Part Three: The Minuet of Shadows

Cast: The following characters will be introduced.

Denora DeSade: An old friend and rival of Helena DeVille. Both Denora and Helena went to the Avalon school together, where they both competed for the position as top student (both losing the title to another because they became so focused on beating each other that they ruined each other's chances). Denora, like Helena, is a very skilled and versatile sorceress, but where Helena was only playfully wicked, Denora was a true wicked witch and she uses her magic to gain every advantage over her rivals. When she wants something, she takes it, and heaven help the poor souls that get in her way. Denora is also a member of the Board of Trustees. She has dark brown hair and dresses in black.

Claudia DeSade: A rival of the DeVille girls and the daughter of Denora. Claudia DeSade is the same age as the girls. She has shoulder length black hair and wears an old-fashioned, night-blue dress and black shoes. Claudia's magical specialty is conjuring evil spirits, which she uses to create little demon minions such as imps. She's a selfish brat, much like Annabelle, although not as powerful; however, Claudia is more clever and her mother has much more resources than Annabelle, so she's a fair match for the girls.

Earlier in the story, Claudia used an imp to possess Donny and use him in her mother's plot against the DeVille family. Since then, Annabelle has had a very personal dislike for Claudia and the two are often at each other's throats.

Donny: Donny is a mortal boy and one of Janette's old friends from elementary school before she went to live with her aunt. Donny is a blonde boy with blue eyes. Although he means well, he's not particularly skilled at anything and he's pretty unskilled at a number of things. About the only thing he's got going for him is determination and a strong, stalwart heart. Oh, and Annabelle. Donny is Anna's puppy-love and while this is something of a mixed blessing, it does give him a strong protector; when bullies who pick on someone tend to have strange accidents or disappear, they tend to leave that someone alone.

Dis: A demon and a spy of a more powerful being. Although we never see his true shape until the end, he looks like a tall, gaunt - almost skeletal - figure who appears to be a mix between human, mole and vulture characteristics. His long fingers are like talons, his nose and mouth are a snout with a beak-like hook at the end and his body is covered with short, bristly, grey fur, with black and red feathers along the arms, back and legs. Like a vulture, his head has neither hair nor feathers. His yellow eyes glow deep blue when he gets angry or excited and he has a slight curve to his back, but not exactly a hunch. He has the power to meld into shadows and become insubstantial, to influence people's minds and to control people's dreams.

Okay, now we're deep into the story. This is where the proverbial plot proverbially thickens. We'll reach the climax of the main story arc at the end of this book and the Black-White story arc will continue its rising action. We'll see more development on the relationship between Janette and Eddy, watch the rivalry between the DeVille Girls and Claudia DeSade, which will lead to the birth of a most unlikely alliance in the next part, as well as see more of the school. This story will be longer then the first two, a little more than 70 pages, but it will get more interesting as certain dark secrets come to light.

We'll also finally learn what's been following the characters around in their shadows when the demon spy, Dis, makes his move, pushing the events along to suit his desires, and those of his dark master. Also, we'll see the first confrontation between Deacon Black and Dr. White as their conflicting ideals become more polarized by Black's slowly changing perspectives.

With that, raise curtain. It's time for the next act to begin!

Also, a note to the artist. This is one of the darker chapters, so it should be reflected in the artwork. Make use of heavier ink and more shadows than we have before.

Ch. 8

Another week has passed. Ms. Sinclair is meeting with Helena and Denora DeSade about the matter of the hunter. Janette has been able to coax some interesting information out of Eddy, which has revealed that the witch that created him was actually Denora's grandmother. Denora is to find any notes of the experiment that may still survive. Sinclair then gives Helena instructions that came from a an unnamed informant: "Remember the family pledge."

Eddy is starting to look better now. He's been eating regularly and since they stopped experimenting, he's been healing up. He's now strong enough to eat more solid foods, so Janette conjures some steak and potatoes for him. While he's eating, Eddy finds enough courage to ask Janette if she really cares about him. When Janette says she might, Eddy is shocked - how can a witch care about anybody? This prompts Janette to talk about the complex nature of right and wrong - recalling a bit of what Harlan had said earlier - and tries to get Eddy to understand that witches are people too.

At the WL headquarters, this hits Black hard, who has been thinking about these things for over a week and is beginning to see that he may have been mistaken, but thoughts of this sort are put on hold when Janette reaches the core of Eddy's hatred. Someone has led him to believe that because of the witch's experiments, Eddy is eternally damned. Everybody is horrified and Janette tries to talk Eddy out of this delusion, while Black realizes it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to know who made Eddy believe that.

Janette tries to comfort Eddy, but with little success and eventually has to leave him. Outside the cell, however, Claudia DeSade is waiting to tease her old rival. Apparently, rumor has been going around that Janette loves the hunter and Claudia wanted to see for herself. Taking all that's just happened to mean it was true, she gleefully torments Janette until Janette lashes out in rage at her rival, blowing a huge hole in the wall and nearly disintegrating Claudia.

Ms. Sinclair suddenly appears and chastises them both, sending Claudia to her room and threatening to "put Janette in the jar." Janette makes no excuse for herself and submits herself to the headmistress's punishment, which makes Sinclair feel a note of respect for the girl's maturity. Instead of the punishment she had in mind, she tells Janette that she will be forbidden from attending the midterm dance.

Inside cell, Eddy is silent and thoughtful. He heard the name DeSade spoken out loud - and he remembers where he heard that name before.

Ch. 9

Black again bursts into Dr. White's office in a fury. He confronts the reverend about telling Eddy he was damned and calls White a arrogant blasphemer. Dr. White "persuades" Black to calm down with a gun and a polite word, then tells Black that Dr. White never said anything, but that Eddy came to that conclusion on his own. Dr. White simply never disabused him of the idea, since it kept him loyal. Black is still horrified and angry, but his present fear of getting his head blown off keeps him from saying more.

Fast forward to the night of the midterm dance. Janette is in her room alone when Pru comes by for short visit. Pru gives Janette a present, a first edition printing of "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory." Pru offers to keep Janette company, but Janette insists that Pru enjoy herself at the dance.

After an hour of reading by herself, Janette gets another visitor; the fairy from her dreams, the one who helped her awaken to her powers. The fairy greets Janette and they talk. Jannette thinks to tell the fairy about her dreams, but again feels that cold feeling and looks away. At this, the fairy looks over at Janette's shadow and gives the pair of glowing eyes a very angry glare. Seeing this, the eyes fade and Janette is able to talk about what's happened. The fairy tells Janette that she has a great destiny and that she should choose her path carefully.

As she's leaving, the fairy tells Janette that someone needs her help. Janette thinks about this and remembers Eddy.

In the dungeon, Eddy is half-asleep when the voice of Dis speaks to him from the shadows. Eddy panics and tries to flee, but he's chained at the ankles and can't go anywhere. Dis says he needs to borrow Eddy's body. Eddy tries to refuse, but eventually gives into the prodding and Dis frees Eddy from his shackles. Hobbes hears this and peeks in just in time to see Eddy's hands fly out of the window and wrap around his throat. Hobbes struggles for a moment, but Eddy easily snaps the hobgoblin's neck.

Ch. 10

At the dance, Annabelle is sitting at a table with Donny and several school friends, eating. Annabelle largely ignores her boyfriend, making Donny wonder why she even invited him. Later, while dancing, Donny repeatedly steps on Annabelle's toes and she threatens to turn him into a goldfish, which prompts him to take a frightened step back away - and bump into Claudia. After some witty banter - sans the witty - Annabelle and Claudia engage in a magical duel, which Annabelle deftly wins.

Back in the dungeons, Janette finds Hobbes lying dead, his neck broken and the door to Eddy's cell wide open.

Further festivities at the dance are broken up when Eddy crashes the party, brandishing a large carving knife. At first, it seems he's going after Annabelle, but then he suddenly leaps past her and goes straight for Claudia. Helena and Ms. Sinclair are able to rescue Claudia and the DeSade family flees while Sinclair deals with Eddy. Sinclair almost kills Eddy, but he outwits the headmistress and escapes. Sinclair orders the guardians to find and kill the hunter.

Ch. 11

Pandemonium in the halls. Students running to and fro, magical guardians trying to restore order and direct everyone to their rooms. In the midst of this, Janette somehow manages to find Annabelle and Donny and learn what's going on. She rushes off to find Eddy, in spite of protests from her friends.

Outside, Denora and Claudia are fleeing toward the gates when Eddy finds them. He knocks Denora unconscious and then pins Claudia. With sadistic glee, he talks about all the ways he will make Claudia suffer before he lets her die, but before he can make good on his threats, Janette appears and tries to talk him out of it.

Sinclair and several guardians come upon the scene, but Sinclair orders the guardians to wait rather than risk Claudia's life.

Janette tries to reason with Eddy and the conflict between Eddy's personalities becomes more clear than ever before. While Janette offers a calm, logical and compassionate encouragement, Dis fills the boy's head with memories of torture and abuse and Eddy's personalities struggle for dominance. Ultimately, Eddy's gentle personality wins out and he throws himself into Janette's arms like a child.

Even Sinclair can't help but feel touched by this event.