Morgan pulled her long hair up into a high ponytail. She stared back at her reflection as she applied the finishing touches to her dark eye shadow. She and Cal were meeting their parents at a restaurant for dinner. She smoothed the wrinkles from her black dress and walked out of the room and into Cal's workroom.

" I'm ready. We need to leave if we're going to be there in time."

He nodded his head and rose to his feet, ready to leave.

000

Throughout dinner, the subject was the coming baby. Selene and Ciarin jabbered on and on about what features the child would get and from whom. Then they began discussing names and whether the child was a boy or girl. Cal was eating up the praise, but as for Morgan, she was exceedingly bored. She sat at the table strumming her fingers against the white table clothe, waiting for the night to be through.

Finally, at about nine, Morgan gently kicked Cal's foot. Taking the hint, he wrapped his arm about her waist and stood, saying his goodbyes to their parents.

On the drive home, Cal nudged Morgan's side, catching her attention.

" You seemed pretty bored in there. Are you upset about the baby?"

" No, I'm just tired of talking about it. Why can't we talk of things like we did before, like rituals and my education? Baby talk is boring. It doesn't really matter til the child arrives." She answered him.

" Whatever you say." He grumbled.

As they pulled into their driveway, an unfamiliar car came into view. Curiously, Morgan and Cal stepped out of the gold suburban and watched as two unwelcome visitors stepped out of the car. The fair heads of Hunter Niall and Sky Eventide came into view, and Morgan could feel herself recoiling inside.

" Good evening." Hunter said in his crisp English accent.

" What the hell are you doing here, Niall?" Cal spat out, his face contorted with rage. The slight smile from Hunter's face disappeared and he cleared his throat.

" By the order of the Supreme Council you are hereby under arrest for the practice and use of dark magic and for your association with Amyranth."

" Excuse me! How dare you come onto my property and proceed to lie and blame me for a crime I did not do." Cal was beginning to get a very strange predatorial look about him, but so was Hunter for that matter.

Morgan stood beside Cal shocked and confused, not knowing what to believe.

" If you do not come willingly then I shall have to take you by force." Hunter made a move towards Cal, and Cal responded snidly.

" Well good, then we can make this a game. Catch me if you can."

And the next thing she knew, Morgan was watching as Cal bolted into the woods, Hunter following close behind.

Morgan made a move to follow after them, but she was quickly stopped by Sky.

" Let me go!" she screamed at the blonde.

" No way in hell. You have to stay here. And don't try to get out by using any of your witch crap on me. I'm very skilled with blocking charms." Sky replied bitchily. Morgan innocently held up her hands before boxing Sky straight in the cheek. The blonde fell to her knees and the next thing Morgan knew, she was bolting after her husband.

000

The first horrifying sight that came to her was Hunter pinning Cal to the ground, a blue-gemmed athame beside him as he tied a chain around his wrists. Cal was screaming in pain and she could make out the forming welts around the chain.

An animal instinct roiled within her and she instinctively grabbed the athame and hurled it at Hunter, catching the side of his neck. It only scraped him, but she could see a huge gash in the side of his neck, quickly leaking blood on his shoulder.

Morgan quickly unbound Cal, and checked his wrists. It was disgusting whatever the charmed chain did to him; his wrists were already oozing blood and puss.

Getting to his feet, Cal began to laugh manically as he sang a spell in old Gaelic. Soon he began to transform into a golden winged hawk before flying away, leaving Morgan behind.

Hunter quickly approached Morgan from the back and grabbed her arms, holding tightly as she fought desperately, kicking and screaming as he hauled her off to his car.

Sky was sitting in the passenger's seat, ready to leave as he placed a binding spell on Morgan and placed her lying down in the back seat.

After he slid into the driver's seat, Sky looked at him curiously.

" He got away. I figured we had better bring her in to the Council since she is his wife and she's pregnant. He'll definitely be looking for her, as will the rest of Amyranth."

Sky nodded in agreement, a greenish bruise already forming on her cheek.

Hunter started the car and took off toward the Council of Witches.