Chapter 3: The Circle of the Black Thorn
"I don't understand, what are you talking about Dalton?" Angel asked, looking at the middle witch mysteriously.
"It's a long story, so no interruptions if you want to know. Any of what I'm about to say can NOT be repeated to anyone or anything, or technically thought about around any mind-readers. Okay…my mom was pretty good at her magics; she was really into them and more powerful than my sisters know about. One day a couple of years ago when 'Kota and Danielle were out one day, she pulled out one of these things that I just did on you. She explained to me all about our magic and ancestors, and told me that one day, when she died, my sisters and I would inherit her powers because of the binding spell she used on us.
'Then she told me a lot of stuff that I just now understand. The Circle of the Black Thorn, you've heard of them right?" A devilish grin crept onto her face.
"Uh, that blonde they were talking about was you?" Angel asked, he looked completely amazed.
"Yeah, I know. They're playing me like a drum. They're using me to get to Achilles Spring." She noticed the lingering confusion on the vampire's face. "They are the top dogs of the Underworld, you know that; but they're still not immortals. That's why they want me. I'm the only living or dead being that knows where it is. Not even the Powers that Be or the Elders are sure where it is. My mom told me that day she explained everything, I was supposed to tell 'Kota and Danielle, but I thought it would be easier to pull this off alone."
"Why?"
"Getting there Angel. When I saw you the first time, the first time you appeared before the Circle, I knew you were there for other reasons. I'm also the reason you went. A couple of months ago, when Cordelia woke up, my sisters and I did that. They knew it was to set you on the right path, but they didn't know that it would cause all this." She explained. "Don't look at me like that, all this crap was inevitable. I just sped up the process, things are going to change. I don't know if it's for better or worse yet, we'll find out."
"How did you know the Circle was playing you?"
"Easy, some of the newer members, well they couldn't look me in the eyes. And I could tell it wasn't because I'm a witch or a Slayer. They plan on torturing me until I tell them where the Spring is, then killing me after they've found it."
"And you knew that how?"
"Oh, Drogyn. He and my mom were close, good friends. The day she told me about the Spring and the Circle, he was there. He doesn't know where the Spring is, but he told me that until our plan could work he'd keep me updated on the Circle's other plans for me."
"What about Sahjhan?" Angel asked.
"Had nothing to do with this… Not really. I rewrote those spells and changed their results. It wouldn't have worked, and would have destroyed Illyria, and Fred. Those stupid witch wanna-be's wrote those conversion spells."
"How did your mother know all this would happen?"
"She got premonitions, which one of us that isn't me obviously inherited."
"Don't you know?"
"Nah, today I just figured out I was an empath. I don't really know what all mom could do, but eventually we'll know." Dalton replied. She looked down at her plastic pink Care Bears watch. "Three minutes left? Any questions?"
"Is all this the reason you came to work here?"
"Drogyn told me it would be a good idea to get to know you all. At least so I could set up against you as a front for the Circle. I didn't want to lie to you all, especially after I got to know you. I'm sorry, but—
"I understand. You had too." Angel cut her off.
"Yeah, a witch just joined. She's supposed to be one the most powerful of our times." The man in front of Gunn said. He was a demon hunter from Gunn's old crew. He looked up at Gunn, who was a little taller, whom had obviously changed. Even though he wasn't wearing a suit, Hunter could tell how much he'd changed by the way he carried himself.
"And you know this for sure?" Gunn asked in reply. He'd spent the last 15 minutes listening to Hunter tell him about some higher level demon organization called the Circle of Black Thorn.
"Yeah, heard it from reliable sources a week ago." His old friend responded. "Don't know who the witch chick is…" He was going to continue, but he could see that Gunn wasn't paying attention. "Hey. What's up man?" Hunter asked.
Gunn blinked, and refocused his attention. "Ah, it's nothing."
"You ain't actin' like it's nothing." Hunter told him.
"Oh really? Well I guess it is something. A lot of bad things have been goin' down lately, and it seems like they're all my fault. But I'm tryin' man, you know? I'm tryin' to redeem myself for it, but my mind keeps going back to this girl." Gunn confessed.
"It's always a chick with you Gunn." Hunter smiled.
"Yeah, it is." Gunn laughed. "She's different though." He became serious again.
"How old is she and what does she look like?" Hunter asked, smiling.
"She's 19 in two days, about 5'5 or 5'6, always wearin' heels to make her look taller though. She's got bleach blonde hair, amazing blue eyes…" He trailed off.
"White girl then?" Hunter asked. Gunn nodded. "She got a big booty?"
Gunn rolled his eyes, "I work with her, I haven't been lookin' at her booty." He replied. Hunter glared, "Ok, ok. I lied, it's pretty good." Gunn laughed.
Wesley watched the people walk by on the busy L.A. street, he'd been in a demon bar. All they'd talk about was the Circle of Black Thorn, no one even mentioned anything about Illyria. They kept going on about how much more dangerous L.A. was than usual, and half of them were talking about leaving as fast as they could.
Wesley stood up from his leaning position and decided to head back to Wolfram & Hart to see how the Charmed ones were doing.
Illyria walked around in the old house, being extremely bored, just not knowing what to call it. The old Victorian was much bigger than it looked, the goddess hadn't even been upstairs yet. She reached the main hallway in the middle of the house, she then looked up them, there was a door on the end of the hallway at the top of the stairs. It wasn't just your usual creepy upstairs door of an abandoned house, there was a bright white light coming from the edges of the door. Illyria turned her head in a moment of confusion and started up the stairs.
When she got to the top, the goddess turned left and stopped for a second at the door before opening it. When she opened it, the extremely bright light retracted to a book that was sitting on a bookstand in the center of the room. Illyria walked toward the book curiously. It was a big thick black book with a silver Celtic Triquetra in the middle of the front cover. She traced the symbol with one of her fingers, it gave her a little shock, but it was soon over. The ancient goddess picked up the book, it looked so old, but still new.
Suddenly, Illyria heard a ringing sound coming from the room that Dalton had left her in. The goddess wondered back down the stairs with the book in her arm, and back into the main living room. She saw a little flashing red light on the table; she picked up the cell phone although she didn't know what it was. She flipped open part of it and heard a voice coming out the other end…
"Hello? Illyria?" Dalton's voice came from the small device.
"This, a talking, flashing, piece of useless technology." Illyria said as she eyed the phone mysteriously.
"Illyria! It's me Dalton. Can you hear me?"
"I can hear you, but I cannot see you."
"Yeah, I called you on the cell phone I left. It's a way to talk to someone without seeing them." Dalton attempted to explain.
"I'm using the Talisman right now. No one can track this, but get to Wolfram & Hart as fast as you can."
"I found something. It looks as if it would be important to you." Illyria told the witch.
"Bring it to me then. Okay, Bye"
Illyria shut the phone and shifted the book, and then started back toward Wolfram & Hart.
Spike burst into Angel's office and the yellow light that had come from the talismen that was still clenched in Dalton's hand retracted. He leaned back then looked at the pair in front of Angel's desk suspiciously. "What was that?" He asked, sounding rather like a 6 year-old kid.
"Magic tricks Spike." Dalton replied simply.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at the witch with a confused look, then looked back to Angel. "Nothing Spike."
Spike shook his head. Dalton shifted uncomfortably and unnoticeably put the talisman back in her pocket, "Angel, I'm gonna go see what 'Kota and Danielle have found." The two shared a glance and the blonde Slayer left Angel's office and walked to Wesley's, where she found her sisters deep in research. She knocked on the side of the open door. "Hey, what's up?" She asked, walking in.
"We couldn't track Illyria, so we decided to research her instead and we found a prophecy about us. At least, I think it's us." Dakota told her younger sister.
Dalton hid a look of fear, "What does it say?"
"That's the thing, when we first found it, it said something about the murder of the most powerful witch; which we thought was mom, and her plans, but we didn't get to read it all before it changed." Danielle told her.
A look of relief quickly swept the middle sister up, but then she put back on the act and looked confused, "So it just changed? While you were reading it?"
"Yeah." Her sisters nodded in agreement.
"Well what does it say now?" Dalton asked.
"The death of the mother, sad but joyous
As the new Three shall be the most powerful and prosperous.
Together they reign,
Love,
Strength,
And Caution
The Power of Three." Dakota read from the book.
Dalton thought as she revised the original prophecy:
'The mother will be murdered, by a source not half as powerful,
So the Charmed may reign the world as the most,
One shall have a forbidden love,
One shall vanquish the devil alone
One shall betray
But all reign together in the Power of Three'
She thought, one day she'd tell them the truth.
A/N: Was that too confusing? It made sense too me, but then again I am the one writing this so… If you have in questions just ask in a review! XOXO Charlize
