CHAPTER ELEVEN

Pop music played loudly in the background as Melissa began getting ready. She'd selected a long, elegant green gown for the Erica Vitti Society's charity ball. It matched her eyes and accentuated all of the right points of her body. She pulled it on quickly, smoothing it out before moving on to her shoes. The fancy heels matched her gown perfectly. She carefully shifted her hair into a curly up-do. A couple of curls hung down on either side of her face. She studied her reflection for a moment.

"Perfect," she decided with approval. "I look hot. Arnie will definitely approve."

She smiled at her reflection before she began to pack a few essentials into her purse. "Wallet, check... Keys, check... Phone, check... Hairbrush, check," she said. "That should do it."

Melissa turned off the music. That was when she heard movement right outside of her bedroom door.

They're supposed to be out, she thought in alarm. Maybe it's nothing...

She cautiously opened the door, and all hope of it being nothing vanished as she spotted her uncle.

Joseph eyed her with a look she knew entirely too well. "Where are you going dressed like that?" He asked with a frown.

"I'm going to a charity event run by some of the kids from Bishop High School," Melissa replied.

"No, you aren't."

"Uncle Joseph, I have to. It's a major event, and I already RSVP'd."

"Stop playing these games, Melissa. You dress like that and expect me to just ket you leave to seduce every man in Salem? You're such a wicked girl... Dressing like that to tempt me."

Her heart started racing as she realized exactly what he had in mind. "You and Aunt Mary Anne were supposed to be out with your friends today," she said.

"They're Mary Anne's friends, and I decided I'd rather spend my time right here, with you."

"I... I have to go, Uncle Joseph," she insisted, clinging to the hope that she might somehow escape.

He grabbed her arm. Melissa pulled it free violently. "Leave me alone!" She shouted.

Joseph slapped her. "How dare you speak to me like that?" He demanded.

Melissa shook her head defiantly and said, "I'm not staying here."

Joseph slammed her into the wall. "As long as you live under my roof, you will do as I say, Melissa," he said firmly.

She still struggled. She fought with every ounce of strength she had, even as Joseph beat her. Melissa forced her blocks up as high as they could go, hiding herself from the world. She was certain Arnie wouldn't feel her.

Joseph grabbed her by her hair and flung her onto her bed. She kicked him in his groin and tried to run. He recovered too quickly, fueled by rage, and slammed her head against the wall three times as hard as he could. Melissa was positive she was concussed. She could barely remain conscious as blood trickled down her cheeks.

I'm not here, Melissa thought. I'm not this girl, and this isn't happening again. I'm at Pickering Wharf. I'm safe. I'm not here... I'm not here... I'm not...

~*~

Something was wrong. Arnie could feel it inside of his soul. The only problem was, he couldn't figure out what the source was.

He was on his way to meet Melissa, but when he arrived at their designated spot at Pickering Wharf, she wasn't waiting for him.

He tried not to overreact or panic, but ten minutes later, she still hadn't arrived. Arnie dialed her number, but there was no answer.

Concerned, Arnie quickly drove to her house. He didn't sense anyone inside, but he still rang the doorbell. No one answered the door.

She's fine, he told himself, but it wasn't like Melissa to stand him up. He knew something must have happened to her.

He tried to reach out and check on her, but he couldn't feel her.

She's probably dead, his mind taunted him. You love her, so she's doomed to meet a horrible end. It's inevitable.

He shook his head. "Melissa has incredible blocks when she focuses," he reminded himself. "She's just blocking me. She's not dead. I'd know. I'd feel it... I probably would have had a vision." He took a deep breath. "She's still alive, Arnie. Calm down. You have work to do, slayer."

He forced himself to head to the ball, because there really wasn't anything else he could do.

~*~

November always brought the Erica Vitti Society's annual fundraiser, the November Ball. Hugo and Lydia were overseeing the last of the preparations when Jesse arrived with Bianca. He had decided to ask her to go as his date. He wasn't sure why, considering that Tommi would have been the better option strategically speaking, but he had strong feelings for Bianca, and this was the perfect excuse to ask her out. They both had to be there anyway, so why not go together?

Bianca looked breathtaking in her long baby blue gown. Her hair was neatly piled atop her head in an up-do style. Jesse kept getting lost in her eyes. To the amusement of Tommi, who sat giggling alone in the corner, Jesse had rented a tuxedo for the occasion. If Tommi had not been giggling, Jesse would not have recognized her. She had on a tight red dress and combat boots, a look he had previously suspected that only Aideen could pull off. Her hair was down instead of in its usual messy ponytail, and her skin showed traces of makeup. Although he had not realized it before, Tommi was actually very attractive.

Focus on Bianca, you moron. You have a very sexy date. Don't hurt her feelings by looking at another girl, Jesse scolded himself. His thoughts had been yelling at him a lot lately, usually about Bianca or about the Erica Vitti Society.

"Bianca, can you help me put this poster up?" Lydia asked.

"Sure, Lydia," Bianca replied. She offered Jesse an apologetic look. "I'll be back in a minute."

"No problem," Jesse said. He used the opportunity to walk over to Tommi. "Wow," he said. "You clean up nice."

"You're not looking so bad yourself, Jesse Rodriguez," Tommi replied.

"I didn't expect you to wear a dress."

"I may be a tomboy, but this is a formal event, as Lydia felt the need to point out to me personally."

"Really? Ouch. That was rude."

"Yeah, well, rather than risk not fitting in like Pru, I figured I'd cave on the whole dress thing for a night."

"Red's a good color for you," Jesse said.

"Yeah, and it's easier to hide blood stains on." Tommi grinned at Jesse's puzzled expression. "Relax, Jesse, I'm not plotting to kill anyone tonight."

"Well, that's good to know... Let's hope nothing crazy happens and we don't need to worry about it."

Dylan came in with the band and hurried over to Jesse. "Man, this is so awesome!" He said. "I know the hosts of the night are evil and all, but still... I'm playing a gig with Serpent's Kiss. That's way too cool." He paused and could not resist cracking a smile at Jesse's outfit. "Nice tux... And, wow, Tommi, you look great!"

Tommi shook her head. "What is it with guys? You see a girl in a dress and all of a sudden, she's hot," she said.

Dylan was saved from having to answer when Vynn joined them. "We're setting up, Dylan," she said. "Hi," she added to Tommi and Jesse.

"Tommi, Jesse, meet Vynn Hershey," Dylan said.

"Nice to meet you, Vynn. I've heard a lot about you," Jesse replied.

"Oh, really?" Vynn asked. She raised an eyebrow at that.

"Yeah, Dylan hasn't shut up about you since he met you," Jesse explained, causing Vynn to laugh.

"Shut up, Jesse," Dylan said to Jesse.

"That's sweet," Vynn replied. "Come on, Dylan. We really need to get to work." She guided him toward the stage.

"Tommi, will you be a dear and help put the refreshments out?" Bianca asked as she joined them.

"Sure," Tommi replied. She rolled her eyes, but Bianca didn't appear to notice that.

"Jesse, will you help me finish up?" Bianca asked.

"Of course," Jesse replied. Within an hour, everything was ready, and the party guests began to arrive. Jesse watched the members of the Silver Society as they came inside.

Randy, Beth, Jade, and Spencer were the first to arrive. Randy and Spencer each wore tuxedos. Beth wore a short pink dress. Jade had opted for a gothic look as usual, wearing the sort of black gown one might expect a Victorian vampire to have worn.

"Someone should really invite that freak into this century," Bianca commented.

"I think she looks great," Jesse replied, surprised by the rude comment. "Be glad she dressed up at all."

"This isn't a costume party, Jesse. She really should have gone with something simple. I don't know who invited her, anyway. She's not really the sort of person that our group socializes with."

"I invited her. She's my friend, Bianca."

"Maybe you should reconsider that, honey. She's such a freak show."

"Most of my friends fall into that category."

"Speaking of freaks..." Bianca's eyes narrowed bitterly as Aideen walked in with Alex.

Jesse's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of her. Aideen had selected a short, low-cut black dress for the occasion. Her blonde hair was down and had blue streaks in it, which drastically brought out her eyes. She wore fishnet stockings and, as Jesse had expected, combat boots. She smiled as she caught Jesse's eye. That was when he realized that he'd been staring at her.

"At least she's in a dress," Bianca continued complaining. "I mean, I half expected her to show up in jeans. At least her sister knows how to dress."

It was only then that Jesse noticed Courtney, standing close to Aideen and Alex, with one of the more popular boys in her grade. She had pulled her hair into a bun and was wearing an elegant green dress. She giggled and nudged Aideen as she realized that Jesse was staring at them.

"Nice tux, Jesse," Aideen said, walking over to him.

"Thanks," Jesse managed. "You look..." He searched for a word and finally settled on, "wow..."

"Impressive. One whole syllable," Aideen replied dryly. She smirked in amusement.

"Jesse," Bianca said, visibly becoming insane with jealousy, "we have things to take care of."

"Right... Sorry. I'll see you later, Deenie," Jesse said.

"Later," Aideen replied as Jesse and Bianca walked away.

Alex shook his head as he looked at Aideen. "Why do you enjoy torturing him?" He asked.

"It's so easy, Alex," Aideen replied with a laugh.

"Who's not here yet?" Alex wondered aloud.

"Cassandra, Melissa, and Arnie... I think that's it. No, wait, and Cierra."

"Well, obviously, Cierra's not coming. We still don't know where she is." Alex tried not to focus on his growing concern for Cierra. "Cassandra's hiding in the corner."

"Is she in a dress?" Aideen asked, searching for her among the crowd.

"Nope, she's wearing dress pants. I think the trauma from that awful spell turned her off from dresses for good."

"So, where are Melissa and Arnie?"

As if on cue, Arnie walked in, alone. He hurried over to Aideen and Alex as soon as he spotted them. "Sorry I'm late," he said.

"Where's Melissa?" Aideen asked. Normally, she would have taken the opportunity to pick on Arnie for wearing a tuxedo, but she could see that something was wrong.

"I don't know," Arnie replied. "She stood me up."

"Oh, poor Arnie," Aideen said sympathetically. She tried to hug him, but he pulled away.

"Something's wrong, guys," Arnie insisted. "I can feel it. Missa wouldn't just not show up. She isn't like that."

"He right," Alex said. "Maybe I should split a body off to go look for her."

"Please... I'm really worried, Alex," Arnie replied. "She's blocking me as much as she can, but I can feel that something's not right."

"Alright, I'll do it," Alex decided. He focused his energy for a moment and split off a body, a fairly rare ability that he had thanks to where his soul came from. He sent the body to search for Melissa's energy. It was blocked, but he wasn't going to give up yet.

"Hello, everyone," Hugo said into the microphone, focusing the attention of the guests. "Welcome to the Erica Vitti Society's Annual November Ball!" He waited for the applause to end before continuing. "We want to take a moment to thank you all for attending tonight's event. As you know, ticket sales help raise money for the various charities that the Erica Vitti Society supports. Tonight's event will support the junior chapter of the Erica Vitti Society, which is forming in middle schools across the country. The members of that chapter will learn early the importance of community service, hard work, and a strong education. So, remember, donations are gratefully accepted in addition to the price of your tickets!"

"Now, without further ado," Lydia said, "we'd like to welcome Serpent's Kiss to the stage!"

The guests began to cheer. "Hi everyone!" Luke said as the band took the stage. "I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the tragic loss our band recently suffered... We miss you, Devon."

Everyone fell silent. After a moment, Luke continued. "Still, with every door that closes, another one opens, and tonight, I would like to introduce the newest member of Serpent's Kiss, Dylan Messina!" As the guests began to cheer, Dylan bowed. "Let's party!" Luke said. The music began to play.

Once more, Dylan was filled with a sense of things being surreal. The adrenaline rush of living his dream was almost too much. With every verse, the audience seemed to fall more and more under their spell.

Weird choice of words, Dylan, he thought, but suddenly, he realized how fitting it was. The audience really did seem to be in an almost trance-like state. It was unusual. He had never seen a phenomenon like this before, and it got stronger with each song. By the time they performed Enchanted, the audience seemed to have forgotten that anything existed except for the music.

That's the power of music, Dylan, he reminded himself. You know that. You get like that, too... Still, something felt off. It was almost as if the audience had no control over themselves. This was not a normal reaction.

What are you trying to say, Dylan? He asked himself. You know these people. Vynn's not evil. Adam's not evil. Luke... Well, he's no saint, but he's not evil enough to murder his best friend, right? So what is it that you think is happening here? What's with the conspiracy theory? That's supposed to be Tommi's job.

Dylan forced himself to get lost in the music and forget the strange reaction of the audience.

~*~

The party ended without any noticeable supernatural issues. "What a waste of time," Cassandra complained.

"Well, we had to play it safe," Alex replied. "At least we know nothing happened here."

"Maybe that's why. Maybe they sensed us, and decided not to cause trouble?" Beth suggested.

"If they were afraid of us, they wouldn't have done that spell," Randy said.

Spencer struggled not to turn colors at the mention of what was probably his most embarrassing moment. He was not generally known for making suggestive comments. Of course, his behavior was still nothing compared to Cierra's.

"They probably wanted the night to go smoothly so no one would suspect anything," Aideen said.

"She's right," Alex added.

"Can we go home yet?" Arnie asked. "I want to go look for Melissa."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll keep looking, too. The rest of you, go relax."

"Shouldn't you wait for Jesse?" Aideen asked.

"Bianca's driving him home," Alex replied.

"Yuck. I hate that girl. I don't know what he sees in her."

"I don't either, actually," Randy said. "Bianca's not the type of girl that Jesse usually goes for. He's more attracted to punks. Bianca is about as preppy as they come."

"It's probably a love spell," Aideen decided. "I mean, she's part of a secret society of warlocks. It's not a stretch."

"Leave it to Jesse to fall for a warlock," Arnie said. "Anyway, really, let's go already."

~*~

Dylan and Vynn were lying on the grass in Gallows Hill Park staring up at the stars after the November Ball. "What do you think happens?" Vynn asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked in confusion.

"What do you think happens after you die?"

"Vynn, you're a necromancer... Don't you have an answer to this question already?"

"I know the supernatural stuff, but what about the rest? I mean, when necromancers aren't summoning you and you're not haunting anyone and you're not trapped here... When you've moved on... What happens? Where do you go?"

"I don't know... You get reincarnated, I guess."

"Well, yeah, but what about before that?"

"I guess you go somewhere to heal and rest before your next life."

"Like Heaven?"

"Sort of, yeah, except everyone gets to go, not just people from one religion."

"That's beautiful."

"I guess so..."

"I think we can go wherever we want when we're dead... And I think Devon's hanging out among the stars, watching over us."

"That's beautiful. I like that idea." They lay in silence for a few moments before Dylan spoke again. "Vynn... Do you think there was anything strange about tonight's show?"

"Other than the fact that it was for a bunch of warlocks in training? Not really," Vynn replied. "Why?"

"It's just... The audience reacted kind of strongly."

"I'm used to that. You'll get used to it, too. It's Luke. He commands complete control over any audience he performs for. I don't know how he does it."

Dylan had his suspicions, but he ignored them. Luke wasn't a warlock. He was too cool to be a warlock.

That's the weakest argument in the history of the universe, Dylan scolded himself. Still, he shouldn't jump to conclusions. Music was a type of magick all its own, and maybe Luke just knew how to tap into that.

~*~

After an uneventful search for Melissa, Alex was stunned when he saw her standing outside of his house minutes after he got home. Melissa's hair was a mess, her clothes were covered in blood, and she had clearly been beaten half to death. He led her inside quickly and helped her sit on the couch.

By now, Jesse was home, too, and he was horrified by what he saw. "Melissa? What the hell happened? Are you okay?" He asked.

Melissa began rocking back and forth slowly. She was staring off into space. "She's catatonic," Alex said.

"How did she get here if she was catatonic?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know. I guess she came here, and once she realized she'd actually gotten away, she shut down... Call Arnie."

"Okay," Jesse said, disappearing into the kitchen to make the call.

"Melissa? Sweetie? Can you hear me?" Alex asked.

"No more..." Melissa whispered. "No more... Please..." She was shivering.

"Jesse, get a blanket!" Alex called. "Melissa, whatever it is, it's over. You're safe. It's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you, honey, but you need to tell me what happened."

Jesse returned with a blanket. "I didn't call him yet... Do you need anything else?" Jesse asked.

"Just call Arnie. If anyone can comfort her, it's probably him."

"Okay." Jesse returned to the kitchen and called Arnie.

"Hello?" Arnie answered.

"Arnie, it's Jesse. Get over here now."

"What's going on?" Arnie asked. "It's Melissa, isn't it? You found her."

"She's here. She showed up looking like someone tried to kill her. She's catatonic, Arnie. Alex thinks you might be able to help her. We don't know what happened."

Arnie cursed. "Alright, I'll be right there." They hung up.

When Jesse entered the living room again, he saw that Alex was still trying to get through to Melissa. He had wrapped the blanket tightly around her, but she was still shivering.

"No change?" Jesse asked.

"None," Alex confirmed. "I'm going to try and pull her out of this psychically. Can you ground me?"

"Yeah, no problem." Jesse couldn't stand seeing a woman in such bad shape. It reminded him too much of what had happened to his mother on an almost daily basis. He couldn't help his mother, but maybe he could help Melissa.

Alex closed his eyes and focused all of his energy on Melissa. He allowed himself to fall into her mind. He began seeing images that he knew Melissa was trying to block. This was the man she'd created her shield for. This was the beast that had been hurting her for years. This was Melissa's deepest secret, and she'd finally reached a point where she couldn't hide it anymore.

Alex wrapped his energy around Melissa and pulled her back into awareness. He opened his eyes as she became aware once more. He tried to hug her, but Melissa pulled away violently.

"Don't touch me," Melissa begged. "Please don't touch me... No more... Please..."

"My Gods," Jesse whispered. "She wasn't just beaten up, was she?"

"No," Alex confirmed, trying to keep himself from raging. He could rage later. Melissa needed him right now. "It was worse than just that."

"Who the hell did it?" Jesse demanded. "I'll kill him myself!"

"That's noble of you, Jesse, but I think this is more complicated than that. We can't just kill this guy."

"What do you mean? Rape's not forgivable."

"I agree, but it wasn't just some stranger. I saw what she's been hiding, and it's bad."

"Will you kill him?"

"Most likely, yes, but I don't want to do that until I've actually talked to Melissa about it." Alex looked into Melissa's eyes. "Melissa, honey, it's Alex. It's okay, sweetheart. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Melissa looked up at Alex, her green eyes filled with horror, and began to sob hysterically. She knew that he knew the truth, and although she wanted to deny it, she needed him. She needed to let herself be held. She needed someone to help her.

"It's over, Melissa. I promise. He won't be able to do that to you ever again," Alex said softly.

Arnie practically broke the door down when he arrived a few minutes later. He marched into the living room and took Melissa into his arms. "Missa, who did it? Who are you protecting?" He asked as gently as he could manage.

Melissa knew that, now that Alex knew, there was no point in trying to hide it any longer. "My uncle," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Arnie. I couldn't tell you. He... He raised me. He and my aunt are the only family I've ever known."

"It's okay, Missa," Arnie said, somehow managing not to hit a blind rage. He could feel how vulnerable she was in that moment, and he knew that she needed him to be there for her. "It's over now."

"I'm scared," Melissa admitted. "What will happen to me now?"

"Well, once your aunt and uncle are no longer an issue, I could take you in, if you want," Alex offered. "I think you're still kind of young to be on your own."

"You'd do that for me?" Melissa asked.

"I did it for Jesse. Why not you, too?"

"Thanks, Alex. I really appreciate that." She paused. "Are you going to kill them?"

"Your uncle, yes. Your aunt is up to you."

"Don't kill her. She's not worth the energy."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, but she'll probably disown me..."

"Like I said, you can stay with me."

"Do you have to kill him? I mean, what if you get into trouble?"

"Well, it's that, or I report this to the police. You'd have to testify."

"I can't. I can't talk about this. It's just... I hate the idea of you killing someone for me. He's not one of the baddies."

"He may not be a warlock, or a devil worshipper, or one of the others we usually deal with, but evil wears many faces, Melissa. What he did to you is evil."

"Are you sure this isn't wrong?"

"Look, under normal circumstances, murder is not okay, especially when you're killing a mortal, but he's a monster, Melissa. I can't let you keep going through this."

Melissa sighed. "Okay," she said. She started to cry again, and Arnie held her so tight he nearly crushed her.

"You're safe now, Missa," Arnie said. "You're with your real family now, and we would never hurt you."