A/N: Thanks for the reviewing, I really appreciate it. Makes my day whenever I come on here.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if something's out of line, character canon-ly or otherwise. Things should start picking up and become more exciting after this. Hope you enjoy!

-8-

She liked her, the shorter, affable one. There was something about her, an energy she produced, that sparked her interest. She was like an untapped well – full of potential, good potential. A moment's interaction had given her the insight she needed to know that she had been held in reserve for too long. But now, she was ready, and perhaps even willing. If allowed, there was a wealth of possibility that could be opened for her. She just needed the chance.

It all came down to the closing statement.

-8-

"Look who decided to show up," Faye's voice rang out as soon they walked through the door. "Are we over our little temper tantrum?"

"Faye-"

"It's alright," Levi interjected Melissa. Moving closer to the younger girl stationed at the dining room archway, she stopped with little more than an inch separating them. Faye had always stayed cool under pressure, but even she seemed to be affected by the intimidation the woman presented. Maybe it was mystery that clung to her – none of them knew what she was capable of, though was evident she was by far more experienced than any of them. Or rather it was the fact that her voice always held the tone of calm, tightly bound control, divvying only slightly with various emotions. Such as now, when her tenor lowered to emphasize her severity.

"You are part of this circle whether you like it or not, which means you ought to partake in such as are crucial to its wellbeing. Now, I asked Cassie for you all to be here for simplicity's sake, but it isn't necessary. If you don't have the self-control to refrain from being a bitch long enough for me to give you the information you need to survive this war – because yes, you are in a war, congratulations – you can go on home like the little brat that you're behaving as. Do we understand each other?"

Backing up slightly, Faye turned to Cassie and asked, "Where did you find her? She sounds like my mom." Levi crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows, earning her an exasperated sigh from the girl. "Whatever," she muttered, skirting around her. Faye took a cup from the tray Melissa was holding prior to taking a seat once more on the couch.

"Coffee," Melissa proclaimed, showing off the tray as she walked over to place it on the table. She took a second cup before moving to allow the others to choose and gave it to Levi with a wink. Although she had not said anything, Melissa had a feeling she was more of the plain coffee type.

Her conjecture was rewarded when Levi gave her small smile. "Thank you, again." Yet, it was not until the others had found their own and sited themselves that she took her first sip.

"Let's get on with it, shall we?" Faye prompted after minutes had gone by without a single attempt at a conversation.

"I think," Levi started, fixing her arms over her chest, "that it would be best if you told me what you've learned first. It'll make connecting the dots easier, and we won't have to waste time trying to explain what you already know."

The five tensed at suggestion, all unwilling to relive out loud the earlier events. Even Melissa bent her head slightly in resistance, the thought of having to describe Nick's death muting her.

But she remained uncompromising. "I don't need what you had for breakfast the second Tuesday of October or who fucked behind the gym – unless it involves Blackwell, witch hunters, or is otherwise black magic-related. Please.

There was another bout of silence, then Cassie spoke up. She recounted everything as they had been made aware of it, from her mom's death and her arrival, to Blackwell's death and Diana's departure. Her narration varied in detail at certain parts, skipping over Adam her relationship almost completely, as well as the direct effects of the skull. Other areas created the perfect image of what had occurred.

Of course, it was the former which Levi fixated on, one fact in particular causing her shoulders to slack faintly in disbelief. "You only have two Book of Shadows? That's it? To share amongst all of you? You're kidding."

"Yes, because we thought it'd be fun to give you a bunch of random facts just so you'd ask stupid questions."

It was as if Faye had not even spoken. Levi exhaled noisily through her nose, her eyes flickering at the patch of floor before her feet as she dived deeper in thought. After a heartbeat, she reached her long arm over and placed what sounded like a now empty coffee cup on the table. "How much do you practice?"

"I – I don't think I understand what you mean," Cassie replied.

"How much do you all practice magic – separate, together, sometimes, everyday, once a week – what?"

"We, uh…"

"Hey, you got your turn," Faye protested. "We told you what happened here, now it's your go."

From his perch on the couch arm beside her, Jake nodded. "How many Books did you have access to, anyways? I thought witchcraft was abolished for all circles."

Sighing again, Levi readjusted herself against the paneling. "Let me start at the beginning.

"As you all know, John Blackwell needed your circle to be established, so he made sure each of your mothers were impregnated, taking care of the task himself with Amelia Blake, and Elizabeth Meade when Dawn Chamberlain didn't conceive." Faye fidgeted in her seat at the mention of her mother's affair, but remained quiet. "What you didn't know, is that he needed six pregnant teens in Chance Harbor because he knew he wouldn't be back to see that the proper couples stayed together."

"Proper couples?" Adam inquired.

"Yes. In order to have children of the purest, strongest magical blood, he needed not only the most powerful witches available, but also the most compatible."

"The most compatible?" Faye again. "So now John Blackwell is a matchmaker?"

She shook her head, the look on her face akin to a mother trying to explain politics to a three-year-old. "You see, when witches… procreate, who their other half is can affect the child's magical abilities.

"It's like any normal hereditary DNA. The dominant gene will take prominence over inferior and thus will be the one visible. They're both in the kid's chemical makeup, but one precedes the other. It's the same for qualities pertaining to magic. A weak magic in the bloodline will fall under another, causing the witch to be pureblood, yes, but not wholly conducive. If they are both weak, then the child be moderate. But two prevailing gene pools guarantees a powerful witch-to-be."

"So… Blackwell tricked our parents into being together?" Melissa felt her heart sink at the thought. Whenever the topic of the deceased partner came up, the living ones always expressed utmost sorrow over their passing. Was that all a lie, too? That their parents ever truly loved each other?

"No, not at all. Well, he could have, but I doubt it. Love is a tricky element to mess with. When artificial, things tend not to turn out how you want them – or as potent. No, he might have encouraged their relationships, but he wouldn't have spelled them into it. That was all up to your parents and fate."

There was a snorting sound from beside her at the mention of 'fate', and when Melissa glanced at the source, she found Faye with a bemused look on her face. "A little ironic, don't you think?"

Luckily, she said it quiet enough that Cassie, who was closest to them, didn't hear. Though, she did not seem to paying them much mind. "How do you know all of this? And what does it have to do with your circle?"

"You'll receive the answer to your first question soon," Levi replied, "But not yet.

"As for its relevancy, John used the fact that none of the Eastern circles knew only his name, not his face, to his advantage. After leaving Chance Harbor, he came to my circle. I was already born-"

"How old are you, exactly?"

Without looking at Faye, she answered, "Eighteen."

They all sat immobile with astonishment. Melissa would never have guessed – she looked easily to be in her early to mid-twenties, possibly older. Her mannerisms, her speech, the steel in her eye that was more than just pigment, it all gave the appearance of someone with years and experience under her belt. But now she was telling them that she was-

"Our age; you're our age! And you think you have to right to waltz in here and treat us like we're beneath you? You must have some nerve-"

Pushing herself off the wall, Levi narrowed her eyes at the girl, her voice lowering. "Look, I get it, you've had an awful time. You've lost people you cared about, and some who you didn't get the chance to. And it sucks. But look around you, Faye, you're not alone. This is a club of tragic and desolate witches." She chuckled, once. "I won't pretend to know what it was like going through your hell, though from what I just heard, it was pretty shitty; but don't you dare pretend like you went through mine. I came here hoping to prevent you from adding to your list. Are you going to let me, or am I going to wade through load of bullshit every time I try?"

"Who says we need your help?" she asked, though by the break in her voice, Melissa could tell it was a ditch effort.

Giving her a knowing smirk, she said, "Says the girl who still has a story to finish."

Faye pursed her lips at the response, but hushed.

"Now, I think it's safe to assume Blackwell tried the same measures in each circle – that is, imbuing certain of the women himself. I'm not sure of all the details, but he obviously won over John and Scarlett's mothers. Then he went for the last two."

Adam shifted slightly in his chair in the corner. "But he didn't magically coordinate all of your birthdays?" It was more a statement than a question, but a question all the same.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head, "he didn't need to, or couldn't. Not all of our parents were a bunch of teenage couples still in puppy love. But he was also able to visit the babies once in a while, which subsequently grew to two or three times a year after we bound our circle. He'd take them on 'camping trips' and 'special vacations', but I felt it. They came back stronger, darker. When they did use their dark magic, we could see it. His taint."

There was a remote quality to her voice at the last segment, and her fingers began to curl. But then it was like she gave herself a mental shake. She heaved a sigh and when she spoke again, her tone was normal. "All of our lives, we'd met with what seemed like sporadic attacks – witch hunter here, a witch hunter there; some random coven chasing after the dark arts; even the occasional demon. Before this year, each of us had lost family in some mishap or another. Eventually, it became just another unfortunate accident for the odd families out.

"This year, though, it was different. Blackwell visited once at the beginning of the year, then dropped off the face of the earth. That's when things went completely out of control. Every time we turned around, there was some phenomenon. We dealt with it the best we could, but we were becoming exhausted and obsessed over the safety of what relatives we had left. Soon, we didn't even have that to worry about.

"Except those in the second Eastern circle. It was a day's trip one way, so we met up on several occasions. The twelve of us were close, practically family. They had had their own misfortunes, but were faring better than us.

"I had just convinced them into coming for a visit. We had just been landed a blow that rattled us pretty hard, and it was time the lot of us figured out what the hell was going on. They were supposed to drive up the next day; they didn't make it."

"If you guys were so close," Jake interceded hesitantly, "why didn't they come running when you asked?"

"The last time we had gotten together was before things had gotten intense, and it didn't exactly go well. I… said some things that weren't well received by the others."

"What did you say?" Melissa asked.

She shook her head, but replied, "I pushed the issue against our certain members. Although the rest could all see that there was something wrong with their dark magic, and with Blackwell – Mason's – suspicious behavior, they didn't want to believe it would turn into anything more than what it was at the time. They couldn't feel what I did, so they thought I was paranoid."

"You keep using that phrase," Faye spoke up, "what are you, psychic?"

"We're not taking personal questions yet, I thought. Now, no more interruptions; let me finish.

"The next day was D-Day. Conveniently, I had traveled out of town to recover one of the Book of Shadows we had stashed for when the second circle arrived. I was just on the outskirts of town when it hit – the unbinding. A moment later, I was attacked, from inside my body. The pain was incredible.

"But it was nothing compared to when they killed the first one; like a light being snuffed out. It was there one minute, and just gone the next. I tried, damn it did I try, but I failed."

There was a pause as she tightened her folded arms and paced a few feet. "That's when the other two found me. They barely checked to make sure I was actually dead before rolling me into a ditch. What they were even thinking – I guess that's what you get when you leave four power-mad teenagers liable for themselves. Sloppy work and loose ends.

"I waited until they disappeared, then I gone, heading for Chance Harbor."

"You didn't go back to make sure the others weren't still alive?" Adam voiced.

Her eyebrow quirked at the inquiry, but her voice was its usual edged-calm when she replied. "No. I wanted to for all the life in me, but they were dead, and getting myself caught was not going to bring justice to their deaths."

"But you didn't see them die."

"Your right, I didn't. Sensing as their life force left their body was enough for me to get the picture."

Faye brought her hands up and let them fall onto her lap, creating a loud enough slap that brought everyone's attention to her. "There you go again. What is it with you? Seriously, I want to know."

"It's… complicated," Levi answered evasively, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"No, no that's not good enough. You've finished your story, now tell us."

"Actually, I think it's my turn again." Turning to Cassie, she revisited her earlier subject. "You have two books, and you obviously aren't practicing like you should. Tell me, how much do you really know about the forces your playing with?"

Before answering, the blonde witch glanced inquiringly to four of them, silently asking the golden query, "Do we trust her?" Even then, it was not so much a question of whether they trusted her at the moment, but rather whether they would allow her the chance to earn that trust. They had already been burned once, could they afford another?

Melissa was the first to nod, followed by a slow shake of Faye's head. One yes, one no. Jake merely shrugged, although he seemed more inclined towards Faye's line of thought. Adam nodded, which did not surprise her much. That meant it was up to Cassie to decide.

She was quiet for a minute while she contemplated, her eyes ever searching between Levi's and theirs. Finally she said, "I want to know about how you can sense things, or whatever, first."

"You're so hung up on that, aren't you?" Levi half-smiled and stepped back to lean against a chair. She had been standing the whole time, and it did not appear that was about to change any time soon. "It's not anything dark, if that's what you're thinking. Faye here was actually close.

"My mother was a type of psychic. Something about how her family's magic counteracted with a birth defect hindered her from becoming a full witch. Instead, it centered fully on her mental capability, giving her a sort of third eye. She passed it onto me, in a sense."

"It doesn't sound complicated," Faye muttered.

"That was the abridged version. There are a lot of technical terms that I'm not going to throw at you all, especially considering your refusing to tell me of your magic status has me understanding that it is all but nonexistent. I knew the Western circle was the reason for witchcraft's abolishment, but I didn't realize it was taken so literally as to deprive you of even your fundamentals."

"You say that like you weren't."

Levi raised her eyebrows, and the whole room fell into an uproar.

"What?"

"You're kidding!"

"Nuh-uh. There's no way!"

"Your parents taught you witchcraft?"

"What about the elders? Didn't they stop you?"

"That's got to be a crock of shit."

Sighing, Levi raised a hand, then patiently waited as they settled themselves. "Look, suffice it to say, our circles were less than inclined to agree with the elders' radical notion against magic."

All six fell into a hush as they though over the news. Here they were, faced with a circle witch who had been unhindered by lack of access or law. She had been granted the opportunity for years to practice, and with a full coven. The things she could tell them… That was – if she was telling the truth.

Yet, now after hearing her explain her past, Melissa found herself having a difficult time not believing her. The last time they had been offered help, it had been presented under an unclear motive – a supposed concern that had been complacent years preceding. This time, the objective was viable: vengeance and the prevention of a tragic repetition. And she seemed genuinely worried over their circle's survival.

Outside, the sun was setting, casting shadows along the walls. Noticing this, Levi moved away from the table and towards the door. "I think that's enough to consider for one day."

"Wait, that's it?" Cassie called, getting to her feet. "You haven't answered half our questions. And I thought you said you were going to give us information on John and Scarlett?"

"I have," Levi replied, halting in her departure. "They took out their entire circle, people they had known their whole lives, who were supposed to have been their friends, at the tip of a hat – all for the goal of amplifying their dark magic. For all I know, they had been in on the plan for years, just biding their time until they could get rid of us. We were in their way, and we paid the price."

Her gaze brushed over each of them, then lingered on Cassie. "There is much more I can provide: knowledge of how they think, what drives them, exactly how far their willing to lower themselves to achieve whatever it is they've been tasked with. Training. But I can't do it in one day, sitting in a room talking to a people who barely take my words for a grain of salt. It's worse than doing nothing."

"You have nowhere to go," Melissa pointed out.

"That's not entirely true," she replied, smirking vaguely. Then in a more serious manner, "Be careful, all of you. This is a game to them, but one they take very seriously. They are dangerous, and solo magic or not, they will shred you if given the chance. So don't give it to them."

Then, as if suddenly remembering, she added, "Oh, and while I was throwing my little 'temper tantrum'," a none-too discreet glance at Faye, "I paroled most of the edge of town. All four were here the other night, but two have disappeared. I think we can presume why."

Melissa thought over it a moment, her eyes widening when it hit her. "Diana." Cassie had said it out loud, but it was evident they had all concluded the same.

Levi nodded gravely in response. "Whatever you decide, do it fast. We all need to figure out our next move in correlation to theirs, and we're running out of time. I'll be following the lines if you want to find me."

-8-

"Does anyone else's head hurt?" Faye rhetorically inquired when she had left.

Ignoring the girl, Cassie went straight for the punch line. "So, what do we do?"

"It doesn't really seem like we have much of a choice," Adam said, shrugging. "Either way, we're taking a huge risk."

"I don't like her," Faye announced.

"Shocking," Melissa remarked.

Faye shot her a glare before continuing. "I mean it. The whole weird calm thing she has going on is just spooky. She reminds me of one of those Madame whatever's in movies who are always proclaiming some inevitable doom. It's unnerving."

"So basically you just hate her because she's psychic."

"No… although it doesn't help. It was bad enough being connected to all of you; we're not even bonded and it's like she's inside my head."

"Faye's right," Jake declared suddenly, "we met a psychic before, and it didn't exactly work out. Now one who's half witch? I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Yeah, how does that even work? I thought she said Blackwell wanted pure witches. Can she even be considered a pure blood?"

"I don't know…" Cassie replied.

"She said her mother came from a family of witches, but she had like a birth defect," Melissa offered. "Maybe that still counts. It's not like we've had the chance to see her do any magic."

"From the sound of it, there's a lot we've been held out on," Adam stated.

To this they all murmured their agreement.

"Do you believe what she said, about the Eastern circles being lenient on magic?" Jake inquired.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what to believe right now," Cassie replied, sighing. "She was right about one thing – we're less than educated, on any of this. What we've learned from our books has been too all over the place. Even with what we've researched, it's not enough. We need help; and if not from her, then from someone else. Maybe your mother?"

Faye frowned and shook her head. "I don't think so. She might be able to help some, but she's not at full power. She drains too easily right now."

"Then, I think we know what we have to do," Adam said.

No one responded – there was nothing to say. Caught between a rock and a hard place, it was either accept the aid offered and be potentially burned, again, or reject and try to figure it out themselves with only a quarter of the pieces. But whichever, they were in for the summer of their lives.

-8-

I'm not here to save you

I'm not here to change your mind

I'm not here to hold you down

Or leave you half-alive

I came here to wake you

To open up your mind

Go on, go on, just close your eyes

You could save your life, it could save our life

You gotta die to save you.

[Die To Save You – Sick Puppies]