CHAPTER SEVEN

It was the middle of the night, and Angelina had barely gotten home from patrolling. She had an idea in her mind that was crazy, but she couldn't ignore it.

"Someone, somewhere knows the truth," she said aloud softly. "I just need to start looking and I'll find it."

She knew if she tried to walk back out of the house, her mother would stop her. Angelina snuck into one of the empty guest rooms and opened the window. The tree outside would make for an easy escape route. She was about to climb out when someone asked, "Trying to escape from the tower, Princess?"

Angelina turned around. "Not so loud!" She scolded Jason.

"Where are you trying to sneak off to? And why sneak out at all? You're eighteen, right?"

"My mom's kind of overprotective of me. There's something I have to do, but she won't like it. Now, shhh!"

Jason smirked at her. "I didn't know you had a rebellious streak, Princess," he said with a laugh. "Maybe I can help."

She hesitated. "Follow me," she said after a minute. She jumped into the tree and climbed down it.

Jason easily jumped into the tree and swung himself from one of the branches before letting go. He landed gracefully on his feet.

"You're good at that," Angelina said.

"I used to sneak out all the time when my mom was drinking on the couch," Jason replied. "So, where are we going?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I hadn't gotten that far."

"Alright, so let's start with why you snuck out."

"I want to find out who my father is."

"Can't you just ask your mom?"

"She won't tell me. She won't tell anyone. She even managed to hide it from the scroll!"

"Wow. Someone regretted things the morning after," Jason mumbled.

"I just feel like I have to know. Mom is great, and I love Trent, but part of me is missing. I'm going to be nineteen in a couple of months. It's time I found out the truth."

"Where did you want to start looking for it?"

Angelina thought about it for a minute. "The Unit," she decided. "Maybe there's a record or a prophecy or something that will point me in the right direction."

They headed toward the Unit quickly, but Jason stopped a few blocks away. "Wait," he said sharply.

"What's wrong?" Angelina asked.

"I smell something unnatural," he replied.

Suddenly, several feral vampires came toward them. They hissed before attacking.

"Stake them!" Angelina shouted, tossing Jason a stake from her purse. She pulled out another and demonstrated, staking one of the vampires in the heart.

Jason followed her lead. Soon, they were both staking vampires left and right. One of them grabbed Angelina, tilting her head until her neck was exposed. Jason ran toward them and staked the vampire just as he was about to sink his fangs into her flesh.

"Are you alright?" Jason asked.

Angelina touched her neck to reassure herself that she hadn't been bitten. "I'm okay," she replied. "Thanks to you."

They took down the last of the vampires before finally taking a moment to catch their breath. "Well, that was interesting," Jason said.

"Maybe we should reschedule our trip to the Unit," Angelina replied.

"Are you kidding? We're too close to stop now. We're going."

Angelina didn't argue with him. They walked the rest of the way to the Unit. It was easy to walk into the building. Angelina had the clearance for that, but getting into the records department was trickier.

"I don't have the entry code or the spell to access this after the Unit closes," Angelina admitted with a sigh.

Jason smirked. "Allow me, Princess," he said. He began to expertly pick the lock. After thirty seconds, he declared, "Success!"

"Nice work," a cheerful voice said. "It's easier to just ask for the code, though."

"Susie!" Angelina squeaked in embarrassment. "We, um... We were just, um..."

"Breaking into the records room," Susie Burke supplied with a patient smile. "You know, Joey could have gotten you in and out without any issue."

Angelina sighed. "I should have thought of that."

"What's so urgent that you felt you had to go this far, Angelina?"

"I want to find my father."

"Your father?"

"Please don't tell my mom. She'll freak."

"Your secret's safe with me. Come on in, guys. I don't think we have a direct record of who your dad is, but we can look for clues."

"You're going to help us?" Jason asked in surprise.

"The identity of Angelina's dad is one of the great mysteries of Salem," Susie replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I want to know the answer, too."

"How do we know where to look?" Jason asked.

"Simple! We ask Doyle!"

"Doyle? Who the hell is Doyle?"

"The archive ghost, of course! He was a Cleric in life, and in death, he chose to haunt the records room. He's our most dedicated employee. Doyle never calls out sick."

"Um... Okay," Jason mumbled.

"Doyle, will you please help us find Angelina's father?" Susie asked.

Angelina was surprised when a filing cabinet flew open. She raced toward it and watched as an envelope floated out of it. The envelope landed in her hands.

"Open this at your own risk," an elderly spirit Angelina assumed was Doyle said. "Once you begin this journey, you cannot turn back."

"I'm ready," Angelina said.

Doyle nodded before adjusting his glasses with his index finger. "Good luck, Angelina Phillips."

She opened the envelope. Inside was a talisman. The surface was a tiger's eye stone. The back had a symbol Angelina recognized carved into it.

"The coven," she said softly.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"This talisman belonged to someone from the Salem Witches."

"Put that back where you found it and forget you ever saw it," Shooter said as he walked into the room.

"Shooter, she's just trying to find her father," Susie said in confusion. "The girl is eighteen. It's about time she find out the truth."

"Courtney withheld that information for a reason," he insisted. "You're better off not knowing, Angelina."

"Wait... Shooter, do you know who my dad is?" Angelina asked in surprise.

He sighed. "I do... And trust me, kid, you don't need to know."

"Part of me is missing... I just want to understand where I come from."

"I get that, but if I read your energy right over the years, this isn't the answer you're hoping for."

"I'm just hoping for the truth, whatever it may be," Angelina insisted.

"Shouldn't it be Angelina's choice?" Jason added.

Shooter considered the situation before speaking again. "I won't tell you his identity, Angelina," he said. "But I won't stop you from searching. This is your journey... If you're meant to find out, you will, but please be careful. This is a path you may regret walking down."

Angelina held the talisman tighter and said, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm doing this."

Shooter nodded. "Good luck, Angelina. Take the talisman and see where it leads you... But if you run into trouble, reach out for help. Alright?"

"I will," she promised. "Come on, Jason. We should head back now." She practically dragged him out of the building.

"You didn't get your answer," Jason said.

"No, but I have a clue to who my dad is now. That's a good start! I just need to do some digging and I'm sure I'll find him." She smiled at him brightly and led the way back to the house. Angelina had never been so eager to solve a mystery in her life.

~*~

Chris was watching the water from his bedroom window when he saw something strange. A woman was studying him from the edge of the water. She smiled at him sadly.

He felt drawn to her. Chris found himself leaving his room and walking out of the house. He approached her quickly.

She smiled at him. "I've been waiting for you, Christopher," she said.

"You have?" Chris asked in confusion.

She pulled him closer to her until he was in the water. Chris was entranced. He felt oddly stronger as the water washed over him.

I should be drowning, his brain registered. I'm under the water, but I can still breathe. What's happening to me?

"Your magick had been unbound, Christopher," the woman explained. "And your gifts are awakening."

"It's more than the energy powers?" Chris asked.

"You are very special, sweet boy... You are the very first of my descendants to inherit my gift."

"Descendants? Who are you?"

"I am called Cora. I am the Siren of Salem."

"Siren? As in the women who lure sailors to their doom?"

"Not all sirens are women, Christopher, and most are not evil. My past is complicated, but your father helped save me. Now, I wish to guide you as you come into your gifts."

Chris was nervous, but there was something incredibly comforting about Cora's presence. As she took his hands in hers, she began to hum. Chris found himself humming along despite never having heard the melody before. It was as if his soul knew the song somehow.

Cora smiled at him encouragingly. The water around them seemed to vibrate with magick. A powerful light began to glow, and Chris felt incredibly at peace as he continued to hum.

As the song ended, Cora hugged him. "That was only the beginning, Christopher," she said. "One day soon, you will find the words to your song, and you will learn the full extent of your powers."

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Chris asked.

"Return home. The Universe shall guide thee, Christopher. Follow your heart and you will know precisely what to do." She kissed his cheek.

Chris found himself swimming back toward the surface. He took a deep breath of air as his head broke through. He swam to shore and quickly got out of the water.

As he walked back into the house, Chris tried to process what had just happened. It seemed like a strange dream, yet he knew it was real. He didn't understand it fully, but he knew somehow that he was on the right path.

~*~

As she walked into Conant High School with her brother, Genie tried to ignore the anxious feeling in her chest. Killian looked at her with concern in his eyes. Although he usually kept up a facade of humor and a couldn't-care-less attitude, he generally dropped that act when it was just him and Genie.

"Are you okay, Sis?" He asked softly.

"Something doesn't feel right," Genie admitted.

"Do you have any idea what it might be?"

"I'm sure it's nothing..."

"Genie... It's never nothing with you."

"Let's just get to class, okay?" Genie put on a brave smile for her little brother. He walked her to her classroom and seemed slightly satisfied when nothing happened on the way there.

"Just text me if you need me, okay?" Killian asked.

"I'll be okay, Killie. Get to class before you're late," Genie insisted.

Killian reluctantly left her side. Genie tried to relax as she sat at her desk, but the feeling didn't go away.

It wasn't until she left the room to use the bathroom that she encountered trouble. Three seniors who happened to be warlocks cornered her as she headed back to her classroom. She knew their faces, but not their names. Her father tried to keep her out of warlock business for the most part.

"Well, well, well... If it's not the girl who thinks she's too good for us," one said.

"A warlock of her pedigree should be a dedicated member of the E.V.S," another added.

"Let's teach her a lesson," the third chimed in.

The first one grabbed her and dragged her into an empty classroom, covering her mouth with one of his hands while he restrained her with the other.

Genie screamed, but it was muffled by his hand. She started to panic as they locked the classroom door and shoved her onto the teacher's desk.

The second boy pulled out a very sharp ritual dagger. He pressed it against her throat and said, "Make a sound and we'll sacrifice you right here."

Genie bit back a whimper. Help me, she thought. Someone, please hear me. I need help!

The boys had obviously done this sort of thing before. They had it down to a science. One cast a spell to keep people out of the room. Another slammed Genie's head against the desk while the third kept her pinned down. The first came closer and started to unzip his pants.

"Get away from her," a voice said firmly. It took Genie a minute to register who it was because she'd never heard him sound so angry before.

"How the hell did you get in here?" One of the boys demanded as the first jumped away from Genie.

"You're warlocks," Joey replied. "That should be obvious. I used magick."

Joey suddenly cast a spell. The warlocks screamed in terror as a large black dog appeared and chased them toward the door, barking furiously.

The door swung open. Solstice stepped inside. Seeing that the first boy's pants were still unzipped, she immediately began beating the hell out of all three of them.

The dog watched Solstice attack the boys as Joey gently pulled Genie into his arms. She started crying softly as she realized how close she'd come to being violated.

"It's okay, Genie," Joey said soothingly. "You're safe now. I've got you."

"I... I need to get back to class..." Genie mumbled.

"I'll ask Echo to make your teacher forget that you vanished. Take some time, sweetie." He cast a healing spell on her head.

"How did you get by their spell?" She asked as her mind focused a bit.

"I opened a door from my world. It's really hard to keep me out of places. It's actually nearly impossible."

"How did you know that I was in trouble?"

"I heard your thoughts reaching out," Solstice replied as she knocked the last of the warlocks unconscious. "I couldn't get by the spell, but I know Joey's a telepath, so I reached out to him for help."

"Thank you," Genie said softly.

"Come on," Solstice said. "I'll take you somewhere to calm down while Joey hands these creeps off to the Unit."

"You called the Unit?" Genie asked.

"Yeah. Skip and Susie are on their way."

"Not Shooter?"

"My mom went to see Shooter," Joey replied. "There's something important he needs to know... And then Skip and Susie will find out. For now, they're free to handle this situation."

"I would have just killed these creeps for what they tried to do, but Joey wanted to do this the legal way," Solstice explained.

"Joey, what's with the giant dog?" Genie asked.

"That is Octavius. He's a hell hound," Joey replied.

"You can summon hell hounds?" Genie asked in surprise.

"Just Tavi. He got injured a few years back in the In-Between. I saved him and nursed him back to health. He's usually a big puppy, but much like me, he has no patience for men who hurt women."

Octavius eagerly ran to Joey, who began petting him. The hell hound licked Joey's hand, rolled onto his back, and let Joey rub his belly. Genie smiled slightly at that.

"You can pet him if you like," Joey said. "Tavi's friendly."

Genie cautiously pet the hell hound's head. He rubbed his head against her hand, eager for more affection. Genie began to scratch him behind his ears.

"That dog's in heaven," Solstice said. "Are you ready to get out of here, Genie?"

Feeling calmer, Genie nodded. "Thank you for rescuing me," she said softly.

Solstice took her hand and led her out of the classroom. They headed upstairs. Genie was confused when Solstice brought her to the roof of the school.

"It's peaceful up here," Solstice said. "No one will bother us."

Genie admired the view as she sat beside Solstice. "It is nice," she admitted.

"How are you feeling?" Solstice asked.

"I'm still a bit shaky, but I'm calming down," Genie replied.

"I'm sure the Unit will lock those three up for a while, but if you ever feel threatened by anyone else, let me know. I can protect you."

"Thanks, Solstice. I appreciate that."

"Of course." Solstice hesitated before adding, "We're teammates now."

"Does it bother you that my brother and I are warlocks?"

Solstice hesitated. "No," she finally replied. "You're warlocks by blood, but you aren't evil. Killian likes to toe the line, but I know it's mostly for show. He has a good heart, like his mom. And you've never been evil."

"You and I have never talked much before."

"I don't really socialize with anyone but the slayers and the other children of Silver Society members... But we're working together now."

"Does that mean we can be friends?"

"Sure, I guess," Solstice replied a bit awkwardly.

"I don't have many friends," Genie admitted. "Most of the other kids think I'm weird."

"Weird's not so bad," Solstice replied.

"Everyone knows my mom is institutionalized, and they treat me like I must be insane, too, or like it's contagious and I might infect them."

"That must be really hard on you."

"It's lonely," Genie replied.

"I get lonely, too, sometimes... I don't usually admit it, though."

"Yet you just admitted it to me..."

"You're different. You don't have any expectations of me. You're not a slayer. You don't see me as Cassandra the Second. I'm just Solstice, and you're just Genie, and honestly, that's kind of nice."

Genie smiled at her. "I'm excited to get to know you, Solstice. And you don't have to be anyone except exactly who you are at any given moment."

Solstice smiled back. Genie was surprised to realize that when Solstice genuinely smiled it lit up her eyes.

"Are you ready to go back?" Solstice asked.

"I think I'd like to stay up here for one more period," Genie replied. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course I will." Solstice shifted until she was laying on her back.

Genie followed her lead and looked up at the clouds. As they watched the sky together, Genie finally felt safe.