A/N: Latest cast changes in previous chapter. Final chapter on Tuesday!

"Blunt Spell Trauma"

8. Black Magic, White Magic

It had just sort of happened that they had begun to retreat into their groups as they began to discuss things, tried to understand for themselves what had happened to one or the other. The mayor would be made to listen to his brother-in-law, while Caleb had Elizabeth and Jillian to contend with. The biggest group was that of Joseph, Elliott, Bradley, Eveline, Marianne, and Clara. This left the three hosts in the middle, stranded in their awkward states. As much as they wanted to, they didn't know how to deal with them.

The mayor was growing preoccupied. He was looking to the rest of them, to his 'daughter,' and as much as he didn't want to, he had to ask.

"Swear to me on your sister's grave that you had nothing to do with this," he looked Cole in the eye. His brother-in-law looked surprised, then insulted.

"How dare you, Wilson, how dare you suggest I would ever harm anyone, especially Sarah!" he faced him.

"But what about the other two? You have made your position clear on the rest of them for a long time, so what am I supposed to think?"

"How about you remember who I am. I am not a killer."

"Then where were you?" the mayor asked.

"I was at home… trying to find some way to get you to put your foot down and do something about those freaks," he volunteered. "Then when you called about Sarah, I came right over."

On the other side of the room, Caleb was growing despondent, sitting quietly while the other two argued. "Everyone is going to assume it's one of us, you know," Jillian stared at the other groups, looked back to the pair of them with her.

"Well it's easy for them, isn't it?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Like we didn't give them reason to," Caleb spoke flatly.

"You're not going soft on us, are you?" Jillian got up in his face and he turned to her. "We let you in, even with your sisters over there, so you might want to decide where you want to belong."

"That hasn't changed," he assured her. "But it doesn't mean they're not at least a little right." The girls had little to say in reply; they knew he had a point.

In another corner, with more voices, it was harder to make sense of much once they all got talking, and someone had to take charge. "Alright, stop," Clara spoke first. "This is ridiculous, we are never going to get anywhere this way.

"You're right," Eveline nodded. "Sorry."

"Good, alright," she nodded back, taking a breath. "Let me just open by saying I don't think anyone here is guilty. If anything, it's one of those," she indicated the two girls with her brother. "Or our number one supporter, Mr. Devereaux," she tilted her head back.

"The crazy thing is they're probably saying the same things about us right now," Marianne pointed out.

In the center, still left at the side of their dead bodies, the hosted spirits looked from one group to the next. All they could do was wait, if they had to guess. Sarah was very quietly moving about, ignored by the other two. Serena sat as peaceful as ever despite the situation, while Victor paced about with nothing but his glare to depend on.

"Always so angry," Sarah slipped past behind him, startling him.

"Did you know it is not nice to sneak up on people like this," he told her, but she wasn't thrown.

"She has a point," Serena told him.

"Now don't you start," Victor pointed at her. "I didn't put you in charge, no one did, so stop acting like we did."

"I never did that," Serena maintained.

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that," Victor glared.

"Have either of you been able to remember more of what happened?" Sarah thought, then shook her head with some desperation. "It's okay, neither have I," Serena promised. They turned to Victor, who frowned.

"Figures you'd put yourself in charge of everyone again."

"Do you remember more?" Serena asked.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," he chuckled proudly.

"Which means you might know now…" Sarah approached. "Oh please tell me you do," she begged.

"Get away from me, you're nothing to me, to my people," he glared at the girl, who scurried back.

"She's no different than us," Serena spoke.

"Well that's where you and I disagreed…"

TO BE CONCLUDED (TUESDAY)