CHAPTER EIGHT

Tommi started running through the halls, frantically trying to find anyone, but the school seemed to be abandoned.

"Tommi?" Jesse called as he spotted her running past him. Something had made him head back to the school, and he was pretty certain it was because of whatever had made Tommi panic.

"Jesse! Oh my God, help!" Tommi replied frantically.

"What's wrong?" Jesse had never seen Tommi so freaked out before.

"It's Pru. I found her, in the science lab... She's dead."

"What? Dead? What happened?" He followed Tommi back toward the science laboratory. Sure enough, Pru was dead, but Jesse could not find any logical cause of death.

"She was stabbed," Tommi said.

"Stabbed? There's no blood, Tommi," Jesse replied skeptically.

"I saw it, Jesse. I had a vision."

"What do you mean?" Jesse had had no idea that Tommi was psychic, but he didn't doubt her claim.

"Look, I know this probably sounds insane to you, but I'm psychic. I've always had premonitions, really strong ones, and I saw Pru getting stabbed," she hesitated. "It was Hugo and Lydia."

"What?" Jesse asked in shock. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would Hugo and Lydia kill Pru?"

"Pru was really awkward. She never fit in with the E.V.S."

"So? That's not a good enough reason to murder someone, Tommi."

"I don't think the Erica Vitti Society is as innocent as it seems, Jesse. I think..." She hesitated. "Look, I researched Erica Vitti, and I think she might have been some sort of witch."

"A witch?" Jesse repeated.

"I know, I know, you think I'm crazy. I'm not suffering from the Afflicted Girls Syndrome, I swear. If you look at the records, you'll agree with me. Magick is the only logical explanation for some of the things that she did."

"I don't think you're crazy, Tommi," Jesse replied. He hesitated. He knew he shouldn't be revealing his abilities to someone he had only known for a couple of weeks, but he trusted Tommi, and she needed help. "I'm psychic, too."

"Are you making fun of me?" She asked cautiously.

"No, I swear I'm telling the truth," he replied.

"Really? Oh, thank God! I was worried you'd think I belonged in a mental institution."

"Nah, I've been in one. They suck."

"Have you really?" Tommi asked in surprise.

"Yeah... I was committed a little while after my mom died. It's kind of a long story."

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to pry," Tommi said quickly.

"It's okay. I opened up that can of worms by admitting it to you. So, talk to me, Tommi. Tell me what you think happened."

"Honestly, I think the E.V.S. is some sort of... I don't know, coven maybe?"

"What, like an evil coven?" Jesse asked.

"Is there any other kind of coven?"

"Yeah, the Pagan kind. Witches aren't evil, Tommi. They're followers of a nature-based religion that predates Christianity called Paganism. It's often practiced today in a modern form called Wicca. Wiccans and most Pagans don't believe in using magick to harm others. It goes against everything that they stand for."

"I've actually heard of Wicca, I think, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean witches like the evil sorceresses you see in scary movies."

"What, like devil worshippers?"

"No, like evil witches."

"So you mean warlocks."

"Aren't warlocks supposed to be male?" Tommi asked in confusion.

"No, a warlock is a traitor, a witch that betrays his or her coven. Gender doesn't determine whether you're a witch or a warlock."

"You know an awful lot about this," Tommi said with a questioning expression on her face.

Jesse sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you that I was a slayer?"

"Like a vampire slayer?" She laughed.

"Vampires, demons, among other things." Jesse's tone and face showed how serious he was.

Tommi seemed to think about this for a minute. "Yeah," she said, "I would, actually."

"Okay, well, slayers need to learn this sort of stuff. In Salem, especially, there are a lot of witches and warlocks. They aren't witches like the Afflicted Girls accused people of being, but they're the real deal. They aren't just your average Pagans, either. The ones I'm talking about are people that take the magick to an even higher level. They're really advanced with their magick and take it very seriously. Warlocks are people of that power level that betray their fellow witches and use magick for evil purposes."

"Alright, assuming this is all true, then I guess the E.V.S. members would be warlocks."

"Tommi, no offense, but my mom was part of this group, and she was definitely the furthest thing from a warlock."

"Well, no offense to you either, but your mom stayed with an abusive husband until he killed her," Tommi pointed out gently. "It doesn't sound like she was the type to stand up for herself, and maybe she got invited the way we did, and didn't figure out what she'd gotten herself into until it was too late to leave. She was probably too afraid to cross them."

Jesse wanted to protest. He wanted to say that his mother was a strong woman who just loved the wrong man, but he knew that she had never been one to fight back or stand up for herself and that Tommi was right. There was logic to her theory.

"Do you really think that they're warlocks?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah," Tommi replied, "I really do."

"Then we're in trouble."

"Gee, ya think?" She replied dryly.

Jesse laughed. "Okay, so I kind of stated the obvious there."

"Kind of? Jesse, we're up against a group of really strong warlocks in training. Baby warlocks or not, they're dangerous. They stabbed someone and didn't leave any blood. This is powerful magick, and even I know that much. I may not know a lot of the technical terminology, but I do know that we're in over our heads." She sighed. "Do you think they know that we're not evil?"

"Not yet, but if we ask too many questions about what happened to Pru and Gary, I'm sure they'll catch on."

"Yeah, I think they killed Gary, too... I had a couple of flashes, but nothing clear. It was enough to make me ask what happened to him, though. How do you think they got him to write the note?"

"There are spells that could have given them the ability to write in his handwriting."

"I guess that makes sense. Why would they leave Pru behind, though?"

"Chances are they didn't have time to dispose of the body before you showed up."

"What do we do?"

"Ultimately, we bury her."

"What? Are you insane? This is a crime scene! We need to call the police, don't we?"

"The regular police can't help us, but maybe the Unit can."

"The who?"

"The Unit, specifically the Supernatural Phenomenon Investigational Unit."

"That's a mouthful."

"See why most people just call it the Unit? They're a division of the police department that investigates supernatural crimes. They also have a branch in the F.B.I, but that branch only gets called in if they can't handle things locally. Most of the branches of the Unit are powerful, and very good at what they do."

"Psychic detectives... I guess that comes in handy," Tommi decided.

"Yeah, especially in places like Salem, where supernatural trouble tends to happen a lot."

"So how do we get in touch with them?"

"I call my boss," Jesse replied.

"Your boss?" Tommi repeated.

"I work part time for the Unit." Jesse paused. "We need to make sure no one disturbs us until then." He cast a basic shield around the science laboratory.

"What did you just do?" Tommi asked.

"I just cast a shield to make the mortals leave us alone. If they get too close, they will suddenly get a very strong feeling to go the other way."

"You do spells?"

"Yeah," Jesse admitted awkwardly. "Sometimes, anyway. It's not my strong suit, but I know the basics."

"You're not a warlock, though." Tommi made it a statement instead of a question. She could tell that Jesse wasn't evil. If there was one thing that Tommi trusted, it was her instincts. They had kept her alive for this long. She'd come to rely on them.

"No, I'm not. Technically, I'm a witch. I'm apprenticed to one, anyway, but he's still training me. He's my guardian, and he doesn't push me to learn new things unless I ask to, or unless they're necessary for my safety."

"Wait, you mean Alex is a witch, too?" Tommi didn't know Alex well, but she'd seen him around, and she had always had the sense that he was a trustworthy person.

"Yeah, he's a witch, a psychic, and a slayer," Jesse confirmed.

"Somehow, that makes a lot of sense," Tommi decided.

"Listen, Tommi, you can't tell anyone about this stuff, okay? It would put you in danger, as well as me and Alex."

"No kidding?" She asked with a pout. "But I was going to go straight to the tabloids! Darn." She smiled at Jesse's puzzled expression. "I'm kidding. Grow a sense of humor, Jesse."

"Sorry," Jesse replied. "Slayers are just kind of paranoid about safety sometimes."

"That's understandable. If you know all of the big bads are out there and are aware of what they can do to you, it's not really paranoia." She paused. "So, are you going to call your boss, or not?"

"Oh, I did that already," Jesse replied.

"What? You didn't use a phone," Tommi protested.

"I don't need to. Skip is telepathically connected to all of the members of the Unit in case of an emergency."

"Well, that must come in handy..."

"It does, actually. He's on his way here now."

"What will he do when he gets here?"

"More than likely, since there's no evidence other than your vision, he'll have to cover this up."

"Cover it up? Pru's dead. How do you cover that up?"

"The members of the Unit are experts at that."

"No. We can't just let her death go unnoticed... I mean... It's just..." Tommi sighed. "Her life went unnoticed, and it seems really, really wrong to let her die without leaving any kind of mark."

"I know it's not fair," Jesse said, "but there's not much we can do for her now."

"This..." Tommi searched for the right word. "Sucks," she decided. "There's not really a better word for it."

"You're right," Jesse said. "I wish it could have gone differently for her. Right now, though, we need to focus on how to make sure Hugo and Lydia are stopped. I'm going to talk to some friends of mine who can help me find out if the E.V.S. is evil or not."

"Great. And what do I do?" Tommi asked.

"I don't know... Stay safe. Keep your head down around Hugo and Lydia... I'll let you know whatever we find out, and we'll go from there."

"Alright," Tommi reluctantly agreed. "Just keep me in the loop. I want to help."

"I will," Jesse promised.

As Skip, Joanna, Susie Burke, Oscar "Shooter" Berkely, and Tammy Meadows arrived, Jesse filled them in on what had happened. He tried not to think about the fact that his mother may have been involved with a group of young warlocks.

Maybe it's just Lydia and Hugo, he thought. He hoped that this was the case, but deep down, he knew that there was more to it.

~*~

Lydia frowned and began fidgeting with her long blonde curls nervously. "The Unit has been called in on Prudence's death. They found her body," she told Hugo.

"So? They can't prove it was us," Hugo replied confidently. "We're fine, Lydia."

"I know they can't prove we did this, but Jesse works for the Unit, remember? And if my vision was right, which they always are, he's part of the Silver Society. If he gets too suspicious, and they get involved, we're in trouble."

"We'll just have to distract them," Hugo decided. "I'll think of something. Don't worry so much, Lydia."

His confidence was mildly reassuring, but Lydia knew if word of this disaster got out, they were going to be in serious trouble. Their parents would not be pleased if they made a mess of things.

They left the school grounds together, sneaking away unseen as more people from the Unit arrived. Lydia hurried home, hoping no one would be there. She was relieved to realize that she was alone.

She locked herself in her bedroom and pulled out her favorite scrying bowl. After stepping into the bathroom that was attached to her enormous bedroom, Lydia filled the black bowl with water. She carefully carried it into the corner of her room where she'd set up her sacred space.

Lydia lit several candles in a circle around her. She cast a quick circle to keep out unwelcome energies before she sat down in front of the scrying bowl. Focusing, Lydia summoned a vision.

There was blood in the water. People were screaming. Flames and smoke filled the air. Lydia felt death all around her. The smoke thickened, choking her. She tried to run, but soon succumbed to a coughing fit. She fell onto her hands and knees, helpless and paralyzed by terror. Tears stung her eyes as a wolf howled in the distance.

Lydia snapped out of the vision. "Oh Gods," she whispered as she wiped away her tears and quickly snuffed out the candles. Something was definitely coming, and from the looks of it, there would only be devastation left in its wake.

~*~

Prudence Patterson's body looked deceptively uninjured, almost as if she was asleep and not a corpse. The only thing that gave away the truth was the horrified expression on her face. This was hardly the first time Jade had seen a dead body, but it was the first time she'd been to a crime scene as part of the investigative team, and she couldn't stop staring at the poor girl.

"Did you know her, Jade?" Kara Arden asked gently. Kara had been training Jade ever since she'd started working at the Unit. She was a kind woman with a strong sense of humor, and she'd taken a "big sister" approach in guiding Jade. She wasn't too pushy, but she got things done, and Jade was already learning a lot from her.

"No," Jade admitted. "I don't even remember seeing her around school."

"Jesse told Skip she was a loner... She mostly spent her time reading."

"How did someone like that end up like this?" Jade wondered aloud. She felt bad for the girl.

"I'm not picking anything major up yet," Kara admitted. She was a precog, a gifted telepath, and a practicing witch. Given her telepathic skills and her knowledge of magick, Skip had felt Kara would make an excellent mentor to Jade. "Pru left behind strong thoughts of fear and confusion, but her energy was too frantic to read easily. She panicked."

"Which parts of this do we need to document?" Jade asked.

"Well, Susie took the crime scene photos, and Shooter, Tammy, Jo, and Skip handled the witness statements. You and I are mainly here to see the crime scene and figure out whatever we can. The clean up crew will be removing her body and modifying any memories as necessary after we leave."

"What will they tell her parents?" Jade asked, wondering how they'd react to hearing their daughter had been sacrificed in her high school.

"The Pattersons have always been very respected members of the community, but a few people at the Unit suspect that they may be warlocks. They definitely have some involvement in the supernatural community, but it's unclear exactly where their loyalties lay. Until we know for sure, they're being told that their daughter suffered an unexpected cardiac event that ended her life."

"She's a little young for a heart attack."

"That's true, but not if she had an undetected medical condition. It's the easiest, most believable answer for the time being."

Jade sighed. "I feel sorry for her. No one really knew her in life, and now, no one will know how she really died."

"We'll know. We won't stop until we solve this case and the ones responsible for her death have faced justice."

Jade nodded. She tried to reach out for Pru's spirit, but she couldn't quite connect to her. Pru was still in the school, but her spirit was hiding, desperately trying to keep herself safe even in death.

They'll pay for this, Pru, Jade thought. I promise.

~*~

"Alright, Jesse, what's wrong?" Arnie asked. The Silver Society had gathered that night for their usual meeting.

"What? Nothing," Jesse replied quickly.

"You're seriously distracted," Arnie pushed.

"I'm fine," Jesse insisted.

"Don't lie to an empath, Jesse. It's pointless. What happened?"

Jesse sighed. "Pru's dead."

"Oh no, that's awf- wait, who's Pru?" Arnie asked.

"She was a member of the Erica Vitti Society."

"Oh, that group you got involved with?" Aideen asked. "Why did you join them, anyway? I mean, it's not your kind of thing at all."

"My mom used to be a member," Jesse replied.

"I'm sorry, Jess," Aideen replied quickly. "But what happened? How did Pru die?"

"It looks like it was a ritualistic homicide," Jade explained.

"How did you know that?" Jesse asked.

"Because it's my first official case. Kara, the one who's been training me at the Unit, was assigned to it, and she and Skip decided it would be a good first case for me."

"What else did the Unit figure out?"

"Not much," Jade admitted. "She was killed using some kind of ritualistically charged knife. There was no blood, just instant death. It was most likely warlocks."

"Yeah, that's what Tommi's been thinking. She has a bunch of conspiracy theories about the Erica Vitti Society now. I'm starting to agree with her."

"Who's Tommi?" Dylan asked.

"She's part of the E.V.S, but she's cool. She's some kind of precog. She had a vision, and it led her to Pru's body," Jesse explained.

"Cierra and I can look into the E.V.S," Spencer offered.

Cierra looked up at the sound of her name. "What was that?" She asked.

"Are you okay, Cierra? You seem distracted," Alex said in concern.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired," Cierra replied.

"Maybe I shouldn't have volunteered you for this, then," Spencer said.

"What, research? No, I'll help. Researching is what I do best."

"If you're sure," Spencer said hesitantly.

"I'm sure," Cierra promised. "Just point me in the direction of the right books and files."

"Alright, Kids. Everyone, try and find out what you can about the Erica Vitti Society," Alex said. "We'll meet up again in a day or two and figure out what to do from there."

~*~

"This had better be good, Hugo," Lydia said, walking into Hugo's bedroom. "I was getting ready for a date when you called."

"Oh, it's good, alright. I have a plan to throw the Silver Society off for a while," Hugo replied.

"Alright, then spill it," Lydia said.

"Sit with me and we'll cast a spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"The genius kind. Cast it with me, and then sit back and watch the fun."

"Fun?" Lydia repeated.

"Oh, trust me, it'll be fun."

Lydia reluctantly sat across from Hugo. He took Lydia's hands in his own and cast the circle, then began to cast the spell.

"Let them walk in each other's shoes until they feel an ache in their toes. I raise their personalities up, and where they land, nobody knows!" Hugo recited.

When he released Lydia's hands, she eyed him skeptically. "That was a spell?" She asked with a frown.

"Yes, for your information, it was. We're members of the Erica Vitti Society. That means that we're resourceful. We use what we've got. I didn't have any ingredients or any spell to go on, so I improvised."

"That was genuinely terrible," Lydia said. "Is that really the best you could come up with? That spell was completely ridiculous. It won't work, Hugo."

"Yes it will," Hugo insisted. "Just wait and see, Lydia. This should be interesting..."