It was about seven o' clock in the morning when Tabitha was shaken awake. She opened her eyes, and down stared her dad.

"Honey!" He gulfed her in a bone-crushing hug.

"Dad? What's going on?" she sounded scared, and her mind raced. Was she not getting out soon? Did something go wrong? Is James all right?

She looked over suddenly at James's bed, but found the curtain instead. That annoyed her to no end. She couldn't be with her brother all of the time.. just because of that accursed curtain.

"They're letting you out!" Isaac cried, letting go of Tabitha. She swayed a little, but all the bad feelings flew away.

"When?"

Isaac stuck on his serious dad face. "It's whenever you what really, but honey, I understand if—."

"Oh no! Please dad, let's go!" Tabitha threw back her covers and leapt out if bed. She tipped over immediately, but Isaac caught her.

"Be careful, sweetie."

Tabitha nodded, trying to act serious, but a big grin was forcing its way on to her face.

I'm actually leaving today! She thought.

A nurse came in minutes later, and Tabitha's smile vanished. The nurse was carrying crutches. She smiled sweetly, and handed Tabitha the crutches.

"You might need these for the first day or two." Her voice was southern, and dripped with sweetness.

Tabitha stuck the crutches under her arm as soon as the nurse had walked out. They actually fit pretty comfortably, considering her short, skinny frame. Isaac looked at his daughter, sadness welling up inside him at the sight of one of his children using crutches.

It's better than what Jane had to go through….

At the thought of his wife, Isaac's eyes filled with tears. He turned his back on Tabitha so she wouldn't see him crying.

Tabitha hobbled over to the curtain and drew it back. James was sitting up, letting his feet dangle off the bed; he looked up as Tabitha stood there.

"What's going on?"

Tabitha grinned again, and was desperately trying not to shout out with joy. "We're leaving today!"

James pushed himself off the bed; excitement and relief clear in his eyes.

"Really?"

Tabitha nodded, looking around as their father came up behind her, and put a hand on her shoulder. His eyes were red and slightly puffy.

"Are you ready to go, then?" Isaac looked between his two children who both grinned and nodded their heads vigorously.

A stick thin African American boy of about fifteen looked up at the giant house. It was three stories high, and had millions of windows covering the front. A glass structure sat on top of the house, octagonal, and completely see-through. He walked up to the big front double doors, and stood, staring at the knockers shaped like lions. He stood there, shaking slightly, trying very hard not to breakdown, and unsure why he was here. He hadn't talked to Jared in almost half a year.

He shut his eyes, and hit the knockers against the door. The noise that resounded off the door was loud, far louder than the boy had expected. Jared must have magically enhanced them. Footsteps came from within the house, and soon, the door opened. Jared stood there, smiling slightly at the boy before stepping back and allowing him to enter. Jared ushered him forward, past all of the dimly lit photographs that hung onto the walls in the tiny hallway. Jared led him to a bright room, unlike the rest of the house, and you could tell this was the mainly used part of the house.

Currently, it was set up like a kitchen, and everyone was sitting around the island in the center of the room.

"Lee!" a tall, dark blonde hair boy ran to him, and hugged him around the middle.

"Justin?" Justin was Lee's best friend. They had met in preschool when they were both hiding from the bullies that littered their school. Lee took a step back. He hadn't seen Justin in almost two months, but nothing had changed. His eyes, usually mimicking exactly how Lee felt, now shone with fear, and strangely…. excitement. Lee opened his mouth to ask Justin why he was excited, but a sharp, impatient cough cut him off. Jared was reminding them that they weren't the only ones here. Lee leaned against the end of the counter, away from where the other people sat, and Justin retreated into the corner he had previously occupied.

"Everyone," Jared's voice was warm, but loud. "I expect you don't fully understand what is going on."

Lee found himself nodding, along with the others, and looked down the row to see who else was here.

Next to Lee, the seat was empty, but after that, sat Emmett, Lee's childhood friend who grew up in the same ghetto neighborhood. Emmett had a pure look of boredom that he continuously shot at Jared. Perched in the chair next to Emmett, looking slightly uncomfortable, sat Elizabeth.

Lee had to resist from flinching when he saw her. He knew she was a witch, but it still surprised him to see her. Lee had known Elizabeth since second grade, when he became her target. Finally giving in to the urge, he shuddered thinking about the cruel things she frequently did to him. She had been only scary then. Now, sitting three seats away from him, Elizabeth was mortifying. She currently had her head down, so her dark blonde hair formed a curtain around her. Lee could only guess what was under that curtain, and he found himself not wanting to know. Next to Elizabeth sat her best friend Skye, who was looking at Jared with sort of a mystified expression.

Skye was pretty, and she reminded Lee of one of those Greek statues you see in museums. Next to Skye, in chairs that belonged to another room in the house, sat four guys. Lee didn't know who any of them were, but he figured they were wizards, or Immortals, just like everyone else here. They all looked around Lee's age, and had the same dusty brown hair, cut in different moderations. They were brothers, that much Lee could figure out.

Lee turned his attention back to Jared, who was still giving his little speech. He wanted to know why he was here. What made him walk up the driveway, to Jared's house, even though he was scared out of his mind?

"Lee, any questions?" Jared's golden eyes were burning holes through his, and Lee had to resist the urge to run. Slowly, he shook his head. Jared clapped his hands together, creating a loud smack that echoed off the kitchen walls.

"Good! We'll start out tonight then."

Lee automatically stopped breathing. Start what out tonight? He saw everyone get up, and he ran over to Justin, who was idling in the corner.

"What's going on?"

Justin's big hazel eyes widened. "We're joining a coven tonight."

Lee let out a breath he forgot he was holding, and sucked in again. Jared had been trying to figure out how to create a coven for the last year or two.

"Are you joining?"

"What choice do we have, Lee?" Justin's voice broke with fear.

Lee looked for a second at Justin, and then left the room. He saw Jared seconds later, making his way down the hallway.

"Jared?"

He stopped, and turned backwards toward Lee.

"Can I do something for you, Lee?" Jared's voice was no longer loud, but the warmness was still there…. sort of.

"I… I don't — I understand that…" Lee took a deep breath, and started over. "I wasn't really listening….and I don't understand."

Jared's eyes turned up in intensity, which made Lee, shrink back, and he smiled, showing none of his teeth. "Lee, I know it's all kind of happening fast, the random phone call, the mysteriousness of it all, but it will be over soon." Lee's heart sank just as Jared smiled wider. "Tonight, we will combine all of our power, our magick, and it will make us more powerful than before."

Lee wrinkled his brow. Magick…he hadn't heard that word for months. Without it, his life had been, fairly, normal. Now, he was sure that was about to change. Against all his better judgment, Lee found himself nodding.

"Okay," he said, trying hard to sound brave. "I'll do it."

Jared smiled again, more to himself than to Lee.

"You really didn't have a choice, did you?"

Lee looked up at Jared, his soon-to-be coven leader, looked deep into his fire lit eyes, and knew in his heart, Jared was right.

Tabitha was trying to keep herself busy, trying to work out any urge to cry she had left. It had been almost three days since her and James had left the hospital. Ever since, life for everyone had went back to normal, but not necessarily in a normal way. But, Tabitha guessed, everyone had their own way of grieving. James immediately had dates every single night, and her father had taken some time off work, but now, he never left his computer, or the picture of his wife that he had brought to the funeral.

Tabitha was numb inside. She had been ever since she had come home from the hospital. She didn't really understand why James wasn't sad, why he wasn't constantly trying to hold all those tears in, like Tabitha was, but then again, he never was much of a crier anyway. She set down the book she was holding, tired of trying to find a place to put it.

Her stomach growled unexpectedly, and she patted it, making her way to the kitchen, taking seconds to look at the family photo, of her, James, her father, and mother, that hung right on the edge of the wall. Tabitha remembered last year when James had asked some random pedestrian to take the photo. They were all at some beach, laughing and slightly sun burnt. Tabitha smiled. That always was her favorite picture.

"I still don't understand why you didn't go to Harvard, James." Her father sounded angry, and Tabitha, although a little regretful, stayed where she was.

"I don't want to talk about this again…." James replied, bored, and Tabitha heard his footsteps starting to walk away. She rounded the corner, and saw her father grab James's bony arm, stopping him immediately. She jerked back, suddenly scared and overwhelmed.

What's happening?

"I fought for you to get in there... but instead, you went to Berkeley."

"I didn't want to go there –." James started, talking through his teeth.

"You could of gone there, became a lawyer, and you could have been –"

"Like you? Is that what you were going to say?" James's voice got low, and quiet, and he looked at his father. "Because, Dad, I don't want to be like you –."

"Don't take that tone with me." His dad warned, his voice low, so unlike the tone he used with his mom and Tabitha.

"Fine… whatever…"

" GO!" Isaac shouted, letting James go, pushing him out of his grasp.

James left quickly after that, crossing the giant living room, and still feeling his father's hating gaze at the back of his head. His room, right next to the living room, felt so inviting that James went immediately to it, and sat his head on the pillow, looking up at the ceiling. His dad had been very annoying lately, more than usual. He was always complaining about how James didn't go to Harvard… and blah blah blah.

I'm leaving," he thought, but then he stopped, grinning wildly. I'm leaving soon, very, very soon.

He would have to leave without warning, but he would leave a note, to Tabitha. Getting up and finding a notebook, he started scribbling the note, deciding exactly when and how he would leave

Dear Tabitha,….

Alex's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself surrounded by a beach.

Where am I? He thought.

He had remembered coming to the beach, but not falling asleep, although, he wasn't very surprised. The last couple of days had been stressful, and full of activity, and Alex found it hard to find some time to sleep. He had been researching and spying on the Ruths. He still did not know why his father wanted them so badly. They were just a witch and wizard, and, as far as Alex knew, they didn't even know that.

He sighed, and looked around, familiarizing himself with this beach. The sun was still high in the sky, and it glinted off the dark blue water. There were small white peaks forming out farther, but none of them broke on to the shore. It was unusually calm. There also weren't any clouds in the sky, and the blue matched perfectly with Alex's eyes, he propped himself up on his elbows, and stopped looking around.

Suddenly, there was a rustling within the small forest that bordered the beach. It did not sound like an animal. Alex leapt up, a cat suddenly startled. There before him, stood a male, two years older than him, and he looked very familiar. He had an omniscient aura surrounding him.

"Alex.." his voice was low, but there was obvious power behind it. He had always had that.

Alex did not answer, but continued to stare at this person. He had not seen him for a long time. A moment, filled with tension and unforgotten hate, passed, and each person was looking each other in the eye.

"What ever it is, Jared, I'm not interested."

Jared laughed lightly at Alex, but his face went serious again.

"I wanted to make amends.. you know, forgive and forget?" he held out his hand, and waited for Alex.

Alex smacked it away, and closed his eyes for a few seconds. A thin, brick wall came into his mind, and with a simple push, it all fell down. Jared's mind had been harder to break into last time. Alex's smile was cold and forced, but he aimed it at Jared.

No way…

Jared, obviously bewildered, stared at Alex, hate creeping back into his eyes. He had tried so hard to keep it out.

Jared started to open his mouth, but Alex had already clicked his fingers and vanished, getting as far away as possible from Jared, his enemy.

A soft hum rippled through the whole house. Tabitha sat up, annoyed that she wasn't going to sleep, but at the same time, grateful for a distraction that kept her up. She didn't want the awful nightmares. It was the same one as always, anyways. The car crash kept sweeping into her mind, reminding her about the fact that they weren't a complete family anymore. Their mother, their amazing, sweet mother had been ripped out of their lives.

"Why couldn't it have been me?" her voice sounded hollow, like the rest of her, ever since the accident.

But was it really an accident? A tiny voice whispered inside her head.

Of course it was! She argued. Deer are not that evil.

Tabitha had a strange feeling, like the urge to genuinely laugh, in spite of what she was thinking about. She got up, picked up her sketchbook and colored pencils, and went to sit on her favorite window seat. It faced the lake, which now was glittering slightly from the sun that was sinking behind the mountaintop. This would be a great picture. She started with the sun, pink and yellow, with a hint of purple, making sure it wouldn't move before she finished. She started thinking about her dream.

There was one difference, she thought. I don't remember a blonde guy there before.

It was done. Lee turned his hand over, palm up. There lay a deep scar, running right down the middle of his hand. This scar bound him to eight other people; people he didn't exactly trust.

Except for Justin. He thought.

Tonight, they were having their second meeting as a coven. Jared had come back yesterday, talking about how he had underestimated Alex. Lee honestly didn't know why Jared was even interested in him so much. As Lee saw it, the Cordovas were evil. Why was Jared trying so hard to join powers with an evil family?

Either he isn't trying to form an alliance or….

"He's evil." Lee said aloud. He laughed, dismissing that ridiculous idea, and headed down to the kitchen, where the faint, but noticed, aroma of waffles wafted up.

Alex popped in moments before his father stepped in the doorway that led from the kitchen to the basement. He always had an uncanny ability of knowing when his son was in the kitchen. He was proud of his son, for breaking into that boy's mind so easily. Maybe it was because they had enough bad blood between them.. or it was because maybe the boy's –Jared's— mind was so easy to break into.

Or maybe, Orvis thought. My son's need for a dramatic exit was so great.

Alex crossed his arms, "I do not need a dramatic exit." He resisted the strong urge to walk off.

The whole street, despite the fact that there was no moon, shone brightly to James. He had started his mom's old convertible that she never used anymore, not since she got her new Jaguar.

That's now totaled, he thought grimly.

He practically had everything in the –his – car, except his bed. He had been packing, little by little, for about a week now, and he had to wait until both his father and sister had gone to bed at the same time. The chances of that happening again were impossible. James also felt a little twinge of guilt, when he thought of his sister. He had left a note –a very long note – hoping that he could explain why he had to leave in written form, instead of in person. She couldn't convince him to stay if he had already left. He stopped at a stop sign, and let his mind drift a little. He was going to their second mansion on the coast of California.

There, he could forget about his dad, and his apparent lack of being able to get over things. James had to admit though, he would miss Tabitha — although he was sure to see her when he went back for school—, and New York over all. But… what did California have? Beaches, girls, and no parents. That sounded pretty good to him. Plus, four of James's best friends were coming with him, and truthfully, he was thankful. He didn't want to be all alone in California. Thinking about that, about his soon-to-be life California life, made him want to step a little harder on the gas pedal. But something held him back, but not enough to turn around.

What's going to happen to Tabitha?

Tabitha sat back, admiring her drawing of the perfectly moonless sky. The stars lit up most of the sky, and that was what she mainly drew. She set her picture down with the other one, the other she did of the lake, but picked it up again. She wanted to show someone, but she knew her father was fast asleep at this hour. The only other person in this house was.. James. Tabitha smiled, and leapt up off the window seat, walking out of her room quickly. She slowed down once she got outside her doorway. The house was pitch black, especially down the stairs. She instantly wished she had brought a flashlight. As she stood at the top of the stairs, she looked left. There, at the end of the hallway, stood her father's room. The door was closed, as usual, and was hard to make out, unless you really wanted to find it.

Suddenly, a ball of light popped right in front of Tabitha's face. She held her mouth tight, trying hard not to scream. The ball of light hovered for a moment, then started down the stairs. Tabitha followed, mesmerized, her heart pounding loudly against her chest.

The light stopped at the foot of the stairs, and turned right, nearing the kitchen. The whole kitchen, once they were inside, seemed to bask in the ball's pure white light, even though it was not that great in size. Tabitha wanted, desperately, to touch it.

She reached out, the light reflecting off her pale hand made it look translucent. Her fingers tingled when they made contact, and soon her whole arm was feeling that same sensation. It seemed, for a minute or two, to lift Tabitha out of her hollow shell. The ball of light kept gliding forward, oblivious to Tabitha's touch. It abruptly halted in front of a door. Tabitha leaned back to avoid being hit in the face.

She… she was at James's door. The realization slowly dawned on her. The light had lead her to his room. She stood there awkwardly, wondering if she should thank it or not. Tabitha opened her mouth, and then ball exploded.

Sparkling dust of a million colors flittered around her head, and then intermixed within Tabitha's wavy hair. She had a faint glow around her. She pushed the door slightly, and it swung open. James never completely closed his door.

The first thing that she noticed was how frightfully bare the room seemed. There were no sheets, no pillows on the bed. His green walls stared down at her, now menacing without any pictures. She walked closer, still confused. There was a piece of notebook paper on the mattress, and Tabitha picked it up.

Dear Tabitha, it started. The letter was long, and took up both the front and back. She skimmed over it, until she got to the post note.

P.S. – you can come visit me, if you want. I'm at our house in California. Don't worry, and DON'T TELL DAD!

Love,

James

Tabitha's eyes welled with tears, and she threw herself down on the bare mattress. Her sobs were muffled, and the room was still very dark. The faint glow that still surrounded Tabitha brightened, and the sparkles in her hair looked like all the stars in the night sky.