A/N: Thanks all of you who read and reviewed. Sorry, I left you with a cliff hanger then made you wait. Hopefully, you'll find the chapter worth it. Obviously, I can't make up my mind, so the song changed. It's another good one, so no worries.
Thanks to AkashaCullen26 for inspiring some of sarcastic Reid's dialogue. He wouldn't be as funny without some help.
Disclaimer: I most definitely don't own the Covenant, "Won't Back Down" by Fuel, or "how do I loathe thee, let me count the ways" (that's the tagline for 10 Things I Hate About You).
Chapter 20: Won't Back Down
Leona's POV
"Oh jackass, 'how do I loathe thee, let me count the ways,'" I yelled up sarcastically at the horrible boy standing on the roof above us.
"Chase, what are you doing here? I thought you were dead," Caleb shouted out angrily.
Caleb's fists clenched in anger and rage. He held them so tight the veins in his hands and arms began to show prominently. I looked up at the menace of Caleb's life, who had somehow weaseled his way into mine. At least, I noticed with smug satisfaction the scarring left from a burn on the side of his face. That's what you get for playing with Fire.
"Am I a...ghost?" he cried out frightened, checking his body frantically. His maniacal laughter soon followed. He was such a freak.
"No, Caleb, clearly I'm not dead, but wouldn't you just die to know why I'm here?" Chase answered in that creepy ass voice of his. Like I said, freak.
"Yo, Scarface, care to lose the fake scary voice, or I'm aiming a little lower on your anatomy next time. Believe me you'll miss those," I called up at the arrogant son of a bitch, a smirk spreading across my face.
"Well, look what we have hear, Little miss flamethrower. Oh how I've missed you. How is that Fire monkey on your back doing?" he taunted, returning my smirk.
"Kiss my ass," I shouted back.
Caleb immediately looked over at me, waiting for an explanation. I just mouthed "long story" and turned back to glare up at Chase, but I didn't miss Caleb's eyes flash pitch black. He stepped in front of me, shielding me from the demon. Caleb's defensiveness only amused Chase.
"Caleb, you really should control that girl of yours. She might just kill you. Oh wait, she already tried," he jeered, watching Caleb stiffen.
My eyes began to flash red but hesitated as I noticed something in Caleb's hand. As he flexed his fingers, I realized he was holding one of those clear balls that Chase had thrown that night I met that demon. It didn't go unnoticed by Chase though.
"Ah, Caleb, when will you ever learn? I have more power than you," Chase scolded.
"No, you don't," Caleb growled.
"Oh really," Chase replied with another sickening smirk.
His eyes flashed black, and suddenly, Caleb went flying into the side of the barn and bounced off onto the ground. Chase only laughed hysterically at his action. Caleb crawled to the side of the barn for support before collapsing to the ground again. I wanted so badly to run over to him, but I didn't trust giving my back to Chase. Besides, I knew I could handle myself with this psychopath if I needed to. He didn't much care for Fire.
"Well, hell, it's Chase. It seems you're still an arrogant ass. Did you stop by to say hi to Caleb, or did you want to take him out to dinner? It might come as a shock, but he was never really into you," Reid ridiculed.
That only pissed off Chase more. With another flash of black, Reid went flying into the side of the barn, landing next to Caleb. I saw Alena's eyes flash to gold.
"Is that really all you know?" Pogue challenged, anger glinting in his eyes.
"Well, you stick with what works. By the way, how's Kate doing?," Chase asked with a grin.
"You bastard," Pogue called up, charging towards the barn, but with a flash of black, Pogue was added to the pile of bodies.
His wicked eyes focused on the remaining Son. Despite probably being scared out of his mind, Tyler stood bravely in front of Di. I was proud of him, but Di could take care of herself honestly.
"Baby Boy, the last Son standing. Well now that is a surprise, but why don't you join your friends?" Chase suggested, and with another wave of his hand, poor Tyler joined them.
The boys looked so sad lying there, but they seemed to be doing okay. I looked around to see my sisters' eyes pools of gold, green, and blue. Alena raised her wand in her right hand, focusing her energy at its tip. Chase wagged his finger in his normal condescending manner, clucking his tongue in warning. Al glanced over at me. I looked down and back up, giving her the signal for attack and hoping Chase didn't notice, but he only stared down at her with amusement.
"You have a wand. How very witchy of you. I wonder if it really works, or has Garwin there found himself a Harry Potter groupie to screw? Do you know any spells?" he mocked, battling another round of laughter.
"I know one," Al answered, almost snarling.
She swirled the wand at Chase. A burst of wind swept from the tip, charging at Chase. It began swirling around him like a tornado, picking him up in its spiraling center. The wind lifted him off the roof of the barn. He flailed against his loss of balance, but his eyes pooled black with that look of evil. I glanced over at Reid who was staring at his girlfriend with pure awe. You couldn't deny that he was impressed. Subconsciously, I was wondering what Caleb would think of my powers, but I'll deal with that when he actually sees me really use them. Chase continued spinning through the air heading face first towards the ground. Reid, of course, was cheering like a fool now.
"Screw flying Hummers. Harry Potter can kiss my girlfriend's ass! How you liking the taste of that, Chase?" Reid shouted proudly.
"Sweetie, would you mind shutting up please?" Al called over, focusing on the whirling form she was controlling.
"Yeah, sweetcheeks," he replied, watching as a small smile crept over her face.
It broke Al's concentration momentarily, and suddenly, the tornado contained nothing. Al stared at the empty wind with great confusion. She lowered her wand back down to her side, and the spiral of wind and debris fell to the ground. All eyes began searching frantically around until we heard the sound of clapping echoing down from the roof.
"Bravo. Quite impressive. I have to hand it to you. You have more style than your loser boyfriends," he criticized, bowing down to us.
His comment set off Di's temper. The sky began to darken, and hail, the size of golf balls, began falling from the sky, pelting him in the head hard. He just continued to laugh at our foolish and failed attempts.
"Why don't you get your ass down here, so we can prove what a lousy piece of shit you are?" I challenged, letting my eyes change to that awful red.
Instead of anger, his eyes flickered between amusement and fascination. He pondered the thought and glanced down at the heap of boys, waiting for the chance to run back over to us. Caleb looked over at me his eyes still black as night.
"Hmm, what are you two lovebirds planning? Secrets, Secrets are no fun unless they're shared with everyone. I'm sure you'll be willing to share Caleb with the class if I dangle your girlfriend from a far enough height," he pondered.
"Caleb, I didn't realize The Power made you insane, or is that just a genetic trait of the Putnam line?" I asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
Chase didn't take too kindly to that one. His eyes pooled black, and he stared straight down at me. With a flick of his fingers, my body was suddenly floating through the air. I looked down at the steadily growing distance between the ground and me. I was fairly frightened until I saw a flash of green. Cybele simply tapped the ground with her staff, and the earth shook violently as a shock wave erupted from the spot where her staff had touched. It caught Chase off balance, breaking his spell, so now I was no longer ascending but plummeting. With a wave of her hand, Alena caught me on a breeze and brought me slowly to the ground. While Chase was busy trying not to fall of the roof, the boys dodged and ran back over to us. Caleb's arms wrapped around my waist just as I landed on the ground. He continued to hold me close, but his breathing was shallow and irregular which probably meant he had a broken rib or two. Chase glared down at all of us. His face was horrendous, disfigured by the scar and warped in anger and hate.
"You're good. Better than I expected," Chase gasped out, nearly panting.
"Chase, what do you want? I'll ask bluntly since you seem to have issues with getting to the point," Caleb spit out. His voice sounded so feral and menacing. I liked it.
"Caleb, I like to entertain myself rather than be bored by your sickening hero complex. That's all you really live for isn't it? To save one girl after another," he challenged.
"They're worth saving," Caleb responded quickly looking down at me before his jaw clenched.
"You say that now. I should probably continue with this little get together before your girlfriend makes a mess of the other side of my face," Chase toyed. He knew every little nerve of Caleb's to hit that would cause a flinch or clenching of fists or jaw.
"For the final time, what do you want?" Caleb shouted bitterly, his voice growing louder.
"Ah, how many times must we go through this, Caleb? 'I'm Chase Collins I have everything I want.' It's what I still need," he answered.
"I won't will you my Power. I'm as strong as you now, and I don't have any helpless girlfriend you can use as bait this time," Caleb responded, squeezing me tighter.
"But you see that's where you're wrong. You're assuming all of this based on what you know. Like always, you don't know everything. Caleb, that's always been one of your problems. Too little information," Chase mocked, a self-satisfying smile occupying his face.
"I don't just want your Power. I want all of the Sons', and I intend to get it," he finished with a smile worthy of the Chesire Cat spreading across his mouth.
"Scarface, you better have one hell of a plan because there is no way I'm letting you hurt any one of them," I challenged, my face betraying nothing but confidence.
"What makes you think you or your sisters are even a threat? You're just one piece in a failed plan. I'm a fan of insurance policies, and I took out one hell of one," he retorted, watching with satisfaction as confusion clouded my face.
He clamped his hands over his mouth, feigning shock.
"Does little miss know-it-all not know what's going on? How tragic!" he asked, cackling like a witch.
"Do you think I'd even consider facing you without having an ace up my sleeves?" he questioned, enjoying our confusion.
"Caleb, I don't believe you've gotten a chance to meet my girlfriend," he answered, enjoying our confusion.
"What psycho bitch would date you?" I mocked, watching a pissed off expression replace his smirk.
"See for yourself," he replied, pointing towards the woods.
A female figure emerged from the thickness. She wore a cloak the same as ours but with a silver lining. The hood hid most of her face, but her pale peach skin was still visible. She walked straight towards Caleb and I and didn't stop until she was inches from Caleb. Before I could blink, she raised up on the tips of her toes and kissed him aggressively on the mouth. How dare she kiss him. With a flash of black, Chase had her flying through the sky and onto the roof. Her face was still hidden under the hood, but a chunk of blonde hair tumbled from the hood.
"Caleb, those lips taste familiar?" Chase questioned.
Caleb rubbed his lips gently with his fingers then looked up at Chase.
"Sarah," he muttered barely above a whisper.
I stared at Caleb's face that was betraying all the emotion I never wanted to see. It hurt him more than he wanted to admit, and it stung more than I wanted to believe. We watched as her two frail hands removed the hood. Her long blonde braid tumbled down over her shoulder as she looked down at us with a sickening smirk comparable to her boyfriend's. She turned to face Chase and began kissing him to the point of making out. I suddenly had the urge to vomit. They parted only for Chase to face Caleb with that horrendous smirk again.
"My girlfriend Sarah. We've been dating for what is it three years, babe?" he asked, turning to face the little bitch. I really did hate her.
"No, it's been four," she answered, smiling over at him.
Fire happily roared to life inside me, and my eyes glazed over red. I wanted to murder her right now. She had toyed with Caleb and cost me some serious happiness. My temperature spiked again, and I knew the ball of fire was growing in my hand again. Suddenly, she turned to face me her eyes stark white. My body became rigid and cold, the flames dissipating, and I was struggling to breathe. That wary feeling of separation was beginning to overcome my body, feeling like my spirit was being ripped away. Darkness began to surround me pulling at the edges of my body, growing until almost all the light was gone. Then, I came crashing back to reality. I stumbled forward, but something caught me. I felt warmth replacing my cold and knew that Caleb was the one holding me up. Warily, I glanced back up at Chase, cradling his own girlfriend.
"Caleb, I thought you were a gentleman. Using on Sarah is just so impolite," Chase scoffed.
"Well, tell your girlfriend to leave my Lee alone, and she won't have any problems," Caleb ordered, pulling me closer to his chest. I swelled with pride over his use of the word "my."
"Nice cover, but Golden Boy, as much as you want to deny it, she still played you like a fool. Both of them actually," Chase commented with a smirk.
"Your precious Leona never told you about what she was, and look she almost killed you. Although she can't take all the credit for that, Sarah had a lot to do with that. It seems Sarah seems to play a key role every time you almost die, but of course, you would never notice that," Chase continued to babble on. He really needed to learn how to get to the point.
"I'm sorry, Caleb," I whispered into his ear, pleading with my eyes.
"Promise me you'll explain at some point," he responded, kissing me gently on the cheek. My head was seriously beginning to ache from all the talking.
"Damn it, Chase. Get to the point. Your psycho babble is giving me a headache," I shouted angrily.
"You see, fifth lines have a funny way of not dying out so easily," he hinted.
"Ann Putnam," all four of us girls spoke in unison.
"My ancestor," Sarah responded with wicked glee.
Confusion and a twinge of fear spread across all of our faces. If she was related to Ann Putnam, then that meant Spirit hadn't died off. The most dangerous of the elements was still alive and kicking. Shit. That's what had happened. She had used Spirit on me, but that was beyond dangerous, it could be deadly. Spirit removed free will, inhibitions, and everything that your mind controlled. It was too easily manipulated.
"Did you honestly think Ann Putnam kept to her word?" Sarah asked with contempt.
"Yes, she understood the dangers of her powers. You clearly don't," I replied.
"That's where you're wrong. I understand how to control them. I've been controlling all of you for months," she snapped back. Confusion registered clearly on my face.
"Like I said, insurance policy," commented Chase in support.
"Care to explain, Chase," Caleb demanded, his jaw set tight in anger again. His protectiveness made me love him even more.
"A good magician never reveals his secrets, but I enjoy reveling in my sheer brilliance," he replied snobbishly.
"Sarah was never yours. She was only the bait, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. The idea of a smart, hot girlfriend was too tempting for someone like you. You were Spencer's most desired bachelor, so I figured new meat was all it would take. Caleb, you let her walk into your life and didn't even hesitate to let her in on the secret of the Covenant. I'd planned it all down to the fight in this very barn. I just didn't bet on you almost winning. I'll admit I barely made it out alive, but didn't Sarah still being under a spell trigger anything?" he questioned, watching Caleb stare up in shock.
"I never thought about it," Caleb answered truthfully.
"Big mistake, brother. Of course, I just went back to the drawing board, and nothing came to mind until your girlfriend and her sisters showed up. They set my next ingenious plan in motion. Sarah's powers are quite useful especially with people riddled with weaknesses like you girls are. From her mother, she knew that The Power was condemned and punished by death, so all she had to do was manipulate the elements to pursue your deaths at all costs. With a little help on my part, it was easy to set you Sons up to fall. I enjoyed it actually with the exception of a fireball to the face. Who knew love would interfere though? It's of no matter. I won't back down. I will not bow. I've come to bring you hell. I will see that all of you fall. I'd prefer to have your Power, but your deaths will do as well. Oh and , Caleb, I think there's something Sarah wants to tell you," he finished, sliding his arm around her.
"Caleb, I never loved you. How could I when you're no different than the bitch standing next to you?" she spoke, her voice cold and menacing.
I knew that had been like stabbing a dagger through his heart, and suddenly, a growl crept up from my throat and escaped before I could stop it. Sarah turned and glared cruelly down at me.
"Don't even begin to think you're justified in that anger of yours. Your families betrayed mine just like the Sons betrayed Chase. The Putnam lines have been cursed for trusting those who betray them. Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, Mary Walcott, and Elizabeth Hubbard. All of them betrayed Ann Putnam, their sister, in her greatest time of need. The birth of her daughter. John Putnam's daughter," she declared, bursting with pride.
"Wow, your kids will be so messed up. Incest is clearly a genetic problem in your family trees," I taunted, watching her hate for me rise.
"You think that's funny. Our child will be the most powerful descendant of Ipswich, and theres nothing you can do to stop it," she replied, gingerly rubbing her belly.
"I think that's enough storytelling for one night. Don't worry we'll be in touch. By the way, Tyler, I am so looking forward to your birthday," Chase called.
I realized Tyler's birthday was in a little over a week. Ondine wrapped her arms around Tyler protectively and glared up at Chase, a murderous rage in her eyes. Everyone else assumed defensive positions around their partner, not trusting this evil couple for a second, but before anyone said a word, they disappeared off the barn. I looked into Caleb's eyes and saw my own fears reflected. The two outcast families had reunited as one and had come to bring the rest of us hell. Shit.
A/N: Another long chapter. I hope it was worth the wait, and hopefully, you didn't see Sarah coming. Sorry, if you're a Sarah fan, I've never been, so turning her evil is just plain fun. I'm not going to give anything definite on next chapter since it's kind of still up in the air. If anything is confusing, let me know, and I'll work the answer into the story or tell you. As always, please, please review.