CHAPTER THREE

Danika awoke snuggling the scroll. She didn't remember falling asleep with it in her arms. Confused, she looked at it and realized that it had words written on it again.

You missed one.

"What do you mean?" She asked. She didn't expect a response, but she got one anyway.

Roxanna "Roxy" Phoenix. Age 15. Daughter of Aideen Phillips and Evan Blackwell. Pyrokinetic. Leopard royal. Reaper. Witch. Slayer. General badass.

"General badass? I didn't think a magickal scroll would speak like that," she said aloud as she left her bedroom.

"Oh, honey, you don't even know how much that thing used to piss off Alex," Chad said with a laugh. "What's it saying now?"

"There's one more person we need to find," Danika replied. She showed him the message.

Chad's eyes widened in surprise. "Aideen and Evan had a kid?" He asked. "Where the hell is she?"

The scroll changed its message again. This time, all it said was, Ask Arnie.

"Well, I suppose if anyone would know, it would be him," Chad said with a shrug.

"Can you call him?" Danika asked.

"We're not really on trading phone number terms, Dani. You know I don't mingle with them much. I suppose we'll just have to drive over and pay him a visit. First, we need to collect the stray dog."

"Dad..." She looked at him and he sighed.

"Don't look at me like that! His father had a bad habit of eating my friends."

"Jason isn't Jesse, Dad. He never even met him. Don't be so hard on him."

"It's time for breakfast," Chad replied. "Go downstairs. I'll see if I can wake up the wolf prince."

"Be nice, okay?"

"You ask so much of me, Danika! But fine. I'll try." He motioned for her to go. She hoped her dad would behave.

~*~

Jason's mother was beating him again. She was screaming about how worthless he was while she tossed him around like a rag doll. He was six years old.

Jason tossed and turned violently. He was whimpering when Chad opened the door. Chad didn't want to care, but he couldn't help it.

"Easy, wolf prince," he said gently. "Wake up now."

He tried to touch him. Jason grabbed his hand and nearly broke it before he was fully awake.

"I... Damnit. Sorry," Jason mumbled as Chad clutched his hand protectively against his chest.

"It's fine," Chad replied. "Bad dream?"

"Bad life," Jason replied.

"Get yourself together and then head downstairs. My chef prepared breakfast for everyone."

Jason nodded. "Alright," he agreed.

Chad left him alone. Jason took a minute to collect his thoughts before heading to the bathroom. He took a quick shower, savoring the feeling of the warm water as it hit his flesh.

When he emerged, a fluffy white designer bathrobe was waiting for him on the back of the bathroom door. He wrapped it around his body before returning to his room. The staff had left a clean button-down navy blue shirt and a pair of black slacks for him. Jason put them on because he didn't want to put dirty clothes back on now that he was clean, although the ensemble was too fancy for his liking. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers.

He headed down to the dining room. It was entirely too big for a family of two, but Danika and Chad sat next to each other and enjoyed their breakfast.

"Good morning, Jason," Danika greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hey," he mumbled.

"Sit," Chad said.

Like an obedient dog, Jason automatically sat, then kicked himself as Chad smirked slightly.

"Dad..." Danika scolded him softly.

"Sorry, Dani," Chad replied. "I couldn't resist."

"Go ahead and eat, Jason," Danika said as the servants placed a plate full of food in front of him.

Jason forced himself not to devour the food too quickly. There were pancakes with expensive syrup, fancy eggs, bacon, sausage, and even hash browns. If Jason was lucky enough to eat, breakfast usually consisted of cereal.

"We're going out in a bit," Chad explained. "We need to pay a visit to one of your father's friends. You're coming with us."

"Says who?" Jason asked.

"Says the fact that you need to meet his daughter anyway. Eat up. You'll need your energy. Echo's hard to keep up with."

After breakfast, they got back in the limo. The driver took them to a big house. Chad rang the doorbell.

The man who answered the door looked at them in confusion. "Should I even ask, Chad?" He asked.

"I'm here on business," Chad replied.

"I don't do business with warlocks," the man replied. He looked at Danika and Jason. "Who are the kids?"

"This is my daughter, Danika. Danika, this is Arnie Gelman."

"It's nice to meet you, Arnie," she replied politely.

"And you?" Arnie asked Jason.

"Jason," he replied.

"The wolf prince," Chad clarified. "Although, technically, he's a polywere prince."

"Wait... What do you mean?" Arnie asked. Then, he really looked at Jason. "Oh Gods... Jesse? Jesse had a kid, too?"

"Too?" Jason repeated.

Arnie sighed. "I guess you guys had better come inside." He allowed them to enter the house.

A cute redhead sat on the couch. "Chad? Danika? Did you come to see me?" She asked.

"Not initially, Echo, but it does seem that our stray dog here is involved in things, so yes," Chad replied.

"Hi," Echo said cheerfully as she got off of the couch. "Welcome to our secret society!"

"Echo, did you join the E.V.S. or something? Because, if you did, I might actually have to ground you for the first time in your life," Arnie said.

Echo laughed. "No, Dad," she reassured him. "I have a destiny! Danika has Alex's scroll and-"

"What?" Arnie demanded. He stared at Chad. "What did you do?"

"The scroll just appeared to me, Arnie," Danika explained softly.

He hesitated as he studied her. His eyes widened in surprise. Chad shook his head as if to say, Don't say it.

"Okay," Arnie said after taking a deep breath. "Tell me about this destiny, Echo."

"Well, we're still working out the details," Echo began, "but Joey's in charge, and all of my friends are part of it... Angelina, Solstice, AJ, the twins... Everyone."

Arnie nodded. "If Joey's in charge, I trust this," he decided.

"We're like the next generation of Salem's protectors," Echo continued eagerly.

"Echo, a secret society is supposed to be kept a secret," Chad pointed out.

"I don't keep secrets from my dad unless they aren't mine to tell," Echo replied.

Chad sighed. "Whatever. This isn't my problem, but you had better keep your mouth shut, Arnie. I won't risk Danika's safety."

"And I won't risk Echo's," Arnie replied. "Maybe we can help the kids, though. We were doing this stuff at their age."

"There's a bigger reason I came today," Chad said. "Did you know that Aideen and Evan had a secret love child?"

Arnie stared at him for a moment. "I just found out she survived in the middle of the night. How did you know?"

"The scroll, obviously," Chad replied, rolling his eyes. "She's the last one who is part of this. How do we find her?"

"She's upstairs," Echo replied. "I think she's still asleep."

"Wake her up. We need to talk to her." 

"Chad, the kid had a rough night," Arnie said. "Let her rest."

"This can't wait. There are rabid vampires and wolves running around Salem, Arnie."

"And zombies. I heard. Roxy faced off against all of the above."

"I hadn't heard about the zombies," Chad admitted.

The girl Jason assumed they were talking about came downstairs then. She frowned as she looked at the people she hadn't met yet. "What's going on?" She asked.

"You're a superhero!" Echo declared with a grin.

"Dial it down, Red," she said. "I don't do perky, especially not without coffee."

Arnie walked into the kitchen. He returned quickly with a cup of coffee. The girl accepted it and downed it before asking, "How did you know exactly how I like it?"

"Deenie took it the same way," he replied a bit sadly. "I took a guess."

"Roxy, meet Chad, Danika, and Jason," Echo said.

"Roxanna Phoenix, welcome to your destiny," Chad said grandly.

"Is this a cult or something?" Roxy asked.

"Alright. This is the last time I'm going to go over this," Chad said. "If any more surprise members pop up, Joey can handle the explanation." He took a deep breath. "Buckle up, Children. You're in for quite a ride."

~*~

As Joey had promised, he went to the sanctuary to meet up with everyone. Chris was the next to arrive at the house.

"Danika's not here yet?" Chris guessed as he spotted Joey waiting outside.

"Nope," Joey replied. "I could probably get us inside by opening one of my doors, but I didn't want to test the theory alone."

"So let's test it now," Chris suggested.

Joey couldn't help but smile at that. "Alright," he agreed. He was about to open a door when he spotted a familiar face.

"Rikki?" He asked in confusion.

Rikki Henley smiled at him kindly. "Hello, Joey," she replied. "I have something for you."

Cierra's half-sister had spent a while trying to kill her, but they'd worked things out after Cierra saved Rikki from her own followers. Joey knew that he could trust her.

She produced several necklaces. A different onyx talisman dangled from each one. "My sister and I both blessed these a couple of years before she died. They will allow you entry into the house, and will also help protect you. Do not lose them," she said.

"I understand. Thanks, Rikki," Joey replied as she handed the necklaces to him. He paused as he studied them. "How will I know who each one belongs to?"

"Trust your instincts, Joey." She took one back and placed it around his neck.

He studied the onyx key hanging from the black cord necklace. It made him feel both stronger and safer. "How did you guys know we'd need these?" He asked.

"Cierra was clairvoyant," she reminded him. "She just knew, and she asked for my help. She also asked for my permission to let you use the sanctuary. Given that my niece is involved, I could hardly refuse."

"You know about Danika?"

"Of course I do. She's a Vitti. For the record, Terri and Tyler know, too. Cierra insisted until Chad gave in. She also told Alex's family, but they're all psychic, so that was easier to explain."

Joey anxiously tried to open the door to the sanctuary. It worked. He smiled and said, "Thanks, Rikki!" He paused before softly adding, "And thanks, Cierra."

You're welcome, sweetie, Cierra's voice said softly in his mind. Joey missed her voice. He missed everyone from the Silver Society who'd died so far. They were his family.

"Go on," Rikki said. "Head inside. Your friends are almost here." She patted him on his shoulder gently before walking away.

Joey and Chris walked into the house then. "She's kind of... intense," Chris said, finally settling on a word. "Her energy is overwhelming."

"Yeah, Rikki has a lot of power," Joey replied. "She's a warlock, like Chad, and like Killian and Genie technically are."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Joey opened it and smiled as he saw Angelina, who immediately blurted out, "I have a cousin!"

"What do you mean?" Joey asked.

She motioned to the four people standing behind her. Echo and Danika had arrived with her, but Joey didn't know the other two.

"Arnie just told me when he brought us here," she explained. "Aunt Deenie and Uncle Evan had a daughter!"

Joey stared at her. "But... How?" He asked.

"Do we really need to educate this guy on the birds and the bees?" The unknown girl asked.

"Roxy, this is my best friend in any universe, Joey Collins," Angelina replied. "Joey, this is my cousin! I have a cousin!" She was grinning from ear to ear.

"This is incredible," Joey said softly. "It's great to meet you, Roxy. Your parents were like family to me." He paused. "This is Chris."

"That's Jason," Echo said, motioning toward him. "He's Jesse's, Joey!"

Joey nearly started to cry. There were still pieces of Jesse, Evan, and Aideen left in Salem after all. He managed to smile instead. "Your dad was family, too," he said.

"His dad?" AJ replied as he showed up with Jagger and Lyric.

"Let's do proper introductions when everyone else gets here," Danika suggested.

It only took a few minutes for the last of them to arrive. Everyone started to make themselves at home. Danika curled up in an area of the floor that was surrounded by books and candles. It was obvious she'd spent a lot of time in that corner.

Chris stood beside Joey as Joey watched everyone else and tried to figure out where to start.

Solstice stood in a corner, watching the door and the room with her arms across her chest. In that moment, she reminded Joey so much of Cassandra that it hurt.

AJ sat down beside the twins. He looked both nervous and determined. The twins kept whacking each other, which wasn't entirely uncommon for them.

Genie sat down on a chair and started sketching something. Killian stood over her and watched her with mild curiosity.

Roxy was visibly uncomfortable, but Echo sat beside her and tried to ease the tension. A couple of times, she managed to make Roxy crack a smile.

Jason was pacing anxiously. Angelina gently took his hand. "It's okay, Jason," she said soothingly.

Joey could visibly see the anxiety draining out of Jason. Angelina didn't let go of his hand until he was completely calm.

"Alright, I guess we should start," Joey said. He tried to channel every memory he had of Alex to help him figure out how to play leader. Alex had always made it seem so easy.

"Alright, so, apparently we have two other members," Joey began. "Who wants to explain this?"

"After we split up, the scroll told me about Jason," Danika began. "He's the son of Jesse Rodriguez, making him a royal polywere. Just like his dad, his wolf is his dominant beast."

"You're practically my cousin," Angelina said cheerfully. "My stepfather is your dad's soul's older brother."

"Jason needs a place to live," Danika said. "We brought him home last night, but Dad won't let him stay forever."

"I'll talk to Trent," Angelina promised. "I'm sure him and my mom would love to take you in."

"Like anyone would even notice one more person in the house," Echo said with a laugh. "You have, like, twenty siblings already!"

"I only have five siblings," Angelina explained to Jason. "Hunter's the oldest. His dad lives in Kentucky, but at least he knows who he is, and he visits. Trent and Mom have four kids together. Brandon's eleven, Chloe is eight, Chelsea is five and slightly evil, and Phoebe's only a few months old. The four of them are general lycanthrope royalty, just like you."

Jason seemed nervous. "I don't need strangers taking me in," he said. "I just needed to leave Boston."

"Are you in trouble, Jason?" Joey asked. "Maybe the Unit can help you."

"What's the Unit?" Jason asked.

"The Supernatural Phenomenon Investigational Unit is an elite police force made up of psychics with various skills. They investigate supernatural crimes and clean up supernatural messes," Danika explained.

"Cops don't like me," Jason replied.

"They aren't your typical cops," Joey said. "Why did you come to Salem, Jason?"

"My mom's got a drinking problem," he admitted. "And a hand problem. And she hates me. I'm eighteen and sick of being her punching bag, so I left, but I don't have money. Nobody wants to hire someone with a record."

"A record?" Angelina asked in surprise.

"Not everyone has had a perfect, happy little life, Princess," Jason replied with a shrug.

"The Unit won't hold the past against you," Joey said quickly. "They believe in giving people chances. They could hire you. They might even set up housing for you."

"I'm not exactly cop material."

"They hired my mom at fifteen right after she killed her parents. Trust me, they're open to hiring anyone."

Jason stared at him in confusion. "Your mom killed her parents?" He asked.

"They were devil worshippers. Mom had no choice, but it proves my point. She still works for them, but she also runs a new age store down on Pickering Wharf."

"The Unit's great, Jason," Angelina said. "You should take Joey's advice."

"I guess I'll think about it," Jason replied.

Joey felt the onyx talismans vibrating with energy. "Rikki gave me talismans for each of us, to protect us and to give us access to the sanctuary," he said. His telekinesis wasn't as strong as AJ's, but he used it to make the necklaces hover in the air. Suddenly, he knew who to give each one to.

He gave the caduceus to Angelina. The famous medical symbol seemed like a great fit for the strongest healer in Salem. She smiled and put the necklace on.

The lightning bolt seemed to vibrate with energy as Joey gave it to Chris. He held it in his hands, and energy flowed out of him and into the talisman.

Solstice accepted the leopard talisman with a nod. Joey gave Genie, the prophetess, the onyx scrying stone meant to help someone see the future clearly. Killian grinned as Joey handed him a talisman that resembled the waves of the sea. As Joey touched the talisman that looked like onyx flames, he gave it to Roxy.

The quill and inkwell talisman seemed like it had been made for Danika, who was clearly as brilliant and studious as her mother had been. The pentagram felt right for Echo, who excelled in all things magickal and tended to flaunt the fact that she was a witch. Just like Jesse's Silver Society talisman had been a silver wolf charm, Joey gave Jason the onyx wolf.

The treble clef was a natural choice for Lyric, whose life revolved around music. Jagger was obviously meant to have the rat. Finally, he gave AJ, the son of two incredible warriors, the onyx sword.

Power seemed to flow around them as AJ was the last to put on his talisman. "This feels right," Angelina said. "It's like we're whole now."

"So what the hell do we do next?" Roxy demanded. She was holding her talisman between her fingers, and as tough as she acted, Joey sensed that she was feeling vulnerable.

"We'll figure that out together," Joey replied. "For now, let's test out how well we work as a group. It's time to start training!"