-A/N: I just wanted to say thanks again to those who review, it helps and is appreciated. Also, I just wanted to say that all reviews are welcome, both positives and negative. negative's better than nothing and they help with improvements. On another note, I intend on having a few more chapters ready in the next couple of days. I work for a telemarketing firm at night, so i have plenty of time to write while listening to phones right and being hung up on four hours a night, lol! i'm really hoping that readers are enjoying reading!

Chapter Nine
The Start of A Plan

Meckenzie walked into another room, she stood in the middle, and closed her eyes. She was starting to think when she heard a voice in her ear.

"Be careful," Reid whispered.

She could still see him with that other girl when she started concentrated harder on the book. Within seconds she could see the book open to the traveling spell. She read the scripted letters over and over again in her mind before she felt the room spin. When she opened her eyes, she was in the house again.

"Meckenzie! What are you doing here?" It was Sofia coming up behind her. "I didn't think you'd be coming back."

"Yeah, well, I'm here. This will probably be the last time."

"I know all what's going on around here. I just can't stand it. You and I both know Chase was evil. Why can't they see it?"

"They just don't want to," Meckenzie told her.

"They're gathered down stairs and don't know you're here yet."

Meckenzie headed down the same hall as before with Sofia following. When she reached the door it wouldn't open. Her eyes flashed black and the door exploded off the hinges without her touching it.

"Now they know I'm here."

"I hope the would."

Meckenzie ran down the stone steps, the heels on her boots clicking and Sofia struggling to keep up. When they reached the bottom the large door was shut.

"They open it from the inside," Sofia told her. Meckenzie, eyes still black as night, formed an energy ball between her palms. This one was twice the size as normal and a deep royal purple. She threw it and it hit the door square on and the door pushed open.

"Not anymore," she said smugly as the two girls went inside.

"You have to stop this," Meckenzie said coming up on the Elders.

"Why should we?" the master asked her.

"It was self defense. Chase got greedy and wanted more. He attacked innocent people, people who couldn't begin to defend themselves against any kind of power. It's against covenant law, no one has ever done that."

"We don't believe that. You took too long and failed on top of that. You got in too deep with those boys and that clouded your judgment. How do we know you're just not covering for these boys?" the master questioned her.

"I've been with you since you took my sister and I away from our mother when we were 10. I've never deceived you. But chase's always been your prodigy child, even growing up he could do no wrong."

"That's enough out of you." The big man's voice boomed in the hallow room.

"No, that's not enough. You're just angry your golden boy screwed up. You knew what he was doing but wouldn't stop him. He was 'special'. He killed his own parents for Christ sake! He got greedy, addicted. He used too much, it consumed him and you just stood by and watched. You knew what he was capable of!" Meckenzie felt a little better inside.

"It's too late. Events are in motion. We couldn't do anything, even if we wanted to," the master told her.

Meckenzie and Sofia turned and left the room. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Sofia stopped.

"Meckenzie, they're going on Monday. I heard the Elders talking. They're sending their best."

"Sofia, you've always been a good friend. Thank you," Meckenzie told her as she hugged the woman.

"I just want to do what's right." Sofia held Meckenzie at arms length. "You know, it's a shame the boys have powers. Like you said a little bit ago. We don't attack those who can't defend themselves." Meckenzie was puzzled and then it hit her like a rock.

"Thank you so much, Sofia." She hugged the woman once more before letting go.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Meck. Stay safe."

"I sure will. You be careful around here."

"Go. Now," Sofia told her. Meckenzie stepped back and closed her eyes.

"Everything's time
Everything's place
Take me back
Through time and space."

She found herself alone in the same room she left from. She slowly walked out of the room and into the hall. She stood staring down the hall. After she talked with Sofia, she finally realized what it was her mother was talking about. She made her way to the other room and everyone looked at her when she entered.

"It was no use. They wouldn't listen," Meckenzie told them.

"Did you find anything out?" Reid asked.

"Actually, I did. They're coming back Monday. So we're all safe for now."

"Monday? That's not a lot of time," Annalise said.

"I know, but it has to be enough," Meckenzie said grimly. "Caleb is it okay if we all stay here Sunday night? We'd have to skip classes Monday and I don't think it'd be a great idea to take this back to the dorms."

"Yeah, that's fine," he answered without hesitation.

"For now, I think we should all go back to the dorms," Pogue announced, "we don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves right away and I think all of us being gone would do that."

"Yeah, that's probably best. Should we all meet up at Nicky's tomorrow night for a little fun before this all goes down?" Reid asked.

"That sounds okay. So we'll all meet at Nicky's at oh, 8:30?" Caleb asked. He got various yes's and okay's before the group dispensed to the vehicle.

"Meck, come on Tyler's gonna gave us a ride back," Annalise hollered over the top of the group. The three of them go into Tyler's Hummer and they started back to the school.

"So you guys are really Chase's cousins?" Tyler asked glancing at Annalise.

"Yeah, our mothers were sisters," she told him.

"So if your covenant's secret, how'd his parents find out about each other?"

"Our Elders thought that the joining and eventually conception of child from two magical people would mean good things for the covenant," Meckenzie said from the back seat.

"Oh, that's kind of interesting."

"Yeah, he was their prodigy child and could do no wrong," Annalise told him.

"But since he was special, they just looked the other way?" Tyler asked.

"Exactly, makes it really hard to like someone when they think they're better than you," Meckenzie said pulling her knees to her chest.

"Chase sis something horrible when they were 14 and Meckenzie got blamed for it. Chase didn't do anything but rub it in that she got in trouble and he didn't. When she tried to tell the Elders they wouldn't believe her," Annalise explained.

"That sucks," Tyler said.

"You have no clue," Meckenzie told him before leaning her forehead against the window. "If you ask me, in the end he didn't get nearly enough as what he deserved," she said, her breath fogging the glass. Meckenzie looked out the window, letting her mind wander. She could hear Tyler and Annalise's voices talking back and forth in the front seat and couldn't careless what they were actually saying.

She started thinking about Reid and the picture that now sat on her bedside table. Just thinking about his blue eyes made her smile but then she thought about that other girl and it put a painful twinge in her stomach. When the vehicle stopped Meckenzie realized that they were parked in front of the dorms.

Know it would take Annalise a few minutes to get away from Tyler; Meckenzie opened the door, hopped out of the vehicle, and closed it again. She trudged up to her room and opened the door. She changed out of her clothes and back into the makeshift pajamas she had on earlier. Meckenzie sat at the head of her bed with her knees pulled to her chest hugging a pillow. She waited like this until her sister came in. Ten minutes later she finally arrived. Annalise was rustling around in her dresser drawers and when she couldn't find anything she wanted, she just pulled off her jeans and crawled into bed.

"I figured out what mom was talking about," Meckenzie said in a quiet tone, breaking the silence. "Actually, it was Sofia who realized what was said and mentioned it." This got her sister's attention.

"What is it?" she asked, curious to see what Meckenzie came up with.

"Well, Mom said we had to make it so they couldn't help. Sofia mentioned that it's a shame the boys have powers because of the covenant's law and that's when I realized what it was. We have to bind their powers."

"Can we even do that? There's nothing in the book about binding powers," Annalise said nervously.

"That's because it's unethical," Meckenzie told her grimly.

"Then why should we do it?"

"It's the only thing we can do. Sometimes what's ethical and what's right are two different things. If we do it, then the people that are sent won't be able to attack them. So that'll leave just us."

"It'll leave them powerless. What if these guys decide they don't want to play by the rules and do go after the boys? What then?" Annalise asked worried.

"Well, I hate to have to say this, but that's just a risk we're going to have to take. If these guys really are the best, then they'll know to 'play by the rules.' Trust me, I don't want to have to do this."

"This is ridiculous! I can't believe we're going to do this," Annalise said excitedly.

"So, you're with me on this? I think it's the only way."

"Yeah, I'm with you on this, but you have to write the spell," Annalise said lying back down.

"Ok, if you would have said no, I wouldn't be able to do this," Meckenzie said relieved.

"Don't worry, I know. I just have one question. Are they going to be able to get their powers back?"

"I hope so," Meckenzie said lying down and staring at the ceiling.

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The time was almost two before Meckenzie woke up; it had taken her almost two hours to fall asleep the night before. She rolled over and saw that her sister was gone. Getting out of bed, she grabbed a pair of exercise pants and running shoes and pulled them both on. As a last thought before walking out the door, she grabbed a sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. When she reached the courtyard, Meckenzie did some stretches to warm up her muscle, and then set off on a slow jog.

Meckenzie could hear nothing but the rhythmic pounding of her feet on the pavement and the only thing she thought about was regulating her breathing. She was used to running like this for years but hadn't been for a while now. Her muscles were starting to ache from the sudden use, but she kept pushing herself to go further and longer.

Meckenzie came upon a walker's path that lead into the woods around the school. Wanting a change of scene, she decided to take the path. Jogging this path was different from what Meckenzie was used too. She had to watch her feet and the holes in the path. She jogged for twenty minutes through the woods before coming to a very small clearing. The clearing wasn't much more than 10 feet wide and 15 across. She laid down in the middle of the grass and let her body soak up the sun. While lying there, Meckenzie started thinking about what the next couple of days would bring.

She wasn't entirely sure that she could strip the boys of their powers. It would leave them vulnerable and open to just about anything. She knew she had too, though. It was the only way to save them. She had never been this unsure about anything and yet she still knew what she had to do. The not being sure of herself was driving her crazy. It made her angry and frustrated, not knowing what was going to happen. Her life had never been this indefinite. The frustration brought tears to her eyes. Instead of trying to hold them back, Meckenzie let the salty liquid roll in streams down her face. When she was sure that the tears had stopped, she got up and wiped her face with the front of her sweatshirt. Getting up she started jogging back down the path and out of the woods.

It was almost 3:30 by the time she up the stairs and back to her room. Quickly getting a towel and her shower bag, she headed straight for the shower. Peeling off her sweaty clothes, she stepped under the showerhead and turned the handle so the water ran hot down her back. Her tense muscles started to relax from the not water and steam. She washed her hair and body. When her skin turned bright red, she turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel. Meckenzie headed back to her room, shower bag and nasty clothes in hand.