A/N: you asked for it and here it is...enjoy the chapter!
Mark let himself in and headed straight back to the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out leftovers. Opening the Tupperware, he took a sniff; tilted his head to the side while he pondered the likelihood of getting food poisoning before shrugging his shoulders and reaching for a fork.
He was leaning against the counter when his cousin walked in. "Hey, sleeping beauty. Have fun last night at girls' night?"
"How did you know about that?" Celeste moved to the coffee maker and put a pot on.
"A little birdie," Mark told her and shoveled food into his mouth. "Come on, I need to show you something."
Celeste reached for a mug and poured herself a cup. "You're gonna have to give me a moment," her voice still groggy. "I don't function without caffeine."
"This is what you had to show me at nine o'clock in the morning? No offense, but it kind of sucks," she drawled.
Faye chuckled, and sat up moving into a kneeling position. She had sent Mark out to fetch her niece while she set everything up here. There was a large blanket sprawled out and a couple of picnic baskets, though food was not the priority on this little family trip.
"This is the highest point in Chance Harbor," she told the young girl. "Nice views, though you're right; they're not spectacular, but this is the best place to work magic. Everything is stronger here."
"And you brought me here, why?" It wasn't so much confusion as distrust that her questioning every interaction she had with her aunt. Faye was one of those rare people who was so genuinely themselves. Celeste knew that there were mixed feelings between her and Cassie though they both swore that the past had been resolved.
After all, Faye had found the power she had so openly craved and the siblings had reached an understanding. Considering their beginning the girls were fairly close, though no one really saw it the way Celeste did. When they had gone to college they had e-mailed but it wasn't until Cassie left the circle for good that they had formed a real relationship.
Celeste was still in the dark about what had happened back then because her mother thought it was best to keep those secrets buried, but the teenager thought that her aunt might be the key to all of that. It wouldn't be so easy getting it out of the older woman because whatever had happened had been significant enough to bind them together in an alliance. Celeste would have to continue acting like america's sweetheart instead of the girl she really was. After all, she was good enough to still have her mother fooled.
"Uh uh uh," Faye wagged a finger at her niece. "Good things come for those who wait."
"I never pegged you as someone who would wait for something to happen to them," Celeste said with a straight face. "I thought you were more of the type to reach out and take it," the blonde faked being interested in the local plants and picked a berry. "That's what mom always said."
Mark held back a laugh when his mom's face dropped. He knew there was more to Celeste than her dry humor and sarcasm; she was daring and forceful and now he suspected sneaky and manipulative— yet another woman in his life with more power and control over their surroundings than he could ever hope to possess. Then again, Mark wasn't exactly the type to scheme or steal, unless it was his best friend's girlfriend. He still didn't know how that happened.
Turning, Faye gave him a death stare. "We all have a common goal," Faye said, "and we would be crazy to think there was any other way to reach it but magic. We're witches, and that means the best weapon and tool we have is our magic."
"And this is the best place to practice it," Celeste inferred. "But first we need a plan. And whatever we do we need to do it fast. Mom is coming in a month and that's when we'll be strongest."
"Four Balcoin witches are better than three," Faye said. "And Halloween is the day of the year when our magic is most powerful. That means we have to work fast."
She reached into the basket and tossed Mark a bag with candles and other supplies. "Make the circle, we don't want prying ears and eyes spying on us," Faye said and she and Celeste took their personal books of shadows out, turning the pages until they got to the ones they wanted.
Melissa knocked on the door and smiled at Richard. "Hey, you! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," the witch said and leaned in for a hug. "Tim misses hanging out with you. You have to stop by sometime and get him off my back," she joked.
Richard laughed. "I do miss our bromance," Diana's husband said. "Maybe we can set something up for next weekend."
"Tim would love that," Melissa smiled as they walked back to the kitchen.
"Melissa," Diana hugged her. "I'm glad you could come so quickly," the brunette took her arm and lead her upstairs. "I could really use your opinion on something."
They walked up stairs to her office and Diana led Melissa in, shutting the door. Melissa tossed her bag and sat down at the computer chair. "What's up? It sounded pretty urgent," the other mom said. "I was afraid you were gonna tell me that something happened with the kids or that we were gonna be grandparents."
"Oh, God no," Diana said. "If Greyson got Phoebe pregnant you'd be more likely to find out by the crime scene tape that would be plastered all over the house."
"Whew," Melissa said and swiped the back of her hand over her forehead in mock relief. "Thank God."
"This has more to do with what happened eighteen years ago," the brunette said tersely and watched her friend suddenly switch from joking to serious.
"What do you mean," Melissa scooched to the edge of her seat, grasping the handles. "Did something happen?"
Diana leaned against the desk and tried to center herself before speaking. "You know, we were kids back then and it wasn't our fault that we were led astray. John Blackwell –"
"John Blackwell?" Melissa pushed herself up to stand closer to her friend. "I thought we promised never to speak about that again? It's the past and there's nothing we can do to change that. Besides, things turned out right for most of us."
"What about Jake and Nick? They lost Cassie, Melissa. How can we be okay with what we did when their family was torn apart?"
Melissa looked away for a second as she tried to get her emotions under control. "Look," she said, "what we did or didn't do had nothing to do with their family breaking up. The damage was done the minute Adam and Cassie discovered the truth about the curse.
"Yes," she continued, "it's unfortunate that Blackwell used Jake to manipulate Adam and Cassie breaking up; not exactly parent of the year potential. Still," she heaved, "you didn't know that and neither did anyone else. What happened between you and Adam sucked, but nothing came of what we did and no one ever has to know," Melissa grabbed Diana's hand. "We're in the clear."
Diana retracted her hand and stared at the ground. "That's not exactly true," she told her. "Something did come of it."
Melissa stared back blankly and shook her head. "What are you talking about? You went back to Richard and Adam met what's her face," shaking her hand at an imaginary figure.
"Melissa, I—well, I don't know how to say this but—" Diana paced nervously and Melissa grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her.
"What?"
"Adam is Greyson's father," she barely whispered and saw the look of shock on her friend's face.
"You have to go," Phoebe said leaning in for one more kiss before shoving Mark away. "My mom's gonna be home any minute."
Mark snaked an arm around her and held her close, his lips moving to her neck and he relished in her moans. They hadn't been able to keep their hands of each other since the dance no matter how hard they tried and he couldn't even care to try anymore.
All of a sudden thunder and lightning surged from the heavens and her screen door ripped open by a blast of wind. Startled, Phoebe turned to see what was going on and crossed the threshold to the porch. The hair on the back of her neck was standing up and Mark moved up to plaster more searing kisses on the base of her neck, sending shivers up her spine.
"What is it," he asked her when he noticed how stiff she was.
"I don't know," her voice oddly hollow and she stepped inside her house; locking her screen door with him on the other side. "I just feel like we're being watched or something."
"Don't be ridiculous. Now let me in," he said twisting the knob and frowned when it didn't budge.
"I think you should go home," Phoebe said and reached for her door. "Something doesn't feel right. I'll talk to you tomorrow," she said and closed it quickly before he got a chance to object.
"So," Margaux asked him with a devilish grin on her face. "Did you do it?"
Nick slid his cell across the countertop and took a bite of his sandwich while the redheaded imp's face glimmered with satisfaction. "You gotta love technology, huh? It's just as good as magic," he smiled. "That spy app is fantastic."
"I wonder if he's even seen it yet," she pondered with a wide smile. "I'd like to watch as they go down in flames."
"Well, I sent all of their texts to him about an hour ago," Nick told her. "We should know soon if anything has happened," he finished saying right before Greyson came barging into the boathouse with fists clenched and a murderous look on his face.
"Hi Adam," Maggie said pretending not to know anything. "What can I get for you today?"
"Do you have any of your special brew left," he asked and Maggie's brows raised an inch up her forehead.
"Well, I'll love a duck," she said and reached under the counter for what looked like a teabag. "What would you like it with?"
"Whatever doesn't dilute it," Adam said.
"Well, just be careful. This is strong stuff; completely legal, mind you. Just don't get caught by any of the parents. And in case you do get caught, don't remember where you got it from," Maggie said mixing it with tonic water.
Greyson downed it and slammed the glass down. "Any chance I can get some to go?"
Maggie and Nick shared a glance and Nick rose from the barstool. "Why don't we go back to the abandoned house? I think you'll find more there and maybe some privacy too," Nick grabbed the other boy's keys and led him out of the restaurant.
Margaux was extremely satisfied with the current events unfolding in her little plot.