*Author's note* Getting close to the finale. Exciting stuffs…. Sorry about the shortness of the last chapter (not to mention the tardiness), but I've been lacking inspiration. Here we go… get ready with your cookies and milk.

Mother would be proud. This scheme shall be better than even her own. She'll see that I was worth it to her.

--Sgáth

Hunter drove Das Boot, despite my arguments. It had cost me a fortune to replace the hood, and I still haven't gotten enough money for a new paint job. But in his current state, I found that convincing Hunter to let me drive would be impossible. He was on edge; we both were, but the fire in his eyes… I had seen him angry before, but never like this. Actually, he scared me. But I knew why he was like this, it was because of me. He wanted to protect me in any way possible and to do so he was protecting my little sister. That's how much he loves me…

From his house, the old Methodist cemetery wasn't very far away and within ten minutes we were there, though mostly because of his speeding. Upon reaching it, rather than stopping Hunter drove straight through the gates and onto hiking trails in the woods. Das Boot quivered violently, threatening to fall apart any moment. I screamed at Hunter as he maneuvered through the trees, barely managing to avoid hitting some of them. I tried to regain my composure but found myself unable to, my mind screaming that this was it: this was where I was going to die. A wheel hit a large stone, lifting my old car onto its left two wheels. I screamed louder, waiting for the car to be completely knocked over. Instead it landed back onto its wheels with a sickly "thud"; I knew that the suspension had to be shot, as well as a number of other internal problems. I began to wonder if this was the reason that Hunter had decided to take my car rather than his.

We reached the stone house not a moment too soon. Black smoke was coming from under Das Boot's  hood, and although I was more concerned about Mary K., I couldn't stifle my groan. Hunter just jumped out of the car and ran toward the house. He saw the Gold Explorer and cursed under his breath, "Cal." I struggled to keep up with him, the six inches that he had over me gave him a much longer gait.

We made it up the steps and into the building. Everything seemed exactly as it had been before: even the dust that covered the floor of the main room seemed undisturbed. We cast our senses, and despite the voices that I heard I sensed nothing. Meeting Hunter's green eyes, I knew that he heard nothing either. Silently we both crept up the staircase, wincing with each creak. Still the voices came from the top bedroom, though more recognizable now. I could recognize a man's and a woman's, though I couldn't tell if the woman's was Mary K.'s or not. Suspense loomed, and despite how many dangerous situations I had been in my stomach still felt as if it were full of butterflies. Hunter and I waited a few moments at the top of the staircase, waiting for signs of danger. Finally he moved to break it open, but stumbled inside of the room instead: the door flying open seconds before the moment of impact.

I followed suit, not afraid of danger if it meant being with Hunter, and entered the room. It was bare and as dusty as the previous one. Inside the room was a plain mattress, covered with a few sheets, and from inside those sheets, a half-naked Cal looked lazily up. His amber eyes shined, full of power: more power than he had possessed in life. "We've been expecting you, haven't we, my pet?" He looked down, and that's when I realized who it was laying next to him. It was my sister, dressed in little more than her undergarments. She smiled lazily and snuggled up closer to him in reply; he stroked her cheek gently then looked back up at me. His eyes pierced into my soul.

"Mary K.!" I screamed at her. "Get away from him!"

She just looked at me with wide-eyed cattiness, seeming quite content with herself. "Oh, but she's here by choice," Cal retorted, chuckling to himself.

"You couldn't have Morgan, so you went after her little sister. You're even sicker than I had thought, Sgáth," Hunter spat his name in disgust.

"You know nothing, Gìomanach," Cal replied haughtily. "I can easily have Morgan." With that, he abruptly stood up and threw white witch flame at Hunter. Despite how many times Hunter had blocked witch fire in the past, and the fact that he was prepared to block this one, he was knocked out of the room and down the stairs. The door abruptly shut behind him and within moments it was shaking beneath Hunter's fist. Cal seemed unfazed, as if he knew that the door wouldn't fall to any of Hunter's efforts.

I stood there, red in the face with my fists clenched against my sides. "Let my sister go, you monster!" I screamed at Cal and then sent my own witch fire at him.

He dispelled my flames with no effort. "So feisty," he crooned. "But I've told you before… your sister is here by choice," he looked down at her, "aren't you?"

Mary K. got up and sauntered toward me, I tried to run to put my arms around her, but I found myself stuck. "I've always hated Morgan," she started her soliloquy. "She was always older and better than me. 'Oh, Morgan always gets perfect grades… Morgan is a perfect child… Why can't you be more like Morgan, Mary K.?' I hated her! So when I got to high school it was my chance to show her that I could be better. I was more popular, and prettier, had more boyfriends… but none of it got to her. She taunted me, seeming supportive and aloof, never letting me see her jealousy. Then she got into witchcraft and got super powers as well; always trying to show me up." Before she was talking to herself, but her eyes met mine now, "I finally figured out how to hurt you." Tears ran down my cheeks by now, hurt by Mary K.'s torrent of emotions. "And I'm not sorry for what I've done."

Cal came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You've been a good pet: you've been my eyes and ears throughout all of this, and you deserve a reward. However, you have served your purpose. Things will return to normal, but you will always remember what happened with pride: you finally got your deepest desire, you've finally proved yourself." His voice was intoxicating and seemed to quell her force of emotions. My younger sister's eyes went dark, as if she had been turned off, and he carried her limp body onto the bed. Once more he turned to me. "Come, you know that you're still in love with me. We can finally be free of everything and be together, forever. You know that it was meant to be… Morgan," he whispered my name so that it seemed to waft through the air like perfume.

"No, Cal! I don't love you any more. We're not mùirn beatha dans!" I sobbed, trying to plead with him. "Can't you see that?! We're not meant to be together! You're dead! What are you even doing here?! It can't be how it was."

Anger flushed on Cal's face and he grabbed my arms hard, hurting me. "But I'm alive! Can't you see that, Morgan?! I've been given a second chance so we can be together like we were meant to be!" Hunter's banging on the door continued and I found myself distracted by it and turned to watch the door. Cal looked at me with disgust and then with a motion of his hand the door flew open. Hunter was once again sprawled on the floor. "I suppose you can come in, Gíomanach," he taunted.

Hunter got up and seeing Mary K. lying on the bed limply, he kneeled next to her to be sure that she was alright. Cal continued talking. "After all, I wouldn't want you to miss seeing me taking your girlfriend away from you." Hunter looked up in defiance to see Cal lift me off of the ground. I tried to thrash in defiance, but found myself unable to. "So long, Gíomanach."

With that, Cal whisked me down the stairs. I looked behind me to see the internal struggle as Hunter tried to follow us, but found himself bound to where he was. "I didn't want it to have to be like this. We're meant to be together, and we both know it. This is for your own good, you'll thank me later. Finally we can be together," he muttered these things over and over again as he hastily packed me away in his gold Explorer. I felt sick to my stomach; it was just like when he had tried to burn me alive. I struggled to break out of my binding, but it was much stronger than it had been the last time. He was about to get into the driver's seat when he spun around, seeing Hunter there.

"I'm glad you've come to see us off, for this shall be the last time that you see Morgan," Cal sneered.

I watched the velvet pouch in Hunter's hand, recognizing it as the one that contained the binding powder. Mentally I could see him recite a chant. Time seemed to freeze as he flung a handful of the powder at Cal. Cal looked at the grayish purple powder in disgust… then he sneezed. That was it. The powder had none nothing more than what pepper could have done. I groaned, feeling that this truly was the end. "Is that all you have for me, brother? Sneezing powder? Farewell then. I'll see you in Summerland." Cal turned to get into the car when a mass of fur and fangs, which seemed to come out of nowhere, leapt at him.

I recognized it as the wolf I had seen the night before. But I also recognized it as my father.

*author's notes* Ah, almost at the end. Exciting wasn't it? One or two more parts left…. Now if that doesn't deserve a cookie, I don't know what does. Heh… now that I think of it, Mary K.'s soliloquy sounds like something from the Black Rose Saga of Revolutionary Girl Utena… a bit like Shiori or Kozue. *Does anyone have any idea what I'm talking about?*

Anyway, review or be eaten by my pet lobster. Come, Isaac!