, it’s a witch’s object, more accurately a warlock. You said something about it being the same dream you’d been having the past few nights?”

“Yeah; it was a vision of sorts. It’s like I’m watching us in the future, but I’m never really able to see much. I did see you and Maggie. You didn’t look the same. I recognized that it was you, but your appearance had changed. There was a lot of blood everywhere, fires, fear…everything was in a state of panic.”

He came closer and kissed my forehead. “It’s going to be ok, hon. We’ll figure out what’s going on.” He wrapped his arms around me. “If you want we can contact Teresa and see if she can give us anything on your vision. You haven’t had any of these in a while. It kind of scares me, especially with them being as vivid as they are.”

I stayed cradled in his arms for a while. I loved feeling his muscles taut against me. It was always so comforting.

“So what are you watching?” I asked taking a seat on the couch and snuggling back into Drake.

“The news. There have been a lot of weird things going on lately. Lots of magical weirdness, I should say,” Sarah began. “The news was talking about how it’s not safe to go outside until police can properly investigate the cause of the disturbance.”

“What kind of ‘magical weirdness’?”

“Floating objects, things suddenly appearing out of nowhere, nothing really scary or dangerous though; if you ask me, it’s just someone trying to get some attention,” she said.

“Hmm…I bet I can find them!” I said taking a seat on the floor. I started a Zen hum like Teresa had shown me. I got myself in a state of Nirvana, completely clearing my head until I was able to focus on the source of the “magical weirdness”.

“It’s the Volatiles,” I said coming down from my trance. “They are missing something; something of great importance to their magic.”

“That sounds familiar!” Sarah said. “Those girls need to LoJack everything they own!”

“They’re close; in town. I don’t know where though.”

“Get dressed Zoe, we have to get to them and figure out what’s happening,” Drake said.

“Are you serious? I’d rather not get involved with them again.”

“Well we need to find them before they completely tear up this city again to find it!” Drake said. “I’ll wait for you outside.” He started heading for the door. He opened it and to his surprise, Violet was standing there about to knock.

“Drake! Pleasure seeing you again! Is Zoe in? May I speak with her?”

Drake led Violet to the den.

“Zoe, I’ll skip the pleasantries and get right down to it. Vincent has taken something from my sisters and I and we want it back, now.”

“Why is it that whenever something comes up missing you come to me for it? I didn’t help him take whatever it is that’s gone now, nor did I help Cordelia steal your scepter before!”

“I know dear, but he took it because of you, so it’s you who will help us get him to give it back. She walked closer to me, her body slightly brushed against mine as she whispered, “Tell him to return what he took or he’ll feel the sting worse than before.” And with that, she turned and left through the front door.

“And now you see why I don’t want to have anything to do with them!” I said looking at Drake.

“I’ll get over to Vincent’s now and give him the great news,” Drake said starting for the door again.

“No, I’ll do it,” I said.

He walked over to me. “You sure?”

“I’ll be fine. Besides I get to drive your car,” I smiled. “I won’t be long,” I said giving Drake a quick peck on the lips.

“Be careful!” he said.

“Do you mean the car or Vincent?”

“Both!”

I drove to Vincent’s place and parked out at the front gate. I walked to the keypad and punched in “8764” and walked to the door.

I knocked and waited for Vincent to answer. Is he even home? I thought to myself.

I waited for what seemed like forever, guess not. As I was turning to leave, I heard the door swing open, “Zo! What a nice surprise. Wait a minute don’t say anything, let me guess: Drake’s in trouble and you need me to bail him out? Oh no not this time, this time you need me to stash a body somewhere to help out a friend? Or are you looking for someone to bash some heads in for some information?”

“What? No. Why would you ask that?”

“Because I’ve been calling you for weeks and you’ve been ignoring me! And you only seem to call or stop by when you need me for something. So what is it today?”

“Well this wasn’t about me it was about you, but you know what? You’re right! I’m sorry I shouldn’t have come. You made the mess, you clean it up.”

I turned to walk back down his drive.

“Wait! Zo, I’m sorry, please. Don’t leave.” He sighed. “I can be a jerk, I’m sorry. Come in, please.” He stepped away from the door to let me inside. “Do you want anything? Plasma juice, fruit?” he smiled.

“No, I’m fine, thank you.” He led me towards the living room and I took a seat on the couch.

“How’ve you been?” he asked sitting next to me. “I tried calling you to tell you how sorry I was about the whole Succubus thing. I could see myself hitting you and throwing you into that wall, but I couldn’t stop myself. I hope you forgive me for that.”

“Of course I do, Vincent. I know what happened was because of the hold she had on you,” I said.

“Good,” he said smiling. “So how have things been?”

“Vincent are you seriously making small talk?” I giggled.

“I don’t know. Like I said I haven’t actually talked to you in weeks; ever since the whole Psimcasso fiasco, call it curiosity, but I really am wondering how you are,” he looked at me.

“Is that the shirt I gave you for Christmas?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed.

“I thought you said it was too tight.”

“Well as much as I wear it, I guess it just stretched to fit me,” he smiled. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’m sorry and I’m fine Vincent; I’ve just been really busy with all the craziness lately. It’s like there was some mystical portal opened or something and now every ghost, mummy or witch has been sent into overdrive. I’m sorry I haven’t answered your calls.”

“So are you saying you haven’t been staying away from me?”

I sighed. “Maybe I have a little.”

“I knew it. Why? What did I do?” he asked.

“You and I just needed a little space to prevent any complications about our relationship.”

“Our relationship?” he smiled. “You know ignoring me isn’t going to make those feelings go away.”

“How’s Sarah?” I asked redirecting the conversation.

“Sarah?”

“I can smell her on you,” I said realizing finally why she had been so secretive about her male friend.

“Sarah is fine, but she’s not you.”

I looked at him, “If you hurt her Vincent…”

“Sarah is a consenting adult. I’ve done nothing to hurt her. She knows what’s she in for when she comes knocking on my door and she is more than welcome to stop anytime she wants. I’ve made it perfectly clear to her I neither want nor need anything from her.”

“So you are just using her?”

“As she uses me,” he replied. “You know, I’ve already heard this speech from Drake, I don’t need it from you too, especially you.”

“Drake?” I sat back on the couch. Wow. I wonder how long he’s known about this.

“At least a month. He sort of walked in on us,” he smirked. “Did you purposely allow me to hear that thought?”

“No, I just forget to turn it off sometimes. But it’s ok for you to hear every now and then I guess. I don’t think you’d do anything to hurt me, right?”

“Of course not, Zo,” he said trying to place his arm around me.

“No!” I said scooting away.

He smiled to oblige me. “What did you need?” he asked.

“I got a visit from Violet today, you remember her right? One of the Volatile sisters; she said she had a message for you. I was actually a little shocked she knew where to find me, but then again she came to my apartment once without knowing then as well. Anyway, she told me to tell you that if you don’t return to them what you took, you’ll ‘feel the sting worse than before’. Now I don’t know what that means, so I hope you do.”

“Oh Zo, no, did she touch you?”

“Touch me?”

“When she said the part about the sting, did she touch you?”

“I don’t know I wasn’t really paying much attention, I think she may have brushed against me. I wouldn’t call it a touch though. Why?”

“Where was it?”

“Vincent I don’t know. I didn’t really think about it.”

“THINK! Try and remember,” he said, his voice sounding panicked.

I sighed. “Maybe my back? Or my side? I honestly can’t remember.”

“Take your clothes off,” he said. He had a serious look on his face and I couldn’t tell if he was concerned or if this was some sort of ploy.

I gave him an incredulous look. “I don’t think so Vincent,” I stood to leave.

“Zo, do it or I’ll do it for you,” he said walking up behind me.

So many thoughts were running through my mind; he sounded really worried, unlike I’ve ever heard him before.

“Vincent what’s this all about?”

“Don’t think this has anything to do with how I feel about you. I just need to check something. Trust me, please.”

“What are you checking and why does it require me being naked in front of you?”

“Zo, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before, remember France? Now please…”

I sighed and began removing my clothes one article at a time until I was standing in front of him in my bra and panties.

“Turn around,” he said inspecting my body as I spun. “Oh no, NO!”

“What? What is it Vincent?”

“You’ve been marked,” he replied the seriousness even deeper in his voice.

“What does that mean? Marked? Marked for what?”

“Zo I’m sorry. Damn it! I’m so sorry. I can fix this, I promise. You’ll be fine.” He walked towards a chest. “You can put your clothes on.”

“Will you tell me what the hell is going on? What am I marked with, Vincent? What did you take from the Volatiles?”

“This,” he said brandishing a skull and human hands.

“What is that? Vincent why do you have someone’s bones? What is going on?” I asked joining him at the table.

“These are the bones of the Volatiles’ Magic Mother.”

“Magic Mother?” I asked.

“Their Matron, the founder of their family’s magic. These bones are pretty much their source of power; it’s what they call their energy from when casting spells or invoking spirits.”

“Why do you have them? And why did they come after me if they knew you had them?”

“Because they don’t want to kill me when they know they can hurt me worse, Zo.”

“So wait what you’re telling me is that I’m dying now? Again? Why the hell did you take these from them Vincent?”

“I needed leverage, Zo. Otherwise they wouldn’t have helped me.”

“Help you with what? What aren’t you telling me?”

“It doesn’t matter. It didn’t work anyway. I need to find Violet. She didn’t by chance tell you where she’d be staying did she?”

“No, she forgot to add that little tidbit while she was marking me for death! Or maybe I should have been more forward with my questions!” I yelled at him. “What the hell did you do?”

“We can get you cured. I just have to find them. Maybe you can try scrying?”

I threw my hands up. “Fine! Let’s get this over with; I’d really like to NOT die…again.”

Vincent went and grabbed a map and candle for me.

“State, city, street and town,

Search these areas until lost is found,

3 by 3, 3 witches they be, birth and kin

Dark magics their sin, Rose, Ivy and Violet Christensen.”

The marker stopped on a hotel in the middle of downtown. “Snazzy,” I said.

“Let’s get over there,” Vincent said.

We walked out to the driveway, Vincent looked over and saw Drake’s car parked in front of his yard. “You’re driving that now?”

“Yes. It took some persuading but he finally relented.”

“First his home, now his car? I wonder what’s next.” I could tell he was sad. The sound of his voice confirmed that. I didn’t know what to do about the air between us. But there was no time to deal with it now.

I hopped into the driver’s seat and waited for Vincent to join me. He hesitated at first, but finally opened the door and climbed in. I drove to the Ritz-Simarlton hotel which was where the crystal pointed us to.

We started down the hallway of the complex checking room by room.

“So I’ve been wanting to talk to you Zo.”

“Oh yeah? About what?”

“I think you know,” he said stopping near the elevator and leaning towards me.

I looked at him. “Oh come on Zo. You can’t pretend as if that kiss meant nothing to you. And can you seriously say you haven’t thought about kissing me again or possibly more?”

“Vincent I don’t want to get into this with you, especially now.”

“Then when? This is the first time we’ve been alone together since the day I got back. I know you’ve been avoiding me. I just wish I knew why. I know you felt the same passion as I did in that kiss. I could tell. You kissed me back! Hell at one point you were guiding me with your tongue!”

“What do you want from me? What do you want me to say, Vincent?”

“I want you to admit your feelings for me, just once be honest with yourself. Say the words, Zo.”

“There are no words to say, Vincent, except we need to find the Sisters before whatever deal you made puts me in an early grave.”

“I can’t do this; I can’t fake it like you. What do I have to do? Are you going to just deny yourself your feelings forever? Deny me the chance to show you how I truly feel?”

“Why did you push those images into Drake’s mind when he got back that day?” I asked bluntly.

“Oh…is that what this is about? Drake’s little feelings got hurt because he saw you kissing me?”

I turned away from him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to mock you.”

“Yes you did Vincent. You mean everything you do. I haven’t known you to ever lie to me, but that’s not always a good thing.” I started back down the hallway still trying to sniff out the Volatiles and left him standing at the elevator.

He rushed by my side and continued searching for the Volatiles with me. We finally came upon the last room on the 7^th floor. “Shh,” Vincent said pressing his ear closer to the door. “Yeah, they’re inside. How do you want to…?”

I knocked on the door, Vincent gave me a look as if to say “great plan”, and we waited for one of the witches to open.

It was Rose standing in the open doorway when they’d finally decided to answer. “Well looky here,” she said, her lip curling over her teeth in an evil grin. “Girls, the vampires are here.”

“Well then, Rose, let’s not leave them standing in the hallway all day, invite them inside,” Violet called to her.

“Please, enter, vampires,” Rose said backing away from the door.

I stepped in first and walked into the living room where Violet and Ivy were seated, Vincent wasn’t too far behind me.

“Have you what you took from us?” Violet asked without wasting time.

“Yeah I have it. But first wipe that mark off of Zo.”

“I don’t think so Vincent. We helped you once before with that Romanian minx you called a lover, we really were subjective to getting involved with you once again, and now we know better. You play by our rules now or you can watch your witch perish before your eyes. And trust me Vincent; it’s not going to be quick and easy. Not that mark, Rose made it special just for her. It’ll be slow and painful; she’ll feel her insides rot out, every muscle in her body weaken and every bone in her body turn to dust. Hand over the bones or see her die!” she sneered.

Vincent stood his ground. I turned to him, “Give her the damn box, Vincent!”

He reluctantly tossed the box of bones at her feet. “Now take off the mark!”

“Of course, a deal’s a deal. Too bad your little love spell never made it to fruition. I’m sure the two of you would have made a lovely couple.” Ivy, Violet and Rose joined in a circle and began chanting.

“Love spell?” I asked turning to face Vincent.

He looked at his feet avoiding my stare.

“It’s done,” Ivy said backing away from the group. “Now get out. If we see you again Vincent, it won’t be a fun time for you.”

We exited the room and I practically stomped a hole in the floor making my way to the elevator, I pushed the button and waited.

“A love spell? Is that why we…”

“No, it didn’t work, Zo. The kiss between us was real.”

I gave him a look of disbelief.

“Sorry to disappoint you. But you know how I feel about you and you know deep down you feel the same. I only asked the Sisters for a little nudge; something that would help awaken those emotions you have and make you own up to them.”

“You of all people know how I feel about these kinds of spells Vincent! How did you feel being loves’ bitch? Do you not remember Hajar? Do you not remember how weak you felt and how vulnerable knowing you weren’t in control of your own actions?”

“Thanks to you Zo, I’m always loves’ bitch! I haven’t been in control of my actions since I realized how you felt about me.”

“Oh wow, is this the reason you came back to Bridgeport? To see if some mystical mojo had worked its way through me?”

“I wasn’t trying to turn you into some drooling love puppy! I only wanted to get you to admit your feelings. I came back because I missed you. I told you that you were all I could think about for 8 months Zo and it’s true. I reached my breaking point, ok? I went to the Volatiles and I asked for their help, they refused. So I dug up their mothers’ bones and threatened them with them. I just wanted them to tell me your hearts inner desires and your feelings for me. It was never a love spell; just a revealing spell!”

“I don’t want to hear anymore. I can’t believe you would do something like this. Whatever feelings I have for you, whatever trust I had in you, it’s gone. How could you manipulate me like this? I thought we were friends!”

“We are friends Zo,” he said. “Please don’t do this. Let me explain, I can make you understand.”

“No, no we aren’t Vincent. Friends don’t take advantage of each other like this.” I ripped the bracelet he’d given me from my wrist and threw it at him. “Drake was right and I should have listened. If you thought I was ignoring you before, you haven’t seen anything yet!” I entered the elevator and left him standing in the hallway.

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