Forbidden Magic

Disclaimer: I don't own victorious

A/N:

Chapter 14 (The Third Sibling Awakens)

Jade followed Sabrina, who was carrying Paul in his dog form, to the location of the other witches she'd met. "Where am I supposed to go if I can't go back home?" She looked over her shoulder, pondering if her mother was there or not. Her eyes drifted to the still sleeping dog. It was probably not possible to move her father out of the house, so that was the reason Sabrina couldn't get Henry-but at the same time, her sister apparently just went for who she could get out at the time.

"I have a couple extra rooms at my house, I will let you stay there until it is safe. Your father will also be safe as soon as we can get to him." As they made it through the woods to the open clearing, Jade relaxed her nerves.

She saw all the witches and the cat, Salem, waiting patiently around the circle. Salem stretched his back, pushing his hips up into the air. "Sabrina! You brought a dog along?" Salem hopped off the log and ran over to Sabrina's feet. Jade stared down at him with a start, shocked to hear him talk. "How could you! I thought you were a cat person. Oh the betrayal. Oh my achy-breaky heart!"

Jade's eyebrows lifted up as Sabrina rolled her eyes and continued to walk-seemingly not noticing Salem. Then again, the woman was also used to him. "It's not just a dog." She set the dog down in the center of the circle, set her hand on its shoulder, and spoke the same word from the restaurant that made him transform. The others watched in amazement. "He's my older brother-I thought I made clear that my older brother and younger sister were both in that house?" Sabrina moved her hands to her hips and looked down to Paul. "I've put him under a sleeping spell for the time being, because we have to remove the curse Morgan placed on him."

"Sounds like you need a true awakening spell," Camryn remarked studiously. She moved her hand to Paul's forehead and closed her eyes. "There is a mental lock on him."

"I know that much, it's some sort of free will elimination. A slave curse. We need to break it and get him back to us. I think he also can answer some questions we may have in regards to the soul trapping."

"I have a question," Zelda rubbed her chin and raised an eyebrow, "Aside from feeling a sibling connection, why did you take him from the house as well?"

Jade was curious about it as well, it seemed Sabrina didn't have to, but she did anyway. Sabrina folded her arms and exhaled. "When you rescued me, you only pulled me out-so Morgan still had Paul and was able to retain him for many more years. Without him, and without Jade, Morgan doesn't have any other children to force to her will. The only reason she uses her children is because they already have that connection to their mother to want to see some good in her or to want to help her in some way-so there's not as much fighting when she readies that curse-though I doubt they even realize what she's doing until she's already done it and it's too late."

Jade sat down on a nearby rock and continued to gaze at her apparent elder half-brother. Her lips curved into a tiny smile and her eyelids slid shut. It felt nice to apparently have siblings, though she wished the circumstances could have been different. For instance, not having a mother bent on self-preservation. "I wish we could give him his years back," Jade whispered.

The cat's ears perked up and he looked over and shook his head. "Unfortunately no. Witchcraft isn't a miracle act. The only way to do anything in that manner would be to perform dark magic-as your mother does." Jade frowned and slowly nodded, understanding the dilemma.

"Still…knowing all his years were wasted."

"It's a shame, but maybe in his last few years he'll be able to be free." Salem hopped up beside her and laid down, hanging his paws over her leg. "Besides, he's got two little sisters, everyone loves finding out they have siblings."

"I didn't think familiars talked, Salem."

"Most don't. I'm a 'special' case." Salem lifted his furry grey head and glanced too Hilda. "See that lady there?" Jade hummed to herself and studied Hilda closely. "She's a very good woman, but everyone has their blemishes. She's a former dark practicioner-she's been alive for a long time just as your mother, but not through the same way. She had more 'holistic' methods, never says much about it, but she did practice at one time. She doesn't anymore."

"Oh…" It was a bit nerve wracking now that she thought of it. Was dark magic so tempting? It had to be. "Everything has consequence, so I'm guessing-" It did seem like Hilda was much older than Zelda. Her hair was scragglier and greyer, her face was becoming more wrinkled than Zelda's was, and her eyes were tired and heavy. "Her real age could be starting to show?"

"Yes. She found a way to do that thing you suggested, but it was years ago and it ended catastrophically for many. She got what she wanted, but now her age is really beginning to go-along with her memory. The key thing is: don't practice dark magic and bad things won't happen to you."

"Bad things haven't happened to mom…"

Sabrina's eyes flickered over to Jade and her lips grew thin, "I wouldn't say that." She looked up to her sister with some confusion. Her mother was still young looking, she still had remarkable skill which was likely built up over the years of playing the piano. What issues did Morgan have? "For so many years of all that dark magic, it's eroded her soul and her heart."

Sabrina carried a bowl of hot water over to her and asked her to extend her hands. Jade did so and cradled the bowl, watching as steam rose up. Sabrina spoke a chant and Jade began to see an image in the steam.

It was of a young girl with short sandy-blonde hair skipping along an open field. She wore colonial era clothing and was in the company of an older couple. "Who are they?"

"Philip and Elizabeth Andrews, her parents. As a girl, she had every innocence and glow of a cheerful child." The image began to age, Morgan's hair grew longer and with a dirtier blonde style. She was a teenager by this point, walking arm and arm with a teenage boy. They were beside a lake, and Morgan was gazing dreamily into his eyes. "Her first love, William."

Jade could feel her heart breaking as her mind searched for any reason behind Morgan's change, but she feared it was coming soon. "What happened?"

"Elizabeth and Phillip both fell ill with what we know now as tuberculosis and died when she was eighteen. At that point, she stayed with William, had her first child several years later…William would soon fall to the same tragic fate as her parents had."

The image began to shift to show an older Morgan with darker brown hair studying through spell books while her daughter looked on with great concern. She was trying to revive William, trying to revive her parents, but there was nothing that enabled her to do so.

Then, in 1692, all her witchcraft books had been found by the colonists. They fingered her daughter, however. Knowing it was the end, and for as old as she became, she wanted to be happy again. She wanted a second chance. Jade felt a tremendous wave of sorrow hit her as she watched the elder image of her mother standing before the gallows where 'witches' of Salem would be hung.

There were tears in Morgan's eyes, indicative that she knew exactly what she was doing. She uttered a spell, a curse, which would make her young again. Jade's eyes were wet with tears and she wanted to turn away, but found herself unable to do so.

"The minute she tried that spell, a dark spot was put on her heart. Greed was too much for her, and she would do it again. Only this time it was her second child that would become her first victim."

Her eyes narrowed as she watched her mother put a slave curse on Bridget at eighteen years of age. The father, now aware of what was going on, began to protest and was promptly turned to stone. In order to feel less guilt, she had Bridget go out and place hexes on the dead and to bind their souls to their bodies before they were able to cross. This left them to grow dark, to kill, and whoever died indeed went to Morgan-who was quick to absorb them into her body and grow young once more.

As time went on, Morgan grew more and more virulent. The purity and innocence the woman once had was gone-completely destroyed by the greed and dark desires that Morgan had.

"I-I can't believe…" Sabrina took away the bowl and Jade quickly wiped her eyes. "It all started because she just wanted another chance to do things over in life."

"Then it turned into just wanting to stay alive. Believe me, I was just as shocked-you'd have to realize Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda were the first to get that look into Morgan's life. It was the first thing I saw-I didn't see the statues first, nor did I see a bound spirit first. I discovered those after the fact, after I learned enough about witchcraft and spells…"

"But you wanted me to see it all myself?"

"You had to. Otherwise you wouldn't have believed us. No matter how abusive or angry your mother is, no one wants to think their mother could be that immoral."

Piper stood up from the bench she'd been sitting on, and dusted off her pants. "That's just the easy part. The hard part is freeing your friend's family, while also putting a stop to Morgan's plans. With Holly and Katrina-and who knows how many-turning into malevolent spirits, demons, it doesn't matter if you or Paul are with her or not."

"What do you mean?"

"Anyone that dies by their hand, their soul still gets sent to Morgan, so she can still become younger and start over with someone else."

"But Dad-"

"Will still be turned to stone if we don't stop her." A whimper left Jade's lips and she clenched her eyes, fearful most of losing her father. She didn't want to imagine it, and the last thing she wanted was to see it happen. What was a first priority though? Saving the Vegas, saving her father, stopping Morgan?

"Beck was right, I didn't know what I was getting into. But now I don't have a choice…"

"You do," Sabrina informed her, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"I'm not going to do that though. I know it's too important that I learn all this stuff and I actually help. I just…" She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "It's a lot to take in."

"I know. Once we wake Paul up, we can do some mediation, get some rest and talk." Sabrina walked over to Paul's sleeping form and drew out a slow exhale. "We just need total concentration. Jade, you just watch…We know what to do from here."

"Okay."

With that, Sabrina's aunts, the twins, and Piper all moved in close to Paul, forming a circle around him. Salem remained perched beside Jade, now sitting erect and watching the circle.

Jade's brow furrowed as she listened to the chant the women were saying. It took a few minutes, and Jade was still heavily intrigued. When they stopped talking, they stood in wait, asking the goddess to grant Paul an unchained will.

She was astonished when he began to sit up and shake his head. "Cat. Where is that dang cat?" His voice was deep and raspy. Jade grinned as Sabrina spread her arms out to the side, shrugging. Paul scratched his head and moaned softly. "I've been too long as a dog. If I see another as long as I-wait…" He blinked a couple of times, looked around with widening eyes, and started to tense. "I'm free? Where's Morgan?"

"Mother will not harm you any longer," Sabrina crouched beside Paul and looked into his eyes. "Do you know the things you've done?" Jade stood to her feet and Paul bowed his head. He began to tremble and his heavy hand moved over his eyes.

"Oh god…"

"It wasn't your fault," Jade said abruptly. Sabrina looked over her shoulder, smiling lightly as Paul's head shot up. His aged eyes were wet with tears that ran along his stubbly cheeks. "She's still got Dad, and I need to get Tori to accept her sister and mom passed. If you want to separate from mom, then help us."

"The things she made me do…the innocent lives I-the years I've wasted." Paul looked to his wrinkled hands and tensed. "Where's my own father? He wasn't-she didn't-"

"When I was in the basement, I saw a statue of a man dressed as though he were from the 1950s." Paul looked up with a curious gaze. His eyebrows meshed together as Jade folded her arms across her chest. "He had curly hair, deep set eyes resting behind thick glasses-the only one wearing glasses that thick. He also wore what looked like a plaid checkered vest. Not very tall, and one of the only ones with no facial hair."

At some point of time Paul recognized the description and began to break down. He covered his mouth with his hand and started to weep. Sabrina placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and Jade moved towards him. Her heart broke to see such a sight, but she understood where he was coming from.

Years of being forced to hurt innocent lives against your will, knowing your father is trapped in stone-it can't be easy on the mind. She wasn't sure whether her dad was even alive now, at this point. Sabrina's dad was lucky enough to be rescued.

"You need your rest," Sabrina hugged him and gave him a gentle pat on the back, "But you're safe now. I've got much to teach you and Jade"

"I don't want anything to do with witchcraft!" Paul declared with an angry sorrow. "It destroyed me…"

"I understand how you feel, but we need your help." Paul looked into Sabrina's eyes. She was relaxed but confident and firm. "When we're done, you do not need to practice if you don't wish to. We need to stop Morgan from doing this to anyone else."

"Right…if it's to stop her, I'll learn, I just…I need time."

"We don't have much time, but I will give you some to rest." Sabrina breathed in slowly and looked over to Jade. "Jade, would you go check on your friends? Try to talk to Tori again. Alex and Camryn will go with you in case Morgan tries to locate you."

She looked to the twins with a smile and nodded, feeling secure. She glanced back to the still heavily distraught man beside Sabrina. "Wouldn't it be best to take Paul there to talk to her?"

"It would, but right now he does need his rest, and I need to explain everything to him. Not to mention, it may be off-putting to show up with him right now, your friend might be less inclined to see anything that way."

"Okay." She had no problem with understanding the necessity, though she knew it would be much easier if they took Paul to explain things to Tori. Yet, she was afraid even that, Tori would try and deny. Still, it was worth everything to try.

Definitely on high alert.