16. Norma Avenged

Fresh from lockup, Ebony visits Cassie in her hotel room and offers breakfast.  Cassie accepts an unwelcome call from her ex-husband, Scott Zeitz.  She chastises him and disconnects the line.

Cassie and Ebony board an elevator, which pauses in its descent to admit Scott.  Bewildered, Cassie rejects Scott’s attempt to join her meal with Ebony.  Scott persists, promising details about Norma’s death.

A hostess seats Ebony, Cassie, and Scott at a table for four in the hotel restaurant. The threesome places their orders, with Scott mistreating the waitress.  Cassie mentions her frightful overnight episode and demands answers from her former spouse. Scott denies killing Norma, kidnapping Margaret, or being allied with the winged apparitions.  

A chair slides back from the table, and Cassie murmurs a plea to escape.  Scott recounts being recruited by a government agency to leverage his relationship with Cassie in service of tracking down Gideon.  He underscores that Norma was killed to send a warning to Cassie.  Unbowed, Cassie rebuffs the threat and taunts Scott.  A server warns Scott about his boorish behavior.

Threatening her life, Scott presents Cassie with a photo and a list of phone numbers to report Gideon’s location.  Reis appears at the table, startling Scott.  Cassie examines an image of Gideon dancing alongside her with a prosthetic leg.

Reis urges calm as an immense wolf approaches the table.  The beast places his paws on Scott and leads him from the restaurant.  Ebony is astonished, but Cassie admits to knowing of Reis’ otherworldly aptitudes. Learning of Scott’s imminent demise, Cassie is unbothered.