-Imperium Deus per Veneficus-

"Rumors spread that several decades after John Putnam's death, the evil man came to Goody Pope in her sleep as an incubus and impregnated her with a child. Even though Goody Pope's husband Jacob died June 4, 1692, Goody's child was born ten months later. Thus the bastard son Hagan Pope was born and continued the Pope bloodline. This is only rumor, as it is written in the well-credited Chronicles of Ipswich, the Pope bloodline ended with Goody Pope. Whether the Pope bloodline is dead or continued will remain a mystery."

-Excerpt from the Book of Damnation

Sunday 9:08 p.m. Haversfield

Holding hands with Trisha, they left the theater discussing what they liked and didn't like about the movie. The holidays came and went without nearly losing his life or using his power. He spent Thanksgiving with Selene and the Sons and their moms. Chase almost invited Lionel and Doris but chickened out. He hadn't used or hurt anybody for a long time, but the people he did hurt was far from easy to put behind him.

Trisha rented him a motel room to live in for the time being just outside Ipswich when they spent the Christmas holidays together. She had school elsewhere but her car and journalist duties took her all over anyway. It was easy to spend lots of time together after school and on the weekends. Leaning in, she kissed him on the mouth and drew back, smiling happily. He grinned back, feeling pleased she was happy.

Whenever he was feeling down, she was always there for him. Starting a relationship with her only made sense. Selene was a good friend but he didn't love her like he loved Trisha. The inquisitive, pretty girl was perfect. He could love no one else. It was painful to even think about loving someone else.

He hadn't seen much of the Sons since the holidays but it was the return to school time tomorrow, no matter how Trisha insisted he could quit school and it wouldn't make a difference. Sure, he technically had all the money he could ever want, but he didn't want to use that damned money. Running away from his life just felt wrong.

"For a kid movie, it wasn't the worst thing I've ever been forced to endure."

"Oh har har, your personal sacrifice is wonderful. Try watching the same movie a dozen days in a row."

Chase turned around to Mr. Gordon. "Ha, yeah, that bites."

Mrs. Gordon left the cinema building with a daughter attached to either arm. Jill and Kiri had to go to the bathroom rather urgently. Now that that was done, they targeted him, racing to be the first to jump into his arms. He caught the nine-year-old, stumbling backward. The six-year-old didn't seem to mind his arms were full and tried to hop up. Thinking quickly, he dropped Jill, using his power to help her land like a feather floating down. A tad more power avoided him falling to the concrete after catching Kiri.

He shut his eyes, willing the power to quit showing itself. Another few seconds and he opened his eyes, relieved no one appeared to have noticed his use. Irritated to use after avoiding it for so long, he hugged Kiri close to feel better. She hugged him back, giggling and thinking he was rewarding her or something. Chase set her down and Jill stood by his side.

"Do you think we can have more candy?"

"I think you can have some raisins before bed," Mr. Gordon said. "How about that?"

"Ew! No!"

"Raisins or nothing, girls. Nature's candy. Come on now. It's past bedtime. We're going home."

"Thanks for the movie, Chase." Mrs. Gordon strolled up and reacquired her daughters' hands. "We haven't seen much of you. I trust that means things are going well?"

Chase nodded once and sought out Trisha's hand to hold. "Yes. I'm in love with a perfect woman."

"Don't be a stranger, Chase," Mr. Gordon said, picking up his youngest daughter and looking worried about how lively his children were at the late hour. He heard him murmuring, "Sleep in the car please..."

He hugged the girls and even Mrs. Gordon at her insistence, goodbye. Trisha walked alongside him, hooking arms with him and leaning against his side. It was a cold night. They got in her car and she drove them back to the motel outside Ipswich. He had to walk everywhere, having little interest in buying a car of his own for now.

They were surprised to find Caleb waiting outside the motel building sitting on the front of his car. Trisha normally kissed him goodnight and headed home, but this time she turned off the car. He looked at her but she just reached over and squeezed his hand before exiting the car.

The guy stared at them when Chase moved around the car to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, nuzzling her cheek. She stepped forward to separate them, prompting him to pout disappointed. Chase put his attention on his visitor.

"Good evening, Trisha," Caleb greeted and then was straight to the point. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Giving him a ride home. What are you doing here?"

"Need to talk to Chase alone. Are you staying here too?"

Trisha tossed up her hands. "No, no. I have school tomorrow same as you guys. I better go."

She turned to return to the car without their goodnight kiss. Frowning, he followed her and she gave her attention after opening the door. She kept looking at Caleb. Not caring he was watching, he kissed her on the cheek instead of the lips, thinking she would prefer that.

"Goodnight, Trish. Call me tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Chase. Um..sorry. Bye."

He stared at her, backing away while she reversed the vehicle and drove off. She had been acting oddly. Maybe he was the problem. Yeah, it was probably his fault. She was perfect. It was fine. She would tell him how to feel.

"You used your power, Chase. Just a minor slip or..?"

"Aw, come on. A tiny use like that is nothing. Forget about it. Why are we so connected? This isn't normal, right? The other guys you soul-searched aren't connected to you. What's going on?"

His turn to get a little defensive. "I meant to tell you... It's just, it wasn't bothering you and you were dealing with enough."

"Spit it out."

"The soul search isn't finished. Until it is, we're connected. We were..." He altered his speech. "I was kinda overtaken by everything we saw."

"Let's finish it then. Tomorrow night. I'm not to be spied on."

"Yeah..."

"Is that it? I wasn't using my power for anything terrible and I wasn't seen. I'm not going power-hungry or crazy again. We good?"

Caleb shrugged and scuffed the ground with a shoe. "Yeah, alright."

He went to the driver's door but stopped and looked at Chase. "What's the deal with your friend? I thought you and Selene were good now. You're dating Trisha?"

"Huh? Trisha and I are in love."

The guy stared at him like he did lose his mind and it had nothing to do with magic. Baffled, he spread out his arms, giving him an overt 'what' look.

"I... Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Haven't seen Austin for months. Doubt he's given up on stealing our covenant. Maybe worry about that and not my love life."

"Chase. I think something isn't right here."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Goodnight, Caleb. Tomorrow night we're ending this connection here so you can quit spying on me."

"Well, it allowed me to know where you are living. I would feel you use the power regardless since we're a covenant now."

"Ah. Right..." Waving his arm, he strode to his motel room door and said dismissive, "Night, Caleb."

/

Monday 7:32 p.m. Ipswich

"What do you mean he's dating the reporter chick?!"

Tyler hushed him. "Quiet. He's coming."

Reid fumed aloud. "He'll take all the babes surrounding us if we're not careful."

His friend gawked. "That's what you're worried about?"

The blond tossed his bangs, putting on a brilliant smile. "What else?"

A punch hit him in the shoulder. "You suck."

They acknowledged Caleb entering the underground room, Chase and Pogue following behind him. The basement was warmer than it was outside so Reid was cool. He fixed his red hood sticking out of his jacket and waved, anticipation tingling. He loved being a warlock and having magic. It was a shame he could only show off to his friends though. Chase was a fun one to show off to since he was newer, except Caleb and Tyler were constantly lecturing him about not using power for needless stuff and the addiction of the power, blah, blah.

He realized Caleb had been talking and he totally missed what was said. Feigning whatever knowledge was shared was successfully transferred to him with slow nodding, Tyler punched him in the shoulder blade. He grimaced and glared.

"Ouch."

"They're gonna do the rest of the soul search. Focus."

Chase stood on the spot, opening and closing his hands into fists where they hung at his sides.

"You ready, Chase?"

"Do it."

Their eyes met and memories that were not his flooding in he wouldn't get used to anytime soon. Reid was grateful this was the last time they had to do this. His sense of self vanished and he might as well be Chase Collins, the one and only.

"Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop." Sob. "Please stop."

Pencils levitating in the air, spinning rapidly while the teenager huddled in the corner. The bedroom was dark, lit only by a single lamp. Unexplained power came to him on his thirteenth birthday. He was filled with raw terror and confusion, desperate to make it go away.

The whole room started to shake and a man shouted from the floor below. "Knock it off! What the-?!"

There were many expletives streaming out of the adopted father's mouth and the footsteps on the stairs. Pounding on the door. The pencils dropped and the room stilled as the man pushed open the door and began walloping on the cowering and crying boy.

The horrifying memory was replaced with a lovely one. Feelings of safety and comfort, utter warmth. Rocking in the arms of a woman peering into his big eyes blinking sleepily up at her. She was singing a lullaby.

She trailed off, smiling with pure adoration. "Hush little baby. You are loved. I love you, Chase. Hush now."

Swirling images formed into the same woman standing there. She was off, translucent. Ghostly. A ghost. Ghosts were real and she was present in spirit form. Chase could bring her to him, calling out in his mind. Soul reaching out to soul.

"You have the heart of someone good. You did what you did out of love, for your father." She sighed with understanding and forgiveness. "You sometimes may be naive, concerning your father especially, but you are kind and care when others are hurting. You made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, Chase, and no matter how many you make, I will always love you."

Many emotions were happening, most of all shame and disappointment in himself.

Her eyes glistened with tears. "Now, Chase, to why I needed to be here. The covenant, the Sons of Ipswich, are in danger. People are looking for them, and you."

Pure rage, pouring rain, black eyes. "I-will-you..."

So much anger and desperation to win. The fight, flinging of power between Caleb and Chase opposed vanished in an instant, to a quiet forest. An aged, crippled man in a wheelchair gripped Chase's hand. One of his arms was missing. He was blind, eyes unseeing.

"Avenge me, son. Ruin their lives like they ruined mine and the lives of my ancestors. Break them. Force them to will you their power." His voice was deep and strong in spite of his appearance. "Do not let them survive our bloodline. You must claim the power when they ascend so you can achieve immortality."

"What? You mean it will offset the aging using the power does?"

"Do it, my son. Avenge me for yourself and embrace the power as it was intended."

"I will. Father-"

"I will you my power."

The sheer rush of adrenaline and energy flooding his system was intoxicating. He felt better than he thought possible. There was no pain or discomfort or human concerns. He could be floating in the clouds from how silent and still the air became. This was amazing. This was everything. He wanted more. The only thing he wanted was to feel like this and never be scared or weak or lost again. Vengeance for the fifth family.

Their disconnection from the search went smoothly this time. Reid inhaled relief no one was flung to the floor or grasping their heads like the worst migraine was cracking their skulls. It was a casual, comfortable separation from insight into a person's soul. He was glad not to have Caleb's ability. It wasn't for him seeing that much into people.

Chase somewhat echoed his sentiment out loud. "Glad that's done. I-"

He looked around and grew quiet. Pogue looked over from his perch on a stone. "What is it?"

A lie was on his lips as they parted, but he changed his mind and shut his mouth. He glanced to each of them and dropped his head back onto his shoulders. Gaze to the ceiling, he exhaled a soft sigh.

"My mother's close. She wants to see me."

Reid perked up. "A real ghost! Yeah!"

Pogue glared. "Dude, shut up."

Realizing his error, he winced. "Ah. Sorry, Chase. Um..can we see her?"

Caleb all but face-palmed his eagerness to see an actual ghost in the flesh, or well, in the..not flesh.

"I'll let her in."

A rush of images startled him and he was aware he fell on his rear even as he was someone else again. Not Chase. He was drowning. Water filled his lungs, burning agony ripping through him.

Big hands pressed her beneath the surface by her neck and shoulder. She dug nails into his arms, thrashed and kicked for leverage. She had to live. The face of her husband glimpsed as she neared the surface and a push deeper wiped this away beneath layers of water.

Screaming. Screaming and she couldn't even breathe so she couldn't scream or think or feel anything but pure suffering. No peace. No peace. Her son was gone. Where was he? Chase! A shock of blinding white light and then nothing.

He darted his gaze about to the others, landing on Chase sprawled out on the floor in the circle. Reid jumped to his feet and started over before halting. He was sprawling by choice, chest heaving as if out of breath, but it was grief. Right... That drowning woman was the guy's mom.

"Mom..."

They were silent, waiting. Chase's patience didn't keep.

"Elaine Pope!"

The pale humanoid form passed through the wall, impossible to identify until she ceased moving a few feet from Chase. The female spirit was on Reid's right and freaky. An actual Casper. How cool. He tempered his enthusiasm, recalling this was the dead mother of one of them.

Chase climbed to his feet. "Why didn't you tell me? Why keep it from me that my father murdered you?"

"Too late to change things."

Reid leaned closer. She was practically whispering. "I remained to hope you would find the right path. I can go now."

Alarmed, Chase shook his head. "Go? Go where?"

"On."

"You mean away. I'll never see you again." He was staring at the floor, near a glare, but not quite. Just unhappy. "I trusted that bastard."

"You found new family to trust in. Guide each other through the coming storm."

Reid snorted. "What? Is that a metaphor?"

She was disappearing, partially solid form becoming vapors and rising. "I love you, Chase. Always."

Reid attempted to see where she passed through above without success. Chase mumbled under his breath and looked upon each of them.

"She warned me to warn you guys about that smoking man. My father's brother, Austin. I guarantee they'll come after us again."

"I gotta ask, Chase." Reid looked to Pogue to listen. "Do you? Do you trust us?"

"I joined the covenant," he replied, looking certain. "My dad's dead. Mom's gone. You guys are all I have left."

Tyler nodded solemnly. "Let's not screw this up."

Chase rubbed his forehead like he might have a headache coming on. "How long before you drop me?"

"Family doesn't give up on each other, Chase."

He seemed cheered up. "Want to do my science report for me? It would be a big help, bro."

"Nope." Caleb's eyes lit with inspiration. "You'd rather spend time coming up with lame puns or insults?"

The cheeriness switched to a deflated glower. "Don't remind me. Shit. Some of the things I said under the influence of power..."

"Like what? Example please."

Tyler fixed another glare onto Reid. "He doesn't want to remember, Reid."

"I'll be happy to remind him constantly," said Pogue. "He deserves it."

"Is it too late to leave the covenant?"

"Oh please. You were pissed about not being a part of it. No chance you're giving it up now."

Chase sighed. "Yeah, yeah."

Reid was very content with their crew of bad-ass warlocks.

/

Trisha threw her phone on the bed. Chase must have turned his phone off. This whole dating thing wasn't anything how she thought it would be. He was Chase but not Chase. She was unhappier and more frustrated than when she never stood a romantic chance with her platonic friend.

"Trisha Burns."

"Holy-!"

"Shh..."

What was she looking at? A see-through lady. The lady was standing not three feet away. She was definitely awake. What was happening here? Ghosts were real just like magic? She had better do so much more research on supernatural abilities and creatures that might have some kind of basis in reality.

"Who are you? What do you want?" She struggled not to panic.

"You know what you've done."

Her eyes widened, mouth open. "No..."

"I go on to peace. What do you have, child?"

The lady was mostly mist, circulating upward. Bizarre. She had to be hallucinating.

"I've done nothing! What do you want from me? Go away!"

For the briefest of moments, the ghostly figure's face seemed almost solid. "Let the witch hunt begin."

She sank onto the end of the bed, staring at the empty space. Grasping for her notebook, she held it to her chest. Trisha flipped hurriedly through the pages until she found the words written large in the middle of a page.

Imperium Deus per Veneficus.