Episode 12: Threads of Threats

The late January wind howled through Crestwood, whipping snow into flurries that stung the skin as Nina stormed out of her apartment, her braids swinging beneath a wool cap, her breath a furious mist in the cold. Gary trailed her, his jacket unzipped despite the chill, his voice sharp over the gale. Their fling—born of her rebound and his opportunism—had soured fast, his charm curdling into control, and tonight, it snapped."You can't just walk out, Nina!" he shouted, grabbing her arm as they reached the sidewalk. "We're not done!"She yanked free, spinning to face him, her dark eyes blazing. "Oh, we're done, Gary—been done since you started acting like I'm your damn campaign prop. I'm not Anne—you don't get to play me!"His jaw tightened, the bruise from Deon's fist still faintly purple under the streetlamp. "You think you're better than her? She saw through me—kicked me out—but you? You jumped in, no questions. Don't act high and mighty now."Nina's laugh was sharp, cutting. "High and mighty? I was rebounding—didn't sign up for your control-freak bullshit. You're mad she dumped you, so you're taking it out on me. Pathetic."Gary stepped closer, his voice dropping to a venomous hiss, his hazel eyes glinting with menace. "Watch it, Nina. I know things—about Anne, about Deon. Secrets you wouldn't want spilling. Keep pushing me, and I'll burn it all down—your little friend circle included."She froze, her bravado faltering. "What the hell are you talking about?"He smirked, leaning in, his breath hot against her ear. "Deon's not what he seems—neither's their love story. I've got proof—video, weird shit I saw. Cross me, and I tell everyone. How's that for a rebound?"Nina shoved him back, her heart pounding, fear mingling with fury. "You're bluffing—crazy and bluffing. Stay away from me, Gary, or I'll make you regret it.""Try it," he said, his grin cold. "You'll see who regrets what."She turned and strode off, her boots crunching ice, his threat echoing in her skull. Gary watched her go, his hands balling into fists, then pulled out his phone, scrolling to Anne's number. He'd lost Nina, lost Anne once, but he wasn't done—his campaign for mayor teetered, and he needed a win, a lever, something to twist the game back in his favor.Later that night, Anne locked The Dandelion Pour, the bar's warmth fading as she stepped into the parking lot, snow swirling around her. Deon was inside, finishing a beer with Kim, their bond mending slow but steady, and she'd slipped out for air, the weight of Gary's betrayal and her guilt still a quiet ache. Headlights flashed, and a car rolled up—Gary's beat-up sedan, its engine idling rough. He climbed out, his jacket dusted with snow, his grin forced but familiar."Anne," he said, leaning against the hood, his voice casual despite the tension in his stance. "Cold night, huh?"She stopped, her breath misting, her eyes narrowing. "What do you want, Gary? Told you we're done.""Just talk," he said, raising his hands. "Missed you—bar's not the same without me stirring it up."She crossed her arms, the frost biting her skin. "It's better without you. Say what you came for—I'm not here for games."He chuckled, kicking at the snow. "Fair. How's Deon? World tour treat him good?""He's fine," she said, curt. "Back where he belongs.""Yeah," Gary said, his tone shifting, a glint in his eyes. "Funny thing about belonging—where'd he come from, anyway? That video from the festival—'never forget me,' all that. Weird vibe."Anne's stomach dropped, her pulse quickening. "What's your point?"He stepped closer, his grin softening into something desperate, pleading. "Point is, I messed up—lost you, lost my head. I'm running for mayor, Anne—could still win, but it's empty without you. Marry me—make me the most unhappy man alive, if that's what it takes. I need you back."She stared, stunned, then laughed—a brittle sound that echoed in the lot. "Marry you? After you used me? You're delusional, Gary—I'm with Deon. No."His face hardened, his voice dropping low. "Think hard, Anne. I know about him—the powder, the dream stuff. Saw it in your apartment, tested it—met kid-Deon in some freaky forest. He's not real—not like us. Say no, and I tell everyone—your bar, your life, gone."Her blood ran cold, his words slicing through her—Gary knew, had seen Deon's origin, held it like a knife. "You're lying," she said, her voice trembling, but his smirk said otherwise."Am I?" he pressed, pulling out his phone, the camcorder video queued up. "Proof's right here—say yes, or it's public."She stepped back, shaking her head, fear and fury warring within. "No—blackmail me all you want, I'm not yours. Stay away, Gary, or Deon'll finish what he started."He pocketed the phone, his grin twisting. "We'll see," he said, climbing into his car. "Offer's open—think fast."The sedan roared off, taillights fading into the snow, leaving Anne trembling, her fists clenched. Gary's threat loomed—a truth that could unravel everything—and she stumbled back inside, Deon's laughter with Kim a distant hum against her racing heart.In the old quarter, Madame Lazare's shop glowed faintly, the single bulb casting jittery shadows as she sat at her counter, her opal pendant pulsing with a restless light. Elias stood across from her, his gray coat dripping frost, his dark eyes fixed on her weathered face. They'd been meeting often—his questions, her guarded answers—since he'd probed Anne and Deon, and tonight, urgency sharpened his voice."It's stirring," Lazare said, her rasp cutting through the sage-scented air. "The dream world—I felt it last night, a quake in the shadows. Something's pulling at it."Elias nodded, his fingers tapping the counter. "Gary—he's the pull. Saw him tonight, arguing with Nina—threatened her with secrets about Deon. Then he met Anne, parking lot near her bar. Looked intense—proposal, maybe, but she walked away shaking."Lazare's eyes narrowed, her pendant flaring briefly. "A proposal? He's desperate—campaign's faltering since she cut him loose. What secrets?""Deon's truth," Elias said, leaning closer. "He knows—said he tested dust, saw a kid version in a forest. He's got leverage—video, too."Her breath caught, the implications sinking in. "The dust—mine, the last of it. He crossed—touched the dream world, woke its hunger. Fool—he doesn't know what he's roused."Elias's smirk faded, his voice low. "He's blackmailing her—marry him or he spills it. She rejected him, but he's not backing off."Lazare stood, her tunic rustling, her hands trembling with a mix of rage and fear. "That thread—Anne and Deon's—it's their anchor. Break it, and the dream world claims him—maybe more. Gary's stirring a storm he can't control.""We've got to stop him," Elias said, his tone firm. "He's a spark—I'll not let him burn them down."She met his gaze, wary but resolute. "Agreed—we interfere. I'll cross, see what's waking—warn them if I can. You find Gary, keep him quiet 'til I know."Elias nodded, pulling his scarf tight. "Done. He's a wildcard—won't go easy.""He'll go," Lazare said, her voice steel, "or I'll drag him to the shadows myself."He tipped his head and left, the bell's chime a brittle note in the frost, leaving her alone with her pendant and the weight of a realm she'd once walked as a child. She closed her eyes, the dream world's pull tugging at her—silver trees, starry rivers, shadows with teeth—and prepared to cross, her past a guide, her present a battle. Gary's threat was a crack in the veil, and she'd seal it—or die trying.Back at the bar, Anne slipped inside, her face pale, her hands shaking as she joined Deon and Kim at a table. Deon caught her eye, his grin fading, and reached for her. "You okay?" he asked, his voice soft with worry."No," she whispered, clutching his hand, Gary's blackmail a shadow she couldn't shake. "We need to talk—alone."The snow fell thicker outside, the night a cocoon around their fragile bond, as Madame Lazare and Elias moved to shield them from a storm born of dust and desperation.