Aria walks into the office meeting Coreen. "I can't believe that I'm actually meeting a Witch. This is so cool." She says.
"You're very enthusiastic about these sort of things aren't you." Aria says.
"It's very intriguing. I've always been interesting in the supernatural, but I never knew that it was real until now. Now, I want to know everything I can about it." Coreen says.
"Curiosity killed the cat. Our world is more dangerous then not, Coreen. Better be careful on what you learn." Aria says.
"You sound just like Henry." She says grabbing the book she had been reading all night.
"Because we both have seen the dangerous and dark parts of our world. It's not something to play around with." Aria says. "Vicki said that you had information?" She says changing the subject.
"I do. I found out the ritual that the Warlock must be using to track down others of your kind and killing him." Coreen says.
"A simple tracking spell is all he would need. We can also sense others around, just like Henry can sense you and others." Aria says.
"I figured that, but if all of the people he killed knew he was coming, how did he get to them?" Coreen says. "So, I dug a little deeper and found that he has to be doing a scared ritual. It not only tracks others, but it slowly drains them of their powers AND draws them to him, so he can finish the draining and the killing." She says. "How could you not know something like this?" Coreen says.
"My mother trained me. She wasn't into dark magic and never wanted me to be either. She skipped those lessons, although there have been many times where I've had to teach myself in order to save my life." Aria says taking the book from Coreen. "There is much more to magic then spells, and rituals. There is much more to learn then our many lifetimes can cover. That's why to become powerful, we must drain the magic from others. All of their power and knowledge then become our own. It becomes part of us and we get stronger." Aria says.
"Have you ever killed another?" Coreen asks.
"I have." Aria asks. "Any more questions?"
"Uh, not right now." Coreen says noticing Vicki walking in.
"Questions about what?" Vicki asks.
"I was just filling in Coreen here on some knowledge of my people." Aria asks.
"Right." Vicki says. "So, Coreen, what is it that we have to do."
"I have to play my father's game." Aria says. "I have to think like him. According to this book, he's using a tracking and draining ritual. He's using it slowly suck the power out of us and using it as a way to get those he's after to come to him, which means that he'll probably be doing the same to me soon, if he hasn't already." Aria says.
"Okay, so what does this mean? You get your magic wand and say bippity bop pity boo?" Vicki asks.
"I'm afraid it's much more complicated then that." Henry says. "Aria, are you sure you want to do this?" He says.
"I have too. If not for me, then for all the lives he's already taken, or for those he will take in the future if he gets to me. For my mother." Aria says. Henry sighs placing his fingers on the bridge of his nose.
Aria sighs. "I must warn you. This is very dangerous for you. For all of you." She says glancing to Henry. "I'll understand if you decide to walk away." Aria says.
"No way. I'm totally in." Coreen says.
"Eager aren't we." Aria says.
"Look, you hired me and I never quit a case. I've been through demon summoning, getting marked by a demon, and a whole lot of other weird, supernaturalness things, We're good." Vicki says.
Aria sighs. "You don't know what you were agreeing too." She says.
"Neither do you." Henry says. "This involves Dark Magic. Something you barely know anything about." He says.
"I know enough." Aria says.
"But you don't. Your mother would never approve of this." Henry says frustrated.
"My mother is dead, god rest her soul, because of HIM. She would want me to fight! Do everything in my power to stop him." She says.
"And what happens if you can't." Henry says.
"Then I die and he wins, but at least I tried." Aria says. "She would want me to try." She says.
"I won't let you do this. We'll find another way." Henry says.
"There isn't another way, Henry." Aria says. "I need to get everything for the ritual. I'll see you later." She says before leaving.
"Why did you show her that?" Henry says to Coreen. "Why didn't you wait till we were here?" He says pacing back and forth.
"I didn't think it was a big deal. I was shocked she knew nothing about the ritual in the first place." Coreen says.
"What's the big deal? She's a Witch, what's so bad about the ritual?" Vicki says. "And come to think about it. I thought you hated magic in the first place, so how do you keep going back to her." Vicki says.
"Aria, doesn't involve her self in the dark arts. I do hate magic, but she doesn't use hers for evil. Besides, I've known her my whole life. For centuries, that doesn't just disappear because I found out who she really is." He says.
"Okay, you still didn't answer the reasoning behind why you don't want her to do the ritual." Vicki says.
"Because she doesn't know the cost of it." Henry says. "Like I said before she doesn't practice the dark arts of magic, which means that she's not trained well enough to know how they work, how to know the consequences." He says. "If she succeeds with this ritual, she will then take upon all of her father's power and knowledge. Because he is so powerful, he could easily take over her body and live through her." Henry says. "This will kill his body, but not his soul. Not his power." Henry says. "It's almost sunrise. Find another way." He says looking at Coreen before heading home.
Vicki sighs. "Well, that was interesting." She sighs. "Can't we just have one case. One case that doesn't involve magic, warlocks, demons, or some other supernatural aspect." She says. "Look, it's getting late, or early, why don't we take a break. Get a few hours of a sleep and come back to this." Vicki says.
"Are you okay?" Coreen asks.
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Vicki asks.
"Because ever since you found out that Aria and Henry have history, you've been on edge." Coreen points out.
"Only because I know how Henry can be. He'll do anything to protect and save those close to him. I don't want him risking himself or getting hurt because of her." Vicki says.
"He's Henry. He'll be fine. You don't live 5 centuries by making rash decisions." Coreen says packing up. "I'll come back by 5." She says. "But I'm taking these with me, to do some research myself." She says. "Goodnight." She says.
Vicki nods before heading into her office. She sighs sitting at her desk. One of her many talents that made her job easier was being able to read people. She couldn't read Aria and that was frustrating her. She did see how her being here as affected Henry. She's never seen him like this and that worried her. She felt as if there were more to their story, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She watches the sunrise before heading to her little futon on the office and taking a quick nap.