Chapter 22



Diana woke to the sound of Danielle whimpering in a corner. She looked around, noticing Katherine huddled against her, shaking. Nick wasn't in the room.

She realized she had passed out after giving the last of her energy into sending her power. She hoped it had worked.

The door in the corner flew open, slamming into the wall behind it, startling everyone. Danielle gave a loud yelp.

Nick entered the room, his head held high. He would have looked powerful if there hadn't been blood running from the corner of his mouth. He sat calmly next to the two girls, waiting as their interrogators tied him back to the wall.

Securing him in place, the two walked to the center of the room, the one with the figure of a woman starting to speak. "How fortunate we are to have with us members from another coven as well." Her accent rang through the small, dank room. "Too bad you won't be with them again."

Danielle wasn't handling herself well. "Why are you doing this to us?" she screamed. "We've never done anything to you!"

The woman leaned back her head and gave a loud laugh. The man next to her chuckled, but not quite as noticeably. She stopped abruptly. "Your ancestors shunned us. We wanted to use the power we had to our full advantage, so we were forced to leave. I am the successor of my ascendants. It has been passed down to me from generation after generation to take revenge on you ignorant fools. My mother tried, but your parents defeated her and the others. They weren't strong enough. I am starting a new life for my coven. When you break and inform us of where the covens are, we will take back what is rightfully ours. Those who don't follow will die."

Diana smirked as Nick laughed defiantly. She knew what he was thinking. "Please," he breathed. "Give us a break. No more than a few months ago our coven defeated the spirit of an evil guy who had been dead for centuries. You better have more up your sleeves than just beating the Hell out of us. Though, I'd be a little pissed if I died from not speaking by your torture methods after the shit I went through with Black John."

It was hard for Diana to keep from giggling when she saw the look on the girl's face. She could see her now. A petite nose, forest green eyes, and a frown on her thin lips that creased her forehead.

"Did you just say Black John?" she demanded.

Nick was getting carried away. "Did I stutter?"

Outraged, the woman pulled a whip from her waist and snapped it against his cheek. He turned his face, not even taking a sharp breath. Diana had never realized how strong he was.

He gave her a look that could maim. "I hope you have more friends close by, not just the two of you. Otherwise, you're going to be severely outnumbered."

The woman chuckled. "By whom? The five of you? Three of you are tied up, the other two too weak to move. Tell me, you arrogant bastard, what do we have to worry about?"

"Us." A choir of voices came from the door in the corner, voices neither Diana nor Nick expected.

Cassie, Faye, and Aidan stood there, the light shining from behind them, giving them a movie-screen entrance. They entered the room, walking up to the two in the center. Each of them were in ceremonial clothing: Faye in her black slip, Cassie in the white one, and Aidan wearing white clothes underneath a green velvet cloak. Both sets of Master Tools were divided between them. Faye had the look of a jungle princess, her untamed raven black hair tumbling past her shoulders, the diadem nestled on top of the heavy mass, the cuff clinging tightly to her arm. Beside her, looking like an angel of savior, was Cassie, the anklet shining playfully in the low light, the garter belt set toward the top of her thigh. Aidan was strikingly handsome, the necklace glowing from his neck and the last arm cuff hidden under the cloak.

Diana had never seen them all look so beautiful.

Faye smiled ruthlessly, looking like the cruel girl she used to be. She walked up to the girl in the center of the room. Standing face-to-face, she spoke in the seductive tone she hadn't used since the disappearance of Black John. "I'll make you a deal, 'kay? You let go of my cousin, my friend, and the rest of their group, and we won't hurt you too bad."

The woman laughed, though not very convincingly. "You and what army?"

Faye gave her signature low chuckle, Cassie and Aidan smirking behind her. In a low, barely audible voice, she whispered, "This one."

Aidan called out loud. "Okay guys, you can come in."

Diana hadn't thought the room would be big enough, but to her amazement, every member of both covens filed into the room. She saw her group, heads high and looking fierce. Even Laurel and Sean looked unlike themselves . . . almost scary. The Henderson brothers wore expressions of pure menace. Cassie ran over to Diana and Nick, cutting their ropes first.

The guy who had been silent finally spoke, pushing the girl out of the way. "Fine, you want a fight? Then let's do it the right way. Outside on the green. Our coven versus yours. Magic against magic."

Adam was the one to walk up to him. Giving his gallant smile he spoke slowly, separating each word. "Bring . . . it . . . on."

Diana was freed as the two fuming witches pushed their way through the door. She hugged Cassie tightly, tears coming to her eyes. "I never expected you to be here."

Cassie was holding her just a close. "I had to save my sister."

Then the two girls were crying. "I missed you so much," Diana sobbed.

The New Salem coven circled them, pulling in Nick. Everyone was greeting each other, hugging and kissing, being careful not to hit either Nick or Diana where they were bruising.

Katherine came up and he took her in his arms gently. She was crying and all he could do was whisper things to her that no one else could hear.

The crowd parted slightly. Diana looked up to see Aidan standing in front of his group, looking at her longingly.

She smiled, letting more tears fall from her eyes. She tried to say his name, but it became choked between sobs.

Before she knew it, he was there holding her, kissing her lightly and touching her face. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I should have listened. I should have made you stay."

She was shaking her head. "No, this isn't your fault. I was being so stubborn!"

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," he said, tears coming to his eyes. "I was so afraid I had lost you."

"It's okay," she said, running a hand through his hair. "You're here now. We're here together."

He smiled, letting a tear slip over his cheek. "I love you."

Warmth spread through her body. "I love you, too."

"I hate to break up such a touching moment, as partial to them as I am," Adam said, smiling, "But we have some evil-witch-ass to kick, am I right, Deborah?"

"Hell yeah!" she hollered from somewhere in the mass. The Henderson brothers were doing war calls and Faye gave a loud roar.

This was her coven. And she had never been more proud in her life.