Pictish?”
“No.”
He took the book back and paraphrased what he found. “There is a parasite that attaches to those that dwell in the dark. It hides in the mind and changes behavior. Eventually, this flitch will take over the host.”
“Mia is going to walk the suppressed memories of a dark world entity? You have to stop her!” Bev got to her feet and pulled on Gerald’s arm. “She’s pregnant. She shouldn’t be near a dark world denizen!”
“Calm down, Beverly, Mia’s not going to be dealing with a dark world denizen. She’s going to be walking Burt Hicks’s mind.”
“How the hell did he get a flitch?” She stopped talking and tapped the side of her head thinking. “The hollow. That Steele, he could have had a flitch or a dozen attached to his rotten soul.”
“You and I are of one mind.”
“How does Mia know about flitches?”
“She doesn’t. I think she thinks she’ll find a demon.”
“She could, a small one. Maybe, what’s-his-name or you-know-who. If she does, Father Santos will have to be involved, and he’ll insist on Angelo.”
“As it should be, and I told her that. But I also gave her information on how to deal with a flitch or a demon. She now owes me three favors.”
“You son-of-a-bitch, this is the business you talked about.”
“I’m going to trade all three favors in for…”
“Yes?” Bev asked.
“I’ll save them. I haven’t decided.”
“You can’t take her firstborn.”
“I’m not fucking Rumpelstiltskin! Beverly, how could you… Oh, you’re teasing me.”
Bev laughed. She was pleased that she finally got the best of Gerald Shem. “I hope she doesn’t get bogged down. I don’t want her to miss my holiday party.”
“You asked a seven months pregnant woman to fly to a mountain resort in December for a party?”
“Yes, and she said no.”
“But you just said you didn’t want her to miss your party.”
“That is worth three favors, I think,” Bev said with confidence.
“You want me to squander my three favors that Mia owes me for a damn party?” he shouted. “Are you trying to bankrupt me?”
He turned his back to her and walked off smiling. He’d already asked, and Mia had agreed.
Beverly lay back and sighed. “It’s good being me.”
~
Mia shared what Gerald had told her. Ted was upset at first that she didn’t include him in on the phone call, but when Mia handed over her smart phone and showed him that she recorded the conversation, his anger abated. She pressed play.
Ted listened intently, surprised by the information Gerald was sharing. He knew that the good result they had combating Cezar Gabor had a lot to do with Gerald’s ability. To hear him give Mia his treasured secrets was disconcerting. There had to be a price, and it would be a big one. When the deal was struck, Ted let out the breath he had been holding. He reached down and turned the recording off.
“I thought you didn’t want to go to the party.”
“Three favors, the guy could have asked for our firstborn,” Mia confided. “I thought I was getting off easy.”
“I think you did. Gerald Shem is showing signs of compassion. Your aunt’s doing perhaps?”
“No, Sabine’s. My aunt likes Gerald to wear a shark suit. He’s a dangerous man, Ted, but fortunately, he’s always been on our side.”
“Are you still determined to take this on tonight?”
“I’d like to clear it from our slate. Having a friend dealing with this kind of mental torment isn’t going to let me sleep well at night. And you know how I love a good night’s rest.”
Ted smiled at Mia’s evasion of the real reason. She felt guilty.
“Can you give me ten minutes to get organized? I think we should do this where Murphy can be part of it.”
“Why?”
“I’d feel better,” Ted said. “Cid’s not here and…”
“I’ll call Murphy,” Mia said, putting on her coat. “Maggie!
“No.”
He took the book back and paraphrased what he found. “There is a parasite that attaches to those that dwell in the dark. It hides in the mind and changes behavior. Eventually, this flitch will take over the host.”
“Mia is going to walk the suppressed memories of a dark world entity? You have to stop her!” Bev got to her feet and pulled on Gerald’s arm. “She’s pregnant. She shouldn’t be near a dark world denizen!”
“Calm down, Beverly, Mia’s not going to be dealing with a dark world denizen. She’s going to be walking Burt Hicks’s mind.”
“How the hell did he get a flitch?” She stopped talking and tapped the side of her head thinking. “The hollow. That Steele, he could have had a flitch or a dozen attached to his rotten soul.”
“You and I are of one mind.”
“How does Mia know about flitches?”
“She doesn’t. I think she thinks she’ll find a demon.”
“She could, a small one. Maybe, what’s-his-name or you-know-who. If she does, Father Santos will have to be involved, and he’ll insist on Angelo.”
“As it should be, and I told her that. But I also gave her information on how to deal with a flitch or a demon. She now owes me three favors.”
“You son-of-a-bitch, this is the business you talked about.”
“I’m going to trade all three favors in for…”
“Yes?” Bev asked.
“I’ll save them. I haven’t decided.”
“You can’t take her firstborn.”
“I’m not fucking Rumpelstiltskin! Beverly, how could you… Oh, you’re teasing me.”
Bev laughed. She was pleased that she finally got the best of Gerald Shem. “I hope she doesn’t get bogged down. I don’t want her to miss my holiday party.”
“You asked a seven months pregnant woman to fly to a mountain resort in December for a party?”
“Yes, and she said no.”
“But you just said you didn’t want her to miss your party.”
“That is worth three favors, I think,” Bev said with confidence.
“You want me to squander my three favors that Mia owes me for a damn party?” he shouted. “Are you trying to bankrupt me?”
He turned his back to her and walked off smiling. He’d already asked, and Mia had agreed.
Beverly lay back and sighed. “It’s good being me.”
~
Mia shared what Gerald had told her. Ted was upset at first that she didn’t include him in on the phone call, but when Mia handed over her smart phone and showed him that she recorded the conversation, his anger abated. She pressed play.
Ted listened intently, surprised by the information Gerald was sharing. He knew that the good result they had combating Cezar Gabor had a lot to do with Gerald’s ability. To hear him give Mia his treasured secrets was disconcerting. There had to be a price, and it would be a big one. When the deal was struck, Ted let out the breath he had been holding. He reached down and turned the recording off.
“I thought you didn’t want to go to the party.”
“Three favors, the guy could have asked for our firstborn,” Mia confided. “I thought I was getting off easy.”
“I think you did. Gerald Shem is showing signs of compassion. Your aunt’s doing perhaps?”
“No, Sabine’s. My aunt likes Gerald to wear a shark suit. He’s a dangerous man, Ted, but fortunately, he’s always been on our side.”
“Are you still determined to take this on tonight?”
“I’d like to clear it from our slate. Having a friend dealing with this kind of mental torment isn’t going to let me sleep well at night. And you know how I love a good night’s rest.”
Ted smiled at Mia’s evasion of the real reason. She felt guilty.
“Can you give me ten minutes to get organized? I think we should do this where Murphy can be part of it.”
“Why?”
“I’d feel better,” Ted said. “Cid’s not here and…”
“I’ll call Murphy,” Mia said, putting on her coat. “Maggie!
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