Next Moves

Agent St. John shut and locked the door to the abandoned office and turned to face Mary and Jillian.

“Alright,” he said. “There isn’t a lot I can tell you two about my operation here, but-“

Jillian cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“You’re undercover as part of a broader operation in the area on account of reports of heightened supernatural activity. You are part of FBI extra-normal operations, a catch all subdivision devoted to anything beyond the norm.”

“I liked you better when you were a bimbo,” the agent stewed.

All of this talk made Mary’s head spin. A day ago, the world made sense. Now, her entire understanding of reality was shattering around her.

“So just so I understand,” Mary said. “Magic is real and it’s illegal?”

“Not illegal, technically. Officially, none of this stuff exists,” the agent said.

“Unofficially?”

“Yeah, it’s super illegal.”

Jillian apparently found this all very funny. She threw her head back and cackled.

“Care to let us in on the joke?” Agent St. John said.

“It’s just very funny. The mighty FBI that toppled the black panthers and kept tabs on American Presidents can’t even deal with a couple amateur witches.”

Mary coughed awkwardly, her eyes darting to the floor.

“I’m not a witch,” she said.

Jillian regarded Mary with her fierce blue eyes for several seconds before breaking into even greater laughter.

“That makes it even better!”

“You’ve been tight lipped about your side, Jillian,” the agent said, his expression dark with suppressed rage.

“Let’s just say I answer to a higher power,” Jillian said. “I won’t say anymore.”

“How is that higher power privy to Bureau information?”

Jillian smiled at the agent and mimed closing a zipper over her lips.

“Can we stay on task?” Mary said. “We need to find my friend.”

“She’s right. We need a plan,” the agent replied.

“That ‘We’ is doing a lot of work,” Jillian added.

“Well then go off on your own then, Jillian. Just know if you cross this operation again, that higher power isn’t going to save you from a Federal prison sentence.”

“It’s not so simple,” Jillian said. “I’m after the book. So I guess I’m stuck with you two until I find it.”

“What are you going to do with it?” Mary asked.

Jillian’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s none of your business, failed witch.”

“Easy,” the agent said. “Look Mary, If we’re going to find your friend, we need to understand what is going on. You have to tell us the whole story.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t try to lie,” Jillian said.

“What would I gain from lying?”

“It’s something I would expect from a sinful little Protestant slut like yourself.”

“Will you stop insulting me? Besides, I’m not a Protestant, I don’t even believe in God.”

“Even worse,” Jillian muttered.

“Anyways,” the agent said. “Mary, please tell us what you know.”

Mary told them everything starting from the incantation in the closet and finishing with the moments leading up to the confrontation in the hallway. Reliving the experiences was painful and she left out most of the details from her rendezvous the night before, but when she finished speaking, she felt lighter. It was all out in the open.

For a little while, everyone sat in silence. Finally, Jillian spoke up.

For the first time since revealing her true nature, the woman looked frightened.

“You summoned a demon?”