PART 5

PART 5

"Something is wrong with Griffin, Madeline. He's been acting very strangely, avoiding us."

"I'd noticed that too, but I had chalked it up to his characteristic moodiness," responded Madeline as she sorted out the herbs for her spell on the table.

"No, I'm sure that this is something more. He's not being moody, he's being distant. It's like he isn't a part of the family anymore, like he's a second cousin instead of a brother. Has he turned against us?" pondered Gabrielle as she strung pale wooden beads into her light brown hair.

"Not Griffin. He's the most loyal witch I've ever known."

"Still, something feels different about him. It's almost as if he is…splintered. Do you sense that as well?"

"No, but I haven't really looked either. I trust your premonitions, Gabrielle." Madeline was silent for a few seconds longer as she concentrated on her herbs. When combined and infused with witch power, they would form a powerful truth spell, which she intended for the new girl. But, with Gabrielle suspicious of Griffin, perhaps she'd better make enough for two.

"Are we meeting tonight, the whole Circle?" asked Gabrielle suddenly.

"I think so, why?"

"Nothing, really. Is Alyson invited?"

"She is a witch of Circle Midnight, even if she hasn't passed our initiation, so I suppose she is."

"I don't like her. She doesn't seem like she is really one of us. I mean, she's a witch all right, and a powerful one, but she's not…unscrupulous enough. We do what pleases us, but she weighs the consequences of her actions and she even attempts to be friendly with the vermin!"

"She seems nice enough to me."

"That's the problem; she's too nice. She shouldn't be allowed into our Circle."

"I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you right now. I think that we should watch her though, unobtrusively, to see what she does. If she's not one of us, she will give herself away without our interference."

"Fine. But let's do the truth spell tonight. We can find out for sure if she is a threat or not."

Madeline sighed. Gabrielle would not give in, it was her nature to be unyielding and obstinate. "All right, you win. We'll do the truth spell tonight. On both of them."

PART 6

Aly dreamed. She had only meant to close her eyes for a few moments, but she was so worn out that sleep had overtaken her body. And sleep was when her inborn psychic abilities were strongest. She had precognitive dreams, dreams that came true. And the dream she was having right now was bad. Bad for her, and bad for Griffin.

In her dream, Gabrielle placed a necklace on her and Griffin's neck. Aly watched as her dream self's eyes dilated and she seemed to…collapse, as if she were a marionette with the strings cut. Griffin held out for a little longer before the same thing occurred to him.

Aly knew, in her rational mind, what was going on. She knew the signs of a truth spell. Goddess knows, she'd used them often enough on the Night Worlders Circle Daybreak interrogated! So she knew what was going to happen, but she didn't know when. It could be tonight, tomorrow or next week for all she knew. Precognitive dreams were not usually clear on the time window of the events.

She awoke to a knock on her bedroom door.

"Yeah?" she asked groggily.

"Honey, there are some kids downstairs that asked for you," said Eddie Roze from behind the door.

"Tell them I'll be down in a sec, okay?"

"Sure, hon."

Alyson slowly got out of bed, resentful of those who had disturbed her sleep yet again, and walked downstairs. To her surprise, Madeline and Gabrielle and a few other witches awaited her. Griffin was nowhere in sight. She breathed a sigh of relief. If Griffin wasn't there then this couldn't be the scene from her dream.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

"Looking for answers," replied Gabrielle.

"Huh? About what?"

"You. And what is going on between you and Griffin," snarled an older witch, maybe twenty-one or so. "He is mine."

Aly would have laughed if she hadn't been in such serious danger. She tried to tell as much of the truth as she could in hopes of appeasing their suspicions. "I am a witch, the same as all of you. Griffin and I, well…we're soulmates. I think."

"Soulmates!" cried the older witch. "That damn Harman blood strikes again."

"It's not my fault!" protested Aly.

"And it isn't mine either," said a new voice. Griffin's voice. Shit, now the dream was coming true, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it without giving herself away.

"How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence," said Gabrielle sarcastically. "I suppose that since you're both here, we can try a little experiment. Madeline, go ahead."

Madeline shook her head, but pulled out the truth charm anyway and placed it around both Griffin's and Aly's necks. "By the power of our mother Hecate, and by the power of the wind and waves, I command thee to speak nothing but truth."

Aly mentally cursed. She'd been found out, or she soon would be. Nothing could protect her from the Circle's wrath now. Her mother wouldn't interfere, she might be a Circle Twilight witch, but she was as loyal to the Night World as Gabrielle and Madeline and the rest were. She would be executed as a traitor and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Who are you?" asked Gabrielle.

A simple question, but the truth would betray her. She remained silent for as long as she could, but the compulsion of the truth spell slowly drew the answer out of her.

"Alyson Roze," she finally answered.

"Not Frost?"

"No, not Frost."

"So you lied about who you are. Why?" demanded Gabrielle, who seemed to be in charge of the interrogation.

"I was told to spy on you," answered Aly simply.

"Told by who?"

"Circle Daybreak."

"Shit. The Daybreakers found out about us. Have you told them anything? Do they know what we're planning?"

Aly shook her head. "Not yet."

Gabrielle conferred for a few moments with the other Circle Midnight witches. Aly glanced at Griffin, who wore an expression of deep pain. She knew how he felt. He never expected to be doubted by his own clan, his family. And Aly knew that if he was asked about her, he would tell them everything. He had to. But he would hate himself for it.

Finally Gabrielle spoke again. "You are a traitor to the Night World, Alyson Roze. But you are a traitor who will be missed, so we cannot kill you. The Circle has conferred, and you will be given the Cup of Lethe to make you forget everything about your mission here.

"And, as for you," said Gabrielle, looking at Griffin, "are you still loyal?"

Griffin gritted his teeth. "I can no longer follow beliefs I don't agree with. I'm sorry, Gabrielle, but I can't be your lapdog anymore."

"I'm sorry to, Griffin. For both our sakes." Gabrielle sighed. "You must choose then, the Cup of Lethe or death. You know far too much about us if you cannot be trusted to keep that knowledge to yourself."

"I know. I will drink from the Cup."

"Griffin, no!" protested Aly.

He looked over at her, his pale green eyes unwavering. "I have to. It's the only way, Aly. I don't really feel like dying right now."

"But you won't remember who you are! You'd have do drink a bloody lot to make you forget about the Circle's plans, and that's dangerous! You know it," she said, fear for him replacing fear for herself. She could handle whatever came her way; this mission had been a black op, and she'd been ready to deal with her own death from the beginning. Someone else's fate, on the other hand, was another matter. She felt so damn guilty for letting Griffin be exiled from the only family he'd ever had. God damn it! It's not bloody fair!

Life isn't fair, Aly, said Griffin in her mind. I can handle this.

God damn you, Griffin. Why did it have to be us? I don't need a soulmate.

I've always dreaded finding mine, for this very reason, he said to her. But you know what, it's not really as bad as I thought it would be. If I have to have a soulmate, I'm glad it's you.

So you don't want to kill me, she thought shyly.

Griffin would have smiled if he could. I never would have hurt you, no matter what the circle decided. It would be like hurting myself.

Then it would have turned out like this no matter what.

Probably, he conceded.

"Aly, I brought snacks for you and your friends!" called her mother from the kitchen. Scared looks crossed the faces of the circle. The Cup of Lethe was forbidden to all except the Crones, Maidens couldn't touch it. Of course, that had never stopped them in the past, they were just more careful about acquiring the ingredients and the Cup itself.

"Say something," whispered Gabrielle sharply to Aly.

"Thanks mom, we'd love some," she called.

Gabrielle stared needles at her. "That wasn't what I meant, bitch!" she whispered viciously. "You should've gotten rid of her."

"Tough," replied Aly, staring back. She was thankful that the particular spell Madeline had used only forced her to answer direct questions.

Gabrielle's eyes darkened in rage, and she looked like she wanted to beat Alyson to a bloody pulp, but she could do nothing to Aly in her own home. For once, Alyson was really thankful that her mother worked out of the house. Now all I have to do is figure a way out of this. How can I get to Thierry without being stopped by the circle? They'll have a guard on me at all times until I drink from the Cup. . . .

Pretend to be really sick and stay home; have your mom keep them away, suggested Griffin. He knew that he was doomed, but Aly still had a shot of getting away with her memory intact.

"I have potato chips and dip for anyone who wants some," said Eddie Roze as she walked into the living room carrying a tray with a huge bowl of Ruffles. She set it down on the table and looked at her daughter. Aly looked desperately back.

"Mom? I don't feel so good. I think I need to go lay down," she said.

"Sure honey, I'll see that your friends get home all right."

Friends, ha! "Thanks mom," she replied as she headed up the stairs to the safety of her room. No spiteful Gabrielle, no confusing Griffin. Just Aly, alone as always, just the way she liked it. She locked her door, and trembling went to sleep. Maybe I'll wake up and it'll all be a bad dream.