A/N: Hello and welcome to my very first fanfic that's not written in my mother tongue. This story originally started out on Tumblr in a different version that didn't include my OC yet. That version is probably still floating around somewhere but this one here is the edited/updated one.

2020 update: It's now been three years since I first started this story, so I made some more changes, added and deleted a few things, and overall checked it for mistakes because I hope my writing improved over the years. Mostly the chapters stayed the same but you may notice some things are different now compared to how they were before.

Chapter One: Siphoners

Taking one last deep breath, I open the door and step out of my room. I'd already stayed in here longer than I was supposed to, trying to prolong the moment I had to leave in every way possible. Truth is, I just wasn't ready yet (not that I would ever be fully ready); however, the time had come now to face my fears once more. To put my life in danger for the sake of others again.

"One day everything will be over."

Suddenly, my mother appeared in the corridor, a stern look on her usually friendly and calm face. She was obviously just as tense as me which didn't come as that much of a surprise considering she had to be just as careful as I was. Maybe a little less but she couldn't let anything about my condition slip anyway. Moving closer she put a gentle hand on my shoulder, her lips curling into a small smile that I know is supposed to be encouraging, and continued, "one day the Coven will have a new leader and neither you nor we have to hide what you are anymore."

Honestly, I wasn't so sure about that – why should a new leader suddenly change something that had been established centuries ago? There was no way they'd suddenly change their opinion just because another person was leading us. If that were the case surely something would've happened decades ago. But I wasn't going to voice my opinion out loud, I know my mother was stressed enough already and if her way to cope with it all was to keep onto that little bit of hope I wasn't going to take that away from her. So instead, I offered her a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes but could easily be mistaken as a sign of me trusting her.

My attention turned towards the familiar golden amulet dangling in my mother's right hand. It was an old family heirloom which had been in our possession for a very, very long time. The delicate chain had the same color as the big round pendant although I was sure it had been replaced over the years. There was a red gem in the middle, the faint glow somehow making it seem almost magical.

I put my hand out expectantly, waiting for my mother to place the amulet in it. It would be my life insurance for the next few days, hopefully preparing me for everything that was about to come. Letting out a sigh, she finally handed it over.

I could almost immediately feel the magic flowing through it like blood coursing through one's veins. Pulsating. Radiating a warmth onto my cool skin. It seemed like it was just waiting for me to absorb it all. But I couldn't, no – I shouldn't. Not yet, at least. After all, we still had a long drive to Portland ahead of us and only then I'd actually need magic to appear perfectly normal to everyone else in the Gemini Coven. Especially our leader.

Having been born as a siphoner put both me and my family in great danger. There was this constant risk of being exposed and exiled from the Coven (which was the best-case scenario). For me, my fate would probably be even worse. I would be feared to become a threat to the Coven, resulting in me being sent to a Prison World where I'd be forced to spend the rest of my miserable life. Just like every other siphoner before me … or so I had been told.

That's why my whole life my family and I had had to make sure no one ever found out about our little secret. At every single Coven meeting, I had to wear my magical amulet (or whatever other magic-filled objects we had) so I could siphon its magic whenever necessary. In privacy, of course, undetected from prying eyes. It was a dangerous game and we constantly had to be precautious but so far it had always worked out somehow. Something I was both proud and scared of – because it could only work out for so long and more than anything I feared that one day we would be caught.

"Are you ready?" Father's loud voice called from downstairs. He had probably finished heaving our luggage in the car, now only waiting for us to go meet him. "If we don't want to be too late, we should go now. You know how much they value punctuality."

While we both walked down the stairs, I could feel my mother's gaze on my back but I tried to ignore it as best as I could. Instead opting to pretend to be ready and strong. Nothing would go wrong – I had to pretend to believe it, no matter if I actually did or not. Otherwise, something was definitely going to go wrong.

Carefully, I placed the necklace around my neck, concentrating so I wouldn't accidentally siphon any of its magic already. It was tempting, though; the magic taunting me in ways very few people would understand. But I couldn't, not yet, anyway. Besides, I had to stay focused now and couldn't allow my mind to drift off, or else I would subconsciously take the magic. Another disadvantage of being what I was. I constantly had to be alert.

Grabbing my jacket from the wardrobe downstairs, I walked towards our car and took a seat on the back seat, closing my eyes for just a few seconds as my parents joined me. I could do it. I'd done it before and everything had always worked out. This time wouldn't be any different. I wouldn't allow it to be any different. With this mantra in mind, my father started the engine and we drove into what surely would be one of the most dangerous weeks of my life.

Our drive to Portland was rather dull and quiet. Everyone was engaged in their own thoughts, trying not to talk too much about what was going to happen once we reached our destination. It gave us some last few minutes to breathe before it would all come crashing down.

I had tried to remember the last time we attended a Gemini Coven meeting at the Parker's family home but the only thing I did successfully figure out was that it must've been a few years since we've been there. Solely, because I was pretty sure I hadn't yet met their second set of twins, Lucas and Olivia – or whatever their names were. To be honest, I always found it weird they had another set of twins; as far as I know, they already had one (around my age) to do the Merge so why the need for more? Of course, maybe they just liked kids but judging by everything I knew about the Parker's something was going on. Something weird I did not quite understand.

"It's time," my mother suddenly said, looking at me through the rearview mirror. I gave a curt nod in response and took the golden pendant in my hand.

Almost immediately I felt the magic coursing through the little object again, just waiting to be siphoned away. I closed my eyes, focusing to make sure I wouldn't siphon too much at once. Otherwise, there wouldn't be enough left for the rest of the week – not that my parents couldn't just give me some part of their magic should it come to that but it would exhaust and weaken them. Both things I didn't want them to endure, not when we were being watched by all the other coven members.

To make matters even worse, this time would be the longest we'd ever had to spend in Portland. Usually, the meetings only lasted around two or three days (mostly over the weekends) but this time Joshua had demanded it to be one full week. One week during which I had to hide away my powers and be careful not to use too much at once – which would be quite the daunting task in a house full of witches.

The typical orange light disappeared as soon as I felt the magic in my body. It was a thrilling feel, topped only by the strength I suddenly seemed to possess. The power to do whatever the hell I wanted to do. It was exhilarating. Some time back I had made a promise to myself that one day I would figure out a way to make the magic stay with us siphoners at all times. This way I wouldn't just help myself (although, if I was being honest, that was my main intention) but everyone. We wouldn't have to hide anymore and we wouldn't be feared by anyone anymore because we could use our own magic whenever we pleased. We didn't have to rely on others; instead, we'd just be like everyone else. Boring but safe.

A few minutes later we found ourselves in close proximity to the Parker's family home. We couldn't see it just yet, the spell that kept it hidden still working, but once we were almost there the spell would lift itself and we would be able to see the house. It had been placed there many years ago as a precaution so witches, other supernatural beings, and humans couldn't locate it; only members of the Gemini Coven who knew about the secret were able to see it once they were close enough.

My parents looked at me expectantly, both with this weird frightened look in their eyes I'd grown so accustomed to lately. I tried to ignore it, giving each of them a reassuring smile, hoping it was enough to keep them calm. They had to, otherwise, it would make it even more difficult for me. So I nodded at them, knowing this was the answer they were waiting for.

I was ready to face the Gemini Coven.

As we continued our short walk, everything that was spread around in the garden suddenly became visible: toys, bikes, and other stuff that definitely belonged to kids. It all seemed so perfectly normal like they were just a simple, loving family with children who (judging by the number of things scattered outside) loved to play outside. No one would ever guess what they truly were.

Before we even had the time to knock on the door, it was opened by a pretty, brunette girl my age. She was smiling kindly at us, holding out her hand to welcome us. My father was the first one to speak, introducing us as the Reece family from Salem, Oregon, which prompted the girl to let us inside.

As we stepped inside, it was her turn now and she told us her name was Josette, Joshua's eldest daughter and one of the first set of twins. She offered to take me upstairs to her room so my parents could go and speak with the Coven leader who didn't allow children to be present at the meetings most of the time. It was tempting, as I wasn't really keen on seeing Joshuas just yet; this would give me more time to prepare myself. Besides, I liked Josette – we had never really been friends but during every meeting, we mostly spend our time together anyway.

We climbed the stairs as two little children suddenly ran towards us, both not older than three. They wrapped their tiny arms around Josette's leg and smiled kindly at me, not the least bit shy despite me being a stranger. There was this genuine happiness and friendliness in their eyes, something I rarely saw in adults.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, staring at me with big blue eyes. From what I could tell, he seemed to be a bit more reserved than his sister. He was still holding onto Josette's leg while his sister was in front of me now. I knelt down so I was face-to-face with the both of them.

"My name is Callie and you must be Lucas," I answered, reaching my hand out to ruffle through his blonde locks. I then turned towards the girl, gently poking her nose. "And you have to be Olivia." The kids giggled, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my lips. I loved them already.

Holding the hand of each of her siblings, Josette led us all into her room. It was a small room but we still managed to find a place to sit on the blue carpet while I looked around. The most prominent colors were white and blue (which I guessed was Josette's favorite color) and all in all it was all very bright. Two small windows at one wall filled the room with sunlight, even lighting the dark corners. There wasn't much furniture around, just a bed, a table with two chairs and a small wardrobe. A simple bedroom that was only personalized by a bunch of framed pictures hanging on the walls; it wasn't much but I liked it nonetheless.

Time went by fast as we entertained the kids with magic. Unfortunately, that seemed to be the one thing they enjoyed most as they couldn't stop marveling and laughing every time we made something spectacular. Not even the toys they had brought into the room when Josette and I decided to take a short break were as enjoyable as our magic. Despite the fact, they themselves could use it (although they possibly couldn't fully control it yet).

Of course, I had to be careful not to use too much magic at once. It would be fatal and stupid using it all up in less than a day; plus, I couldn't safely siphon while Josette was around. She would immediately be able to tell or at least guess what I was doing and I didn't trust her enough not to tell anyone. In fact, I couldn't trust her even if I wanted to. I couldn't trust anyone besides my family in this situation – least of all a child of Joshua Parker. My secret had to stay my secret.

But despite my best efforts, I could feel the exhaustion slowly taking over me as the magic was leaving my system and making me more human than witch. If I wanted to continue playing with the kids, I would need more magic; as much as I hated the fact it had already come to this. That's why I had to quickly figure out a way to get away from Josette so I could siphon in privacy.

"Is there a nice place where I can take a walk? I need some fresh air." I mentioned casually towards Josette as the twins were gone to bring the toys back to their room. Or maybe just to switch it out, I wasn't quite sure.

"Yeah … sure. There's this forest nearby which is ideal for a walk," she answered, obviously irritated by my sudden mood change. For one moment, I imagined a suspicious look in her eyes but I quickly shrugged it off as she looked at me with a smile again. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Oh no, that won't be necessary," I quickly said only then realizing how rude it must've sounded. "It's just that I feel like I'm getting a headache and to prevent that I need some quiet and fresh air. Besides, we're witches – there's nothing that could go wrong."

Somehow, I couldn't shake the fear that Josette might see right through my lies and ask any more questions but lucky for me, she just shrugged her shoulders and without further ado, I walked back downstairs and out through the door.

The moment I stepped outside I was immediately met by a cool breeze. I took a deep breath and looked around, hoping no one was watching or (worse) following me. But I couldn't see anyone which was why I decided to go towards the forest I could make out in the distance. Like Josette had said, it wasn't that far away and in just a few minutes I had already reached the edge of the woods. The wind slowly seemed to fade and I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, heating me up.

After a few more steps inside the forest, I leaned against a broad oak tree. Again, I looked up to make sure no one was around before I instinctively reached for the delicate necklace around my neck, taking hold of the pendant. As always, the magic seemed to radiate off of it in a faint heat and as I closed my eyes I could feel it washing over me, filling every cell of my body. It was inside of me, making me addicted to it, almost begging me to take it all in one go.

But I couldn't. I had to stop myself now before our whole plan would be ruined by me already having used up all my resources in a single day. Then we couldn't pretend anymore and had to endure whatever punishment Joshua saw fit for us. I shuddered at the thought; no, that wasn't something I wanted to think about.

I was about to go back to the house when I suddenly heard something that sounded identical to footsteps on the leafy forest floor. Although I had constantly made sure no one was around, someone must've followed me here. Why else would they be so close to my hiding spot?

"Invisique," I muttered, using the spell to cloak myself. It was a stupid idea to use any more magic, I knew that, but it made me feel safer. Only when I was completely sure to be invisible, I ran without looking back. If I couldn't be seen anymore, they wouldn't be able to follow me anymore. Right?

Never was I more wrong.

Just seconds after I took a quick rest behind a tree, I was pinned against it. Pain shot through me as I felt some pressure on my arm. Someone was holding it tightly, pressing it against the bark, and not giving me any chance to free myself. Instinctively, I had looked at my arm out of the corner of my eyes where I could see a strangely familiar red light emitting from where I was sure the invisible stranger was touching me.

A person materialized in front of me and as quickly as the pain had come it was gone, giving me a moment to look at the guy in front of me. I didn't recognize him but he looked oddly familiar. Like I had seen him before, only I couldn't lay my finger on where I knew him from.

He had short dark hair and blue eyes which were piercing into my dark brown eyes. His lips curled into a smirk as he cocked his head to the side without breaking eye contact. Nervously, I bit my lip and felt the heat rush into my cheeks, trying hard not to let it show what effect this stranger had on me.

"You must be one of the coven witches," he said and placed a large hand on my cheek. His fingers were cold, and I welcomed his touch so much so that I even leaned into it. My breath was coming out uneven and my heart was beating too loud and too fast. Surprisingly, though, I wasn't afraid. Something inside me told me I didn't need to be scared no matter how weird and uncomfortable this situation was.

My breath momentarily got caught in my throat as the ominous red light appeared again and the boys' grin turned devilish. Before I could even register what was happening, I yelled out the first thing that came to my mind – giving me the explanation as to why I hadn't been afraid of him.

"You're a siphoner!"

Immediately, his expression changed into one I couldn't interpret any longer. He seemed to be both confused and interested but that still didn't stop him from letting go of me. In fact, it even seemed to spur him on and he tightened his grip on my arm, not noticing when the light disappeared the moment I had no more magic left in me.

"What did you do? Why can't I feel your magic anymore?" He asked through gritted teeth and I could see the anger burning in his eyes. Anger paired with another emotion, one I couldn't quite place yet.

But whatever it was, it seemed to be the push I needed to gain back my strength. I managed to free one hand and tightly gripped the amulet around my neck, siphoning another bit of magic to push the boy off of me, sending him flying into the air and onto the hard ground. Again, I used the cloaking spell to turn myself invisible and ran as fast as I could. Out of the forest and away from the stranger. No one, not even another siphoner, should know the truth about me and my little secret.

I reached the house without any more incidents and was about to knock on the door when it was opened by someone with a big grin on their face. Staring at me with a challenging look, and I could almost feel all the color drain from my face as I stared at them with an open mouth.

"Long time no see."