Seventeen: Powerless
We stood at Magnus's house, gaping like idiots. Because, even though there were three of us, two undead, we had not noticed on slight thing.

Magnus's house wasn't Magnus's house.

It was Dracula's mansion-literally. It was dark, it was old, it was gloomy-the whole nine yards.

Charity then proceeded to expel some profanities I would really prefer not to say.

"She's got him," She whispered, her eyes wide and distressed. "Magnus is under Rowena's control. We were too late."
She turned to me, yellow eyes sad. "I'm... I'm so sorry Faith."

But I simply shook my head and said the dreadfully corny words you all knew I'd say:

"Not on my watch."

I began to stride into that dark, gloomy house, when Charity's iron grip stopped me.

"No, no, no." Charity hissed, looking me in the eye. "Faith-he'll bite you."

"Bite me?" I sounded overconfident-heck, I was overconfident-but I just could not accept the fact that Magnus could be so terrible. "He just drank."

"It doesn't matter," Sam insisted. "I read about it. There's a spell that Rowena could have used... she basically has Magnus wrapped around her thumb."

"No," I muttered. "Not true."

Before either of them could stop me, I was walking into the house. It was all Dracula on the inside too. I could barely see, and expected to find a coffin. I thought I saw a wisp of golden hair fly by, but it must have been my imagination.

That familiar deep voice came. All the same, but yet, totally different.

"I've been waiting, m'dear."

xxx

Charity's PoV

"What do we do, what do we do?" I wailed. Sam was watching me with stunned eyes as I bit my nails-which wasn't really a feat, I knew. They'd grow back to the old length as soon as I was done.

"I don't get it," He muttered. I whirled around to face him.

"Ok," I panted. "Sometimes, I crack under pressure. Got that? My two best friends-my only friends-are in there, and both are gonna end up dead, and I'll never hear Faith nag me about how Gothic I am, when I AM a Goth for cryin' out loud, and I'll never hear Magnus talk to me in his British-y way about how I need to look like a lady, and see how hot he is-no offense-and they'll be gone FOOOOREVER-"

"CHARITY!" Sam yelled in my face, looking pretty cute as he did this. "SHUT UP!"

I blinked. Once. Twice. Sold.

"Sorry 'bout that."

"We need to go in there," Sam sighed. "And rescue Faith from Magnus."

"What about Mags?" I asked.

Sam's gray-green eyes looked sad. "Charity," He said gently. "When it comes down to it, it's Faith we have to save. Not Magnus."
Tears filled my eyes. "Sam," I whispered. "You haven't known Faith as long as I have. If we don't save Magnus, we might as well have left her in to die."

"It's better than being dead for real."

xxx

Niki stood and shook her mentor.

"Get up, hag."

xxx

Faith's PoV

Magnus stood, leaning against the doorway. He wasn't dressed in a cloak, like I half-expected, but in normal things. But his eyes were different. Darker and clouded over. Magnus stood and began to walk toward me. I started to back up to the door, when I heard a sickening lock as his eyes flashed to the door.

"I really don't want you to leave yet," He breathed, getting closer to me.

"That power rocks," I said weakly. "Didn't know you had it."

He shrugged. "Didn't think it was called for. And it kind of insults me you think you need Charity and Sam to be here with you every step of the way... it's not like I'd hurt you."

His eyes traveled to the window.

"No!" I yelled. Why hadn't Magnus told me about this power? It was probably because he thought it would make me scared of him...

"The real Magnus wouldn't want me scared," I muttered, looking away from his face... his wonderful face...

"What do you mean, the 'real' Magnus?" He asked softly.

"You know what I mean."

Magnus's cold fingers stroked my cheek, and I gulped. This would be harder than I thought.

"Oh, hello, Faith," A feminine voice giggled. "I suppose you don't like the changes I've made to Sir Magnus?"

Magnus stepped aside and grinned, revealing a transparent woman. "Soon," Rowena murmured, putting her hand on his arm. "Magnus and I will be together forever."

She brushed her small hand across his pale skin, and brushed her lips lightly against his.

You know that whole 'woman in scorn' thing(my dad talks about it a lot).

Well.

Hell hath NO fury like a teenage girl in scorn.

"Get... away... from... him..." I growled, clenching my hands into fists.

"Oh... you don't like this either?" Rowena asked, kissing Magnus lightly again.

"Ok," I said sweetly. "I guess you won't like this."

And I lunged at her.

xxx

Charity's PoV

Carefully, I crawled on top of the roof. It's not like I would have been hurt if I had fallen, I just don't like it much. Sam was behind me, even more careful.

Slowly, I opened the window of Magnus's attic.

And found steely gray eyes watching us.

"Oh. My. Gosh..." I muttered. "You again."

"Does it ever end?" Sam sighed.

xxx

Faith's POV

My fingers were twisted in Rowena's golden locks as we wrestled to the ground, and even though I knew it was no use, my nails clawed her skin. She screamed, pounding on me with her fists-bad strategy. I smiled, taking her fingers. Carefully, I began to bend one back.

"You're insane!" She screamed.

"Me?" I asked, snapping the finger. "Really?"

"Yes!"

Snap. "I don't like that much." Snap, snap. "Not at all."

Finally, Rowena got some sense. "Magnus!" She wailed, and I was pulled off of her. I looked him up and down.

"He didn't help you before," I said faintly. "He's controlled completely by your commands."

Rowena smiled. "Oh yes," She smirked. "Now, I would tell him to snap your fingers, but I think it would be best if we just had everything done right now, you know?"

Her voice was cold as she gave the command.

"Magnus. Kill her."

xxx

Charity's POV

"You know what's nice about being a vampiress?" I asked.

"What?"

I shoved Niki hard to the ground, and a few floorboards cracked. "Power."

Meanwhile, Bertha was trying to tackle Sam, but to no avail.

xxx

Faith's PoV

Magnus began to walk up to me. Holding back a whimper of fear, I tried to run, but he gripped my wrists, and breathed in deeply at the scent of my blood.

"I can't wait to get this over with," He hissed, looking into my eyes. I looked down. No eye contact. Who knows what he has going. "Faith," Magnus said, putting on a hurt tone. "You said you trust me."

"I trust Magnus," I murmured. "Not you."

"Sorry," Rowena chided. "You aren't going to win just because Magnus is deep down there, somewhere."
That's when it came to me.

She said she wouldn't...

Because it would.

"Magnus," I said quickly. "Remember when we first met? I was the only vampire shifter you thought capable of helping Charity."
I thought a flicker came through his eyes, but it must have been a trick of the light, for he just tightened his grip.

"And when we danced," I whispered. "The second time around was our first kiss."

Now I knew it wasn't a trick of the light when he murmured, "Oh... yes... when we danced..."

"And you didn't know what to do at first," I laughed. "But I taught you."

He nodded slowly, and Rowena's eyes were full of horror.

"This can't be," She whispered.

"You broke up with me," I whispered, finally truly realizing it. "Because you loved me." I looked into his eyes. "I love you, Magnus, remember that." I touched his cheek. "I love you."

There was a long silence, and my heart sank as Magnus got closer to me, his face inches away, and I just knew it would be the time when he bit me. His breath was cold on my face when he murmured...

"Faith. What am I going to do?"

He got his head closer so that his forehead was touching mine, and declared:

"Faith Isabella de Silva. I am utterly powerless around you."

xxx

Charity's PoV

Suddenly, the noise from downstairs stopped. We all froze. Looks of fear spread on Niki and Bertha's faces.

"Dang!" Niki hissed, and both she and her mentor jumped out the window. I could hear a "Till we meet again, blood suckers!"

"How cliche," I smiled. "Love conquered all."

Sam draped one arm around me. "We didn't get off that easy, did we?"

I shook my head.

"Not a chance."

xxx

Faith's PoV

Rowena watched as I began to laugh. Magnus's more masculine laughter joined mine, and I grinned, taking his face and kissing him. The kiss was long, and his lips were hard on mine-exactly how it was supposed to be.

As we broke apart, that haughty voice got me awake from my dreamy smile stage.

"This was not how it was supposed to go," She grumbled.

I waltzed over to her. "Look, Ro," I sighed. "I know better than anyone that unless the guy is desperate, he doesn't come back to you once you cheat on him. And Magnus isn't desperate."

Rowena sneered. "That's what you think," She began. "Who kno-"

"Look at him," I chided. "Does he look desperate." I waved my fingers. "Buh-bye now!" I turned to my own personal knight in shining armor. "Magnus-will you?"

He smirked, and his gaze settled on Rowena. Before she could open her mouth for a final 'nooooooo!' she was gone.

I walked slowly over to Magnus. "Now-when were you going to tell me about those extra powers?"

Grinning, he opened his mouth to answer, when we heard a familiar voice.

"Sam, I think this calls for a conga line!"

"I agree."

The vampiric twosome made their way down the stairs, grinning like idiots.

"This is so much better than the end of our last little venture!" Charity exclaimed. "No one's in a coma, no one's supposedly dead, no one's-"

"It's fine," I smiled. "Not perfect, but fine."

I gave my hair a little flippy universal girl thing, adding an over-huge grin. Charity mouthed an 'oh' and began to drag Sam out the back door, muttering something about watering some basil she'd planted in Magnus's yard.

Meanwhile, I stood, facing him. We both had awkward looks on our faces.

"I... I meant what I said," Magnus finally muttered. "About being powerless around you. You bring out the best in me, Faith."
I blushed, then lowered my eyes. "But we still aren't back on."

Magnus lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. "Not romantically," He whispered. "But I can't stay away from you without slipping away. How does 'best friends till the end' sound?"

I sneakily wrapped my hands around his neck, and smirked. "It'll do-for now."

Smiling his perfect smile, Magnus kissed my again, even more passionately, his lips scouring every inch of mine. We were both out of breath when he pulled back.

"I thought we weren't involved romantically," I breathed.

"We aren't," Magnus smirked, taking a step back. "But give a guy a break."

The End

xxx

Coming up:

Kiss of Death: The final tale. The foursome travel to England, must defeat Niki for good, and... well, there'll probably be some pretty good make-outs along the way. And will Magnus finally admit his true feelings for Faith? In other words, admit that he STILL has feelings for her at all?