Alright, here's another chapter. If you remember, last chapter kind of ended on a little cliffhanger, not knowing whether or not George had been killed. Hopefully that will be answered this time round!

chyp: You're my hero.


"No," Charity said, "you saved his life. If you hadn't been able to do that, he might have…"

"Can you heal him?" Matthew asked.

"Yes," she answered as she positioned her hands over his wound.

Sparks of golden light ignited from her hands and created a warm light that bathed George's chest. Matthew saw the look of determination in her eyes as she kept steady. Slowly but surely, the large wound on George's chest began to diminish, the burned flesh disappearing and being replaced with human skin. The light finally disappeared when George's chest showed no sign of injury. Charity quickly scooped him into a hug as he regained consciousness. Matthew only smiled, but suddenly remembered his earlier responsibility. He turned and looked at the spot where he left the rainbow-colored orb, but it was no longer there. He caught the movements of a demon scurrying off toward Xernevod, who had taken a seat in his chair and been watching the battle.

"Stop him," Matthew shouted to James.

"Who?" James asked as he blocked a punch from another demon.

"Somebody help Derrick!" Wesley said as he fell to the ground. "He's hurt over there! And so am I over here!"

"Oh my God," Charity said, "Derrick!"

"Where's dad?" George asked, still in a haze.

"Honey," Charity said to him, "you stay right here where I can see you. Mommy'll be right back, okay?"

Charity gave George one last hug and ran to her fallen husband, checking for a pulse. Thankfully she found one, though it was extremely faint. She whispered prayers as she summoned her healing powers once again, hoping that she still had time.

James pushed his demon away with a telekinetically assisted punch to the chest. With another one rapidly approaching, his need to be in two places at once activated his cloning power. The demon running with the coveted ball of powers was stopped in his tracks as James appeared in front of him. Unphased, the demon threw out his free hand, striking James in the jaw. As James fell to the ground, he extended his feet, managing to catch the demon in the legs. As the demon lost his balance, the multicolored ball flew through the air. Matthew ran to catch it.

"I got it!" he shouted.

"You wish," a demon bellowed as he caught Matthew from behind with a powerful elbow to his back.

Matthew immediately grabbed his back and accidentally let go of the ball, relinquishing it to the demon. He raced to Xernevod but a force held him in place. James and Derrick stood side by side with their hands held out. With a synchronized wave, their combined powers cast him into a wall with such force that it vanquished him. The ball fell into Charity's hands as the demon exploded.

She ran to her son, who had not moved since she left. Just before she got there, two more demons ambushed her and attacked from both sides, causing her to lose control of the ball. George caught the ball as Wesley threw his hands out from where he stood. The two demons froze in their movements and Charity freed herself from their grasp. She gathered all her frustration and channeled it into a kick that knocked one demon into the other, sprawling onto the ground.

"There's only one," Matthew announced to everyone, indicating the lone demon, who stood facing the six witches.

"I'll handle this one," Wesley said.

He took a step toward the demon, but his enemy only vanished in a green ripple, apparently intimidated by the unfavorable odds. Wesley smiled and turned to his brothers.

"Too easy," he remarked.

Xernevod stood to his feet and stared at the six witches, who stared back at him. For a long while, no one said a word. His eyes flashed red as his wings spread out majestically, enlarging his image. Finally he simply held out his hand.

"Return the powers to me," he ordered in a casual tone.

"You must be crazy," Wesley said, stepping in front of Charity, who still held the precious orb in her hands.

"You cannot defeat me," Xernevod reminded them. "I am more powerful than my brother. His powers were only a fraction of what I possess."

"Then if you're so powerful," Matthew said, "then why do you even need these extras?"

"The Gem of Legend requires more power than I possess," Xernevod explained. "In order to resurrect my brother I need more power. Enough talk!"

He flapped his wings quite suddenly and the wind blew all six witches to the ground. Charity lost control of the ball of powers and it flew through the air. Xernevod flickered out of sight and re-flickered next to the rainbow-colored ball. Before it landed in his hands, something abruptly changed its course and it suddenly jumped out of his reach. He turned and saw James standing with his hands outstretched.

"That won't work on me," Xernevod said. "If you thought my brother's power was strong, be the first to witness my unstoppable ability."

He waved his hands and an intense red light flashed briefly, but brightly, throughout the room. James' hold over the ball was lost and his power rebounded toward him with a force that he had never felt before. It slammed into him like a wrecking ball and he soared high into the air, flailing his arms wildly. He hit the stone wall with a bone-crushing thud and slunk to the ground, unmoving.

"Jimmy!" Matthew and Wesley shouted at the same time.

Wesley flicked his hands at Xernevod out of instinct, but the same red light illuminated the room and he found himself flying through the air in the same manner as his brother. Derrick raised his hand to try his luck, but Charity quickly held him back.

"If they didn't have any luck, what makes you think that you can?" she reasoned, before giving him the ball of powers. "Hold this. I have to go help them. Watch George."

"Can I try, dad?" George asked as Xernevod eyed him with disdain.

"No, son," Derrick answered. "He's very dangerous. You stay out of sight where you'll be safe."

"No one is safe," Xernevod bellowed as he extended his hand.