Hello again!
I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I do writing it! I know I've made mistakes and continue to, but I sincerely hope they don't stop you from reading. It's just me editing so it's bound to happen, and I'm trying to be super careful! I'm also going to attempt to make the chapters longer, as I feel that we're getting to a part in the story that calls for it!
All your reviews, follows, and really just taking the time to read my story, mean the world to me. I'm so thankful for you all!
Anything you recognize, I don't own!
-K
Edited!: I'm so sorry, I forgot to express that this is HAGAN POPE III, much like William Danvers III.
xx
Caleb was once again in the hospital, visiting more in the last day than he had his whole life. He remembered a time, when the boys all came into their power, he and the other Sons took turns within the hospital walls. Spells took time to finesse, and at the age of thirteen they'd had more power than brains. It was only natural that accidents would happen.
Caleb remembered a time in particular, out by the Ipswich River, that he and the others had decided to use their powers to add extra force to swing an old tire hanging by a rope on a tree over the waterline while jumping in. Caleb being the eldest, went first. The waterline wasn't high enough, and he hit bottom with so much momentum that he broke his ankle. Pogue never left his side during his entire stay.
Walking to the room where his best friend stayed, he thought over everything that Chase said. He couldn't allow Chase to win. He wouldn't let him near his family. Taking Alyssa had been too close of a call; on top of how much injury he'd inflicted upon Pogue, and the danger he'd put Kate and Sarah in. Caleb had had enough.
Walking through the doors to Pogue's room he smiled weakly at Mr. and Mrs. Parry.
"Caleb." Greeted Wayne, Beatrice hugging him.
"How is he?"
"Awake." Pogue croaked.
"We'll give you boys a minute." Beatrice placed a guiding hand on her husband's arm.
"My mom went to the cafeteria to get some coffee, she was hoping that maybe you'd join her." Caleb nodded.
Once Pogue's parents left, he looked to Caleb, "You look like shit, brother."
And it was true, the dark circles under his eyes were standing out against his skin. His eyes looked weary - like he spent too much time overthinking. His eyebrows seemed to be in a constant state of furrow.
"I feel like shit. Reid, Tyler, and Victor found Alyssa. We can't wake her from whatever trance spell he's cast on her. His spell was too intricate, tangled, like he was blocking my powers. I couldn't lift it and I'm worried he may be the only one who can. She's having some type of dreams that are forcing her body into shock, The First are visiting her."
"The First?" Pogue's brow furrowed to match his friend's, "Why?"
"Alyssa is more connected to us than we thought. She's more than just a childhood friend." Caleb explained the support of the Larose family to the Covenant, how Alyssa was more involved than she knew. She was being groomed to take up writing their history, their stories.
"She's going to be so pissed her dad kept that from her." Pogue stated, adjusting his hospital gown.
"I think we're all a little shocked," Reid said as he and Tyler walked into the room, food stuffed into his arms. "I don't know about you guys but I'm starving."
Tyler rolled his eyes, "We need to focus on how to wake up Alyssa, and how to keep Chase from coming after Caleb."
"I can't help Alyssa on an empty stomach, and neither can you Baby Boy. Eat up." Reid chucked a chocolate bar at the youngest Son's head.
Pogue raised the head of the hospital bed, as Reid and Tyler sat in two of the visitors chairs. Caleb stood alert, practically bouncing foot to foot. Hopped up on adrenaline and frustration.
"I have to meet him at the Putnam Barn, I don't think there is any way around that. I have to beat him at his own game." Caleb said.
"I told you before, he's too powerful. You're not going to beat him on his own turf, Caleb. That's ridiculous." Pogue ground out, clenching his jaw.
"I don't have a choice in the matter, he's threatened everyone who matters to me. I can't let him win."
"What about our parents?" Reid asked
"The Elders? There are people who can help you - help us. We're in this together." Tyler added
"I can't let anyone else get involved. Like Pogue said, he's too powerful. This is my fight, he wants my powers." Caleb stated, leaving no room for argument.
"What are we going to do about Alyssa?" Pogue looked to Caleb, "Why did he go after her in the first place? Does he know about her family?"
"We don't think so. As far as we know, she's a safeguard. She can't wake up if he doesn't will it, and he won't will it if he doesn't win. If he dies, she's trapped." Caleb sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll have to disarm him, weaken his defences. I can't risk killing him, and leaving her like that."
"I thought magic couldn't hurt Alyssa, it's her Gift from our ancestors?" Pogue questioned.
"She's technically not in any real harm, physically. Emotionally, we don't know. It depends on what's happening in her trance. Her body is reacting poorly to the spell though. Maybe it will eventually pull her out of it, on its own. I can't take that chance though." Caleb said.
"So that's it, decision made?" Reid asked Caleb, incredulously.
"We play the hand we're dealt, Reid." Caleb narrowed his eyes, "I'll need you at the house tomorrow, before the dance. You and Tyler will be taking Sarah, he won't go after her in the open. She'll be safest in a crowd."
"That's bullshit." Reid grumbled.
"We'll meet you at your place, don't worry Caleb." Tyler told him.
Caleb nodded to him, thankful that at least one of the younger Sons were listening. Tyler stood, looking at Reid and waited for him to do the same. The two boys exited the room, needing a good nights sleep.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Pogue asked
"I have no idea, but it's the best shot we have." The Danvers Son sighed, he truly had no idea what would happen tomorrow. Who knew turning eighteen would be so hard?
Chase sat on the floor, losing his patience by each passing in a spell in the corner of Alyssa's room. Victor hadn't left her side for one moment, and it was grating his nerves. He kept careful watch of Alyssa's dreams and realized she needed to be pulled out. Something was wrong, her body was reacting too hard to the dreams her trance had caused. He couldn't return her if her father wouldn't leave her alone, he wouldn't expose himself because his insurance policy's body couldn't take the power.
He felt anxious as her heart jolted once more and he tried his best to see through her eyes - the images blurry at best. He saw a man entering a dimly lit room, her arm was wounded and she looked pale. Well, paler than usual anyways. He decided to wake her even if it meant changing his plans. His irritating concern for her growing by the minute. He willed Victor to close his eyes and it took no extra effort on his part before the father finally drifted off into a deep sleep.
As Alyssa's body twitched, rejecting the trance, she slowly came back to the world. Came back to him.
Chase shook his head and pushed the last thought from his mind. He wasn't hers to come back to. "Good morning, sleeping beauty."
Alyssa's face pulled into a snarl, "Fuck You. You did that to me."
Chase pouted his lips, "Ohhh, I only put you to bed. Those dreams were all yours, love."
The girl shook her head, they had felt so real. So planned, and designed. It didn't make any sense. She had a hard time believing her subconscious had come up with them.
"It was so strange…" Alyssa trailed off, lifting her forearm out from under the blankets to check the wound. Finding a scar where the snake bite had been, she noticed she was still wearing the clothes from her date. The same from her dream. She continued to look at her arm but slowly trailed the other's hand to Chase's jacket, now a vest pocket. It was thick, full with the paper and pendant she knew she'd find there late. She didn't allow her hand to linger, and continued moving it to her thigh and resting it there.
Chase's eyes softened. Reaching out to touch the new blemish on her arm, he was stopped by Alyssa's hand slapping him away.
"What are you doing here, haven't you done enough? What do you want?" Alyssa asked him
Chase straightened his long black coat, collecting his thoughts after involuntarily trying to get closer to the girl. "It's more of a need; I need Caleb's powers." Chase chuckled.
"What? Is that even possible?" Alyssa questioned.
"It is if he wills them to me. I'm a descendant of the fifth bloodline, though it breaks their rules, it is possible." Chase's bored tone hid his interest in her reaction.
"Fifth bloodline…" Alyssa worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "Hagen! John Putnam! The legends are true?"
Chase would never admit it, but her wit endeared her to him. He found her to be less annoying than he'd thought she would be; Golden Girl among the Sons. He thought she'd make his skin crawl, instead she crawled under his skin like some parasite. He hated the thought of her leaving a mark on him, but found he didn't exactly want her to leave him alone either. His thoughts grew wicked at all the types of marks she could leave.
Chase clicked his tongue, "Bingo." His voice was husky, though she didn't seem to notice.
"Why do you need Caleb's power? Why did you use your magic on me? I don't understand, you've come home, to Ipswich."
"This isn't my home, Alyssa. The Covenant are not my brothers. I was left to understand my powers, alone. The Covenant turned its back on me, but it's listening now. You, Kate, Sarah; were just smoke signals, and the Sons fell for it all. They even brought in the cavalry, it's all worked better than I'd hoped. When I bring down their champion, I'll start taking out the rest one by one until there's no more Covenant left." Chase smiled at his own words.
"You don't understand, everyone thought the bloodline ended. You don't have to face your powers alone, they can help."
"The problem is that I was on my own for so long, and the powers are seductive. After I ascended, I didn't know how addictive it could be." Alyssa closed her eyes as Chase continued to explain, "It's too late for peace. I need Caleb's power to curb the effects of the power. If he won't give them freely, then I'll make him." Chase ended by stepping closer to her, standing tall and looking like the cat who caught the canary.
She shook her head, standing up from her bed to be closer to Chases' level. He still stood almost a taller than her; she placed her hands on her hips and cast him a scathing look.
"That's not how it works Chase, you're wrong."
"Caleb played me the same broken record, the body wastes away and not the power. We'll just have to test the theory, won't we?" Chase raised an eyebrow.
"One way or another, this ends badly for you. The Covenant can help you, Chase. You need to trust them, not fight with them. The aging hasn't affected you yet, there's still time." Alyssa couldn't explain why, but she took his hand into her own. Clearly her self-preservation was lacking.
"Why do you care?" He asked, searching her eyes.
"I don't know…" She ran her thumb over his knuckles as she whispered, "I should hate you, but I can't. I understand your reasons, even if I don't agree with them. It's strange."
"You shouldn't worry for the villains, Alyssa. One might think your heart was weak." His voice dropped in tone, slight shivers rocking his spine at her touch. She felt like ice, and fire. Her touch sent currents of electricity dancing through his body.
"Even the villain's stories matter, Chase. I don't truly believe you're the villain you think you are."
Chase's heart fell at her words, she wouldn't feel that way if she'd known even half of what he'd done. She'd be disgusted. Saving her dignity for her, he removed his hand from grasp.
"I'd say best of luck to you and yours, but I don't really mean it." Chase joked sarcastically.
"Reconsider Chase, please."
With that, Chase was gone from her room.
Chase arrived at his apartment, more frustrated than before he'd woke Alyssa from her Limbo, but at least less concerned for her wellbeing. His true father had promised him the more power he obtained, the less the curse of aging would affect him. He truly feared death, eighteen is too young to fear mortality but every day the addiction became stronger and everyday he felt just a tiny piece of himself break off and float away.
Alyssa wasn't wrong when she said the aging hadn't physically taken its toll. Mentally was another story, whether from the power or the fear of dying, he was unsure. Hell, paranoia for all he knew - but he wasn't willing to chance it.
He replayed their conversation in his head, the way her eyes had softened and made him feel like there was one person who still held onto hope that he could be better than he was. He hadn't seen those types of emotions reflected at him since he had killed his adoptive parents.
Hagen Goodwin Pope III had sent his son many signs over the year, slowly trying to drive him mad. It started with Darklings in his youngest years; though Hagen knew the images disturbed two year old Chase Collin's he was still a bouncing bubbly baby in his joyfully terrible years. It frustrated the witch that he'd have to wait years to have his ancestors' vengeance on the Covenant, he was not a patient man. He never had been.
But Chase needed to be broken, to be truly desperate, in order to take on the Sons and win. Winning was the only option, dismantling the Covenant and their precious Order would allow The Book of Damnation a chance to be eliminated, ending the banishment of the Putnam line. No longer living a life in the shadows meant everything to Hagen and he would show his son the meaning of darkness.
At the age of thirteen, Chase was learning of his powers - testing the waters. His adoptive parents accepted him despite his gifts, encouraging the young adolescent to develop them. They even went so far as to research similar stories, never getting far as the Covenant held their secrets under lock and key. He knew that from personal experience. Hagen decided to ensure that spells Chase casted had adverse side effects; Chase lifted a potted plant, and then it would be thrown through a window. Chase levitated himself a few feet off the ground, and a fire would start under him, causing burns to mar the skin on his right calf. Hagen sent the Creation spell to haunt his dreams weekly, to taunt the boy, who thought the spiders to be an evil omen. Each evil added onto a simple spell caused the young boy to wonder if these powers truly were a gift. Gifts shouldn't cause pain or damage, but that's all he knew of them.
Hagen slowly eased his involvement around Chase's sixteenth birthday. The young man would need to prefect his powers in order to go against the Sons and the seed of doubt had already been planted. The following birthday, Hagen sent a clear signal to Chase. He allowed the boy to stumble upon himself as he practiced magic. Years of tormenting Chase, and the addiction started catching up to Hagen rapidly. He estimated only a year, two at best, but if he was going to go out then he'd go out while lighting Ipswich on fire. He had to act quickly, Chase needed to be pushed to his limit.
He followed Chase home on foot after his swim meet, BMW rendered useless due to some tampering. The boy so privileged, it made him sick. A quick use of his magic during the pouring rain caused a car to hydroplane as the teen made his way across an intersection. Hagen hid the magic from the driver by fogging the window, but made a spectacle of his power to Chase. Making sure his eye were in full view, and keeping the boy in front of him so he could clearly take in the situation. Hagen slowed the car to allow Chase to feel as though he were seeing things in slow motion. The moment the man saw the boys look of realization, he allowed the car to find solid ground and safely swerve to miss them as he used speed quicker than any human to move them to the side the car avoided.
Chase ran to the side walk, and Hagen followed close behind.
"Who are you?" Chase asked
"I've watched you for quite a while, Son." Lips quirking at the hidden meanings behind the word. "Haven't you ever wondered where your powers come from?"
"I don't know what you..."
"Save it Chase, if curiosity gets the better of you then here is how you'll find me." Hagen passed him a piece of paper with a phone number, which he took, visibly shaking.
Two months went by before Chase made the call. His powers becoming stronger as he perfected his ability. Hagen admitted the boys power was remarkable. Unsurprising as he was the eldest of the Sons, though they didn't know it. He was a force to be reckoned with. Their lack of knowledge about him made him the perfect soldier and Chase took the bait. Agreeing to meeting the man, he found himself in an old library. Hagen brought every piece of evidence he had, to prove to the boy who he was. After explaining the Covenant's wrongful banishment of Johnathan Putnam, leading to his unjust trial in Salem. How Hagen's great-grandfathers birth came to be, and how Chase had lost out growing up with a real family. It didn't take long to fuel the self-doubt within Chase's heart into rage for the Covenant, the Order they were sworn to, and The Elders who governed them. His young mind saw nothing but pain, and sadness.
To the Covenant he was nothing more than a castaway, their lack of guidance causing his powers to grow dark over the years. He and Hagen formed a plan of attack, to rain their wrath upon Ipswich and all those the Sons held dear. Practicing spells for the next several months, he didn't stop until he got them right every time.
As his heart grew colder the parents who raised him grew troubled. Chase had always been mostly easygoing, his unique abilities caused some feelings of isolation over the years, but the closer to his eighteenth birthday, the more closed off he became. Quitting swim team and coming home at odd hours they tried to step in numerous times. When Arthur received a job that would move them across the country for the remainder of the year, the moving date was Chase's eighteenth birthday, a month away. Hagen, who refused to allow his hard work be wasted, especially in his frail state, offered Chase an ultimatum.
"They're holding you back, Son."
"No they're not, I've been working at this for a year. I'm ready."
Hagen chuckled, "Ready. How can you be ready with a weak heart?"
"I'm not weak hearted." Chase said vehemently.
"Love is weakness. To beat the Covenant, you mustn't have a weakness to exploit."
"What's your solution? To kill them?" Chase asked disbelievingly, slumping his shoulders
"Yes." Hagen replied nonchalantly.
"You can't be serious.."
"Quite, in fact. There has been one last lesson I've been waiting to teach you. As you can see, I am dying. The power is draining my life from me. A curse put on the Covenant. As our power fades, so does our body. I was never as old as I looked, Son. I am your father, and I sought you out to give you guidance, but also when the time came, to Will you my share. When I will you my power, I will die. The only way for you to live is to ensure you have enough power to sustain your youth. Hit the Covenant where it hurts, and take Caleb's by force. If you don't eliminate your weaknesses, he will. He will take everything you love away from you, if given the chance. Including your power. The only way I'll Will you my power is if you promise to take down the Covenant. You can prove your determination to do so by killing your weakness before it kills you. Kill Arthur and Gilllian after your ascension, and I will Will you my powers. That is how you can prove yourself to be a part of this family. If you can't do this, I can't trust you with my powers, and you can't gain more without them."
Chase was given a month to decide, Hagan removed himself from the teen entirely having taught him all he could. Chase would either prove himself at his ascension or he wouldn't, but Hagan told him he'd be watching.
When Chase's eighteenth birthday arrived, he woke up with a start. Ascending was the worst thing he'd ever endured. Worse than the burns, cuts, scars, and bruises his powers had caused him. Every cell and atom felt like it was being torn apart and remolded. The buzz that followed was unlike anything he'd ever felt, and soon he was drunk on it. He knew he and his family were to move cross-states today. His boxes packed and ready to go. As they loaded into the car, Chase felt his heartbeat rise. The engine turned, and Arthur threw the car into gear. Chase caused the weather around them to shift, and change to reflect his mood.
"I know this is a scary move Chase - but it's for the best. Your year off between high school and post-secondary will be best spent apprenticing with me. Maybe it would give you an idea of where to go from here." Arthur stated, sad eyes looking to his son in the mirror.
Gillian turned around to face him, "We just want what's best for you. That's all we've ever wanted." She looked at him, with hope that he'd forgive them for the move, and welcome the opportunity to find himself. They didn't mind what program he'd pick for himself, they just wanted to show him one option if he was persistent about waiting a year to attend college.
"I know mom, I know that's all you want for me."
The poetic justice that it should be raining on the last day Chase and he would ever speak, as it had the first, was not lost on Hagen. He felt Chase's heart accelerate, he started to use his power. At the last minute he felt Chase recall the spell to tamper with the cars break, and he himself used to finish the spell. Chase, unable to differentiate between his own power and another's, was devastated. As the car hurdled off the country road and into the lake it lined, Hagen used to pull Chase from the wreckage. Leaving his adoptive parents behind.
"No, no, no. I stopped. Last minute, I stopped! Why didn't it stop!"
"Your Will and you darkest desires go hand in hand. You knew what you wanted and you took it. These things are never easy but you made the right choice."
Chase's heart broke more, maybe he really was the monster Hagen made him out to be. He tried to numb himself to the emotions he felt, "You made a promise."
"So I did. Remember Chase, what the Covenant stole from you. What they made you do to your parents, what they took from our family."
"I'd never forget. I'm alone, because of them." Chase growled.
"I Will you my Power."
Soon after Chase's second ascension, he pushed Hagen's body into the lake below the cliff, partly in hatred for what he'd made him do. The sirens of police cars began to blare - he hadn't even realized he'd called them.
Everything after his second ascension was blurry at best, but the high he felt, he remembered that perfectly.
