Author's note-

Sorry my finals are coming up. I only have 148 reviews but Im releasing this chapter anyways. Once again Im starting to pick it up a little and make things more interesting and stay in flow with the actual plot. You guys will like the next few chapters... well all of them I hope. I promise not to quit on this story.

170+ revies please...Please review guys!

Now enjoy chapter 10!

Chapter 10

Bryce had Chloe doing each summons twice. The first with her necklace off, the second with it on.

"This way we can see what you can do, and if you can do it with the tool. In case a situation comes up, it will help to know you don't have to take it off. Think of your amulet as training wheels. Until you are ready to fully defend yourself from a ghost who is threatening to possess you, or an enemy who is trying to find you... this necklace is your best friend."

Bryce started off by a simple calling.

"I realize that during this point we will be performing things you know how do to probably fairly well. But that is the point of this exercise is to develope an inventory of what you can do, what you can work on, and what you need to learn. So bear with me if what I say is repetative."

Bryce knelt into the grass and closed his eyes. His lids twitched ever so slightly and a man materialized before them. Old and stout, his head rested right onto his shoulders as if he had no neck. In this case it may very well be because he had a few extra chins and a heafty build.

"What," he branched as he spun around awkwardly. "Boy, I thought I told you to leave me alone," he said when his eyes met Bryce's. His cheeks inflated and his skin wrinkled around his grumpy eyes.

"Ah, Gregory! It is always a pleasure to see you," Bryce laughed at the balding man. Then he leaned closer to Chloe. "You see he can hear my voice when I summon him. That is how he knew it was I who called him and not you."

"What? This girl summon me? Humph don't be ridicu-" The man stopped abruptly and took in Chloe for a moment. His small blue eyes widened slightly and his mouth fell agape as if he had no words to speak. Chloe felt self concious and shifted her weight a little, averting her eyes.

"Girl... you have such... such a beautiful glow." The ice in his eyes melted and his posture seemed to soften.

"T-thank you sir." Chloe said politely, honestly not sure what to say. The man's thin lips lifted upward.

"Such a polite girl to a grumpy old spirit like me. There aren't much children like you in the world dear." Chloe smiled at the man. She thanked him again.

"Yes thank you for helping me Gregory. You can return to the cellar if you would like."

"Alright... but don't call me again," he barked, his grumpy exterior simmering again. Chloe giggled. He was so cute, a man with a soft heart but afraid to show it... " And you girl-"

"Chloe," she said and he nodded his eyes melting again.

"Chloe... come visit me sometime. It would be nice to talk to someone every now and then. Instead of being pulled from peace by a maniac!" He waved his fist to Bryce, who returned his frustration with a boisterous chuckle.

"Humph." And Gregory faded away. Chloe watched in curiosity as he did so. She wondered why he was haunting the cellar.

"What's Gregory's story?"

"Well you will have to find that out when you visit him, won't you?" Bryce smiled. Chloe pouted a little. Not so much to show him but inside she wanted to know. He reminded her of old time movies.

"Chloe we must continue. There is lots to cover," Bryce said in an eager pleading that it made Chloe's heart jump to do his bidding. After all... she wanted to start learning and understanding what she was doing... She would visit Gregory later. She slowly lifted her necklace over her head and dropped it next to her in the grass.

Bryce asked her to call someone, anyone.

He told her it was better to kneel. Chloe liked that, so she pushed her knees into the grass. Bryce continued by straightening her posture to let her energy flow. He had her close her eyes and clear her mind. Vizualize who she would call.

Liz.

"By picturing a ghost you are already cal- Oh! hello there," Bryce said his voice had a hint of unexpectancy in it. Chloe opened her eyes to see what interupted him, but instead she met a bright face swimming in blonde hair.

"Hi Chloe!"

"Liz? How did you get here so fast?" Chloe looked at her questioningly and she bounced up, standing in front of her.

"You're so bright!" She swung the length of her arms in an arc above her head, mimicing Chloe's glow. "It was easier than last time to find you because you were so loud and bright. I felt like... I just knew where you were."

"How fascinating! Chloe you didn't even have to try," Bryce exclaimed in amazement. He grinned from ear to ear. Chloe blushed, satisfied that she pleased her teacher. Liz looked at him questioningly.

"Liz this is Bryce. He's teaching me about necromancy. Bryce this is my friend Elizabeth." Bryce bowed his head slightly before his expression was overcome with sadness.

"Yes. Kit told me about your loss Elizabeth-"

"It's Liz," the blonde in the nightgown said.

"Of course, Liz. Its very good to meet you. I have heard that you have become a great asset to the team against the Edison Group. I have never met a freindly poltergeist before." He said with a mesmarized gleam in his eye. " Im curious... as to see if you can be trained as well... of course if that is alright with you my dear." Liz's eyes went wide and Chloe wondered if she was insulted. She hesitantly took a step back.

"Y-you can do that? You can teach me, and I can help?" Bryce nodded, slow and inviting. In a conforting way. "Wow... " Liz actually looked like she was blushing. Though it was not possible... she opened her mouth and closed it. This happened a few more times, barely a sound coming from her. Chloe turned to Bryce.

"I think she needs some time to think about it.'

"No! No I want to help! And I want help. Back at Lyle house... t-they told me all the time that they would help me and now look what happened. This is what I want. I want to make sure they don't hurt Chloe or Tori. I'll do anything to help them, and to help myself. I- I want a purpose..." Chloe was astonished. She had never seen Liz bring up such passion. Though she had hardly known her when she was alive and the only time she was really there was to help her escape. Is that why Liz kept drifting off? To search for her purpose?

"Ah, how exciting! I'm sure you won't be disappointed Eliza-Liz. I do have studies on poltergeists that we can look through once we find time from these exercises. How does that sound?" Liz nodded eagerly a smile spreading across her face that seemed to diminish the paleness.

Bryce gave Liz his cell phone and she drifted to Tori, using texts to communicate with her. Tori at first was so dumbfounded until Derek mentioned to her that it was Liz. Then she talked animateadly with her describing things in her book and introducing her to Jackson. Jackson merely bowed his head in acknowledgment them turned his eyes back to Chloe. When his sharp, hazel orbs met hers a shiver shot up her spine. Chills decended on her and that whisper was back, only breifly.

" Chloooeeee..." It was louder as Chloe wasn't wearing her necklace, but barely. Chloe looked away quickly and felt the cold disappear... the presense left. Yet Chloe still felt watched. That whisper... she had heard it before. Not just in the library this morning but... somewhere dark. It called to her like that.

... Chloe wondered if she should try summoning it.

Bryce told her to try the summon again this time with her necklace on. Chloe closed her eyes and cleared her mind. She focussed on the whisper. The voice indicated the spirit was a man, and someone that could hide himself well or was to weak to materialize himself before her. She focussed, imagining she was physically grabbing that voice. with a low input of power she pulled.

"Heh. Heh heh heh... ha ha haha ha..." The whisper gave a sharp chuckle that escalated. His light male voice boomed into insinious laughter. Chloe snapped her eyes open... but saw nothing. And the voice dyed to a whisper again before disappearing completely.

"Hmm... perhaps a little more power when your necklace is on Chloe?" Bryce crouched beside her and his eyes dimmed, his brows pushing together. When he reached to put his hand on her shoulder, she flinched. "Are you ok Chloe? You look pale." Chloe looked around then directly at Bryce. He watched her questioningly.

"D-didn't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The man... laughing. Y-you didn't hear him?"

"No...Nothing. I thought you didn't summon anyone, that you might need to use more power." He shook his head his expression confused. Chloe shivered.

"Oh I um- must be hearing things. I'll try again." On something else.

The summons continued slowly after that. Chloe had to gradually increase her power. Her first real lesson, where she didn't already know what to do, was where to push a person if they threatened her. Chloe had explained to Bryce that she always did the opposite of summoning when she pushed someone away. But Margaret was horrified by this and told her never to do it again. Chloe didn't admit she had tried doing it with the Dream Walker back at the hotel.

Bryce agreed but in a more civilized manner. He said that if it was a matter of life and death it is best to shove them away, but... there was a way to do it without accidently sending the ghost some place horrid. She just had to imagine a place to send them. It was that simple. Chloe practiced this on Sam. The girl told her where she will be and Chloe summoned her, calling and pulling her towards her own glow. Sam mentioned that without the necklace her pull was stronger. Unable to willingly fight to be exact.

Then Chloe remained knelt into the grass and focussed on the kitchen. She imagined touching Sam and giving her a light push. She giggled and vanished.

With her necklace on this took more effort. Almost all the summons did, Chloe noticed things were almost effortless without her "tool."

There were four types of summoning. Calling a ghost, and doing so in reverse. And lifting the dead... and reverse. Then it branched off into thousands of different areas between humans and animals to other supernaturals, Dream Walkers, and demons. For now Bryce wanted those to be in future lessons and he just wanted to see Chloe do a basic summon performance. Already she called to her ghosts and then did the reverse by pushing them back. (Safely into a place that was familiar Chloe.)

Now it was time to work with the body...

Sam reassured Chloe and told her that she would be fine... as long as Chloe didn't mess with her while she was back in her body. As in the necromancer has control of zombies therefore a necromancer can make a spirit do something against their will... Chloe promised she would never do that to her.

Bryce apologized to Sam ahead of time as she was going to be thrust into her body about three times.

"C-can't we just do it on animals?" Bryce shook his head and Chloe knew that was the answer. She took a deep breath.

Bryce performed the summon with a great deal of effort. He sat this time, cross-legged in the grass and braced his hands on his knees. As soon as he closed his eyes Sam's figure began to flicker. Bryce breathed evenly and Chloe noted that he was not only focussing on pushing Sam back into her body, but breathing as well. Chloe didn't want to interrupt and ask why, she just figured he was letting his energy flow. His lids twitched and his brows pushed down in concentration. Sam was starting to glide backwards.

Bryce gave a struggled grunt when Sam stopped and he concentrated harder, a thin layer of sweat producing near his temples. Sam slowly started moving again. And then... Bryce held his breath... Sam was pushed into the earth.

Bryce released his tension and exhaled. Chloe found herself in complete shock. She had never seen the process before. Not even with Tori's mother when Chloe willingly let her spirit go back into her body in order to save her, Derek, and the others. Of course her eyes had been closed. But what Chloe found really wondrous was that if she was stronger than Bryce it wasn't by much, and it was only because of her altering. Bryce was a very powerful necromancer, to be able to do that without any items or rituals. Way beyond Margaret could ever hope to be.

Bryce didn't allow Sam to be in her body for long. He said she was buried fairly deep. So again he closed his eyes.

He explained there were two ways to free a ghost from their corpse. One was to release it like Chloe had done before, but most of the time it was better to call a ghost. Summon it before you without ordering the corpse. Ghosts were willing to come to the call as long as they weren't stuck to their bodies. For now Bryce called Sam. It took more effort than a simpler summon because now Sam was trapped by living boundaries instead of the dead.

"We are genetically given the power that crosses the line of the dead. Think of it as trying to reach behind you and cross the line of the living. It is harder and less comfortable. That's why it takes more power to release or call a spirit who is stuck in their body."

Bryce this time said a commanding "Come." Sweat trickled down the side of his face and he tried again.

"Come Sam." A few more seconds of concentration and then Sam materialized before him again.

"That wasn't so bad," she said, her eyes spacing again. Bryce exhaled his held breath with a low drunken chuckle then turned to Chloe.

"You ready kiddo?" Chloe nodded hesitantly.

"Listen blondie," Sam said, leaning into her. Her voice was so light and drawn out. As if she couldn't have a care in the world. " I really don't mind. I know that is what your afraid of. You have that kind of heart that fears to upset someone. Ghosts are only afraid of unwillingly becoming part of an undead army. Trapped in their lifeless bodies for eternity. But I'm not. If you have my garuntee that I'm ok with this... shouldn't that make you feel better?"

"N-not really," Chloe stuttered. Sam sighed and looked away into the tress. Chloe waited, thinking she would say more. But she didn't, she simply continued spacing. And this made Chloe sputter a nervous giggle. She was such a strange girl. Sam met Chloe's eyes and gave her a tingly laugh. And Chloe did feel better. Bryce was lucky to have found a ghost who just seemed to... not care about the line between the living and the dead. It wasn't that she was afraid to say no, where that was exactly Chloe's case. She just wanted to.

Chloe could tell that Sam saw the world differently. She wondered if Sam was the same when she was alive. If they could have been good friends. She was the 'look at the bright side' kind of girl... even if there was no bright side Chloe was sure Sam would find one. And that was why she was so willing to let Bryce and Chloe use her to hone their powers. Someone to help with no perks... just to feel happy about the world she lived in.

Chloe exhaled. "Ok, I'm ready."

Without the necklace, and the concentration actually being on sending Sam back into her body the summon was easy. Chloe just imagined placing Sam back into her body.

"Good good!" Bryce clapped. "Without even trying! How fascinating. Now go ahead and call her back to you. Remember its different from releasing." Chloe released a small smile of satisfaction. She did it so easily... she inhaled and closed her eyes again. She mentally spoke Sam's name, but remembered that Bryce had actually said it aloud.

"For me that was the extra concentration, saying it aloud made it more of a reality to concentrate on. But your power is already so concentrated I doubt you have to say anything." With a nod Chloe mentally called to Sam again. Imagining she was reaching through her body to grab her spirit and giving her a small pull.

"See? I'm completely fine," Sam's voice chirped in Chloe's ear. Chloe yelped and jumped, her eyes flashing to the happy brown ones that belonged to Sam. Then Chloe was beaming and she released a laugh.

"I did it!" She had done it before but this time she felt accomlished...

Derek leaned back against his tree, observing Chloe as she perfomed her summons. He watched as she pulled her necklace back over her head. he exhaled in relief. Each time she took it off it made him nervous. He was just waiting for a psycho ghost to come and try to possess her. But he thought it was best to not say anything. Not interfere. She was learning to understand what she was. And the more she learned and knew what to do the better. Being able to talk to the dead was not like being a werewolf. Things as a wolf were expected by him. There was nothing really new about following your instincts. With Chloe everything was new, everything was different. Being able to live between the connection of living and dead... things are unpredictable there. Chloe would always be faced with knew challenges... new threats.

Bryce had said their boundries were limitless... what cost did that have on a necromancer?

Chloe had her eyes closed again. Her brows pushing against each other as she concentrated. She was to put Sam in her corpse again but this time her power was smuggled by the necklace. Derek knew how much this would take out of her. She willingly did this before. She pulled Mrs. Enright back from the dead to save everyone from Davidoff. He remembered her tension, and at first he thought she was scared. But then as soon as he saw Tori's mother struggling to stand, he knew what Chloe was doing. And after that she passed out in the van for the entire escape.

He decided to tell Bryce she should be done after this last summon. He didn't want to know what would happen if Chloe used all her energy...

Chloe released her breath and wasn't surprised to find herself panting. The more she concentrated on it the more she could feel that her power was suffocated by her necklace.

"Good, very good Chloe. Doing this type of summon does require a lot of energy. Although we know that without the tool you have raised a good fourth of a cemetary using just as much effort as you did to raise Sam. So you need to understand that you can't rely on your powers to this degree when you are not equipped with your mother's necklace." Chloe nodded, already in complete agreement. If she had used this much energy back at the cemetary... would she have been able to lift the entire memorial from the grave?

"Alright. Well I believe you have used up the majority of your stamina Chloe. I'll release Sam and you can be done for today."

"But... Don't you need to see if I can call her while I'm using the necklace?" Bryce shook his head with a smile.

"No I already know that you can. Doing a mulititude of summoning takes a lot out of you physically and psychologically. I'm very surprised and pleased that you were able to get this far. But there is no need to push you. Im sure you could feel your energy slipping away." Chloe stood to follow him as he started to move towards Sam's grave. But as soon as she straightened the trees around her began to spin and gravity pushed down on her. Bryce noticed and caught her arm before she could fall.

"S-sorry. I j-just got up to fast."

She reassured Bryce that she was alright and told him she was going to rest. Bryce nodded and told her she was going to be a great student. She thanked him and slowly walked back to the house.

Chloe wasn't necessarily tired, but she was wiped out. Her aunt was back, and told her that she had some fresh clothes in her room for her. She also said that Chloe's bandages needed to be changed. Chloe grumbled in displeasure, but the thought of taking a shower soothed her. Lauren confirmed that it should be ok and the wounds would be scabbed by now. After all they weren't deep enoungh to require stitches.

Giving her aunt a thanks and a promise of a detailed explanation of her lesson with Bryce later, Chloe moved up the stairs into her room. She grabbed her bag of new clothes from the local thrift store, the gauzes her aunt had left on her pack, and her strawberry shampoo that was burried at the bottom of it. One more wash should remove the remaining black dye. With that thought Chloe reached in her pack for her sweatshirt and rumaged through the pocket... In there was the half filled tube of black hair dye...

Chloe didn't have to get rid of all of it. She didn't want to... she wanted some way to keep some of her hair black. Even though she didn't know why... she felt bad for giving Derek such a hard time about this situation. Getting her black hair dye in order to hide her identity. But with her hair like that she had realized her identity. Who she was... who she liked... her reality.

So now she didn't want to wash it away.

Making up her mind Chloe pushed the tube between her clothes in the plastic bag and left the room.

Downstairs Chloe knocked on the bathroom door... no one was in there. She could vaguely here Simon talking to his dad through the kitchen door. At one point their voices were loud enough she could make out a couple words, though she didn't understand the conversation. But then they became quiet and muffled agian. Chloe sighed and reached for the knob on the bathroom door before an arm slipped around her waist. Chloe froze... not before jumping of course.

A low chuckle sounded in her ear and she exhaled, relaxing against Derek's chest.

"Why are you always sneaking up on me?"

"I wasn't. I actually thought my entrance was quite noticable." She could here the smirk in his voice. Chloe put two and two together and figured Simon and Mr. Bae's voices grew louder because Derek had passed through the kitchen door at that time. She still huffed.

"Get some rest, then meet me out front at five. We'll go for a walk." Before Chloe could react Derek pecked her cheek and released her. She turned to look at him, but he was already through the kitchen door.

With a small breath to calm her heart, she stepped into the bathroom.

Yay! I liked this chapter. Sam reminds me of Luna (Lonny) from Harry Potter. -Not really a big fan of Harry Potter either-

Thnaks guys!