AN: A week early! I was going to keep this back, but I really wanted to share with you. Enjoy!
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
The day Rebecca and Zach broke up ended the blissful existence of their group of friends. Even though Rebecca still was not coming to school, everything had changed. Zach no longer sat in the cafeteria during lunch, preferring to eat by himself or on occasion sneak off with Angela. Kenny, Amber, and Beth usually found themselves alone at their former table. Sophia spent lunches in the gym, practicing. Some days Matt joined her, and others he sat with the baseball team. Andrew and Daniel sat with Daniel's teammates. They greeted each other when they passed in the corridors but never stopped to chat.
The change was most difficult on Kenny. Despite having his sister and girlfriend, he felt abandoned and lost. He and Zach never spoke to each other anymore. Matt would come over some weekends, but he was never invited over to the Manor. The only real contact he still had with the Halliwells was Michael. On one of the few visits from Matt, he voiced his concerns.
Matt shrugged. "We always said Zach was the glue of our little group. He's moved on. Sorry if you're feeling left out. I'd say I'd hang out more, but between baseball and demon vanquishes I don't have any free time."
Kenny sulked. "It's ridiculous."
"No kidding. I live with him, and he doesn't say 'boo' or 'bah' to me unless it's about vanquishes. Never thought Zach would be like this," said Matt.
Kenny rolled his eyes. "It's not just Zach. You've also been ignoring everyone. I know you've got some great destiny to fulfill, but your friends need you."
Matt sighed. "Yeah, sorry. Really I am. School's been crazy, and we've got that scrimmage match next weekend. Then there are finals. How'd we get to the end of school already?"
"Hum, fine. Whatever, dude. Don't feel like you have to be here."
Matt groaned. "That's not what I meant. God, Kenny! Life's tough; that's all I'm saying. After next week, baseball's over, and I'll have more time. Ok?"
Kenny used his control over the air to turn the page in the textbook he was supposed to be studying.
"You're getting really good at that," commented Matt, pulling out his notes.
Kenny half smiled. "Thanks. I've been practicing. It's so much easier now that I don't have to hide it from the family."
Matt chuckled. "Never really thought about that. I'd suck having to hide who you are in your own house. So, have you got the fire traveling down yet?"
Kenny shook his head. "It just sets everything on fire. My mom's sworn me to not trying anymore. We've gone through four fire extinguishers."
"Can't you just put it out?"
"Sometimes. Most times actually. Rarely, though, it's like I've exhausted my batteries or something. I try, and nothing happens."
Matt flipped through his notes. "Traveling shouldn't burn out your core. I think I read that somewhere."
Kenny laughed. "It doesn't matter. We've been demon-lite lately, and I'd gladly keep it that way."
The conversation slowly died away as the subject they were studying absorbed each boy. Kenny wrote out formulas and theorems for math. He had never found math particularly difficult, but the disruptions of class time meant a lot of the information was self-taught. He filled up another page with notes from the textbook when the doorbell rang. Matt sat up and rolled his shoulders, groaning.
"That Amber?" asked Matt as he stretched his neck.
Kenny shrugged. "Possibly. She said she might come by, but it depended on her parents. They're not too thrilled with her dating a witch."
Matt cocked an eyebrow. "And she doesn't have a problem?"
"No. Not really…" Kenny stood up. "Alright, we haven't spoken about it. Happy?"
Matt started packing up his stuff.
"You don't have to go," said Kenny.
"Thanks, but I promised Sophie I'd join her on her run. I'm already going to be late."
They walked down the stairs. Kenny noticed Beth's door was closed.
"Think Mike will ever tell Beth about himself?" asked Kenny off-handed.
"Up to him. I know Rick is pushing him to do it already. Something about the long you keep a lie and yadda, yadda, yadda."
Kenny opened the front door, and Amber skipped into the house without invitation.
"Hey, Matt," greeted Amber.
Matt waved. "I'll see you. Bye, Amber."
Kenny waved distractedly. Amber had started kissing him. Matt shook his head and chuckled. He shut the door behind himself and, making sure no one was around, orbed back to the Manor to change. He arrived in the conservatory.
"Do you want anything to drink?" asked Zach from outside the room.
Matt frowned and silently moaned when he heard who answered.
"No. Thanks, though," said Angela in a singsong voice.
The couple entered the room before he could hide. Awkwardly, Matt greeted them with a hand gesture. Zach kissed Angela on the cheek.
"I'll be right back. Matt." Zach said formally.
Angela waited until Zach left before stepping up to Matt. Menacingly she jabbed a perfectly manicured finger into his chest. "I've heard that you've been talking smack about me."
Matt caught her hand before she could poke him again. "Are you saying I've said anything untrue?"
Angela's brown eyes flashed dangerously. "Listen here, you little twerp, I've worked long and hard to get back together with Zach. I won't let anyone get in my way."
Matt scoffed. "What are you going to do?"
Angela stepped even closer so that they were toe to toe. She clenched her teeth. "I'm sure Sophia's father will find it very interesting to discover his daughter is dating a witch."
Matt's heart jumped into his throat. He swallowed. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Angela tittered and shoved him backward with more force than he expected from her. He stumbled backward and collapsed onto the couch. She started to pace and pulled out her cell phone. He tossed the device at him. He snatched it out of the air easily. He looked at the displayed picture. The color drained from his face. It was a blurry picture of him vanquishing a demon.
"How'd you get this?"
Angela smirked and grabbed her phone back. She leaned in close and sniffed him. "How do you think?"
Matt's breath quickened. "That happened in the Underworld. You're not mortal!"
Angela kissed him on the nose and stood up. She brushed off her flowery top. "Let's keep that between the two of us. You tell anyone, and that picture gets sent to your girlfriend's rather infamous father."
Zach came back carrying a large bottle of water. "Coming?"
Angela nodded and smiled. "Of course, sweetie."
"What's wrong, Matt?" asked Zach.
Angela intertwined her arm with his and pulled him away. "He's just a bit light-headed. I told him to sit there for a bit. Must be a lack of sleep or something."
Zach nodded slowly, eyes slightly unfocused. "Whatever you say. Let's go study."
Matt started to breathe the moment the two left the room as if a spell had been lifted. His mind raced with possibilities. His bad feeling about Angela took on a whole new dimension. Angela was not a mortal. What was she? Her threat rang in his ears. Exposing him to Mr. Watson would put them in a lot of danger, but if she was a demon, then she was more of a threat. She clearly had Zach under some sort of spell.
Matt jumped to his feet and raced up the stairs. He tripped over his feet in his haste. A pillow orbed into place, stopping him from fracturing his skull. He blinked rapidly and searched for his savior. Richard stood at the top of the stairs with a shocked expression on his face.
"Did I do that?"
Matt pulled himself to his feet. There would be bruises, but nothing felt broken. "Thanks. Don't know. Got to get to the Book."
Richard stepped out of his way as he sprinted past.
The attic door was locked. Matt waved his hand and a yellow force field briefly sprang to life. He bit back a curse and banged on the door. After a few moments, his grandmother opened the door, annoyed.
"Matthew!"
Matt brushed past her. "Sorry. Explain later. Need the Book."
He reached the podium and paused to catch his breath. Richard followed him into the room.
Piper put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "What has gotten into you?"
Matt flipped pages roughly. "Love potions or love spells. Is there a love demon?"
Piper and Richard exchanged confused looks.
Piper answered, "There is the succubus, siren, and a half dozen other demons who can play with a person's emotions. What's going on?"
Matt stopped searching and took a deep breath. "I think Angela's a demon."
Richard rolled his eyes.
Piper sighed. "Pumpkin, I know we don't like her much, but this is going a bit too far."
Matt pulled his hair. "No! She just showed me a picture of that demon vanquish a few days ago, you know, the one in the Underworld. How'd she have it if she wasn't a demon?"
Piper frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"She showed me a picture. Said if I try to get between her and Zach, she'd show it to Sophie's dad. And then there's her strength. No normal girl is that strong. Plus! Plus, haven't you guys noticed how Zach's acting. He's not himself. He ignores all of us. He only hangs out with her…"
"She has a picture," repeated Piper.
Matt nodded. "YES!"
"A picture of you?" asked Richard
Matt nodded again. "Yes. It was kinda blurry, but it was me."
Richard pulled out his phone and held it out for Piper and Matt to see. There was a picture of a brown-haired boy in a cave. He was throwing a glass vial filled with green liquid at a monstrous creature.
"Did it look like that?"
Matt stared at the picture. "More blurry, but yeah. What is that?"
Richard locked his phone. "It's a picture of a painting making its way around the Internet. It's not of you."
Piper's frown deepened. "Why do you have it on your phone?"
"I'm writing a paper on Internet hocus for one of my classes," explained Richard.
"But she knows I'm a witch!" shouted Matt.
Piper nodded sadly. "I know. Zach told her about us. Believe me, we're not happy about it."
Matt deflated. "It's got to be true."
"Both your dad and Wyatt have checked her out. She's not a demon."
Matt slammed his fist into the Book. It flashed, and he staggered backward. "Are you sure?"
Piper gave him a one-armed hug. "Yes."
Matt groaned. "This sucks."
Andrew stared at the enormous workout room in awe. "How'd we never find this place?"
Sophia grinned. "My dad had it locked. Are you two sure you want to do this?"
Daniel looked around the training room. Against one wall was a collection of weapons, ranging from swords and staves to crossbows and guns. A giant obstacle course covered most of the floor space, but there was a small padded section marked off like a wrestling ring. On another wall hung trophies, particularly nasty looking athames, and one that looked like a shrunken human head. He gulped.
"How long has your family been doing this?" he asked.
Sophia shrugged. "No idea. The basic witch hunter history reaches back to the very early fifth century around the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire. I'm sure there were witch hunters before then, but that's the earliest record I've found that details them as an organization. Most worked for the Church, but some families splintered off and worked for hire. My family worked for the kings of England for a time before moving to the new world."
Andrew pointed at a trophy. "Is that a hand?"
Sophia gagged. "Yeah, I try to not look at them. It's all very gross. Dad says each member of the family turns a part of their first kill into a trophy. My dad's that spikey thing. It's what was left of some sort of demon he vanquished."
"So you guys don't just hunt witches?" asked Daniel, studying the collection of daggers.
"No. We're duty bound to eradicate all forms of magic that are a threat to humanity."
Andrew nodded. "Does that include the Halliwells?"
Sophia glared at him. "Not as far as I'm concerned, but I'm not sure about my dad. Enough with the family history, why do you guys want to train?"
Daniel picked up a metal disc about the size of his palm. It had a depression in the center of it. He pressed it and ten blades sprang out of the sides. He dropped the disc in shock and swore loudly.
Sophia bent down and picked it up. She pressed another part of the disc, and the blades retracted. "Another relic from some warlock clan."
Andrew cleared his throat. "We've got to train. Otherwise, we'll just be sitting ducks during the next attack. You've already learned some self-defense, and the Halliwells have their powers. I don't want to be the distraction that gets one of them killed."
Sophia nodded. "Ok, but you could go take from karate lessons down at the Y. Why ask me?"
"You're our friend," said Andrew as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Sophia bit her lower lip and picked up a shiny silver athame. She twirled it between her fingers. "I'm not a teacher though, and I'm still learning. This, whatever I am, it's not normal. I've got quicker reflexes than I should have. When I spar with Matt, there're times I can sense where he is. You guys won't have that. A lot of it comes naturally to me. I can't explain why."
"So you're saying no?" asked Daniel.
"No, I'm not, but I want you guys to know everything up front. I may not be able to teach you anything."
Daniel picked up a dagger, a bit larger than the athame Sophia was holding. "You can teach us the basics. I don't want to become an expert swordsman or anything. I just want to be able to defend myself long enough to get the hell out of the way."
"Alright, that's fine. I can do that." Sophia replaced the athame. "Where do you want to start?"
Andrew shrugged.
Daniel crinkled his nose. "I was hoping we'd get a demonstration first."
"I'm not showing off for you two."
Matt walked into the room, dressed in work out clothes. "Why not?"
Sophia scowled at him. "Because it's not helpful."
"I don't know. It could inspire them." Matt rubbed his hands together. "Why not show them a sparing session?"
"You just want to prove you can beat me," teased Sophia.
Matt rolled his eyes. "That was just a fluke."
Andrew spoke up. "Wait, she beat you!"
Matt stuck out his tongue. "Once. She beat me once."
"Don't you use your powers?" questioned Daniel.
Matt glowered and marched over to the wrestling mat. He pulled up a computer and started typing something into it. Sophia sighed and followed him.
"Not always. That time he couldn't because my dad was watching."
Andrew clapped his hands and guffawed. "You got beat by a mortal!"
"Witch hunter," corrected Matt.
"Whatever, dude."
The wrestling mat shimmered and transformed into a large sand pit, lined by fallen logs. Sophia removed her shoes and took a spot in the ring. Matt joined her, kicking off his tennis shoes. They shook hands and bowed formally.
"Ready?" inquired Sophia.
Matt nodded stiffly. "Whenever you are."
Sophia pointed at Daniel. "There's a green button next to the computer. It'll activate the force field."
"Force field?"
Sophia took a steadying breath and squared up against Matt. "It's for when we're using projectiles, but it works against magic as well."
Matt waggled his eyebrows. "Happy bonus."
Daniel hit the button. Something invisible snapped shut, echoing through the room. He could see Matt speaking, but he could not hear him. The shield must have activated. He took his seat next to Andrew.
Inside the ring, Matt and Sophia began to circle one another. The couple smiled, both feeling the rush of endorphins. Matt, in particular, enjoyed their sparing session because it gave him a chance to test his girlfriend's defenses without being obvious about it. The fact that she had defeated him annoyed him but also let him breathe a bit easier. She would not be a pushover if demons attacked.
Sophia was the first to attack. She charged and spun on her left leg, kicking out with her right in a wide sweep.
Matt jumped over the attack and landed in a crouch. He punched out with an open palm and caught Sophia in the abdomen. The hit was only a glancing blow and did not slow her down. She let the hit turn her. She reached out and caught him by the shoulder. Using her momentum, she flung herself over him and kicked out backward. Her heel hit him in the upper back and propelled him forward.
He rolled out of the attack and then to the side. She landed inches away from his head. She was not holding back today. His next rolled brought him back onto his feet, facing her.
"Impressed?" she challenged.
Matt raised his hands. "I guess."
She smiled. "Learned that trick from my dad."
"It felt a bit old."
Matt performed a perfect backflip. At its apex, his head was higher than it would have been if he were standing. He landed in another slight crouch, already in a defensive posture, and barely stirred the dust as he landed. His feat of aerobatics was heavily assisted by his telekinesis.
"Showing off?" taunted Sophia.
Matt grinned stupidly. "We've got an audience after all."
Sophia closed in upon him with surprising speed. She struck as soon as she was in range, an open-palmed blow to his chest, a favorite move. He guessed her plan and had his counter already prepared. He got his right wrist against her forearm before the blow hit and forced it to the side. Her blow missed him completely but left her vulnerable to attack.
His parry left him in perfect position for a riposte. His own counterblow, again open-palmed, caught Sophia in the point of the jaw. She must have suspected what he was going to do; because, there was no clack of teeth meeting teeth. She had clenched her mouth shut before he hit. The blow still rocked her head back, and she staggered away. Only she was feinting, her left hand washed forward, opening at the right moment, releasing a cloud of sand. The sand sprayed into his face, blinding him.
He stumbled back in pain. He shook his head, but his vision did not immediately clear. His eyes were watering. They had agreed to a no-holds-barred fight. She had used a weapon of opportunity and gained the upper hand. He cursed himself for not being prepared. Thankfully, he had been working on strengthening his sensing abilities. Sophia's life force was easy for him to recognize. They were lovers, after all. He focused on the sensation and tracked her movement. She was coming at him—now.
He leaped into the air and flipped forward. He heard her pass beneath him, unable to stop, and she cursed loudly as he landed feet away. He landed awkwardly; not being able to see had caused him to over-rotate. He stumbled forward a couple of steps, steadied himself, and furiously scrubbed at his blurry eyes.
He could feel Sophia turn and charge. The ring was silent, but he could feel her. The burning vortex of emotion and passion that was his girlfriend was almost bright enough to see. As she came within range, he lashed out with a side kick, his heel connecting with her midsection, stopping her in her tracks. She uttered an oof. Matt pivoted on his other foot, slamming her with a spinning kick just below where the first one landed. The blow knocked Sophia off her feet. He heard her hit the floor hard.
He stepped up beside her and bent down, wrenching the arm she was using to get back up with from beneath her. She fell toward him and trashed, but he kept one hand on her elbow, one on her wrist, and the force he applied held her in place.
"Give up?"
Sophia tried to roll over and pulled him down, but he was simply too big and had all the leverage. She cursed and tapped the ground twice with her free hand. He let her go and offered a helping hand. She grudgingly took it and was pulled to her feet. He brushed aside a few strands of her hair and kissed her.
"Forgive me?" he breathed, breaking their kiss.
She pushed him playfully. "You cheated."
Matt raised one eyebrow. "Really?"
"You should go wash your eyes out."
The force field lowered and the stuffy air of the arena was replaced by a fresh breeze. Matt conjured a bottle of water and poured it into his eyes. After a few blinks, his vision cleared.
"That was awesome!" said Andrew.
Sophia took a seat, still breathing heavily.
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. "Are you guys always that rough?"
Matt used his t-shirt to dry his face. "That was nothing. Last week she nearly decapitated me."
"I could've stopped it," sneered Sophia.
Andrew clapped Matt on the back as he sat down. "I don't envy you when she's pissed."
Sophia folded her arms. "You want to have a go?"
"Er—no, please," said Andrew meekly.
Matt put both hands on top of his head in an attempt to catch his breath. "Still want her to be your teacher?"
Both Daniel and Andrew nodded.
Sophia gestured at the arena. "Alright, let's see what you've got."
Nathaniel stood in the doorway of Rebecca's bedroom. He casually leaned against the doorframe and unconsciously flexed his muscles when he saw her look up from her computer. His smile matched her own. She pushed the computer aside and closed the distance between them. She leaped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs his waist. He spun her around laughing, taking in the familiar smell of her shampoo. He hugged her tightly.
"You're no supposed to be here for another hour." Rebecca relaxed her grip.
He regretfully let her go. "There was a headwind, or is it a tailwind?"
Rebecca dragged him into the room and shut the door behind them. She pulled him onto her bed. She crossed her legs, and he copied her with some difficulty. His jeans were awfully tight.
"Doesn't matter. How are your parents? And your sister? Does she hate me?"
Nathaniel shook his head. "Slow down, breathe. Mom is fine. Dad's off in Thailand with the latest girlfriend. As for Natalie, she's a bit pissed you didn't want her to come, but she's got a new boyfriend, so don't worry about it."
Rebecca grinned. "How young is the latest?"
"Nineteen," cringed Nathaniel.
Rebecca gagged. "Sorry, but it's gross. He could be her father."
"Grandfather, even," commented Nathaniel softly.
Rebecca trembled. The smile slowly melted off her face. Seeing Nathaniel in the flesh brought back a lot of emotions she thought she had gotten over. They had split up over two years ago. They were great friends but nothing more. They had not worked as a couple. Yet, her heart fluttered at the memory of being in his arms. She bit her bottom lip.
Nathaniel blushed and looked down.
"What?" asked Rebecca.
Nathaniel shook his head. "It's nothing. Just memories."
Rebecca nodded. "I know what you mean."
To avoid the awkward silence, Nathaniel got off the bed and walked around the room. "I like the new digs."
"My parents felt guilty about the move. They bought me whatever I wanted for the room." Rebecca picked up a pillow and hugged it against her chest.
"Where are the photos from your old room?"
Rebecca pointed at a collection of frames hanging above her desk. Nathaniel crossed over to the desk and studied the pictures. Most of them were of Rebecca and her parents. Here and there were pictures of his sister and Rebecca. Near the center, though, was the one he was looking for. It was of Rebecca and himself. They were dressed up for one of the silly middle school dances. It had been the night he told her he loved her. A different picture interrupted his ruminations. Rebecca was dressed up in it as well, but the boy with his arms around her was a stranger.
"Is this Zach?" he asked in a soft voice.
Rebecca joined him. "Yeah. That was taken just before we all went to Homecoming."
Nathaniel turned away from the pictures. "Does he make you happy?"
"He did." Rebecca choked up. "We broke up."
"Oh, Becca, I'm sorry."
Rebecca tried to laugh off the pain. "Thanks, but you don't have anything to be sorry for. I broke up with him. I think it was for the best."
Nathaniel hugged her and kissed the top of her head. She shut her eyes to stop the tears from falling. He rubbed her back, and she let herself relax into his embrace. After a few moments, she gently extracted herself and wiped her eyes, forcing a smile.
"How long are you here for?"
Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Just a few days. I couldn't convince my mom to let me stay much longer."
Rebecca took a steading breath. "Ok, then we don't have time to waste. I'll see if my mom can drop us off. You can't come to the city and not see the sights."
"We don't have to go anywhere. I came to see you," said Nathaniel dubiously.
"I know. I know, but that's such a waste. Besides, I've been cooped up in this room for too long. I need to stretch my legs." Rebecca glanced at the wall of pictures before smiling at Nathaniel. "I know you've always wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge. Yeah?"
Nathaniel nodded. "Sure. Whatever, you say."
"Great."
Half an hour later, they were standing on the world famous bridge. Rebecca had her arm wrapped around Nathaniel's and leaned against his shoulder. They continued to walk, talking about nothing in particular. She was happy to keep the conversation light and impersonal. There would come a point when they would talk about it, but she was not ready for it to spoil everything yet. Halfway across the bridge, they stopped, and Nathaniel pulled out his phone.
"Picture?" he asked.
Rebecca nodded and smiled. He took the picture and showed it to her.
"Eww! No, you can't post that. Look at my hair." She fixed her hair. "Ok, again. You better delete that last one."
Nathaniel did as he was told and took a second picture. Rebecca gave her approval and turned to look out over the bay. Nathaniel joined arm, draping a comfortable arm over her shoulders.
"You're not over him," said the tall boy, not looking at her.
Her breath caught in her throat. She looked up at him, but he refused to meet her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Nathaniel chuckled morosely. "Come on, Becca, we've known each other for years. I know when your mind is elsewhere even if you don't. I've caught you checking me out."
"I have not!"
"But it's not going to turn into anything. I can see it in your eyes." Nathaniel closed his eyes and opened them slowly.
Rebecca, lost, watched him in wonder.
"Nat told me I was being stupid, getting my hopes up. She doesn't know the other reason I came, but she guessed one of my motives."
Rebecca frowned. "Nate, what…"
"Shh, let me speak. I never really got over you, Becca. Sure, I dated other girls. I even thought I might love one or two of them, but I was fooling myself. I only ever loved you. I still do."
"Nate…"
Nathaniel shook his head. "No, don't. It's ok. It really is. I watched you date other boys, but I never got jealous. I could tell that they wouldn't work out. Then today, that picture—the look in your eye. You still have it. When you looked at the picture, I saw it. You love him."
Rebecca gawked at her friend.
Nathaniel finally looked at her and genuinely smiled. "You love him, and he must love you. What boy would be stupid enough not to? If there's even a chance that you can fix things between him and you, you should do it. I don't think you'd forgive yourself if you don't."
Rebecca opened her mouth and closed it at a lost for words. Slowly she regained her voice. "When did you become so wise?"
Nathaniel laughed, a deep booming joyful laugh. "What are you saying? I've always been clever than you or my sister."
"Ass," joked Rebecca, ending the tension.
"Where's the closest food joint? I'm starving!" Nathaniel rubbed his stomach for emphasis.
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go."
They walked back toward the city in a comfortable silence.
"Thanks, Nate," said Rebecca when they reached the end of the bridge.
Nathaniel gave her yet another hug. "What are best friends for?"
Rebecca smiled and pecked his cheek. "Oh, sorry—was…"
Nathaniel waved her off. "Becca, it's fine. I'll get over it—eventually."
Hand in hand the two friends went in search of food.
Andrew dropped heavily into the poufy settee in Kenny's living room. Across from him sat Matt and Sophia on another more modern couch. Matt looked as annoyed as he felt. Kenny joined them, carrying a large tray of cookies.
"Complements of my mother," said Kenny, sitting down.
Andrew reached out and grabbed two. He handed one to Daniel who was seated on a bar stool behind him. "Alright, what's with the clandestine meeting?"
Matt rounded his shoulders and looked around the room. "I know all of you need to be studying, but…"
"If this has got anything to do with Angela, then sign me up. That bitch is getting on my nerves," interrupted Andrew, munching on the cookie. "These are delicious, by the way."
Matt gave him a withering look. "Yes, it's about Angela. I—uh—actually Sophie and I both think that she's not, um, all she appears to be."
Sophia nodded. "I'm still not convinced she's what you think she is, but the way Zach fell for her. It's not normal. There's no way Zach goes from loving Rebecca one day to being all infatuated with Angela the next."
"He did kiss her before they broke up." Kenny reminded everyone.
"Wait, what do you think she is?" asked Daniel, disregarding Kenny's comment.
Matt fidgeted. "I think she's a demon or warlock or something."
"But your dad or uncle would have sensed that," interjected Kenny again the voice of reason.
"Not if she's powerful enough. There are potions to cloak against empathy and telepathy. Vampires are naturally immune to most passive mental sweeps. You've got to really focus to spot a vampire, and you've got to be really good."
"But she's out in the sun all the time," commented Andrew.
Kenny said, "Actually that's a misconception. Most vampires can't go out in direct sunlight, but with strong enough sunscreen they can endure sunlight for a little bit. Then there are a few vampires who have outgrown that particular weakness. And—and if they're not fully vampire the sun might not affect them at all."
"Half-vampire?" demanded Daniel, face screwed up.
Matt nodded. "It's rare, but sometimes vampires give birth to a child. That child will then be half-vampire, half-whatever the other parent is. Jonathan was half-vampire."
"Jonathan? You mean that crazy lunatic who tried to take over the world…"
Matt silenced Daniel with a hand gesture. "Jonathan was half-vampire, half-elemental. He—it's a long story, but the point is he was a half-vampire. And he could walk around in the sunlight."
"So you think Angela is a half-vampire?" quired Kenny.
Matt shook his head. "I don't know what she is. She's got to be a demon with incredible mental powers, or she's highly skilled in brewing potions."
"Why?" inquired Andrew.
"Because it's the only way she can be duping Zach," explained Sophia.
Daniel chuckled. "It's not the only way. Don't get me wrong, I hope it's true, but Zach's still a man. Girls have ways of getting a man to do what they want without spells and potions."
"Says the gay man," snipped Andrew.
Daniel leaned over and squeezed his boyfriend's shoulder. "It's true. Boys can do it too. Humans are hardwired with the ability to manipulate others. How else could a society function?"
Sophia redirected the conversation before an argument could break out. "So what do you want to do, Matt? Haven't you told your family about any of this?"
Matt grumbled. "They don't believe me. They think I'm just jealous, making it all up in my head. I've tried researching this stuff in the Book, but there are too many possibilities. And I don't have any tangible proof to narrow the search."
"Why not try blow her up?" asked Andrew.
Matt narrowed his eyes. "Firstly I don't have that power, and secondly any demon powerful enough to trick my family will require a powerful potion. A potion that powerful would land up killing a mortal."
"So we're not convinced she is a demon," cleared up Daniel.
Matt balled up his hands. "No. It's the most likely answer but not the only one."
"Aren't there tests to see if someone is a demon or not?" asked Kenny, grabbing a cookie.
Matt licked his lips. "There's a spell or two, but they require the Power of Three. Some demons don't bleed red, but some do. There are crystals that detect evil, but I don't know how to use them and, again, they can be tricked."
"So, we've got to catch her doing something evil," suggested Kenny. "We follow her around…"
"With all the free time we've got? My dads are going to be real forgiving when I fail all my classes," said Daniel sarcastically.
Matt sighed. "We've got to do something."
Sophia patted his back in consolation. "What can we do?"
Finals were upon them. The school spread out the examinations into blocks over a two-week period to ensure they had enough time on each test. After the unproductive talk at Kenny's house, Matt had kept his plans for Angela to himself. His friends were right from a certain perspective. They had more pressing issues to deal with, and he would be selfish forcing them to help him. The Angela problem was something he had to solve on his own. He was thankful school came naturally to him, because he spent almost no time studying for his classes.
While, his friends worried about algebra and who fought in the Crimean War, he focused his efforts on discovering what type of demon Angela could be. He had narrowed down the list considerably. His first deduction was that she had to be a demon rather than an evil witch or warlock. Second, he felt she had to at least be related to some type of demon that could manipulate emotions. Sirens were thrown out by the fact they were former witches. He had a hunch that Angela was not that much older than Zach and himself. Succubus was a possibility, but she was not acting like a regular succubus. She being a vampire was another option.
His level of frustration grew each day. He could see Zach falling deeper under her spell. Whatever her plan was for his cousin, it would not be good. They had to put an end to it before the trap sprang. There was also the fact that with Zach being so distant from the family they were vulnerable to an attack from Rahab and Tiamat.
"Are all vampires repelled by garlic?" asked Matt at breakfast of the final day of school.
Andrew, not paying attention, held out his phone for Matt to look at. "Who's the hotty with Rebecca?"
Matt glanced at the phone and shrugged. "No idea. Must be a good friend, though, to get her to leave her room."
Richard sat down beside him, carrying a large bowl of cereal. "Oh, that's Nate. He's great."
"Nate? How do you know?" asked Andrew.
Richard shoveled a spoonful into his mouth. "Oh, I met him a few days ago. I needed a book back that Rebecca had borrowed."
Matt nodded. "Cool. So garlic and vampires?"
Andrew shrugged and went back to scrolling though the news feed on his phone. Richard got in a few more spoons before answering.
"Garlic hurts newly turned vampires. It's less effective against Queens, and necromancers can inject the stuff."
Matt groaned. "Can't anything be a simple yes or no? What's a necromancer?"
Richard chuckled. "They're like vampires on steroids, but I wouldn't worry about them. They tend to stay in the Old World with their Grand Covens. I didn't know they offered a class in the supernatural at your school."
"They don't. I'm just wondering."
"Shouldn't you be wondering about your last final?"
"You sound like my mom."
Richard picked up his bowl and poured the dregs of soggy cereal and milk into his mouth. "How's your mom?"
Matt scratched his nose. "Fine. Ready for the baby to come already."
"She's got a few more months though."
"Yeah. It's only due at the end of summer."
Richard clapped him on the back and stood up. "Good luck today."
Matt nodded his thanks and picked up the thick book he had been reading. He turned the page from the one on sirens. The next page was an illustration. The demon depicted had two massive horns on its head. The tips were on fire. Its red eyes gleamed off the page. Two large wings stretched out behind it, hiding from view the end of a reptilian tail. He recognized the demon.
"Vrykolakas," he muttered. He read the passage.
The Vrykolakas gained their name from the mythical Greek vampires. Beyond the lack of physical attractiveness in their demonic form, the similarities between the myth and realities end. Vrykolakas are incredibly powerful and rare demons. They are the product of the union between a vampire queen and an incubus, a male succubus. Due to their rarity, not much is known in terms of their exact powers and nature. It can be supposed they would be gifted in the art of seduction. Telepathy and other mental arts must be counted among their repertoire of powers. As they are almost always depicted with flaming horns, the element should be guessed as being at their beck and call. As is true with almost all seductress demons, they will have an attractive human form…
Matt reread the sentence. "Holy shit."
Matt hurried to answer all the questions on the Health final. He was the first finished, and he turned in the test without checking any of the answers. Collecting his things, he caught Kenny's attention and mouthed that the elemental should meet him in the library. He thanked Mr. Cole on his way out of the classroom. Once in the hallway he sprinted to the library. Sophia had a free period and would most likely be studying there. He found her in the furthest corner. Without hesitation, he slapped the thick tome on the table in front of her.
"Hello to you too," said Sophia, annoyed.
Matt rolled his eyes. "Hi. Look."
Sophia read the passage. The truth sank in, and her shoulders slumped.
"Are you sure?"
Matt shook his head. "How can I be? It makes sense. It fits. Tell me it doesn't."
Sophia reread the passage. "But that's the thing that attack the school. It murdered half the drama class."
"And she attacked the Manor, remember? Both times she didn't attack Zach directly. She went after Rebecca," whispered Matt hurriedly.
"Ok, so what do we do? Did you tell your dad?"
Matt smiled sheepishly. "No."
"NO! Come on, Matt. This isn't something we can do ourselves. If she is a Vrykolakas, then we're going to need help," admonished Sophia.
Matt pulled out his phone, but it had no signal. "Weird. Check your phone."
Sophia glanced at her phone on the table. "There's no signal. I just had one. I was texting Rebecca. She wants to go to a celebratory lunch with everyone."
Matt closed his eyes. "I can't sense my dad. Something's cutting me off."
Kenny joined them. "Are your phones working?"
Matt shook his head. "Look at this." He gestured at the book.
"Isn't that the demon that attack the school?"
"Yeah. I think it's Angela. How far along was Zach do you think?"
Andrew stepped into their alcove. "He's halfway done. You know Zach, he'll take every last second he has on a test. What's going on?"
"Matt, think he knows what demon Angela is," said Kenny still in shock.
The librarian wondered past their group. "Library is for studying only this week."
Matt packed up the book. "I'm going to find Angela."
"And do what?" asked Sophia concerned.
"You can't face her alone."
Andrew straightened his shoulders. "He won't. We'll all go. Most of the sophomores have a free period. We pull her into an empty classroom, tell her we know, and…"
"And hope she doesn't rip us all to shreds," finished Kenny. "That book says a Vrykolakas is nearly impossible to vanquish. You need a holy relic or a hell of a lot of power. We need to tell your dad or uncle."
Matt held up his phone. "Can't."
"Aren't they your whitelighters? They'll hear your call," said Kenny.
"Something blocking the connection."
Sophia clucked her tongue. "This sounds like a trap."
"I can't not know. I've got to confront her."
Andrew nodded. "Then we confront her. She's not going to go all demon at school. The security is too tight for her to risk it."
Sophia stood up. "This is a bad idea."
"What choice do we have?" asked Matt, leading the way out of the library.
They collected Daniel on the way to the cafeteria. Andrew filled in the junior mortal on the latest turn of events. To his credit, Daniel took the news in stride. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I think I saw Angela in one of the empty English classrooms. She was studying for something, alone."
Matt changed direction mid-step. He picked up the pace. There were a dozen or more English classrooms in the school. Most of them were situated in the corridor just off the main office. They passed confused students and a couple of teachers. No one stopped them. The hallway was deserted. There were no lockers down this way and the English block of exams occurred the week before. Matt slowed down.
"I don't like this," hissed Sophia toward the back of the group.
Matt ignored her. He heard movement in one of the classrooms. He braced himself against the door and listened intently. He could hear nothing. His friends lined up behind him. Counting down from three, he prepared himself. On one, he shoved the door open and rushed into the room. Tied up on the teacher's desk was a fearful Daniel.
Matt spun around, but it was too late. The Daniel behind him transformed into the heinous beast from the book and attacked him. Matt sprang backward, avoiding the sharp talons. His friends joined in the fray. Kenny threw a multitude of fire balls, but the Vrykolakas absorbed the attacks. Sophia pulled out a set of throwing daggers from God knows where. The daggers cut holes in the demon's leathery wings. It roared in fury. The door slammed shut and locked.
"You're going to die," growled the Vrykolakas.
Matt circled the demon, sizing it up. "Too scared to show who you really are?"
The demon laughed. "Scared of a little witch and his meddling band of delinquents? I think not."
The Vrykolakas sprung into attack. It caught Sophia across the eye with one of its talons. Another kick knocked the air of the blonde, and she dropped to the floor. Kenny flicked his wrists hurtling desks at the demon, while making his way to the tied up Daniel. Andrew beat him there, but a stray desk hit Daniel and knocked him out cold. Matt bent down to check on Sophia. The Vrykolakas rounded on the elemental.
'ZACH!" called Kenny, praying the teen would hear him. "Zach, we need your help."
The Vrykolakas started to laugh, but blue orbs shut it up. Its skin began to ripple and contract, as Zach stepped out of the orbs. Zach blinked, surveying the room.
Standing before Zach was not the monstrous, hideous Vrykolakas. No being with flaming horns, little hair, burning slits for eyes. There was no wide mouth filled with dangerous sharp teeth, or slightly too long muscular arms and powerful tail. No, the demonic form of Vrykolakas had vanished the moment he had orbed into the room.
She was tall, maybe a bit taller than he remembered her being, but not by much. Her thick luscious brown hair outlined her perfectly shaped face. Her brown eyes shone with compassion and longing and crinkled with a smile. Her favorite flowery top was bloodied, and a deep slash just below her shoulder marred her otherwise flawless skin. His eyes met her eyes, and his knees grew weak.
"Zach," she said, stepping forward. Her eyes were bright with tears, and the arms that she extended trembled in fear. "Zach. It's me. You know me."
For the first time in his life, Zach felt complete and numbing shock. It was not the gut-wrenching kind he knew all too well. No, this was disbelief of an entirely different sort. He stared at Angela, at the girl he had only hours before been wrapped in a tight embrace. The truth was staring him right in his face. This was Angela, but she was also something else. He could feel the darkness around her.
Vrykolakas had murdered people, people he cared about. Images of the attack at school overwhelmed him, and he stumbled backward. Someone called his name, but a rushing in his ears made it impossible to determine whom. How had he not seen the truth?
The horrible reality churned his stomach. He broke out in a cold sweat. There was only one reason she could have wormed her way so thoroughly into his very being. He loved her. Maybe not as deeply as he loved Rebecca, but he did love her.
"Angela," he whispered.
"I knew you would figure it out," whispered Angela proudly. "You are the smartest person I've ever met."
Her brown eyes were bright, bright as stars, and they glistened with tears of joy and something else. "You've always been able to see through me. You've known this truth, but you still loved me. You still let me in. Don't let them confuse you. You love me. You knew, and you love me."
Zach stared at her, his vision tunneling; blood thundered in his ears. Not since seeing that white sheet covering Pax's broken body had he been so utterly shaken. He could not help it. He extended a hand and brushed her cheek gently. She closed her eyes and smiled. She caught his hand in her own and smiled.
"Save me," she murmured into his ear, nibbling the lobe.
He hated himself, but he pulled back. "You're a Vrykolakas, a seductress. Matt was right."
Angela nodded sadly; her lips trembled. "I had no choice. I didn't choose to be this. Meeting you, being with you—it changed me."
Zach studied her oblivious to the world around him.
The door to the classroom opened. Rebecca rushed in, out of breath. She gasped at the scene before her. The room was in ruins. Desks were overturned. The whiteboard shattered. Glass vials of colorful liquids mixed on the ground and spewed acrid fumes. Matt was crouched in a corner, nursing a wounded Sophia. Kenny held a fire ball in his hand, staring at Zach and Angela, transfixed. Daniel was unconscious. She covered his mouth with both hands.
In the center of the room stood Zach and Angela. Zach was pale and still as a statue. Angela was not Angela. She was mostly human, the girl who tormented the rest of the student population, but her skin was no longer the sun-kissed bronze. It was deathly grey, even translucent in sections. Inch long talons replaced her manicured fingernails. Two bright white fangs broke her model worthy smile. One of the deadly hands reached for Zach's throat.
"NO! ZACH!" screamed Rebecca.
She ran at Angela, not caring for her own safety. She tackled the girl to the ground. Angela hissed and kicked at her. One of the hits caught her in the stomach. Rebecca flew across the room and crashed on top of a pile of desks. Kenny threw his fire ball and rushed to her aid.
"What were you thinking?"
Rebecca stared back at Zach. "What's wrong with him?" she asked, coughing.
An energy ball nearly took off her head. Kenny pulled her to the floor, throwing up a shield made of water. Angela prowled toward them.
"He's in a trance. We've tried everything to break it."
Angela struck the water shield with a fist. The water reverberated in the air and collapsed. Kenny stretched out his hand, extended his fingers as far as they could. The air whipped around them and knocked Angela off her feet. Zach blinked.
Rebecca yelled, "Zach!"
He did not respond. Angela was back on her feet and murmuring something. His cheeks blushed. Kenny rose to his full height and threw out his arms above his head. The roof rumbled and cracked. He jerked his arms back down and a cement pillar plowed through the roof. It hit Angela right on the head and fragmented into rubble. She growled and flicked her wrist at the elemental.
Matt sprang in front of Kenny with a massive sword in his hand. Whatever magic Angela had used hit the sword. A deafening metallic gong resounded through the room. Matt dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.
"It's going to take more than that to destroy Excalibur," he goaded.
Angela snarled. "Why destroy a sword when I can kill its owner?"
Matt gestured violently with his arm and telekinetically threw Angela into the opposite wall. The whole room shook with the impact. Angela grew a tail and whipped at the unprotected Sophia. Matt jumped into action and swung Excalibur to intersect. Angela was prepared and adjusted her attack. The thorn-covered tail switched directions and struck Matt in the abdomen. He bent over double, and Angela hit him again across the face, knocking him out cold. A bit of blood dribbled out of his slack mouth.
"MATT!" screamed Sophia at the top of her lungs.
Angela pounced on her. Sophia drove a dagger into Angela's shoulder and rolled out of the way of the dangerous tail.
"Rebecca, get to Zach," whispered Kenny.
Kenny steeled himself and joined Sophia's offensive. Angela was fast but unprepared. Clearly she had not considered anyone else as a danger besides the Halliwells.
Rebecca got to her feet, ignoring the battle and run to the rigid Zach. She reached him, and her heart stopped. His eyes were pitch black.
"No, Zach! Don't let her win. Come on, Zach. Fight it." Trembling, she stretched out and cupped his face.
"NO!" shrieked Angela from somewhere behind her.
She did not know what drove her to act, but she leaned in. Her lips met Zach's ice cold ones, and a spark jumped between the two of them.
For Zach none of the battle happened. He was still staring into Angela's eyes. Her voice echoed in his mind. Impressions of a future filled his being. He was standing in front of a church with his cousins at his side as a woman in white walked up the aisle. He had an arm wrapped around the woman, and baby slept on his lap.
Zach reached out with his free hand and touched Angela's cheek gently, and she leaned into his hand. He wanted to help her. He would take her away from here. Together they could change her destiny. They could have that future. She just had to renounce the darkness in her soul. She had to let him help.
Something in Angela's eyes changed. They grew cold and hard. He could see the monster behind them again. The golden future twisted and grew dark. Death and sorrow wrapped around his heart. They would be together. The way she was, and the way she would make him. His heart broke.
A different warmth grew inside him. The woman in his vision morphed. No longer tall and thin, the girl's face rounded and her hair curled. Her skin softened. Her eyes lacked the lust for power. The memory of his love for Angela vanished. He blinked.
"Becks," he coughed.
Rebecca grinned broadly and kissed him again. He leaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close.
"NOOOOOOO!" screeched an unearthly voice.
A telekinetic bomb fueled by hatred and anger exploded out from Angela's core. Kenny cocooned himself and Sophia with his powers the best he could, but hey were too close. The sheer intensity of the attack ripped apart his feeble defensives and threw them across the room. As blackness clouded his vision, he saw an appalling Angela round on Zach and Rebecca.
Zach easily redirected the majority of the telekinetic wave. His desire to protect his loved ones made it easy to override the gnawing pain in his chest. His magic flowed freely out of him. He called for his father and uncle as he orbed his cousin and friends out of danger. Rebecca clung to him, grounding him. Whatever ward that had been placed over the school buckled.
Angela narrowed her eyes. "You are mine."
"You can't force it," said Zach coolly. "Magic cannot create love."
Angela growled like a wounded tigress. She loped at the couple conjuring fire balls the size of volleyballs. She threw them at Rebecca.
Besides him, Rebecca's eyes flew wide as the fire balls raced toward her. Zach threw out his hand. The fire balls were a distraction. A powerful invisible hand seized Rebecca by the throat, lifted her high into the sky, and shook her like a rag doll. She ripped at the unseen hand, attempting to pry it off. The hand slowly was crushing the air out of her.
Zach spread out his fingers. Blue and white lightening shot from his hand. The electric storm smashed into Angela's chest or that is what he intended it to do. Instead, the individual bolts twisted mid-air and changed direction. Zach lowered his hands the second he recognized what Angela was planning, but it was too late. The lightening hit Rebecca. She convulsed twice and dropped to the floor.
"Rebecca!" cried Zach, forgetting the danger he was in.
He dropped to the floor beside her and cradled her head. Smoke spiraled off the dozen or so blackened burns on her chest. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
"No, no, no! It's ok; I've got you. Becks, you're ok. " He ran his fingers through her tangled hair.
Angela laughed. "Guess, it wasn't love."
Two swirls of blue orbs descended from the remains of the ceiling. Chris Halliwell waved his hand above his head and pieces of debris rose into the air. The pieces pummeled Angela backward. She regrew her wings to shield herself from the worst of the blows. Wyatt Halliwell gathered up Excalibur and conjured dwarf stone creatures. He pointed the legendary sword at demon. The rock soldiers laughed feverishly and charged.
"Zach, get out of here," shouted Wyatt over his shoulder.
Zach shakily collected Rebecca into his arms and orbed out.
Chris and Wyatt advanced on the demon. Angela batted aside the last of the conjured soldiers. Wyatt and Chris waved their hand in unison, and Angela crashed through the classroom wall into the nearly empty corridor. All remains of her demonic form vanished.
"Help me."
Wyatt ignored her plea. He formed a fire ball in the center of his hand.
"Wy, wait," called Chris too late.
Wyatt threw the fire ball. It hit Angela in the chest, and she screamed. Flames erupted around her and engulfed her. They died out, leaving a pile of ash in the shape of a human.
"OH MY GOD!"
Wyatt whipped his head around and paled. A geeky looking boy stood a few feet away with his phone pointed at the scene.
"Shit."
They were exposed.
AN: What do you think? Do you hate the cliffhanger? It's not much of one, but it will be the launching point for an action-packed next chapter. Let me know what you think is going to happen. I want to know your ideas of where this is going.
Until next time. I'll leave you with a huge thank you.