-Die Like the Rest-

"A long time ago, the idea there were others out there with power became recognized. This realization sparked the Salem Witch Hunt in which hundreds were murdered, most of whom were innocent. During this time, five families formed a covenant of silence and protection. The year is now 2007 and only four of the five bloodlines in the purported covenant remain. These heirs are known as the Sons of Ipswich, named for their hometown and the town where the witch hunt first began."

-Excerpt from the Chronicles of Ipswich 761

Friday 7:03 a.m. Spenser Academy

"Happy New Year!"

Shutting his car door, he joined his friends hanging around by Tyler's vehicle. "Uh, the holidays are over. Lower the excitement level, Reid."

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Caleb?"

He just gave his friend a look. Reid was always ready to go and on about something, usually a girl's panties. He wasn't in the mood. Something was up with Chase which seemed implausible since they completed the whole soul search thing. A look into a person's soul was just that, however, and didn't mean future problems couldn't arise. Caleb really wanted to get along with the oldest of the Sons. He wanted this to work.

Sarah was slow to get out of the passenger side of his car, yawning and stretching. She followed him over, holding her bag in two hands. Heading into the school's front entrance, Kate was at her locker.

"Good morning! Oh, Caleb, Chase wanted you to know he woke up sick so he won't be at school."

"We haven't seen him once school is done since Monday night," Caleb commented. "What's up with that?"

"He doesn't have to hang out with us all the time just because..you know."

Caleb shook his head at Pogue. "Yeah. I guess." He eyed the wall clock. "Anyway, we'd better get to class."

His first class was shared with Tyler and the two walked together to the room. They didn't chat until outside the door. Caleb was lost in his thoughts and hesitated to go inside. Tyler noticed.

"You worried Chase is going dark?"

"It crossed my mind."

"He almost died to protect us."

"That protected him too."

"Caleb."

"I think sometimes I really want to use for no real reason. I've resisted this long because I tell myself there's no use for the power. Someone like Chase who grew up having no idea what this was, using to feel good. How do you even stop?"

"He has."

"He hasn't."

Caleb couldn't read Tyler's expression. The bell rang and the conversation was dropped. Mathematics awaited.

/

Pogue shut the locker, pulling on his white t-shirt. Swim practice took them just past six and he was looking forward to getting out of here for the weekend. He and Tyler were going to hunt down Chase and kick his ass if they needed to do it. He was more than happy to if that guy dared use unnecessary magic. They tried to communicate with him from afar but the contact failed. It was possible to block telepathy, especially if one was busy using other abilities.

Flight, levitation, augmenting physical activity, making constructs, using glamour, or casting spells. Or violent uses and shields. He could be doing any of this and they wouldn't be the wiser unless they caught him in the acct. Pogue was prepared to be that guy to catch him. The others were on board with Chase now a member of the covenant, and Pogue would be too, if the guy proved he was dedicated to actually being part of the covenant. They had to share things and while minor use of magic was allowed, overuse and certain magics like spells or glamour was a huge no, no.

Tyler walked up to him and they glanced to the other side of the locker room where Caleb and Reid were only getting out of the showers, towels around their waists. Time to go before they tried to join. He got on his motorcycle and Tyler got in his hummer. They drove off, headed for the motel Caleb mentioned.

His phone rang a few minutes into the drive. Pogue waved to Tyler and they pulled to the side of the road. Raising his helmet visor, he squinted at the caller ID. His grandfather was calling. That was..rare.

He shut off the engine and pulled off his helmet. "Hello?"

"You allowed a Pope into the covenant."

Unlike their fathers, their grandfathers were a generation who vowed and committed to never using their magic. They aged well and normal as a result. Among their fathers, Chase and Caleb's dads were the ones to age rapidly and die old young. Not to say his, Tyler, and Reid's dads hadn't used too often. They looked like grandfathers more than fathers. In their mid-forties, they could pass for mid-sixties instead.

"He's not a Pope, Grandfather. He's-"

"Evil, you foolish boy. I know your father was irresponsible along with his pact of brothers. Do not follow the same path."

"I'm not," he retorted, irritated and stubborn.

He hated lectures. Tyler was walking to his motorcycle wondering what was up with his puzzled expression which he ignored. Pogue focused on the unexpected call.

"You're right. You've done the unthinkable. He must be killed. End that tainted bloodline."

Stunned, it was a few seconds before he managed to respond. "Kill? Grandfather, he's my age. We're barely adults. Give him a chance."

How did he end up defending Chase Collins? He was pissed at the guy and hoping to get an excuse to knock him around a little a minute ago. He blamed the covenant pact. Made him defend a brother no matter how recently he became a brother.

"Their bloodline always uses the power every chance they get. They think they're superior and can do whatever they want. They risk exposing the rest of us. They murder, rape, and manipulate for their own ambitions."

"I'm not killing Chase," he declared, pissed at his grandfather instead. "You want me to murder someone? How could you want that?"

"I never said I wanted you to kill him. Give me the boy's location. We'll take care of it. Let him die like the rest."

"Shit, Grandfather. A damn witch hunt? Don't even think about it. He's in the covenant. He's one of us. You attack him and you'll have the rest of us to answer to." Pogue hung up and shoved his phone in his leather jacket pocket. "Tyler, better warn your mom. I think our grandfathers and maybe our fathers too, might... I don't know. Do something stupid."

Tyler frowned. "They want Chase dead?"

"I'm sure their wives will have something to say to that if they know about it, but that's if they know about it."

"Sometimes I wonder if these powers are even worth having."

He looked at his friend. "Do you think they'll try something without our help? They're far weaker than Chase. What if..."

"They get themselves killed?" Tyler turned away, calling someone. "Mom? You gotta talk to Dad about something. Grandpa too."

Pogue texted Caleb and Reid in a group chat to warn them what their elders might be planning. They had enough to worry about without their own families working against them. Once they sent the warnings via phone, he used his magic to reach out to the two as well. They both responded and Caleb was with Sarah, who apparently had a run in with the smoking man after school. He offered to teach her a spell of her choice for the location of the piece of paper that was enforced with magic and bound their covenant in blood. It was a paper not easy to destroy, but if destroyed their pact ended and so did the protection of a covenant.

Unfortunately for him, Sarah was kind of scared by the supernatural power more than impressed. She knew they were warlocks and Kate was told the bare minimum to avoid her fear of magic also, but it wasn't an impressive thing to them. Cracking jokes about the Sons of Ipswich was one thing. Aware it was real and they were romantically involved with long lasting bloodlines of magical power was another.

Black eyes disappearing, he looked at Tyler waiting on him. "Caleb and Sarah are going to wait in the safety of the protection circle beneath his house. They think they're safe but want us to regroup and consider our next move. This smoking guy and Chase's uncle. They're probably gonna make a move soon."

"Who told him about Chase?"

Distracted in his head, he tried to think only on Tyler. "Huh?"

"Who told your grandfather about Chase?"

He should have asked. Crap. Wait. "I assumed it was one of us who let it spill, but our covenant is of silence. We can't talk about it with the renewed pact of the five of us. Not without weakening the power we've formed. So unless Reid let it slip," Tyler opened his mouth to argue and he quickly added, "Which I don't think he did. Then one of those guys must have informed our families. They want them to act against one of our number to weaken all of us."

"Hm. That sounds like the smoker to me. Austin doesn't strike me as the clever sort. He's all blunt instrument."

"Maybe. I gotta find Kate."

"Let's get to the motel. Kate will be fine. She has nothing to do with this."

Pogue gave him a look. "They haven't gone after anyone not involved like Chase did..yet. Alright. Come on."

Returning to their respective rides, they resumed travel to the motel. If Chase wasn't there, they would check the house he grew up in. Otherwise he was kinda out of ideas on where to look. They were loud pulling up to park in the lot. Nobody around.

Tyler pointed to an ajar door. That was Chase's room number. They quietly approached, cautious and ready to blow a wave of power at the first sign of a threat. A girl with short brown hair and blue eyes shining tears sat on the floor, back against the opposite wall near the closed bathroom door. She was tugging on the cuffs of her black jean jacket sleeves.

"I'm sorry," she cried when they stood where she could see them. Tyler went for the light switch in the dark room. "I wanted him not to remember. It was supposed to undo it. I'm sorry."

Tyler flipped on the lights. "Explain what you're babbling about. Where's Chase?"

Her eyes flickered to the bathroom door and returned to the floor. "I'm sorry."

Pogue narrowed his eyes and shut the motel door. "What is your name again?"

"Trisha. Trisha Burns." She gasped and waved her arms in horror. "I'm not a witch. I swear."

"A witch?" The girl bit her bottom lip and buried her face in her arms rested on knees. "Sit on the bed and don't move."

Trisha went to do as he said. He knocked on the door but received no response. Glancing to Tyler, he turned the handle and pushed open the door. It was dark in the room and he heard the shower running. Pogue switched on the light and a naked Chase flinched, clutching his head with squeezed shut eyes. He was sitting in the shower across from the shower head which had been left on.

"Chase? You okay?"

In a dull voice the guy repeated, "Chase? Chase? Chase?"

He and Tyler looked at each other, baffled. Tyler entered first and Pogue lingered near the door, wanting to keep an eye on the girl. She sounded like she was responsible for whatever happened to Chase.

Crouching at the tub's side, he reached for the shower faucet. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Did something happen?" He opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly. "Yes. Who are you? Um. Who am I?"

Tyler's fingers grasped the handle but froze hearing the questions. "You don't know?"

"The girl put a spell on me. She told me last night. She's a witch!"

"I'm not a witch! I'm sorry!"

Pogue shook his head at her, trying not to be angry. "Stay quiet, Trisha."

Chase lowered his voice to speak to Tyler alone after he started twisting the faucet for the shower. "Wait. Witches don't like water."

Tyler smiled. "She's not a witch and real witches don't have a weakness to water."

"Have you been here since last night?"

He stared at Pogue like he didn't want to answer.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Frowning, he contemplated the situation. He was acting like a child. His memories wiped, it made him like a child? He looked at the girl despite not being able to without feeling angry.

"What did you do to him?"

"Before Christmas, I... Someone helped me cast a spell. I guess it was a love spell? I didn't understand what it would do. He was still him, but not too. So I researched how to undo it and said the words hoping he would forget everything and I could take it back."

"That's why he was dating you. I knew something was wrong. How did you keep Selene out of the way?"

Trisha blinked. "I didn't. She went home. She's been home with her parents, and Jason I think. I didn't do anything bad."

He strode toward her, fists clenched. "Nothing wrong?"

Shrinking back, she hugged herself, eyes filled with tears. Pogue grunted and halted. "What words did you say that made him like this?"

Wordlessly, she pointed to the floor where a notebook lay abandoned. He picked it up and read the words written large on the otherwise blank page. Hm. Latin. An incantation to alter a spell. It would certainly be capable of dispelling, if she was a magic user, which she was not.

He returned to the bathroom, forgetting her for the time being. Tyler was attempting to coax Chase to leave the shower, holding out a bath towel. He curled in on himself.

"You would be witches too."

"Males are called warlocks."

"Not wizards?"

"It's..." Tyler's face scrunched up. "Hey, Pogue, what's the difference between a wizard and a warlock?"

"Wizard is a newer term for warlock. Or it's because wizards have big, long beards. Who cares?"

Chase let Tyler hold his hand and arm to carefully step out of the tub, staring at the shut off shower. It was blatantly obvious he was thinking of turning on the water again. He was using Wizard of Oz logic to ward off witches. He remembered a thing like that and how to speak, so he had to have some memory.

Pogue examined him head to toe, sighed, and grabbed the towel from Tyler. He tossed it to Chase, who caught it to his chest. Motioning lower, he rubbed the back of his head, averting his gaze.

"Cover your junk, dude."

He lost his inhibitions or never had them. When he looked back, it was to Tyler fixing the towel around his waist since the guy couldn't manage it. Pogue stepped closer and gripped his arm.

"Sit on the toilet seat."

Chase sat, peering at him in wonder. "Who am I?"

"You'll know in a second." He put his hands to the sides of Chase's head where he'd been rubbing it, eyes blackening. "Imperium Deus per Veneficus."

Pogue lowered his arms and stepped back to give him space, eyes returning to normal. Tyler sat on the edge of the tub opposite Chase, watching. He used the incantation while concentrating on the thought of undoing a compulsion spell revolving around love. He put a bit of energy into his healing power focused on the eighteen-year-old's brain at the same time. There was no indication his healing power worked on anything but strictly physical images, but it was worth a shot.

"I healed your addiction center. You may not feel addicted to using anymore."

Tyler's eyes grew wide. "You did?"

He put his back to Chase and held Tyler's gaze. He mouthed, "No idea," without uttering the words aloud. The girl appeared in the doorway.

"Is he okay?"

Chase appeared exhausted. Did he sleep at all during his time hiding in the tub all night and day? Damn.

"I'm myself again, if that's what you're asking." He looked at her and she darted her eyes anywhere but to him. "Thanks for not going too far, I guess."

She grimaced. "I would never."

"I never thought you'd put a spell on me to make me be with you either, but here we are." He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked back at her. "Who did it? Did he give his name?"

"He said he was your uncle. Shawn Austin."

"Yep. That would be him. He's a bad person, Trish. He doesn't want to help you."

"He helps himself." She stiffened and her eyes darted to meet Chase's directly. "It was a trade. He wanted something in return."

Pogue stood in the center of the bathroom with Tyler and Chase seated behind him subdued while he was seething and ready for a fight. "What did he get?"

/

"Miss Burns?"

Trisha lowered her notebook and cell phone, studying the man questioning and suspicious. "And you are?"

"Hello. I'm Shawn Austin. You're a friend of Chase Collins, aren't you? I'm his uncle."

Surprised, her guard lowered a bit. "I didn't think he had any family left."

"Not part of his adoptive family. I'm blood."

She frowned, guard up again. "Are you being truthful?"

"Yes, I am."

Silence between them and she shuffled in place, shoving her notebook and phone in her bag.

"Well, I don't know where your nephew is if that's what you're wondering, so, I've got Christmas shopping to get to."

He smiled, all polite."I tracked you down because I have a proposition."

Trisha sighed, impatience winning. "What are you talking about? I've got places to be."

"I can teach you how to perform a spell. Loan a teeny amount of magic ability to get it done."

She burst out laughing. "Magic? Like magician on a stage magic? Okay. Bye, crazy person."

The man put his hand on her shoulder when she turned to walk away and she stiffened, slipping out of his grasp with a tense glare. He held up his hands apologetic, showing he was harmless.

"Some magic is real, Miss Burns. That I can promise you."

Laughing uneasy this time, she stared at him, hand on her phone in case she needed to call the police. "Explain yourself right now or I'm leaving."

"You'll never have him unless you use a spell to help him realize how much he loves you. I can give you that and all I would ask for in return is a little information."

"Spell so he realizes he loves me? Not some creepy love spell, right?"

"This would help him see what he already sees about you on a higher level. He'll forget about any other current relationship and care only for you in matters of love. You could call it a love spell, I suppose."

Chase's uncle was speaking in a confusing manner. This wouldn't be like a rape spell kind of deal, right? She didn't want to force her friend to fall in love with her. If he felt something and just didn't act on it because of Selene, that changed things. Maybe he did love her and someone else just prevented him from seeing how much he did. That could be true.

Anxious, she asked, "What would you want in return?"

"My nephew was sheltered by a family. I want to show my appreciation to them and you know how closed off Chase can be."

"Prove magic is real first. Because there are rumors of witches and all that in Massachusetts. Claiming confirmed magic is a thing is harder to swallow. I'm a journalist. I need facts."

The man smiled more sharply, teeth baring. She remained wary of this person, but curiosity whether magic was real was hard to pass up. Doing this in a public place like they were now should be safe. Glancing around the park, there were a few people coming toward them on the path a few yards off. Yeah. Public enough.

Austin clenched his hand into a fist and removed a plastic bag with a pottery bowl using the other hand. He handed it to her and told her to set it on the ground. Trisha did, opening the bag and removing the bowl filled with several ingredients crushed up. She thought some of it might have been bone or nail. Some hair.

"Spit in the bowl."

Hesitating, she talked herself into doing it and spat. Magic wasn't real, right? This was insanity. This was some crazy family member of Chase's playing a prank because of the Sons of Ipswich talk and recent murders in the area. Austin placed his clenched fist above the bowl, stooping.

In a flash, the bowl erupted in red flames, fading to blue and extinguishing. Blinking, she backed away and stood up. He straightened too, smiling again.

"You find him and he'll want to be with you. He loves you most."

She chuckled, uncomfortable. "Yeah right. That doesn't prove anything."

"Call him."

Trisha brought her phone out and hit the speed dial to call Chase. He answered, excited to hear from her. He asked her when he could see her and how badly he missed her. She promised to call him back in a minute and hung up.

"This hasn't changed him from who he is, has it?"

"I wouldn't know what you mean," he answered, evasive or sincere. She didn't know this guy. What was she doing?

"Your end, Miss Burns."

"Their surname is Gordon." She twisted around and walked hurriedly away. "That's all I know."

She wouldn't tell him where they lived or anything. A name would be plenty if he wanted to find them though. She picked up into a jog to leave the park and the man behind. In case this was all a horrible mistake, she wanted to research everything she could concerning magic spells.

At the public library, she spent hours trying to find information that could potentially be real and people just didn't know it. There was hardly anything and it was difficult to differentiate false documentation with potential accurate information. No one believed in magic so...

A way to take control of a spell and undo it was uncovered. She could take control of God's domain, so to speak, and command the magic under her control to be undone. Her need to know everything didn't let her down here.

Assuming it worked, she had a way to take back what she'd agreed to with the spell. It wasn't a love spell that would do anything bad. This would make Chase see her how he couldn't with Selene on his mind. And if it forced him to love her then she could undo it like it never happened. He'd forget. She hadn't done a bad thing.

Trisha would always be there for him. She called the one she loved back. "Merry Christmas, Chase."