How Soon Is Now

Part One - Chapter Twenty-Four: The Murder Case

Nicola frowned looking at the mutilated body of a woman, she looked at Alex Morris who was watching her intently as he waited for her to speak; he had asked her here for some help in solving the woman’s murder.

“What do you expect me to do?” Nicola asked pulling her embellished tassel kimono tighter to her body, there was a slight chill in the March air and she wanted nothing more than to head home to Fernando.

It had been a month since Fernando had returned, she had been asleep next to her whitelighter boyfriend when Alex had called her; he had needed her help but she hadn’t expected this.

“Get a vision maybe… we’re completely stumped,” Alex suggested hopefully, he needed Nicola’s help and it wouldn’t be the first time that he had asked her for help; he was in-line for a promotion and he needed it.

Nicola wrinkled her nose in disgusted that would mean that she had to touch the body, something that she truly didn’t want to do but she knew that she couldn’t turn Alex down.

Nicola took one last glance at Alex, before she sighed and carefully moved towards the body; she really didn’t want to touch it but she had no choice if she wanted a vision relevant to the murder.

Nicola swallowed trying to keep herself from throwing up as she touched the body allowing a vision fill her mind of the murder that had taken place.

Nicola watched as the woman was attacked and strangled by a man that clearly had no connections to the human world, she felt sick as she saw him assault the poor woman when she fainted; her mind unable to hold onto the vision for longer.

Nicola wasn’t unconscious for long and before she knew it, she found herself looking into Fernando’s worried brown eyes while Alex stood quietly behind him staring shocked at the very alive man that he had thought was dead.

“What happened?” Fernando demanded helping Nicola back to her shaky feet, he looked annoyed at Alex who was still staring at him shocked; he had panicked when he had a felt her pass out.

Nicola shook her head trying to steady herself, she wanted nothing more than to forget what she had just seen; she closed her eyes feeling her stomach turn making her want to heave, she doubted that she would ever get used to seeing things like that.

“Fernando… you’re alive,” Alex whispered wondering what the hell was going on, he had watched the man being buried and he knew that Nicola had suffered so much when he had died; he felt angry that his friend had been forced to go through that for what seemed like nothing.

Fernando ignored Alex’s rambling as he checked his girlfriend over, he wasn’t happy about this not when they were stood in the middle of a murder scene; he held his tongue knowing arguing wouldn’t change anything.

“Just a headache,” Nicola reassured smiling up at Fernando weakly, he held her close trying to ease her mind by rubbing her temples; she doubted that he would relax until they were back home alone.

Alex spluttered for a moment before shaking his head, he knew that he really shouldn’t be surprised; this wasn’t the first time that something had shocked him and he doubted it would be the last with Nicola around.

“She was having a vision of the murder,” Alex explained deciding that it was better not to ask about what had happened; he knew that it was better if he didn’t know and he was sure that Nicola was okay with Fernando after what had happened.

Fernando glared at him before he cupped Nicola’s face making her look at him still concerned about what the vision might have done to her; she smiled softly at him as her headache slowly disappeared.

***

Nicola’s description of the murderer hadn’t been much help and Alex had gone to check the area’s CCTV to see if he could find the murderer; the window to find the murderer was slowly running out.

Nicola yawned laying back in bed with Fernando, her boyfriend stroking her arm softly as she started to fall asleep; since he had become a whitelighter, he had been given three chargers around the world to deal with and he was still getting used to the changes in his life.

Of course, Nicola would always come first and Fernando had reminded the Elders of this; it didn’t matter what was happening with his chargers, Nicola was his soul-mate and came first.

Fernando held back a curse as he looked down at his sleeping girlfriend, pressing a kiss to her head; he slipped out of bed careful not to disturb her as he did so.

“Where are you going?” Nicola asked opening her eyes as Fernando dressed so that he could leave, he didn’t want to show up at the call in a stage of undress; he should have known that she would wake up when he moved.

“One of my chargers needs me… I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Fernando muttered leaning over the bed and kissed her, he orbed out mid-kiss making Nicola smile softly as she curled back up into bed.

Nicola loved Fernando and didn’t know what she would do without him if he had never come back to her; yawning she hugged his pillow close for no reason but it smelt like him as she fell asleep.

Nicola was sure that Fernando would be home soon, they were still staying at the coven house since everyone thought that Fernando was dead and they couldn’t return to his home until they had corrected that.

It was a few hours later that she was awoken by a small argument in the hall outside of her room; Nicola frowned as she looked at the clock before she went to see what was going on.

Nicola raised an eyebrow at the sight of Marissa and Adrian arguing quietly as if they were trying not to wake her; she snorted at the idea since they had done so anyway and she doubted that they realised it.

“What’s the problem?” Nicola asked yawning slightly, she leant against the door frame and crossed her arms; she rubbed her eyes wanting nothing more than to rest for a little while longer.

Nicola had pulled a late shift the night before and Alex’s early morning call hadn’t helped her at all; she had the day off and wanted to use it to catch up on her sleep.

Adrian glared at his young sister who pulled her tongue at him before she smiled at Nicola, Marissa knew that they needed to speak with their coven leader and it was her that the message had arrived for.

“There’s been a demon attack in the magical realm,” Marissa replied looking at Nicola, the call had been urgent and they didn’t have time to waste; she watched as Nicola sighed moving to slip on her nude flat ballerina pumps that matched her white box top and dark wash skinny jeans.

Nicola stepped out of her room knowing that they would need to check it out; they couldn’t ignore a call for help and she wasn’t about to start now, they needed to head out as quickly as possible.

“It’s an upper level demon,” Adrian murmured not happy with this, he didn’t want to think of the last time a demon had shown up in their lives it had led to Fernando’s ‘death’.

Nicola only nodded her head, she rubbed her eyes feeling tired and wanting nothing more than to turn around and go back to bed; she had a feeling that it was going to be another long day.

“I’ll check the Book of Shadows… someone go make some coffee, the other wake Amber,” Nicola muttered before returning into her room, she had a demon to vanquish and she doubted that Fernando would be back anytime soon.