Chapter 14

Jay had met with the wolf pack while Sera, Gregory and Bree went to school. Bree had to stay a period later than the others because she had an extra final scheduled for that day. When she finished she headed for her locker to grab the last of her things before heading home. However, she was stopped in the hallway by a tall muscular guy with a cocky smile – Theo McAshton.

"Hey Theo." Bree said with a nervous smile. Sera had filled her in on everything Theo had done to her and Gregory. Bree knew Theo could be a jerk but now she knew he really did have a dark side, especially when he didn't get what he wanted.

"Hey Bree, you have a minute?" he asked with a smile.

"Not really." She shrugged, "I have plans –"

"More magic?" he guessed and she froze.

"What?" she giggled trying to brush off his comment like he was nuts. Sera said he'd forgotten everything that had happened, supernatural stuff included, so why was he asking about magic?

"Oh come on Bree. You're smart, I bet you can put it all together." He said walking forward with each word forcing her to backtrack until her spine hit the lockers. She began to get nervous, the school was deserted by now, everyone racing home now that finals were over. She had nowhere to run and no one who would come help her. Theo was practically face to face with her and she could see the gloating victorious look in his eyes.

"You've been lying. You remember everything." She whispered like if she didn't say it too loudly it would somehow be less real. "You never had amnesia."

Theo chuckled and it made Bree's spine tingle in fear. "Quite the opposite actually. While Sera and Gregory have been thinking that they're perfectly safe, that I'm no threat I actually became a bigger threat." When he saw her confused expression he continued, "The Brotherhood are everywhere little witch. They might not have the numbers they had a century or two ago but they make up for it with their skills. When they pulled me out of the ocean and found out I knew about the Rookery's and the Sackville-Bagg's they knew I'd be useful. And now you have a chance to be useful too."

"I'm not giving you anything." She said though her voice waivered fearfully.

"I'm not asking you to give, I need you to take. Specifically take down that annoying protection spell you put up this weekend. It's been very difficult getting the Brotherhood in since you did that and I need you to take it down."

She couldn't, she thought, that spell was the only thing protecting her friends from the Brotherhood. "No."

"Don't be stupid little witch." He warned his voice now deeper and Bree had to repress a shudder. She instinctively grabbed the blue pendant she'd been wearing ever since Gregory had given it to her. She hadn't divulged everything about the protection spell to her friends, she'd left out the part about how adding Sera's blood not only strengthened the spell but also increased the magic needed to use it. She didn't want them thinking she was too new to handle this, and they'd been counting on her. She'd spent the whole night looking for a loophole and eventually she'd found one – an anchor. If she tied the spell to an anchor then she wouldn't need to be a skilled witch to create the spell. The only problem was now Theo had her cornered, the Brotherhood had trained him on everything supernatural and she'd just inadvertently given him the key to bring her spell down. His eyes looked down at her movement and he smirked when he caught sight of the pendant.

"Crafty little witch." He said impressed, "Hand it over."

"No." she repeated more sternly, she wouldn't let him hurt her friends and if she gave in now that's exactly what he'd do. But her resolve crumbled when Theo took her wrists and pinned them above her head. The motion caused the twine of the pendant to snap leaving her clenched fist the only thing keeping it from Theo. The lockers shuddered with a loud bang as he held her there helpless, she tried to use some form of magic against him but she still needed full concentration to use it, and as afraid as she was she had no where near the focus needed to even light a match.

Theo's jaw was clenched and she could tell he was losing his patience. Bree let out a whimper in pain but he only held on tighter. Tears finally escaped and ran down her face when he held so hard there was an audible crack and she shouted from the agony. He let her go and she crumbled to the floor cradling her broken wrist. Theo didn't seem fazed at all by her injury as he picked up the blue pendant she'd dropped when he'd snapped her bones. He began whistling as he left the hall with the anchor leaving Bree in a crying, agonized heap on the floor. After a moment a teacher came around the corner, probably one of the last ones to leave, and rushed over to Bree when she caught sight of her.

"Dear, what happened?" the woman asked.

"Tripped." Bree lied through her soft sobs, "I'm just clumsy." It didn't sound convincing but the teacher didn't seem to pay it any mind as she turned her attention to Bree's wrist. She let out a small yelp when she moved it.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The teacher clucked her tongue, "Broken wrist, come on dear. We'll call an ambulance."

vVv vVv vVv

Bree hadn't explained much in her text other than where she was so Gregory and Sera had no idea what to expect when the nurse led them to her room in the ER. Sera let out a breath of relief when she saw that Bree was sitting up with her legs crossed, a cast on one wrist and a remote in her free hand. She was scrolling through channels but didn't seem to actually be watching the television, her mind far away.

"Bree? You okay?" Gregory asked when they entered her room. That seemed to snap her out of her trance as she looked over to them.

"Define okay." She said looking glum. Sera however, filled with rage. Bree was always so full of life, so bubbly and cheerful but now she looked drained, mentally and physically exhausted. Whoever had done this would pay. Sera sat on the corner of the bed as Gregory stood next to Bree, his arms crossed over his chest. Bree took a deep breath before explaining further.

"It was Theo."

"Theo McAshton?" Sera asked and saw Gregory roll his eyes, of course Theo McAshton.

"It was always Theo." Bree whispered before taking another breath, "The stone in your locker, the symbol on your door, it was all him. He never forgot a thing, all those months he was 'missing' the Brotherhood was prepping him to be their informant."

There was a long silence before either of them said anything.

"Bree how do you know all that?" Gregory asked.

"He told me. Right before he did this." She held up her dark purple casted wrist, "And took my pendant." She took another shaky breath, "If he destroys it the protection spell comes down." Gregory and Sera exchanged a look, they didn't know that was how it worked, "I didn't want to tell you." Bree continued sounding guilty, "The pendant is the anchor for the spell because I wasn't strong enough to do it myself."

Sera rubbed her friends back in comfort, "Bree it's okay. It's not your fault."

"If anyone's to blame it's us." Gregory continued, "Hell I should have killed him back when I had the chance."

"Gregory –" Sera tried to stop him but he only went on.

"I spent three hundred years doing cruel things to people who didn't deserve it, I only wish I had done some of those terrible things to Theo."

Then they heard footsteps approach and a second later Jay appeared in the doorway holding a small brown paper bag. Sera had texted him that they were heading to the hospital to see Bree, he said he'd pass it on to the pack.

"Hey, the pack's here, Nate's got them guarding every exit." He explained walking over to Bree, "But I still thought you might want this." He said handing her the bag. She looked confused as she opened it and pulled out a large plastic cup and spoon.

"Ice cream makes everything better. And hospital food always sucks." James shrugged putting his hands in his pockets. Bree smiled and Sera was glad something cheered her up though Gregory looked confused.

"I thought the point of hospital food was to keep you from eating junk food?"

"She has a broken wrist, she didn't go into cardiac arrest." Jay replied as Gregory leaned over to whisper to Bree.

"I still don't understand modern-day humans." He muttered and she laughed. Sera smiled at them before pulling her brother into the hall.

"How did you let the pack know to come?" she asked knowing none of them carried cell phones.

"I was. . .already with Nate." James replied brushing one of his hands through his hair nervously before scratching his neck. The movement drew Sera's eye to the dark mark below where his jaw met his ear.

"Is that a hickey?" she asked and her brother turned tomato red.