Rylie inhaled sharply, halting the power flow and reeling it back in before someone felt it. "What?" she asked, her teeth clenched.

There was a short pause. "How are you getting home?"

"Celeb, I'm a big girl. I'll find a way."

"And that way would be?" Pogue asked.

"I'll walk."

"Will you turn and face us while you talk?" Caleb asked, annoyed.

She pulled the power in even more and felt her eyes return to normal, and then turned to face the four Sons. "Better?"

"Why do you always have an attitude?" Tyler asked.

Rylie raised an eyebrow, then shook her head. Unbelievable. They act like asses, and she's the one with an attitude problem? "I'm going home."

"Rylie."

"Caleb."

"Rylie."

"Pogue. Can we stop with the name game now?"

"You can't walk home."

"Well seeing as I have two legs, I think I'm capable of walking," Rylie replied.

"Why do you think we hate you?"

Rylie's eyes flickered to Reid, and for the first time in five years, heat rose to her cheeks. "You've made it clear."

"We haven't seen you in five years," Tyler stated. "And that was your choice."

"I chose to leave because I couldn't stand being here anymore," Rylie said defensively. "I couldn't stand the constant supply of mean and hurtful comments you guys threw my way when we were growing up and the whining whenever I wanted to hang out with you."

"We don't hate you," Tyler said, taking a step forward.

"Do you remember when you were about five, and there was a thunderstorm, and mom had gone to check on dad? The four of us were stuck babysitting you. You ran outside to get a better view of the lightning, completely ignoring us as we yelled for you to come back in."

Rylie shuffled through her memories and found the one Caleb was talking about. "Yeah. So?"

"We watched a bolt of lightning shoot from the sky, straight toward you. You just stood there, smiling. It hit your chest, and you fell. We ran out and dragged you back in, and called mom, who came back immediately. The skin on your chest was burned, and we were sure you would die." Caleb stopped and glanced away from his sister.

Rylie watched the memory play behind her eyes as they talked. She remembered laying on the couch and hearing them talk and cry, saying that she would die. The pain in her chest was excruciating, and felt like someone was pressing a burning piece of metal into her skin. But then someone's hand clenched her own, and the pain slowly faded. When she had opened her eyes, she had seen the blonde son beside, her hand in his.

"But you didn't," Pogue continued. "We watched the hole in your chest heal within minutes. It… it scared us."

"We assumed you had received Power, which was what had healed you. And we were horrified and angry," Caleb added. "We thought something had gone wrong, and that the Power had skipped over me and gone to you." The eldest Son returned his gaze to her. "And we held on to that anger, because we didn't think there was another explanation. We thought that because you had Power and not me, the Covenant would be broken up."

"Do you still think that?" Rylie asked.

"That was the only time we had witnessed magick around you until we received our Power," Caleb answered. "And when we did, we realized we had been wrong. But the rift between you and us had already been created, and it seemed like it couldn't be fixed. It seemed easier to just act like nothing had changed. And then you turned thirteen, and suddenly wanted to leave and get away from everyone. We didn't know what to think. I was mad because you left, leaving me the responsibility of taking care of mom and dad. We all felt like you were abandoning us."

"Thanks for finally telling me the truth." Rylie turned and headed toward the road.

"Why did you leave?"

Reid's voice made her halt.

"Because when I turned thirteen, my life really went to hell," Rylie answered, refusing to face them. On thirty on her thirteenth birthday, she had received Power. The next day, she'd gone to her father. But he hated her. He had ever since the night of the thunderstorm. And she still didn't know why.

"What do you mean your life went to hell?" Tyler asked.

"It doesn't matter now. It's over, in the past."

"Rylie, talk to us," Caleb said.

"Caleb, there's nothing to talk about. You said it yourself. It's easier to act like nothing's changed. I'm going home."

"It's dangerous to walk home alone," Pogue tried.

"I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years."

"Rylie…."

"See you guys in the morning."

The Sons watched the darkness engulf the young Danvers.

"This is ridiculous," Pogue sighed.

"Well, we weren't exactly welcoming," Caleb said, running a hand over her face.

"How were we supposed to act?" Reid asked. "She's been gone for five years, and then suddenly returns. If you ask me it's a little weird."

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked.

"Why'd she come back now?"

"Mom begged her to be at the wake," Caleb answered.

"Your mom's begged her to come home for a while, and she's always refused. And suddenly she agrees?"

"She came back for the wake."

"But why? She was never close with your dad, and you know it," Reid said. "I'm telling you, something's up."

Rylie listened carefully as she crouched behind a large Dodge Ram. She was a little surprised that Reid had been the suspicious one of the group, but was glad someone had voiced their suspicions of her. Now she knew how much she really needed to hide.
Standing, she began walking down the road. About twenty minutes later, she walked into the Danvers' home, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Back so soon?"

Looking up, she saw her mom leaning on the stairs' railing in her nightgown.

"Um, yeah. I was tired," Rylie answered.

Her mother nodded. "Have you told them?"

Rylie frowned. "Told who what?"

"Your brother and his friends about your Power."