I revealed Bryce's status, at least partially, really early for a reason... the power of secrecy! We do get to find out his maybe bloodlines... you'll see.

I am struggling a little, there is so much dialogue and I am a prose writer primarily. Finding the places to change while also keeping in character is hard.


Bryce was watching with great interest as Phoebe ran a blowdryer over a freaking mermaid's golden tail. The woman in question was beautiful and blonde, but her pain was great. He wanted to be near her, to ease her pain. It was the strangest thing, before today he would have felt nothing but now... now he wanted nothing more than to ease the ache so strong he felt it in his own heart.

The door to the Manor opened once again, suddenly, and a beautiful girl with auburn hair walked in. "Okay, I just cut work on the day of my big promotion and sped through a rainstorm to get here, what is the 9... 11?" Her voice stalled as she looked a Mylie the mermaid.

Leo smiled. "Phoebe found a mermaid."

Phoebe snarked. "Actually, she found me. On the way to a very important court date, I might add." Her words caused an echo of pain that left him breathless, something Leo noticed. The man put a hand on his shoulder, smiling soflty.

Mylie held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Mylie. You must be Paige. You have a very big underwater fan base."

"You're a mermaid? You guys actually exist? And who's this?" She nodded toward's Bryce, who smiled at her.

"Bryce, I am an innocent and a witch who can heal. Leo's my whitelighter."

Paige smiled. " I'm Paige and a little jealous that you can heal but I can't. Are you part Whitelighter too?"

"Not at all, Leo is sure of that since my healing is different. It makes me feel the pain of the person who I am healing and it's grey."

The conversation stopped as another wave of pain made him groan, this time from Piper who said. " Uh, excuse me. When you said, uh, sea hag, did you mean like old woman hag or evil magic hag? Because see, I'm not really in the battle mood today."

Mylie looked unsure. " Uh, she's kinda both."

"Uh-huh."

Paige, in awe, turned to the Mermaid. "Forget that. What's life like under the sea? Does your skin get wrinkly? Does algae pose a personal hygiene problem?"

Leo chuckled. : Okay, guys, why don't we let her up for a little air."

Mylie smiled. " No, it's okay, I don't mind. Actually, there's nothing like being a mermaid. Swim in the open sea all day, explore endless wonders, it's pure freedom."

Phoebe's pain spiked. "Sounds like heaven. I'm sure you want to get back. I can drop you off at the beach on my way..."

"Wait, you don't understand. It was a great life. For the first few hundred years." Everyone, Bryce included, looked at her with awe and shock.

Leo naturally explained. " Mermaids are immortal."

"Yeah, we can spend eternity at sea. Because our hearts are, well, some say are as cold as the water. But sometimes a mermaid gets lonely and her heart warms and she wants more."

Paige gave her a look. " Is that what happened to you?"

Mylie nodded. "Mm-hmm. The ocean's floor is littered with bones of mortals who died for love. I had to know why."

"Now these bones, um, could they be bones of mortals that perhaps the sea hag killed?" Piper said, her tone shifting to something fearful.

Paige exclaimed. "Piper."

"What?"

Leo sighed. "So you said you wanted to feel love, is that why you went to see the sea hag?"

" Yes. If a mortal professes his love to a mermaid, she becomes human. The sea hag agreed to give me legs but if I didn't find love before her deadline I would have to give her my immortality."

Phoebe scoffed. "All that for a guy? Boy, did you get taken for a ride."

"She's not like you and Cole." Phoebe cringed and everyone looked at Bryce as he spoke, who sighed. " Sorry, I can feel pain and like knowing Piper was Preggers, I just knew about Cole, Like I was diagnosing your pain. I can feel it, your soul aches. It's like your broadcasting pain. The book described it as Empathy but it's only with pain... and medical stuff."

Mylie leaned forward. " But I did find love, I-I mean I think I did. But I might be dead before I get to find out for sure. Craig's getting on a plane to New York soon."

Piper looked terrified. "Oh, no-no-no, this is good. Because all we gotta do is find the fish lover, get him to spill his guts and then we don't have to face the sea hag."

Paige scolded her. "Piper!"

"What?"

"If your boyfriend's love can make you human why don't you just tell him you're a mermaid?"

Mylie raised her brow. "You mean, that I'm a genetic freak with a fish tail coated in glandular slime?"

Leo nodded."She raises a good point."

Paige put a hand on Mylie's shoulder. "You may be half fish, but you're still a woman and women, you know they generally know when a man's in love even before he does."

Phoebe sneered. "Oh, puh-lease! If I wrote that slop in my column I'd be driven out of town."

Paige looked at her sisters with annoyance. "Okay, that is it. Can I see you two in the kitchen?" Then the Charmed Ones turned to go to the Kitchen, leaving Leo, Bryce, and Mylie together.

Bryce, moved by Mylie's tale, reached out and grabbed her hand. Instantly his hands started to glow a soft grey and he watched the girl let out a happy sigh just as he cringed, tears filling his eyes and pain filling his heart. "Your pain, your doubt. It's so strong. I am so sorry."

She looked at him with awe. "You actually took my pain... how?"

Bryce sighed. "I just got my powers today, they all seem to revolve around healing and light. I guess... I guess I am taking your pain, since healing the mind is still healing you know?"

She nodded. "You remind me of a Cupid or an Empath, they can do something similar. I've seen it, Cupids unsealing the love in someone's heart and Emapths healing emotional pain. It's a really wonderful ability, not a witch power though..." She gave him a look of shock as her mind seemed to click. "Wait, your not Greek are you?"

He panicked. "Please, not out loud... the Elders might hurt me." he was still a little unclear about everything else but Leo had been so adamant about that he was sure he had no desire to be near the Elders. He liked living thank you!

She gave him a soft smile. "I know what you are, I've met people like you. There used to be a lot more of you when the bloodlines were purer. Your latent witch blood must have connected with your divine blood creating a Witch that can heal. Don't worry about the Elders hearing me, they can't. My powers keep me entirely immune to their magics. They can't even really hurt me unless I let them."

Bryce let out a long sigh, sheer relief flooding his body. "Thank you, seriously."

"Not a problem." She leaned in and smiled, whispering. "Your probably the legacy of Apollo or his son Asclepius. They were the gods of healing and Apollo was the Light Gods. Ie wasn't around then, but a few of my friends were. I learned a lot from them. I've seen other legacies, Legacies of Demeter who manifest plant magic or legacies of Apollo who can see the future. A lot of Psychics today are his descendants you know, that's what they are. Some demons are their legacies too, like stronger Necromancers or Alchemists... some demons were actually made by the gods. Mercury demons for example. Muses were created by the Original Muses to spread their power out, not all of the gods were evil from what I gather."

Leo whistled low. "You know a lot."

"I am very old and I have some extremely old friends. You get to learn a lot when your life is like that."

"Thank you, I... I appreciate it, really I do."

She squeezed his hand tight, a warm filling him that was not magical at all but deep respect and appreciation for the kind mermaid before him. "I know what it's like to have no power over your life. I get that..." Her eyes went sad once more and the room filled with a somber essence that was impossibly heavy.

Bryce wished he could heal her wounds, the pain in her heart born of doubt and fear but he had a feeling magic wasn't the answer, but love was. He wished he could give her that...

'Maybe I can... I mean spells are just rhyming right? Why not link the man's heart hers, make her feel her love for him, helping him to be honest with her? I don't know if magic works over distance... I also have to trust the guy to do what is right, so I will make that plan b... or maybe D?'

So excited was he for his plan, he never noticed Leo's eyes on him. The man looking at him with worry, concern and curiosity.

;;;;

'He's handling this really well, almost too well... I wonder if he is as new as he claims. I mean he does technically has to be, otherwise, I wouldn't be his Whitelighter. Maybe he's just weird...'

Sighing, Leo decided just to focus and keep his mind on both Mylie and Bryce. Either way he had his work cut out for him, protecting Bryce from the Elders and helping with Mylie. He didn't have time to be suspicious, not just yet.

Later, when things calmed down...

Later.


Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a joy.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.