Chapter Fourteen

"So, any idea who the VIP we're meeting is?" Kurt asked. "And will we be back at the main terminal in time to meet my aunt?"

Thad shrugged as they pulled in near where private planes were parked. "She's the leader of the Salem Circle, which makes her basically the equivalent of witch royalty. I'm not sure why she's coming, or why she's staying at Dalton."

Kurt frowned at that information. "I know the history of Salem, but why does that make her royalty?"

Thad parked next to one of the hangars as he answered. "Partly because Salem is the oldest Circle in the US, but also because her Line was the Founding Line of the Circle."

"Does that mean since our Lines founded The Dalton Circle, Wes, David, Blaine and I are some kind of royalty?" Kurt asked, sounding more curious than excited, but Thad just shook his head.

"Not exactly. You would be considered important in this region, but not in the Great Circle. Although, I don't know much about your mother's Line, so I can't say there isn't some royal Line in you."

Kurt looked thoughtful for a moment. "So, more like nobility instead."

Thad chuckled. "Maybe." They got out of the car as a plane pulled up just outside the hangar.

"Is there anything I should know about greeting a royal witch? Do I bow, or what?"

Thad laughed again. "No, just relax, be respectful, and allow her to speak first."

"I wonder if Jackie has ever met witch royalty before. Granted, she's been around a long time. She is technically my great aunt. But she doesn't like being called aunt Jackie," Kurt said, wondering about his aunt and hoping they'd make it to the gate in time to greet her when her plane came in.

The plane came to a stop and powered down. The stairs were lowered a moment later and a man in a pilot's uniform descended first. He stopped at the bottom and turned to wait. A moment later a woman in an elegant black dress stepped into the doorway and glanced around before taking the first step. It was hard to see her face just yet, as she wore a large, veiled hat. She was also carrying a large black cat in her arms. As she reached the bottom step, the pilot reached out to help steady her as she stepped onto the tarmac. She smiled politely at him, thanking him, before approaching the two boys.

"Hello, Kurt dear! My, you've grown so much! And you look so much like my darling Elizabeth!"

Both boys' jaws dropped as they realized who the woman was. "Jackie?" Kurt said, stunned.

"Yes, darling," she said, hugging him with the arm not carrying the cat. "And who is this handsome young man?" she asked, looking at Thad.

"Thad Harwood. It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Bradbury."

"Please, call me Jackie. Why don't we head back to Dalton, and give me a brief time to freshen up and have a cup of tea, and then you can explain everything to me."

…

Santana parked her rental car in the parking lot of Dalton, glad her insurance company hadn't even batted an eyelash when she reported her car had exploded, and had provided her with the rental until they could cut her a check for a new car. Beside her, Mercedes had undone her seatbelt and was already almost climbing out of the car before it came to a complete stop.

"In a rush to see your boy toy?" Santana said.

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "This is not about boys, Santana. This is about solving this mystery. Also, I'm curious if the boys know anything about this royal witch that's coming."

"Uh huh," the Latina said, getting out of the car as well. They made their way through the front door and into the main lobby. The tall blonde healer witch was waiting for them, and smiled when he saw Mercedes.

"Welcome back. I have everything ready to make the next round of amulets, if you are ready? Or would you like some food or drink first?"

Mercedes heard her stomach grumble. "Maybe something to eat wouldn't be so bad," she said. "The only viable option for food at lunch today was the tots. And then the Cheerios started taking them away."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Coach Sue ordered us to do it. What were we supposed to do, tell her no? If I were human, she'd scare the crap out of me."

Mercedes shook her head. "Is she even aware of the chaotic riot taking away the tots is going to cause? I should shove those things up her tailpipe."

Santana snorted and rolled her eyes. Beatz just looked a little confused about the conversation, but smiled politely. "I'll escort you to the dining hall. It's too early for dinner, but they always have snacks laid out."

"Sounds like a plan," Mercedes said, still considering the idea of stuffing tots up Coach Sylvester's tailpipe. "Do you guys know anything about this VIP who's coming?"

Beatz glanced at her, one eyebrow raised. "Yes, but I'm surprised you do. We just found out this morning that she was coming, and that she was going to stay here at Dalton."

Mercedes and Santana glanced at each other. "Our families gave us a heads up," the Latina said. "But why is she staying here?"

"I'm not sure. Ms. Bradbury usually stays with family when visiting Ohio."

"She has family here?" Santana asked.

"Wait, Bradbury?" Mercedes said, turning to look at Santana. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

Santana frowned, and then it came to her. "We are so stupid! Jacqueline Bradbury!"

It took Mercedes another second to understand. "I never connected the name to Kurt! We should have remembered Elizabeth's family connection to Salem! The Lillith Line!"

It was Beatz's turn to look confused. "Wait, you two know about her? She has something to do with Kurt?" He didn't have a clue what the two girls were talking about. But then again, Beatz had never really had a reason to know more about Circles outside his own.

"She's Kurt's great aunt," Mercedes said as they entered the dining area. "I don't know how we didn't make the connection sooner."

"Also, there's a completely different heads up we might need to give you guys," Santana said, after another moment. "Our lead singer is on the rampage, like really bad. I wouldn't put it past her to try something irrationally stupid."

"Why would she do that?" Beatz asked, handing Mercedes the apple she'd been reaching for that was just out of her comfortable reach.

The Latina rolled her eyes. "She was in the principal's office when she overheard stuff concerning Kurt's transfer. So now she's convinced he's just jealous of her and running over here to sell New Directions out by divulging all our secrets."

Beatz shrugged. "The Warblers really are just a cover for Circle business. We do sing, a Capella, but competing in Sectionals is just for keeping up appearances."

Santana nodded. "I understand that. But Rachel is paranoid and delusional and she believes that no one is more talented than, or even as talented as her. So I wouldn't put it past her to try something drastic to stop Kurt from selling her out. Even though we told her Glee club is the last thing on his mind right now. She didn't believe anything we said. So just keep your eyes peeled."

Mercedes nodded. "That girl is cray-cray. She went to Kurt's house during lunch today and confronted him. I tried to call and give him a heads up, but she beat me to it."

"She did what?" Santana said in alarm. "Oh hell no! I'd like to cast a spell to rip Man Hands a new one. I hope Porcelain is alright."

"You were the one who wouldn't let me hex her. I could have given her laryngitis again."

"I only stopped you because we were on school grounds. You know what our parents have said. Public school is fine, just no using magic on campus."

Mercedes frowned, and sighed. "True. I just can't believe you are the one reminding me that. You're the trouble maker, usually."

The Latina snorted. "Ironic, isn't it?" she said.

"I'm glad you didn't do anything," Beatz said. "You know one of the cardinal rules in light magic. Never cast a spell for personal gain."

"It wouldn't have been for personal gain," Mercedes said. "Unless you count the satisfaction of not having to hear her nasally voice lecturing everyone about not making her look like a fool on stage by screwing up the dance moves or missing a note."

Beatz looked at her with a knowing expression for a moment. "And who would be singing lead if she couldn't at Sectionals?" he asked.

"As much as I would hope it would be me," Mercedes said, "I'd presume Santana would get the solo. I may have the lungs to belt something out, but she's more versatile than I am."

"While I appreciate the praise and would completely agree with you," Santana said, "I'm certain it would go to Quinn. Let's face it, she's the front and center poster child."

They were quiet for a moment as they each picked out a drink, and Beatz paid for their snacks. They sat at one of the tables away from the door. "So," Beatz asked after they'd gotten settled. "What else do you know about Kurt's family?"

Mercedes shrugged. "His mother was the youngest of seven sisters, as was her mother, Arianna. Jackie is Arianna's oldest sister."

Santana looked at her, for a moment. "Didn't Kurt say his dad was the youngest of seven brothers, too?"

Beatz looked up at them both, his eyebrows raised. "Holy Goddess! Kurt could not only be a very special witch, he could be extremely powerful as well. If he's really the child of two seventh children, one of which was also a seventh child, who knows what kind of powers he's got."

"What was that?" Wes asked, joining them.

Beatz looked over at the boy. "Mercedes just told me that Kurt's mother was a seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, and Santana pointed out that his dad was also a seventh child." He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Do you know if Kurt's granddad was a seventh child as well?"

Mercedes shook her head. "Sorry, we don't know anything about Kurt's dad's side of the family. Elizabeth wasn't aware the Hummels were a magical Line."

Santana frowned and pulled out her phone and quickly dialed a number. "Hey Porcelain, got a question for you. Would you happen to know how many uncles your dad has?"

She could hear Kurt's confusion as he answered. "Um, Dad has six uncles, although only three of them are still alive. Why?"

Santana flashed a glance at Mercedes, Beatz, and Wes. "Curious. Do you know if your granddad was the youngest or in the middle or the oldest?" she asked, not answering his question just yet.

"Niall was the youngest, if I recall correctly. Are you going to tell me why this sudden interest in my extended family?"

"Well I'll be Goddess damned," the Latina said. "We'll explain more later Kurt. Just get back to Dalton." She hung up and looked at the other three with wide eyes. "Has anything like this ever happened before?"

Wes looked thoughtful. "I've never heard of it happening before, but I can't say it's never happened. Trent or David might know. I've only ever met one seventh child of a seventh child before, and that was the head of the London Circle. I remember he was one of the most powerful witches I have ever met."

"But that's kind of just a dent compared to Kurt," Santana said. "You said they were the seventh child of a seventh child. Kurt is the only son of a seventh child who was also born of a seventh child on both sides of his family. What does that even mean?"

Wes and Beatz exchanged a look. "We need to talk to Trent about this," Wes said, reaching for his phone, but a disturbance from the hallway distracted them.

"Hey!" someone shouted. "What are you doing here? You can't just barge in here without an escort!"

"Where is he?" they heard Rachel shout. "Where is Kurt Hummel? Where is that no good traitor?"

"I don't know anyone by that name!" the boy shouted.

"Oh hell to the no!" Mercedes said as Santana glanced at Beatz.

"We did try to warn you."

Wes raised an eyebrow. "What is going on? You two know that girl?" he asked. He wasn't at all mad at Mercedes and Santana, just completely surprised and bewildered.

"Unfortunately," the Latina said. "She's the lead singer of our Glee club. She thinks Kurt is jealous of her and defected to give away all our secrets."

Before Wes could say anything, the short diva forced her way into the dining hall. When she spotted the two girls sitting there with Wes and Beatz, her face went flush with fury. "What are you doing here? Did you come to wreck our chances at Sectionals too? How much have you told them? Traitors! Wait until Mr. Schue hears about this!"

Santana rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Berry. We're here on official business that has nothing to do with the Glee club. And essentially, it has nothing to do with you."

"We did try to tell you that Glee club was the last thing on Kurt's mind right now," Mercedes said. "Obviously, whatever he and his dad said to you didn't get through that peanut sized brain of yours."

"Oh please," Rachel scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping her foot. "What kind of business could you possibly have with our competition? You all are just so jealous of me, you're willing to throw away all your chances of winning Sectionals? You know Sue won't hesitate to disband New Directions if we lose! Then what will you all do?"

Santana shrugged. "Go back to Cheerios. Or did you forget, Berry, I never wanted to be in your stupid little Glee club in the first place. So why the hell would I ever be jealous of a delusional, paranoid, man handed hobbit?"

Mercedes shrugged. "I still have my church choir, so it's not like I'll never get to sing again. You're the only one who thinks show choir is the end all be all of their life, and that your entire future will fall apart without it."

Before Rachel could respond, Beatz cut in, speaking in a whisper so only they could hear him. "I think her actions are under the code of ostracization. We need to take her to the chambers, now."

Wes' eyes went wide. "You think her beliefs are jeopardizing the cause?"

"I think her beliefs are at that point where the only thing that might do any good to shut her down, is telling the truth. Otherwise, the girls might not get out of this argument," Beatz said.

Mercedes and Santana glanced at each other, and shrugged. "He's right," the dark skinned witch said.

"What are you all whispering about?" Rachel demanded, stomping her foot. "I demand you two leave now!" She pointed at the two New Direction's girls.

The two witches glanced at each other again and then started laughing as the two of them and the boys stood from the table. Mercedes looked back at Rachel. "You really want to know what our official business is? Then I suggest you come with us."

"Where?" Rachel said, glaring at the two boys. "I'm not going anywhere with them!"

"Tough luck, Man Hands," Santana quipped. "This is their turf. You want to know the truth, you come with all four of us. Otherwise, you can turn your diva ass around and leave without another word."

The petite girl let out a frustrated growl and dropped her hands to her side. "Fine. But if you guys plan on doing something to harm me, I promise you will all spend the rest of your lives in jail!"

The Latina rolled her eyes. "Right, Man Hands. We're not going to hurt you. But you give us no other choice but to tell you the truth, so follow us." She turned back to Wes and Beatz. "Lead the way."

Wes nodded and headed out of the dining hall, Santana following him. Mercedes gestured for Rachel to follow the Latina, then fell in behind her, with Beatz beside her.

The walk down to the Sanctuary was long and arduous. Or rather it felt that way because the four witches were on edge. None of them knew how the petite diva was going to react, but they also knew that Beatz had been right. There really wasn't any other option at this point. If Rachel knew the truth, it might be the thing that would finally get her to back off and realize that no one was trying to sabotage her chances of winning Sectionals.

Once they reached the section of stairway where the electricity ceased and the torches were the only light, Rachel stopped dead in her tracks. "I knew it! This was a trick to get me down into your dungeon where you are going to seal me away like in The Cask of Amontillado!"

"Oh brother," Santana said, rolling her eyes. "Will you stop jumping to conclusions? You wanted the truth, so either trust us now or again, turn around and leave and never say another word about any of this."

She continued to hesitate, until Mercedes sighed from behind her. "Just get your butt down the stairs! I'm sick of listening to your voice whine!" Mercedes rolled her eyes. "Besides, if we were going to kill you, I could have just as easily shoved you down this stairwell."

Before Rachel could even attempt to retort, Wes' phone rang. The boy put it to his ear but kept walking. "What's up, David?" he asked. Santana and Mercedes exchanged looks as the latter urged Rachel to continue forward. "What?" Wes came to a halt at the bottom of the stairwell. "Goddess almighty," he said, cursing. He hung up the phone and opened the doors to the Sanctuary. "Everyone inside, quick!"

Santana slid past him, giving him a curious look. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain in a moment. But everyone needs to get inside first," Wes said, gesturing for them all to enter the Sanctuary.

Rachel hesitated just outside the doors, but Mercedes finally lost all patience and pushed the girl forward, entering behind her. Wes closed the door behind Beatz.

Wes ran a hand over his face and looked at the other three witches. "That was David," he said. "Nick and Jeff tracked dark magic right here to the area. So he did another reveal spell. There's an imposter in the building and it's not anyone in the Circle."

"What is he talking about?" Rachel demanded of Santana. "Dark magic? Spells? Is he nuts or something?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "No," she said, glancing to the other three for confirmation first. They all just shrugged, allowing the dark haired beauty to take the lead on this. "He's a witch," she stated, not one to beat around the bush. "We all are. Porcelain, too."

Rachel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms again. "Really? That's the best excuse you could come up with? Witches? You're all crazy!"

Mercedes inclined her head to the side. "Really? Why don't you show Beatz that scar you've been trying to hide?" she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the girl said, subconsciously pulling down on the sleeves of her sweater. The taller boy didn't need to see it, however.

"Three quarters of an inch, on the elbow?" he said, studying her. "You got it from a loose nail in a dance bar when you were twelve."

She stared at him wide eyed. "How did you know that?" she asked.

"Beatz specializes in healing magic," Wes said. "It's part of who he is to know about all medical details about anyone."

The tall blonde boy began rubbing his hands together, while murmuring in a language Rachel didn't recognize. Her eyes went wide with shock when his hands began to glow with a soft yellow light, and she took an instinctive step back as he reached towards her. He didn't actually physically touch her though. Instead his hand hovered a couple inches above the scar. Suddenly the area began to grow warm and tingly.

"What's happening?" she questioned, voice slightly shaky.

Santana shrugged, examining her nails as if she were bored. "He's healing your arms. Take a look. Maybe then you'll believe witches are real."

Rachel didn't know what to think. Wes was on the phone with David again, as the two tried to piece together who the imposter was. The spell would have removed the disguise the moment it found the imposter so it wasn't like they could seek the person out. They were still at loss as to who Andrew had impersonated before becoming Jeff, because Wes hadn't found any discrepancies in the sign-in sheets.

"What is taking Kurt so long?" Mercedes suddenly asked.

Beatz dropped his hands, swaying slightly and rubbing the spot on his arm where he'd absorbed Rachel's scar. It would fade away within the hour. Rachel in the meantime had rolled up her sleeve to look at her arm. "It's gone," she whispered, unable to speak any louder through the shock.

…

Kurt was still puzzled over the questions Santana had asked when they arrived back at Dalton. So much so, he had barely said much. He wanted to know what Santana was on about, but true to her nature, she had been cryptic.

"I want to find Santana as soon as possible," he said.

Thad opened his mouth to reply when suddenly, the double doors that were Dalton's front entrance banged open and someone came rushing out. The figure stopped directly in front of Kurt, causing the pale boy to go even paler and take a step back. The person in front of him had no distinguishable face. It was as if a wax figure had come to life, the face having melted from the heat, leaving only a vague impression of a nose and mouth and eyes that were completely white.

"You!" the figure hissed. "You won't win this time!" Before Kurt could respond or react at all, the figure roared, and a ball of energy flew at Kurt, knocking him on his ass. Thad and Jackie both reacted by throwing their own energy balls at the figure, who screamed and fled.

"Kurt!" Thad said, kneeling beside him. "Are you okay?"

Kurt grunted. "I'm fine, although I think my pride is bruised."

"Who in the world was that?" Jackie asked, placing a hand to her chest, her eyes wide behind her veil.

"I only have one guess," Thad replied as he helped Kurt up. The two boys glanced at each other before Kurt started running for the school. "Kurt, wait!"

Kurt didn't stop though, taking the stairs two at a time as he rushed to Ethan's room, and Blaine.

"Kurt?" David said, startled as the boy came frantically running into the room. Blaine looked up at him wide-eyed from the couch, where he was sifting through an old spellbook.

"Kurt?" Blaine mimicked David, giving the taller boy a surprised look.

"Oh thank Gaga!" Kurt replied, dropping next to Blaine on the couch and hugging the boy.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked, hugging him back, and savoring the scent of him; sandalwood, pine, and something citrusy.

Kurt glanced over to David. "You cast the reveal spell again, didn't you?"

David looked momentarily stunned. "How did you know that?" he asked.

"Because Thad, Jackie, and I just ran into Andrew running from the school." Kurt swallowed hard before continuing. "He doesn't have a face, David."

The darker skinned witch frowned. "What do you mean, he has no face?"

"I mean he has no face," Kurt reiterated. "It was all waxy or something and his eyes were just glowing white orbs." He suppressed the urge to shudder. "It kind of reminds me of Voldemort and the half-life he got for trying to become immortal."

David frowned, and began typing out a text, just as Thad and Jackie reached them. The older woman looked a little flushed from having moved so quickly, and the cat she still held clutched in her arms was struggling to get free. She let it go, and it immediately jumped up on the couch and onto the back, pacing and meowing in annoyance.

"Kurt?" the woman asked. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm okay, Jackie. Sorry. I was just worried about Blaine. Andrew is trying to get him."

"Well," Jackie said. "I came here to help you because you asked about the memory reader abilities. But I think before I do anything, the lot of you need to fill me in on exactly what is going on here." She took a seat daintily in an empty armchair.

"We'll explain everything as soon as Wes arrives. He should be here in a few minutes," David said, reading the reply he'd just received from the other witch. "Would you care for some tea, or other refreshments, ma'am?"

"Considering all the rushing about I just did due to my great nephew," and she paused to throw Kurt an amused expression, "I think a nice cup of tea is warranted."

David nodded to Thad, who excused himself to make the tea. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, Jackie," Kurt said. "You really didn't need to rush after me. This is Blaine, by the way, and that is David Thompson."

"It's an honor, ma'am," David said, inclining his head towards her.

The cat, who seemed to have settled down, lept into Kurt's lap, rubbing against his chest and purring, before moving to Blaine to give him the same attention, before curling up and getting comfortable in the shorter boy's lap.

"Well, Mischief seems to like you both," Jackie said. "He's a very picky cat, and it usually takes him a day or two to cozy up to someone new."

"Then I guess we should feel special," Blaine chuckled, scratching the animal behind the ears for a moment.

"By the way, Kurt," Jackie said, "I didn't get a chance to ask about it while we were in the car because I was on my own phone talking to the High Council, but did I overhear you say your father was a seventh son as well?"

"My friend Satan was asking me cryptic questions. She wouldn't tell me what for," he said, shaking his head. "She wanted to know how many uncles my dad had and then if my grandfather was the youngest."

"And the answer to those were?" she inquired.

"Six, and yes, why?" he asked, looking at her.

"How extraordinary!" she said, almost in a tone of reverence. "I don't think I've ever heard of that ever happening before. The child of two seventh children of a seventh child. Tell me, have you noticed anything unusual about your powers?"

Kurt frowned. "I've really only known I've had them for a few days. But Trent says I'm a visual memory reader, which is apparently the rarest form of the skill. And my telekinesis seems to happen subconsciously. But Trent thinks I can learn to control that. Are you looking for anything specific?"

"Not necessarily specific, just out of the ordinary, but if you have no control over your powers yet, perhaps you wouldn't know what to look for."

David looked thoughtful for a moment. "While Kurt still hasn't learned to consciously control his magic, I have witnessed him do things I've never seen any other telekinetic do before."

"Like what?" Jackie asked him, turning her attention fully to the dark skinned witch. Kurt was watching the two of them with slight interest. He wasn't entirely aware of everything he'd been doing.

"He summoned an object from a great distance, and he drew the rosemary and bayleaf here without knowing where to find them first. And he created fire, which I didn't think was something a telekinetic could do."

Jackie shook her head. "You're right, fire creation is not a telekinetic power. I need to test something. Do any of you have matches or a lighter?"

David stood and pulled a small box of matches from his pocket. He'd been carrying them around with him so he could cast the revealing winds at any time necessary. He handed them to the older witch.

"Thank you, young man," Jackie said with a smile. "Kurt, would you come over here please?"

He glanced at Blaine first, before moving to stand in front of her.

"I don't want you to be alarmed, dear," Jackie said. "But when I light one of these matches, I'm going to ask you to reach for the flame. Do you understand?"

He frowned. "You want me to reach out and touch the flame with my hand?"

"No, not touch it. Just reach out for it, palm up. Like you're extending your hand for someone to give you something."

Kurt wasn't sure what she expected to happen, but he nodded, and watched her light the match. He reached for the flame, palm up, thinking this seemed a little strange. He gave a little startled gasp when the flame jumped from the match, to rest in the palm of his hand.

"Oh my Goddess!" a voice said from the doorway. They all turned to see Wes, Beatz, Mercedes and Santana standing there. "Kurt, do you know how rare a power fire mastery is?" Santana said. They had finally convinced Rachel to go home, that it might not be safe for her to be there.

Jackie was looking at him in awe. "Do you know how rare having more than two specializations is? Especially seeing as there's no telling where those beyond the first two came from." She turned back to David. "You said he summoned an item from a great distance. What item? And how great a distance?"

David glanced to Wes, wondering if he should tell her about the demon vessel or not. "He summoned it from nearly a hundred miles away," he said.

"Nearly a hundred miles?" Jackie repeated, stunned for a moment. "What exactly was the distance? I mean what was point A and what was point B?"

Kurt let out a sigh. "I summoned the demon vessel from Lima to Westerville," he said, moving back to the couch to pick up the object, forgetting for a moment the flame that still danced on the palm of his hand. Frowning, he tossed it towards the fireplace, where it lit the fresh kindling that had just appeared. He picked up the vessel and showed it to his aunt.

Jackie's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the object in her great nephew's hands, but no one seemed to bat an eye when he made the fire. "Okay, and what are you boys doing with a demon vessel in the first place? You promised to tell me everything. So I would like to know now, please."

Thad returned then with a large tray, with a large pot of tea and several cups, which he set down on the coffee table as Wes, Beatz, Mercedes and Santana made themselves comfortable. It was Wes who explained the mystery of The Dalton Circle.

When he finished, Jackie glanced around at them. "I see. And Kurt is supposed to be the key to solving the murder and disappearances?"

"He sort of already solved the disappearances," David said. "We believe that Devon was trapped in the demon vessel, and that Ethan eventually bound himself to it, either to protect it from outside forces, or to protect outside forces from the demon that is also trapped within."

"Well, that would explain why the vessel is more white than black," Jackie said, looking the object over. "So, what does this have to do with that...being we encountered outside?"

Wes sighed. "That was Andrew Smythe. It has recently been brought to our attention that the Smythe's Line has the power of Glamour."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "Glamour can be more a curse, rather than a blessing, depending on how it's used," she said. "The more time a witch spends as someone else, the harder it becomes to regain their own features. Over time they can become distorted and disfigured."

Wes nodded. "Which is why twins are common among lines that have the ability. Except Andrew murdered his twin, apparently."

"Interesting," Jackie said. "Why would he do that?"

"Because wax face is loco," Santana said.

Jackie looked at her. "You're from Elizabeth's Circle, aren't you? I know your mother. Santana, isn't it?"

The Latina was surprised that she knew who she was. "Yes, ma'am," she said. Though she tended to be an inconsiderate bitch most of the time, Santana knew when to respect her elders. And Jackie was one that deserved that respect.

"And your grandmother, Alma Lopez, how is she? Still as feisty as ever?"

Santana smirked. "Yes, ma'am," she repeated. "She puts my mother and her sisters to shame at family parties and dances."

The older woman laughed at that. "Tell her I send my love, and that I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your grandfather's funeral." She then turned to Mercedes. "And you're Patrice's daughter. I hope I will have time to sample her chicken marsala again while I am here."

"I'd be happy to ask her to make some special for you, ma'am," Mercedes said. "I'm sure she would be excited to do it."

She smiled and patted Mercedes' hand before turning back to Kurt. "What exactly are you hoping to learn about memory reading?"

Kurt sighed and sat back down. "I've picked up a few random memories here and there, but I'm wondering if there is a way to read specific memories?"

His great aunt sat back in her seat, considering her answer carefully. "Visual memory reading is different from my own skill. For me, memories are like books that have been dropped on their spines and opened to a random page. My talent is limited by proximity to the one whose memory I am reading, meaning I can only read the memories of those around me. Visual memory readers work on a different level. They aren't reading the memory from the person themselves, but from the energy that is left behind. It is difficult to focus on one specific individual's memories."

Kurt frowned. "Trent thought I might be able to if I had an object that belonged to the person I want to read."

She tilted her head to the side. "Trent?" she asked.

"Trent is an energy sensor, ma'am," Wes said. "He's also the great great nephew of Winston Nixon."

"The young man who was murdered," she clarified, and thought about the suggestion. "It could work, if you combined it with a focus spell, as well."

David nodded. "That was the conclusion we came up with, as well."

Kurt looked at him. "Do you have a spell for that, or do you have to create one?"

The older boy crossed his arms over his chest. "Trent and I were working on that when we got the news about dark magic in the area from Nick and Jeff."

"How soon do you think it will be ready?" Wes asked.

"It's a complicated bit of magic, so it will likely take at least a couple days."

Wes nodded. "You and Trent get back to that, then. I'll have Thad, Beatz, Nick and Jeff, along with myself, take turns guarding Blaine until it is ready."

"I'm not leaving him either," Kurt said. "Unless I'm absolutely needed for something."

"You do still need to learn to control your abilities, dear," Jackie said. "That is why I came here, after all."