MIDNIGHT MAGIC - ch 23

MIDNIGHT MAGIC – ch 23

Julie

(*)(*)(*)

Everyone in the room was thoroughly disgusted by Tony and his attitude. Mia shot a glance at her friend and noticed that Julie no longer looked pale or sick. She now looked defiant.

“Aintin,” Julie said quietly but with complete confidence. “Please read my mind.” Although she hadn’t been in Mia’s family long, she’d already gotten used to their powers. She wasn’t frightened by them; she was intrigued.

Finola smiled and Mia, after realizing her friend’s intention, tried but failed to stifle her laugher. “I believe you’ve earned it, mo stor.”

Julie stood and with deliberation in her steps, walked the few feet to where Tony sat, still quiet, still immobilized.

“How many women, Tony? How many women has your family taken?”

“Twelve, but four managed, somehow to get away. They’ll be easily replaced.”

“So, I would have been the ninth?”

“Yeah, but you should have been lucky thirteen!”

“Tony,” she began, “I once thought I loved you. You had me so convinced that the world turned only because you were in it. Now I know better. Now, I know you’re lower than pond scum.”

She raised her hand high, then with every ounce of her being, in a swooping motion, came down and slapped him hard enough to jolt his head.

“That’s for woman number one!”

A dark, red handprint was now visible on his cheek.

She raised her other hand and did the same thing to his other check. “That’s for woman number two!”

She continued the blows until she reached number twelve. Tony’s face was swollen and red and while he couldn’t cry out, she saw the pain etched on his face. But she wasn’t done.

Julie took a half step back. She shook her hands in front of her waist. “Wow, my hands sting a bit, but you know?” Her smile was filled with mischief. “Seeing you like this makes it all worth it.” She placed a finger on her chin and said, “Hmm, twelve for twelve. But I’m not quite batting a thousand, am I, Tony? Oh, I know,” she said wickedly. “I almost forgot about lucky thirteen.”

Just like with Cormac, she fisted her hands together and with a wild swinging motion, spun and hit is nose. While she watched his nose bleed and his cheeks begin to turn purple, she stepped back and looked. Then bent over so she was almost eye-to-eye with him. “Hey, Tony, I think your nose is kind of crooked. I think I broke it. Nah! I didn’t break it; I smashed it! You’ll never have girls swooning over your good looks again.”

She quickly turned and with worry in her eyes, asked, “Aintin, did I break any vows?” Julie knew that while she wasn’t a witch, a witch gave her permission to do what she did. Although she enjoyed hurting him as he had hurt her and others, she now was concerned that what she did might have caused Finola to break her vows.

This time, Finola laughed and wrapped her arms around Julie. “No harm done, my stor. This wasn’t harm, this was retribution. And that, mo ghra is totally allowed.”

When she reached Mickey, she turned and said one last thing. “Oh, Tony, I don’t think you met my husband, Michael Diehl.”

Try as he might, with fury in his swollen eyes, Tony still couldn’t move. He tried to scream. Again, nothing.

Midnight pranced at his feet, feeling smug that Julie finally had some kind of revenge while Mickey looked at Julie, and wondered if what she said was to show Tony she was better off without him, or her desire to make their hand-fasting legal; he wasn’t sure. While he felt her sincerity, under the present circumstances, he doubted his own instincts. He thought, “I can’t take her for granted. It wouldn’t be right. We can talk about this later. Meanwhile, there’s nothing saying I can’t keep my fingers crossed.”

She took her place on the kitchen bench next to Mickey and smugly interlocked her arm with his. She was no longer afraid of Tony but wasn’t sure if her confidence was because of her growing love for Mickey or the comfort she’d received from him and his family. “Well, when this is over, guess I’ll find out,” she thought to herself.

Finola quickly, sharply and in rapid succession, loudly snapped the fingers on both hands and demanded, “Tony, look at me. Look into my eyes and see your future.”

She stood tall, her arms outstretched at her sides. Raising her head, she called out, “God and Goddess, you know my desire. Allow me to proceed with the coolness of fire.”

She suddenly felt a cool heat swirling around the top of her head. She knew then she’d gotten the approval she hoped for.

Except for Mia, her family sat stunned since they’d never seen anything like this. They knew Finola was powerful but never had any inkling that her powers stretched this far. But Mia knew and understood.

Tony prided himself on never being afraid of anything, but this was different. He wasn’t afraid; he was terrified. Not knowing what was about to happen, he tried to beg for mercy, but words wouldn’t come.

He heard Midnight hiss and thought that for sure, this time, she’d draw blood.

“Tony, heed my words. This spell won’t just affect you. Once home, as usual, you’ll embrace your father and brother. That embrace will act like a magnet and pull this spell onto them. Any man you touch, even with the simplest of handshakes who had treated women as your family has done, will be affected. There will be no cure, no spell reversal. No words will ever undo what I say to you tonight. Do you understand?”

With a raspy, trembling voice, “Yes,” was all he could say.

“Good, then, I’ll begin. Well, in just a minute.” She enjoyed watching him sweat as he tried to squirm.

After taking a generous sip of Hennessey, she walked to Julie and whispered, “Jules, are you alright? I know you’ve been through a lot.”

The young woman looked into the eyes of the witch and calmly responded, “Oh, Aintin, I’m more than fine.”

“Okay, then.” Finola turned to Tony and cried out, “Let the fun begin!”