Back at the cabin, it takes all of us to haul Griff inside. We dump him on the king-sized bed in the master bedroom, then go back to the van to get Cassie.
“Is the van...glowing?” Tamika asks.
The logo on the side is brighter, more vibrant, and the door opens automatically. “What’s happening?” I ask.
“I don’t think I’m high...but I could be wrong,” Shauna says.
“I’m definitely high,” Cassie says between sniffles. “But I might be coming down.” She falls out of the van onto the ground.
“Shit! Cassie!” I rush forward. “Let’s get her in the cabin.” Tina and Shauna reach down and pick her up, carrying her inside. “Make sure she has water,” I yell after them.
“I’m not a babysitter,” Tina mumbles.
I’ll check on Cassie in a second, but first, I approach the van. It flashes its lights at me.
“What the…?”
Tamika appears at my side. “I think these are the repercussions of my spell and us driving the van through the portal.” She reaches out to touch the door handle but the horn honks and she drops her arm. “I think the van is sentient.”
“No freaking way.” I lean in. “Hi, um, Van. Can you...um...hear me?” I feel like an idiot talking to a vehicle, but the van flashes its lights. “Holy shit.” I reach out and touch the hood, and I get another flash of lights. “I think it likes me…” I start to say before there’s a terrible honking.
“What did I do…?”
But it wasn’t me who upset the man. It was trying to warn me. A prick of pain on my shoulder and suddenly I can’t move. “Tamika,” I growl between clenched teeth. She reaches out her arm, puppeting me to do the same.
“Now, I’m going to touch your bracelet to my collar,” she whispers, her breath hot in my ear. “And you’re going to take it off me. Then you’re going to stomp on it until it’s totally and completely destroyed. If you don’t, I will make you do horrible things to your friends in there.” Her eyes flick to the cabin.
“Yes. Okay, fine,” I say.
Just then, the van opens its door, slapping Tamika. In the moment of release, I grab Mr. Freeze and shoot her. She screeches and drops to the ground, her eyes rolling back in her head. I rush to her and wipe the blood from her arm, then grab the stiletto knife she’d stabbed me with.
“Everything good here?” Tina asks from behind me. I turn to look at her. Shauna, in her pixie form, perches on Tina’s shoulder.
“Let’s see, the van is alive. Tamika just tried to escape. Cassie is on drugs. Griff wants to kill me. The mission failed.” I look Tina in the eyes. “Everything is very much NOT good.”
Tina holds up her hands, “Okay, Mavis. Okay.” She walks forward and Shauna flits off her shoulder, going back to her regular size. Tina takes the stun gun from my hand and puts it back in my holster. “We’ve all had a long day. Let’s regroup tomorrow.”
I nod, and fumble with my bra, taking out the pills. I throw one in my mouth. I add another one for good measure. I start to feel better, more in control. I’m about to pop a third when Tina stops me.
“I think that’s about enough,” Tina says. Shauna reaches out and plucks the pill from my hand, popping it in her mouth.
“What?” she asks, her pink pigtails bobbing. “Why waste good drugs?”
Drugs. “Cassie,” I say.
“Trevor’s watching her. When she starts going through withdrawal, he’ll let me know. We’ll keep her alive and safe,” she says.
“Greg should know. I’ll call him,” I say. I’m getting back to myself.
“Oh that’s a great idea. Call Cassie’s boyfriend. I’m sure he’ll be so happy to hear from you after you incited a riot so you could help several of his worst prisoners escape. I’m sure he would never use any of the information you give him to help the harpies hunt us down and put every single one of us behind bars. Forever.” Tina’s voice fairly drips with sarcasm.
I don’t have it in me to fight Tina right now, and to be honest, I wasn’t all that keen on having a chat with Greg, what with the whole rioting and escaping thing. “Fine,” I say. “I won’t call him.”
“What should we do with her?” Shauna asks, giving Tamika a little kick. She groans and Shauna gives her another kick.
“It was my fault. I forgot to turn everyone’s collars back on.” I reach down, rub my wrist, and turn everyone’s collar back on.
“Oh man,” Shauna says. She looks down at Tamika. “Why did you have to ruin it for everyone?!” She puncuates every word with a kick to Tamika’s torso.
“That’s enough, she’s just a normal person again,” I tell them.
“Yeah, a normal person who likes to stab people,” Tina says.
“Fair point.”
“Creepy Human’s First prepper guy has a cage in the basement,” Shauna offers.
“Of course he does.” I shake my head.
She nods. “It’s def big enough for a person. It’s prob for capturing shifters.” Shauna shrugs. “I think he might actually be a serial killer.”
“Okay, let’s get the witch into the cage.” I pause. How is this my life?
Mac appears from the cabin doorway. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t ask,” Tina tells him. “Just grab her feet and help us lug her downstairs.”
Alone outside, I let myself gulp in big breathes of air. But I’m not alone. I place a hand on the van. “Thank you for helping me,” I tell it.
It flashes its lights. “Sorry about the portal stuff. I didn’t realize...I mean, I guess I shouldn’t apologize for your existence.” I rest my head on the cool metal door. “Thank you again, Van.”
I give the vehicle one last pat, then head to the side of the cabin. I’ve got murderers, drug addicts, and sexed up supes to deal with in there. And I still haven’t found Edie.