Dare to Love

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing

A/N:

Chapter 25 (Cleansing the Taint)

They arrived at Dakota's home, which was surprisingly simple and beautiful, nothing too extravagant. When they entered, Dakota took off her uniform coat and tossed it onto the coat rack beside the door. "Quinn, I'm home! Did you remember to put the roast in the oven for dinner?" Martin set the luggage down at the door and walked to the couch with Kelly. Art and Mala stood near it. Dakota put her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow. "She usually comes out when I get home."

"Maybe she's working on homework." Kelly wasn't really sure, considering she hadn't actually met them. On the way over, it seemed as though mother and daughter were insanely close. Quinn sounded like the type to immediately want to know how Dakota's day at work went. She got up from the couch and followed her friend into the kitchen and hummed as she checked the oven. "All right, so she didn't forget the roast…"

"Good, I was hoping to have it ready by dinner." They heard Martin say something and moved out into the living room where a timid fifteen year old girl stood in the doorway for the hall. She had a bored look in her eyes and a fake smile plastered on her face. Instantly Dakota tensed, as though she were seeing something she hadn't before. "Quinn, is something the matter? You look sick." Upon closer look, Quinn was sweating horribly. Quinn's lips fell into a frown and she slowly shook her head.

"It's hurting me, Momma." In that instant, Quinn's bored look faltered and she fell forward, Dakota immediately caught her in her arms.

"Baby?" Martin, Art and Mala rushed over and Kelly watched with growing concern as Dakota felt of the girl's head. Kelly heard Mala say something about grabbing a cold rag before rushing out of the room. Dakota moved Quinn to the couch, her hand still clasping Quinn's forehead. "There's dark magic in her, it's slowly killing her! Mala, hurry up with that compress!" Mala came rushing out with a wet rag and Dakota swiped it from her hand then set it on Quinn's forehead. Quinn's half-lidded gaze floated up to them as Dakota focused her gaze onto the rag. She curled her fingers in and felt her daughter's cheek. "It'll be all right."

"I can't fight it, Momma. That lady…she said I was weak and naïve…"

"You're not baby. What lady?" Quinn's eyes closed as the white rag began turning black. The others gasped in shock and Dakota spoke, not daring to tear her gaze away. It didn't take Kelly long to figure out the magic. "I can enchant without use of my spellbook, I can do many things without uttering a single spell, that's how well versed I've become over the years. I've turned the rag into a cleansing one, to absorb the dark taint inside my daughter…"

The girl's painful moans struck a hard chord in Kelly, her heart was racing as she internally prayed for Quinn's safety. Her fear only grew heightened as the rag grew blacker with each passing second. Smoke was literally beginning to rise from the rag, no longer did it seem cold, but rather hot to the touch. Dakota was whispering to her daughter and leaning over to kiss her bangs every few seconds.

After another few minutes of eternity, the rag stopped reacting and Quinn's eyes slowly opened, much to everyone's relief. She weakly asked for her mom and smiled at Dakota's wet, concerned eyes. "I'm sorry momma, I disobeyed you and let a stranger in the house."

"It's okay sweetie, just tell me what happened." Dakota removed the rag and shook it in the air, causing it to return to white. The taint was completely erased, once more Kelly was stunned. "I'm not angry at you. I love you." She hugged her daughter close, breathing heavily. Quinn shut her eyes and tug her head into her mom's neck.

"The woman appeared with Noak in my bedroom, shoved him into the closet and told me to 'keep my mouth shut'. I told her about you and she said she wasn't afraid, then read some sort of spell to control me. I started feeling sick, I don't know why…"

"It was turning you into something you don't want to ever be." Quinn's eyes widened fearfully as Dakota held her close. The girl didn't want to be a monster, and that is what Dakota implied. Kelly looked towards Martin, pondering if Erin had ever enchanted his father or extended family. If so, they were still too far gone to be saved, whether or not they were enchanted. Unlike Martin, who was clean and trying to start a new life.

"I don't want to be bad, Momma. I-I took your book again, too." The girl looked ashamed. Dakota shook her head and groomed her daughter's hair. "I just wanted to read it. I know you tell me I shouldn't, I just want to be strong like you are."

"You are strong, baby, I'm only trying to teach you responsibility. You know you're not supposed to take the book without asking, but we'll discuss this another time. You are not weak, you're not naïve, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You hear me?"

"Yes, Momma." The sound of thunder cracked and everyone grew stiff. Dakota sniffed the air and narrowed her eyes as a cloud of green smoke appeared behind her. Kelly looked over and Martin froze, it was the person of his nightmares. Aunt Erin slowly stepped out of the smoke, wearing a long black dress and midnight arm covers running up to her elbows from her hands. Quinn began muttering, slowly lifting her hand. Dakota's eyes darkened as the woman narrowed her deadly glare.

"So…" Erin lifted her hand, running her fingers along Martin's chin. "This is where you ran off to? Typical." Kelly's rage spiked as she watched him shiver. Dakota lifted a hand, signaling her to freeze, as though she knew her friend was about to lunge for the witch. Erin threw her arm down and let out a thick growl. "I thought I smelled a rat, someone extinguishing my magic! I'm only surprised that Martin's been free of that spell, could only be the work of a little white witch!"

"Heh." Dakota scoffed and clenched her eyes shut. "Well they say love breaks any spell, and I do believe Martin is free from your control." Kelly was shocked by these words, but at this point, nothing could surprise her. There was full truth, love did shatter any curse, any spell. She ran over to Martin's side and made eye contact with him, slowly reaching her hand out. His fearful eyes relaxed and he moved his hand into hers, grasping firmly. She reminded him to breathe, ignoring Erin's scornful glare. Was it true? Were they falling? Had she broken him free from some fucked up curse of a she-witch? "Your control was slipping a long time before all of this, though. Surely you felt it? But your fatal mistake…you know what that was?"

Erin put her right elbow into her left palm and slowly tapped her index finger onto her cheek, tilting her head. "What, pray tell, was that?" Dakota's eyes shot open and she rose with a ferocious rage, shouting at the top of her lungs. Her torso twisted and her long arm stretched out, "Touching my daughter!"

The lights in the house flashed as a gust of air blew past the group. Erin's body was lifted off the ground and thrown into the brick wall beside the front door. The woman screamed out as her body crashed into it and rubble fell around her. "Remind me to fix that later." Erin moved onto hands and knees, growling as she looked up at Dakota, her black hair covered her face like a veil. She uttered something and her spell book appeared before her. To this, Dakota only smirked. "So you can't use magic without your little book?"

"Screw you…" Electricity and fire formed around Dakota's hands as she raised them high into the air. Kelly was filled with fear and amazement at what she thought was never truly possible. The powers connected with each other, then from the center of the beam, shot out and struck Erin with incredible force. The woman shrieked as her body burned. "Stop it you wench!"

"How dare you tell my daughter she is weak! You picked the wrong witch to piss off!" Quinn was dumbstruck and awed as well by her mother's ferocity, never before had Kelly seen Dakota this mad. Her body was tense and rigid, her jaw was locked, her eyes narrowed and ready to kill. Dakota was always the calm one, the one to try and be the voice of reason in the group. "Clearly I need to tell Tiffany to shorten my hours!"

Erin cackled and shifted her eyes to the book, struggling to endure the pain of Dakota's might. "Your daughter is the one who let me in."

"My daughter is good, I raised her right. Now get the fuck out of my house before I tear off your head!" Erin muttered something and in a flash, Dakota had flown to the other side of the room. Quinn screamed out for her mom. Kelly's heart began racing as she watched with growing anxiety while Erin slowly pushed herself up. Kelly's breathing grew rigid and tense, she was beginning to fear the outcome of this situation. "Now you've done it." Her head snapped towards Dakota. The woman lifted herself up and flipped her hair back, glaring daggers at Erin. "You've just lost your right arm…" Erin tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking ab-Ah!" Erin screeched as her entire right arm started bubbling rapidly. Kelly covered her mouth and Martin looked away as blood splashed out into the room. Dakota pointed her hand towards the blood pool on the ground and spoke lowly, the word 'cleanse', and the blood was gone. At the next word, cauterize, Erin's wound burned shut. Erin screamed in pain and threw her hand to her shoulder, clenching her nails into her skin. "Bitch!"

"Take care not to curse around my family. I make my daughter recite a speech each time she curses." Dakota waved her fingers in the air, scowling at Erin. Erin's arm fell and clenched to her body, as did her legs. "Speaking of curses, I am putting one upon your head. From this point on, each time you use magic you will physically grow weaker, any spells you have put on those around you will begin to crumble, and with them, so will your body crack and tear. When you fight against a woman, your body will be so ridden with fear that you will be powerless to them. You will be weak, not them." Erin shrieked and fell backwards, collapsing towards the front door. Dakota flicked her finger forward, opening the door, letting Erin fall out.a

"Don't mess with mama," Quinn muttered. Dakota sighed and curled her finger back, slamming the door shut. Her daughter hopped up from the couch and ran over, hugging her tight. Kelly snapped back and looked up to Martin. His chest was heaving in and out, his eyes were wide and his hand was tightening around hers.

Instinctively she lifted her hand up, hovering it a couple inches from his cheek. His eyes looked to her hand and relaxed, letting her move it and embrace his cheek. "She's gone now, Martin." She whispered to him, watching as his rigid muscles relaxed. Mala and Art were hugging each other, watching the two of them. Not thinking too much, Kelly slowly leaned up and brushed her lips against his cheek. Martin's eyes widened for a moment and his face turned red.

"Kelly?" He acknowledged her with barely a whimper. She gave him a smile and carefully nodded her head. When he looked around the room, he cleared his throat and took a step back, perhaps still a tad uncomfortable with the touch. "Okay, so uh…Noak. We know he's trapped in here."

"My bedroom!" Quinn cried out. They all moved for the bedroom and Dakota immediately put her hand to the closet door, muttering a spell to vanquish any possible seal Erin may have placed on it. Quinn opened the door to reveal a very terrified teenager, she threw her arms around his neck. "Noak it's safe now. We'll get you home, I'm so, so sorry I let that woman do this to you!"

"I-I'm fine," Noak stuttered. He shakily stepped out of the closet and dusted off his clothes. "Ready to go home now…"

What are your thoughts on the battle? Don't mess with a mama bear who happens to be a powerful witch. Looks like Erin's control and power may start seeping away though. What are your thoughts on this chapter