CHAPTER 6

My head was bloated from all the research and writing I had just done. I'd spent my lunch break along with my two free periods trying to piece together my masterpiece. I was strolling through the corridor on my way to History when I felt a hand grab my waist while another covered my mouth and pulled me behind the lockers. My kidnapper slowly released his grip from around my mouth. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. I could smell Reid and I already knew the expression he had: a smug grin.

"What are you doing?" I half whispered- half screamed at him.

"You up for bunking?" he asked. I noticed his arm still around my waist. I stepped back and he automatically loosened his grip.

"No, I am not up for bunking. I, unlike you, would like to actually attend my lectures and hopefully graduate with distinctions," I said with my head held high.

He was looking at me with his puppy dog eyes. I took a deep breath and then exhaled. When it came to Reid, I just couldn't say no.

"Okay. What did you have in mind?"

"Follow me," was all he said.

Ten minutes later we were in Tyler's Hummer hitting the freeway. God only knew where Reid was taking me. If it had been any other guy, I would never have done anything like this. But somehow, I felt safe with Reid.

He took a sharp hair-pin bend and I could feel a difference in the air. I opened my window and sniffed the clean, fresh, almost salty atmosphere blowing outside. The scenery wasn't beautiful like the air instead it looked almost dead. Reid halted to a stop and got out the van. I followed suit.

"What is this place?" I asked. There were cracks in the ground, supposedly from lack of rain and the ground was perfectly flat like a table top. I looked carefully and noticed that we were standing a few feet away from the edge of a cliff.

"Marblehead. If you look closely you can just make out the dells from here." We both squinted in the direction Reid was pointing in.

"This is your idea of fun?" I asked.

"It's amazing. You'll see," he replied with a smirk.

He walked to the edge and looked below. I wasn't exactly scared of heights but I didn't want to see how far down below was the end. Reid turned around and faced me.

"How much about the Sons of Ipswich, do you know?" he asked with a smile playing at his lips.

"Urmmm…..why are you asking me this?"

He was standing at the very edge, with his back away from me, a huge smile spread across his face and his eyes turned black. All of it. And the next thing I knew….he was gone.

Reid had jumped off the cliff and was plummeting to the ground below. I ran forward and looked down. I could barely make out his silhouette. I turned around and raced to the Hummer to retrieve my cell phone. I was at the door when I realised something. Reid was a warlock, one of the Sons of Ipswich. He couldn't die! I was just about to laugh at my stupidity when I heard him clear his throat.

I zipped around and slapped him hard across the face. He clutched his cheek and all traces of amusement were erased from his face. "Don't you think it would have been nice of you to mention that you were about to play a prank on me!" I shouted.

"So you really don't know much about this life you're involved in, do you?" he asked ignoring my childish behaviour.

He went to the Hummer, positioned his foot at the bottom of the door frame and swung his body up so that he was now sitting on the roof of the van. He patted the space next to him and offered his hand. I took it and he effortlessly pulled me up.

"There's a lot more than brewing potions and casting spells," he chuckled. I smiled at his joke. "The connection that we have, we can sense whatever the other senses or sometimes feels. Of course now we can't call ourselves the Sons of Ipswich because you kinda killed our buzz."

"Yeah I don't quite understand that part yet. What do we say now? The sons and only daughter of Ipswich? Or maybe the children of Ipswich?" I laughed at how ridiculous it sounded.

The story of this whole revelation goes something like this…During the witch trails in 1692, five families built a Covenant of silence to protect their secret and offer themselves immunity from going to the gallows. These families consisted of the Danvers', Garwin's, Parry's, Simms' and Putnam's. The Covenant held that the eldest son from these five families will hold The Power, getting a taste of it at age 13 and then ascending at age 18 when the power becomes stronger and eventually becomes your life. Only four families remained after it was said that the fifth family-the Putnam's- had been killed off during the witch trials. The addiction to use The Power is most dangerous and extensive use of it means rapid aging and a shorter life span.

I, Caley Elizabeth Danvers born 23 July 1992, came into my powers at age 17. Of course this was an absolute surprise to us since I was the first girl to have this extraordinary gift. My mother called it a curse since not one, but both her children were at the mercy of The Power. But the miracle of the situation was that every bloodline produced only one- a male. That's why it was a 'great act of faith' that my mom had fallen pregnant with me. This was partly the reason why I came back, having this Power meant taking proper care not to abuse it and end up like my father, William (III) James Danvers. My father had lived a reckless life and was now suffering for it.

"There are lots of other things than just the casualties. We can defy gravity, turn invisible, repair stuff, super speed, super strength, flexibility, agility, shape- shifting and the list goes on and on," Reid was trying to explain. "So, are you ready to give it a try?"

"What? Noooo! I can't. I don't even know how to use The Power," I argued.

"C'mon I'll show you," he said as he hoped down from the Hummer and held out his hand just like he had done earlier.

I looked at the situation from all angles, searching for a way to avoid this whole scenario. I was scared, extremely scared. There, I admitted it. Reid had already walked on and was waiting for me at the edge. My feet dragged forward reluctantly and I tried to hold my breath so that time could stand still. When I eventually reached Reid, I peered down below and immediately felt queasy at the sight. Reid grabbed my arm to steady me after I almost toppled over. Then he came up from behind me, wrapped both his hands around my waist and whispered in my ear, "Are you scared?"

"No." I lied.

"Then why is your heart racing?" he said in a matter of fact tone. "Oh, I get it; you're heart's racing at my closeness."

"You wish," I said cheekily.

"Okay, okay, enough jokes. Do you trust me, Danvers?" he asked.

"Yes!" I answered effortlessly. It was true, I trusted Reid more than I trusted myself.

"Then hold on, beautiful."

Before I could secure his grip around my waist, we had already taken off. We were plummeting at a speed that my mind couldn't register. The wind stung my nostrils and a warm, electric sensation penetrated my body. It felt good, really good as the adrenaline started shifting into gear and finally a soft thump! as we hit the ground.

I turned around and looked at Reid, whose eyes were dark as the night. I gave him time to adjust them before I exclaimed, "That was…..deadly! I loved it!"

"Don't tell Grandpa Caleb I showed you how to do that," he said with a grin.

"I can keep a secret," I said and put my index finger to my lips and whispered, "Shoooooo!"

After Reid dropped me off at the gate of our estate, I thought of a lie to explain my whereabouts and then thought twice. I was 17, why should I lie? And it's not like I did anything wrong. Okay, maybe I did but it wasn't a catastrophe. Yet!

I entered our house through the back door and found Ester hard at work preparing dinner.

"Hi Ester," I said cheerfully

"Miss Danvers, dinner is almost ready," she said quickly as if she was in trouble.

"Take your time. Oh and please call me Caley. I get enough 'Miss Danvers at school," I corrected her.

"Yes, Miss Caley," she said obediently.

I sighed. Ester had been our maid since I was 6 years old. She was 26 years old when my mom found her at a centre for abused women and children. She offered Ester a job along with shelter and a chance to start a new life.

I sat at the kitchen table, eating the apple I found in the fridge and watching Ester work. I could see that she was extremely passionate about her job and I wondered what life would have been like for her if my mum hadn't taken her in all those years ago. She caught me staring and smiled. I smiled back and remembered all the times I made Ester birthday and get well cards when I was little. I always tried to make her feel like part of the family.

"There you are!" my mom exclaimed as she entered the kitchen with a glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"Hi mom," I replied as eyed the glass suspiciously.

She saw me looking and set it down on the counter. "I hope absconding class for Reid Garwin pays off at year-end," she said chillingly.

"I….uhhh. I didn't abscond. I was free," I tried to play it cool.

"Aren't you just like your lying father? I know that you weren't free, Caley. You have the same classes as your brother, for God's sake!" she screamed.

Her words and tone took me by surprise and I realised she was drunk. Ester excused herself and went into the back- yard to give us privacy. I decided to remain silent and not say anything rash. She crooked a finger at me and said, "You stay away from that boy! Do you hear? I will not have you risk everything for a reckless and good- for- nothing fellow!"

She looked as if she was possessed and I chose my words carefully

"I'm sorry I lied. Reid was just telling me about- I dropped my voice to a whisper- The Power. Someone needed to explain things to me. And I didn't miss out on important work. It was only one period." I picked up my bag and headed for my room. She grabbed me by the elbow and swung me around so that I was facing her. "You will forget him or I will forget that you're my daughter," she said vilely.

"Mother!"

It was Caleb who'd said the word. "Let her go."

She pushed my arm away and I staggered backwards. I regained my balance and walked away. I could hear Caleb following me.

"Did you use today?" he asked.

I stopped and turned around, "No," I said.

"Don't lie to me. Either you did or he did. It was Reid, wasn't it? I felt it!" he spat. "It's not his place to show you these things. He's only using you so he'll be able to demonstrate The Power. He's addicted, Caley!"

My temper had reached its limit and I lashed out, "Then who's place is it, Caleb? Yours? Our father's? Reid is one of us! And he's the only one who cared enough to fill in the gaps." With that I turned on my heels and ran upstairs.

Sitting alone with my thoughts was dangerous. Who were these people that I was living with? Caleb had become a stranger and well, my mom had always been a stranger. If Reid was such a bad guy, why would he treat me with such respect? Tears started to fall from my eyes and I wiped them away. It had been a week since I got back, enough time had passed, it was time to see him….my father.