The Hunter Games
Part 3
Xxx
In San Francisco, twenty-seven year old Rebecca Callaway was reading a novel in the garden of her family estate. The redhead was wearing a floral maternity dress, which revealed her baby bump of six months. While she and her husband usually stayed at their apartment in the city, Rebecca had opted to spend a few days with her family while Thomas was on a business trip. Her father was happy to have her company, as life at the estate had grown quiet after the passing of her mother. He was also thrilled to soon welcome a new generation of Callaways, something he would often mention to her brother as well, hoping that he would follow Rebecca's example and start a family of his own sooner rather than later.
Feeling thirsty, Rebecca got up and headed inside from a drink. As she walked to the fridge for some iced tea, she stopped when she heard a crash and a yell from the study. That sounded like her father. She quickly put the glass down and rushed to find him.
"Dad?" Rebecca called out. "Are you okay?"
As she entered the hallway, she screamed as a masked and armed man turned to face her. However, before he could move, he was struck with an Energy Ball. Her father ran toward her and she could see he was bleeding.
"Quickly." Her father said. "Get to the altar room and use a potion to escape. Go somewhere safe."
"Dad, no, I can help." Rebecca replied. "What is happening?"
"Hunters." Her father said. "Don't argue, just go. Protect our future."
Two more armed men entered the hall and her father turned to them to throw an Energy Ball. He managed to hit one of them, but the other shot him with a dart. Her father fell down to his knees, but managed to throw one more Energy Ball before collapsing. The other hunter was hit and thrown back against the wall.
"Go!" Her father whispered before passing out.
Rebecca cried as she tried to wake him, but it was no use. She quickly snapped herself out of it and knew she had to protect her child. She got up and began running up the stairs. More hunters entered the estate, including one that burst through the window in front of her. Rebecca screamed and formed an Energy Ball of her own, sending him flying right back out the window. She nearly reached the altar room when she suddenly found herself surrounded by hunters.
"Please." Rebecca pleaded as she held up her hands in surrender. "Whatever you want, don't hurt my baby."
Xxx
A swirl of orbs appeared in the kitchen of the Jenkins house in suburban Washington DC, forming into the group of five teenagers from the parking lot. They had managed to orb out before they were discovered, as the explosive return of Charlie's powers was sure to draw attention. Lexie turned on the lights and looked at her little brother, who was trembling while staring at his hands. She placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. After hearing the truth about her father just moments ago, she was upset and confused as well, but she needed to stay strong for Charlie's sake.
"Calm down." Lexie noted. "We don't need you causing another fire."
"Why are my powers back?" Charlie asked. "I didn't mean to…"
"I know." Lexie replied. "You were angry and your powers are triggered by your emotions. They were bound to come back sooner or later."
"Why were they even bound to begin with?" Liam asked.
"Because Charlie had trouble getting them under control." Lexie replied. "Don't you remember how he used to cause fires whenever he got upset?"
"I remember he burned down my dollhouse once." Margot noted.
"Sorry." Charlie said. "I never wanted these powers."
"Are you kidding?" Margot asked. "You should consider yourself lucky. Having magic is amazing. Why would you ever want to give that up?"
"Some of us have trouble controlling our magic, Margot." Liam noted. "You should know that considering all we've been through."
"Oh right, sorry." Margot replied. "I didn't mean to sound insensitive."
"We didn't all grow up on a magical island." Lexie said. "Having magic out in the real world can be dangerous. My mom decided to bind Charlie's powers until he was ready for them."
"But after a while, I enjoyed just being normal." Charlie added. "I could play sports, hang out with friends and not be afraid I might hurt someone."
"Well, all of this is very touching, but can we get back to the matter at hand?" Simon remarked in a snobbish tone. "I was assaulted by witch hunters. That should be more important."
"We haven't forgotten, believe me." Lexie noted annoyed. "Liam, you need to tell us everything you know."
"I don't know much." Liam admitted. "The only reason we knew Simon would be attacked was due to a premonition I had."
"Not about that." Lexie said. "About my dad."
"Oh right." Liam replied. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, that was never my intention. I just assumed you knew."
"We didn't." Charlie remarked angrily.
"Okay, you need to stay calm." Lexie said. "Maybe you should go into the other room."
"No!" Charlie snapped at her. "I want to hear this."
A vase of flowers on the kitchen table erupted in flames and a pan on the stove caught fire due to his outburst. Reacting quickly, Lexie telekinetically put the lid on the pan while Margot summoned a small raincloud above the vase to put out the flames. Once the flames were gone, the rain ended and she grabbed a towel to clean up.
"Do you still think it's a good idea to hear it?" Lexie asked.
"No, I guess not." Charlie admitted reluctantly.
"Liam and I will go talk in the living room." Lexie said. "You guys stay here and make some dinner or something. I'm sure we could all use a bite to eat."
"Oh please, I don't cook myself." Simon noted. "We have staff for that."
"Can we lock him in a closet or something?" Margot remarked as she rolled her eyes.
"We still need to figure out why the hunters were after him." Liam said. "Until we know more, we need to keep a close eye on him."
"Fine, I'll do the cooking." Margot replied.
As Margot began going through the fridge, Lexie grabbed Liam by the arm and took him to the living room. After closing the door, she turned to her classmate and crossed her arms, waiting for his explanation. She needed to know the truth about her dad and why her mom had been lying to her and Charlie for their entire lives. There had to be a good reason for it, right?
"I can tell you're upset." Liam said. "I'll tell you everything I know, but it's not much."
"Just talk." Lexie replied.
"Alright." Liam started to explain. "A few years ago, after we stopped hanging out, I heard my parents talking about your mom. My mom had just visited your mom as she was going through a difficult time."
"When was this?" Lexie asked.
"A few years ago." Liam replied. "My mom mentioned how she regretted not going there enough when your dad died. She said your mom had never forgiven herself for what happened. My mom suggested that she should tell you about your dad, but your mom replied that she would never let her kids discover they were part of a lineage of witch hunters. She wanted to bury that secret forever."
"Did she say why?" Lexie asked.
"No, that was all they said." Liam noted. "Maybe she just didn't tell you to protect you. I doubt the hunters would be happy to have witches in their family."
"Maybe." Lexie replied. "I need to talk to my mom about this."
Lexie took her phone out of her pocket and tried calling her mom, though there was no response. She was probably stuck at work, dealing with some other big emergency that was more important than her own children. Their conversation would have to wait. Right now, they needed to figure out why the hunters were after Simon and how to keep him safe.
"Did your premonition tell you anything else?" Lexie asked. "About why the hunters targeted Simon?"
"No, I just saw the attack." Liam replied. "But I've been thinking about that as well. Simon is a part of a very powerful magical family, but there is nothing really special about him."
"Right, the Marks family is pretty well known." Lexie reasoned. "Could that be the reason?"
"If that's the case, the hunters might target other families as well." Liam said.
"We know several magical families through our classmates." Lexie noted. "We should head to Magic School. I'll bet there will be someone there to help with Charlie's powers as well."
"Right, good thinking." Liam replied. "Maybe we should warn people as well."
"Like who, your girlfriend?" Lexie remarked.
"She… she's not my girlfriend." Liam quickly replied as his head turned red. "We went on one date."
"But you're still texting with her." Lexie noted. "We're friends, remember? She told me all about your date."
"W-what did she say?" Liam asked nervously.
"I can't say, girl code." Lexie replied.
"Come on, we were friends long before you even knew Payton." Liam said. "You have to tell me if she told you anything. Did I screw up somehow?"
"I'm not going to tell you." Lexie replied with a smirk. "You just have to figure that out on your own, lover boy."
"You're evil." Liam said. "But should we warn her? I don't want her to get hurt."
"Payton can take care of herself." Lexie replied. "Besides, if you tell her, she'll want to help and we'll end up putting her in danger instead of protecting her."
"I guess you're right." Liam admitted.
"You get the others, I'll summon the door to Magic School." Lexie said. "I need change first."
Liam nodded and headed to the kitchen. Lexie tried calling her mom again as she headed upstairs, but still there was no response. As she entered her bedroom, her eyes fell on a picture frame on her nightstand. It was a photo of her and her dad when she was three years old. She wished she had more memories of him, but he died shortly after the picture was taken. She had never really gotten the chance to know him. Now even the memories she did have could be based on a lie.
Xxx
In Houston, Billie was investigating the apartment of Anne Maria and her friends. The bodies of the witch hunters were being carried outside by her agents. She had already finished examining them and there was nothing more to learn from them. It was a highly organized group with military-grade equipment, which meant they would be near-impossible to track down. A little voice in her mind was telling her that only one person could be responsible for this, but she didn't want to go there yet. It was too painful.
Billie stared at several picture frames on the wall. The new Chosen seemed like close group of friends, just like she had been with Violet and Duncan. It felt like ages ago since she had seen them, which it probably was. A column of orbs appeared and formed into Kyle. She had sent him to the Heavens to see if there had been other attacks.
"Find anything?" Kyle asked.
"Nothing we didn't already know." Billie admitted. "We're dealing with experts. Did you learn something up there?"
"I did and it's not good." Kyle replied. "There have been at least two attacks, in Portland and San Francisco."
"Duncan?" Billie asked concerned.
"No, but it was a member of his family." Kyle said. "Delaney Phillips disappeared after leaving her job at the hospital. Her family got worried and found her phone under her car."
"And the other?" Billie asked.
"Roy Callaway and his daughter Rebecca." Kyle replied. "Rebecca's husband called in help when he couldn't reach either of them. She's also pregnant."
"Those bastards will do anything." Billie said angrily. "Three attacks in different parts of the country. This is a huge operation and I doubt its's over."
"We still don't know what connects the victims." Kyle said.
"Don't we?" Billie reasoned. "The Phillips and Callaway families are two of the most prominent magical families out there. The hunters were also specifically after Anne Maria and didn't care about the other two. The Ricciardi family is another a powerful line of witches."
"You think they're targeting specific families." Kyle concluded.
"All evidence seems to point in that direction." Billie replied.
"Then we need to warn people." Kyle said. "I'll spread the word to other Whitelighters. Maybe we can call in help, like the Halliwells."
"No!" Billie blurted out. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Of course we should warn everyone."
"Billie, how long has it been?" Kyle asked. "Have you still not talked to the sisters?"
"There really isn't much to talk about." Billie replied defiantly. "You were there, Kyle, you know what happened. They still blame me."
"I know." Kyle admitted. "But what happened wasn't your fault, Billie. I hope you know that."
"I don't want to talk about it." Billie said. "We need to focus on the matter at hand. Dealing with witch hunters is difficult enough, I don't want to be reminded of another tragedy."
"I understand." Kyle replied. "I'll go back to the Heavens."
"I'll return to the office and start compiling a list of all magical families with Anne Maria." Billie said.
"I'll meet you there." Kyle replied.
Kyle dissolved in a column of orbs, while Billie left apartment through the front door, leaving her agents behind to clean up. If the hunters were really targeting magical families, everyone Billie knew could be in danger, including her own kids. She grabbed her phone and saw several missed calls from Lexie. She tried calling back, but there was no connection. She felt herself panicking. If this truly was connected to the person she suspected, her children were at the top of her hit list.
Xxx
In the grand hall of Magic School, a swirling blue portal opened, through which Liam and the others appeared. Due to it being the weekend and most students going home to be with their families, it was quieter than usual. However, there still were a few faculty members that lived on school grounds. Liam enjoyed being at Magic School, despite initially struggling to fit in. He had gotten closer to his classmates after the ordeal with Kali. It was just a shame that Payton had decided to go back to her old school, as he would have loved to spend more time with her. Things had been a little awkward after their date and Liam didn't how to take the next step. He worried he had done something wrong.
"This Magic School?" Simon remarked. "Gosh, it is just as uninspired as its name. Compared to Newcastle College, it is rather quaint."
"Tell me we can at least leave him here?" Margot noted.
"Simon, you need to shut up." Lexie said. "Remember that you're here because you're in danger. We could have left you to fend for yourself."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound pompous." Simon replied. "It is rather hard to break old patterns."
"You don't just sound pompous, you are." Margot remarked. "Must be due to being born with a silver spoon up your butt."
"I don't believe that's how the expression goes." Simon noted quietly.
"Cut it out, Margot." Liam said. "We need to find one of the professors and tell them what is going on."
Liam and the others walked down the grand hallway. His sister could be handful at times, acting older than she actually was and being more confident and outspoken than him. He envied her at times for that, though it could also be annoying. He noticed her whispering to Charlie and the younger boy laughing, probably at poor Simon's expense. At least it stopped Charlie from randomly setting things on fire. The group reached the main hall and saw two people talking there, Professors Forbes and Marks, wearing casual clothes instead of their robes.
"Callum!" Simon called out as he saw his cousin and ran to hug him.
"Simon?" Professor Marks asked surprised as he embraced his younger cousin. "Wait, what are you doing here?"
"What are you all doing here?" Professor Forbes added. "You should be at home, haven't you been informed about what's going on?"
"Are you talking about the witch hunters?" Lexie asked.
"How do you know about the witch hunters if you haven't been informed?" Professor Forbes replied. "Were you attacked as well?"
"I was attacked in London." Simon said. "Ambushed at my favorite restaurant of all places. I was only able escape due to Liam and Margot."
"Thank God you're alright." Professor Marks replied. "But you kids shouldn't be out there fighting witch hunters on your own. This is not the same as fighting your average evil beings."
"We didn't have a choice, Professor." Liam said. "I had a premonition and we didn't have enough time to warn anyone else."
"Hold on, you said there have been more attacks?" Lexie asked.
"Yes, five witches have been abducted so far." Professor Forbes said. "All of them belong to powerful magical families, including my own niece Delaney. That's why the Elders sent out a warning."
"Do we know why these families are being targeted?" Liam asked.
"No, we don't." Professor Forbes admitted. "Which is why you need to stay here where it's safe. This is something you need to let the adults handle."
"Please, when has that ever worked?" A voice sounded behind them.
Liam and the others turned around to see a girl around their age standing behind them. She was dressed in a leather jacket and dark jeans, with her dark brown hair tied in a side braid. Liam recognized her instantly, as they had grown up together along with Lexie and Charlie, though he had not seen her in years. Her comment revealed that she had not changed at all, as Izzy had always loved breaking rules.
Xxx