As the cabal and Norna leave the graveyard, they spot a figure in a dark suit fleeing the scene. Suspecting another encounter with the Men in Black, Colt, Norna, and Adele jog towards Colt's pickup while Valkyrie invisibly follows the man. After a short chase, she find that he was only hurrying to a funeral. Chagrined, she heads back to the others. Mammon meanwhile is across town filling out paperwork to determine Norna's legal guardian. Being 15 years old with only distant relatives still alive leaves few choices and so Mammon decides to make Colt her legal guardian.
Back at the pickup Colt hears the sounds of approaching motorcycles. He warns the young mages to hide and puts on a baseball cap while he waits for them. The biker gang surrounds the pickup wearing all black leather clothes with tinted black helmets to obscure their faces. Strangely they have no insignia. The lead biker stares down Colt, creeping him out. As the intimidation progresses, Valkyrie sneaks up and watches. Inside the pickup, Norna is scared. The mages scrutinize the resonance of the bikers and learn disturbingly that they are vampires, tinged with violence.
Colt says, "Can I help you?" The vampires however ignore him, staring at the pickup. The lead vampire begins to play with fire in his hands, conjuring it out of thin air, but Valkyrie snuffs it out magically. Then the leader motions a giant vampire to open the pickup. Colt reacts, shooting the giant in neck twice. Despite shattering his spine, the monster fails to react. The group piles onto the pickup while Adele starts to drive off. One of the vampires jumps on, struggling with Valkyrie. Adele peels out knocking over motorcycles. Colt shoots the one that climbed on in the knee while Valkyrie knocks him off the pickup with a blast of telekinetic force. They drive off, leaving the vampires behind.
After a long detour to ensure the bikers are not following them, the cabal regroups with Mammon, filling him in on the day's events. Colt informs him that they need to change license plates so the vampires can't find them. Mammon warns Colt to be careful as his destiny refers to something that may be a vampire. The group then discusses Norna's training and what to tell her about the Orders. They think quite a while on who they trust to train her in the Arcana of Fate and Time. Mammon also informs Colt that he is now the girl's legal guardian. Colt is a little put out and says he needs to inform his relatives about this. Adele in the meantime tells Norna about vampires while baking cookies. She also tells her a bit about her own past, making Norna a bit more nervous. In a discussion about Hope and seeing ghosts, Norna develops a sudden headache and can see Hope indistinctly. Scrutinizing, the cabal recognizes a weak spirit spell. They tell the girl that she just spontaneous cast Spirit Tongue. Adele attempts to comfort her but continues to be creepy, chatting about the dead cat she reanimated and her current plans to get puppies. Mammon decides to call Decima to get her advice on training the young mage. The magister agrees to help and is supportive of the cabal's efforts. Finally the group has to decide what to do while visiting the fortuneteller Cleo. Just as they decide to send Norna to the Promethean to be safe, they receive a faded yellow card for Norna, just like the ones they received two days ago.
As they prepare to meet the mysterious mage, Mammon takes a short nap and dreams. He dreams of leaving a strange ship under a storm of falling tarot cards. The rest of the group rests and eats, then they all head to the Navy Pier. Searching about, they quickly find an old sailing ship called the Thistle and Thorn which just came into port. The weather is still calm but storm clouds are on the horizon. They enter the seemingly abandoned ship and find it packed with occult items. Inside there is a table with six chairs. Suddenly a short stout woman appears, shocking some of the cabal. She introduces herself as Madame Cleo. The blind woman then greats each of them by their shadow name: Adele, the student who knows not her past; Valkyrie, the mother torn between duty and family; Colt, the warrior with a mark of doom; Mammon, whose demons make him closer to his enemies than he thinks; and Norna who has a difficult choice ahead.
She pushes aside a cracked crystal ball and a vase of dying poppies and sits at the table. After they sit down, she explains why she has invited them here: “Quite simply, I have seen something of your fates.” She addresses Norna directly, “You, my dear, look forward to – and avert your eyes from - the future. Is that not right?” Norna nervously replies that she is unsure what the old woman means. Madame Cleo then deals a series of fortunes, explaining it is her job to fortell the future and theirs to decide it.
For Colt, she deals the Eight of Cups, where a man climbs out of valley. This signifies his past where he was lost, searching for a purpose. The second card is Death Reversed, indicating that his problems are those of stagnation and a build up of pressure, though not necessarily stemming from him. His last card, of his future, is that of the Tower Reversed, possibily indicating an averting of disaster.
Valkyrie volunteers next. Her past is a predictable Ace of Cups, signifying motherhood and the birth of her son. Her present is shown by the Ace of Swords. It is unclear if this about her tense relationship with Evan or her new mentor White Ash. Her future however hinted at with Strength, she will need to find inner strength to triumph, though in what struggle is unknown.
Cleo casts for Adele next. Her past is dominated by the Ace of Wands, the past of all people, their birth. Her immediate past is that shown by Justice, hinting at her efforts to redress wrongs at a personal cost, perhaps related to her dealings with Hope and Anna. In her future however is the King of Swords. Someone of great power lies in her path, though he or she is indecisive and Adele may figure greatly in their decision.
Mammon is the last from the cabal to accept a reading. His cards indicate a preoccupation with power and wealth. In his past there is the Ace of Pentacles Reversed, as he grapples with his own greed. The Three of Pentacles shows his current rise with his Legacy, Order and Consilium. But his future is ominous with the Heirophant, indicating a confrontation with the Seers where he may be faced with a difficult moral choice.
Lastly Cleo turns to an uncomfortable Norna. Her past is one of woe where she has lost everything and is indicated by the Ten of Swords. She is pulled by the Wheel of Fortune Reversed as it turns and she resists her destiny. Her future is still uncertain but might mean she will tricked into a burden that is not her own or that she will deny of her obligations. This is shown by the Ten of Wands Reversed.
When the reading is over, Madame Cleo cackles knowingly. “Fate or free will?” she asks. “Which is it, truly, that lays the Path?” She then vanishes. Norna then comments that wasn't very informative. After their meeting with Madame Cleo, the group of mages climb above decks and open the hatch to a torrent of rain. Though storm clouds darken the sky, it is clearly day. Fifteen hours have passed while they were with the fortune teller.
As they drive back to the sanctum they are full of questions. Norna voices that she is more and more confused. Adele continues to discuss the morality of killing vampires, while Colt complains about his vague destiny. As his curses his confusion, Valkyrie tells him to watch the language, looking at Norna. The group decides to do some research and learn what is going on. Colt gathers his notes, while Mammon and Valkyrie help Norna get whatever items she needs for her new room. Adele finally embarks on her guard dog project and gets several puppies. Afterwards they regroup and discuss their various issues. Adele tells the rest of the cabal about Midas, her mysterious benefactor who seems to be manipulating the events around them. Merlin tries to defend Midas, saying he might not have caused the death of Norna's mother. This unfortunately turns the pressure on him. He is forced to reveal that he has been watching their actions and reporting them to the leader of the Seers of the Throne. The cabal is very unhappy about the spy and continue to force the familiar to reveal what he can and swear him to not reveal their own secrets. He reveals that Midas shielded them when the Disciples of Alhazen attacked and has been protecting Adele. Talk then turns to the other threats and mysteries: Cob, Midas, Dr. Smith, the Men In Black, Bishop Williams (a.k.a. Father Luke), the mysterious doppleganger of Norna's mom who they sent to Promethean, and the biker vampires.
Looking over the list they decided to stake out Dr. Smith. Questioning Norna, they find out he is a friend of family and where he works. They decide Mammon and Valkyrie will approach him to inform him about the death of Norna's mom, Misty Weaver, and the custody situation. They travel to U.I.C. Medical Center. While the pair go to his office, Adele stands watch in the lobby and Colt takes Norna to a movie. Mammon chats with the elderly receptionist, Agnes Merridrew, quickly getting her on his side. She tells him the doctor is out but that she will make sure he contacts Mammon as soon as he is in. Valkyrie meanwhile scans the room and finds a Ward over the office and a letter affected by Fate magic. Mammon meanwhile notices an email on Agnes's computer:
“All roads lead to Rome. All strands lead to Cob. Make haste. M.S.”
They check out his lab and learn about his work with curing childhood diseases but don't find him. They also call Colt to fill him in (where his fellow movie patrons tell him to be quiet). On their way out however, they notice something odd about the elevator. There is a Space spell below it, like there a portal to somewhere else to which the elevator goes. Not ready to investigate this, they go to meet up with Colt.
Meanwhile at the movies, a pair of Men in Black, the same pair they "killed", sit down next to Colt and Norna. After making some strange statements, they attempt to grab the "anomalies". Colt and Norna flee, pulling the fire alarm to incite a panic. One of the men grabs Colt and pins him to the ground while the other tires to use an ice pick to lobotomize him. The stampeding patrons bang them up a bit, allowing Colt to squirm away while Norna distracts them with thrown bags of candy. Norna's panic however causes paradoxes which sets the theater on fire for real. The two escape the building as the cabal pulls up. Norna runs to the car while Colt kills the first MiB who exits out of the theater. They then all drive off, though Colt is in serious pain due to stab wounds, bruising and paradox.
As they drive around the city, trying to shake any pursuit, the cabal passes by several accidents, including a car on fire. Adele then notes that she has seen a lot more fire elementals about the city lately. Mammon calls Athaliah to find out what she knows. She lets them know that vampire bikers have been attacking mages throughout the city, even killing some Seers of the Throne. They have also been setting a great many fires. Something big is coming.
Then the cabal see the skyline shake as an earthquake strikes Chicago...