CHAPTER #13
Cassie was super late. She was surprised she didn't get a speeding ticket on her way to school. After running to her english class, she found out they were all at the library. Finally she found her teacher and then her group.
"How come you're so late?" Raiden asked.
"Slept in."
"Well this is what we've done so far," he said, getting her caught up.
The whole day she felt rushed. For math she forgot her text book and had to go back to her locker and get it. In chemistry class she mixed up the formula and had to start over. She barely finished before the end of class. Cassie dropped all her books and pages went everywhere. It was Adam who came to her rescue.
"Thanks for helping me," Cassie said.
"You seem a little off today," Adam said, handing her the last book off the floor.
"I slept in. I've been having trouble sleeping lately, due to nightmares about Eben," she confessed.
Adam became concerned, "how long has this been happening?"
"Since he abducted me. But the dreams are getting worse."
"Do you work tonight?" Adam asked.
"Yes, until nine."
"Do you want me to come over to your house afterwards?"
"You wouldn't mind?"
Adam still cared about her, but finally accepted they couldn't be more than friends for now. "Sure, I'll download a movie." He went to leave and she grabbed his arm.
"Thank you," Cassie said.
"What are friends for?" He smiled. "See you tonight."
At work she messed up two orders and didn't get any tips. Relief came when her shift ended. She was tired and sore. As she got into her truck she received a text message from Jake.
'Need me to sleep over tonight?'
Cassie texted back: 'No that's okay, Adam's baby-sitting me.'
She didn't get a reply text, so she started her car. She drove home and found Adam waiting for her. They went into her house together.
"Were you waiting long?"
"Nope, I just got here. I downloaded the movie from Disney called 'UP'. Diana said it's super cute."
"Okay cool. I'll make popcorn." Cassie was glad that Adam was ready to be friends again. She had missed him, or at least his friendly side.
They sat down on the couch and began to watch the movie. By the time the movie was over, Cassie had fallen asleep. Her head rested on Adam's chest. He smiled, having missed her badly the last few weeks. He shifted to a more comfortable position and eventually fell asleep too.
Cassie was deep in the dream state. She was standing beside Eben, holding his hand. He was telling her to chant 'adducam suam interius ignis' and then Adam burst into flame. She screamed in terror, trying to break free from Eben.
Adam woke from a nightmare where he was on fire. It had been Cassie's scream that made him awaken. Realizing she was still in her dream and screaming, he worked to wake her up.
He shook her, "Cassie wake up!" Still she remained in her dream.
He slapped her and nothing. He was beginning to panic. Not knowing what to do, he called Jake's cell phone from Cassie's kitchen. "Jake? Are you home?"
Jake answered still half asleep, "yes." Then he heard Cassie screaming in the background and became wide awake. "What's happening?" He asked Adam.
"Cassie wont wake up from her nightmare! And she wont stop screaming."
"I'll be over in a second," Jake threw on his jeans and raced over to Cassie's.
Adam opened the door to let Jake in. "What do we do?"
"Hold her hand and we form a circle. Then repeat after me: a nobis eam vigilantibus." They chanted three times and then suddenly Cassie's eyes were open and she had stopped screaming.
In unison they asked, "Cassie?"
It took a few minutes before she responded and was fully awake. They both still held her hands and both let go when she spoke. "Oh my god, is everyone okay?"
"We're both fine. You had a nightmare again and wouldn't wake up," Adam explained.
Jake brought her a bottle of water from her kitchen. She took a long swallow. "Thank you."
"Do you remember the dream?"
"I don't want to; I'm scared to," Cassie admitted.
Adam hugged her. Jake took her hand and nodded at Adam to do the same. "Adam and I will protect you. Just breath with us, nice and slow."
Once her breathing was regular, Cassie recalled the dream. "Eben was holding my hand and having me do a chant."
"Do you remember the chant?" Jake asked.
Cassie nodded, she wrote it down with a pen on paper. She was scared to say it out loud.
Okay after you said the chant, then what happened?"
Cassie looked at the ground. "Adam burst into flame."
Adam said, "just before her scream woke me up, I was dreaming that I was on fire."
Jake looked at the chant. "It translates to something like; bring forth his inner fire."
"So I was feeling her dream in mine? How is that even possible?" Adam asked.
Jake shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe because when the circle got bound we're all connected now."
"If Adam had not woken up, could my dream have hurt him?" Cassie asked Jake.
"I don't know. We could try testing it. Let me go home first, get some socks, a shirt and lock my house." Jake stood up.
Cassie realized Jake was half naked. Her eyes ran from his bare feet slowly up his body. She drank in the muscle formation on his stomach and chest, before her eyes met his. She blushed, realizing that seeing him like that, turned her on.
Adam saw Jake smirk, feeling his anger rise, that Cassie had looked at another guy so sexually. His eyes narrowed, "we'll use you as the test subject."
Jake raised an eyebrow in challenge, then said casually, "fine by me. I'll be right back."
When Adam looked back at Cassie, she wore a very sad face. He felt sorry for her. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out."
When Jake returned he said, "Adam and I will help you relax and fall asleep. He will plant an idea in your head and then we see what happens."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Cassie said with worry.
"I can handle it and Adam will be here to wake us both up," Jake encouraged.
"With any means necessary," Adam added.
Cassie saw the look he gave Jake and said, "within reason."
To make the experiment more comfortable, they went to Cassie's room. Jake and Cassie lay down on her bed, side by side but not touching. Adam sat in a chair, beside the bed. They all breathed the way Jake had shown them. Once Adam heard them breathing normally, he began the chant Jake had given him.
"Cassie and Jake lay down to rest, I pray that their dreams be blessed.
Mother Earth is always there, to keep them safe in her care.
Cassie will dream to have Jake do a dance, all the while still in a dreamy trance.
Come awake when I call your name, always safe you will remain."
Adam watched both Jake and Cassie roll on to their sides, backs to each other. This was a good sign they were both asleep. He read the chant three times. To him it sounded stupid, but he still hoped it would work. He wanted to punch Jake awake; vengance for a good cause. He looked over at the clock and an hour had passed. Nothing was happening. Cassie had rolled to the middle of her bed, her back touching Jake's back. Adam lay down on the other side of her, putting Cassie between him and Jake. Eventually he fell asleep too. It was 4 am when Cassie's nightmare brought Adam awake. She was sitting upright in bed screaming again. Jake was not in the room.
"Cassie come awake!" Adam yelled out.
Instantly she woke up and stopped screaming. "Jake? Where's Jake?" She panicked.
"I'll go find him," Adam said.
"Adam, I was stabbing him!" Cassie cried out, leaping out of the bed.
They both ran into the kitchen and found Jake about to plunge a knife into his heart. Cautiously Adam approached. "Jake come awake!" Adam shouted.
Jake woke immediately and dropped the knife. "What the hell?" He said.
"Cassie had another nightmare. This one she was stabbing you." Adam explained.
Due to stress and lack of sleep, an exhausted Cassie fainted. Adam caught her. Jake and Adam took her back upstairs. She came back awake to find them sitting on either side of her. The lack of sleep was talking it's toll, Adam and Jake could see it all over her face.
"I'm never going to sleep again!" Cassie vowed.
"That's not the solution," Adam said.
"Did you dream about me dancing?" Jake questioned.
"Yes I did," Cassie replied.
They both looked at Adam. "Nothing happened. You both rolled over in your sleep, that's it."
Jake thought a minute. "Well we know then that it's not Cassie's dream and a result of her magic reacting to it, that's the cause. Someone is controlling her, while she is dreaming."
"Every nightmare has Eben in it," Cassie offered.
"He's not a witch, just a hunter." Jake said.
"Then how did he escape when he was impaled on that tree?" Adam asked.
"He must be using a witch to help him."
"Or maybe someone else is just using his image to throw us off."
"I'm so tired I can't even think. I'm going to drink a ton of coffee so I don't fall asleep and kill someone." Cassie got up and went downstairs to her kitchen.
Adam and Jake knew that was her fear talking, but for now it was the only thing she could do. They suggested she stay home from school and just call in sick. They would have Faye back up the story with her mother the principle.
"But what if I fall asleep?"
"Jake will stay with you," Adam volunteered.
That surprised Jake. "Ya sure, I will just call Raiden's mom and let her know I wont be there today."
"When I get to school I will tell Melissa, Diana and Faye what's been happening." Adam said.
Jake suggested that he tell the girls to stay together and maybe do a sleep over until they figured out what was happening. That way one of them could wake the other up.
Adam said, "Maybe the rest of the circle should stay away from Cassie, while this is going on. Out of sight, out of mind."
"Are you exhiling me?" Cassie asked in shock.
"No, it's to protect the circle. It's temporary."
"Who's going to protect me?"
Adam gave her a look, which she didn't understand. "It's you targeting others. What's happening hasn't hurt you yet."
"So I'm the problem, is what you're saying?" Cassie wondered if the old circle from their parents had done the same thing to her father. Had he felt isolated and betrayed too?
Jake let Adam dig his hole deeper, before he said anything. "I'm here for you Cassie. No matter how bad it gets. Unlike the others, I'm not scared of your magic."
Adam tried to justify what he had said and Cassie said, "get out."
To Jake, Adam said. "Let me know at least what's happening." Then he left.
Cassie stood there, a whole bunch of emotions running through her. She looked at Jake, who was waiting patiently for her to choose one. "I don't want to be here."
"I'm going home to take a shower. You should take one too. Then grab your stuff and we'll go to the old Blackwell house." Jake said. "I'll drive."
CHAPTER #14
On the drive over to the house, Jake asked if she still had her birthstone on her. She showed him the necklace she had made with it.
"Why'd you ask?"
"Well, voodoo can work through dreams. The totems they use can mess with your sub-conscious mind. Since only Adam and I have been targeted, Callum may only know that you girls are the witches. But the birthstone protection prevents voodoo access to us. So that rules out Callum or voodoo."
"Maybe I could ask my father what's going on."
"Maybe, but let's see what we can come up with on our own." Jake didn't want to say that it might be her father using Eben as a cover, to tap into Cassie's magic.
Once they were at the house, Jake took out his book of shadows and Cassie got hers. They read the books together and then also looked at the other magic books they had gathered as reference material. They found mention of telepathics. Then in Jake's book there was a section on dream manifestation in relation to quantum physics.
Cassie looked at him, "quantum physics? I find regular math hard enough. What does it mean?"
Jake explained. "All matter; you, me, this table, these rocks, are all just some form of energy. The same concept that witchcraft uses. Everything is linked. You've heard the famous Einstein equation E=mc2?"
"Yes, everyone knows that one."
"Well it says that your mental image can change reality. It's like a blueprint to build upon. Witches call it the law of attraction, some call it the matrix. In quantum physics it's called the collapse of a superposition."
"You're making my brain hurt. Speak english!" Cassie complained.
Jake tried again, "it's saying that your thoughts or mind can focus on something and make it a reality."
"So when I'm dreaming and focusing on Adam being on fire, the power of my mind is making it real?"
Exactly. When we're conscious, too much environmental static is in the way. But in a trance, during meditation or asleep, our whole mind can focus and reshape the energy that surrounds us."
"People could use their sub-conscious mind or for us our magic to change the energy around us."
Jake nodded, "somehow someone is tapping into your dream and using your ability to do this."
Cassie thought about it a minute. "If I want a pizza I just have to picture it sitting on the table in front of us?" Cassie asked.
"In theory, but I think that's more like teleportation," Jake smiled. Seeing her confusion he explained further. "You're wanting to transfer matter, the pizza, from one point to another, without you having to travel to get it."
"All this stuff is so confusing!" Cassie complained.
"Well now that we know how it works, maybe if we can teach you how to control it sub-consciously, we can turn it back on the person accessing your dreams. Or at least stop it from happening."
Cassie was super tired, the caffeine hadn't helped. She sat down on the couch. Jake could tell that her body was about to force her into sleep. He sat down on the couch beside her.
"Cassie, the next time Eben comes to you in your dream, turn the horror on to him. Focus on him," Jake said.
"I'll try. But I'm not going to go to sleep," she said stubbornly.
"Okay," he said to her. Then sent a text message to Adam, warning him that Cassie was about to fall asleep and to let the rest of the circle know. Jake received a reply text, that they were in chemistry class and everyone was together.
He looked over at Cassie and watched as her eyes rolled back in her head as her eye lids closed in sleep. He whispered in her ear, "focus the pain on Eben."
Jake watched her breathing for a few minutes and then went back to working on a spell. He was trying to find a spell that would create a barrier, so no one could enter Cassie's mind uninvited. There had to be a way to protect her even when she was asleep.
Cassie ended up lying with her head on Jake's thigh. She used it as a pillow, tucking one hand underneath his leg and the other rested on top near her face. When he looked down at her, his face showed deep affection. He liked spending time with her all by himself, but he hated that someone was using her to hurt others. He was determined to find a way to help Cassie.
Jake found a spell that might work and decided to try it. Putting one hand on Cassie's head and another held her birthstone, he softly began the chant. "Let the power of the stone, connected to mother earth and her ancestry, give Cassie strength to face her fear." He could feel the stone pulse, like her heart beat.
Snuggling closer to Jake, Cassie continued to sleep. After the chant was done, he watched over her. When she began to get restless, he stroked her hair off her face. She sighed and stopped moving.
Back at the high-school, Adam noticed his birthstone was getting warm. He texted the girls asking if theirs were having the same issue. Once he got their confirmation, he texted Jake. Jaked checked his and Cassie's stones. He replied that theirs were the same. Then he texted Adam about the spell he'd done.
Adam left class and from the washroom called Jake, "So this means she's having another nightmare?"
"That or she's about to. Stay close to the girls. I'll text you when Cassie wakes up."
They hung up and Jake watched Cassie in her sleep. Her hands gripped his thigh tighter. Her eyes moved beneath their lids. She moaned in distress.
"Fight it Cassie, protect the circle," Jake whispered encouragement in her ear.
In her dream Cassie saw Eben beside her. She was being compelled to hurt Adam. But this time she felt her birthstone around her neck. It seemed to pulse in time with her heart. She grabbed it and focussed on Eben. She felt a surge of power and Eben burst into flame.
She jolted awake. At first she was disoriented and then she realized she had a death grip on Jake's thigh. She let go suddenly, "sorry."
"What happened?" Jake asked, taking note that she blushed when she realized where her hands were.
"I was having the nightmare again. Eben was there. I was to hurt Adam. Then I felt my birthstone pulsing. I grabbed it and focused on Eben bursting into flames. When he did, I woke up."
"The spell I did worked. Let me just text Adam." Jake said. He knew that Cassie needed the circle. He currently had the upper hand in his war with Adam, for Cassie's heart.
Cassie touched her birthstone, it only had a slight residual warmth to it. Once Jake was done the text, he explained what chant he had done.
"I feel much more rested, but does this mean every time I go to sleep someone needs to do that chant?"
"I'm not sure. Once the others get here, we'll work on it. Maybe there's something in Diana's book."
"I'm so hungry. I'm going to make a burger and fries appear!"
Jake winked, "make me one too please and a root beer."
Cassie concentrated hard. She looked cute, with her brow furrowed, tongue slightly out and between her lips and teeth. Minutes later nothing happened. "Maybe if we both do it," Cassie said, taking Jake's hand into hers.
They both thought hard about two burgers and fries, with two root beers. Still nothing happened.
"Maybe if we look at a picture of it," Jake suggested.
He got out his Iphone and brought up a picture of burgers, fries and pop. Cassie put her finger on the picture and they tried again. The picture disappeared, the screen went dark, and still nothing materialized. They were still trying, when they heard the others coming into the house. Cassie let go of Jake's hand. And he put his phone away. When everyone came upstairs, Jake could smell burgers. He turned around to look back at the table, but nothing was there.
Diana held a bag towards Cassie. "We thought you might be hungry. So we brought two burgers, two fries and some root beer. You do like root beer right?"
Cassie shot a look at Jake, he kept his face straight, but gave her a wink. They didn't say anything to the others, as it could just be coincidence. "I'm starving, thanks."
Jake took the pop. "You read my mind." Cassie smiled around a fry and Jake grinned but hid it behind his burger.
"So you figured out a way to fight the nightmare?" Adam asked.
"Yes," Jake answered, after he swallowed the bite he had taken. He tapped the spell he'd written down, as he took a drink.
"So we're no longer in danger of dying in our dreams, because Cassie can't control herself?" Faye retorted.
Cassie ignored the negativity that Faye had toward her and nodded. "No one will be hurt. You can thank Jake for that."
Faye gave him a once over. Sexuality oozing from her pores. "I might just thank him in private… later."
As much as Jake liked that answer, his face and body language said nothing. He looked at the others. "We still don't know who was tapping into Cassie's mind. Or how they did it. We should try and do a spell to protect us all from, intrusive mental invasion."
"Why, scared someone will find out how evil you are Jake?" Adam asked.
Jake looked at Adam. They locked gaze. Adam looked away first. Jake said, "sometimes you're such an ass."
Cassie almost choked on her pop. Faye laughed and Diana took Adam's arm and led him downstairs to the computer. Melissa rolled her eyes and took one of Cassie's fries.
"So what should we look for?" Melissa asked, opening one of the reference books.
"Anything to do with mind blocks, barriers, protection spells and stuff like that," Jake said, handing Melissa a few books.
"Great more homework," Faye said, sitting down beside Melissa.
Melissa suggested, "well the birthstones seemed to have worked. So I'm going to look into magic with them."
The rest of the afternoon, they worked on spells. All of them were hungry. They decided to go to the Boathouse. Everyone agreed they needed a break. In Jake's truck on the way there, Cassie talked to him about the burgers Diana had brought.
"Do you really think we did that?" Cassie asked.
"Maybe, but we will have to try something else to test it again."
"Ok, how about at the Boathouse, after we get seated. Hold my hand under the table and we'll both picture that they serve you a beer." Cassie plotted.
Jake gave her a look. "You want to do that right in front of Adam?"
She winked at him, "yes."
Jake smirked. "Ok, well we're here."
They took a booth, Cassie, Jake and Faye on one side and Melissa, Diana and Adam on the other. Jake took Cassie's hand. At the same time, Faye slid her hand on to Jake's thigh. He ignored Faye and with Cassie, concentrated on a beer. The waitress handed out menus and brought everyone a glass of water. When she came back, she took everyone's order. Jake and Cassie multi-tasked. They both continued to think about the beer, but ordered at the same time. At last they let go of each other's hand, waiting to see what happened. The waitress came back and handed out everyone's drinks. She handed Jake a beer and finished with Faye's coke.
Cassie and Jake looked at each other. "No way," Cassie said.
Adam noticed the beer and went to call the waitress back, but Faye stopped him by grabbing it and drinking half of it in one gulp. Faye gave him a challenging look and Adam let it go.
"Just peel off the label, it could look like root beer then."
"She's been here a while, weird she'd make such a mistake. I guess she has a lot on her mind," Diana said.
Melissa said, "well Jake turns 21 in a few months."
"Well she should've still asked for ID," Adam stated.
The food came and conversation went. No one realized how hungry they were until the food arrived. They all wolfed it down. For Cassie and Jake, it tasted all that much better, knowing they successfully done the law of attraction.
CHAPTER #15
Faye got a text message and paid for her food and left. Melissa and Diana left to go see a movie. Adam had to work. So that left Cassie and Jake remaining. As they drove back to their homes, they talked about the burgers and beer. Jake also gave Cassie the spell they all had created to use before she went to sleep. It would help her during the nightmares.
"Would you mind staying over again tonight?" Cassie asked shyly.
Jake said, "I'll stay a while, but I can't stay the whole night."
Cassie nodded. She was curious if he was just tired himself or if he had plans to spend his night with someone else. She knew she had no right to be jealous, but she was.
"So you and Adam seem to be friends again," Jake observed.
"It makes things easier, especially circle meetings."
"I'll bet."
"Do you think that Callum guy is going to be a problem?" Cassie asked, expertly changing the subject.
"Guys like that are always a threat. Dark Voodoo is all about getting more power."
"Same as dark magic, I guess," Cassie added. She handed him a pop and then asked, "have you ever traced your family tree?"
"Some what. Mom's side had dark and light magic combined. Dad's side was all light magic. He never wanted to have it. He only used it when the circle demanded it of him." Jake remembered bitterly.
"Is your grandfather or grandmother alive?"
"My grandfather is an elder, his name is Royce."
"Grandmother never mentioned him," Cassie said. "But she didn't really have a chance to say much, before she became ill."
"How is she doing?" Jake asked.
"Okay, but I miss her a lot."
Jake nodded and looked at her with understanding. The look on Cassie's face he knew all too well, from growing up without his parents. Cassie changed the subject. "So when your job at the antiquities shop ends, what are you going to do next?"
"I do odd jobs, landscaping, fishing tours and I catch fresh crab and lobster for the local restaurants." Jake looked at her. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious if you're a working stiff like me," Cassie joked.
They worked on the spell to protect Cassie's sub-conscious mind. They did some fun magic too. Then they watched TV, but Cassie passed out. Jake picked her up and carried her upstairs. He gently put her on the bed and put a blanket on her. He did the spell to protect her. He went to leave, but in her sleep Cassie spoke to him.
"Don't go Jake."
At first he didn't realize she was talking in her sleep. "What?"
Cassie mumbled something. That's when he realized she was dreaming. He grinned devilishly, liking that she was dreaming about him. He lay down beside her, trying to hear what else she had to say.
"Hold me?" Cassie mumbled.
Jake thought about it for a heart beat, shrugged and then obliged her request. He spooned her, putting his arm over her. She snuggled up against him, wiggling her bottom against his crotch, unintentionally. Jake concentrated on not getting aroused. Cassie said a few more things, which made him realize that she was fierce, but very sad too. It endeared her to him. He wanted to protect her and take away her sadness.
"Melissa? Melissa!" Cassie said.
That got Jake's attention. Shortly after Cassie's verbalization in her dream. Their cell phones went off. It was a text from Diana.
Diana sent: '911 meeting. Get to the abandoned house now. Someone grabbed Melissa as we left the theatre.'
Jake sat up, turned on Cassie's bedroom light and woke her up. He smiled to himself, as she became suddenly shy. That told him she remembered dreaming about him.
"Diana sent a text, we need to get to the abandoned house now. Someone grabbed Melissa," Jake explained quickly.
"You drive, I'm too tired," Cassie said through a yawn.
They locked Cassie's house, then got in Jake's truck and raced to meet Diana. Everyone arrived at the same time. Adam had picked up Faye on his way there. Diana was crying and so upset she couldn't be understood. Instinctively Adam hugged her and she drew strength from him.
"We were heading to our cars after the movie. I heard Melissa shriek and turned around to see some guys grab her. They stuffed her into a van and took off. We have to find her!"
Faye said, "Lee and I will check out Callum's."
"Wait. Before anyone goes anywhere, we might be able to find her with a spell." Jake continued when he had everyone's attention. "We might be able to connect with her telepathically. Then she can give us visual cues."
Everyone agreed to try. In Diana's book they found a spell. They sat on the floor in a circle. Faye held Cassie's hand, who held Jake's and so on, until it ended with Diana holding Faye's other hand. They all did the slow breathing, going into a meditating trance. Then they chanted the spell. Jake and Faye felt a tingling sensation that came from Cassie and travelled up their arms. They both looked at Cassie, but her eyes were closed. Cassie was reaching out to Melissa with her mind. They linked.
A startled Melissa almost said Cassie's name out loud, but instead bit her lip hard. She was blindfolded now, but could hear her captors outside. She was still in the van and they were arguing about where to take her. Cassie asked her to visualize everything she remembered from the point she was grabbed. It seemed like she was Melissa, when it played out in her mind. Then she told her that they would be in touch soon and to stay strong. The connection ended.
The tingling in Faye and Jake's hands suddenly stopped when Cassie opened her eyes. She let go of their hands. "Melissa contacted me in my mind. I don't think it's witch hunters. I think it was Callum's gang that took her." Cassie said, exhaustion underlying every word.
"Where are they?" Adam asked.
Diana asked, "is she okay?"
Faye added, "I'll kill anyone who hurts her!"
Jake saw that Cassie couldn't handle all the questions. He whistled loud and everyone shut up. "Okay, one at a time. We wont get anything done otherwise."
"She's in a black van parked near a bridge by an industrial area. It looks like it's close to where the boat fire happened," Cassie explained. "Melissa is tied up and blind folded. She said she can smell the ocean and that both guys smoke. She doesn't recognize the voices, but doesn't think they're hunters either."
Adam said, "so either it's Callum or Cassie's father."
Cassie was too drained to say anything. She felt dizzy and sick. When she stood up, she almost fell, bumping into Faye.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Faye said harshly.
Diana gave Faye a disgusted look and helped Cassie to the couch. Adam gave her a bottle of water.
"Whomever has Melissa is still dangerous. It could be a trap for all of us. We need to find her and then scope out the area." Jake said taking control.
Adam nodded. "We need a plan for sure. We need all of us there, just in case."
Diana looked at Faye, "do you think Lee would be willing to go in and rescue Melissa by himself?"
"If I ask him to he will," Faye answered.
"Good idea. If it's Callum, he wont seem suspicious. If it's someone else, he's no threat to them, as he's not a witch," Jake said.
"Why would they do this?" Cassie asked no one in particular.
"Either to find out what friend's of Melissa are witches, or to capture us as we rush in to save her." Adam replied.
Diana suggested, "or to test our power and see how strong we are."
"I'll call Lee now." Faye said dialling his number.
"Adam you go with faye, just in case." Diana said.
They made plans of where to meet. Adam and Faye left. Diana took comfort in Cassie's arms, as they got into Jake's truck. Diana would leave her car at the abandoned house.
Jake asked Cassie, "how are you feeling?"
"Worn out. That telepathic connection was hard. When we meet at that gas station I'm buying an energy drink." Cassie sighed.
"Before we came, when you were dreaming, I think you saw Melissa. You called out her name, just before I woke you up." Jake explained.
Diana raised her eyebrow at Cassie, but said nothing. She was curious why Jake was spending the night with her friend.
"I can't remember. I'm so exhausted."
"Well it has been a few rough nights in a row. You haven't slept properly, so no wonder you're wiped out."
"True," Cassie yawned. "I hope Melissa is okay."
"She's strong and knows we are coming. She'll be okay," Diana contributed.
"Nick once told me that she doesn't give up and like Diana said, she knows we will find her." Jake added.
As they came to a stop at the gas station, Cassie saw Lee with Faye. Adam was telling him the plan to rescue Melissa. If he recognized the guys holding her, he would text them to stay away. If it wasn't Callum's guys, then they'd come in and help Lee. Jake didn't like that they were trusting Faye's new boyfriend so much.
Once Cassie had returned to his truck with her energy drink, Jake voiced his opinion to her. She agreed. "But what else can we do?"
Jake thought about it a moment. He opened his book of shadows and then tapped a page. "If Melissa's in danger, you can transfer your power through to her. So she could zap someone like you've done. It's difficult, but we can do it. You'll just have to use some of my magic if you feel weak."
"Where do we do it? How far away can we be?" Cassie asked with curiosity.
"We'll be vulnerable while in trance, so maybe in the back of my truck." Jake climbed into the truck bed to make room for them to sit, if necessary.
"Diana could stay close by, ready to drive us out of harms way." Cassie suggested.
"Good idea. Text her to come back before Adam, Faye and Lee go. But tell her not to let Faye or Lee know what's going on."
"We can trust Faye, Melissa's her best friend." Cassie defended.
Jake gave Cassie a look, "seriously? Look I know Faye. Guys blind her, especially ones who care about her. She's very needy."
Cassie relented and under her breath said, "we all are."
Jake, Cassie and Diana followed Adam, Faye and Lee. As they drove in the direction of Melissa's location, Cassie recognized things from her memory. She texted Adam and Faye that they were getting closer.
CHAPTER #16
A bad headache made Cassie close her eyes. When she did so, Melissa connected to her. The van was moving, she got her blindfold off and saw that she was being driven into a run-down industrial building. Cassie told her not to fight her captors. She would lend Melissa power to defend herself with magic if the need arose.
Diana looked at Cassie, her face was white. She nodded at Jake, they were both worried about Cassie. "Are you okay?"
Cassie opened her eyes. Diana saw that they were glazed and then slowly focused. Cassie spoke slowly, rubbing her temple. "Melissa connected to me. They moved her into a building. I saw it because she got the thing covering her eyes off. Damn my head hurts!"
"Look in my glove box, there should be some Advil," Jake directed.
She found it and took two. Then texted the new information to everyone. As they drove over a bridge she said to Jake, "this is it, we're almost there."
He pulled over and backed off the road into some trees. He and Cassie got out, and Diana got into the driver's seat. She opened the rear window, so she could hear them. Jake helped Cassie into the truck bed, putting down a blanket for them to sit on. They sat down and held hands.
Diana got a text message, "Lee found the van and is going in. Adam and Faye are on foot."
Cassie and Jake began their breathing exercise. Then Cassie was back in Melissa's head. She saw through Melissa's eyes that Lee was approaching the van. She saw two guys attack him and after a few well aimed punches, Lee had knocked them down. Lee opened the van and undid Melissa's hands. One of the guys was back up and attacked Lee again. Melissa got the ropes around her feet off. Another guy appeared and tried to drag her out of the van. Via Cassie's magic and their link, Melissa zapped him, as if her hands were taser guns. Melissa looked at her fingers and she could see the electric charge crackling around them.
'This is so cool Cassie!' Melissa said in her mind.
'Melissa try to help Lee and get out of there!'
The mind link put a lot of strain on her magic. Funnelling power to Melissa was making her very weak. Cassie began to pull strength from Jake. He could feel it draining him. She saw Melissa attack the guy struggling with Lee. Then they both ran for it. Faye was in Lee's car with Adam and they picked up Melissa and Lee. That's when the link with Cassie broke.
Both Jake and Cassie were breathing hard. "They're coming. The van is chasing them. Faye is driving."
Diana started up Jake's truck. They saw Lee's car speed crazily by. Then the van came chasing them. Diana swung behind the van. She put on her high beams, blinding the driver. Cassie and Jake held on in the truck bed.
"Diana, ram the back bumper on one corner. Don't worry about my truck," Jake shouted.
Jake's truck picked up speed. He used his body to protect Cassie. She bear hugged him and he held on to the truck. Diana timed it perfectly and did the pit maneuver near the bridge. The van careened off the road and rolled down the embankment.
"Wow Diana, that was awesome!" Cassie praised.
Once Diana was sure no one else was pursing them, she pulled over. She slid over to the passenger side, then Cassie went in the middle and Jake got in the driver's side. Diana sent a text that they were okay and to meet back at the gas station.
"Good job driving, there's only a small dent in my bumper," Jake complimented Diana.
"Thanks, I've watched enough cop shows I guess," Diana replied.
Adrenaline kept Cassie going. They all got out and went to Melissa, when they arrived at the gas station. They all hugged her with the exception of Lee and Jake.
"Who were those guys?" Adam asked Lee.
"I've never seen them before, but that doesn't mean that Callum didn't hire them." Lee pointed out.
"I'm tired, Lee can you and Faye take me home?" Melissa asked.
"Sure," Faye said. "We'll talk about it all tomorrow."
"We're glad your safe," Adam said.
"Thank you," Melissa said to everyone, but looked at Cassie.
Cassie smiled and gave her a quick hug. "No more action tonight guys, okay?"
Melissa, Faye and Lee all nodded and then left. Diana turned to Adam.
"Can you give me a ride to the abandoned house so I can get my car and go home too?"
"Yup. Good night guys." Adam said, leading Diana to his truck, which was parked beside the gas station.
Cassie walked back to Jake's truck. The headache was bad now. It felt like a hot knife was being stabbed into her skull. She was a little unsteady on her feet. Jake lent her an arm and she leaned on him.
"Sorry, you must be tired too. Did I take too much of your magic?" She asked.
"I'm fine, Melissa needed all of us tonight." Jake said.
They got into the truck and Cassie finished the energy drink. She fell asleep on the ride home, resting her head on the cool window. Once at their houses Jake tried to wake her, but she was dead asleep. He couldn't find her house key, so he picked her up and took her to his house. Once inside, he carried her upstairs and put her on his bed.
"Shh Lucky, don't wake our sleeping beauty," Jake whispered to the kitten mewing at his feet.
He went downstairs and checked Lucky's bowls, then scratched the kitten behind the ears until a loud purr could be heard. "What a night," Jake sighed.
He went upstairs and took off his jeans and shirt. Then he got under his sheets. Cassie slept through it all. He checked her face, glad to see it was no longer sickly white. Then he rolled over and went to sleep. Lucky curled up at their feet, watching over them as they slept.