Skylar POV- Skylar took Reid and Tyler back to her dorm to protect them. She was torn between protecting the guy she was coming to love and her new friend and going out and finding the guy that killed her best friend.
Outside her door was a package and she just stopped and stared at it. For once in her life she'd tried to be normal bit it wasn't meant to be. She sighed and picked up the box before letting the boys into her dorm.
"What's that?" Reid asked.
"It's nothing" she replied.
"Hey. What's in it?" Reid asked lightly running his hand down her arm.
"A dress for the Fall Festival" Skylar said softly.
"We can always dance before Caleb ascends and needs protecting. Besides I'm sure he'll be at the dance with Sarah so strength in numbers" Reid tried to reassure her.
Then his cell phone went off.
"Hey Caleb… what? Is he okay? Well yeah we're with Skylar. Sure man, call me when you leave Sarah's" Reid said his face pale.
"What happened?" Tyler and Skylar asked.
"Pogue's been in an accident. Caleb thinks it was Chase. He's checking on Sarah now. We'll head over to see Pogue and Kate in the morning" Reid explained.
Skylar sat down on her bed and everyone was silent.
"Is he okay….I mean…" Skylar started.
"Caleb said he was stable but really beat up" Reid said.
Skylar nodded wondering if she could have prevented it. Then she decided not to worry about what was and focus on what can be.
"We won't all fit in my bed since it appears you're both staying. I'll take the floor" she said.
"No. I'll take the floor. You two have the bed" Tyler said grinning a little at them both.
"Hey she's stronger than both of us. She doesn't HAVE to protect us but she is. So be nice not a perv and get that grin off your face" Reid said.
Skylar got Tyler, who was no longer grinning, a couple extra pillows and blankets for comfort. Then both she and Reid got into her bed and quickly fell asleep worn out from the stressful day and knowing it wasn't over yet. They all forgot Caleb was supposed to call them when/if he left Sarah's dorm.
The call came later that night around 3 A.M. on Reid's phone. Caleb wanted them all at the hospital right now. They rode in Tyler's Hummer but Reid was the one driving. Caleb met them at the door of the hospital and Sarah was in the waiting room.
"I want you to take a look at them" Caleb asked Skylar.
She nodded seeing the dark circles under Caleb's eyes. Unlike them he hadn't gotten any sleep. First Caleb led her and the boys to Kate's room. Skylar took one true look at Kate's body before turning to Caleb.
"Take me to see Pogue" she demanded.
Caleb silently led her to Pogue's room. Once again Skylar truly looked at the body lying in the bed connected to half a dozen machines.
"What is it?" Caleb asked softly.
"Chase is good I'll give him that. Don't suppose you'd know if he has any spell books do you?"
"No why?" Skylar took a breath prepared to tell the boys that their best friend, their brother may die.
"There's a death spell on Kate and Pogue. Like a bomb waiting for him to detonate it" Skylar explained.
"Can you stop it?"
"Maybe if I had time and a book to help kind of guide me through it."
Skylar was ready to kill Chase now more than ever.
"I say we all go after Chase. Right now" Reid said angry.
"Listen it may not be that easy. You guys stay here with Pogue. Do what you can please. Call me if there's a change" Caleb told them before he walked out the door and joined Sarah.
Skylar was too afraid to try and untangle the death spell currently gripping Pogue's heart in its oily black tendrils. She was even too scared to try and ease his pain for fear of setting off the spell. So instead she sat down next to Reid, took his hand and waited.
Reid POV- Caleb called them all back around Noon. When they'd left the hospital there had been no change in either Pogue or Kate. They stopped by their dorms to grab their clothes for the dance later that night.
"Here drink this. Gotta stay alert and awake" Skylar said before they got in the Hummer to go to Caleb's house.
"What is it? Some kind of rejuvenating potion?" Tyler said taking the cup from her.
"Yeah it's called coffee" Skylar smiled.
Once at Caleb's house he asked Skylar to go upstairs and get ready with Sarah mostly to keep her company and also to protect her. Reid watched Skylar go up the long set of stairs with a smile on his face even in such a troublesome time. The boys got ready downstairs. Then Caleb explained to them what happened last night between Chase and himself.
"Caleb you cannot do this alone. We have to go to the others… this Council" Caleb's mother begged.
"We can't do that. He'll kill us all including you. Pogue was the final warning" Caleb explained taking his mother's hands.
"We have to go to your father…"
"No. I know what you're thinking mother and you know what'll happen."
"But he loves you."
"Well then he'll die with that secret."
His mother turned away clearly angry.
"Where's Sarah?"
"Upstairs changing with Skylar" Caleb answered.
"Why not give Chase that one? She's more powerful than you."
"No!" Reid said taking an aggressive step forward ready to use his powers.
"Reid. I's okay that'll never happen. I want you guys to all take Sarah to the dance. I'll meet you there. I don't think he'll try anything in the open" Caleb said setting his hand on Reid's shoulder.
"Would you just let us help you? You know we've got your back" Reid said.
"I know you do but please just once do what I ask" Caleb said.
Just as Reid was about to argue Sarah and Skylar came down the stairs and his mouth went dry and his brain cells lost function. While Sarah was in a cream colored dress that flared out at her knees and her hair was neatly pinned up, Skylar was the exact opposite and Reid couldn't stop staring.
Her hair was down and wild waves flowing over her shoulders and her black dress was in two pieces. The top piece a halter top that stopped just above her belly button and a few inches below that her loose skirt started and it touched the ground but he could see black strappy heels on her feet.
"You girls look beautiful" Caleb's mom said.
Sarah joined Caleb and Skylar smiled walking over to Reid.
"Wo…uh…yo…damn" Reid stuttered.
"Not so bad yourself hotshot" Skylar grinned and kissed his cheek.
"Ready?" Caleb asked.
They all headed out to Tyler's Hummer. Reid was so distracted by Skylar that he ran into one of the stuffed animals on the way out.
Skylar POV- Skylar couldn't help but grin and gave herself a way-to-go cheer in her head. Reid was tripping over his words AND his feet staring at her. She tried hard to find the right dress and his reaction was all she needed to know it was perfect. Skylar and Sarah rode in the back while Reid and Tyler were up front Tyler now behind the wheel.
"Gorgeous" Reid finally spoke up, looking at her, halfway through the ride to the school.
"Thanks, you look amazing" she replied fighting down a blush.
Once at the school they got out and headed for the doors. Reid had her arm tucked into one of his. They stood by the doors where they agreed to meet Caleb. She felt someone use the power and she turned her head searching the crowd. Her eyes locked on a pair of black ones just across the court yard. When she blinked he was gone.
"I think Chase is here "she said softly. Before they could reply Reid's phone went off.
Reid POV- "Hey any sign of him?" Caleb asked. Reid looked over at Skylar who shook her head and shrugged.
"No" Reid replied.
"Good. Listen I'm on my way. If he does show please promise me you won't do anything stupid. Trust Skylar."
Once again Reid looked at Skylar simply just to look at her.
"I already do" Reid said into the phone.
"How's Sarah doing? Can I talk to her?"
"Yeah she's fine hang on."
However when Reid turned to Sarah she was gone and Skylar was slowly getting up off the ground.
"She was just here. What happened?" Tyler asked.
"He muted the attack I couldn't hear him and clearly neither could you" Skylar said rubbing the back off her head.
"Are you okay?" Reid asked taking her arm.
"Yeah I blocked his big attack so he shoved me down, grabbed Sarah and vanished."
"Caleb? Caleb?" Reid said into the phone getting no answer.
"Something's happened" Reid said as the line went dead.
Both Tyler and Reid looked at Skylar.
"I can find him but we won't make it in time" she said and Reid looked down at his watch.
"Can't you just teleport us there like he did?" Tyler asked.
"Sure if you boys want to be unconscious when we get there. You've never traveled like that before. It takes training and time to get used to it" she explained.
"12 minutes past 11" Reid said panicking as he looked at his watch again.
"Happy birthday Caleb" Tyler said.
Skylar POV- Skylar felt a soft wave of power flow on the air over her. The boys didn't even feel it but she did. Caleb had just ascended. However a few minutes later she felt another wave of power and this time she had no idea where it came from. Not too long after Reid's phone rang again, it was Caleb. Reid grinned and nodded before he simply said okay and hung up.
"Caleb beat Chase. He's gone and Sarah's fine. There was a fire so they have to stay to give their statements" Reid said.
"Good" Skylar said finally feeling free of the burden of her mission to get justice for her friend, even though Chase didn't fall at her own hand she was just glad he was gone.
With a sigh of relief the stress and unspoken fear from the last few days left them. Then they all walked into the dance smiling and celebrated their victory.
The next day Skylar had Reid take her to the hospital to check on Kate and Pogue. After checking on Kate and glad to see the death spell gone, Skylar made her way to Pogue's room. The spell was also gone from his heart. She entered his room and stood at his side. Slowly she lifted her left hand and held it about an inch above his heart and let her eyes go white.
"Sana" she said softly.
Her palm glowed white. Then a little white orb came off her palm and went down into Pogue's chest down into his heart. Silently she turned and left the room.
"What did you do?" Reid asked.
"It's a healing spell. With every beat of his heart it pumps the spell through his veins slowly healing him from the inside out so as not to make doctors suspicious" Skylar explained.
"Thank you" Reid said pulling her close.
"He's my friend too."
8 MONTHS LATER
Skylar POV- Skylar threw her graduation cap in the air and cheered with the rest of her class mates.
After the events of the past September Skylar learned the second wave of power had come from Caleb's father willing Caleb his power.
She'd had to explain why firefighters hadn't been able to find Chase's body it was because witches burn fast and hot. They leave no body.
Pogue explained everything to Kate and now they were stronger than ever.
Sarah and Caleb were still hot and heavy and he'd finally gotten his mom to stop drinking, with a little help from Skylar.
Tyler was currently dating one of the top swimmers on the girls team and he was quite proud that she could beat him in the pool.
Pogue ascended in October, Reid and Tyler both ascended in November one at the beginning of the month and one at the end of the month.
In March they all sat down and talked for a good two hours with Skylar before deciding to join the Council. The Council was thrilled to have new members to teach and glad to have the Book of Damnation back in their library.
They also said it would be okay if Skylar taught the boys some spells from the book, ones that wouldn't age them. Most of them were in training to become enforcers now.
Finally her and Reid made their own choices as well. So that night, their final night in their dorms, Reid kissed her outside her door.
"I love you" Reid said pulling away smiling.
Even though he'd said it many times to her in the past 8 months she still loved hearing it.
"I love you too" she replied smiling at him.
Then she opened her door and pulled him inside. Not long after, white and red light could be seen flashing under her door until they merged into a vibrant pulsing pink.
The End