Much cleaner Keith Bryson took it upon himself to borrow some of Hector Alonzo’s clothing, their build pretty close to the same. Pants slightly loose but a belt took care of that, button down shirts loose as well but he didn’t care. It was just nice to be covered up, not that being naked with four Hot women wasn’t fun, but when you know one is a Succubus that could take your soul… or in his case souls you tend to want to keep that erection down. Being a Familiar now also stressed him out. Becoming cannibalistic without the desire to be one also slowed down the Sex drive. While in the Shower all he could think of was the old antacid commercial with the catch phrase, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!” He put the Cat in CAn’T!

Fully dressed he went to the dresser mirror to look himself over when the imagery switched over to flames. Bulging his eyes at the sight he mumbled, “Oh hell!” Close enough, “RAVEN?” He raised his voice frantically. Hearing him the cute little redhead scurried to his side, stuffed Hello Kitty still in her embrace as if she were a child.

“What’s up?”

“Unless you turned the mirror into a fireplace… I think I’m seeing hell.”

“Whoa!” She grew mesmerized by the fire’s intensity.

“Wait a second!” Keith leaned in closer to examine the background, “That’s the morgue! It caught fire. Fuck!” Darting around Raven he bolted outside to find Heather Choi just putting her shovel back into the shed. Seeing her he yelled, “HEATHER? Get in here you have to see this.”

“What now?” She rolled her eyes. Sprinting after him they joined Raven and now Jody in front of the mirror. “Is that…”

“The City Morgue!”

“Who? Why?” She winced glancing over at Raven, “Did… you do this?” A bewildered shrug left even the Succubus uncertain which resulted in a guilty pout.

“I don’t think so.”

“Ten minutes ago, you said let’s burn the place. You did this.” Jody waves her hand side to side.

“I was joking! I was referring to this house after Keith walked through smelling so badly!”

“Thanks!” He felt even more lousy now that others noticed.

“How was I supposed to know, for that matter I wasn’t even thinking of the morgue.”

“Mom mentioned Dad’s body being cremated.” Jody flared her eyes connecting invisible breadcrumbs, “About meeting with the funeral home tomorrow.”

“Well, he’s cremated now.” Keith scowled, “So is everybody in there. Including Russ!” Heather rubbed his back to console him as best she could.

“Well, if we left evidence on video, I’m pretty certain that’s long gone now. I know it’s wrong to say but… maybe that much is a blessing. We needed to hide our secrets anyway.”

“How do I explain not being at work? Especially during a fire.”

Everyone in the room looks toward Raven. In receiving their thought set, she cuddles her stuffed Hello Kitty under her chin and mumbles incoherently, mostly miserable tones, “Don’t you think I’ve caused enough damage?”

“Raven?” Heather frowns, “You just helped me control my inner cat.”

“In turn we think Heather helped me cage mine up some too.” Keith added.

“GOT ME KNOCKED UP!” Gwen had to burst their bubble.

Raven puffed her lower lip at Gwen Alonzo’s hormonal tantrum but didn’t know what more she could say concerning that. Instead, she reverted back to part of the current problem. “I somehow just burnt down the Morgue. I don’t know how that happened. I somewhat figure out how to do things when it’s intentional, but it’s like when I do one good thing, a bad thing follows.”

“Karma is a bitch.” Keith grumbled, “We’ll deal with this Raven, just try not to help if it resorts to backlash.”

“It has to be the mark on my back. It’s staying with me more now, but it’s a constant battle between good and bad magic. I think when Argus first took Hector, I saved his soul even though his body died. Jody has an Angel trapped in her when I set up a barrier to protect her. I essentially gave her and made her a Guardian Angel at the same time. See what I mean? One good thing goes bad shortly after. I can’t see my mark unless I use a mirror so I can’t always determine when it works for me. Even that reflection is backwards.”

“STILL PREGNANT!” Gwen held her own lower back to support her huge belly weighing her forward.

“Mom! That’s enough. I might have caused that when I tried sharing my angel like powers with you.”

“Which she gave you!” Gwen snarled then shook her head with guilt, “I’m sorry Raven, I understand more than I let on. I’m just… stressed, you know?” Weeping led to emotions, “Shit! I remember this crap too when I carried Jody.” Her daughter hugged her as lovingly as possible to calm her down.

“Our cars are at the Morgue. That’s going to look suspicious too.” Heather brought up, “Matter of fact my keys were left behind with my clothing after I panthered up.”

“So did mine. Second set of keys at home though.”

“Right, same here. We need a ride to the Morgue to make an appearance so it doesn’t look as bad as it might if we wait.”

“You can borrow my car.” Jody offered.

“Who drives it back after we get ours?” Keith shrugged.

“Uber?” Gwen mumbled.

“That would leave a trail should we be under suspicion.”

“How about the mirror? Maybe bring up a safe landing place and you can walk.” Jody suggested.

“Last time I went through that thing outgoing, I ended up somewhere other than the backyard. I’m still trying to understand that one. Nobody there called me according to Raven’s grandmother. She was as bewildered as I was.”

“So, it’s unpredictable.” Keith grumbled, “Wait! What about that Jeffrey’s car? Not like he’s going to use it again. His dad’s for that matter.”

“True! Not bad!” Heather puffed her lower lip. “We can even abandon it and no one will question it. With no bodies around to question… well… Frank did die there so it might appear obvious.”

“I can burn it down too.” Raven suggested with a hesitant wanting to help look.

“Don’t!” Heather placed her palms on both of the redhead’s shoulders. “Just don’t! I know you want to help, but not if it means consequences due to it.”

“I need to lay down.” Gwen stepped away, Jody following her out of concern.

“She’s looking rough!” Keith sighed, “What do we do when she goes into labor?”

“Well, you take things out of people for a living.” Heather smirked, “You can deliver the babies.”

“I’ll remember that!” He frowned, “I’ve never actually delivered any babies. Just internal organs. Big difference Heather.”

“I’ll go to the Morgue.”

“Wearing only the Motor City Madman?” He pinched her Ted Nugent t-shirt.

“I need my extra keys, so I’ll stop by home and change. I guess I use Jody’s car and park where we can pick it up later.”

“That doesn’t cover my tracks as to why I abandoned my post.”

“We’ll say you got sick and went home early.”

“You do know it’s going to go bad for me no matter what if I don’t report in knowing there was a fire. Hell my cell… yeah, it’s likely melted.”

“Mine too! Dammit!” Heather hisses. “Doesn’t get any easier does it?”

“How about I hold your hand as we go through the mirror together?” Raven offered. “Maybe it will work if I’m with you.”

“Worth a shot I guess. Get dressed! You’re leaving Miss Kitty home!”

“Wonder where my Mom is?”

Good question!

********

The brand-new residence of Jezzabel Nameless… only name used these days after her family was stripped of their birth name. Blame it on Granny! After a lovely four hours of sexual gratification with her pet Sabastian and his Wife Sandra, now a Familiar herself to remedy a bad situation. Sandra coming home and catching her husband cheating could have been bad. Who are we kidding? Bad went to hell in 60 seconds, not due to Sabastian’s Jaguar either. A split decision Jezzie simply let curiosity kill the Wife. Under Jezzabel’s control Sandra was part time housewife, part time house cat. No resentment now that her mind was fused with servitude. Pussy was good either way.

“Dinner was delicious Sabastian. With all of your glorious money I would never have guessed you be a Top Chef.”

“Thanks Jez!” She allowed him that much rather than hearing Mistress every ten minutes. Pouring her more wine he stood next to her faithfully until he became annoying just hovering.

“Do feed the Wife. I’m ready to kick her if she circles my leg one more time.”

“Feed her what? We didn’t own any pets until now.”

“I can fix that. Bring me that silver tea tray.” She points elegantly toward the lengthy dining room tables center. She could have magically called it to her, but this was her excuse to give herself breathing room. While Sabastian retrieved it after emptying the tray of cups and saucers, Sandra below continued to be equally as aggravating. “DO STOP!” She snapped and used her foot to shove Sandra away. Sabastian knelt down and picked his feline Wife up and kissed her head. While a player by nature, he did Love his Wife of four years. No apology necessary Jezzie paused him from even opening his mouth. Sandra had her man where she wanted him. Purrrrrr!

Holding the mirror like tray on its side in front of her Jezzabel waved her hand in front of her reflection and the surface switched images to that of a grocery store shelf containing small cans of cat food. Touching the tray her fingers went directly through and she retrieved 9 cans of Friskey’s, one by one. She owed Sandra that for how well she performed in bed to satisfy Jezzie while Sabastian was demoted to voyeur. Setting them on the table she started to set the tray down when Sabastian cleared his throat. “Oh, Dear Goddess!” Another shopping trip brought back a small bag of kitty litter. “She can find mice to play with! Give her a grotesque Christmas sweater to paw at the yarn it’s made from. Use a casserole dish or something for a litter box.”

Her deed done she started to lower the tray when it came alive with imagery. “What have we here?” Jezz took note of the Alonzo household all congregated in the bedroom. Seeing her daughter Raven up close Jezzie had to mask a tear. Peering barely at Sabastian she said, “Go brush her hair or something.” Sandra was getting pampered.

Observing Raven holding her stuffed Hello Kitty made Jezzie smile, “She adores my gift. I suspect I owe it to the Detective for giving me the inspiration. What are we doing young lady?” She notes a fully clothed Raven reaching toward her which made Jezzie tense. “Do you sense me watching you?” Hand touching the tray she feels Raven’s flesh over her own, Raven touching the bedroom mirror on her end. The sudden touch sent a flood of emotion through both of them.

Drawing away in a hurry Jezzie slammed the tray flat on the table and looked haunted. “How is she learning so fast? The door is opening to her far too early. I couldn’t establish a transport until I was 25.” A master of magic now. Seeing fingers rise up through the top of the service tray made Jezzie jump to her feet. “I’m not presentable!” She was still in a sheer frilly robe borrowed from Sandra’s intimates. Hurrying she placed a can of cat food in Raven’s hand. Shocked by the object in her grasp Raven pulled it back into the Alonzo bedroom.

“Whoa! Where did this come from?” Raven holds the can and looks at Heather and Keith. “Hungry?” She poised it in front of Heather who scowled. Keith however slyly took the can.

“You would!” Heather watched him pop the can open and inhale tuna. “Let’s go before he starts finger feeding himself.” Raven giggled and tried it again. Moving through the mirror alongside Heather, hand in hand they crawled out into darkness. “This is not my apartment.”

“I can see perfectly!” Raven smirked but quickly found tiny glowing particles flaring up in the darkness. “Ooooo! Fireflies!” She reaches for one but finds her hand slit open and blood trickling at its caress. “OWWW! BAD FIREFLY!” In her pout the firefly zipped to the ground as if a plane crashing. Poof gone! Ashes to crashes! Dust to gust! An unfelt breath sent it away as if swept under the shrug.

“Where the fuck are we?” Heather growled slightly her body tempted to turn catlike as if required as she was told but holding Raven’s other hand kept her at bay. Eyes adjusting to the darkness in their cat eye mode was the only aspect she was allowed to use. “Light everywhere now! Fuck! Did you take us to Heaven?”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Raven whimpered loudly.

Peering down at the silver tea tray lying on the dinner table Jezzabel witnessed Raven and Heather’s side trip. Eyes bulging the Witch grew mesmerized by the light and found fear. “Impossible! Only the Goddess can go from realm to realm like that.” Stunned by the connection she heard her cellphone ringing. Answering it after checking the caller as UnKNOWn CALLER exactly how it was written she knew. “Grandmother?”

“Sleep well Dear?”

“Yes actually! Granny? I think we have a problem.”

“Do tell!”

“I am watching Raven and her pet Detective… do what only the Goddess should be able to do. Is my daughter truly that… powerful?”

“Got me kiddo! You say the Familiar you created it is with her?”

“Yes! They are bathed in… light.”

“The Kitty came through the Dark Portal earlier at our elder born Coven meet. I got her out of there fast but the witches think Kitty is the Goddess. Maybe… she is.”

“That or… with the mark on Raven doing things it never used to… binding Angels in Raven’s friends… is my daughter the Goddess reborn?”

“She is missing from what we can tell.”

“How?”

“Just watch and learn Jezzus!”

“Don’t call me that. You only call me that as punishment. I have done nothing wrong.”

“You always do whatever you want you spoiled brat. Woman Up! Act like a Mother now that you can… before it’s… too late.”

“Too late? What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll figure it out. Gotta goes… Golden Girdles is on.” Granny ended their call. Sitting in her old wooden rocker she smirked. “BLANCHE!” Her savior from calling her granddaughter a bitch. All she wanted in calling was to inform her of the Coven debacle. “I should have borrowed Sabastian for company.” As if heard the mirror to her right found a silver hairball tossed through hissing and squalling. Landing on her feet Sandra had a new home. Behind her came a bag of litter crashing to the floor. Frowning at her visitor Granny sighed and yelled, “HOMEWRECKER!” She was indeed! Regardless Sandra was content! Until the hairbrush and cans of Friskey’s came zipping through like bullets. And a silver tray. Granny simply laughed and turned up the TV.

********

“Why are we in Heaven?” Heather cringed, “If that’s where we actually are?”

“How should I know? What’s my pentagram look like now?” Raven nearly mooned Heather in tugging her jeans lower to see her mark.

“First time I’ve seen it look like… the horns only but they’re glowing white.”

“Wings?” Raven flared her eyes, “Maybe they represent Angel wings.”

“That’s a stretch… but what isn’t when it comes to you?”

“Whoa! This is sooo cool.”

“Says the girl whom a firefly tried to kill.”

“I know, that was weird. My hand healed up instantly though. No blood even.” She showed her palm to Heather. In doing this Heather narrowed her eyes seeing the cut widen without causing the girl pain. Within the cut was an eyeball peering through the tissue.

“Uhhh? Raven?” She pointed at her palm, “You might want to see this… it sees you maybe?”

“What?” Raven turned her palm to see the eye. “Whoa! Hello!” She greeted it smiling as if nothing was even strange about it. A wink from the eye offered a tender glow within the pupil. “Are you friendly? Hope so!” Another wink shared; it was presumed so. “Do you have a name? I mean… you’re me but not, right?”

Hugging Raven from behind Heather felt protective her cat like eyes darting all around them. While Raven seemed distracted by her new attraction she was overlooking the surrounding darkness with pinpoints of light swirling about like a swarm of bees. They were keeping their distance yet did surround them, which made Heather tense knowing only one was able to cut Raven’s hand from side to side. This many would butcher them no problem. There really wasn’t anything Heather could do but growl under her breath. She simply hoped that Raven could protect her as much as she wanted to protect the girl.

“Blink once if you’re good, twice if you’re bad.” Raven was having fun regardless of the situation.

“Does it know the difference?” Heather hissed.

“Eye think so.” She giggled. “Get it? Eye? I?” The laceration narrowing as if amused made her believe it was good. One blink told the tale! “Eye thought so.” Again, it was almost as if wanting to laugh, a sparkle in its iris seemed to prove it. “Is this Heaven? One blink yes, two blinks no.” Two blinks made Raven edgy, “Is this… Hell?” Two blinks again. “So not Heaven and not Hell.”

“Purgatory?” Heather invited suspicion. One blink acknowledged yes. “So we’re stuck between Heaven and Hell.” Again one blink but the eyeball looked up which made Raven poise her palm upward and flat, the eye returning normal. Above them the tiny swarm followed a tiny beam of light emitted through the eyeris. As if joining together the firefleyes became a giant singular shape of a large female Angel with the warmest of intent. Leaning down amid massive wings a gentle hand caressed Raven’s cheek which made her shed a tear. Unable to release moisture in her current state the Angel simply pouted as if saying, “Do not cry Child.”

“I can’t help it. Your touch feels… ummm? You might want to stop touching me, I’m getting Horny.” The Angel cocks an eye brow using Raven’s lacerated skin as if it were one. Raven’s uncut hand held Heather’s firmly to show that she didn’t mean Heather in agitating her hormones. “Sorry Pretty Angel! Just protecting you if I can. It doesn’t take much to make me crazy.” The Angel’s hands clasping as if in prayer understood. “Oh! Just so you know… I don’t mean any harm. I don’t really know how I do things. The Angel’s that are in my friends… I don’t even understand how they bonded. If I can release them I will.” The Angel shook her head no. “I shouldn’t let them go?”

Another negative response led to the Angel to break her prayer pose by one hand which made a slicing motion of her head, her eyes rolling up as if dying. The action made Heather even more tense knowing even she might have a Angel essence within her. As if responding to Heather’s thought the Angel reached her hand out toward Heather with an index finger extended. Touching Heather on the forehead the Detective glowed with nine layers of aura. The Cat was in the bag. Nine lives returned to her as if a gift. Heather actually felt more alive than at any time in her life… lives?

“No wings so I guess I’m not worthy.” She sighed as Raven peered up at her.

“You’re my Angel with or without wings. I prefer fuzzy anyway.” Raven giggled then turned back to face the Angel, “Can I call you Aunt Iris?” The Angel mulled it over then blinked once with approval. “Awesome! Okay… so why am eye here?” The eye jests were still humorous to the Angel.

“Uhhh? Raven? Just a thought but… Argus has eyes too.”

“They’re not black though so it can’t be him, right?” She looks directly at the Angel’s eyes then down at her palm, all were beautiful, “Right?” The Angel wags her index finger as if to say do not speak that name here. “Okay… I won’t! I take you know… him?” A thin scowl leads the Angel to change the subject, lifting her arms toward Heaven as if looking for guidance. “Did I say something wrong?” Dispersing back into the swarm of tiny lights the Angel was gone. The eye on her palm closed and the cut healed instantaneously save for a thin smile like scar. “Okay, bEYE now!”

The congregation of fireflies now zipped around Raven and Heather as if a tornado of light that grew brighter and brighter until they were blinded. As if cast out the ladies found themselves stuck halfway through another mirror. One very tight mirror.