At exactly midnight, Andrew began to chant. Everything had been set for an hour already. The silver was in the middle of the coffee table. There was a circle drawn over it with a marker. The cage with the rooster was over it and, when Andrew finished, he drank the virgin blood.

The cage and bird disappeared, and the silver cracked. A minute passed and nothing happened. Andrew looked around. Had he forgotten something? Then, his stomach rebelled on him, and he rushed to the sink.

What he threw up was meat. There was an eyeball in the sink now. With horror, he realized that he was throwing up a half-digested Francesco. The sink was overflowing and Andrew prayed that he wouldn’t end up clogging it.

When he finished, he slid down and rested his head on the cool tiles.

“That was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen,” said Daphne. She still went to Andrew’s side, careful not to step in the gore, and wiped his mouth clean with a towel. “Do you feel like going in a coma?”

Andrew gave it a thought. He felt fine, if not a bit unnerved.

“I am fine. I think, if I had managed to summon him alive, then I would have gone in a coma,” Daphne nodded, and she went to take a basin from the cupboard next to the sink.

“We might want to collect all of that,” she said, hunting for something to scoop up the barf with.

Andrew stood and reached out in a cabinet that was over the sink and took out three measuring cups. All half a liter big. He handed one to Daphne and looked at Erin.

“Are you coming?” Asked Andrew, and Erin reluctantly stood.

“This is a messy way to die,” commented Erin. He took the cup and began scooping out the remains of Francesco from the sink. The basin filled and yet, there was plenty left in and outside the sink. “Do you think they will bury him?”

“After what he did? They will probably dump this in acid. Just to be safe. I don’t know about you, boys, but I need a shower. My things are still here from last time, right?” Daphne turned to Andrew.

“Of course. I keep them in the bedroom. You have your section of the dresser,” said Andrew, and he looked down at himself. He looked as if he was covered in mincemeat. All in all, he, too, required a shower.

“Andy, we can share a shower, right?” Asked Erin, and Andrew grinned. Yes, that would be perfect.

“Do you think that the agency has plumbers? I think we will clog the bathroom and that the sink is already in need of cleaning,” Daphne and Erin shared a look.

“Maybe. It is a big agency,” said Erin with a shrug. Erin looked at the full basin and then at the rest of the gore. “We don’t need the rest, do we?”

“Let me just call to ask. For all we know, Francesco could piece himself back together from all of this,” said Andrew, and he turned on the sink to wash. When he was done, he took the phone, which was thankfully lying on the kitchen counter, and dialed Adam.

“Francesco Crus is dead, but my sink is filled with mincemeat,” informed him, Andrew.

“Really? Collect as much as you can. We need to dispose of it properly, least the necromancer comes back to life,” now, when Andrew had suggested that Francesco could come back, he had been joking. But, Adam’s words sobered him up.

“Would it be ok if we put the rest in garbage bags? I don’t have a second basin,” asked Andrew. He heard a chuckled from the other side.

“You shouldn’t have bothered with a basin. Yes, plastic bags are fine. I will send someone to pick up the…remains. And, agent Jackson? I better not hear that you have done something similar for personal reasons,” there was an edge to Adam’s voice. Andrew wondered why the wendigo even thought that Andrew was capable of doing such a thing without being asked.

“I didn’t even want to do this for the agency. I won’t be doing it for myself,” assured him, Andrew and Adam cut off the call.

“Where did you keep the garbage bags?” Asked Erin, looking around.

“Second cupboard on the side of the door,” supplied Andrew as Erin moved to take them.

Francesco Crus was two garbage bags and a basin. Half an hour later, an agent and two plumbers came to the apartment. By then, everyone was showered, and they retreated to the bedroom.

In a fit of childishness, the three piled blankets and pillows on the floor and made a fort. Crawling inside, they snuggled into each other, as it would have been a tight fit otherwise.

When Andrew opened his eyes, he was in the meadow again. This time, there was a single man before the pyre.

“Where are the rest?” Asked Andrew, trying to stall.

“I ate the ghosts. I am afraid that I am your only tenant,” said the man, looking amused. Andrew was glad that he wouldn’t be devoured alive anymore. Mark had started to eat different parts of him and to take his time with going for the eye. Because Andrew always woke up when it was gauged out.

“What are you going to do to me?” Asked Andrew. This must be Francesco. There was just no one else that the man could represent.

“I offer you a deal, partner,” said Francesco in a drawl. “I will make sure you are not haunted. And, in exchange, you will feed me souls.”

Andrew’s restraints snapped around him. He fell down the pyre.

“Feed your souls?” Andrew massaged his left wrist. It sounded too easy and too despicable at the same time.

“You are a wixen. They will make you eat human flesh. And, when that happens, the souls of the people you have eaten will try to do to you the same as those three did. I can keep it all at bay. At least for a hundred years. After that time, I will let myself resurrect, more powerful than I am now because of all the souls you will feed me and because of your magic. But, that is a problem for after the hundred years,” Francesco extended his hand and Andrew let himself be lifted.

“Sounds doable,” Francesco grinned at Andrew’s words. And, just like that, he had a partner again.