Everyone sat in Lauren's dusty living room in a rough circle sprawled out on her ratty old circa 1990's furniture, amid pizza stained paper plates and empty chip bags. There hadn't been enough seats for everyone so some of her guests made themselves comfortable on the fraying beige shag carpet.

Kelly was surprisingly one of them. She had taken up residence when Donnie had shown up in human form and had quickly excused himself before turning into a beautiful Russian Blue cat.

Just before shrinking down to size he had hurriedly explained, "Mio Dio, Lauren you have far too many mice. I must hunt. With this many I can no keep my human form."

He took his cat form. Much to the delight of Kelly who apparently was a huge cat lover, judging by the squeal she let out when she saw him.

When they looked at her funny she just said indignantly, "What? I like cats. So sue me," and by way of explanation she said," Look my stupid dad won't let me have any, ok?"

After racing around the house for a few minutes with Kelly in tow, Cat-Donnie settle into a routine of winding himself around Kelly's tucked up legs while she played with a piece of frayed rug with him.

Okaaayyyy . . . Cam thought, that wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen in his f-up world, but it was the closest before taking another sip of his Grande Espresso Macchiato.

When Donnie-cat finally noticed the sliding glass closet door adjacent to the living room and the identical cat that looked back at him his tail puffed up to three times its size and he started head butting it so hard that he nearly threw it off the tracks.

"Hey shouldn't we stop him from doing that," Cam asked?

Kelly just giggled and said," No way that is too adorbs for words." And she giggled again.

Kelly giggling was a new one for all of them including Xan. They all just looked at each other as if to ask if she was a pod person too, but Lauren jumped into clear everything up, "Guys Kelly's not acting strangely, well not completely, she just loves animals. When I went to her house the night we went to the club I saw her pet Imp that lives under her bed."

Cam cocked an eyebrow at Lauren. It was news to him that Kelly felt chummy enough with anyone to ask them over to her house, but if Lauren said she was fine then he had to chalk-up her weird behavior to the adorable cat.

When Donnie hissed and rammed the mirror again they couldn't help laughing.

Xan pulled out his phone and said, "I've got to get a video of this. Magic wielders can you dial down your mojo for a sec?"

And much to everyone's surprise he was able to get a two minute video before his phone conked out.

Cam couldn't wait to see Donnie's face when he saw it.

Xan was one of the lucky ones that could still handle technology. Cam felt like crying every time he was reminded that his PS4 was collecting dust in his bedroom closet because he'd fried the thing after a particularly intense Call of Duty online match.

Maybe he thought he'll use his awesome potion making affinity to make a draught that will lessen the magic whammy thing that affects technology and get rich.

He was dragged from his reverie by Zach clearing his throat taking his time to think of the right words as he stood in front of everyone by the dirty bay window.

He wondered when Zach became the de-facto leader of his little rag tag crew, but he didn't think anyone, but Zach himself, would disagree with his appointment. The guy had gone head to head with Liam, an inhumanly powerful Fae that was hell bent on taking down the council and everything it stood for, three times now and lived. Cam couldn't help, but admit he'd be on Liam's side if it weren't for the fact that he didn't care who he killed in the process, including his own sister. And as a brother he knew how F-up that truly was.

"Guys," Zach began, "Right now we have more questions than answers. So I'm thinking if we throw all our questions and ideas at the wall, so to speak, something might stick. I'll start."

"Why are the strange students behaving the way they are? He ticked the questions off on his fingers as he spoke.

"Could it be an experimental potion that the council is testing that makes halfbloods obedient?"

"I could see why they'd want obedient soldiers, but why would they want obedient students?"

Cam looked around the room at a bunch of blank faces. Nope -- nobody had a clue how to answer those questions.

Lauren spoke up then, "I have some questions to add too."

Zach inclined his head to tell her to go ahead and add them.

"Well," she began unsteadily, "What was up with last week? Why did the council test us like that?" she continued.

"And why is the school on lock down?" Cam added.

"Yeah," Meg jumped in, "it's not like the council cares what happens to us they've proven in the past they couldn't care less."

"This is good let's keep shaking the tree until something comes loose. Anyone else, "Zach asked?

"What's going on with our mentors?" Ray asked from his spot next to Ollie on the small couch.

"I feel like they're lying to us. I never thought our mentors would turn on us. "Ollie added.

"Why aren't they willing to tell us what's going on?" Brenna whined.

It was heart breaking to see Connor move in protectively from behind her small chair and reach out to comfort her, but quickly draw his hands back when he remembered he couldn't touch her without condemning her to his power. As a Gean Cannah anyone he touches was in for a very short life of servitude. They'd worship the ground he walked on until their untimely death.

"Yeah and why hasn't my sweety-pie had one of his Rumor has it moments about this?" Kelly added.

Xander's eyebrows shot nearly up to the ceiling with that statement.

"I've got a theory," Cam jumped in before Xan could say something that disrupted their meeting, "I think they're under a NDA spell."

"What's that," asked the usually taciturn Connor?

Marley interjected, "That's the magical equivalent of a non-disclosure agreement, but it's hella hard to break, virtually impossible even."

When they all looked at her, she said, "what I listen in class," and shrugged her shoulders before getting back to watching Kelly play with Donnie the cat.

I have a question too, Quinn interjected, from his seat next to Lauren, "Why did Liam's crew attack the Council Guard HQ anyway?"

"Oh my God good one Quinn we'd almost forgot that one?" Lauren playfully punched him on the shoulder.

Quinn beamed at her in return from his seat right beside her on the cozy loveseat.

Zach cleared his throat again to get everyone's attention. Cam couldn't help but wonder if he'd broken up the playful banter between Lauren and Quinn for more than that reason though. He shook his head as he wondered if they'd ever work it out.

"That's a lot more questions than even I anticipated. I think we're going to have to write them all down. Does anyone have a pen and paper?" he concluded.

"I'll go grab it", Lauren jumped up, and left the room, while both Quinn's and Zach's eyes followed her.

All was quiet for a moment while everyone waited for her to return, except the rustling of Travis's and Kyle's nearly empty chip bags. They'd been pigging out the whole time. Kyle even had Cheetos fingers and chin Cameron noticed hysterically. Someone has got to start feeding these guys more than rabbit food, he thought comically.

When Kelly their resident Instagram star rolled her eyes and said caustically, "do you know how many calories are in a large bag of chips?"

Trav replied with a mouth crammed full of Cheestos," Is that one of the question were going to have to write down"

"Good one Brah," Kyle replied with a fist bump to his foster brother.

This made everyone laugh when she just huffed in disgust at their disgusting display.

I've got a question CJ spoke up from his spot on the carpeted floor.

"How the hell do you guys always afford this stuff? You're always complaining you've got no money, yet you're never without fast food or junk food in your hands?"

"Oh that's simple Kyle crowed proudly, "let me demonstrate,"

Travis snorted, obviously he already knew the answer.

"How'd you get here?" Kyle asked CJ.

"My mom dropped me off, why? "

"I noticed you were late; why was that?" Kyle asked.

CJ just looked at him funny and said," what does that have to do with junk food and money?"

"Just humor me Brah and you'll see."

"Okay," CJ said incredulously, "She was on the phone with my Aunt talking about my cousin's Quenceanera.

"I bet you wished you had money for a cab?" Kyle said wiggling his eyebrows and emphasizing the wish part.

Everyone started chuckling at the strange exchange.

"Yeah okay that would have been better than waiting. SO?"

"How are you getting home," Kyle asked.

"I don't know, I guess I'm going to have to call my mom." CJ said shrugging his shoulders.

"And if she's still busy talking to your aunt are you going to have to wait to get picked up?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Then I bet you wished you had money for a cab home, right, so you don't have to wait?"

"Of course," you could tell CJ was getting annoyed.

"Then hold out your hand and kind of cup it like you're going to catch water. "

When CJ looked at him funny Kyle said, "Just do it."

CJ raised his arm and held his hand palm up in cupped form like he was trying to catch something that was falling from above.

Kyle clutched his hand and closed it and then pulled his hand back like the world's most cheesy kid's party magician.

When CJ open it up there were bills balled up in it.

"Kyle crowed eagerly, "Count it, Brah!"

CJ eyebrows scrunched up, but he counted it silently.

"How much is there?" Cam asked. He couldn't help it; he was curious.

"It's exactly twenty-five dollars and seventy-five cents."

"What does that mean?" CJ asked bewildered.

"Dude," Trav added with a smirk on his face, "That's exactly how much you need for the cab ride home, down to the penny."

"I don't understand," CJ uttered.

No one did; they all looked bewildered.

Trav explained it to them while Kyle sat looking smug. "Kyle's a descendent of Njord an old Norse God of the wind and the sea, and its riches. The Norse worshiped him to invoke his aid in fishing and hunting. To them he was considered the God of wealth-bestowal and prosperity. He was also the father of Freyja and that's why Kyle and Kelly look like siblings instead of distant relatives. "He added as an afterthought.

Everyone looked back and forth from Kelly and Kyle, trying to see if it was true.

"Holy cow . . . you're right they have the same bleach blonde hair and really light blue eyes!" Ryan exclaimed, taking a closer look at Kelly. Until, she batted him away with her hand which made Donnie-cat hiss at him angrily from his spot on her lap.

Cam took a double take when he noticed Donnie was essentially sitting on Kelly's lap and she was okay with it. He could tell Donnie was more than okay with it; he could hear him purring from where he sat on the floor next to Meg's chair. His weird observation was interrupted by Quinn though.

"Hey Kyle," Quinn piped up, "I wish for a million dollars."

"It doesn't work like that Brah." Kyle said dejectedly.

"I'm only able to give you what you need, not what you want."

"I need a million bucks." Quinn quipped.

Everyone laughed including Kyle.

"Sorry no can do dude. My gifts only come in small denominations so far."

"That sucks," CJ said.

"Tell me about it," Kyle rolled his eyes.

Everyone had to laugh at the wounded look on both their faces.

"Guys," Zach reigned them back in, "I think we've gotten a little off track. Now that Lauren's back with a pen let's get back to work."

"We forgot a question." Cam spoke up, "Why aren't the students at mandatory training. And if you buy that excuse Helsing gave yesterday, I have some land to sell you in the Florida Everglades?"

"That's a good question," Zach added.

"I might have an idea, but it requires us wrapping up this meeting pretty quickly so I can put it into motion." Cam suggested.

"What would that be?" Meg looked at him suspiciously.

"I suggest I finish a potion I shelved a little while ago. I was working on a potion which would be the alchemical equivalent to Liam's magical split power. I'm pretty close to a solution and if I can make it tonight then I can take it tomorrow and use it to follow the strange kids."

"Let me get this straight you want to concoct and drink an experimental potion to follow some kids that have been whammied by a dangerously powerful council?" Megan said while she gave him the stink eye from above him.

"If you concoct it I'll drink it." Zach volunteered.

"I'm afraid that won't work," Cam said, "it's got to be me. It won't seem suspicious if a decoy of mine sucks in training, because frankly, I suck at training."

Everyone had to agree with him; he would be the one to draw the least attention if he sucked in a sparring match which honestly kind of stung. And since they had no idea where the strange kids were going during training, and training was mandatory then someone one would have to be able to be in two places at once.

Soon after the meeting broke up, and on their way home, Megan was uncommonly quiet on the way back to Sea Cliff Drive.

Finally after a very awkward drive she pulled into his driveway as Cam broke the silence "I'll be all right, I can handle this?" he said before he stepped out of the parked car.

"Yeah and isn't that just the problem," she ground out, "the number of things you think you can handle all on your own."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked incredulously.

"I'm tired Cam please get out of my car so I can go to bed."

"Thanks Meg, being pissed at me right now is really going to help me concentrate."

"Well I think it's a stupid dangerous plan, and I hope your concoction fails miserably, so I guess MY PLAN is working out perfectly."

"Fine!" he said childishly as he excited the car.

"Fine!" She repeated back churlishly before he closed the door and she peeled out of the driveway and down the street.

Great now she's pissed?

He shook his head and stuffed his hands in his front pockets angrily while making his way to his front door. He'd have to apologize to her in the morning, but he didn't have time to worry about it right now.

Right now he had work to do.

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter -- Do you think Cam's crazy for trying a unproven potion? 

What do you think will happen to him if it's brewed wrong?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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