Disclaimer: I own nothing but Charlotte.
Chapter Eleven
I'm swimming in the smoke
Of bridges I have burned
So don't apologize
I'm losing what I don't deserve
What I don't deserve
Burning In The Skies - Linkin Park
Cassie laid in Charlotte's bed looking through their book of shadows. Charlotte came in dressed in a robe, "You are in the same position as you were when I woke up."
"I know there is something in here about our dad. After what happened with Diana's grandmother and the incident at the abandon house I want to learn as much about him as I can. Didn't Jake say understanding where it comes from can help us control it?"
"I'm not sure we should take Jake's advice on anything." Charlotte ran a brush through her hair, "He tried to kill us."
"And he risked his life to save you. You didn't see his face that night, Char. He really cares about you."
"I'm helping out with the fire and ice dance tonight." She changed the subject and Cassie sighed, "Your going to be my date. So here is my issue," Charlotte picked a dress out of her closet, "I love this dress but we can only wear red or white."
"Okay?"
"Want to change the color?"
"Together?"
"Twin power." Charlotte handed the other end of the dress to Cassie, "So how about a white?" Cassie shook her head, "No? Red?"
"Yes, good choice. Now this is good use of our ancient gifts."
"I know right? I'm a genius. Stitch, thread and seam change from blue to red."
Cassie smiled, "Stitch, thread and seam change from blue to red." Nothing happened. "Change from blue to red." Cassie glared. The dress caught fire and they gasped.
"Relax, relax. We can put it out. Just picture it in your head."
Cassie nodded and did as Charlotte said, she pictured it in her mind. The fire went out. Charlotte threw the dress in the waste basket. "That was me."
"Dad?" Adam walked into the back room of the boathouse.
"Yeah?"
"I just brought in the delivery. I'm heading out."
"Adam wait."
"I have to get to school."
"I volunteered to chaperon the school dance tonight. Help out."
Adam walked down the stairs, "You do know they don't sell alcohol at these high school dances right?"
"I haven't had a drink in a while. A couple weeks."
Adam nodded, "Well I hope you stay with it."
"That's the plan. " Ethan stood up, "Adam. I can't change the things I said to Diana about you and Charlotte. But I promise I never meant to hurt you." He said his voice thick with emotion.
"I know. Diana thinks I need to figure out my feelings for Charlotte."
"Do you? Have feelings for Charlotte?"
Adam was silent for a while, "Yes. I felt a connection between us the first moment we met. But maybe that's just because you planted this ridiculous destiny idea into my head."
Ethan looked down, "Maybe. But I think you know the difference."
"Cassie I wouldn't worry about it. Sometime spells go wrong. And now I have a good excuse to buy a new dress." Charlotte pulled their car into the school parking lot.
"What if I'm never able to do a spell again without something bad happening?"
"You don't know that. It could of been a fluke."
"I see Adam's optimism is rubbing off on you."
Charlotte rolled her eyes and they got out of the car. She noticed Melissa and Nick walking towards them, "Hey." She smiled.
"Hey guys."
"Welcome home." Cassie said.
"So what's up?"
"Actually I was thinking I need some nice normal school activities to throw myself into. Any chance Sally needs more help with the dance tonight?" Melissa asked Charlotte.
"I'm sure she could use the help. I'll check with her and get back to you."
"Still haven't got the hang of it?" Sally asked Faye as she tried to open her lock.
Faye rolled her eyes, "And the day just keeps getting better."
"I just wanted to tell you the final set up for the dance starts at three." Sally smiled.
"And you think I care why?"
"Because your mom signed you up for the decoration committee."
Faye rolled her eyes, "That's hilarious."
"Hey." Nick approached Charlotte at her locker.
She smiled, "Hey."
"How are your holding up?"
"You mean after I was almost buried alive?" She shut her locker.
Nick laughed, "Yeah that."
"Ehh." She shrugged, "You'd think by now I'd be use to people wanting to kill me."
"It must be your awesomeness."
"It must." Charlotte agreed, "My father is a key to this. I need to find out who he was."
"How?"
"Well he lived in town for awhile right?" He nodded, "He died here. There must be a death certificate. A police report. Something. It's a start."
"City records."
"Right."
"Do you want some company? Melissa's helping set up the dance so I'm free."
"Sure." She smiled and they walked together to chemistry class.
Lee waited for Faye on his car outside her school, "Stalker much?" She asked when she noticed him.
He nodded, "Yeah actually." She stepped closer, "I've been watching you and your little friends. So I guess you and Melissa aren't the only teen witches in town huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh you know. Blondie, emo boy, girl scout, stoner dude and princess. Collective circle you got going on."
"I think the voodoo has gone to your head."
"I think you lost your magic when you bound your circle." Faye remained silent, "See I told you I can help you."
"You should go. Last time I was in your garage I broke some of you toys. I'd hate to see something happen to your car."
"A birth certificate. Really?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow.
"Plus a photo id. I can get you any public information from the back but any personal information was digitized. And without proof that your related to the person your researching I can't give you access." Said the lady behind the desk.
"Well that's fair enough. But while we here maybe you can help me with something else." Charlotte looked at Nick confused, "My dad owns the boathouse restaurant down at sunset Marina."
"Sure, I know the place."
"Well our neighbors are being sticklers about taking down a tree. So my dad wanted to me to check the propriety lines." Charlotte bit back a smile when she realized what Nick was doing.
"That I can help you with. Give me a minute." She went back into the back room.
"Take your time."
"Your a really good liar."
"Yeah it must run in the family." Charlotte smiled sadly at him. "Get on the computer I'll keep an eye out."
Charlotte sat down at the desk and typed in her father's name. Nothing came up. "There's nothing. No date of birth. Nothing about the boatyard fire. No police report. No corner's report. Not even a date of death."
"Search for tax information. Medical records. An obituary. If he died here there has to be something."
"Wait. There's a deed under his name. A residence. Seven briar hill."
"She's coming." Nick said. Charlotte exed out of the page and they left.
Nick sat at the abandoned house with Charlotte. "I can't believe there was nothing on him."
"Well there was an address."
"Yeah seven briar hill. Do you know where that is?"
"Can't say that I do."
"Hey." Adam walked in.
"Hey." Charlotte sat up, "Do you know where seven briar hill is?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Apparently her dad use to live there."
"I need to show you something."
Adam led them outside the abandoned house and pulled back some weeds to reveal a old mailbox. It read seven briar hill. "I can't believe your dad lived here."
"How did you guys end up here?"
"There was a map in Diana's book of shadows. It showed the energy points in Chance Harbor. It brought us to these woods. It's suppose to be where magic is at it's strongest."
"Well there's got to be something of his left? Right?" Nick asked.
"I remember throwing some things in the basement."
"Can you show me?"
Adam turned the basement lights on, "It's all just junk." Charlotte said glancing around.
"Maybe we should just go. You know come back tomorrow and check it out with fresh eyes." Nick suggested.
"You go. I want to look around more."
Nick nodded, "Text me if you find anything."
"Will do." Charlotte looked through the desk drawers.
"How about I pick you up later at your house. Maybe we can go to the fire and ice thing together." Adam asked nervously.
"I already made plans to go with Cassie and Diana. I'll save you a dance though." Charlotte smiled.
"How mini Martha Stewart of you." Faye mocked Melissa as she helped set up for the dance.
"I think it's kinda fun."
"Are you really going to the dance tonight."
"Yes. You should come."
"No, I'm busy trying to get my solo magic back. Lee claims he can help."
"Creepy fake voodoo guy? He's a scam artist."
"Or maybe he's not. His grandpa was some big bad voodoo king. And he's kinda cute."
"In a serial killer living in his mom's basement kinda way."
"And I sure care about your opinion because your taste in men is so good?" Melissa glared as Faye walked away.
Charlotte was about to leave the abandoned house when she heard a strange noise. She looked around and didn't see anything. For some reason she looked up and saw a strange symbol burned into the ceiling.
"Up or down?" Melissa asked Diana.
"Tough call." Diana put her earrings, "Down brings out you eyes. Up shows your neck. And your cleavage."
"Up it is then." They laughed. "Remember when we use to do this all the time? Play dress up in your room."
Diana smiled, "Steal my mom's clothes from the attic."
"Your dad got so mad the first time he caught us putting on makeup."
"What happened? To us being friends?"
"Faye I guess."
"But we still did things together for a while."
"And then came Adam."
"Right."
"Hey." Came Charlotte's voice. "Sorry were late."
"Hey where have you been the dance starts in half an hour?"
"The abandon house." Charlotte pulled out a piece of paper.
"And she had the car so." Cassie smiled.
"That symbol was craved into the ceiling of the basement. I think by our father."
"Why would you think that?" Diana asked.
"Because he lived there."
"What?"
"Your father lived at out abandoned house?"
"Apparently." Charlotte pulled her book of shadows out of her bag, "And the weird thing is I think I have seen this symbol before. Here." She sat down on Diana's bed and the others gathered around.
"That's really weird a symbol your dad drew is in your mom's family book. Why?"
"What does it mean?"
"I have no idea."
Cassie glanced at the page, "Hey look there's a page missing."
"The lines continue on to the missing page" Diana traced it with her finger, "I bet there's more about the symbol on it."
"I've gone through these pages a million times I would of known if there was a page missing." Charlotte ran a hand through her hair. Melissa looked away guilty.
"It must of been ripped out recently then." Cassie said.
"How? You else has had your book besides you two?" Charlotte shrugged.
"Faye."
"You've got to be kidding Cassie." Diana, Cassie and Charlotte all turned to look at Melissa.
"Why are you looking at me? I'm not Faye's keeper."
"No but you are her best friend."
Cassie nodded, "It had to be her. There's no one else."
"You cleaned up the place."
"Yeah. Next time you want to trash my garage give me heads up so I can hide the expensive stuff."
"None of this is expensive." Faye saw him staring at her, "What?"
"We both know why your here."
"Okay fine. Say I'm in a circle. What does that have to do with me getting my own magic?"
"Everything. I took a closer look at the spell you gave me. This is old school voodoo. Designed to extract dark magic."
"Extract?"
"Like an exorcism. Only instead of casting out demons it pulls the dark magic out of people. Or in your case witches. I can take that magic and put it into you."
"Listening."
"Well if this book is from someone in your circle the odds are their bloodline has the dark magic we need. Who is it? The emo kid?"
Faye shook her head, "The little blonde one and the princess. Charlotte and Cassie." She said their names with distaste.
"Both?"
"Their twins."
"Wow I guess you can't judge a book by it's lip gloss."
"They don't even want their power."
"So let's take it. But you should know. Dark magic can turn on you. Are you ready to take that risk?"
Faye smirked, "So if this spell takes away Charlotte's dark magic. What do I have to do to get it? Stick pins into a little Charlotte doll?"
"Better. After her magic's out we tether it to you."
"Tether?"
"Tether means linking your energies."
"Can you really do this?"
"That depends on you. I don't have the power my grandparents did. But with your magic we can make it happen."
"Does it hurt?"
"It shouldn't."
Faye sighed, "How about Charlotte?"
"She won't feel a thing. She doesn't even have to be in the room. Just somewhere close by."
"And that's it?"
Lee stood up, "We need something of hers. Something Charlotte has an emotional connection to. Can you get that?"
"Of course. But what do you get out of it?"
"I told you. I'm just a guide."
"And I'm Glenda the good witch. Your not a something for nothing kinda guy."
"Just say I'll ask you for a favor some day."
"Your not getting laid."
"When we have sex it's not going to be because of a deal. So are you in?" Faye's phone rang.
"Speak of the devil. Charlotte?"
"You ripped a page out of my book. Didn't you?"
"What book?"
"Don't play dumb Faye. It doesn't suit you." Faye scowled, "Cassie lent it to you."
Faye rolled her eyes, "One little page."
"From my family's book of shadows. You had no right to steal it." Diana, Melissa and Cassie got ready for the dance while Charlotte argued with Faye over the phone.
"Right. Your the victim. Poor Charlotte I steal boyfriends. Poor Charlotte. Poor Charlotte."
"You just can't stop being pathetic can you? Just give back the page Faye."
"Fine. Are you going to the dance tonight?"
"No Faye I will not go to the dance with you."
"Ha, ha smart ass. Well I wasn't going to but since you obviously can't live without your precious page. Meet me there."
"This will be fun right?" Diana asked as they entered the gym.
"Right."
"We are totally hot and single." Charlotte commented, "Well some of us are single." She bumped shoulders with Melissa playfully.
"Hey beautiful." Nick came up and kissed Melissa on the cheek.
"Awww."
Cassie noticed Adam's dad, "Hey I'll be right back." She touched Charlotte's arm.
"Okay."
"Hey Mr. Conant." Cassie called following him into the hallway.
He smiled, "Hey Cassie. Having a good time?"
"Yeah, thanks. You?"
"Yeah actually. I haven't been to one of these in a while."
"Do you mind if I ask you about my father? It's just no else seems willing to talk about him."
"I may have given you the wrong idea."
"I know you didn't like him. That fire that he died in. That so many died in. Did he have anything to do with that?"
"Cassie. This is not a road you want to go down. It doesn't matter who he was."
"You didn't answer my question. I need to know. What if I am just like him."
"No. He didn't start the fire. And you are not defined by your parents. It's your own actions that matter."
"I am going to find out who he was one way or another."
"It's not what your mother would want."
"Probably not. But she doesn't have a say anymore. Thanks."
Charlotte stood with Diana who was watching Adam, "You still miss him."
"Maybe. A little."
"I get it."
"Were witches Diana. We can get anyone we want."
"You mean with magic?"
"No. Because were tough. And witchy. And were dressed kinda slutty."
Diana laughed, "Your right. We are all of those things."
"I think you need to take the first step if you want to dance with a guy. Everyone thinks you and Adam are still together."
"Who would I ask?"
"Start at the top of the list."
Diana scanned the room, "Erin Martin is kinda cute. But I never really talked to him."
"No time like the present." Charlotte nudged Diana, "Were hot witches Diana." Diana smiled and handed her cup to Charlotte. She walked up to Erin and asked him to dance. He said yes and they walked to the dance floor. Diana sent Charlotte a smile.
"You sure they don't have a slient alarm?" Lee asked Faye as they sneaked into Charlotte's room.
"Your pretty jumpy for a voodoo priest."
"I never said I was a voodoo preist."
"That's what it says on your stupid website." Faye picked up a necklace of Charlotte's. "Wa La."
"Perfect. Let's go."
Faye noticed a shadow move in the next door window. "Turn off the flashlight." Faye grabbed Lee and moved them so they weren't in view of it. "I thought I saw something move in the other window."
"You know your pretty jumpy for a witch."
"How did you learn to dance like this?" Diana asked Erin.
Erin dipped her, "My big sister got married last year. She made me take lessons. Glad they paid off." Adam watched jealously from across the room.
"Two tringales will draw Charlotte's magic to you." Lee explained.
"So do I chant or something?"
"No. You just have to feel it." Lee placed the last candle in it's postion. He turned to Faye and began to unzip her dress.
She turned around, "Hey."
"Do you want to Charlotte Blake's power or not?"
"Okay let's do this."
Charlotte walked up to Adam and touched him on the arm breaking his gaze away from Diana. "Hey Adam. Have you seen Faye?"
"No. Why? Are you trying to avoid her?"
"No. I found a symbol in the house's basement that matched a symbol in my book of shadows next to a page she ripped out."
"What symbol?" Charlotte pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him. "I saw this in spell craft. It's a symbol for changleing dark magic."
"Your body is a channel of energy." Lee moved her hair out of the way and used a sharp tool to cut into her skin. "You have five major energy points along the spine."
"It feels -"
"No talking." He rubbed a liquid into her cuts. He dabbed at them with a napkin then shoved the napkin into his pocket. "Give me the necklace. You now are open to recieve Charlotte's energy." He put the necklace on Faye. "You will be teathered to her by this." The alter blazed with fire.
"I can feel it."
Adam held onto a table as a pain in his head caused him to lose his blance for a second. Across the room Diana stopped in her tracks as the same pain coursed through her. Nick and Melissa also felt the sensation as they stopped dancing. Cassie felt the pain and bumped into Charlotte. "Woah." Charlotte noticed Cassie looked pale. "Are you okay." She held on to her sister's elbow.
"I don't feel so good."
"Maybe you should sit down." Charlotte pulled out a chair for Cassie and helped her sit down.
"Thanks."
Faye walked to her locker, "Lock unlock." For the first time in a long time her locker opened by itself. She smirked.
Charlotte caught up to Diana, "Hey. Cassie's not feeling well. So were gonna head home."
"Me neither. My head just started to hurt."
"Really?" Charlotte looked at her worridely. "Do you want me to wait for you. Give you a ride home?"
"No it's okay. I'm just going to splash some water on my face." Diana said and head to the bathroom. Charlotte nodded. Something wasn't right.
Faye walked into the gym and bumped into someone, "Watch it."
"Don't stand in the way." The other girl glared. Faye stared at the glass in her hand and made it explode.
Diana turned off the foset when she felt pain rush through her. She slipped and hit her head on the counter and fell to the floor.
"Look who's coming. Little miss powerless." Faye said to Lee.
"There's no way she knows we took it right?"
"Your asking me?"
"Did you bring the page?" Charlotte asked coming up to them.
"About that. I forgot." Faye put her arm around Lee. "I'm sorry. Anything else?"
Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I need to get Cassie home. Just give it to me tomorrow." She walked away.
Faye smirked, "That girl is all ice and no fire." She looked at the pretend fire caldron on one of the tables and made the fire real.
Charlotte passed Melissa who was bent over, "Hey. Are you okay?"
"I just keep getting these dizzy spells."
Faye did the same to the rest of the table pieces. She turned to the big caldroun in the middle of the room and set it on fire to.
Melissa fainted and Charlotte caught her before she hit the ground, "Melissa."
Nick rushed over, "What's going on?"
Charlotte looked over at Faye, "Faye."
"What?"
"Here."
"I got her." Nick held Melissa as Charlotte stalked towards Faye.
"Your doing this aren't you? Why do you have solo magic?"
Faye smirked, "If you must know. I burrowed some of yours."
"What?"
"That page of yours was a spell to extract dark magic." Faye played with the necklace, "And since you have more then you can handle I thought you wouldn't mind sharing it."
"Is that my necklace?" Faye smirked, "Ripping a page from book is one thing, but stealing my magic is just plain stupid Faye."
"You can't stand seeing someone doing magic by themselves can you?"
"It's dark magic Faye it's danergous. And whatever you did isn't affecting me. It's hurting the circle." Charlotte walked back over to Nick who was holding his head and kneeled down next to him.
Faye grabbed Lee and pulled him into the hallway. "You said Charlotte would be the only one. You said she'd barely feel it."
"Maybe she's too strong to steal her magic this way."
"Reverse the spell."
"You wanted this. And what did you expect? Magic doesn't come cheap. And besides did you see yourself back there? Fire and ice. Your an artist."
Faye pushed him against the wall, "That's my circle in there. Tell me how to reverse it or I will use this power to make you life a living hell."
"You talk a big game but inside your just a scared debution. To bad but it's your choice. Drop the necklace in the oil and set it on fire. That will sevre the connection."
"And everything will go back to the way it was?"
"It should work." Faye ran back to the room where they peforemed the spell and dropped the necklace in the oil. She lit a match and dropped it in the bowl.
The caldroun in the gym burned higher and everyone hurryed to get away. Charlotte helped Nick get Melissa off the floor and Adam helped Cassie out of her chair. "Everyone this way. Stay calm. Stay calm." Ethan instructed the teenagers. The icsles that hung from the ceiling fell down and people screamed.
"Wait where's Diana?" Adam asked the group.
"I don't know."
Charlotte's eyes widened and she ran back into the school. Icsles fell as she reentered the gym. Fire was blocking Charlotte's way to the bathroom. She put it out and raced inside. "Diana. Diana." She bent down at her side but the smoke filled her lungs and she collasped. The last thing she saw were boots much like Jake use to wear before she lost conisousness.
When Charlotte woke up she was outside on the grass with Diana. She wrapped her arms around Diana, "Thank god your alright."
"What happened? Did you do this? Bring me out here."
Charlotte pulled back, "No. The last thing I remember I was on the floor and somebody walked in. I saw their boots."
"Maybe a fireman?"
"No. I don't think so."
"Do you know how the fire started?"
"I have a pretty good idea."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."
"We are lucky to be alive Faye." Cassie said.
"You actually tried that stupid spell?"
"Don't play innocent Melissa you were there when I took it out of her book."
"I know I should of said something but I didn't want to betray Faye."
Faye handed the page back to Charlotte,"I'm sorry. Okay."
"It's okay." Charlotte said.
Diana said, "You tried to take Charlotte's power and you almost burned down the school."
"She's always whining about how she doesn't want her dark magic. I though I was doing her a favor."
"I don't whine. I don't." Charlotte objected.
"You could of destroyed the circle." Nick said.
"When I realized what was happening I reversed the spell."
"It's okay."
"Charlotte this isn't the first time she tried to kill someone and we had to clean it up." Said Adam.
"And she could of let us die and she didn't. We should be happy were alive. Now let's all go home and get some rest." Charlotte lead Cassie to their car.
Nick pulled his car in front of Melissa's house, "Thanks for the ride."
"Are you okay?"
"I don't know. I know this is going to sound dumb but I feel bad for Faye. We were kind of harsh."
"You could of died tonight because of her."
"I know. She's wrapped up in herself everyone knows that but-"
"She's your friend."
"She is. She just has her own way of showing it. I must sound pretty pathetic to you."
"Melissa." Nick sighed, "I may not understand why your friends with her but if she means that much to you I'll try and be open."
Melissa smiled and intertwined their hands, "I'm worried about her. Lately the only thing she thinks about is power. She's starting to scare me."
"To be honest Charlotte's starting to scare me too. She's so focused on finding answers I'm afraid of what she will do to get them. Of how far she will go to protect Cassie and the circle."
"What do you mean?"
"I think she let the demon possess her to save me." Melissa looked at him suprised, "And I'm afraid she might let her dark magic consume her if she thought it would save us."
Charlotte stood in the abandoned house's basement looking at her book of shadows. "I barely knew this basement existed and suddenly it's the busiest room in the place." Adam said and she turned around. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing." Charlotte saw he wasn't buying it so she sighed. "You said this symbol is ment to channel dark magic. It's part of the spell Faye used to try and take away mine. What if my dad was trying to take away his own dark magic?"
He stepped closer, "You are not him. You don't need to do this."
"It's not just for me. Cassie burnt my dress this morning. She almost killed me last week. Whatever this is it scares her. I don't want her to get hurt."
"It's too danergous. We learned that from Faye's mind bogoling stupid behavior tonight."
"Maybe she didn't do it right."
"It's not worth the risk. There has to be another way. Come on give me the spell." He held his hand out and she moved the book from his reach. "I mean it. Give me the spell." She moved it further away. He made a grab for it but she kept her hold on it.
She laughed, "Face it Conant. Your predictable."
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." He placed his hands on her cheeks and crashed their lips together. She pulled back suprised.
"Did you see that coming?" He whispered. Footsteps could be heard and they turned towards the sound to see Jake desenced the stairs.
AN: So Charlotte and Adam kissed. What do you think? There's a new poll on my profile. How should Charlotte react to Jake's return? And what did you think of Charlotte sticking up for Faye? Read & Review :)
