MIDNIGHT MAGIC - ch 20

MIDNIGHT MAGIC – ch 20

Julie

(*)(*)(*)

Midnight paced inches away from the feet of both men. While there was still an empty chair between them, Midnight took advantage of that space. She’d pace at the feet of Monty and loudly hiss as she bared her fangs, completely unnerving him. As she passed the empty chair, she’d walk slowly on her hind legs with her front paws raised and her claws extended. Then, approaching Tony’s chair, she’d repeat her pacing and hissing as she did with Monty.

Tony couldn’t move his legs, but he thought, “If only I could move, I’d kick that cat into oblivion.”

Midnight hissed louder and Mia declared, “Tony, I’d be very careful of what you think. My cat and I can read minds and while my aunt is holding back her temper, don’t tempt me because I just might not. Which means that I will give my cat the ok to rip your legs apart.”

If anyone thought they saw hatred in Tony’s eyes before, what they saw now was much worse. No one doubted that if he could move, they would all face profound consequences.

Mia turned to Midnight and though she didn’t raise her voice, said so only her cat could hear, “Draiocht an mhean oiche, Ca bhfuair tu e sin?” (Midnight Magic, where did you learn that)

Her familiar meowed, “Nior fhoghlaim me e. Rinne me e. Thainig se go nadurtha dom.” (Didn’t learn it. Just did it. It just came naturally to me.)

“Coinnigh suas e, mo ghra.” (Keep it up, my love.)

When all this was over, she’d tell Midnight how proud she was of her.

Finola turned her attention back to Monty. “Are the women well? Are they being well care for?”

“Yeah, they’re ok, I guess. I never see them. Not allowed.”

“What do mean you’re not allowed?”

“They’re the property of the Moretti’s and only certain intimate friends are allowed to visit there.”

Julie’s grip on Mickey’s arm tightened. Mia walked over to her, placed her hands on her friend’s shoulders and quietly mumbled,

“A quick spell to bring inner peace.

Your nerves once rattled are now at ease.

A fearless countenance for all to see.

This I wish you. So, mote it be.”

Julie immediately relaxed, looked into her friend’s eyes, and mouthed, “Thank you.”

They heard Finola ask, “When you say, ‘intimate friends,’ what do you mean?”

“The kind you’d share your biggest secret with.”

While the witch’s face stayed impassive, her body became as rigid as an oak tree. The fingers on her hands opened and stiffened. She wanted to lash out but knew everyone needed to hear what Tony had been doing. So, she continued.

“Are you telling me that the Moretti’s “shared” these women with each other?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. I don’t know firsthand, as I said, I wasn’t allowed inside.”

“Didn’t these women object?”

“Can’t object much when you’ve been given a tranquilizer and no, that wasn’t my job. I only had to make the trip to the doctor they kept on the payroll to pick up the drug. Then, I’d hand it over to Tony.”

Midnight loudly hissed and moved a bit closer to Monty’s ankle. Finola softly nudged her away with the side of her shoe. Midnight wasn’t happy.

“Monty, while you had a feeling of what was going on inside that house, did it ever occur to you to try and stop it?”

“Stop it? Hell no! I wanted to be invited inside. After all I’d done for them, it would have been the least they could do. After all, talk about a female smorgasbord!”

“Hmm. Okay then. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

“Midnight, one large welt but no blood. And not on his shin or ankle. On the upper inner part of his thigh.”

Midnight jumped on Monty’s legs and carefully dug her claw in the leg of his pants to expose a patch of skin. “No blood, Auntie?”

“Remember, Midnight. Harm none!”

“Darn, why did I have to get involved with white witches?” she meowed in frustration.

Keeping with the promise she made when she joined the Diehl family, Midnight carefully extended one claw and not-ever-so-gently, and going along with Finola’s orders, drew it across the inner thigh of Monty’s right leg. There was no blood but a welt about six inches long beginning to form.

Monty tried to squirm but found movement impossible.

“Monty, the silence spell is in effect. You won’t speak but you will listen. This is part one of how your life will be the second you leave my home.”

She placed her left palm on his shoulder and said,

“The line on your thigh will cause you to twitch.

Whatever you do, it will forever itch.

This is a gift to you from me.

So, I wish it, so mote it be.”

He looked down at his leg and watched as the welt grew and reddened, and yet, he felt no discomfort.

She stepped back and chuckled when she saw his confusion. She took a slow sip of her Hennessey, more to bide time than any other reason. She wanted his mind to imagine the worst; she wasn’t disappointed, but he still had no idea what was about to happen.

“No, Monty. You won’t feel any itch in my home, but you will as soon as you leave. Now, for the final part of your forever life.”

She, once again, placed her left palm on his shoulder and said, :

“By your own admission, you’ve caused suffering and pain.

You watched the will of others drain.

You felt like a conqueror; but that will be no more.

A different future for you is in store.

You’ll look at women with indifferent taste

As your legs quicken, you’ll retreat in haste.

No longer will women appeal to you, then.

You’ll find your interest completely in men.

Your new life now will be for all to see.

This I command; So, mote it be!”

While his eyes gazed around the room, at the men, everyone else laughed aloud.

Mia said, “Oh Aintin, to be a fly on the wall when he gets back to New York and tries to explain his, uh, “new interests.”

If cats could laugh, Midnight surely did the best imitation as she asked, “Now? Aintin?”