Whispering Hills. One of the oldest cemeteries in existence from the original thirteen colonies, and the largest located within Ipswich's city limits. A rather impressive expanse of rolling hills and well-maintained grasses, and a varied collection of headstones, great and small, some clearly more aged than others. A final resting place for at least thirteen generations of family, friends, loved ones…

And in September, it had become the final resting place of William Danvers III.

Caleb sighed deeply, hardly hearing the sprinkling rain as it pelted softly upon his umbrella. He'd lost track of how long he'd been standing out here in darkness amongst the decorative headstones—some more massive and intricately carved than others—staring wordlessly at one large marker in particular signifying his father's grave. Once again, he re-read the black lettering that had been etched into the smooth, gray stone:

William Arthur Danvers III

1962-2006

Beloved Husband & Father

"In our silence, let us be free…"

Free? His mind scoffed. No. The Sons of Ipswich were never free; never had been free. They were doomed to inherit the Power and become slaves to it, their adult lives shackled to an intoxicating force that would ultimately drain the life from them at an accelerated rate. Aging them. Weakening them. Leading to their untimely deaths. Surrounding him were numerous stones bearing the names Garwin; Simms; Parry; many of them previous Sons who had suffered similar fates. Some had been able to successfully balance their willpower against their desire to use, while others like his father…

Caleb closed his eyes, his jaws clenching together beneath his cheeks. His father. In his prime, he'd been one of the most powerful Sons of his generation, only to be reduced to a decrepit shell of a man who could do little more than blink for himself. Beneath that withered exterior, however, there still lingered an extraordinary Power, something Caleb had always been able to detect behind those impossibly bright blue eyes. Power William simply couldn't resist, no matter how much physical pain it brought him, or how much heartache it caused his family. Selfishly continuing to use and use while his wife and child could do little more than watch him gradually waste away.

He'd felt it, though; felt the very moment his father had willed him his Power following his Ascension. Felt it fusing with his own newly matured powers and rushing through his veins with such intoxicating furor, giving him the strength he needed to cast finally Chase Collins into whatever fiery hell he'd been vanquished to. Such magnified Power that now belonged to him at the cost of his father's life. An act of self-sacrifice to save his only son from death. Proof that his father had loved him more than his powers by relinquishing them to him. Even now, he could feel the force of it pulsing through him, making his fingers itch with the need to simply use…

Opening his eyes, he fixed the engraving of his father's name with an icy glare. "I hate you," he whispered hoarsely. Adamantly. Neither his heart nor mind denying how much he truly believed in those words.

There was no response from William Danvers, nor did he expect one. Feeling himself sneer slightly, Caleb turned and walked away, not sparing his father's headstone another glance as he made his way back to the stone pathway in the gentle rain.

Lily drew in a long breath, releasing it slowly through parted lips as she tried to fathom everything Sarah had just revealed to her in the past half hour. "Warlocks," she repeated from her account.

"Trust me: I had a hard time believing it myself at first," Sarah sighed from the opposite bed, "but I saw Caleb's dad with my own eyes, and I've seen what these guys are capable of. This is real, Lily; I promise you I'm not making it up."

Lowering her eyes, she wrung her hands in her lap. The Sons of Ipswich…a coven of warlocks? Descended from those who'd escaped persecution during the Salem Witch Trials? While her mind was swimming with so much doubt and uncertainty, she was also aware that Sarah had never looked away from her eyes—not even once—during their entire conversation. It was a trait that compelled her to keep listening, regardless of how outrageous her claims might be. "And…Tyler has this kind of power, too?"

"Yes. He hasn't Ascended yet, but there are things he can do—that all of them can do with their powers that I just can't explain."

She swallowed hard. Sarah had mentioned that particular word several times: Ascension. When their powers peaked and then gradually drained them of life as they continued to use, resulting in that gut-wrenching description she'd given of Caleb's father. Her heart clenched painfully as she thought about Tyler. "Umm…" She licked her lips. "If…what you're saying is true," the words seemed to come so slowly as she lifted her eyes to hers, "then what you said happened to Caleb's dad…that same thing is going to eventually happen to Tyler?"

"That's hard to say. Caleb said some become more addicted to it than others, so it's a crapshoot as to how much it will impact him after he turns eighteen."

This time, it was Sarah who cast her gaze downward, and Lily's brow furrowed when she detected the sadness emanating from her. Obviously, there was more going on between her and Caleb than she was willing to share, but she didn't feel it was her place to press for details on such a matter.

Then she gave her head a shake. "I have something for you," she turned to rummage through her bag.

"For me?"

"Yeah," she said, pulling out what appeared to be an old, leather-bound book from its confines. "I borrowed this from the school library, and…well, here," she handed the book to her. "It'll give you some more insight into what I've been telling you about."

Lily accepted it from her, reading the title that was engraved in old-English font on the cover. Chronicles of Paganism: The Rise of the Witch. She blinked. Oh…

"I bookmarked chapter eight for you; that one's specifically about the witches of Ipswich, and you get a little more background information on the boys' families. It's how I started to figure some things out about Caleb before he finally told me everything."

She could feel a slight prickling in the back of her mind as she continued to stare at the worn title, and then a sudden, strange coldness seemed to waft through her chest, as if wanting to deter her from looking. "I, um…I'm not sure I can believe all this…"

"Nor was I expecting you to," she said, zipping her bag closed, "which is why I think it would help if you talked to Tyler about it."

Lily lifted her head at that, feeling the rising warmth in her chest overpower the cold. "Can he prove the things that you've told me?"

Smiling gently, she said, "I know he'd like the chance to; he really misses spending time with you, Lily."

She flushed nervously, lowering her eyes once more. So do I, she thought.

"I'm still getting to know the kind of person Tyler is, but what I do already know is how much you mean to him. That's been obvious ever since the first time I heard him talk about you."

The blush in her cheeks intensified, but in a way that had her smiling inwardly. "I care about him, too," she said, looking up at her again.

"And he's not the only one looking out for you. I take it you've noticed all four of the guys have been keeping a close eye on you lately?"

She pulled in a breath, recalling very clearly what had taken place in the library earlier that day. "Yeah, I have."

Sarah also nodded. "There's a reason for that. I've heard a little bit about what's been going on at swim practices lately, and it sounds like they're all concerned about what's happening to you. Hell, even I'm getting concerned the more I hear about it."

She sighed. "Take a number."

"Is everything okay, Lily?"

Subtlety shaking her head, she told her, "So far, all my tests have come back negative, and my doctors say I'm perfectly healthy, but…"

"You're not convinced."

"No," she said quickly. "Mom's going to set up an appointment for an MRI next to see if there's something going on neurologically. This isn't normal for me, and there just has to be some kind of answer to all this."

Sarah's perfect eyebrows arched. "Does Tyler know about any of this?"

She hesitated, but then said, "No."

"Maybe it's about time he did. He would want to know what's going on with you health-wise, even if you are still looking for answers. I know how worried he is about you."

The warmth billowed through her chest again. And God, did she ever want to confide in him about all this. She had so much she wanted to…needed to tell him…

"Listen," Sarah said, recapturing her attention, "Tyler never meant to hurt you the night of Fall Fest; I swear. He was doing Caleb a huge favor by acting as one of my protectors, and with everything that happened that week, the fact that he needed to cancel your date really did slip his mind. Believe me: he knows how badly he screwed up with you that night, and he's regretted it ever since."

Despite her mind wanting to remind her of the humiliation she'd felt at the dance, Lily continued to focus on the warmth that seemed to now be spreading through her veins. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Those boys…they really are like brothers, and they will stop at nothing to protect each other. It's how their families have always operated, but they'll also do the same thing for those they care about. I mean, they all stepped up when they knew I needed protection," she smiled softly, "and now I see them doing the same for you. Don't be afraid to take them up on that offer, Lily. They'd do anything for Tyler, and that includes looking out for you."

Protection, her mind echoed, and then she slowly started to frown as her thoughts lingered on that one word. Her fingers tightened on the book. "Chase Collins really tried to kill you?"

Sarah's own smile disappeared, a hardness seeming to overcome her features. "He did. He threatened to kill me and everyone else Caleb loves if he refused to will him his Power, and he ended up using me to blackmail him into a final showdown."

For a moment, Lily held her breath. Chase a warlock, too? She'd hardly known the guy, but had seen him at swim practices a few times during that first week of school. Then his face was everywhere she turned when his "Missing Person" flyers were plastered all around campus the following week, seeking any possible information as to his whereabouts. Some had said that he'd taken his parent's money and ran off to the West Coast; others claimed he'd committed suicide by driving his car off the Old Dell cliffs. For her part, though, Lily had never speculated about what had happened to him, but she was nonetheless shocked to hear that he'd potentially tried to kill one of Tyler's best friends. It shocked her even more to find out that Tyler's life could have also been at risk if Caleb had refused to cooperate with his wishes. "Whatever did happen to Chase that night?"

"The barn completely burned down with him inside of it," she said very matter-of-factly.

Her stomach churned slightly; there'd been absolutely no trace of remorse in the elder girl's voice. "But they never found his body?"

Sarah shook her head. "Like I said, they swept the entire area five times, but never found him. Caleb couldn't detect any sign of him, either, and I'd trust his judgment on that more than anyone else's." She sighed quietly, then lifted her chin ever-so-slightly. "As far as I can tell, he's gone for good."

Hearing a sudden bark of laughter, Lily snapped her head to the right, her wide eyes searching the wall beside her, but seeing nothing more than her dresser and various pictures. She could have sworn…

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked.

"Did…you hear that?" She nearly whispered.

"Hear what?"

She stared at the wall only a few more seconds before heaving a resigned sigh. "Never mind," she turned back to her. "Guess it's just a lot on my mind right now…"

"I don't doubt that; it was a lot for me to throw at you," she moved to stand. "And that being said, I should probably get going."

Lily mouthed the word "Oh," though didn't quite say it out loud.

"I'm sorry to suddenly show up the way that I did," she shouldered her bag, "but I really wanted a chance to—"

"No," Lily stood as well, causing Sarah to lock eyes with her. She really was very pretty, but what stood out to her most was the genuine concern she could see emanating from her blue eyes. Despite this being the first time they'd ever spoken, it was touching to know that she'd already been harboring a degree of worry for her from afar. Clutching the book in her arm, she said, "I appreciate everything you had to say tonight, so thank you, Sarah." She finally gave a faint smile. "It was nice to finally meet you."

She smiled brightly, tucking a stray tress of blonde hair behind her ear. "Likewise. Oh, and if you ever need anything, or just need a female perspective, feel free to give our room a call. Kate and I are in A-Building, 245."

No surprise there. Most of Spenser's seniors—including Tyler—were housed in the A-dorm. "I'll write it down," she assured, then really felt the weight of the book against her arm as a thought occurred to her. "You said Chase was adopted. What was his ancestral name again?"

"Putnam," she answered, then inclined her head toward the book, "and there's more than enough mention of him in there, so read that section carefully."

Please do. The thought caused Lily's pulse to race briefly, as she was once again unsure if the voice she'd heard inside her head was her own, or… "I will," she promised, pushing it aside as she walked with Sarah to the door.

"Talk to Tyler, okay?" Sarah encouraged one last time as she opened the door. "I know he'd love to hear from you."

Lily smiled softly. "I will. Bye, Sarah."

"Have a good one," she stepped out into the hall. "And hey, call me soon and let me know how you're doing, okay? Tyler's not the only worrywart you have to deal with."

A nuisance. An absolute nuisance! That's what Sarah Wenham was to him, particularly now. The only useful purpose she'd ever served was as leverage on the night of Caleb's Ascension, a strategy that had nearly worked…at least until Caleb had acquired his father's Power instead. It was no God damn wonder Caleb had managed to overpower him that night. Had it not been for his interference, he would have been the victor that night.

And now, here his precious little girlfriend was again, complicating things even further for him by making Lily aware of what the Sons of Ipswich really were.

Meddlesome little bitch, Chase thought with a sneer.

At the same time, however…

He watched as Lily closed the door behind her, drifting aside so she wouldn't detect his cold presence as she made her way back over to her bed. Her eyes had been riveted on that book the entire time, even as she sat down and curled her legs beneath her, and he could still feel the chaotic swirl of thoughts inside her mind. Confusion; disbelief; uncertainty; fear; they were all fighting for dominance as she wondered how much of Sarah's story she should actually believe.

But there was also that tiny sliver of hope he'd sensed deep within the recesses of her heart, one that seemed to grow and mildly revive her every time the image of Tyler entered her thoughts. And the more she focused on him, the stronger that feeling became, and he was feeling the effects of it as well. Perhaps Sarah's interference hadn't been such a bad thing after all.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, reveling in the sensation that surged through his veins, a feeling that became stronger as he drew nearer to her side.

He saw her lick her lips as she opened to the page Sarah had bookmarked for her, coming to hover just over her right shoulder. The first page of chapter eight—The Witches of Ipswich—displayed several paragraphs of text, as well as a small portrait of John Putnam, and he had to smile to himself.

Notice any family resemblance? He thought to her, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. Lily briefly closed her eyes as a shiver ran through her, pulling in a breath at the same time as Chase. The longer he maintained contact with her, the more the sensation intensified beneath his palm, and he, too, couldn't resist licking his lips as it continued to rush through him.

But then his brow furrowed when he noticed a slight shift in her thoughts. Tyler was still prominent, of course, but there was also a lingering curiosity about the one who'd endangered him and the other Sons. The one who'd vanished without a trace. Chase's name…it was in her thoughts as she opened her eyes and proceeded to read on from the pages in front of her.

Narrowing his eyes, Chase glanced over at her, seeing how engrossed Lily was with her reading. After watching her like that for several seconds, he couldn't stop his lips from curling into a leering grin. So, that's how you want to play? He thought, maneuvering himself so that he was flush against her from behind, bringing his hand to cover her collarbone, which elicited a sudden gasp from her. Hearing this had him chuckling darkly, knowing that the cold sensation seizing her chest was making her heart race. His grin widened automatically, even as she brought a hand to hover over his. Go ahead: try to learn everything you can about me, he hissed in challenge, his ghostly fingers tightening on her chest as he bent close to her ear. I dare you.

Her heart still pounded as a trembling breath left her lips, the delicate muscles of her throat moving as she swallowed thickly. It wasn't long before she opened her eyes again, her hand lowering slowly as she returned her attention to the book in her lap. Chase let his hand drift upward to stroke his thumb over the hollow of her neck, amused at how determined she was to concentrate on her reading.

Thankfully, it appeared to have stopped raining when she glanced out one of the hallway windows. Like all the other dorms at Spenser, C-Building had five floors, and Sarah descended the final flight of stairs as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. She was glad she'd finally gotten a chance to meet Lily, even if it wasn't under the most pleasant of circumstances. Intelligent and well-spoken, she could understand why Tyler was so taken with her, not to mention why he was so concerned for her well-being. It had been amazing to see how much Tyler had grown in those few short weeks alone, and she had nothing but hope in heart for—

As she pushed the main door open, Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. Waiting in the dark at the foot of the stairs was Caleb, who looked up from where he leaned against the railing as she'd emerged from the building. For a moment, Sarah stopped breathing, practically feeling her heart leap into her throat.

His eyes softened as he stood tall. "Hey."

She dug the fingernails of one hand into her palm. God, he was so handsome. But then with a shake of her head, she inhaled sharply, and sighed. "Hi."

"You talked to Lily?"

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "I did, yeah. We'll just see what happens from here," she ducked her eyes for a moment before looking up at him again.

His eyes were riveted on hers, and she could see the gratitude radiating from his features. "Thank you."

I did it for you, her mind whispered, but she didn't dare tell him that. "You're welcome," was all she said. Then became quiet as she dwelled on something he'd mentioned to her earlier. "You really think someone might be using Power against her?"

She saw his shoulders rise and fall as he sighed. "I have my suspicions," he said succinctly.

Sarah bit down on her lower lip, her own worries multiplying at his vague response. If it was Power that was being used…then who was the culprit behind these attacks on Lily?

"Listen," he said, coming closer, "I know this is pretty useless now," he indicated the umbrella in his hand, "but can I walk you back to your dorm?"

She sighed quietly, feeling torn as her mind gave one answer, but her heart another. Christ, why does this have to be so hard right now?

"Sarah," Caleb pressed gently, those mahogany orbs so striking even in the dark. "Please."

It was then that an overwhelming sense of longing pierced her heart, her eyes saddening as she thought about all that had occurred between them in such a short time. In this moment, though, all she wanted to do was forget. Tucking another errant strand of hair behind her ear, she finally breathed, "Alright."

The way his face lit up with his soft smile caused her pulse to speed up familiarly. Coming down the granite steps, Sarah let Caleb fall into step beside her, but the fact that he didn't even try to hold her hand hardly went unnoticed. Neither of them spoke another word as they followed the winding walkway that led to the A-dorm on the far side of campus.

For eighteen years, he'd watched helplessly as his father's body continuously broke down, aging at least a decade for every year his son was alive.