Chapter Six: Confrontation

Sure enough, not long before midnight, there was a hard knock on my door. They didn't wait for me to answer and Tyler and Reid burst through the door, eyes angry as they fell on me. I didn't move, even flinch as Reid slammed the door and march up the me.

His eyes were black, but I didn't need to see them to know that the power they both had was bubbling under the surface.
'Who the hell are you?'
I glared up at Reid, and when I didn't answer, he flicked his hand and I felt my back crash into the wall, winding me.

That was not expected and I sent a bold of my own magic back at him, striking him hard enough in the chest that he dropped to the floor like a lead weight.
'It is not nice to attack a woman Reid Garwin.'

My eyes snapped to Tyler as I stood, feeling my own eyes go an inky white.
It looked as though he was going to attack me as well and I braced myself to block it but he stopped. I knew what he was thinking, I could see the surprise on his face and confusion in his eyes.

Reid gasped on the floor, Tyler moving to help him to his feet only t receive a sharp shove in the chest. He was wild with fury and I smirked.
'Oh please, control yourself Garwin. Your anger will be your defeat.'
Both the boys eyes returned to normal and I felt my own return to their green as I cautiously moved away from the wall.

'I'm going to ask again, who the hell are you?'
My quirkiness vanished as quickly as it arrived and I bit my bottom lip as I looked at the two of them.
'I'm Leah Collins-'
'Bull shit.' Tyler snapped, the hurt in his eyes now painfully obvious as was my useless lies.

'We know that Chase is one of us, we know that his parents died, and we know that he didn't have a sister.'
Great. Chase didn't tell me what to do in this case.
Oh well, looked like I was going to have to do what I thought myself. This should be easy right?
No way in hell.

'You're right. He doesn't have a sister.' I sighed, falling onto my bed with my head in my hands. My chest ached with the effort to get air back into my lungs and my spine was creaking with pain. Reid rubbed absently at his own chest, trying to figure out what had happened.

'How did you do that?'
I looked up at him with a disappointed look.
'I'm a witch.'
The silence that fell over the room was enough to make me chuckle but I held it tightly in my throat, waiting for the next questions.

'What did you do to Pouge and Kate?'
I couldn't look at either of them as I thought of what Chase had done to them.
'I don't know what happened to Pouge-'
'Don't lie you bitch!' Reid snarled, stepping closer and grabbing my shoulders, forcing me to my feet as he stared at me.

'I'm telling the truth! I'm just as innocent as you guys are. I did nothing.'
'Let he go Reid,' Tyler hissed, Reid hearing but ignoring. I held his gaze until he let me go, stepping back beside Tyler, who frowned at him.
'Look guys, I'm serious. I do not know what happened to Pouge, Kate yes. But other than I am just as much a victim.'
'How?' Reid snapped and I glared at him.
'This is all against my will, thank you very much.'

'So I'm just meant to believe you after you've lied to us the whole time?'
I lowered my head.
'You don't have to, but you will need help,' I looked pleadingly to Tyler, 'I can help.'

They had both believed me wearily, and I grabbed my bag from under the bed. Reid flinched but I just rolled my eyes and followed Tyler out to his car.
Reid was driving us to the hospital as Tyler watched me from the front seat, obviously not trusting me as I mixed a potion together in the back seat.

'How is that going to help?'
'It should help Pouge.' I murmured as I concentrated on getting the right level of each. Using limited ingredients was a challenge, but I had managed something that should help ease whatever spell Chase had on Pogue.
Reid was ignoring me, and Tyler had placed a huge wall between us as we stopped at the hospital.

Caleb was already in with Pouge when we arrived, Tylers hand tight around my arm.
Sarah was out in the waiting room, too engrossed in her thoughts as we passed her. I pulled my arm free from the grip with a slight growl and watched as Caleb spoke to Pouge briefly.
Reid was watching sadly, and Tyler took off his dark jacket to reveal an orange one underneath.

'How is he?' Tyler asked and I stared at him. Even with everything going on, all he could care about was others. I remained back on the wall as Caleb asked where Sarah was.
'I say we all go after Chase, right now.' Reid spoke around his hand as he thought. I rolled my eyes; rash Reid.

'It won't be that easy.' Caleb mumbled as he patted his shoulder. His eyes caught me and there was a brief hatred in them but Tyler put his hand on his shoulder.
'She can help.'
His eyes tore away from me and he told the boys to call if there was a change, or if anything happened, which I could read straight through. He wanted them to keep an eye on me.

After Caleb left, Reid snatched up his jacket, groaning something about coffee; leaving me and Tyler to watch Pouge through the glass door.
He was in pain, that much was evident and Tyler turned his sad gaze to me.
'You said you could help him?'
I watched him for a while, waiting to see if he trusted me that much anymore. When he did nothing, I stood, moving through in the separate room Pouge was in and looked down at him. Pulling the small bottle from my pocket, I rolled his head gently so that the mixture would slip down his throat. He coughed and grunted, but I enchanted a phrase that would ensure that Chases spell would not kill him before we had the time to do anything to help him.

Taking a seat next to Tyler, I was tempted to talk but bit my tongue hard enough to bleed.
What was Caleb and Sarah doing? What was Chase planning and how could I see a happy ending for anyone out of this?
'You said you were a witch...'

With a weak grin I looked at Tyler, his eyes already studying me.
'Tuhdah.'
Nothing in his expression changed and I sighed.
'I'm nowhere near as strong as you guys, and it different. I was born with mine right away, and you guys are too I guess but mine is not as unlimited, nor does it kill me the more I use it.'
Tyler nodded, his mind working overtime.
'If you are a witch, then your name would be in the book-' he hesitated and I just chuckled slightly.
'The book of Damnation. Yep, I should be in there somewhere. But for the life of me I cannot remember my name,' I lied. Tyler gave a look of concern over to me and I just shrugged.

'Chase came to me not that long ago. Found me really. He, used his power on me and I was defenceless. He blackmailed me into helping him.'
I turned in my chair and gripped his warm hand in my cold one. The energy that passed between us, the magic that was in our skin made me shiver and I opened my eyes to stare at Tyler intensely.
'But he didn't tell me to fall in love with you.'

There again was that movement behind his eyes and Tyler was about to talk when Reid walked through the door, again. Two coffees were in his hand and he handed one to Tyler, ignoring me but I just smiled.
'No worries, Garwin. I don't drink coffee anyway.'

_

The clock was telling me that it was three am but my body was screaming that it was later than that. We had sat in the room for what felt like forever in a silence that reminded me of a graveyard.
Reid had sat in between Tyler and myself, perhaps in a vain attempt to stop us from talking. Tyler was drifting off to sleep when a doctor came in, his voice deep and rich in the once quiet room.

'Why don't you three head back to the dorms and get some rest, Mr Parry won't be going anywhere.'
I gave a nod and stood as the doctor asked Tyler to collect some of Pouge's belongings. I was just about to step out into the main hall when Reid's hand grabbed my shoulder hard enough for me to gasp.

My back was against the wall as Reid scowled at me.
'You may have baby boy fooled but I still don't trust you.'
I matched his scowl only to give a smirk. 'Is that because I like Tyler more or is-' his hand slammed open palmed on the wall beside my head, making me flinch.
'Don't...' he groaned and seemed to relax in front of me, dark eyes piercing me, 'don't hurt him.' He whispered.

The surprise on my face must have made him satisfied as he stepped away. Reid really did care about the others, more than I think he would let on. I took a deep breath, sagging against the wall as Tyler standing waiting not too far away.
'Ready?' Reid sighed and with one last long look at Pouge he walked past Tyler, who watched me carefully. He followed behind me as we moved out of the hospital and into the car park.
I had been expecting more questioning but I was only met with an awkward silence.

Reid had marched ahead of us, surrendering to his own room for sleep. Tyler faltered outside my door and I raised an eyebrow at him.
'You want a tip?'
'No. I think I should stay with you. Chase is still out there, and I-'
I rolled my neck, a half-hearted laugh forcing its way from my throat, 'you need to keep an eye on me.' Without another look or word I opened the door, leaving it open for Tyler to enter.

Sage was rubbing my leg as I dropped my stuff on the bed, and I tickled him behind the ears as I tipped some mush into his bowl. With him happy, I turned to Tyler who was standing awkwardly at the door.
'Don't stand there like a soldier, you need sleep.' I gestured to the bed next to mine. 'No one has it, obviously. I'm afraid I don't have a change of clothes for you.' I changed my gestured to the singlet I was changing into. To make a point I stripped off the shirt I was wearing and tossed it towards the bathroom, turning my back to Tyler as I unclipped my bra and slid into the singlet.

When I turned around, Tyler had taken off his jackets and was in the process of lifting his own shirt.
With an eyebrow raised, he continued and folded them neatly on the desk beside him.
Suddenly all I could think about was Tyler.

His messy hair and slim, broad chest; I was acting like I had never seen a semi-naked man before. Well, perhaps it was just under one hundred years or so.
I tore my eyes from him, stepping out of my pants and shoes before sitting on my bed, untying my hair. I don't know what gave me the courage to sit there, half exposed myself but around Tyler I felt comfortable and the air was warm in the dorm.

Once my hair was down and Tyler was looking for a pillow in the cupboard, I drew in a breath and tried to think of something to ask him. I had a million thoughts flying through my mind, but I couldn't hold onto one long enough. I was desperate to ask him about what I had told him at the hospital, but I wanted him to say something first; I was not going to be the one to have to repeat myself twice. If Tyler was ready to face me about it, then that is when we should talk or even act on it.

'Do you miss your family?'
Tyler faced me, eyes almost sparkling in the dark room. The moon outside was enough light for us to see, but the black and white contrast was shrouding most of the room in a darkness; one that made me nervous. Where was Chase?

Tyler stood, rolling the pillow in his hands as he gave a forced grin.
'Why, so you can tell Chase?'
I frowned, lying down and pulling the sheet over me. How could he say that? Of course he had every right to but...
'I do. Every day; I mean I had Reid and the boys but it's different.' He moved and I lowered the sheet enough for me to watch as he placed the pillow on the bed.

'My brother, he says he doesn't miss me though. I guess he upset I got the power and he didn't.' He chuckled and I smiled, thinking of my own family. 'What about you?'

The more I thought of my family the more the pain in my chest grew.
All my life I had been protected by my family, handed down in that dam crystal and sheltered. Now when they needed me the most, I could do nothing.
A tear slipped from my eyes and a tried to wipe them away. Tyler saw and came over, kneeling in front of me as he gently gripped my hand.

'I don't know. Chase, he-'
A finger was against my lip and I remained still as Tyler kissed me again, climbing up on the bed with me. I lifted my head, resting it on him as Tyler made himself comfortable.
'It's Ok, Leah. I trust you.'
He was asleep before me and I was left with my thoughts, the fear of Chase being in the same room.
Tyler trusted me, Chase trusted me... did I trust me?