CHAPTER TEN

The members of the Silver Society had gathered at Alex's house for an emergency meeting. They'd assumed their usual positions. Alex looked at Jade and said, "The floor is yours, kid. What did you find out?"

Jade nervously pulled a file out of her bag. "This is a restricted file from the Unit," she began. "Earlier today, Kara's spirit appeared to me and told me we needed to read it. The file talks about a group known only as Division Y."

"Division Y?" Dylan repeated. "What is it?"

"Division Y was an elite group of vampires, witches, and lycanthropes who came together to stop the greatest evil Salem has ever seen," Jade explained.

"What was this great evil?" Beth asked.

"He was a warlock named Bartholomew Bryce. He terrorized Salem during the time of the witch trials. Unlike the people who were accused, Bartholomew actually did have magick, and he used it to harm as many innocents as he could."

"What did he do?" Randy asked.

"He killed people for power, and it wasn't done quickly. He enjoyed torturing his victims. He'd keep them alive for weeks until he drained every ounce of their life force. He was extremely powerful, and he didn't care who he had to hurt to keep getting stronger."

"This guy sounds like a winner," Arnie said. "What happened?"

"After he tortured a very young werewolf to death, the Alpha decided something had to be done to stop him. He recognized that only by bringing the three branches of supernaturals together could they defeat Bartholomew. Each leg of the letter Y represents one of the groups joining this alliance."

"So this guy was so evil he brought everyone together," Jesse said.

"Yes. They united to bring him down. The problem was, Bartholomew had become something they'd never seen before. He wasn't really human anymore, and as far as they could tell, he couldn't be killed."

"Everything has a weakness. There had to be a way to kill him," Alex replied.

"Even if they took him down, he regenerated almost instantly. He got back up faster than a Reaper. They tried to cut his head off and the wound healed as the sword went through his flesh. He seemed to be unstoppable."

"What did they do?" Evan asked.

"That's where the file gets vague," Jade replied with a sigh. "Jacob was part of this, so he'll know. Whether or not he'll tell us is another story."

"I can get him to talk," Aideen said.

"The Liggman Witches were also involved. Melissa, can you ask Annabella if she knows anything?"

"Sure, no problem," Melissa replied.

"There's more... We know he was buried beneath Bishop and sealed there somehow. According to a prophecy made by Mary Winston, Bartholomew can only rise again during night eternal."

Cierra's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no... I freed him?" She asked.

"He isn't free yet, but he's getting there." Jade paused. "It's not your fault, Cierra. You didn't do this on purpose, and prophecies have a way of coming true."

"Especially ones told by Mary Winston," Aideen added. "She's famous. She was Johnny's ancestor, and her visions were as powerful as his are."

Cierra paused. "He was a warlock named Bryce... My neighbors are the Bryces," she said suddenly. "I've known them for my entire life, but I found out they were warlocks after it came out that I descend from Erica Vitti. Mr. and Mrs. Bryce really started doting on me after that and making sure I was taken care of. Their son's a sweetheart. Camelot's the one who called the ambulance for my dad."

"Camelot was with me when Kara told me about the file," Jade replied. "He helped me. I was sort of being attacked by an evil spirit."

"You were what?" Alex and Beth demanded in unison.

"I'm fine," Jade said, putting up her hand to stop them from making a big deal out of it. "I hit my head, so I wasn't at my best, but Camelot healed me after Kara showed up and saved us."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Beth asked in concern.

"I'm sure," Jade insisted. "Cierra, do you think you can talk to Camelot about his ancestor?"

"He might not know much. Camelot didn't even know he was a warlock until Chad recruited him," Cierra replied. "I can ask Chad, though. He's pretty well-versed in all things warlock."

"Who was in charge of the lycanthrope side of things?" Jesse asked.

"The werewolf was Clive Leonard," Jade replied.

"I'll see if I can find out if the wolves know anything."

"Thanks, Jesse."

"What happens if this guy gets free?" Randy asked.

"The apocalypse," Arnie replied cheerfully.

"Naturally," Aideen added.

"Let's hope it doesn't get that far," Alex said.

Cassandra sighed before saying, "I need to tell you guys something."

"What's up, Cass?" Dylan asked.

"I have to go to Boston tomorrow. I know I'm needed here, but there's something I have to do. Aideen helped me figure out where my birth mother is. She's in trouble. Josh and I are going to get her out of it."

"Do you want help?" Arnie asked.

"We need to do this on our own, but thanks for offering." She hesitated. "There's one other thing..."

"What's going on?" Randy asked.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence fell over the room. Beth was the first to recover. She jumped up and hugged Cassandra. "Congratulations!" She said in excitement.

Cassandra looked baffled by the hug. Beth released her and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Cassandra replied. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with a kid."

"From the way Kurt was grinning like a goofy idiot when he told me, I'm pretty sure he'll handle the snuggling and nurturing part. You can handle protecting the kid," Evan said.

"Congrats, Cass! This is awesome!" Arnie said.

"Can you guys imagine a mini Cassandra running around Salem staking bad guys before potty training?" Melissa joked.

Alex patted Cassandra on her shoulder. "Congratulations, Cassandra," he said. "Take all the time you need."

"Do you need me and Arnie to pick up the slack with the slayers?" Aideen asked.

"If Kurt and Corey need help, then yes, please help them," Cassandra replied. "They should be able to handle it while I'm gone, but just in case..."

"We've got their backs," Arnie promised.

"I can't believe you're going to be a mom," Jesse said as he looked at Cassandra.

"That makes two of us," Cassandra admitted.

"This news calls for a celebration," Dylan said. "Pizza's on me."

~*~

Rikki had decided to look into Chad's chapter members. Camelot had been interesting, to say the least. Perhaps the other young warlocks would prove useful to her as well.

She ignored the Pierce twins. Their loyalty was to Arthur, making them her enemies. Bev Charleston was too loyal to Chad to betray him, which meant she was on Team Cierra. Renee Williams seemed to prefer to remain neutral. Rico Reyes was on Cierra's side. Daisy Lee and Gabby McRyan had yet to make a decision about which Vitti descendant to support.

Reid Lyons was definitely on Rikki's side. Right after her arrival in town, he'd pledged his loyalty to her. Prior to that, he'd been helping his parents prepare for her arrival. They had both joined the new Eight Spokes Society. Reid would be initiated once he turned eighteen in a few weeks.

That left Addison Rose as the only one Rikki hadn't observed yet. She hadn't had time to look into her history. She found the girl sitting on a bench at Pickering Wharf. Addison looked a bit lost as she watched the water. Her thick blonde curls were disheveled, but she didn't seem to care.

Rikki moved closer to her. She'd kept her distance from the others except for Reid, but the sight of the youngest chapter member looking so sad made her curious enough to approach her.

"It's probably not safe to be out here alone at this hour," Rikki said as she sat beside the girl on the bench. "Shouldn't you be heading home?"

"I don't really feel like going back yet," Addison replied softly. Something about her tone concerned Rikki.

"Has someone hurt you?" She asked.

Addison averted her eyes quickly, but not before Rikki caught something familiar in them. Her own eyes had once looked similarly haunted. She's being abused, she realized.

"Addison, you have nothing to fear from me," Rikki said gently.

"How did you know my name?" Addison asked.

"My name is Rikki Henley. I make it a point to learn the names of as many warlocks as I can."

"You're the one Gabby mentioned... The younger sister."

Instead of arguing about her being the rightful heir, Rikki simply said, "I'd like to help you, Addison. Tell me your story."

Addison hesitated. Finally, she said, "I live in a group home."

Rikki understood immediately. Her own experiences in a group home had led to her running away just to survive.

"Tell me what happened, Addison," she coaxed her gently.

"There's a new staff member... He's been looking at me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. He makes excuses to get me alone, and yesterday..." She fell silent.

"You are not returning to that place," Rikki said firmly. "You can stay with me. You'll be safe."

"They'll make me go back."

"I will ensure that doesn't happen. No one has the right to touch you without your permission, Addison. I know you think you are weak and can't do anything about it, but that's not true. You're a warlock. You have incredible power. I can teach you to embrace it."

"Why do you care, Rikki?"

"I was a foster kid, too," Rikki admitted. "I understand your situation better than most."

Addison paused. "You're telling the truth," she said. "I can tell."

"I am. Will you let me help you?"

After a moment of consideration, Addison nodded. "I can't go back there... Anything is better than that place."

"Give me his name and he'll never touch another child again," Rikki promised. One thing she had no patience for were adults harming the children they were meant to protect. She would ensure he paid the price for his actions, but first, she would make sure that Addison was safe.

This isn't why you're here, Judas whispered in her mind. You can't afford any distractions.

She's just a kid, Judas, and she's in a terrible situation, Rikki replied. I'm not abandoning her. The rest of the world already has.

I understand. She will make a good ally. Just don't forget what you're doing here.

Rikki focused on Addison, guiding her to the house she now called her home.

~*~

Jesse was walking down Derby Street when he heard the most beautiful song that had ever graced his ears. It soothed his wolf. He tried to ignore it, but the singing simply grew louder, forcing its way into his mind.

"All who're lost, come to me... Journey now into the sea... Join me now inside a dream... Sing the song of a silent scream..."

Before he knew it, he was walking toward Pickering Wharf. He knew he should stop himself, but his feet wouldn't listen to his mind.

Just as he was about to walk into the water, someone tackled him to the ground. That knocked the siren's song out of his mind.

He shifted to look at the person who was on top of him. "Snap out of it, Jesse!" Trent said firmly. His soul's older brother apparently had fantastic timing.

"I already did," Jesse replied. "Thanks, bro."

"Tommi's going to kill you if she figures out that you almost got seduced by a siren," Trent teased him.

"We're in an open relationship," Jesse reminded him.

"Yeah, an open relationship where you only go out with each other. Keep telling yourself that, Jess." Trent laughed. "Just marry the girl already."

"We're eighteen. Marriage is a long way off."

"Life is short."

"Don't remind me." He paused. "Where's the siren?"

"Hiding beneath the sea, waiting to find another victim since I saved your dumb ass."

"What do we do?"

"We go meet up with the other lycanthrope leaders. Belinda called an emergency meeting."

"But the siren-"

"Is after you, so it's better that you don't stay here. Come on." Trent dragged Jesse away from the water.

They soon found themselves surrounded by the other leaders at their usual meeting place in the woods. Evan and Kurt stood together, anxiously waiting for the meeting to begin. Jesse could tell that Kurt would rather be at home with Cassandra, especially since she was going on a rescue mission in the morning, but he took his responsibilities to the leopards seriously. He would never ignore them.

Nick, the coyote king, was looking over some paperwork with Lexie Cho, the leader of the jaguars. The two doctors had finally admitted they were dating about a month earlier after quietly exploring their feelings for a while.

Nick's younger brother Eddie, the bear king, was flirting with Ava Singh, the leader of the ravens, as usual. It was obvious they had feelings for each other, but Eddie and Ava kept things casual.

Thea Lyconi and Timmy Ballard were there to represent the lions. Timmy was standing with Logan while Thea stood beside her girlfriend, Belinda Bowen, for moral support. Jesse could feel how stressed out Belinda was, and that worried him. The Mistress of the Wolves wasn't the sort to get worked up over nothing.

"Great, we're all here," Belinda said as she spotted Jesse and Trent.

"What's going on, Belinda?" Jesse asked.

"Gill is missing," Belinda replied. Gill Cronin was the Beta of the wolf pack, meaning he was the second-in-command behind Belinda. Jesse had known him for years. He respected him immensely, especially because when the former Alpha, Kwame Washington, made a decision in grief that led to several lycanthropes dying, Gill had done what was best for the pack and saved Belinda instead of Kwame. It had been the hardest choice Gill ever had to make, but it proved he would always put the pack first.

"How long has he been missing?" Jesse asked.

"At least twenty-four hours," Belinda replied. "It's not like Gill to disappear. I'm worried."

"You should be..." Jesse decided.

Eddie asked what Jesse refused to. "Could the siren have gotten him?"

"No," Evan said before anyone else could answer. "He's still alive. I feel it."

"The clairvoyant has spoken," Kurt said with a grin.

"What else could have happened to him?" Lexie asked.

"There could be lycanthrope hunters in town," Ava said nervously. Logan tensed but said nothing.

"Not again..." Timmy whispered. Lycanthrope hunters had wiped out most of the lion pride the last time they'd come through town. They'd also killed Logan's eleven-year-old brother and murdered his parents at the kid's funeral.

Thea automatically moved closer to her soul's younger brother. "Don't worry, Timmy," she said. "If it's hunters, I'll happily maul every last one of them. We are so not doing that again."

"It's not hunters," Evan said. "Not yet, anyway..."

"Okay, then what is it?" Jesse asked in annoyance.

"Vampires."

"What? Why would vampires kidnap Gill?" Timmy asked in confusion.

"I don't know, but I'm positive. I feel them around him."

"Kidnapping the Beta is like declaring war on the pack," Belinda said. "We can't just let this go."

"I get that, but we can't start a war with the vamps, Belinda," Trent said. "It would end in a lot of unnecessary bloodshed, and Gill might be one of the casualties. And let's not forget the top secret information that both Jesse and Thea have fangs in addition to fur. If we go to war, they might figure that out, and then they'll be at the top of everyone's kill list."

"Bring it," Thea growled.

"Yeah, no thanks," Jesse said firmly. "I'd rather keep my pulse."

Belinda took a deep breath. "I know you're right, Trent... So how do we get Gill back without this turning into a full-blown war?" She asked.

"We ask for a meeting with Jacob in neutral territory," Evan replied. "We'll have to be careful who we send. Jacob values respect and observes formalities like his existence depends on it, so no one who runs their mouth should be there."

"I'm out," Eddie said.

"Same here," Kurt admitted. "The sarcasm is strong within us both."

"I can go in your place," Evan replied. "I've met with Jacob before. I know how he operates."

"Why did you meet with Jacob?" Ava asked curiously.

"He hired me to assassinate Aideen."

"And you ended up dating her instead? Smooth," Eddie said with a laugh.

"Well, she remains the only person who has ever made me miss a shot, so it seemed like protecting her was a better bet than trying to kill her," Evan replied with a smirk.

"Alright, so how does a lycanthrope ask for a meeting with the Master of the City?" Lexie asked.

"Aideen is planning on going to see him," Jesse said. "We can ask her to talk to him."

"Please do," Belinda says. "I want to resolve this as peacefully as possible, but we need to get Gill back as soon as we can."

"I'll ask Aideen tonight," Evan said. "I'm sure she'll want to help."

Jesse tried not to worry about what shape Gill was in. If Evan was right, Gill was still alive, but there was no guarantee he'd stay that way for long.

~*~

Melissa had decided that things were urgent. She went to Annabella's house and rang the doorbell. An excited little boy opened the door.

"Melissa! Melissa! You came to tuck me in!" Skeeter said. The seven-year-old former cult kid Annabella had adopted the previous summer was absolutely adorable. Melissa had a soft spot for him.

"Actually, I came to see Annabella," Melissa said, "but I'll help tuck you in if you want."

"Mom's in the kitchen with Elena and Katie," he replied.

Hellena had grown up in the New York devil worshippers with Skeeter, just like Jade. Her parents had intentionally spelled her name with two L's to emphasize the hell part. After Annabella had adopted her, the girl had started going by Elena, so Annabella had legally changed her name for her.

Katie Springfield was Melissa's ex-girlfriend. As it turned out, she'd been part of the Cape Cod cult, but she'd betrayed them in the end. She was the first one Annabella had adopted. After her own children had been slaughtered on Arnie's biological father's order, she'd lost everything. Adopting three cult kids had given her a new family, and it seemed to help all of them cope.

"Hey, Annabella," Melissa said as she followed Skeeter into the kitchen.

"Melissa, sweetheart! Welcome. What can I do for you?" Annabella asked.

"I need to talk to you about your family history, but you should probably put the kids to bed first."

"I'll take care of the kids," Katie volunteered. "Do I get to join the conversation afterward?"

"You're a Liggman now, Katie," Annabella replied. "I won't keep family secrets from you."

Katie smiled and hurried Elena and Skeeter up to bed.

"Alright, Melissa... Let's talk," Annabella said, guiding her into the living room.

"This is about Bartholomew Bryce," Melissa said, getting straight to the point.

Annabella visibly paled. "Oh dear," she mumbled. "This is going to require tea. I'll put some on, and when Katie joins us, I'll tell you anything you ask."

"You look spooked, Annabella," Melissa said in concern.

"I'm not spooked, sweetheart... I'm absolutely terrified."