Chapter 22
Lizette groaned looking at the clock. It was only 8:00 a.m. She hadn't slept well though for she was worried about Raven. She signed and reached for her cell. She needed reinforcements. She punched four on her speed dial.
"Hello?" A sleepy voice said.
"Shit I forgot it was only seven there. Sorry Jer!"
"No prob cuz. What's up?" A brown haired girl asked sitting up in bed. The sunlight fell on her golden highlights. Her brown, doe like, eyes blinking against the harshness of the brightness.
"It's Raven. She needs us!" Lizette said.
"I thought I'd been sensing something! What happened?"
"She was raped by Shane Archer and, the banished member of the son's of Ipswich, Chase Collins."
"Oh my god!" The girl said. "I'll be on the next flight out!"
Lizette heard her hang up. She knew there would be a few more Sacketts joining Spencer Academy Monday morning. Jerelyns brothers Jared and Josh, eighteen year old twins, wouldn't be far behind.
Her phone rang. She looked to see who was calling. She smiled answering "Hello Reid."
"Hi Becky." I didn't wake you up did I?"
"No. I was up. I just got off the phone actually."
"Oh?"
"I was calling in reinforcements."
"More Sacketts?" He asked.
She heard the hesitation in his voice. She laughed.
"Yea I'm sure there will be two more of my male cousins joining us. Jerelyns brothers Jared and Josh. They'll be in your class."
"Jerelyn?"
"They called us three the Three Musketeers when we were little. All the same age. Man the trouble we got in!" She reminisced. "Sorry Reid! What did you need?"
"I have to break our date for today. I'm really sorry!" She heard the regret in his voice.
"Why what's wrong? Is it Tyler?"
"No. It's Caleb." He said.
"What happened?"
"Sarah broke up with him. She packed up and just left. It's hit him pretty hard!"
She could hear the worry in his voice.
"It's ok Reid. I'll spend the day at the Downings trying to get through to Raven."
"Thanks Becky! I knew you'd understand!"
"No problem Reid."
"I love you Becky!" Reid said unexpectedly.
She was shocked. This coming from the player of the son's of Ipswich. She never thought she'd hear it from him no matter how much she loved him.
"I loved you to Reid!" She said hanging up.
Reid put down his phone and saw Tyler staring at him in shock. "What?"
"You told Lizzie you loved her?"
Reid grinned. "Yea I did. I've never felt like this before with anyone Ty. I don't even feel like using anymore! She's everything little brother. I know how you feel now. It's as if were like complete when were together."
Tyler was happy for Reid. He really was, but the tears fell as he thought of Raven.
"Damn I'm sorry Tyler!" Reid said.
"It's not your fault Reid. I want you to be happy with Lizette! It just hurts wishing I could hold Raven again." Tyler sobbed.
"You will little brother! Raven will come back to you! Just give her time." Reid said hugging Tyler. "We better go. Pogue said Caleb was taking Sarah's leaving hard. He's been using. That isn't like him!"
Tyler wiped his tears away with his sleeve and nodded grabbing his jacket.
"Stop it Caleb!" Pogue cried hugging his best friend. "You're killing yourself!"
Caleb didn't care. His heart was breaking. His bedroom was destroyed. Thank god his mother had gone with Mr. Sims on his business trip. He thought of Tyler. Tyler had been shocked to hear their parents were dating one another. He was happy about it though.
"Caleb listen to me please!" Pogue said.
"I didn't know it would hurt so bad!" Caleb sobbed. "I've only been with her for a month, but it feels like we've been together forever!"
Pogue held Caleb as he cried. He didn't know what would have happened if he hadn't felt Caleb using. So much for having a happy birthday. Two of his brothers were hurting that came first!
Tyler and Reid walked into the room looking around in shock at the destruction. Their eyes turned black as they fixed the room.
"Don't!" Caleb said. "You'll…"
"Sorry Caleb! We're here for you this time!" Reid said. "No lectures! Besides it's not going to hurt Tyler anymore remember! He can use all he wants!"
When the room was back in place Reid and Tyler both hugged Caleb.
Pogue suddenly felt pain in his stomach. Shit he thought looking at his watch. 9:37 a.m. It was time. He'd forgotten about ascending when he felt Caleb this morning. He screamed in pain as the power rose him up in the air. Jagged layers of light poured into him.
"Oh my god!" Reid said.
They had forgotten Pogue's birthday with everything going on.
"Shit!" Caleb said watching Pogue ascend.
Pogue fell to the ground. His body was like gelatin then came back together again. He was just gaining his breathe when pain shot through him again.
"Caleb!" He cried in horror as he began to ascend again. Different colors of light poured into him.
"I'm sorry my son that I wasn't there to warn you that you would ascend a second time. This time from my blood. The Sackett blood. It will over ride your aging. You don't have to be afraid to use your power. You won't die at an early age now my son. My gift to you! Use Freely! I love you my son!"
Pogue fell to the floor and blacked out.
"Pogue!" Reid cried running to him. He cradled him in his arms and held him.
Raven and Rade both sat straight up in bed.
"Pogue!" Raven exclaimed.
"Ascended twice!" Rade said. "He wasn't prepared! We better go!"
Lizette was just hanging up her phone after confirming arrangements with Jerelyn when she felt Pogue ascend. Oh shit she though. He was half Sackett. He probably didn't know he would ascend twice. From two lines of power. She hurried to the parking lot meeting her brothers there.
Raven forgot her own problems the minute she felt Pogue's pain. If he hadn't of ascended with the Sackett blood she'd of never have felt it. She climbed into Ryder's red Hummer. Ryder and Rayne sat in the front while she and Rade sat in the back in silence.
Ten minutes later they pulled up to the Danver's house. Lizette and her brothers pulling in behind them. They followed the scent of the power to Pogue.
Raven and Lizette looked at one another knowing that they had to do this! Rade motioned the three other sons away from Pogue. Caleb and Tyler stepped away, but Reid refused.
"Please Reid let us help him!" Lizette pleaded holding out her hand to him. "Trust me!"
Reid looked down at Pogue then back at the girl of his dreams. He gently laid Pogue back down trusting his Becky. He took her hand and she helped him up taking him to Tyler and Caleb pushing them farther back.
She then went and knelt across from Raven, Pogue between them. They looked at one another then down at their blood cousin. They rested their hands on Pogue and said an incantation. Light burst up around them pouring into Pogue. Lizette looked at Raven in worry felling her falter. 'Hold on Raven!' She projected.
Pogue felt his strength returning to him. He was blinded by light. The pain was leaving his body and he felt a new life force inside him. The bright light was suddenly gone and he felt someone collapse on him. He opened his eyes to see Lizette looking down at him with concern. His right arm was penned down by someone. He started seeing it was Raven.
Lizette stood up and felt dizziness rush through her. Reid caught her steadying her. He lifted her up and sat her on Caleb's bed. Rade picked Raven up and laid her on Caleb's bed.
"You all right Pogue?" Ryder asked helping him up. "I never thought to warn you I'm sorry!"
"You knew I'd ascend twice?" Pogue asked.
"Yes. All the Downings and Sacketts do unless one of their sires doesn't have power." Ryder answered.
Fear surged through Rade as he felt for Raven's pulse. He used his own healing powers on her, but it wasn't working.
"NO!" He let the sobs come. "Ryder do something!"
"What's wrong with her? I thought none of you could die from the power?" Reid asked.
"We can't. Incantations we can. The power of them comes from the heart." Lizette explained starting to cry.
Tyler let out a sob as he rushed toward Raven. Caleb tried to hold him back, but he wasn't able to.
"Raven!" Tyler sobbed as he leaned over her kissing her. He felt the power surge forward from him. He had no control over it. He shivered in anticipation as Raven started to return the kiss. Her arms went around him soon after.
Reid watched in amazement seeing the kiss revive Raven. He turned Lizette's face toward him gently, wiping her tears away. He kissed her, and she slowly returned it. He felt the power of love take over. She felt her strength returning in waves.
Caleb watched jealously. Oh god he thought. Now he knew how Reid felt all these years of him. He watched Parker Sackett hit Reid upside the head bringing him back from the power of the kiss. He saw Reid look at Lizette's brother as he stepped back from her.
"Oh damn!" Lizette said suddenly looking at her watch. "I've got to get to the airport!"
"What?" Asked Reid startled. "You can't leave me! I just found you!"
Pogue looked at Caleb who looked at him in return. They had never seen Reid desperate like this before. He really was in love!
"Never fear love! Jerelyn and the twin's flight will be coming in soon!"
"Jerelyns on her way?" Ryder asked in bewilderment.
"I called her." Lizette said.
Rayne groaned. "Not the three of you together again! Damn how many times did I get the blame for what the three of you did?"
Raven's fears were eased as she felt Tyler's kiss reviving her. She lost herself in his kiss. Tyler felt and only saw his beloved below him. They were both oblivious to the others in the room. Rade scared them both when he caught Tyler's hand just as he was about to put it up her shirt.
Tyler groaned when he looked up to see Raven's three older brothers standing above him. He was pulled off of Raven and pushed up against the wall. His brothers tensed up ready to help him, but Rade hugged Tyler and thanked him.
"Just quit kissing her when I'm around would ya!" He started to leave the room. "Happy birthday Pogue."
Tyler looked at Raven. The others left the room one by one sending Pogue well wishes for his birthday, till only the four sons of Ipswich and Lizette and Raven were left in the room.
"Tyler can I borrow your hummer?" Reid asked.
"For what?" Tyler asked.
"To take Becky to the airport to pick up her cousins."
"Yea sure." Tyler said.
Reid grinned. "Can I have the keys please?"
"Oh sure." Tyler said taking them out of his pocket and throwing them to Reid who caught them taking Lizette's hand.
He stopped by Pogue on the way out the door and hugged him. "Happy Birthday Pogue. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it man!" Pogue said hugging him back.
"Happy Birthday Pogue! I've got something for you, but I'll have to give it to you later!" Lizette said.
Pogue looked at her. "I have you and Raven to thank for my life. Ascending totally drained me. If you hadn't of come…"
"Your blood Pogue!" Lizette said as if that explained it all.
He smiled as they left the room. He looked at Caleb who was watching Tyler and Raven. Tyler was holding her as if he'd never let her go. Caleb was hurting he could tell. He caught his attention and nodded toward the door. Caleb nodded and followed him out the door turning back to look one last time at the two so in love.
"Happy Birthday Pogue!" Caleb said. "I'm sorry that I didn't remember."
"Don't worry about it man. You had your own problems. Yea it bothers me some, but I understand!"
They were out in the hallway talking, not wanting to go far incase Tyler needed them.
Tyler held Raven to him as she cried. "Raven?"
"Do you still want me Tyler after what happened?" She asked scared.
"With all my heart Raven!" Tyler said.
Raven kissed him. Neither heard anything until it was too late. The door slammed shut locking. They jumped turning to see what happened.
"Oh god!" Raven said.
Tyler felt fear run through him. It was Adam standing right inside the window. He threw a ball of fire at them knocking them apart. Raven against the bed and Tyler hard against the wall.
"Pogue! Caleb!" Raven screamed before a ball of fire knocked her out.
The door slamming shut alarmed Caleb and Pogue. Turning Caleb frowned. "They better not be doing it in my bed." He muttered. Pogue grinned at him. They felt the power being used then, and Raven screaming for them.