Coven
"I didn't do it on purpose-- Gavin, please--you're hurting me! LET GO!" Cara screamed at him.
Her boyfriend released her, a disgusted look on his face. "That's always your excuse, isn't it? You know it's wrong--and to use that magic on a human! Wasn't tormenting animals enough fun for you?"
"I don't hurt them," she shot back, growing angry. "I wasn't trying to hurt Jamal, either! You know that! He was one of my best friends--I just--I couldn't stop missing him, and--"
Rose slapped her. Hard.
She reeled back against the front door. Blood trickled from her lip where her mother had struck her mouth.
The older woman's voice was pure ice. "Your refusal to control this-- capability--of yours put all of Brightlocke Coven at risk. You might think about that, if you don't care how much you terrified that young man's family.
Weaker minds might have been driven insane by what you did, and there's no spell to fix that. I won't tolerate a repeat performance, Cara. You've brought disgrace on us by your screwups. On me. As your coven leader, if you won't control your magic from now on, I'll do it for you. Is that clear?"
"Yes," Cara whispered, not meeting Rose's eyes.
"Go upstairs, get changed and wash that mud off you. Do you need a healing for that cut you made on your arm?" asked Rose, somewhat calmer now.
"No. I'll manage, thank you." Cara climbed the stairs. Her arm still ached where Gavin had been holding her. "Like I'd ever want them healing me-- I don't even want to look at them again--"
She needed to leave. It wasn't the first time she'd thought it. Ever since she started college two years ago, her family seemed to grow more and more controlling. As if they thought she might be slipping away, Cara realized. Nor were they entirely wrong. She couldn't go along with their hopes for her. Stay in Los Angeles her whole life, work with Brightlocke, maybe take over as coven leader, marry Gavin Westlake....the thought of that made her shudder. No.
"I don't need them for healing...or to run the rest of my life for me," she whispered.
She changed her clothing, bandaging the thin slice she'd opened on her forearm, and quietly packed her diary, spell books, and a few other items in her gym bag. Someone knocked on the bedroom door, then opened it without waiting for a response. She whirled to stare at Gavin. "Excuse me, did I say you could come in here?"
He was nonplussed. "Why aren't you dressed for Sabbat ? You need your robe, not a T-shirt and those--pants--"
"I'm not going to any circle tonight. I'm through with that. You all gave me a choice-- serve as your punching bag, or leave Brightlocke. I'm going with door number two."
"That's not an option."
"Watch. Me. " She silently cast a spell she'd learned, to teleport herself short distances. She reappeared at the bus terminal. It only took her a moment to buy her ticket; she knew where she wanted to go.
Leo Wyatt, her Whitelighter, had recently been married. She'd sent him one of her carvings as a wedding present. He'd invited her to "come by sometime and meet the Charmed Ones". Cara doubted that he'd expected her to take him up on it. However, knowing Leo for almost as long as she could recall, she knew that he wouldn't throw her out on her ass..... Or look at her as if she were ....revolting. Something only to be afraid of.
Hot tears silently burned her cheeks. No one spoke to her. The bus was more than half empty. Cara was grateful for that. Normally, she didn't like being alone, but....normal didn't exist for her anymore.
* * *
Piper pulled the SUV up to the curb in front of Stevie Norris' bookstore. Paige followed her into Open Minds eagerly.
"Stevie?" Piper called, seeing no one inside.
"Over here," Stevie responded. She was standing atop a ladder, shelving books. "I'm glad you called. I'll be happy to--" The ladder bucked. Fell sideways. Piper realized that Stevie was in for a fall that might not only hurt but kill the woman. The ladder she'd been standing on was at the front of the store, only a short distance from a sheet of plate glass--and Stevie's trajectory was going to take her right through it.
She flung out her hands, trying to freeze the woman.
It didn't work.
"Paige--!"
"I can't!"
Piper switched gears, attempting the only other thing that came to mind: she hurled every bit of power she had, not at Stevie, but at the objects below her. No one else was in the way. She was free to cut loose. The window and ladder disintegrated. They didn't simply break into pieces-- they glowed fiercely and dissolved, leaving only fine, glistening dust.
Paige orbed out. She appeared beneath Stevie. The woman's body crashed into her. They hit the sidewalk. Piper ran outside, yelling for Leo. Paige was unconscious, bleeding from a scalp wound. Stevie was awake, but her face was white, twisted with pain. "I think my arm's broken," she said weakly.
"Leo!"
Damn it, where was he?
"I didn't do it on purpose-- Gavin, please--you're hurting me! LET GO!" Cara screamed at him.
Her boyfriend released her, a disgusted look on his face. "That's always your excuse, isn't it? You know it's wrong--and to use that magic on a human! Wasn't tormenting animals enough fun for you?"
"I don't hurt them," she shot back, growing angry. "I wasn't trying to hurt Jamal, either! You know that! He was one of my best friends--I just--I couldn't stop missing him, and--"
Rose slapped her. Hard.
She reeled back against the front door. Blood trickled from her lip where her mother had struck her mouth.
The older woman's voice was pure ice. "Your refusal to control this-- capability--of yours put all of Brightlocke Coven at risk. You might think about that, if you don't care how much you terrified that young man's family.
Weaker minds might have been driven insane by what you did, and there's no spell to fix that. I won't tolerate a repeat performance, Cara. You've brought disgrace on us by your screwups. On me. As your coven leader, if you won't control your magic from now on, I'll do it for you. Is that clear?"
"Yes," Cara whispered, not meeting Rose's eyes.
"Go upstairs, get changed and wash that mud off you. Do you need a healing for that cut you made on your arm?" asked Rose, somewhat calmer now.
"No. I'll manage, thank you." Cara climbed the stairs. Her arm still ached where Gavin had been holding her. "Like I'd ever want them healing me-- I don't even want to look at them again--"
She needed to leave. It wasn't the first time she'd thought it. Ever since she started college two years ago, her family seemed to grow more and more controlling. As if they thought she might be slipping away, Cara realized. Nor were they entirely wrong. She couldn't go along with their hopes for her. Stay in Los Angeles her whole life, work with Brightlocke, maybe take over as coven leader, marry Gavin Westlake....the thought of that made her shudder. No.
"I don't need them for healing...or to run the rest of my life for me," she whispered.
She changed her clothing, bandaging the thin slice she'd opened on her forearm, and quietly packed her diary, spell books, and a few other items in her gym bag. Someone knocked on the bedroom door, then opened it without waiting for a response. She whirled to stare at Gavin. "Excuse me, did I say you could come in here?"
He was nonplussed. "Why aren't you dressed for Sabbat ? You need your robe, not a T-shirt and those--pants--"
"I'm not going to any circle tonight. I'm through with that. You all gave me a choice-- serve as your punching bag, or leave Brightlocke. I'm going with door number two."
"That's not an option."
"Watch. Me. " She silently cast a spell she'd learned, to teleport herself short distances. She reappeared at the bus terminal. It only took her a moment to buy her ticket; she knew where she wanted to go.
Leo Wyatt, her Whitelighter, had recently been married. She'd sent him one of her carvings as a wedding present. He'd invited her to "come by sometime and meet the Charmed Ones". Cara doubted that he'd expected her to take him up on it. However, knowing Leo for almost as long as she could recall, she knew that he wouldn't throw her out on her ass..... Or look at her as if she were ....revolting. Something only to be afraid of.
Hot tears silently burned her cheeks. No one spoke to her. The bus was more than half empty. Cara was grateful for that. Normally, she didn't like being alone, but....normal didn't exist for her anymore.
* * *
Piper pulled the SUV up to the curb in front of Stevie Norris' bookstore. Paige followed her into Open Minds eagerly.
"Stevie?" Piper called, seeing no one inside.
"Over here," Stevie responded. She was standing atop a ladder, shelving books. "I'm glad you called. I'll be happy to--" The ladder bucked. Fell sideways. Piper realized that Stevie was in for a fall that might not only hurt but kill the woman. The ladder she'd been standing on was at the front of the store, only a short distance from a sheet of plate glass--and Stevie's trajectory was going to take her right through it.
She flung out her hands, trying to freeze the woman.
It didn't work.
"Paige--!"
"I can't!"
Piper switched gears, attempting the only other thing that came to mind: she hurled every bit of power she had, not at Stevie, but at the objects below her. No one else was in the way. She was free to cut loose. The window and ladder disintegrated. They didn't simply break into pieces-- they glowed fiercely and dissolved, leaving only fine, glistening dust.
Paige orbed out. She appeared beneath Stevie. The woman's body crashed into her. They hit the sidewalk. Piper ran outside, yelling for Leo. Paige was unconscious, bleeding from a scalp wound. Stevie was awake, but her face was white, twisted with pain. "I think my arm's broken," she said weakly.
"Leo!"
Damn it, where was he?