Amanda stood staring at Hekate saying nothing and just blinking quickly at her. Ollie on the other hand, who had been cradling his stomach, stormed within arms reach of her. He stopped short however when he looked into Hekate's eyes, his jaw clenched in anger but he didn't advance any closer.
"Ollie I know you have questions, you should have questions, but let me ease some of your concerns," Hekate reached out to place a hand against his ribs and he stepped back quickly viciously shaking his head.
"Don't touch me," he said through clenched teeth.
Hekate held up her hand, "It's okay, I am only going to ease some of the pain Eros caused," she reached out again, Ollie tensed but didn't step out of her reach again. She placed her warm hand against his ribs were cracked if his wheezing was any indication. She removed her hand and he took a smooth deep breath, meanwhile, Amanda continued staring wordlessly at her. Hekate smiled softly and approached her.
"Are you alright?" she asked taking the woman's shaking hands. Amanda nodded and moved her lips but no sound came out.
"Let's sit down and I will try to answer as many of your questions as possible, but please keep in mind I am still a little bit tired from all of that," she waved vaguely with her hands, "And our fight against those demon twins."
"D-d-d-demon twins?" Amanda stuttered finally finding her voice.
"Yes, well no they aren't demons in the way you are thinking," Hekate said trying to correct herself, "They are just evil gods, and also the sons of the god who I have been hiding from."
"Yeah, Kate already told us your sad story," Ollie had a sarcastic edge to her voice, "I want to know where she is and why she would get involved in something like this?"
Hekate sighed, "If she told you everything then you know I have been with her family for a very long time."
Ollie narrowed his eyes, "You didn't answer my first question, where is she?"
Hekate pointed to her head, "She is still here, in fact, she will be back in control very shortly, we may share this body but it is still hers."
His eyes narrowed waiting, when nothing happened he threw his hands up exasperated, "Well?"
Hekate rolled her eyes then closed them falling back and Kate fell back in control.
"Why were you being so rude, Ollie? She saved our asses and you have to act as though you don't trust her, what is your problem?"
Amanda laughed, giddy jumping up from the table and wrapping her arms around her in a tight bear hug.
"Kate....that was the most insane thing I have ever been a part of and I partied hard in college!" She pulled away and smacked Kate on the shoulder, "I can't believe you never told me any of this, I thought we were friends!"
"Ow!" Kate rubbed her arm, "What would you have said if I had told you in college that my family had a patron goddess that could one day possibly inhabit my body?" she asked raising her eyebrows.
Amanda nodded, "Okay I get your point but seriously what are you going to do, it seems like that woman...what was her name again?" Kate thought for a moment, she had called herself Venus but when Hekate had spoken to her she had called her Aphrodite.
"She may call herself Venus but that crazy witch is Aphrodite," the Maiden said in disgust.
"Hekate says to call her Aphrodite, even if she wants to be known as Venus, which makes sense to me as most people know her by that name not her Roman counterpart."
"Are we really talking about her name right now?" Ollie asked, "That woman tried to kill you because as she claims you maimed her sons and you want to make sure we get her name right?" He stood and dug his hands in his pockets, "This shit is crazy Kate, and you seem to just want us to accept it and move on." His eyes met hers and she was hurt to see distrust there.
"I know this is a lot to take in, but I am still me Ollie, I am still Kate the owner of this coffee shop, and your friend," she said waving around the cafe.
"I want to believe that Kate," he quit pacing and sat down across from her and Amand, but when Kate reached to take his hand he flinched and she pulled away.
"But I don't know if this is something I can or want to be a part of."
It felt like he had thrown his punch to her middle, she felt like she was going to be sick, this, this was the reason she had never wanted to tell her friends about Hekate or magick or any of it. She knew some people wouldn't be able to handle it.
She took a deep breath, exhaling and trying to let go of the hurt she felt, "I understand Ollie, and if this is something neither of you want to be a part of then you can leave, I can get Cassandra back myself."
"Cassandra, right? Is she the prisoner Aphrodite was talking about?" Amanda finally spoke up, she had been watching the two of them quietly.
"Yeah, it's a long story but she was technically Hekate's prisoner many years ago."
"Don't think I have forgotten about all of that Hekate," Kate thought, "You still have a lot to answer for."
"It was not what you think Kate," the Maiden said softly, "Cassandra was our friend."
"Such a great friend that when you ran you left her there."
"It wasn't like that child, there is so much more to it than even Cassandra knew," the Mother spoke up.
"Earth to Kate! Hello Kate?" Ollie said snapping his fingers in front of her face.
Kate blushed, "I am so sorry, I was talking to Hekate up here," she pointed to her head. Ollie leaned back and just studied her. Amanda on the other hand...
"So you can speak to each other in your mind, what's it like?"
Kate thought for a moment, "It's like.... having a protector, a friend, and a family all living inside my head. We may not always agree on everything but we know we have each other if not anyone else." She eyed Ollie who was staying suspiciously quiet.
"Ollie, I never wanted to bring you into this, it was never my plan but when Cassandra was taken I needed to be sure you and Amanda were safe. Especially after....." she trailed off. She had been going back and forth about whether she should tell him it was Hera and Aphrodite who had ordered that weird cake from him, but if she wanted to keep him safe she was going to have to tell him everything.
"Especially after what?"
"Do you remember that weird cake order, the peacock and shell?" His eyes went distant as he remembered, he nodded. "That cake was a warning from Hera to me, she was letting me know she knew who you were and that you were important to me. It was a threat."
His eyes widened, "That.....that woman was not the woman who ordered that cake from me. The woman who ordered the cake was just as tall and beautiful, but she had long auburn hair and a very serious face, almost like a pissed-off librarian."
"That must have been Hera," Kate said thinking, "And she has Cassandra," she got up and began pacing. If Hera had ordered that cake she would have known Kate would find out, and if Kate knew so did Hekate. She would have given Ollie some way of contacting her when the order was finished. She spun to Ollie, "Did she leave an address for delivery?"
He shook his head, "No, but she did leave a number."
"Ollie, I need that number, it might help me to find Cassandra."
"I do, but it's back at the bakery in my papers, I'll have to go find it."
"Please Ollie, this is important, I have a feeling she left that number just in case she was able to find a way to get me to come to her."
He nodded and got to his feet, he walked past her hesitating but not stopping, "I'll call as soon as I find it." He was out the door the next instant.
Amanda sighed, "Okay so while he is doing that what do we do?"
Kate thought she had no idea how to find Cassandra if Ollie wasn't able to find that number.
"There is a way, if she left anything of hers behind we could scry for her," the Crone said, still sounding tired.
"We need to go back to my place, I need to reinfuse my protections and runes and we need to see if Cassandra left anything behind when she was taken. Hekate has an idea of how we can find her."
Amanda jumped up and grabbed her jacket and purse, "Let's go then."
Kate smiled, she could always count on Amanda.