Shayna Mae O'Reilly (shaynamae) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2023-05-16 07:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | #group scene, #july 2018, aidan, gavin, kat, knox, max, shayna mae |
Who: Gavin, Kat, Knox, Shayna Mae, Aidan, Max
Where: O'Reilly Home
When: Sunday, early afternoon 7/8
Status: Complete
Things happened fast. Gavin and Kat had just barely gotten to the bar after church when Caden let them know about the O'Reillys rumors being true and it didn't make any sense to wait. Why risk sleeping now if they might be able to do it safely later. Gavin didn't want to be overly optimistic about it all any more than he wanted to be optimistic about the new priest helping him but he couldn't help that rustling in his chest, some small and eager emotion fighting to get free. He'd been bracing himself to talk to Charlie to let her know what was going on, but maybe with this he would never have to. She had seen dark things and Point Pleasant had taken so much from her already, if he could spare her from more pain, he'd do anything to achieve that.
He didn't want other people's blood on his hands; the dark man might not return for months, but that wasn't something he was willing to risk. He might return today and rip apart someone unsuspecting while they napped and if that could be prevented, it should be so he texted his kids to tell them to keep and eye on Ruby and let her know there might be help on the way. After that he tried to call Grady at the station but had to leave a message as the sheriff wasn't currently in. Next up Roxy. He sent her a simple text: may have a fix don't sleep until I call you.
He'd half expected Caden to come with them but that didn't make much sense since he was tending the bar so it was just him and Kat for now, driving out of town and toward the isolated O'Reilly house. He'd been there once before, years ago when Caden was just a teenager and needed a ride home because he was too drunk to drive. It was weird to go back out there and see not much had changed and it sure as hell felt weird to come there without Caden as some kind of an ambassador.
Kat had never been to the O’Reilly house, but she’d heard about it—a big, old house out in the woods, supposedly inhabited by witches. She’d always thought the latter part a joke brought on by their self imposed isolation, but now she wondered what else she’d heard about them might ring true. There were always rumors in Point Pleasant and so many of them seemed outlandish, except those that lived there long enough knew there was usually a ring of truth to them. She’d always heard there were witches in Point Pleasant; she just hadn’t thought she’d be seeking them out, asking them for help, though at this point she’d do just about anything.
They’d turned down an old dirt road that seemed to go on forever, taking them deeper and deeper into the forest. It was the sort of road that Kat expected to end with a dilapidated log cabin, but instead the trees eventually parted to reveal a large Victorian farmhouse, covered in vines. It stood at least two stories tall, maybe more, as Kat counted a couple windows on the third story, plus there were basement windows, and it stretched long enough to be at least three times the size of her own house. For some reason she had expected it to be in a state of ruin; instead she was in awe. As Gavin made his way up the drive, movement on the porch caught her eye as a man sitting on the front porch steps stubbed out his cigarette and rose to his feet, disappearing inside the house. “They’re expecting us, right?” she asked Gavin as he parked the car in front of the house.
"They should be," Gavin replied and narrowed his eyes as the man he thought was Max's brother disappeared into the house. He thought they were expected but maybe not everyone who lived there was in the loop. Gavin had no idea how big this family really was, the house suggested big but he'd only ever heard of Max's two siblings and their dad. "Caden just told me to come out here, that Max's sister could help. He'd better have actually asked her." He looked over at Kat who looked a little smaller than usual to him, tired and scared as she was. "Let's go see what she can do."
Shayna Mae was definitely expecting Gavin and his sister. After Max asked for her help, she had spent time getting things together and going back through various notes in her family's grimoire to look for any mention of the dark man. The thing was much older than anyone really knew, which meant this wouldn't be easy. Shayna Mae had performed all kinds of magic before and she was quite adept at blood magic, but it wasn't exactly something she preferred. Briefly, Shayna Mae had considered calling Caius for advice, but she didn't want him to feel like he was obligated to help her. And she felt like she could handle this on her own.
Aidan had let her know the Lucas car had arrived and she left the room to walk outside, a sunny smile on her face. She knew all about the Lucas family and their reputation in town, but she had a reputation too and it wasn't entirely fair to judge anyone before getting to know them. Shayna Mae only knew Caden through Max, and if Max cared about these people, she would too.
"Hey there," she said, pushing her hair back from her face and wandering down the porch steps. "Max said you'd be coming. I'm Shayna Mae." She approached, her hand outstretched, in case they wanted a more formal hello.
"Yeah, you were a lot smaller last time I met you," Gavin said with a faint smile, feeling a little relieved when Max actually came bounding out of the house to greet them. It was a little surreal to think that the little girl wandering around when he came to pick Caden up here was now a grown woman who was possibly powerful enough to help him with a supernatural problem.
"Heyyy," Max said as he walked past Aidan, grasping Gavin's hand in a greeting too before smiling at Kat. "This whole thing is totally out of my wheelhouse so I won't be joining you but uh, you've met my sister and she'll take care of you. You remember Aidan?" He gestured back at his brother and nodded when Gavin nodded. "Good, good. Caden tending the bar?"
"Yeah," Gavin replied. He has no reason to be here, thank God." Did these people even believe in God? Everything was so muddled. Would father Osbourn frown upon them being here? He had offered his help, after all, and witchcraft was heresy in the eyes of the church.
Shayna Mae believed in a multitude of gods, but probably not in the same way Gavin did. It didn't matter though. She didn't need a god to help her today. Her gaze shifted from Gavin to Kat and her smile widened. "You're Kat. I heard through the town's grapevine that you were back in town. Why don't you both come inside. I've got most of the stuff ready to go, but I really don't know how long it's gonna take. We've got stuff to drink and everything though." She looked back at Max. "Can you find Knox? It might be good to have him around in case somethin' goes wrong."
“That’s me,” Kat said with a lopsided smile. “Nice to meet you. Circumstances could be better but—“ She shrugged, because it was what it was. If she’d stayed away, there was a possibility that the Dark Man wouldn’t have found her again, but she hadn’t and he had. There was no way of knowing what might’ve been. “What do you need to do to—to deal with this? If you don’t mind me asking,” she asked as they began to follow Shayna Mae into the house. The other guy, Aidan presumably, followed but kept his distance, and she wondered if he was like Max or Shayna Mae, there to observe or help. How many witches might this take? Did they need to do anything themselves or did they just have to be there to have a spell cast upon them? Who was Knox and what could possibly go wrong? She suddenly had a boat load of questions. “I know we can’t do it ourselves, but I’m just curious. This is really… really new to me.”
Gavin was kind of glad Kat was asking questions because he sure as hell didn't know where even to begin. He glanced between the two blondes as Max darted past him to presumably go find Knox and felt weird being there. This house had always stood out here in the woods, for far longer than Gavin had been alive, yet it felt like it was outside of his reality somehow, far out in the woods where nobody sane would willingly live. The O'Reillys seemed to thrive here and he hoped that meant their magic was powerful but Shayna Mae's words weren't exactly inspiring confidence. "How wrong can this go?" he muttered and if the risks outweighed the benefits then there had to be something smaller they could do. He couldn't rightly put his sister at more risk than she was already in.
"I don't mind you asking," Shayna Mae said, smiling at Kat as they headed inside. "As for how wrong this could go, well, there's always a dangerous edge to magic. But I don't want anyone to worry... if it's gonna go wrong, it'll go wrong for me, not you." Unless it didn't work at all, then they would still have to deal with the Dark Man and Shayna Mae had to imagine that would be worse than any backlash that might engulf her. She led them through the house to the room where she liked to work. It was a spacey area with large windows overlooking the backyard and woods beyond.
Shayna Mae had never been fond of performing magic in a cramped or windowless room, a part of her always needing to be surrounded by nature in some form or another. "Dealing with a dark entity is always a risk," she explained, walking over to a large wooden work table where she had already placed everything she would need. Well, almost everything. "But it's going to need blood. I've got some already, but I'll need a bit of yours." Shayna Mae offered them what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Not a lot, just a couple drops. If everything goes right, it'll protect you from... well, nightmares. Any dreams that could potentially hurt you, not just physically, but emotionally too. So in theory, it'll keep the dark man away from you, at least in dreams."
Aidan followed his sister and the Lucas siblings to Shayna Mae’s workroom, hanging back and quietly observing. He’d heard about the Dark Man, but given him little thought, having never known anyone else who’d seen him. He’d always assumed that the danger was primarily when in his presence, that if you escaped then you were safe, but it appeared that wasn’t the case. Any being that could dream walk and injure the dreamer was worth taking note of, and since he’d never performed the spell his sister was about to perform, he’d like to have that in his pocket as well.
Kat’s eyes were everywhere all at once, taking in the room, the windows, and the setup on the table. The supplies laid out for a spell that required blood. Her blood, along with the blood of others. She wondered where the other blood came from and decided not to ask, worried she wouldn’t like the answer. So long as she didn’t have to drink it, Kat thought she could stomach it, especially if all she needed to give was a few drops. “So he can still come after us, just… not while we’re sleeping.” It wasn’t perfect, but it was better than what they were currently dealing with. Kat felt like she hadn’t slept in weeks, though she knew that was an exaggeration. “Is there anything we can do to protect ourselves? Like, get the house blessed or something? I’ve hit that point where even when I do sleep, I’m scared I’ll wake up to find him hovering over me.”
Gavin had bled for worse reasons but there was still something very wrong about giving his blood to a witch. Max might be Caden's friend and he might have been hanging around a lot for the last decade or more, but how good a friend was he really? Gavin smothered those thoughts and looked to Kat, frowning softly at the thought of waking up to the Dark Man in his room. He probably wouldn't even know if he was still dreaming and Charlie would be in danger too. "Blessing the houses would be.. good, yeah," he mumbled, crossing his arms as he looked around the room with a deep frown. "The new priest is gonna come over and bless our homes. He seems to know a thing or two about this town."
Shayna Mae wasn't going to tell anyone that they couldn't bless their homes. If it made them feel better, then that was all that mattered. She wasn't religious in that sense, but she didn't judge those who were. "I can't tell you what the Dark Man can do beyond keeping him from your dreams. I've never seen him myself, but from what I know... there's really no rhyme or reason to where or when he pops up. So if you believe that blessing the homes will help, then I would definitely do that." They both seemed a bit apprehensive, Gavin especially, but Shayna Mae couldn't blame them for that. This town had a not-so-flattering view of witches, despite how many locals came to her, and probably the others, for help. "If the blessings don't help, we can place protective spells around your homes," she offered, reaching for her wooden bowl to start mixing the ingredients. "The stronger the witch, the more powerful the protection. It can get to the point where anyone coming to your door with ill intent can be pushed away."
“I’ll take all the help I can get,” Kat said with a little smile. She wondered what it would look like if something like that actually happened. Would that mean someone couldn’t cross the threshold, like a vampire that hadn’t been invited in? That would be a cool little trick. It might raise a lot of questions from whomever couldn’t get in, if it wasn’t the Dark Man himself, but Kat would put up with the questions if it meant she was safe. As much as she’d like to put her faith in God and the priest, she had no idea how to test how effective that was. She didn’t want to find out when it was too late. “Are there lots of witches in Point Pleasant?” she asked, rather than ask how strong Shayna Mae was. Strong enough, she assumed; they were probably untouchable out here.
Knox had had a bit of warning that there were going to be strangers on their property, coming for some of Shayna Mae’s magic. He’d sensed it when Gavin and Kat started up the driveway, but he hadn’t picked up on any danger from them, so he’d felt no need to hover. Max found him out back of the house, and Knox finished up what he was doing before he went inside and headed for Shayna Mae’s work room. He knew why she wanted him there, but he didn’t want to be intrusive and make the normies even more nervous, so Knox slipped quietly into the room and lingered near the back wall once he’d shut the door. He sidled in closer to Aidan, who was also hanging out in the back as per usual, and slung a casual arm around the smaller man’s shoulders. Knox had a small smile ready for anyone who looked his way, but he definitely wasn’t the main event here.
The strange thing about Knox was that to people like Gavin and Kat, he wasn't anywhere near as interesting as he should be. Anyone with a magic touch could pick up on the power that exuded from him or even just notice his imposing stature and enthralling features but normal folk only noticed him about as much as Knox wanted them to notice him. In this case, Gavin was aware a man had entered the room, but he was just a man and he didn't steal his attention away from Shayna Mae. "Those spells sound like they'd be well worth paying for," he told her and now he wanted those spells all over his house. He was always afraid for his family and even when he was right there with them, he knew there were plenty of things out there he couldn't protect them from and he hated that helpless feeling.
As he spoke, Max slipped back into the room. He knew he was useless here but Gavin and Kat were there because of him and Caden and he felt a little responsible for them. He didn't know what spells Gavin was talking about but the mention of money made his fingers itch. He knew that wasn't why Shayna Mae did these things but good grief, she could make a lot of money if she wanted to - more than she already did.
“I can help with that,” Aidan offered with a quiet grin, though it was said more to his sister than their guests. This was her deal and she had first dibs on any profit that might come from it. He made his money through the distillery in the barn and other means. For all he knew, Shayna Mae might do it for free, but that always seemed like a bad idea to Aidan. The last thing they needed was more people showing up on their doorstep, asking for handouts.
Having Knox there was always a comforting thing to Shayna Mae. She had confidence in her magic but she knew he would protect them if anything went wrong. His presence prompted a soft sigh of contentment from her lips and she refocused on Gavin and Kat. Shayna Mae agreed with Gavin with a small smile and shrug. "I guess so, yeah. I don't really advertise. We've always been more of a... word of mouth kind of family." Picking up her athame, she knew very well how dangerous the knife looked, so she explained quickly. "This is a ritual blade, lined with magic. I'm not going to cut either of you very deep since I don't need a lot of blood, just a small prick, really. The inside of the arm is usually best. With your blood, I can start the spell, but it's one at a time." Her brows rose as she glanced between the two siblings. "Who wants to go first?"
Gavin didn't hesitate to step forward, not wanting Kat to go first. "That thing clean?" he asked without considering whether that might be an offensive question. Shayna Mae was about to cut him with it, it had better not give him some new fucking problems to deal with. He'd probably put worse in his body in the past, but the difference was that he actually gave a shit these days and he had people to live for. At least he didn't sound rude about it, just cautious and with his track record with witches that felt only prudent.
Kat’s eyes grew a bit larger as Shayna Mae picked up the blade and she swallowed hard. It felt like overkill for the amount of blood that was supposedly needed. Couldn’t they just use a pocket knife or something… smaller? She was sure that knife could be used to gut someone. Her hesitation allowed her brother to offer himself up first and she felt both relief and anxiety as a result. She didn’t like the thought of him being hurt, even by choice, and she had to remind herself that this would protect them. It was just a scratch, and far less damaging than anything the Dark Man had done to them.
Shayna Mae's smiled widened, a soft laugh escaping her. "Yes, it's clean, I promise. Nothing in this room will harm you." Unless she wanted it to, which she didn't. Knox was there and looking content, which meant Gavin and Kat had no intention of doing anyone harm. "The knife looks intimidating, but I promise it's completely safe in my hands." She motioned to Gavin. "Can I have your arm?" The sooner they got moving on this, the better. Hopefully watching her perform the spell would ease their minds about this entire thing.
Given the Lucas experience with insane women - one of them even wielding a knife - it was probably crazy in its own right to willingly submit himself to getting cut by Shayna Mae, but times were desperate and he honestly didn't feel like they could get any worse than a dark entity trying to kill them. He pulled up the sleeve on his left arm and rolled it to keep it out of the way, then offered up his arm to Shayna Mae. There were plenty of tattoos there to avoid but if she actually went ahead and sliced right through them he'd know what kind of person he was really dealing with and he was more inclined to trust her given their connections. "Go ahead, no need to be gentle," he muttered since it was his wonky arm and the pain he sometimes felt in it was far worse than a cut. Hell his whole body felt wrong these days, broken ribs meant dumb moving around and he felt all sorts of stiff and out of order.
Shayna Mae knew tattoos were a personal thing to people so she did her best to find a spot inside of his arm that couldn't damage his ink. She didn't need to make a large cut anyway, and only needed a little bit of his blood. Taking the athame, Shayna Mae held Gavin's arm with her free hand and made a small incision in his skin before pressing down with the tip to force some of the blood onto the tip of the blade. "Perfect," she said, releasing Gavin before scraping the blood from the knife into the bowl on her table. Then she got to cleaning the blade again, smiling at Kat. "Your turn? I can give you both something to heal those cuts too, unless you just want a band aid."
Watching the whole process with Gavin helped ease Kat’s mind. The cut was small, the amount of blood required almost insubstantial. She’d given more at the doctor’s office without batting an eye. It was the knife that made the whole process intimidating, but Shayna Mae seemed perfectly capable of welding it. Taking a deep breath, Kat stepped forward and offered her arm up to Shayna Mae. Unlike her brother, there were no tattoos to work around, though she didn’t relish another scar to cover up. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’ll take something that helps heal,” she said, watching as Shayna Mae cleaned the blade. “I’ve already got people asking questions about the bruises. I don’t need to add to it.”
Shayna Mae nodded and carefully cut into Kat's inner arm. It was a small wound, just like Gavin's, and she added the blood to the bowl. Placing the athame to the side, she pulled a small jar from beneath the work table, handing it to Kat. "Just a little bit," she said. "You can use it on your bruises if you want too. It has a bit of a smell to it, but it works." With that done, Shayna Mae took a breath, aware that she needed to concentrate now. She was skilled in magic, but it was a complex thing, messing with one's mind. Blocking the bad things. It could go terribly wrong for all of them. She'd had her fair share of failed spells in the past, but few had such dire consequences as this could. Shayna Mae began to mix Gavin and Kat's blood into the mixture she had already prepared in the bowl. Herbs, small bones and the blood of a blue jay. She used her hands, imbuing the mixture with her magic. It filled the room, creating a mildly oppressive feeling, but that was to be expected when performing darker magic. With her hands now covered in the mixture, she reached out to Gavin and Kat both. "Take my hand."
Gavin wasn't the most in-tune with emotions but it was hard to miss the atmosphere in the room and it made him want to leave. The only thing keeping him there was the danger that lurked outside of this house, the never ending and all consuming threat of the dark man. He just hoped they weren't making things worse. He stepped close again and placed his hand in Shayna Mae's far smaller one with a pained expression on his face. Magic was such dirty business, maybe he should have relied on their new priest instead of coming here but it felt too late now, the sticky concoction already on his skin, the cut already on his arm. He wanted to ask if Shayna Mae had anything for broken ribs but he didn't dare speak, worried he would cause an imbalance in the air which already felt weirdly unstable.
Kat would put up with the smell of almost anything if it meant healing the bruises on her neck. She knew how they looked, how they stirred up rumors, especially on her. She didn’t even have a man in her life, yet that was the direction people automatically jumped, that she’d let someone do that to her. She set the jar aside, assuming she should wait until after the spell was complete to use it. The last thing she wanted was to interfere with what she assumed was a complex spell. As she waited and watched, the room became heavy. Breathing was still easy, but the magic weighed on her, making her anxious and eager to leave. Instead, she took Shayna Mae’s hand, her own trembling slightly, and waited for further instruction. At least Gavin was there with her. She couldn’t imagine coming here to do this on her own.
Shayna Mae probably wouldn't have blamed them if they had wanted to leave, but she was glad they stayed. Magic could be beautiful, full of contentment and wonderful feelings. But it could also be dark and dangerous and to most, scary. Digging deep into one's subconscious was a precarious thing to do, and they were putting their trust in her to do it without harming them. Shayna Mae wrapped her fingers around their hands and closed her eyes, pushing her magic into them. Feeling her family in the same room with her certainly gave her more strength than she would have had if she'd been alone and if Knox sensed something going wrong, he would stop it. So Shayna Mae focused, caught up in the way the magic pulsed through her. She began to speak, quiet, but clear words. Her fingers tightened on Gavin and Kat, the strength of her hold likely unusual for a woman her size. But they wouldn't pull away. They couldn't. At least not until she was finished.
This was different from anything Gavin had experienced before; he could feel the magic filling the room, rushing through him and Kat and this petite woman in front of them. She didn't seem so small now and even there were no visual changes to her appearance, Gavin still felt like she was so much bigger than them, like something otherworldly, something out of a fantasy film or old mythology. It was overwhelming and he felt uncomfortably emotional through it all. Holding her hand felt more like he was dipping his hand into something cosmic and at some point he couldn't help but reach for Kat's hand too.
Kat watched Shayna Mae, entranced as she wove the spell around and through them. She could feel it in the air, and then she could feel it running up her arm, pushing its way through her body and wrapping around her mind. Her heart pounded and her breath quickened, fear and wonder seizing her as she held on tight. At some point she felt Gavin take her hand and she squeezed it tight, appreciating another anchor, but her eyes never left Shayna Mae. It was like she was seeing her for the first time, a goddess of the earth offering sacrifice on their behalf in return for protection. Maybe it was sacrilegious, but it was real; there was no denying the power in the room, something older and much more fearsome than even the Dark Man. If such things existed, then she wanted it on her side, wrapped around her like a cloak, keeping her safe.
Focus was the most important thing right now and Shayna Mae lost herself in the magic, barely feeling Gavin and Kat's hands in hers now. All she could feel was blood and bone and it wove together in a tapestry of protection. The spell would work, she was sure of that now. The Dark Man would have to find another way to torment his victims, but with any luck, she would find a way to destroy him before he could. After a few more minutes, Shayna Mae fell silent and exhaled, opening her eyes to look at the two people in front of her. The blood had dried on their skin and Shayna Mae was grateful for the sacrifice. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked them, loosening her grip on their hands, but not quite letting go.
Gavin hummed something short and quiet in the affirmative but he didn't feel okay, not really. It was like whatever magic coursed through him had whirled up a whole lot of emotions he'd rather had stayed still and quiet, and he wanted nothing more than to down a whole bottle of whiskey and bawl his eyes out somewhere in private. All the fear and grief he worked so hard at burying felt like it was out in the open now, like a bleeding wound, and he wiped at his cheek with his shoulder, ignoring the sharp pain that followed. Physical pain was easier than mental pain, his body was far tougher than his soul was. He swallowed it all back, gave Kat's hand a little squeeze and nodded. "Is that... is it done?"
Kat felt like she was shaking, trembling from head to toe, a physical manifestation of all the energy and magic that had flown through her and throughout the room. She didn’t think that was actually the case, but had to look down at her hands to check. The only thing that was shaking was her breath and once she noticed it she was able to calm herself down enough that it sounded relatively normal. She swallowed, her throat so dry she was sure she could drink a gallon of water, then gave a small nod of her head. “Yeah, I… I’m okay,” she said as the energy continued to slowly drain out of her. It felt like she’d just come off an adrenaline high and was finally crashing. “Is that really it?” she asked, echoing her brother.
Shayna Mae knew that to them, it might have seemed simple, but her own body was starting to ache from the magic she had used. Blood magic, even from an animal, took its toll. Still, she smiled at them and nodded, finally releasing their hands. Her own had begun to tremble too much. "He shouldn't be able to invade your dreams anymore. That should last until we can find a way to get rid of him completely." Shayna Mae looked at Gavin, her head tilting in an assessing way before she turned away and rooted through some of her jars. Finally she found what she was looking for and turned to offer it to him. It was similar to what she had given Kat, but very different in its potency. Shayna Mae generally didn't give it away for free, but sometimes it was hard to ignore the empathy she had inherited from her father. "You don't need much... less than a teaspoon, really. Rub it into your shoulder before you go to bed every night. I promise it'll help."
"Thank you," Gavin said and while he didn't stutter, he almost felt like he did, like the words were stilted and weird in his mouth. He accepted the jar, focused on breathing and getting his shit together, not at all sure how to handle this onslaught of emotions. It didn't feel right to discuss money right now, maybe he could talk to Max about that later or something but in the moment it felt like a dirty thing to bring up during something sacred. He did want to pay her, but talking about it felt wrong. The intensity was dulling a bit now and Shayna Mae looked tired suddenly, small again as if a glamor was wearing off. "You uh... You will always have a friend in the Lucas family," he mumbled awkwardly, glancing over at the other people in the room as if just remembering they were there again. "If you need anything..."
Kat didn’t know if there was anything she could offer that would even come close to what Shayna Mae had just done for them. The services she could offer in return were laughable. Money seemed inadequate, though it was definitely the easiest. Words didn’t seem like enough, but she offered them anyway. She was certain they’d just saved her life. “Thank you,” she said, aware she was echoing her brother, but it did nothing to diminish her sincerity. “Please, let us know if you ever need anything. And how much we owe you.” She looked at her brother, then the others, unsure on this point. They probably should have discussed it first, but the situation felt so dire she’d wanted to get right into it.
"Let's make sure it works first," Shayna Mae said with a small, tired smile. It would work, she was already positive of that. But she wanted Kat and Gavin to see and feel it for themselves first. Payment didn't necessary involve money, so she would give it a few days to decide what she could use. Right now she could feel some of the magic's backlash start to spark down her spine, leaving behind tendrils of discomfort. A dull throb had begun between her brows and she placed both hands on the work table to keep herself upright. "You have my number if you need anything else, or have any questions... Max can walk you out, if that's okay."
Max knew better than to fret over his sister, he'd leave the caretaking to Knox, but he still patted her back lightly as he joined them from his place by the wall. "I got it from here," he murmured, gesturing at the door for Gavin and Kat. "You can call me if you've got questions," he added, just in case Shayna Mae needed rest. No need for her to get woken up if it was something Knox or Aidan could answer.
Gavin nodded, staring at Shayna Mae for a moment before tearing his gaze away. She looked exhausted and he almost asked if she was okay but it felt wrong to try to engage her further. There were three men in the room that cared about her, they would take care of her and it was none of his damn business. He was the one who led the way out of the room, turning and gently taking Kat's arm when they were out. "You good?" he asked quietly, like they were exchanging secrets.
“Thank you,” Kat said softly, speaking one last time to Shayna Mae before following Gavin and Max out of the room. She didn’t know much about magic, but it was clear to her that the spell had taken its toll on Shayna Mae in some way. A part of her felt bad for asking so much from her, but if it saved their lives, then it would be worth it. “I’m good,” she told Gavin quietly, giving her brother’s arm a squeeze. “That was intense.” More than she’d expected, but she hadn’t known what to expect to begin with.
"Yeah, I don't usually stay for this stuff," Max replied and while he had grown up with it, it always seemed intense and weird to him. He did love the results though, all the delicious drugs and alcohol his siblings procured, the remedies his dad had given him anytime he got sick as a kid. It was a weird love-hate relationship he had with the occult. "But you know, for Caden's family. You're in totally good hands, you'll be safe now." He paused, glancing between them. "Did you feel it? When she cast the spell?"
“I did,” Kat said softly. “I couldn’t tell what it was doing, but I could feel it in the air. Like… like when you can sense it’s going to rain, except different.” She didn’t really know how to explain it, having never felt anything similar before. If all magic felt like that, Kat thought she would have known if it was going on around her, but she had the feeling that this was a bigger spell that most. It had clearly taken a toll on Shayna Mae, so she couldn’t imagine she’d do that kind of magic often. Or, at least, she hoped not.
"Don't think I've ever had magic aimed right at me before," Gavin said as he nodded and clearly they'd felt it very differently. He fished out a cigarette to calm his nerves and he couldn't help but check to see if the world felt different to him somehow. The air felt fresh and he felt some kind of relief but for all he knew it was just a placebo effect.
"Wild, huh?" Max said and gave them a crooked smile. "Listen, I've no idea what she'll wanna charge you so I'll get back to you with that one, okay? It'll be fair, that's all I can promise. My sister's a good person."
Gavin nodded but truly, if this thing worked he'd take out a loan if he had to to pay for it. It was hard to put a price on getting his life saved.He thought of the other people he'd told about all of this and wondered if Shayna Mae could even perform this kind of spell again soon but it didn't seem like that was in Max's wheelhouse so he figured he should talk to her directly.
"Can you ask her to call me? When she feels better?" he asked.
"I can do that," Max replied and then smiled at Kat. "Good to see you back in town, Kat. Sorry the town wasn't more welcoming."
“Thanks,” Kat said with a little laugh. “It’s pretty much what I expected. Just… didn’t expect it so fast. I’ll forever wonder if he’d have come after me if I’d stayed away.” Nothing like this had ever happened when she’d been gone and it made her wonder if the Dark Man could only reach so far. But then, she’d never heard of anyone being attacked in dreams before either. It was impossible to know what might have been, so she tried not to dwell on it, especially now that she thought they might have finally escaped. “I was always going to come back for something though. Too much family here to stay away. Thank your sister again. I know this was a big ask.”
Max had done a decent enough job of staying away until he was arrested but go figure he was arrested by a Point Pleasant native even far away as he had been. It felt like twisted fate and now he was back and everything had been pretty fucked up ever since. He was pretty sure by now that at least half the population of the town was cursed somehow, if not everyone. It was a pity Kat seemed to be one of them, he'd always liked her and hell, the only reason he hadn't ever flirted with her was because she was a Lucas. Even now he felt like Gavin was giving him a Look if he smiled at her for too long so he stepped back and clucked his tongue. "Yeah, just happy it helped. You drive back safe now."
Max was seeing things because Gavin's mind was elsewhere as he smoked and checked his phone. Not that he'd want Max anywhere near his little sister, he just didn't even consider it a risk at this point. "See you later, Max. Thanks for this," he murmured and as they walked to the car and Max headed to the house, he nudged Kat gently. "You okay to go home?"
Kat gave Max a smile and a little wave, her eyes lingering longer than they probably should. Max was hot, but he was the kind of guy she knew to stay away from–not that that had ever stopped her, but she tried. Looking never hurt though. Her attention snapped to Gavin as they climbed in the car and she found herself nodding, surprised at how eager she was to climb into her own bed. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I think I’m finally ready to go to sleep.” As wound up as she as from participating in the spell, she could feel the exhaustion starting to set in. Without fear to keep her away, she’d crash as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Gavin was tired too but unlike his sister he wasn't ready to sleep just yet. He figured he'd have a beer, kiss on his woman a little and then maybe consider risking sleep. He couldn't blame Kat though and he gave her a little smile once he was settled in the driver's seat. "Alright, kid," he murmured. "Let's go get some rest, we deserve it." He considered briefly to insist Kat come sleep on the couch or something, but there wasn't much peace in the common areas of his house at the best of times so it wasn't the best offer. He just had to believe this magic would work, it was all they had.