CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After walking aimlessly for hours, Jade had ended up sitting in Gallows Hill Park and writing a song. She did that often. This time, however, she was unaware of the fact that she was being watched.

"I'm on my own. I spiral out of control. Do I embrace the darkness of my soul? The world keeps spinning. Things do not pause. They don't see me as they pass. They don't know that I'm lost because yet again, fate dealt me a raw deal and I am stuck in my head, screaming inside. This is so typical of Lady Luck. I always do this. I am so dumb. All I need to survive is my mind and my thumb," Jade sang. "Yes, I'll hitch a ride to the end of time. I'll find comfort in my music, in rhythm and in rhyme. I'll run away, be all alone. I'm such a fool! This was never home. A creature like I belongs in the dark. I can't be like you. I don't have that spark. Yes, I'll embrace the darkness in my soul, and though I'll surely hate myself, pain won't be my whole existence, for that's all I've been. I cannot keep the fight up. I must ignore your kindness, and how you made me light up. I always do this. I am so dumb. All I need to survive is my mind and my thumb. Yes, I'll hitch a ride to the end of time. I'll find comfort in my music, in rhythm and in rhyme..."

"Wow," Dylan said softly.

Jade jumped, extremely startled by his presence. "My Gods, how long were you standing there?" She demanded.

"Long enough. You have a beautiful voice, Jade."

"I do not," she snapped.

"You do too. If there's one thing I know, it's music," Dylan said with a grin. "Did you write that yourself?"

"Yeah... I do that sometimes, alright? It's a coping mechanism."

"You're not running away again, are you?" He asked in concern.

"I don't know, Dylan," she admitted. "I don't fit in here."

"Yes you do. You fit in here more than you fit in anywhere else. Why do you want to run, Jade?"

Jade sighed. "I screwed up, Dylan."

"What did you do?" He asked.

"It's what I didn't do. You know I had my first major case with the Unit... And today, everything just fell apart."

"Alright, start at the beginning," Dylan suggested. "What do you mean by everything fell apart?"

"Kara's dead." Saying the words didn't make them any easier to process. Jade wanted to scream.

"Oh, man, Jade... I hadn't heard..."

"You know she was training me. We worked together every day since I started officially working for the Unit. She was my mentor... My partner... And I failed her."

"I'm sure you didn't... What happened?"

"They had Jesse and Tommi, and I was able to help them and get them out alive, but for me to do that, Kara had to sacrifice herself. She stayed behind... She let them kill her to give us the time to escape while she messed up their spell. I shouldn't have let her do it."

"Jade, that's not your fault."

"I know, but... I feel guilty, alright? Kara was a great person, and she's dead. I should have done it. I should have let her save Jesse and Tommi, and just let myself be killed. My life isn't worth much anyway."

"You have a son, Jade. Joey needs you."

She sighed. "I know... It's just hard, and my old cult programming that tells me everything is my fault tends to kick in when I lose people."

"I understand the grieving part... And the blaming yourself part. I'm still beating myself up over Vynn," he admitted softly.

"Sometimes..." Jade sighed. She didn't often discuss her emotions out loud, but she trusted Dylan more than most people, and he always found a way to get her to talk. "Sometimes, I wonder if I'm evil, Dylan."

"You're not. You have a good heart, Jade. A really good heart. You hide it well, but it's there," he replied.

"I was raised as a devil worshipper, and I did a lot of things that I shouldn't have. I killed people, Dylan."

"We all make mistakes."

"Murder isn't just a mistake."

"You didn't have a choice. You were in a kill or be killed situation."

"How do you always do this?"

"Do what?" He asked innocently.

"How do you always get me to talk to you?"

Dylan grinned. "That's the gift of an empath. Do you feel better?"

"A little bit," Jade admitted.

"Good! Then I did my job. So, no running away?"

Jade shrugged. "Not today, I guess."

"That'll do. Now, back to the music... Do you write a lot of your own stuff?"

"Yeah, I've always written songs. It helps me cope."

"Ah, you and I speak the same language then. Do you play any instruments?"

"Not really. I can sort of play the piano, but not very well."

"That's okay. I'm between bands right now. I was thinking of starting up a new group, because I need an outlet, but I didn't know who to ask to join. Are you interested?"

"Me?" She repeated in surprise.

"No, the guy standing behind you," Dylan replied with a laugh. "Yes, you, Jade."

"I don't know, Dylan..."

"You'd be great. I need a lead female vocalist for some of the songs I've got, and I need a fellow songwriter."

"Who else would you ask?" Jade asked skeptically.

"I don't know... Cierra, maybe. She writes piano music, and she sings, too. She's not a lead vocalist type, because she's too quiet, but I'm sure she could do back-up vocals and play the keyboard. I mean, assuming we find her, that is."

"We'll find her," Jade replied firmly.

"I know. We won't give up until we do... Anyway, I know tons of local drummers, but none are very good... Except for Aideen."

"Aideen plays the drums?" Jade asked in surprise.

"She used to. I don't know if she still does, but she was pretty good when we were kids. So, will you join my band, Jade? Pretty please?"

She realized he wasn't going to let it go. "I'll think about it, okay?" She replied.

"That's good enough for me!" He smiled and cautiously took her hand. "Come on, Jade. Let's get you back home."

~*~

Melissa was snuggling Arnie on the couch when Jesse and Aideen walked into the house. Jesse looked like he'd survived an apocalypse. Aideen appeared to be pretty shaken up.

"Are you guys okay?" Arnie asked. "What the hell happened? And why do you smell like smoke?"

"The E.V.S. is dead," Aideen replied.

"Wait, all of them?" Melissa asked.

"Not quite. Jesse and Tommi are fine. Lydia and Arthur are being treated for burns. Lydia's probably getting shipped off to the psych ward, but Arthur should be back in school in a day or two."

"Did you say psych ward?" Arnie asked.

"Lydia may have lost her mind because Jesse kind of ate Hugo for dinner and had Bianca for dessert while she watched."

Jesse whimpered slightly. "Do you have to put it like that?" He asked.

"Sorry, Jess," Aideen replied. She kissed his lips quickly as an apology.

"Hold on! When did that happen?" Arnie demanded, motioning toward their lips.

"When Jesse almost died on me," Aideen replied. "It's been a long day, Arn."

"I guess we should call Alex," Melissa said.

"And Danny," Jesse added. "In case I need a lawyer to get me out of this."

"You saved lives, Jesse," Aideen replied. "You're not going to jail for this."

"The last time I mauled people, I ended up in the psych ward. I don't exactly think it'll help Lydia get well if we're next-door neighbors. I'm calling Danny. Excuse me." He walked away.

"Is he alright?" Melissa asked in concern.

"He's kicking himself," Aideen replied. "It turns out that Bianca put a love spell on him, but the fact is, Jesse still mauled his girlfriend. He's got issues with men hurting women."

"As he should, but this is different."

"You don't know how bad it was for him when he was growing up, Missa," Arnie said gently. "Deenie and I found Jesse half-dead the day his dad killed his mom. We almost lost him. If he wasn't a werewolf, he probably wouldn't have survived, but all Jesse cared about was the fact that he couldn't save his mom."

Melissa softened. "Maybe the two of us can talk about growing up in Hell sometime," she said. "We might be able to help each other."

"That's not a bad idea," Aideen agreed.

Alex walked into the house looking frantic. "Where's Jesse?" He demanded. 

"The scroll told you?" Arnie guessed.

"No, Skip did," Alex replied. "He called and told me Jesse was in the middle of this whole mess."

"Did he tell you what Jesse had to do?" Aideen asked.

"I know about Bianca and Hugo," Alex replied. "And I know he must be freaking out about it. Where is he? Is he alright?"

"He's calling Danny."

"Were you hurt, Deenie?"

"No, but I got to put out a fire and kill a teenage warlock who tried to murder Jesse... I'm good."

"And then she kissed Jesse!" Arnie added with a smirk.

"Jesse and Deenie sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Melissa sang with glee.

"Wait a second... I missed something," Alex said in confusion.

Aideen laughed. "I guess you don't know everything after all," she joked.

Jesse walked into the living room then. "Danny's on his way," he said softly.

"Jess..." Alex said sympathetically as he looked at the guilty expression on Jesse's face. With a sighed, he continued, "Come on, Kid. Let's go talk."

~*~

Timmy was wandering through Essex Street aimlessly when three young women approached him. Their faces were identical, but they were easy to tell apart. One had long blonde hair and the dark brown eyes they all shared. She wore a brightly colored sundress and white sandals despite the cold air. The second woman was also blonde, but her hair just barely framed her chin, and she wore a red t-shirt and black sweatpants. The third had her long black hair pulled into a ponytail. She wore a black heavy metal t-shirt, a long black skirt, and a lot of silver jewelry and chains. She was the perfect blend of a punk and a goth. All of them looked like they were barely legal adults.

"Here, kitty, kitty," the punk girl teased him. "Psss, psss, pssss..."

Timmy was about to run when the one in the sundress smiled at him kindly. "Don't mind Thea," she said sweetly. "She's the Queen of Sarcasm. We're not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" Timmy asked nervously.

"We're the leaders of Salem's werelion pride," the one with the shorter hair replied. "My name is Tracy. That's Tina," she pointed to the girl in the sundress, "and our sarcastic sister is Thea. We're triplets, but you probably figured that out already."

"So the local pride is led by triplets?" Timmy asked. There was something familiar about them. "Isn't one of you the most dominant?"

"We're each dominant in our own way," Tina replied. "We're all trained slayers, and we run the pride together because our souls are all daughters of Sekhmet." She waited for Timmy to react. He just stared at her in awe.

Sekhmet had always been Timmy's favorite Goddess. She was fierce and often frightening, but for some reason, she made him feel incredibly safe.

"I don't think he knows, Ti," Tracy said softly.

"What don't I know?" Timmy asked.

"You're a royal lion, too, kiddo," Thea replied. "Your soul is our soul's baby brother."

He stared at her in surprise. "Me?" He repeated. "Are you sure? I'm, like, the least dominant lion ever."

"Oh, we're sure," Tracy replied. "We'd know you anywhere. You're a lion prince, little cub."

Timmy found that hard to believe, but in his heart, he could feel the truth of their words. "You're my soul's family..." He whispered.

"We sure are, little bro," Thea replied. "You should join the pride. We can protect you, and you belong with us."

"I'm living with a really nice family, the Ashfords. They took me in," he explained. "The parents are mortals and don't really know about the supernatural."

"You can stay with us if you want," Tina replied. "We'd love to have you... But it's okay if you want to keep living with them. The pride is scattered all over Salem. It's not about where you live... It's about having support."

"Support might be nice," he admitted. "What do I have to do?"

"Come with us," Thea replied. "We'll introduce you to everyone else, and the more time you spend around us, the more you'll learn how to be a leader. You have a dominant side, little bro. You just don't know how to embrace it yet."

"What's your name?" Tracy asked gently.

"It's Timmy," he replied.

"Would you look at that! Another T name," Tina said with a grin. "See? You already fit right in."

He almost protested, but he couldn't deny he felt a bond with the triplets. "My soul isn't unlocked," he said. "I don't remember where my soul comes from or any of my past lives."

"That's okay, Timmy," Thea replied. "We'll help you get there. Are you ready to meet the pride?"

"I've never had a pride before," he admitted. His lion longed for a pride of his own. He couldn't deny how much the idea meant to him.

"Then it's about time you found one," Tracy said. "Come on, little cub... Let's go introduce you to the family."

Family had always been a dangerous thing for Timmy in the past. Now, he might have found not one, but two families who wanted him around and weren't out to hurt him.

He smiled to himself as he thought, Maybe this is why I was supposed to come to Salem all along. Maybe I'm finally in my true home.

~*~

There were several magick books open in front of Cierra when her father entered the room. She'd been studying them as much as she could, curious about the magick in her blood. The spells were interesting, and the scientific and practical side of things was fascinating to her. She looked up and smiled at Henry.

"We need to prepare you for the Yule ritual, Cierra," Henry said.

"Okay," Cierra replied eagerly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Tonight, I'd like to initiate you into the family coven officially."

"How?" She asked curiously. "What would my initiation entail?"

"You'll use a blessed ritual tool to seal your position. The magick in the tool will connect you to the bloodline and guide you. You'll know what to do once it's in your hands."

"Alright," she agreed. "I'll do it."

Henry presented her with a white blindfold. "You will need to come into the circle with me in perfect trust... I have to blindfold you," he explained.

"I understand," Cierra replied. She'd read all about traditional initiation rituals for witch covens, and some did include a symbolic act of trust like being blindfolded. Why should a warlock coven be any different?

Henry gently blindfolded her. Cierra took a moment to adjust to losing her sight before she allowed Henry to lead her into another room. She could feel the heat from the circle of candles he had already lit. As he led her into the center of the room, he placed a ritual knife in her hands. It had been charged with magick, and Cierra was startled by how much power she felt radiating from inside of it.

"Let the energy guide you, Cierra," Henry said. "Let our ancestors give you strength and wisdom."

Cierra nodded and focused on the energy inside of the blade. Once she had connected to it fully, she raised the knife into the air. The right words suddenly came to her.

"I pledge myself to my bloodline!" She declared. "With this act of devotion, I take my place!"

She plunged the knife down toward what she thought was the ground. It hit something on the way. Cierra felt a surge of power flowing through her as warm fluid touched her flesh. Henry removed the blindfold.

At Cierra's feet lay the corpse of a woman. She'd been killed the moment the knife had pierced her chest. Cierra stared at her blood-soaked hands in confusion, trying to process what had just happened.

For a moment, Cierra was absolutely horrified by what she'd done. Her horror was short-lived, however, as he father said with pride, "Welcome to the family, Cierra. Welcome to your true destiny." She was overcome with joy at her father's words.

Maybe I was wrong all along, she thought. I was born to be evil. Why should I fight that? Why should I deny my heritage? This is who I am.

Finally, Cierra felt no shame.