CHAPTER NINE

It was the first Silver Society meeting since Jade and Beth had agreed to join. The two of them were visibly nervous, but they were doing their best to learn the ropes.

Spencer found himself unable to stop watching Jade. She fascinated him. There was something about her that made him feel things he'd never really felt before.

I know her, he thought. Our souls are connected. I can feel it... He paused before silently scolding himself. You're staring at her. Stop it, Spencer.

"What is it that we'll be expected to do here?" Jade asked Alex.

"Well, everyone contributes whatever they can," Alex replied. "Although we often work with the Unit, we're our own group, and we have our own files and such. Every member of the Silver Society uses their individual skills and talents, as well as their hobbies, to find ways to contribute. We try to let people do what they find the most interesting. For example, Aideen hates paperwork so much that she tends to smite it if you attempt to give it to her, so we try to make sure she doesn't have very much of it."

Aideen laughed. "I keep telling you, I'd dictate it to someone else if you wanted me to, but I don't like the process of actually writing it down myself. Paperwork is boring," she said.

"Deenie usually sticks to field work, so to speak," Alex continued. "She is generally out there, patrolling and slaying every night. Since she's not big on doing paperwork or research, her entire job surrounds slaying, battle, and magick. She plays bodyguard when someone needs one, and she's one of our connections to both the vampires and the witches, since she is affiliated with both groups. Spencer is one of our researchers. He looks into anything and everything we need to know. He's full of information and can be a walking encyclopedia at times. He's also our strongest precog, because he's an Oracle."

"What's an Oracle again?" Beth asked.

"Oracles were some of the first psychics to incarnate as a group. They lived apart from mortals for the most part back in the day, and they developed their psychic abilities to new levels no one else had reached back then. They're all Seers, or precogs, and most have secondary skills as well. They are some of the strongest psychics you will ever meet."

"My mother is an Oracle as well," Spencer said. "She helped me develop my gifts from a very young age."

"You're lucky to have a parent who understands," Beth said. "My parents are terrified of anything supernatural. I'm shocked that they're willing to live in Salem."

"I'm shocked that they were willing to take me in," Jade said. "You don't get much more supernatural than me."

"Everything happens for a reason," Alex said. "And, for whatever reason, the Universe decided that you and Beth need to be together right now, so it made sure that happened."

"I guess that makes sense," Jade replied. "It's really the only logical explanation."

"Moving on, just so you really get an idea of who does what, Cierra is our research queen," Alex said. "She also handles the bulk of the paperwork and filing."

"Cierra, your job seriously sucks," Aideen said. "I never understood how you deal with it."

Cierra shrugged. "I like reading," she replied.

"But with the filing and the paperwork and all of those clerical duties, how do you not go insane?"

"I don't know... I guess I'm just really at home with organizing things," Cierra said. "Collating and filing are soothing to me. They keep me Zen."

"Arnie is our hacker," Alex continued. "He can hack into just about anything."

"Except the things I lock off," Aideen added proudly. "He's still not that good."

"It's not fair," Arnie whined. "She uses coding that was obsolete before we were born! Not to mention, she guards her stuff with spells. That's cheating."

"That's intelligent, when your best friend is a hacker and you don't want him to know every little detail of your existence," Aideen replied with a grin.

"Arnie also handles some of the less than legal things we might need. I know that sounds bad, but hear me out. He can hot-wire cars, which helps in an emergency, and he's skilled at picking locks. He is also an empathic healer, and he's the strongest memory modifier I have ever met," Alex said.

"Which is how he gets away with never going to class," Dylan added with a laugh.

"Dylan is a slayer, and he's our best healer. In an emergency, he's usually the one to call," Alex continued. "He's also always good for a laugh. Cassandra's job is basically slaying, and she does a lot of undercover investigating. She's skilled with disguises. Melissa, I'll probably have you work with her fairly often. She could use a partner with your talents."

"That sounds like fun," Melissa said.

"Yeah, I think a lot of what you do is going to be undercover work. If nothing else, you can disguise yourself without a problem. Not to mention, you're a charming little thing and I sense that you can get someone to talk just by grinning at them."

Melissa grinned right on cue, putting an angelic expression on her face. "She reminds me of you," Arnie observed, directing his comment to Aideen. "With those angelic eyes and that baby face."

"You should talk about baby faces," Aideen said. "You still look about twelve years old, Arnie."

"His body doesn't look twelve," Melissa said, appreciating his very muscular build for a moment. "Wait... How old are you, anyway?" She asked, realizing that she'd neglected to ask him this before.

"I'm fifteen... Almost sixteen," Arnie replied.

"Nice. I'm also fifteen, but not almost sixteen."

"You'll like undercover work," Arnie said. "It's a lot of fun. Aideen and I work with Cassandra pretty often."

"I can't wait. I'm a chameleon, after all. I can take on whatever identity I need to fit the scene."

"Moving on again," Alex began, "Randy handles a lot of the physical stuff. He's a skilled warrior, and his duties mainly include slaying. He's also an athlete, and very trusted by the community, so he knows most of the gossip about what's going on around town, including the supernatural stuff. He's our source when we need to know which teenagers are up to no good, and just what we might be up against. He's our eyes and ears at Bishop High School."

"Bishop's a hot spot for the supernatural," Randy explained. "Every group of bad guys has representatives there, and so does every good group. Students disappear on a regular basis, but the school is skilled at covering that up. If you're the least bit psychically inclined, you'll be drawn to go to school there. Of all of the high schools in Salem, it's the one with the largest amount of paranormal activity."

"Well, I guess it's not such a bad thing that your parents enrolled me there then," Jade said to Beth. "It does explain why I felt like I shouldn't fight them on it."

"Jesse is our connection to the lycanthrope communities," Alex said. "He's got contacts inside of every group, and he's trusted among them all because his soul is general lycanthrope royalty."

"I'm also a floater by nature," Jesse added. "They don't expect me to join their pack or pard or flock or whatever, but they do expect me to help out if there's a crisis. The wolf Alpha, Kwame, keeps trying to recruit me to the pack, but he knows I'll never join. I like having my freedom, but the other lycanthropes will still give me their protection, should I ever need it."

"I do a little bit of everything. I oversee what everyone else does and try to keep everyone safe. I also attempt to make sure everything runs smoothly," Alex said.

"So, you're basically the boss?" Beth asked.

"I guess, but I hate to look at it like that. I'm the leader," Alex replied.

"He's not the boss or the leader; he's the dad," Arnie said. "He's the one we go to for guidance when we're not sure what to do, the one we go to when we need a shoulder to cry on, the one we go to when we need a place to spend the night, and the one we go to when we screw up and need to be rescued."

"What will we do?" Beth asked nervously.

"It depends on what your interests and skills are, but I'd say you will probably work like Randy, as far as being the eyes and ears of Bishop... You're one of the popular kids, right?" Alex asked.

"I guess so," Beth replied a bit awkwardly.

"She's the future prom queen of our year," Randy said with a smile. "I mean that in a good way, Beth. I've seen the way people flock to you, and not just the freshmen. Trust me, you're popular. Don't worry... I can help you figure out what you need to watch out for."

Beth blushed slightly. "Thanks, Randy," she replied shyly.

"Jade will probably work with Aideen and Spencer on spells," Alex said. "Also, she can give us insight into the minds of our bad guys. One of her soul's strongest talents is telepathy. She can also influence thoughts if someone is in danger to distract or confuse the bad guys."

"How did you know that?" Jade asked defensively. "I don't do that lightly. I try not to do it at all."

"I've done my homework on you, Jade. I know a lot about your soul. In fact, I know your soul really well." He smiled when he said that, which creeped Jade out a bit. She generally did her best to separate herself from her soul, who was very different from her incarnation.

"I also know that you dislike using the telepathy for personal gain, and avoid using it whenever you can, which is good," Alex continued. "In the wrong hands, that ability is dangerous because people who are power hungry will abuse it."

"How do you know my soul?" Jade asked cautiously.

"That's a discussion for another day, Jade."

"I'd like to know now, Alex," she said firmly.

"When the time is right, I'll tell you everything, I promise, but not yet."

Jade was not pleased, but something told her not to argue further.

Suddenly, Arnie's eyes became unfocused, as though he were seeing something that the others could not. He began rocking back and forth slowly. "Cold..." He whispered. "I'm so cold..."

"Arnie?" Aideen asked, visibly alarmed. She grabbed his hand. "Arnie? Come back..."

"What's happening?" Melissa asked in fear.

"He got pulled to something," Alex said. "This happens a lot. Arnie's visions sometimes mix with his empathy and pull him in too deep. He's got to learn to strengthen his blocks."

"So cold... Freezing... Please... No more... Can't breathe... Let me go..." Arnie said. He was shivering.

"What do we do?" Beth asked nervously.

"We pull him back," Spencer replied, now on Arnie's other side. He began attempting to help Aideen bring Arnie back.

"I told you, I don't know where the key is!" Arnie shouted.

Aideen shuddered. She wondered if it was the same key that her father was searching for. What if Arnie got pulled to my dad? She thought. What if my dad's the one begging to be let go?

"I'm so cold... Please just let me go and I'll find it for you," Arnie said. He paused before screaming, "No!" A thin red line appeared on his throat.

"Get me a lighter, now," Alex shouted to Cassandra as the wound started to deepen. Arnie began bleeding freely. Cassandra produced a lighter in seconds, but it wasn't necessary.

"I've got this," Aideen said. She manifested a small ball of fire in her hand as she held onto Arnie's.

Arnie cried out in pain. His eyes focused and he pulled his hand away from Aideen's ball of fire. "Ouch!" He said as she extinguished it. "I hate it when you do that, Deenie."

"She had to. You would have died," Alex explained. "Your throat was starting to bleed. What the hell did you get pulled to?"

"I... It was confusing," Arnie began, trying to focus.

"What did you see, Arnie?" Aideen demanded, half terrified that Arnie would say that he'd seen her father.

"There was some man threatening another guy. They were in some kind of meat locker or something. It was really cold," Arnie replied. He was still shivering. Cierra covered him with a blanket, which he gratefully wrapped around himself while Dylan attended to the gash in his neck. It had started to heal itself as soon as he'd been pulled back.

"Who was he, Arnie?" Spencer asked softly.

"The first man was a warlock. He was looking for some kind of key... It was for a tomb... He kept talking about some tomb where angels go to die or something. It was weird."

Aideen began shaking. "Who did you get pulled to, Arnie?" She asked quietly. "Was it my dad?"

"No," he replied. "Why did you think it was Benny?"

Aideen sighed with relief. "It's just... He's working on a case that has to do with a tomb... That's exactly what Burt said when we got control of him... Something about a tomb where angels go to die, and finding a key."

"The man that was being tortured was a witch, but he wasn't from Salem. I don't know who he was. He's dead now, though... This warlock had every intention on killing him, whether he produced the key or not."

"Okay, Cierra, Spencer, see if you two can find anything out about this tomb," Alex said. "Beth, Jade, I'm going to take you two home. Cassandra, Randy, and Jesse, patrol tonight. Dylan, keep healing Arnie. He lost a lot of blood. Get his energy back up. Melissa, Aideen, if you two want to stay with Arnie, that's fine. I'll be back soon. Don't let Arnie leave until I get back. I want to make sure he's alright."

"Ay, ay, Captain!" Dylan said, saluting Alex with a straight face. Alex laughed despite his serious mood.

When everyone except Melissa, Aideen, Dylan, and Arnie had left, Arnie said, "You guys can go, if you want. I'll be okay."

"No way, Arnie," Aideen said. "You nearly died! I'm not leaving until I know you're alright."

"I'm fine, Deenie."

"You almost bled to death."

He sighed, knowing there was no point arguing with her. "Well, Melissa, you can go, if you want to," he said.

Melissa said nothing, but stared at Arnie with a very detached expression on her face. "Missa? Are you okay?" He asked.

"You could have died..." Melissa whispered. "You almost did."

"I'm okay. Really," he insisted.

"Don't leave me, Arnie. Please." She looked terrified.

"I won't," Arnie promised, sensing how badly Melissa needed to hear the words. The truth was that Arnie had no idea how long he had to live, especially since he was not only a strong empath, but a slayer, and most slayers had unnaturally short lives.

Melissa curled up next to Arnie and rested her head in his lap. He ran his fingers through her hair the way he did when he needed to calm Aideen down. He began sending out the energy that he used to put people into deep, peaceful sleeps.

"Don't put her to sleep," Aideen said, sensing what Arnie was trying to do. "I'll do it. You're too weak right now."

"I'm not tired," Melissa whispered.

"You will be." Aideen replied. She helped Melissa's body relax and then put her into a deep sleep.

"She'll be okay, Arnie," Aideen assured him as Melissa's breathing turned deep and steady. "She just needs time to process what she saw. It's scary the first time."

"You'll be fine, too," Dylan added. "The wound wasn't as bad as it could have been. You're lucky it was through empathy, though, because whoever got the real wound definitely had no chance of survival, unless he was a lycanthrope and the guy didn't use silver. This came from a deep wound."

"I didn't mean to scare her," Arnie said.

"She'll deal. Melissa seems pretty easy going to me. I'm sure she can handle anything our world throws her way."

"I think he's right," Aideen added. "She's definitely the adaptable type, and not just because her hair and eyes can change color."

"It's too quiet in here," Dylan decided. "What do you say we put Melissa in one of the beds and let her rest, then turn on some music?"

"That sounds like a plan," Aideen replied. She followed Dylan as he carefully carried Melissa into Alex's bedroom. Arnie tucked her in and kissed her on top of her head before the three of them left the room.

While Dylan found some music to play, Aideen turned toward Arnie. "Do you have a thing for Melissa?" She asked him.

"We're just friends," Arnie said. "Friends who flirt."

"She sits in your lap every chance she gets."

"I guess my lap must just be super comfortable."

"You like her, Arnie."

"As a friend," Arnie insisted

"As more," Aideen said firmly.

"I don't date anymore, remember? Every girl I've ever dated ended up dead because of me."

"Don't go there, Arnie. Their deaths were not your fault."

"It's my karmatic cycle to have my girlfriends die. It is my fault. The second a girl starts dating me, she signs her own death certificate." His chest tightened with grief he tried to ignore.

"But friends with benefits are safe?" Aideen asked gently.

"Yes, actually, in my experience, they are."

"Arnie..." She sighed. "I still say you want her to be more than a friend... I wish you'd let yourself be happy, Arn."

A rock song started playing on Alex's sound system as Dylan returned, saving Arnie from replying.

"How are you feeling?" Dylan asked Arnie.

"I'm alright," Arnie replied. "I'm kind of tired, and still a little cold, but I'll be fine."

"That's good. I'm glad I could help."

"Dylan, wouldn't Melissa and Arnie make a cute couple?" Aideen asked. Arnie glared at her. She stuck out her tongue playfully in response.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Dylan replied. "She's totally into you, Arnie. You should go for it."

"I don't date," Arnie said again.

"Why do you insist on making yourself miserable?" Dylan asked.

Arnie automatically began ticking off names on his fingers. "Meghan. Tara. Alexis. Jamie. Karen. Serena. Desi. Lauren. Jenny."

"You didn't kill them, Arnie," Aideen said firmly.

"Every girl I have ever called my girlfriend has ended up dead."

"You've got to find a way to break the cycle, Arnie. You can't be alone for the rest of your life. You're the kind of guy who needs love."

"I'm the kind of guy who needs to stop seeing everyone he loves die. My girlfriends. My parents. Everyone."

"I'm still here," Aideen said softly.

"You're different," Arnie replied. "You die, but you come back."

"Spencer's still alive and kicking."

"For how long?" Arnie mumbled.

"He's survived knowing you for this many years," Aideen replied. "I'm sure he can keep it up."

"I'm toxic, guys, and Melissa deserves better," Arnie insisted.

"One of these days, Arnie, I'm gonna get it through your head that you're not the cause of every bad thing that's ever happened," Dylan said.

"I doubt that," Aideen replied. "Spencer and I have been trying to do that for years."

"Find a new project," Arnie said firmly. "I'm fine on my own, and Melissa will be a lot better off without me poisoning her life." He walked into the guest room and closed the door, effectively telling them both to leave him alone for a while.

He knew he should just push Melissa away. Nothing good would come from him falling in love with her. The problem was, he'd already fallen for her. Deep down, he knew that.

She's not my girlfriend, he silently insisted. We're friends who like to make out, but she's not my girlfriend, and as long as that's the case, she'll be safe.