Cassie dyed her hair with magic, walked out of her house and went to the docks, now sitting at the same place she found Nick, wondering where it all went wrong; her mother's death, binding the circle, releasing the demon from Heather Barnes-which lead to Melissa and Nick getting possessed-Nick's death, Jake's return and letting him into the circle before finding out he's a witch hunter, trusting Kate, Blackwell coming back, being involved with Adam and almost getting Jake killed as a result, finding out Princess of Purity selfish bitch goodie goody Diana is her sister-she preferred to go the rest of her life without knowing since she hates that word-her grandmother dying, Nick almost dying again if she hadn't taken the demon out of him, Blackwell's death due to herself killing him with Princess Of Purity's assistance-and the former circle leader abandoning her because of it.
She sighed, wishing she never found out her relation to the Princess Of Purity since everyone always ends up leaving in one way or another. Thankfully, Adam didn't love her anymore and she felt the same way since she hated him for going between her and the brunette while she feels the same way about Jake acting hot and cold so fast. She wished she never arrived in Chance Harbor, let alone never left her mother at the house by herself that night.
It didn't help the situation that Jake left town when Nick needed him most and then left again when the circle did months after the latter's death. Cassie still couldn't believe everything that happened since her arrival. The ones who have had it worse is her, Jake and Nick and she didn't want goodie goodie coming back since the blond knew how Nick felt-not that he would ever admit it-since both of them had our siblings abandon them, which is another thing she and Nick have in common along with the fact that both of their parents are dead. Shortly before his death, the circle leader wanted to get to know him better, but it wouldn't work because he was dead, partially because of her releasing that stupid demon out of her mom's friend.
Cassie was pissed at Jake for acting like he wasn't interested one minute and then proving otherwise the next, Diana because of her abandoning her like Jake did to Nick and she was pissed at herself because of Nick's death. The water called to her, but it was the same place Nick died since everyone believed he was trying to drown the demon himself. Little does Cassie know, the same person who killed her mom and grandmother is the same one who killed Nick under someone else's orders.
For the first time in months, she cried due to everything that happened and didn't know what to do. Like Jake and Nick, she lost both parents and also like the former, she lost Nick too. If the blond could, going back to the night she left Amelia at home wouldn't have happened. She would have stayed with her. It was so much easier back then since she didn't know anything about her witch heritage or about her having a selfish former best friend and what makes it worse is that the woman is her half sister. She wished she never knew any of it, especially the latter. As far as she's concerned, Princess Of Purity is dead to her. FOREVER! She hates her so much. If they die, it's her fault.
Cassie doesn't know how Jake managed to stay pissed off about the death of his parents-and later, his brother-for as long as he did. It was exhausting and it's only been 5 minutes since the Princess of Purity walked out the door of the Blake house, possibly for the last time. Her dark magic came out as the ground shook and the waves crashed. She didn't care though since fully giving into the darkness was such an easy decision and loves the feeling of power. If Princess Of Purity ever comes back, she will regret it.
The blond sighed, wondering how she's going to keep the circle together now and will have to figure it out fast since the Balcoin Kids are coming. The problem is, she doesn't know what to do since they don't have a full circle. It takes 6 members, not 5. Although, with Nick back it is 6 members in the circle. Shaking her head, Cassie felt lost, angry, worried and confused. Her phone rang, but she ignored it since she was not interested in dealing with the circle right now. She needed to find a way to keep them together, but didn't know how. She knew it wouldn't be easy since there wasn't anyone to replace the woman she used to call her best friend.
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Melissa went to get the pizza her friend ordered. "Large Pepperoni pizza with the 2 sodas." The youngest member of the circle nodded as she handed him a 20 plus a tip. He smiled and thanked her before she grabbed the pizza box with drinks and shut the door with her foot before going back to Faye's room.
"Pizza's here." She replied, smiling. After everything they have been through, the witches of Chance Harbor deserved a night off from demons and witch hunters. It seemed like every time they turn around, witch hunters or demons come after them. They all needed a break. In Melissa's opinion, Cassie was the one who really deserves a vacation out of Chance Harbor for awhile.
"Finally." Faye replied as her friend set down the box and drinks. "Let's eat." They sat down on the bed and happily chatted about anything and everything. "I feel bad for Cassie." The younger girl replied. "She lost her mom, her grandmother and now Diana left town as well. She has no one left."
"It is sad, but she'll handle it like she has everything." Faye opened the box and grabbed a slice before she bit into it. "She needs a friend." Melissa said. "I can't believe Diana would leave us like that, especially her own half sister."
"Well, Evil Princess number 1 has dark magic in her, but I wouldn't be that cold hearted if I was Princess Of Purity." Faye rolled her eyes as Melissa frowned. "I know that Cassie is more prone to the darker side these days, but we would have been killed if it wasn't for her dark magic saving us, Faye."
"Why are you defending her? She got Nick killed, technically, twice. If he hadn't died the first time, he wouldn't have died the second time." Faye replied. "You helped her release the demon from Heather, so don't start that shit with me. It's not her fault." Melissa glared. "All I'm saying is, Cassie needs someone there for her since she's all alone."
"So you're saying it's mine. If I had known there was a demon within Heather, we would have destroyed it before it possessed you both. Actually, now that I think about it, we didn't really know a demon was in her until it was too late."
"What if we have a girl's night? Cassie can come over and it will be good to get her out of the house for awhile." Faye raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but if she drinks any of my champagne, I will be pissed." She replied, rolling her eyes.
TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-Adam felt better than he had in months since he drank the Elixir he and Cassie took due to Blackwell's orders. He felt the powerful as he held onto the skull. Like Cassie said, it's power is more than they've ever experienced. He could feel it making him stronger as it flooded his whole body. The skull was dark and seductive. He now understood why Cassie was using her Balcoin Blood more these days. He felt like the darkness was calling to him.
His dad didn't know because the older male was passed out. He knew he needed lock up the boathouse, count money, stack chairs and everything else, but he didn't care with all this power rushing though him.
As the power flooded through him, everything came rushing back to him. Kissing her, holding her hand, making love to her and everything else in between. He was in love with her literally all over again and smiled.
There was a problem though which is his connection to Melissa. He knew that while he would always love Diana since she is his first and he was back in love with Cassie again, he's starting to have feelings for Melissa too.
TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-Jake immediately got to work doing research on what it is and could be used for. He had to figure it out before the circle is put in more danger than ever before. He looked out his-formerly Nick's-bedroom window that let him see into Cassie's room. The lights were off and he wondered where she was. He could still hear her begging Princess Of Purity not to leave town, but the former circle member didn't care. He was immediately reminded of how he left Nick behind without saying anything and will never forget that. Jake deeply regrets leaving town 2 years before Cassie arrived, especially since he and Nick were never close even before he left him behind nor will he ever forget seeing his dad getting killed in front of him by Eben the night of the fire.
He sighed and continued working on it.
TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-Princess Of Purity-who Diana is called within Cassie's mind-knew she can't run forever. She's loved Cassie as a sister-even before she knew they are really blood related-since she met her. She was there for the current circle leader whenever she needed someone to rely on and most of the time it was her. She always felt an understanding connection between them, even after she and Adam broke up due to his "destiny" with her slightly older half sister. She showed up to the blonde's house that night and cried on her shoulder, despite Cassie being the cause of their break up. Now, she knew the blond has Dark magic in her and herself also has it, so it's too much for her to handle. Even though Diana didn't just leave due to dark magic-it was also the problem of Charles killing Amelia and Blackwell being her father-she knew she can't stay away forever.
She just needed some time to process Charles not being her father, having Balcoin Blood like Cassie does and just wanted to focus on Grant. It was difficult to do that when she had the Balcoin Symbol on her palm as if it was a permanent reminder that she can't hide forever. Sooner or later, she will have to come back and fight.
Because Charles killed Cassie's mom, the current circle leader wouldn't have a choice in coming to Chance Harbor or not. She didn't know how long she could keep that secret, but knew she would have to or else Cassie would be pissed. Little did she know, the surprises she would have when she comes back.
TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-Eventually she left and went home, feeling like someone was inside the house. The door was slightly opened and she cautiously walked in, shutting it behind her. After putting her bag down, she went upstairs and pulled out her book of shadows from the secret compartment in her bedroom.
She put a barrier around the house and put the book up, before thinking that she wanted her hair dyed a different color. Blinking, she looked into the mirror and saw that her hair was black now.
"I can't get out of here." She heard someone say from the hallway. She ran in and saw a dark haired girl trying to get out the front door. Cassie quietly did a spell to undo it.
"Who are you?"
"Cassie?" The girl asked.
"Mariana, what are you doing here?" She hugged her friend.
"I told you I'd be visiting during the summer, but I was about to get my bag from my car when the door wouldn't open." It reminded Cassie of when Faye locked Cassie's car door and set the vehicle on fire so the blond would use magic she didn't know she had. Unfortunately, Faye's plan failed since the blond didn't know about it at the time until later that day.
"The door gets jammed sometimes." They grabbed her other bag from outside and walked back in.
Cassie helped her unload her bags and brought them inside, happy to have her beet friend in town. The dark haired female has lived with Cassie since the latter and her mom, Amelia, lived in San Diego. Both girls attend Anchor Beach Community Charter School and they've been best friends since they ran into each other in the hallway when Cassie was the new girl. Ever since then, they consider each other as sisters.
Mariana left her stuff in Cassie's bedroom and they went to the kitchen to get something to eat.
The blond opened the freezer and got out a box. "Ooh. Macaroni." The blond smirked before she opened the box and put it on a pan, into the oven. She set it and grabbed two sodas from the fridge, handing one to Mariana.
"Thanks." She replied, smiling. They sat down on the couch.
"No problem."
Awhile later, they ate dinner and talked. "How are you doing? I haven't heard from you in months. What happened since you moved?" Cassie explained everything without adding her and the circle's supernatural abilities.
"I'm so sorry." She frowned. "Well, I'm here now. You don't have to agonize over it."
If only you knew, she thought to herself.
"Both my parents are dead along with my grandmother and someone who was an acquaintance of mine, so I don't think I'll be able to go back to being normal for awhile."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but I've decided to stay with you for the summer."
Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She said, forcing a smile. It wasn't that she didn't want her friend around until school started back up because she did, but she was worried about any other threats to her and the remainder of the circle-like the Balcoins-using Mariana against them and the circle wouldn't be happy if Cassie brought an outsider into their supernatural problems like they did when Jake had to join the circle to take his brother's place, who, now that Cassie thought about it, looked like Mariana's ex boyfriend from San Diego.
Nick Stratos was extremely identical to Nick Armstrong, but the last Cassie heard about Mariana's ex is that he was having trouble at home and moved away and the latina hasn't heard from him since she and him mutually split up during Bayfest.
"Yes. My adopted mom, Lena, thought it would be best if I spent my summer here." She nodded and they finished eating before the blond went outside and younger girl followed. After locking the door, they went to her car and got in. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see." They went to the store. When Cassie got what she needed and paid, they drove off. Parking her car in the lot, she walked in and stood in front of Nick's grave, setting the flowers down and looked at it sadly. Cassie may not have known him as much as the other's had, but she still missed him.
"Damn." Mariana said.
"I know. He was about to be 18 when he died." Technically that's true when Cassie found him by the docks near the bar and grill where Adam worked with his dad.
She sighed and wished she had more time with him. If only she could go back in time, but she didn't know if there was a possible way to do that. She would have to look into her book of shadows though to be sure.
"That's horrible."
"I know, but there is nothing I can do about it now." They both left and she showed Mariana around. "There's the boathouse where my ex boyfriend Adam works and on the shore next to the docks is where Nick died."
"How?"
"Accidental drowning. I guess he fell off the dock because there's no way he would drown himself." Cassie glared ahead with tears in her eyes.
"You really did care about him, I can tell."
"Yeah. I admit from the first time I saw him it feels like it's love, but he had a friends with benefits with my friend, Melissa, so I never got the chance to tell him how much I really liked him. Who knows what would have happened if he and I were together." Cassie drove away and parked at the school. "Chance Harbor High, not that you would need to know where it is since you're only visiting for the summer, right?" Mariana smiled. "You can stay at my place. There's plenty of room now that it's just me by myself."
"Thanks." Cassie showed her around the rest of Chance Harbor like Finn Creak, The Antiquities shop, Java Brew when they passed by. "I work there whenever I can." The blond said.
"Maybe I can apply too so I can help you out."
"You don't have to do that, Mari."
"I want to." She smiled as Cassie shrugged before the latter showed her the beach and went past the woods.
The circle was back at school for final exams and Cassie smirked, feeling extremely confident that she would pass. Once class started and she was handed the finale test of the school year, she worked on it with a little bit of help. Pretending to take her time, she wrote down the answers she already knew since she used magic on the review packet all week and brought it with her so she would be able to hide the review without anyone knowing because it was cloaked under the test.
The blond circle leader was one of the first ones finished and she didn't stop with that one because the same technique was used for all of her exam review sheets so she can pass the test.
Once Classes ended early because it was a half day, she went home. "Mariana, you here?" The blond asked.
"Yeah, in the kitchen." She replied, getting some snacks.
"So guess who I talked to."
"Your ex boyfriend?"
"No. I realized that I'm done with Mat because I don't want to go backwards with him and I haven't heard from Stratos either."
"Ok. Who?"
"Malia."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I told her it would be good for you if you had another friend around. She should be here any second."
There was a knock at the door. Cassie opened it and hugged the girl before shutting the door behind her friend.
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Emma Becker just left Thayer's apartment after he got pissed. She went down the hallway and back to the others as she heard screams the closer she got. Worried about her friends and everyone else, she pushed herself to run as fast as she could go in heels without breaking one or tripping. Her conversation with Thayer would have to continue at another time where she could apologize.
Making it to the others, Emma saw Alec on the ground. Not caring about the secret regarding her and Sutton being twins, Emma stood next to her sister while Mads was to her right side.
"What happened?" The adopted teen asked.
"He fell." Dan said before he questioned them. Once they were cleared, Sutton hugged her sister while Rebecca went over to stand in front of them.
"Are you guys okay?" She asked.
"We are fine." Emma said looking at Ted trying to save Alec, whose pulse was very faint and was breathing irregularly. An ambulance showed up and paramedics put the DA on the gurney before loading him into the back of the vehicle. "You okay, Mads?"
"I'm fine." She replied.
Ted was checking on Alec while Mads and Emma didn't say anything. The Rybak younger sibling was crying.
Emma hugged her as the latter looked around.
"Thayer is in his room and I don't think he's very happy with me right now." Mads pulled away.
"Is everything okay?"
"I think he assumed my feelings for Ethan and compared it to my feelings for him without me confirming or denying anything. I tried to explain, but he told me to leave. Eventually, I did."
"Emma, who are you in love with more? Ethan or Thayer?"
Before she could answer, Thayer appeared and just stood there, lost in his own thoughts. Emma couldn't blame him since he was probably just in a blind rage not to long ago due to him assuming Emma trying to probably tell him that she chose Ethan. Everyone else was either standing around in confusion, answering questions Dan asked or just stood there in shock. Emma couldn't blame them at all since she couldn't believe it herself.
"Want me to stay with you?" Emma asked Mads and Thayer as Sutton stood staring at them angrily. First she takes my place and then she steals my best friend? Hell, no. She thought.
Neither of them responded and while she knew they needed her right now, so did Kristin even though she wasn't her real mom.
Emma sighed as Dan went over to them. He asked them questions and they answered best they could. Eventually, Ethan's brother walked away. Emma sighed, looking at Mads and Thayer. All three of them made their way to the car while Ethan watched.
"That's Emma, right?" Dan said, looking at his younger brother.
"Yes." He said, looking at Emma's eyes on Thayer as they talked. From the looks of it, she does have feelings for him. The two hugged as Mads caught Ethan's stare at her brother and best friend.
"Want to wait at the hospital or what?" Emma asked them, mainly looking at Thayer.
"We can do it in the morning. I'm sure he will be in surgery or something and visiting hours are over anyways." He said, looking at his phone screen of Emma he took without her noticing when they were hanging out together. It was the same photo that was in the frame on the ground in his apartment. They both nodded. "I'll drive you home." Both girls got in the car. "Damn, left my keys in my room. I'll be back." He stated before going back up to his apartment.
"He really does love you, Emma." Mads said, noticing the way her brother looked at her best friend.
She sighed. "He's always been there for me, unlike Ethan."
"I know, but eventually you will have to choose between them. Either way, someone will end up heartbroken. I've never seen him happy until he met you. He was in love with Sutton, but now he has stronger feelings for you. I can tell." She gave a small smile. "I just don't want to see him get hurt."
If Alec did kill Derek and Theresa, than that's exactly what will happen and it will be even worse if I don't choose Thayer. Damn it! The other girl thought, shaking her head.
Emma had Thayer drop her off at the Mercer house. She got out of the car and looked at the older sibling of the two for a few seconds before she turned to Mads. "Call me if either of you need anything, alright?"
"Of course." She turned to her ex and didn't say anything before going inside the house. Thayer sighed and shook his head. "I've never seen you look at Sutton like that."
"Leave it alone, Mads." He replied, not wanting to talk about it. "She already chose Ethan anyways."
"It didn't look like that to me." He drove away. "I have a feeling she's changed her mind." Mads smirked.
Emma decided to pack up her stuff and leave town since she knew her sister didn't want her here.
She called a taxi and went to the bus stop, getting an all-nighter so she can leave quicker and sleep while the bus is moving. She only had her backpack on her just like she did when she left Las Vegas.
She texted Mads to let her know she's leaving and thanked her for being a good friend before she went to sleep.
GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-GH-Kristina sighed as she got out of the hospital and was signed out, so she was able to go home. Alexis and Sonny walked out with her.
"I think it would be best if you left Port Charles and stayed somewhere safe." Sonny replied.
"What? I'm not going to let Kiefer run me out of town." Kristina said, crossing her arms.
"This is about you being safe and away from him."
"Fine. When do we leave?" She asked.
"As soon as you get everything together. I have a friend in Washington State." He wrote down a name, phone number and address before handing it to her.
"Really?"
"Yeah. He will be able to help you." Sonny replied.
Kristina was still skeptical, but nodded. Hours later, she was in Washington and ordered a taxi for a hotel.
TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-TSC-Diana left the Chance Harbor High one day during the last week of school before summer vacation starts.
"Why are you back here?" Faye asked with Melissa beside her.
"To take my exams, Faye."
"Please, you didn't seem to care about them so much when you left last week." She replied.
"How's Cassie?"
"As if you care about her or any of us since you abandoned her." Faye rolled her eyes before she and the youngest member of the circle walked away. "Cassie may have been fun for me to piss off, but at least she never abandoned us when we needed her the most. She has been through hell since she got here and now the only sister she's ever had is walking away as if you couldn't care less about her. She's been there when you called off your relationship with Adam and it's a good thing you did too because he acted very toxic towards you and Cassie while you both deserve better. Cassie wants to be your sister and is happy about it, but you are disappointing her by walking out of her life when she needs her sister the most. She doesn't have any other family around since her parents are both dead and we don't know what the other Balcoins are like. If I was her, I wouldn't forgive you so easily and you'll be lucky if she gives you another chance to be in her life, Diana." Faye walked off.
"She's right. I know you're upset about Charles, but your sister has lost both of her parents and her grandmother in less than a year. Cassie needs you, but I guess you being afraid of dark magic is more important." Melissa said before she followed her friend.
Diana sighed and looked at the members of the circle and asked Grant if he wanted to hangout.
Sorry, I'm going out of town for awhile and don't know when I'll be back. His text read.
She shook her head and went to her car. She's loved Cassie as a sister-even before she knew they are really blood related-since she met her. She was there for the current circle leader whenever she needed someone to rely on and most of the time it was her. She always felt an understanding connection between them, even after she and Adam broke up due to his "destiny" with her slightly older half sister. She showed up to the blonde's house that night and cried on her shoulder, despite Cassie being the cause of their break up. Now, she knew the blond has Dark magic in her and herself also has it, so it's too much for her to handle. Even though Diana didn't just leave due to dark magic-it was also the problem of Charles killing Amelia and Blackwell being her father-she knew she can't stay away forever.
She just needed some time to process Charles not being her father, having Balcoin Blood like Cassie does and just wanted to focus on Grant. It was difficult to do that when she had the Balcoin Symbol on her palm as if it was a permanent reminder that she can't hide forever. Sooner or later, she will have to come back and fight.
Because Charles killed Cassie's mom, the current circle leader wouldn't have a choice in coming to Chance Harbor or not. She didn't know how long she could keep that secret, but knew she would have to or else Cassie would be pissed. Little did she know, the surprises she would have if she permanently comes back.
Grant was driving to San Diego and wondered how he would be able to keep a low profile. He parked his car and got out, walking inside the building. Looking around, he went over to an older blond male, standing next to the reception area.
"Hey. You doing okay?" Grant asked him.
"Yeah. What about you?"
"Still dating Diana, but there's something about her that I can't figure out."
"You're in love with her."
"That's not it at all. I meant something she's not telling me."
"I know how that felt." The older blond rolled his eyes.
"Sorry to hear that."
"It's not your fault. Let's get out of here before he finds us."
Grant nodded and they put his stuff in the back seat before they got in and drove off.
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Emma had just got off the bus and ordered a taxi. Not knowing where she was going, she bought a hotel room and got the keys for her room number 8. As she turned, she ran into another girl.
"Oh, I am so sorry."
"Don't worry about it. I'm Emma Becker."
"Kristina." She got her hotel room key and smiled.
"What hotel room did you get?"
"8."
"Same. Let's go." They both grabbed their stuff and went inside, placing their stuff next to the bed.
"Hi, girls." Another female said, coming out of her room to great them.
"Hi." They both greeted. Introductions were made before they left since Kristina and Emma didn't know their way around Chance Harbor.
"My dad told me to find his friend if I ever need any help." The former said.
"Who is it?" Emma asked Kristina before the latter showed her the paper.
"I think he's in Phoenix. Maybe my ex boyfriend's brother knows him." Emma said.
They left and got a taxi as they looked around for a place to eat. They found a bar and grill and walked in, going up to the counter.
"Hi. Can I get a plain cheeseburger with fries and Dr. Pepper?" Emma asked.
"I'll have the same." Kristina answered as the other girl nodded.
"Of course." The male said, smiling. "Diana, you're back." He said when he noticed a familiar girl standing next to the others.
"I'm not Diana. I'm Malia." She stated bluntly, crossed her arms.
"I'm Adam."
"Kristina."
"Emma."
"What brings you three to Chance Harbor?" He asked, suspicious.
"Malia." A voice said, behind them.
"Mariana." Malia replied, happily as both girls hugged. "How are you?"
"Good after the San Diego incident." She replied.
Malia nodded, knowing all about that since herself and Cassie attended Anchor Beach before the latter moved to Chance Harbor. "This is Kristina and Emma."
"Hi."
"I just left Cassie's house." Mariana said.
"Cassie Blake?" Emma and Kristina asked at the same time.
"Yes. She's here in town."
"What brings you four here?" Adam asked, suspicious.
"We came to visit Cassie." Kristina said.
"We thought she might need her friends around after her mom died along with her grandmother." Emma frowned.
The girls walked away and sat down at a table before their food came. They ate and talked.
Adam stood, looking at them for awhile before he went to the back and downstairs to where the skull was cloaked. He picked it up and felt a rush of power go through him when he touched it.
Cassie was on the phone when Mariana walked in 20 minutes later.
"Yes. I'm sure I'll be fine on my own, Mrs. Chamberlain. Thanks."
"Alright. Just making sure because I know that you wouldn't want to be around the Meade house."
"Yes and you're right. After everything Kate has done, I do not want to be near her." A/N: I don't remember if Dawn knows that Kate tried to kill Cassie, so she doesn't know about that nor about Diana leaving town in this story.
"Why?" Dawn asked, confused.
"Because I don't." She replied, shaking her head. "Kate is bad news. I'm fine in the house that belonged to my mom and grandmother."
"Alright, but my offer still stands for you to stay with me."
"I'll keep that in mind if I ever decide to stay with someone else."
"How are you doing otherwise?"
"Well, if anyone deserves to bury their head in the sand about this shit, it's me. Nick died because of me." Cassie hung up and once she did, Kate called. "I am not staying with you at the Meade house after everything that's happened. Your so called granddaughter skipped town on me. Screw all of you!" She hung up.
"Cassie, are you okay?" Mariana asked.
The blond turned around and sighed. "Yeah. Just some people offering for me to stay with one of them since I have no parents and no grandmother anymore."
Mariana hugged her. "I'm here for you, no matter what."
"Thanks." She pulled back as her phone beeped. It was from Melissa, but the circle leader didn't reply.
An hour later, Melissa was at the coffee shop.
"Hey." Cassie said which made the younger girl do a double take because the blond is no longer a blond.
"You changed your hair."
"Yeah and now I'm getting a drink." Cassie continued walking to the counter and ordered.
"Look, I know things are difficult right now, but we need you more than ever." Melissa said.
"How did that work when we needed Diana?" She replied, coldly.
"I know she's having a difficult time right now-"
"and I'm not? My parents are dead along with my grandmother and your ex boyfriend." She replied before she grabbed her coffee and paid before walking towards the door.
"I never said that, but you are having a more difficult time than any of us and need a 6th person."
"Good luck because Diana isn't coming back." She replied.
"I know that, but maybe someone else could take her spot. She got Nick killed because of her overruliing you when she is the unofficial leader." Melissa lowered her voice.
"Who?"
"I don't know yet, but maybe we could bring Nick back." Cassie stopped and turned around.
"I agree." Faye said as she walked in. They all sat down.
"Let's do it." Melissa said as Diana walked in and ordered a coffee at the counter.
"We also need a new 6th member." Cassie said, loud enough for Diana to hear without shouting.
"Agree." Faye replied, smirking. "She acts like she's so much better than you."
"She's not."
"I know, but it's so damn annoying."
"Hey." Diana greeted them, holding her coffee. The other girls glared at her.
"Lets get out of here." Cassie said as they nodded. "If you ever get into trouble, don't call us." She shoved the brunette who got coffee all over her as the others left.
"Wanna go to the abandoned house?" Melissa asked as Cassie nodded.
At the abandoned house, Cassie, Faye and Melissa stood around. The former closed her eyes and tried to connect to the crystal skull. Once she felt her magic connecting to it, she said the spell while picturing Nick in her mind.
"Sorem est."
The second she said that and saw Nick, he appeared, looking as if he was never possessed.
"What just happened?" He asked, looking around as Cassie hugged him, almost knocking him down in the process.
"We decided to bring you back." The black haired circle leader replied while Nick looked over Cassie's shoulder at Melissa who broke eye contact before the two pulled apart. Melissa hugged him, followed by Faye. "I have an idea to protect us from any other witch hunters. A protection spell from my book of shadows, but there are a couple of problems with doing this."
"What are they?" Adam questioned.
"We can't leave town and we can't use magic."
Faye was sitting on the couch, but stood up. "What?" She almost shouted at the top of her lungs. "We just got our magic back and you want to take it away again?"
Cassie glared. "I didn't take it away the first time and you know it." The blond replied, calmly.
"Right, Evil princess number 2 did."
"Listen to me, a lot has happened to us since I got here." She glanced at Nick before turning back to Faye. "I'm not taking any risks this time around. Do you want another repeat of last year with demons, witch hunters and witch coven ghosts?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"No." Melissa said as Jake and Nick shook their heads.
"Neither do I. It's either this or a repeat of last year."
"Fine." Faye said, crossing her arms.
"We can do this at the beach." She turned to Melissa. "Do you think we have the ingredients?" She asked as she handed the younger girl the book to see the ingredients.
"I think so." Melissa grabbed some ingredients from the table as Cassie asked if they had a stone kettle. Nick went over to stand next to Melissa, grabbing one from underneath the same table.
Cassie smiled as Melissa handed her several bags of the stuff they needed before they left the abandoned house and went to their respective homes.
Nick walked into his old bedroom, thinking about how much Cassie has changed. Her black hair, eyes filled with sadness since both of her parents are gone and she's living in that house by herself.
Just like I have, he thought.
"Nick?" Jake asked, bringing him from his thoughts. "What are you doing here?"
"Cassie brought me back, so I'm pretty much back to how I used to be before last October." he replied.
Jake nodded. "Check this out." He showed him the Vial.
"Who sent it?"
"Granddad."
Jake and Nick got a text on their phones later that day and left the house.
Once they got to the circle's main meeting place, the others were waiting.
"Ok. Now that we have Nick back and Jake is still in the circle, we are up to 6 members. We still need someone from the Meade family though."
"Who? It's not like Charles had a child with Elizabeth." Faye said.
"Besides, we are the only witches in town we know of because most people tend to be quiet about that." Melissa replied.
"Also, a complete circle is 6, one from each of the 6 families." Adam said.
"Not necessarily, Adam. One of our parents was in the circle along with their significant other which makes 12. My mom, Elizabeth, Ethan, Richard, Thomas and Sophie Ann. Those 6 are part of the circle since Diana and I found our book of shadows, Richard and Thomas both had their family crystals with their dad."
"Melissa stated she found her mom's book of shadows." Nick replied.
"Maybe we don't need a Meade Family member because the 5 of us did good on our own when Nick was…unavailable and Jake wasn't in town." Faye said.
"Agreed." Cassie said, after thinking about it for a moment before they got in their cars, Cassie put up a barrier and they left.
The circle leader parked next to the curb and got out while Nick and Jake did the same before asking the circle leader if they could hangout for awhile. She agreed and walked in with them behind her, grabbed sodas from the fridge and sat down on the couch while Jake stood.
"What if Diana and I killed our father the wrong way?" Cassie asked the older Armstrong brother.
"Last I heard, her father is Charles." Nick replied.
"Nope. Both she and Cassie have dark magic from Blackwell since Elizabeth was involved with him when she and Charles were separated 17 years ago." Jake answered.
"Diana's not happy about it." Cassie said, rolling her eyes.
"To answer your question, I think you did. Why?"
"Because I think I feel slightly more powerful than I did before." She replied as Nick and Jake raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you think that?" The former asked.
"Because I was able to put a barrier around my house so no uninvited guests can get it, unless they are part of my circle or people I don't see as a threat, especially when I'm not here."
"Interesting."
"I wonder if it works for people you don't consider part of your circle." Nick replied.
"Want to see if it's true?" Jake asked, smirking.
"I guess." Cassie looked at him.
"Try it on one of us."
"How?"
"Maybe thinking of a time when one of us wasn't part of the coven." Nick suggested as Cassie nodded.
Suddenly, Jake appeared outside of the house and when he reached out to touch the door handle and twisted it, the door was still closed as if it wasn't unlocked.
Cassie reversed it and Jake was instantly back in the house.
"Did I just teleport?" He asked, confused.
"Let me try." The circle leader said, concentrating on where she wants to go. She was at the abandoned house a few minutes later and it took the same amount of time to get back to her house.
"I wonder if you could teleport one of us."
"Maybe." She replied, sitting down on the couch. Nick handed her one of the sodas. She smiled at him and he returned it. Jake noticed and sighed to himself before he left.
They talked for awhile before going to the boathouse and sat down.
"Where were you living before you moved here?"
"San Diego, Phoenix and Port Charles." She replied.
"Well, you've experienced Chance Harbor now."
"I have a love/hate relationship with this town." She rolled her eyes.
"If there was anything you could change, what would it be?"
"Diana overruling me, Heather, pretty much everything ." She frowned.
"I bet." He replied. You'd hate it more if you knew what Charles has done to your mother, myself and Jane, he thought.
"Yeah, but the one thing I would change more than any of that is never really getting to know you. All I know is that we are both loners, or were, before the circle because I feel like you guys understand me more than anyone else ever has, I've officially lost both of my parents and my sister left town because she hates me."
He nodded, understanding that. "I do have something to tell you though."
"What is it?" She asked.
"I've had feelings for you since the moment we saw each other through our respective bedroom windows on September 15th of last year."
"You were with Melissa at the time." She said as Adam brought their food and drinks to the table before walking away.
"I know and I was going to tell her the truth, but Diana wouldn't stop with the binding ceremony crap and then you got attacked by Zachary, the dance were you were Luke's date and went to Adam's arms after Zachary went after you a second time. I figured I didn't have a chance, so I continued being with Melissa."
"I've liked you since that moment too, but stuff got in the way and Adam was convinced he and I are soulmates." She rolled her eyes as she squeezed the ketchup out of the bottle and next to her fries on the plate before popping one in her mouth.
"Nice to know the feeling is mutual." He smirked.
"Would you mind if we take it slow though?" She asked.
"I don't mind." They started eating while Mariana texted Cassie. Guess who is in town?
Who?
Kristina and Emma.
Invite them over to my place later since I'm not there at the moment.
She and Nick were closer than ever after talking about anything and everything. She felt like he understood her more than the other members of her circle, including Diana, despite him not really understanding dark magic compared to his brother.
They paid and left, driving back to the Blake house. "How did your exams go?" Nick asked.
"I passed." She smirked as she got a text. We need to kick off the start of summer with a party. Faye texted. Maybe on the beach, all of us.
I agree. Melissa texted since it was a group chat between the circle which now included both Jake and Nick.
Me too. Adam said, on board as well because he needed a break from the Boathouse.
"The others were thinking about having a party on the beach to celebrate you being back in town and the start of summer." Cassie smirked.
"I'm not really a social person."
"It's just going to be the circle."
"Alright. I'm in." Cassie texted the others and let them know.
I'll get drinks, Adam can bring food, Cassie can help with music. Faye replied.
They all agreed and got ready. Cassie and Nick drove back to the Blake house and smiled at each other. "I'll see you later, alright?" He nodded and she got out of the car, walking up to her front porch and walking inside the house.
"I'm here." Cassie said, feeling weird since it's not her grandmother who lives here, but her best friend.
"Hey. You doing okay?" Mariana asked, concerned, walking out of her room and downstairs.
"I'm fine. My friends and I are going to hangout tonight, so you can invite the girls over if you want."
"Alright, I guess. I just thought we could spent time together since it's been awhile since we saw each other."
"I agree." Emma said, standing in the doorway with Kristina next to her.
"Emma, Kristina." Cassie hugged them before Malia walked in.
"Yeah, I thought we would spend the first day of summer together." Kristina said.
"I got time before I have to leave for the party tonight." Cassie replied, sitting down on the couch.
"When did you dye your hair?" Emma asked.
"A few days ago."
"What else has changed?"
"Not much. You remember me mentioning Thayer, right?"
"Yeah." Mariana smirked at Emma.
"He's not really happy with me right now because he feels like I rejected him."
"Wait, I thought you liked Sutton's other ex boyfriend, the one that she kept a secret last summer." Cassie said.
"Ethan Whitehouse. No. I told her she can have him, but haven't told Thayer that he's the one I love because he's going through a lot right now. His sister doesn't trust him anymore due to their different perspectives of his legal/step father Alec who is the biological father of Mads which pisses him off because she thinks he's innocent while he doesn't and also because Alec fell through the roof of the country club in Scottsdale and none of us know if he's okay. I didn't know if I would stay there or leave, so I made the choice before Sutton forced me to. I know she wants her life back and I didn't want to leave Thayer, Mads or anyone else behind, but Sutton wanted her old life back and it was only a matter of time before she forcefully took it back." Emma said. "Unfortunately, Thayer knows how I felt when he went back to LA. Only Mads knows I'm here, but it's only a matter of time before he finds out when there aren't two Sutton's running around Scottsdale." She sighed.
"Damn."
"Speaking of ex boyfriends, I haven't heard from my ex since he texted me to come over to his house." Mariana shook her head.
"Well, my ex is dead. Remember I told you about Kiefer Bauer?" Kristina asked as the others nodded. "He got hit by a car."
"That sucks for him and his parents, but he can't hurt you anymore." Emma said.
"My ex boyfriend keeps moving through all the girls I was friends with. First it was Diana and then after he went back and forth between me and her, he went after Melissa who dated his romantic rival's younger brother."
"Damn. Looks like we all suck in the romance department." Emma said.
"Agreed." She stood. "Do any of you have a place to stay?" She asked Kristina, Malia and Emma.
"No. We all got a hotel room."
"Cancel it, because you are staying with me for the summer."
"Really?" Emma asked.
"Yes. I mean, we will be hanging out for about a month and 3 weeks. Besides, I'm the only one living here."
They all hugged her, happily.
Later that night, Cassie and Nick met the others at the beach. "This feels weird." The circle leader said.
"It's okay." Nick assured her by sitting down next to her on a log as the circle was gathered together.
"Hey." Melissa said, smiling as Cassie tried to forget the last time they were at the beach.
"Why are there logs in a pile?" Jake asked, looking at the others.
"Bonfire." Faye said, smirking. Cassie stared at the logs as a fire appeared when she used her magic. "Adam is bringing the food and should be here any second." She reached for a drink in the cooler as everyone else stood around. Cassie just continued staring in front of her as memories from the binding ceremony went through her head. She was hesitant at first just like Nick was until Sally got caught in the crossfire. She looked at Nick, happy he was back and better than ever. She remembered when she first saw him. He was shirtless, looked like he had more confidence than anyone she's seen even because he was a witch-but she didn't know that at the time, let alone that she herself was also one, especially that she was more powerful than the other members of her coven until it was revealed that Diana's also her sister and shared the same dark magic she has-looking intrigued as he stared at her through the window. He must have known that Cassie was one of them just like Melissa, Faye, Adam and Diana did. The former coven leader probably told them and they all waited for her arrival just so she could complete the circle.
Is that the only reason Diana wanted to be friends with her? Was she and the others just using her to complete their coven instead of genuinely wanting to be her friend because she was new in town and just lost her mother one month prior? Was she just going to be tossed aside once the circle didn't want her around anymore? Left alone once again by people she trusted and abandoned her months after she met them? It seemed to be that way. Diana said that she really wanted to be friends with her, but that seemed to change once Diana's true paternity was revealed. The thought of them using her caused anger to explode as the truth hit her: they only kept her around to advance their own power. None of the circle cared about having her as a friend because they didn't want to be powerless like they were when Nick died until Jake came back.
Angry at Diana, Adam, her parents, grandmother and herself, the wind howled as her dark magic surfaced.
Adam arrived with food in his hands before setting them down.
"You okay?" Melissa asked the older girl as the fire got bigger and higher.
"Whoa." Jake said, putting an arm in front of Faye while Nick did the same to Cassie as Adam was the same way with Melissa.
"Cassie, stop." Faye said, looking frightened.
"Please. Diana isn't here and the circle isn't being bound again." Nick told the 17 year old, putting an arm around her as his eyes looked into hers, but no response.
He used magic to set the fire back to its original size before he looked at Cassie again and kissed her. She finally responded back by returning it before they both pulled away.
"What just happened?" She asked, looking at him.
"You got caught in a trance and the fire almost spread out of control." Faye said as Cassie glared at her before the coven stood in a wide circle formation. She kneeled in front of the stone kettle, mixing the ingredients together into a dark oily concoction.
"In this cauldron, is salt water, from the ocean mixed with blueberry oil eucalyptus." She mixed it before using her magic to draw a circle around herself. Each member of the group stepped inside as Melissa placed two candles on either end of the cauldron Cassie was mixing.
"Here I place two candles," Melissa said, according to the ceremony. "One blue for physical protection and one purple for power and wisdom."
As she bent down to light the candles, She recited a chant from Cassie's Book of Shadows: "Divine Goddess, God Divine, if evil dwells within this place, make it now leave our space." The circle leader stood in the center of the circle. "In order for this to work," she said. "You all need to picture a white light around you. Let it surround your whole body as I recite the chant." Everyone agreed and closed their eyes. Cassie said, "By the power of the Source, no evil shall enter here." She closed her eyes as she pictured a white light wrapping itself around her like a warm winter coat as her voice dropped an octave, and the chant left her throat like thunder.
"Psychic hunters in the night. Psychic hunters of the day. Destroy no more what I achieve. Destroy no more what I receive." She paused. "Psychic Balcoins in the night, Psychic Balcoins of the Day, Destroy no more what I achieve. Destroy no more what I receive." There were a few seconds of quiet, hindered only by the blowing wind and crashing waves until the Blake girl continued. "With this potion, I anoint this Circle to be protected from you, this magic I do."
Cassie pictured the white light surrounding not only her own body now but the whole group as one. She imagined it encapsulating them like a giant helium balloon and floating them up to the safety of the cloudless sky. She opened her eyes and rubbed a smudge of the inky blue mixture upon her forehead with her thumb and doing the same with the others before she finished the spell.
"By the power of this ocean, wide and deep, By the power of day, and night, and powers three, This is our will, so let it be!"
Little by little, everyone opened their eyes.
"We can go wash it off in a minute." The blond circle leader told them.
"I can't believe we didn't think of this months ago when we first bound the circle." Melissa said.
Cassie dug a deep hole in the sand to discard it. "It also means the hunters or my half siblings can't find us, so we have to be extra careful to be undetected." She stood up, wiped the sand of her hands and looked directly at Faye. "The hunters and my siblings will try everything to figure out who we are."
Faye was pissed. "Our magic is the only power we have. How are we supposed to defend ourselves?"
"Look, 3 of you have gone without it for 15 years, Nick has for 16 and I have for 15 while Jake has for 18. I think we can handle it for a little while." Cassie said before they all hung out for a couple of hours, eating snacks and hanging out. Cassie and Nick still didn't talk about the kiss, but everyone knew that something was happening between them.
"Let's play truth or dare." Faye smirked.
"Not after last time." Cassie replied, crossing her arms as they sat down on logs around the bonfire.
"Come on, Cassie. Scared?" She smirked.
"No." She glared.
"Then join in."
"Fine. Truth or dare?" Cassie asked Melissa.
"Truth."
"What did you really think of Diana being leader?"
"She was good until she started to be a bitch about you having dark magic, but I'd rather have you as leader. Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Did you really have feelings for Adam or Jake?"
"No and yes, respectively, but that's ancient history. I went along with the former because I believed Ethan when he said that the Blake's and Conant's are meant to be together. Jake was so much better because he actually encouraged me to find out more about why my powers are a little more advanced. Adam was never that supportive." Nick crossed his arms and Cassie noticed from the corner of her eye. She took his hand in hers. "Faye, truth or dare."
"Dare." She replied.
"I dare you to not complain about my decisions and you have to be nice to me for a month ."
"You evil sneak." Cassie smirked as everyone looked at the girls, shocked.
"Payback is a bitch."
"I still can't believe this." Faye glared at Cassie while everyone was packing up.
"It's not going to kill us."
"Tell your mom and Nick that." Faye mumbled under her breath.
Cassie threw a cold glare her way. "What did you say?"
"I said that both of them got killed because neither could use magic." Faye said, looking at her.
"My mom got killed because of faulty wiring. She couldn't control it." Cassie glared. "Besides, my grandmother and I didn't find Nick until he was already dead."
"Maybe your mom didn't die from that like the police thought and I don't think Nick would drown himself, knowing what it would do to Melissa and it would leave the rest of us defenseless without someone else from his bloodline joining the circle." Faye glared.
"You're saying witch hunters killed my mom and Nick?" The second oldest member of the circle looked at them with an unreadable expression since he knew that wasn't true because Charles killed him and Amelia under Dawn's orders. The demon in him was able to read minds and Dawn's thoughts said that she was happy Amelia and Nick's deaths were on Charles and not her.
"I don't know about your mom since she didn't have any magic to protect herself, but I don't think it was faulty wiring. She could have gotten out if that was the situation, but Nick could have protected himself from the demon instead of someone possibly killing him if we hadn't bound the circle." Faye glared back as Cassie stepped up to her.
"It was an accident, Faye." The blond said.
"He wouldn't have died if things were different."
"You mean if I never showed up." Faye didn't say anything as Cassie scoffed. "Damn and I thought you were excited at having a full circle to increase your powers." The blond said before she left the beach, got in her car and drove away.
"Nice going Faye. She's already upset about Diana, but you just made it worse." Melissa said. "Can't you think of anyone else except yourself for once and anything else except magic and power?" Melissa asked before she left as well while Nick and Jake went back to the latter's truck and got in, heading back home.
Adam went back to the boathouse, leaving Faye there by herself.
Cassie was pissed about what Faye said. How dare she bring her mom and Nick into this? The latter is alive and they kind of have a full circle. Nothing she could do is able to bring her mom back or reverse everything that's happened since she arrived. Faye's words from before kept going over and over in her head. Maybe your mom didn't die from that like the police thought and I don't think Nick would drown himself.
Was Faye implying that something else happened to both of them? Her assumption about Blackwell being evil, having a whole other family somewhere/another her running around-so Jake and Adam could each have one-which was revealed to be Diana, both turned out to be true. Could that mean there was never a curse between the Blake's and Conant's? Was her mom's death an accident and Nick trying to protect his circle or did someone...murder them?
No matter what, Cassie was going to find out one way or another and didn't care how long it takes. She was furious and didn't know if Faye was just trying to piss her off or not, but wouldn't put it past her.
She parked her car when she arrived at the hill overlooking Chance Harbor, not wanting to be around people right now.
She spent hours there until she left, going back home. She parked and entered her house, setting her keys down and going to her room before falling asleep instantly.