"So did they know what was wrong with Carmen? She's been acting a little strange lately," Kris admitted to Tyler on her way home.
"I think she just passed out. Strange, how, though?" he dared, not knowing how much Kris knew.
"Just not like herself. She passed out earlier today and said it was because her sugar was too low. I didn't believe her but I didn't want to upset her even more, so I let it go. I made her eat something before we left, so she should've been fine," Kris went on.
"Maybe just the stress got to her. I mean, there was some pretty high tension going on at Nicky's tonight," Tyler offered, hoping it would set Kris's mind at ease.
"Yeah, maybe that's it. At least, I hope so. They'll call when they know something, right?" he could tell Kris was worried.
"Oh, yeah, definitely. They wouldn't keep Carmen's best friend in the dark," he answered, her hand in his.
They continued to rest of the drive in silence, only the music from the radio playing softly in the background.
She awoke halfway through the trip to their destination. She didn't stir, not wanting to interrup the Sons, only taking in their knowledge.
'Why did this have to happen?' she could hear Reid. 'What was that kiss about? I mean, she's a great kisser, but I usually make the first move. But it was nice.'
He rambled on and on into more random thoughts.
'Why couldn't I think of anything to say?" she found Pogue's voice amidst everything. 'I should've said something to Kate. She deserved better than what happened. She deserved a reason. And why, oh why, did I kiss Carmen? I mean, of all people, Carmen?!? I'm not attracted...okay, well maybe a little, but she's not my type! Yet I find myself being drawn to her.'
She couldn't help but smile, but she stayed exactly how she was, not wanting to give herself away.
She focused, hard, trying to hear Caleb over the other two. It was surprising...she wasn't getting anything. Not a single thought...just silence.
She felt a sharp stab of pain in the back of her head, like a burning sensation. Her eyes bolted open and met his black ones.
"Holy sh---!" she yelled, sitting upright.
His eyes had been black since he sensed her trying to pry into his inner thoughts. He had made it subtle, so as to keep the others from sensing anything.
It was his turn to focus. He focused on the back of her head, the nape of her neck to be more exact, and began his work.
Moments later he had achieved his goal...she bolted upright, proving what he had already known...she had regained consciousness.
"Holy sh---!" he heard her yell, as well as the other two, but he knew Reid wouldn't look away from the road and Pogue was in his own element, a million miles away.
Their eyes met for a split second---his black ones full of fury and her green ones---flashing wild with fear. It was the first time he had seen fear in her eyes...and he liked it. Then she continued to stare.
Carmen's yelling had brought Pogue back to reality. He saw her, now sitting next to him, staring Caleb down. He looked at Caleb and knew at once this could not be good.
"Caleb!" Pogue yelled, trying to break his concentration.
"Let him be, Pogue. He's just watching," Reid stated.
"Oh, yeah? Why don't you look at him? Tell me he's watching then," Pogue shot back.
"Yo, Danvers, knock this shit out!" Pogue tried again.
"Caleb," Reid reached over, trying to get Caleb's attention. Caleb just pushed his arm away, his eyes never leaving Carmen's glare.
"CALEB!" It was Reid's turn to yell.
The back window blew out, causing a fresh gust of wind to enter the vehicle.
"DANVERS, knock it off!" Pogue yelled as a side window blew out, shards of glass flying into the car.
Reid stopped the car at this point and both he and Pogue stared at Caleb and Carmen, who were obviously in a battle of wills. So far, neither was winning and things were getting more dangerous.
Pogue's eyes went black and he focused on Carmen, knowing Caleb was out of reach.
"Pogue, NO!" Reid yelled, knowing it was no use, his own eyes turning to black.
The two of them communicated amongst everything else going on.
'The car.' Reid channeled to Pogue. 'Follow my lead.'
Ever so slowly, the SUV started to rise from the ground. Hovering about thirty feet from the ground, Caleb and Carmen were still battling, neither one willing to back down.
"NOW!" Reid yelled and the SUV slammed back down to the ground with enough force to break both Carmen's and Caleb's concentration.
"What the hell?" Carmen yelled, shooting Reid and Pogue an "if looks could kill" glare.
Instantly both were glad they couldn't be without one hell of a fight.
Pogue was the first one out of the car. He yanked open the passenger's side door and drug Caleb out by his jacket collar.
"What the fuck's your problem, Parry?" he demanded.
"MY problem?!? You better check yourself, brother," Pogue was tired of cleaning up Caleb's mess.
"Or what, huh?" Caleb taunted.
"What's gotten into you, man? You're not yourself," Pogue had never seen Caleb this out of control before.
"Why don't you ask your girl? Or wait, maybe I should call her Reid's girl. After all, she's too much of a woman for you," Caleb laughed.
"GARWIN!" Pogue yelled above the wind.
"He can't help you now, boy," Caleb dropped his voice and narrowed his eyes, which were now turning black.
Out of nowhere, Caleb got hit with a white ball of energy that knocked him a good fifty feet. He lay on the ground, not moving.
"No, but I can," Carmen whispered before dropping to her knees, her body exhausted.
"What the hell was that?" Pogue dared to ask, although from the look on Carmen's face, he wasn't sure he wanted the answer.
"That's what happens when you let anger take over and need to be stopped," she answered, reaching for Pogue's hand to help her to her feet.
"Anger? What was he angry about?"
"Are you kidding me? What shouldn't he be angry about? Don't think I don't know he chewed your ass out when I left. And Sarah. He was surprised to see her there. Obviously a sign of 'trouble in paradise'. He didn't like seeing Reid with me; how many more reasons do you need?" she questioned.
"So, what are you saying? That Caleb let his anger control him?" Reid had heard the last little bit of their conversation.
"EXACTLY. It's what's known as the Darkness," Carmen began.
"The WHAT?" Pogue and Reid asked simultaneously.
"The Darkness. It was surprised to have been contained centuries ago by my ancestors, but now it's obviously been released," she paused, seeing the confusion on the faces of both Pogue and Reid.
"So, what does it want?" Reid asked.
"Plain and simple. It wants to destroy the last of the remaining bloodline of the Salem Witches," Carmen answered, matter-of-factly. "In other words..."
"It's after you," Pogue finished for her.
Carmen stared at him in awe.
"How did you...?" she couldn't finish her question.
"How did I what? Know? I tried telling you, outside Nicky's when you were upset. I figured it out. I know who you are," Pogue told her.
"Oh you do, huh? I guarantee you, Pogue Parry, what you think you know, only scratches the surface," she turned on her heel and headed over to Caleb.
"You really think that's a good idea, Matthews?" Pogue yelled after her.
"I can handle him," she answered back.
"It's not you I'm worried about," Pogue commented under his breath.
"I'll take care of her," Reid commented, heading after her.
Pogue stopped him. Reid shot him a look of confusion and disagreement mixed together.
"It's her fight, not ours," he explained. "This is something she has to do. ALONE."
He then pondered how he had become so insightful. It was almost as if everyone has switched roles. Caleb was now the reckless one, Reid was the calm and collected one, Tyler was the carefree one, and Pogue...well, he had become the voice of reason.
He could feel her coming closer. A smile spread across his face, a truly evil smile. A few more steps and she would be right where he wanted her. She stopped before she reached that point. His smile turned into a scowl.
"Dmitri," she called.
His eyes opened to reveal an ice blue color. He allowed the owner of the body whom he had taken over to get up. He felt a little unsteady on his feet, but quickly regained his footing.
"Grace," he hissed, knowing only one person called him by that name.
"Leave her alone. She has done no harm to you," Carmen was speaking, yet she wasn't herself.
Caleb, as Dmitri, scoffed.
"She's done no harm to me, ha," he mocked. "That bitch of a fourth generation of yours just blew me away...with powers she got from YOU."
"She's not a threat. Leave her alone," 'Grace' commanded.
"NEVER," 'Dmitri' hissed back.
"Then go back from which you came!" Carmen released a string of fire from her grasp, pulling on Dmitri's soul which possessed Caleb's body.
"I will not give up so easily. Feel my wrath! Acknowledge me!" Caleb yelled, releasing his own powers, unleashing his fury.
Carmen couldn't fight much more. She was still weak from her overload at Nicky's, then the battle with Caleb earlier, now having to channel her great-great-great-grandmother; it wasn't easy. She knew Dmitri was about to wim.
Just when she thought she couldn't hold him off any longer, she felt it stop. Opening her glowing green eyes, they were met with his ice blue ones.
"The end is here, my dear. Do not try to fight. Resistance is futile. Accept it for what it is. Give in," he told her.
He placed his mouth over hers and she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach before she blacked out.