Chapter 2: Mai's Solution to Everything
The door slammed open hard enough to crack the frame.
Beth stood in the entrance, her chest heaving, her face the color of old paper. Marty was right behind her, one hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes wide with something that looked a lot like terror.
The room went silent. Not the comfortable silence of friends who knew each other's rhythms, but the dead silence of a held breath. Mandy looked up from her laptop. Ben sat forward on the couch. Mai stopped mid-stretch on the floor. Bruce's wrench went still in his hands.
Jess, still by the window, was the first to move. She crossed the room in three long strides, her Wand training evident in every step.
"What happened?"
Beth didn't answer. She just held out the crumpled envelope, her hand trembling so hard the paper rattled like a trapped moth.
Mandy took it. Read it. Her face went through a series of expressions—confusion, disbelief, and then something cold and hard that none of her friends saw very often.
"Shiv," she said. The name came out flat. "They have Shiv."
"What?" Ben was on his feet now. "That's—no. No way. Shiv is—"
"The strongest witch in Miami," Mandy finished. "I know. That's what makes this so bad."
She passed the note to Felicity, who read it with growing horror. Bruce took it next, his jaw tightening. Mai read it last, her usual irrepressible energy draining away with each word.
The note made its way back to Mandy, who smoothed it flat on the coffee table. Five sentences. A symbol. A threat.
The pi sign at the bottom seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, sharp and aggressive and wrong.
"Come alone," Jess read over Mandy's shoulder. "That's not happening."
"Obviously."
"We need to call the Order. The Golden Wands have resources—"
"We're not calling anyone yet." Mandy's voice was sharp. "Not until we know what we're dealing with. If Shiv's been taken, then someone knows things they shouldn't. Someone's been watching."
The silence stretched. Outside, the ocean whispered against the shore, indifferent to the crisis unfolding in the beach house.
Beth sank onto the arm of the couch, her whole body shaking. Marty hovered beside her, uncertain what to do, his hand hovering near her shoulder but not quite touching.
"I can't—" Beth's voice cracked. "She's family. She's my family. And someone just—"
"Hey." Marty finally touched her, his fingers gentle on her arm. "We're going to find her. Okay? We're going to figure this out."
"How? How are we supposed to figure anything out when we don't even know who took her or why?"
"We know why." Mandy held up the note. "The Consortium 2.0. They want me to stop asking questions. This is their way of making sure I do."
"So what do we do? Just give up? Let them have Shiv?"
Mandy's eyes flickered. "No. But we need to be smart about this. We need to plan."
"Plan." Beth laughed, the sound bitter and broken. "Right. Plan. While Shiv is out there somewhere with those—"
"I'm going to say something."
Every head turned to Mai.
She was standing now, her bare feet planted on the hardwood floor, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. There was something in her expression that none of them had seen before. Not humor. Not mischief. Something older. Something wilder.
"We're all sitting here panicking," Mai said. "And I get it. I do. Shiv is—she's amazing. She's family. And the idea of someone taking her, hurting her, it makes me want to burn the whole city down."
"So what's your point?" Beth asked.
"My point is that we're not thinking clearly. We're scared and angry and we're going to make mistakes." Mai reached for the hem of her tank top. "And I know exactly how to fix that."
She pulled the shirt over her head.
Underneath, she was wearing nothing. Her breasts—full, round, the kind of breasts that had made her livestream channel a minor sensation—swung free in the dim light of the living room.
Ben made a strangled sound and looked away. Bruce coughed. Jess's eyebrows went up.
Mandy just sighed.
"Mai," she said. "Really?"
"Really." Mai kicked off her shorts. She wasn't wearing anything under those either. "A good hard fuck is the best way to clear heads. You know this. I know this. We all know this."
"It's your answer to everything."
"Because it works for everything." Mai grinned, but there was a sharpness to it, a determined edge. "Come on, Mandy. You've been staring at that laptop for six hours. Beth looks like she's about to have a heart attack. Ben's so tense he's practically vibrating. You know I'm right."
"I know you're impossible."
"I know I'm right. Those aren't mutually exclusive."
Mandy looked at her friend—naked, unashamed, utterly certain—and felt something loosen in her chest. Mai was right. She hated admitting it, but Mai was right. They'd been spiraling, feeding off each other's fear, and they needed to break the cycle.
"You realize this is insane."
"I realize it's necessary." Mai held out her hand. "Now stop being a prude and get naked. Everyone."
"I'm not a prude."
"You're arguing instead of fucking. Close enough."
The room seemed to hold its breath. Then, to everyone's surprise, Felicity stood up.
She was blushing. Bright, crimson, from the roots of her blonde hair to the collar of her shirt. Her hands were shaking slightly, and her blue eyes were fixed on the floor.
But she stood.
"You know what?" Felicity's voice was soft, but steady. "I think you're right."
"Flick—" Bruce started.
"I mean, it sounds crazy. It is crazy. But we're all sitting here drowning in our own anxiety, and that's not helping anyone." She looked up, meeting Mandy's gaze. "Shiv is out there. We need to find her. But we can't do that if we're all falling apart."
"Exactly!" Mai beamed. "See? Felicity gets it."
"Felicity has also been corrupted by you."
"I prefer 'enlightened.'"
Beth watched this exchange with a kind of numb disbelief. Her sister's best friend was standing in the middle of the living room, fully clothed but clearly about to change that. And Felicity—quiet, scholarly Felicity who blushed when someone said the word "penis"—was nodding along.
"You're all insane," Beth said.
"We're all stressed," Mai corrected. "And stress is best relieved through orgasms. This is basic science."
"It's really not," Mandy said.
"Says the woman who's been known to relieve her own stress three times before breakfast."
"That's—that's not relevant."
"It's completely relevant. Now come on." Mai reached for the hem of Beth's shirt. "You first. You need it the most."
Beth should have said no. Should have pushed Mai away, insisted they get back to planning, solving, doing something useful. Instead, she found herself lifting her arms, letting Mai pull the shirt over her head.
The fabric whispered against her skin. She heard Marty's sharp intake of breath.
"This is nuts," she murmured.
"This is therapy." Mai unhooked Beth's bra with practiced efficiency. "Trust me."
And Beth did.
The bra hit the floor. Somewhere behind her, she heard Marty's sharp intake of breath. Then his hands were on her shoulders, warm and calloused, and she was leaning back against him.
"You sure?" he asked.
"No." She turned to face him. "But I want to be. Does that count?"
Marty answered by kissing her.
It wasn't gentle. It wasn't tentative. It was the kiss of someone who had been scared and was now desperate to feel something other than fear. Beth melted into him, her hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer.
Mai was already working on Felicity, who was blushing furiously but not resisting as her own clothes were peeled away. Bruce stood frozen for a moment, clearly torn between his usual shyness and the very obvious invitation in Felicity's eyes.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," Mandy muttered. "Ben. Help him."
Ben was already shirtless. He crossed the room in three quick strides and kissed Bruce squarely on the mouth.
"I—" Bruce sputtered. "I don't—"
"Shh." Ben's hand descended to the bulge in Bruce's jeans. "Less talking. More of this."
Bruce's response was lost in a groan.
Jess stood apart from the chaos, her charcoal suit still immaculate. She watched the others undress, her expression unreadable.
Mandy approached her.
"You don't have to," Mandy said quietly.
"I know."
"I mean it. This isn't—we're not expecting—"
"I know." Jess's voice was soft. "But I want to."
"You do?"
"I spend most of my life trying to be invisible. Blend in. Not stand out." Jess's hand came up, cupping Mandy's cheek. "It's exhausting. Being here, with you and Ben—it's the only time I feel like I can breathe."
Mandy leaned into her touch. "Then stay. Breathe."
Jess kissed her.
And the room dissolved into a tangle of limbs and heat.
---
The first orgasm was Felicity's.
She came with her back against the wall, Bruce's head between her legs, his tongue doing things that made her knees weak. Her fingers tangled in his hair, her thighs trembling on his shoulders, and when it finally hit, she screamed loud enough to rattle the windows.
"That's it," Mai purred. "Let it out."
Felicity didn't have the breath to reply.
Ben had Mandy bent over the coffee table, his cock buried deep inside her, each thrust sending papers and empty coffee cups skittering across the surface. Mandy's knuckles were white where she gripped the edge, her breath coming in sharp, desperate gasps.
"Fuck," she hissed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck—"
"That's the idea," Ben growled.
Marty had Beth on the floor, her legs wrapped around his waist, his rhythm fast and hard and exactly what she needed. Beth's eyes were closed, her head thrown back, her body arching into his with each thrust.
"Don't stop," she begged. "Please don't stop."
"I wouldn't dare."
Mai watched them all with a satisfied smile. This was what she'd needed. Not just the sex—although yes, the sex was excellent—but the release. The tension bleeding out of the room like poison from a wound.
Jess was beside her, still half-dressed, her charcoal jacket hanging open, her shirt unbuttoned. Mai reached over and pushed the jacket off her shoulders.
"You're thinking too much," Mai said.
"I'm always thinking."
"Then stop." Mai kissed her. "I'll help."
She pushed Jess down onto the couch and climbed on top of her. Jess's body was incredible—lean and athletic, the kind of body that came from years of physical training and magical discipline. Mai ran her hands over it reverently.
"God, you're gorgeous."
"I'm supposed to say thank you."
"You're supposed to stop talking."
Mai kissed her way down Jess's torso, pausing to suck on each nipple, enjoying the way Jess squirmed beneath her. Then lower. Across the flat plane of her stomach. Lower still.
When Mai's tongue found Jess's clit, Jess made a sound that was half-moan, half-sob.
"That's it," Mai murmured against her flesh. "Let go."
She worked Jess with her mouth and fingers, bringing her to the edge and then pulling back, again and again, until Jess was practically begging.
"Please," Jess gasped. "Please, Mai, I need—"
"I know what you need."
Mai slid two fingers inside her, curling them just right, and Jess shattered.
Across the room, Beth came for the second time, her body shuddering against Marty's. He followed a moment later, his face buried in her neck, his grip on her hips bruising and perfect.
And then Ben was pulling Mandy up, turning her around, kissing her with a fierceness that made her heart stutter. Her legs were still trembling, her knees barely holding her up.
"I love you," he murmured against her lips.
"I know."
"Say it back."
Mandy smiled. "I love you too. Even when you're a pain in my ass."
"Is that a yes to round two?"
"Give me five minutes."
Someone laughed. The sound was strange in the aftermath of all that heat—light and free and almost normal.
Beth lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling, her body still humming with endorphins. Marty was beside her, one hand resting on her stomach, his breath slowly evening out.
She felt... better. Pliant. Loose.
And strangely, almost painfully calm.
"You know," she said. "I hate to admit it, but I think Mai was right."
"I heard that!" Mai's voice came from somewhere behind the couch.
"Of course you did."
"A good hard fuck really does clear the head."
Beth rolled onto her side to look at her sister. Mandy was sitting up now, running her fingers through her tangled hair, looking more relaxed than she had in weeks.
"Don't say it," Mandy warned.
"I wasn't going to say anything."
"You were thinking it."
"I was thinking that you should never tell Mom and Dad about this."
Mandy snorted. "Trust me. They don't need to know."
Her phone rang.
The sound cut through the room like a knife. Everyone froze. Mandy's phone rang.
She was still naked, still sprawled on the floor, her discarded clothes somewhere under a pile of pillows and discarded clothes. She scrambled to find it, crawling over Ben, shoving Bruce aside.
The phone was under Mai's shirt.
She grabbed it up and glanced at the screen. A holographic image solidified in the air above the phone, flickering in the dim light.
It was Calista. Behind the wheel of the van. Her silver hair was a disaster, and there was a smear of grease on her cheek that did nothing to diminish her beauty.
"Hey," Calista said. "We're about four hours out. Everything okay there?"
Katrina appeared in the frame, leaning over from the passenger seat. Her grey eyes went wide when she saw Mandy.
"Why is everyone naked?" She demanded. "Every time I go to the beach house, everyone is naked."
Mandy heard Calista laugh off screen. "This is only your second visit."
"That's not the point."
"That's exactly the point."
Mandy exchanged a glance with Beth, who was pulling her shirt over her head with hurried, clumsy fingers. A matching smile flickered across both their faces.
"Long story," Mandy said. "Right now—"
She stopped. Her expression shifted as she noticed something else on her screen.
"Oh," Mandy said. "Hang on. There's another call. It's Mom and Dad."
She put Calista on hold, then answered the second call. Two holographic images now flickered in the air above the coffee table, side by side.
One was Calista and Katrina. The other was Mike and Casey Williamson.
Mike appeared first. Silver-streaked brown hair, kind face, glasses perched on his nose. He was wearing his usual button down shirt, his own slight paunch clear; a sight that always made Mandy miss Sunday dinners back home.
He took one look at his daughter and immediately looked away.
"Bug," he said, his voice strained. "Are you—is that—"
Behind him, Casey leaned into frame. Dark-haired and plump in the way of a woman happily married for over twenty years, she took in the scene with a single glance and burst out laughing.
"Mandy," Casey chuckled. "Are you getting enough to eat? You look thin."
"Mom—"
"I'm serious. You're working too hard. I can see it in your face."
Mike made a strangled sound. "Casey. Our daughter is—she's not wearing any—"
"I raised her to be body positive, Mike. Don't be a prude."
"I'm not being a prude! I'm being a father!"
Mandy's face was burning. She grabbed a throw pillow and held it over her lap, as if that would help, and it occurred to her that her father had probably seen more of her in the last thirty seconds than he had since high school.
"Dad. Can you just—I can call you back—"
"No, no, we wanted to check in." Mike was very carefully staring at a point just above Mandy's left shoulder. "We heard from Calista about the truck stop incident. We wanted to make sure you were all right."
"We're fine. We're—" Mandy glanced around the room at her friends, her lovers, her sister. Ben was trying to pull on his shorts without standing up. Mai had found her shirt and was lying on the floor, giggling. Felicity was wrapped in a blanket, her face the color of a tomato.
"We're fine," Mandy repeated. "Just—dealing with things."
"I can see that," Casey said, her tone warm and knowing. "Listen, Mandy. The truck stop. The creature with the pi symbol. This is serious."
"We know."
"The old Consortium used symbols as messages," Mike said, finally meeting Mandy's eyes—though he kept his gaze carefully fixed above her chin. "They wanted people to know they were back. They were threatening. Intimidating. It was part of their strategy."
"Pi is a weird choice for shorthand for 'Consortium'," Mandy said. "It'll confuse the authorities. We'll keep it under wraps."
"It's not just weird, it's—wait a minute." Mike squinted. "Is that Marty? And Beth?"
Beth, who had managed to pull her jeans back on but not her bra, waved weakly from the floor. "Hi, Dad."
Mike closed his eyes. "I know we raised you to be body positive and all, but a little warning next time, please? I need to bleach the inside of my head."
"Sorry, Dad."
Casey laughed again and patted Mike's belly. "You're one to talk. Someone's been enjoying my baking a little too much."
"I have not."
"Your waistline disagrees."
"Your waistline has no room to talk."
"You're right." Casey kissed his cheek. "That's why I love you."
Calista and Katrina were still on the other line, watching the chaos unfold with expressions of barely contained glee. Calista had pulled over to the side of the road, the van's engine idling, and she was shaking so hard with suppressed laughter that the holographic image flickered.
"I think," Mandy said, "I should probably get dressed."
"That might be wise," Mike agreed.
"We'll call you back in ten minutes. We have a lot to talk about."
"Ten minutes," Casey said. "And Mandy? Eat something. You look thin."
"I'm not thin."
"You're not eating enough. Mothers know these things."
Mandy hung up before her mother could start listing her suspected nutritional deficiencies.
Calista was still on the line. She had stopped laughing, and her golden eyes were serious now.
"Mandy," she said. "The thing at the truck stop. It wasn't just random. It was targeting us."
"What do you mean?"
"It knew we were coming. It was waiting." Calista paused. "I think someone's tracking us. And I think they wanted to send a message."
"A message like the note?"
"Worse. They wanted us to know they could get to anyone. Anytime. Anywhere."
Mandy looked at the phone in her hand, at the sharp image of the pi symbol burned into her memory, at her friends and sister and lovers scattered around the room like the aftermath of a storm.
She made a decision.
"Calista," she said. "Get here as fast as you can. We need all hands on deck."
"We're already driving."
"As fast as you can."
Calista nodded. "See you soon, sis."
The line went dead.
Mandy stood up, found her clothes, and started getting dressed. Her movements were methodical, deliberate. The shock was fading now, replaced by something harder and colder. Determination. Purpose.
Beth was watching her.
"What are we going to do?" Beth asked.
"We're going to find Shiv," Mandy said. "And we're going to make whoever took her regret it."
"How?"
Mandy zipped her jeans and grabbed her laptop.
"I have a few ideas."
The room was quiet now, the last vestiges of heat and laughter fading into something more serious. But there was a new energy in the air. A new focus.
The night was still young.
And there was work to do.
---
Calista sat in the driver's seat of the van, her phone dark, her mind churning. Beside her, Katrina was scrolling through her own phone, checking the news, checking for any sign of unusual activity.
"Do you think we're ready for this?"
Calista glanced at her. "Ready for what?"
"For whatever's coming." Katrina looked up. "I spent thirty years in a void, Calista. I thought I understood the world. But every day with you, with your family—it's like learning to see all over again."
Calista started the engine. "We're never going to be ready. Not really. But that's not going to stop us."
"No?"
"No." Calista smiled, and there was fire in her eyes. "We're Williamsons. We don't back down. We don't give up. And we sure as hell don't let anyone mess with our family." She pressed the gas. "Now hold on. We've got a long way to go and no time to waste."
The van pulled back onto the highway, gathering speed as it headed toward the neon glow of Miami. Behind them, the dark pines dissolved into the night, taking their secrets with them.
Ahead—somewhere in the city below—a new threat was already waiting.
But it would have to take its chances.
The Williamsons were coming.
And they weren't coming alone.