Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,50

air.

"Nothing Dot couldn't handle, handcuffed and blindfolded." Jimmy poured Dennis a glass and slid it over to him.

"So, what movie are we seeing?"

"New Star Wars."

Dennis groaned. I couldn't help myself; he was just to nerdy cute. I leaned over and kissed him.

"Well, if they would make another fucking Star Trek, we would go see that. Quit your whining, Trekkie."

"Tell you what," I said and rubbed his leg. Next week, you and I will have a Star Trek marathon. All the movies we can watch. Just you and me."

"Will you talk dirty to me in Klingon?"

"I'll have to get a dictionary, but yes."

"Deal." He grinned.

Outnumbered, the two guys with the staring problem decided it was time to leave. Thankfully. "Fucking witch," one of them mumbled as he walked past me, bumping the back of my chair with his hip.

"You're sorry," I muttered and added a gratuitous, "Asshole."

I waited for them to round on us, and when they didn't, I looked up at their retreating backs. Closer, I could make out the words under the owl motif.

"Fuck."

"What?" Jimmy asked, ready to go after them.

"I think we'll be seeing them tonight. Did you read their shirt?"

"No? Just saw the owl."

"OWL is an acronym. Oswego Witch Lynchers."

"Oh, this is gonna be fun," Jimmy said with an eyeroll.

"What the hell did I miss?" Dennis looked from Jimmy to me.

∞ ∞ ∞

"Maybe the Meatza wasn't such a good idea," I said and burped a cacophony of sausage, pepperoni, bacon, and meatball flavored air as I stepped down from the truck and slammed the creaking door shut.

"It's the gift that keeps on giving." Dennis grinned as he got out of the back.

"Look at the bright side. You don't live with Dennis," Jimmy said as he stepped up onto the curb by the bookstore. "Meatza farts peel paint."

"You sure you want to park all the way over here?" I nodded at the store.

"One, parking in center square sucks. Two, I don't want those assholes anywhere near my truck." He rubbed the side of his battered baby.

"Yeah. Goddess forbid, they knock some of the rust off." Dennis rolled his eyes.

"That's what is holding this magnificent work of art together."

"Come on. Let's check out the owl party so we can go enjoy the movie," I told the both of them and waved at Shea through the front window of the bookstore before leading the way to central square.

I yelped again when Shea stepped out of the shadows beside the bookstore. "I would not advise you going this way, Master," he said solemnly, with a little bow.

"If it's about the protest rally, I already know."

He lifted his head. "And you would still go there?"

"Yep. Tis better to know thyne enemy and all that. Don't worry. I won't hurt them." I leaned over and gave him a little kiss.

"That was never my concern," he said dreamily as I pulled away.

"What was? You don't think they would hurt me? You know that would never happen."

He shook his head. "No. Not that either. I'm worried about someone doing them harm and you using your magic to protect them."

"That would be a good thing, right? They'd see how awesome we are and forget about the whole little protest thingy."

"No. They would see it as you bringing their nightmares to life. They will see how powerful you are and fear us even more."

That was Shea. The wise sage. Thinking things through from twenty different directions while I had trouble picking out which underwear I wanted. Sighing, I nodded. "That may be true. But if there are people who might be injured, I cannot sit by and let it happen."

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't go down there. Call it a foreboding. Call it a premonition. Call it whatever you wish, but please. Go have some pie instead." He paused and looked over my shoulder at Jimmy and Dennis. "Or sex. You like that almost as much as pie."

I nodded. Pretty emphatically. I may have even looked over at the diner for a moment and thought about pie. Then the realization of what might, and what might not happen made up my mind. Either way, I had to know. Sighing, I put my hand on Shea's shoulder. "You know I have to go. I will do my best not to be seen, but I have to."

He sighed and bowed, moving out of my way. "I am going with you."

What the fuck is going on? Yuki was drawing on her iPad, in her bed at the house. I