CHAPTER THREE

At the waterfront, Jade and Beth had just finished eating breakfast. Jade was planning to part ways with Beth, who needed to get to school, when a group of shadows suddenly surrounded them.

"What the heck are those things?" Beth asked with fear in her voice.

Unfortunately, Jade knew the answer. "Demons," she said. "They're about to take on a solid form." Sure enough, the shadows began to become solid, ugly things that made Beth shriek in horror.

Jade expected the demons to run at her, but instead, they seemed to be focusing on Beth. "Beth, get down, and take this," Jade shouted. She tossed her a protection talisman.

Beth was too panicked to think about doing anything but what Jade instructed. She made the sign of the cross in front of her face before hiding in a corner and beginning to pray. She clutched the talisman in one hand and the silver cross around her neck in the other.

The kitten jumped out of Jade's bag and started hissing at the demons in warning. Jade quickly put her back in the bag, determined to keep her safe.

After a couple of minutes, Jade felt the arrival of a powerful psychic. She looked up and saw a teenager with brown hair and eyes watching the scene unfold. As their eyes connected, Jade felt something she couldn't identify.

I know him, she thought. I'm sure of it, but why do I know him?

He seemed to realize that the demons were after Beth. He rushed to her side and whispered a few words in Latin before saying, "You're safe now."

Beth could feel some sort of powerful energy wrapping around her. She looked at the boy curiously, but he didn't give her time to ask any questions. He hurried to Jades's side, but quickly realized that she needed no help. The demons rapidly began fleeing from her in fear.

"What did you do?" The boy asked her. "They're terrified."

"I made their leader spontaneously combust," Jade replied with a casual shrug. "They didn't like that."

"You smited him?"

"Her, and yes, I did," she replied dismissively. "Where's Beth? Bethany! Where are you?" She began searching for her.

Beth walked out of her corner and cautiously joined them. "I-I'm okay," she said. "How did you know what to do, Jade?"

"I've had a lot of experience with demons," Jade replied. "They can be pretty nasty, but most will run if you show them you're not afraid."

"Why are they after you?" Beth asked in concern.

"They're not after me, Beth," Jade explained. "They're after you."

Beth's jaw dropped. She visibly struggled to process what Jade had just said. "What do you mean?" She finally asked.

"They zeroed in on you. Do you have any idea why they'd want to attack you?"

"No! I mean, this is... This is all pretty... bizarre," Beth said, finally settling on a word, even though it didn't seem to do the feeling justice. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"Don't worry, Bethany," the boy said. "I'll make sure you're safe."

"I don't even know you," Beth replied.

"I'm Spencer. Spencer Connelly." Awkwardly, he added, "We go to school together, but I'm two years ahead of you. I know some people who can help you figure out why the demons are after you, Bethany."

"It's just Beth," she said.

"Alright, Beth," he replied.

"Jade, was I seeing things, or did a tiny black kitten jump out of your bag?" Beth asked.

"You're not hallucinating," Jade replied. She opened the bag a bit more to show Beth the kitten.

"Kitty!" Beth cried in delight. "She's so cute!" She hesitated before asking, "May I pet her?"

"If she's okay with it, I guess I am, too," Jade replied.

Beth made a delighted sound as she started to pet the kitten. She immediately began speaking to the kitten in baby talk while Jade focused her attention on Spencer.

"It's awfully convenient that you just happened to show up here now," Jade said suspiciously. "It's really great timing. I don't buy it."

"Don't mind Jade," Beth said, no longer using baby talk but still petting the kitten. "She's from New York. She gets paranoid."

"You don't know me well enough to say something like that," Jade protested.

"I know enough. I have a talent for feeling other people's emotions."

"I don't have emotions."

"You sound like Cassandra. She's one of the friends I mentioned," Spencer said.

"I just don't trust it when some strange guy shows up in the middle of all of that chaos and just happens to know people who can help," Jade said firmly.

"I had a vision," Spencer explained. "I'm an Oracle. Look Jade, why don't you come along when I introduce Beth to the others? You can clearly take care of yourself, and I'm sure you can protect Beth as well. If you don't trust my friends, you can feel free to smite them."

Spencer looked into Jade's eyes again and she saw something in them that she trusted despite her suspicious nature. "Fine," Jade said. "But believe me, I will smite them without hesitating if I think it's necessary."

"I have to get to school... And so do you," Beth said to Spencer as she finally stopped playing with the kitten.

"Right. I'll take you to Alex's house later. He's the one in charge of my friends," Spencer said. "Meet us at the school at three, Jade?"

"Fine," Jade replied. She was determined to keep her walls up. Letting her guard down was dangerous and could get her killed. Spencer was charming and seemed genuine, but she refused to fully trust him.

"What will you do while we're at school, Jade?" Beth asked.

"I'll find something to occupy my time," Jade replied. "I've always wanted to see Salem. Maybe I'll walk around and tour the place a bit." Although she was not usually the tourist type, Jade was interested in Salem's history, and she wanted to explore the city while she could.

When she split up from Spencer and Beth, Jade immediately headed toward Gallows Hill Park. The park was largely made up of a steep hill she suspected most people wouldn't dare to climb. It was quiet now. No one seemed to be around except for some birds, and the occasional spirit who kept their distance from Jade as she explored the historical site.

She sat down in the grass on the left side of the hill and meditated. To her surprise, three hours passed before she broke the meditative state and glanced at her watch. She had never felt so at peace before. In that moment, Jade decided that she liked Salem.

Maybe this is where I belong after all, she thought to herself. I mean, it's not so bad. I could get used to living here, and the police probably wouldn't think to look for me here.

Since it was getting late, Jade decided to check out a couple of the local museums and shops. She was especially interested in seeing the documents from the witch trials. Jade was both fascinated and horrified by what she read. She spent two hours leafing through the documentation on the trials before realizing she was hungry.

Deciding it would be the easiest solution, Jade headed to the mall on Essex Street. The deli inside offered reasonably priced food, and she savored a chicken parmesan hero and a caffeinated beverage before finding a pet store nearby and purchasing actual cat food for her kitten. It was only right, after all. Jade didn't have much cash left, but she felt that taking care of the cat was worth spending money.

"You need a name, Kitty," Jade said. She studied the kitten. "You are no ordinary cat, and you definitely deserve to be called something better than 'Kitty.' Your name should be worthy of respect and honor..." She paused to consider her options before saying, "I know! I'll call you Bastet, after the Egyptian Cat Goddess."

The kitten, now known as Bastet, meowed in approval. Jade smiled and let Bastet finish eating.

After all of her activities, Jade had thirty minutes to get back to Bishop High School. She wasn't sure why, but she had developed an odd need to protect Beth. The girl clearly knew very little about psychic abilities, yet she seemed to possess them. She was obviously an empath, since she said she could feel other's emotions, but that didn't seem to be a good enough reason for demons to attack her. Jade sensed that there was definitely more to Beth than met the eye, and while she was in Salem, she might as well try to figure out what that was.

When Jade arrived at Bishop High School, Spencer and Beth were already waiting for her. "Ready?" Spencer asked her. Jade shrugged in response. Spencer led Beth and Jade to Alex's house in silence.

When Alex opened the door, he looked at Spencer curiously. "You brought guests?" he asked.

"Alex, this is Beth. She needs our help. And this is Jade. She's sort of playing bodyguard," Spencer explained.

"Wait, Jade? As in Jade Collins?" Alex asked.

Jade took Beth's hand. "We need to go," she said sharply. "Right now."

"No, wait," Alex said quickly. "I didn't mean to freak you out. Beth, is that short for Bethany? Bethany Ashford?"

"How did you know that?" Beth asked, her eyes wide.

"Nice work, Spencer!" Alex said. "You found our missing members."

"I've done the cult thing," Jade said harshly. "I'm not interested."

"We're not a cult," Alex clarified. "We fight the cults."

"What are you, slayers or something?"

"Some of us are, yes."

"Well, sorry, but I'm still not interested. Come on, Beth," Jade said, attempting to pull Beth away.

"Please don't go," Alex said. "I'll explain everything. Just come inside."

"For all I know, you're a homicidal maniac. No thank you." Jade was about to walk away and pull Beth along for the ride when Bastet suddenly hopped out of her bag and ran into Alex's house. "Bastet, get back here!" Jade cursed.

"That's a sign if I ever saw one," Beth said quietly.

"Fine, we'll go in, but if anyone tries anything, you all explode. Got it?" Jade demanded.

"Got it," Alex said, allowing Beth, Jade, and Spencer inside before closing the door.

In the living room, a blonde punk girl sat next to a boy with long brown hair whose eyes were focused on a redhead's face. The redhead was casually sitting in his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. Her green eyes sparkled with delight and mischief.

Sitting near the table, looking over several books, was an African-American girl with deep, dark brown eyes. She looked up long enough to smile warmly at Spencer before going back to her work.

A tall Asian girl with short black hair stood in one corner with her arms folded over her chest. She did not smile as she studied Jade and Beth suspiciously. She looked at Spencer questioningly, but his eyes told her it was okay, and this seemed to be enough for her.

Sitting in the opposite corner was a teenager with light brown hair who was strumming a guitar. He looked up at Jade and Beth before asking Spencer, "New girls?" Spencer nodded. "Sweet!" He went back to strumming his guitar as he smiled at them.

A Hispanic boy and a boy with blond hair who was wearing a football jersey sat on the floor in front of the television. They barely took their eyes off of it long enough to notice the new arrivals. Jade spotted Bastet curled up beside the Hispanic boy, who was petting her absentmindedly.

She scooped Bastet up in her arms protectively. The kitten started to purr and looked at Jade with affection in her eyes.

"Stop being cute," Jade said. "You know what you did."

Bastet meowed in response and rubbed her head against Jade's face. "That's cheating," Jade mumbled. She couldn't stay mad, so she simply set Bastet down in her bag and hoped she'd stay put this time.

"Everyone, as you may have noticed, we have found the remaining three members of the Silver Society," Alex said. Everyone watched him as he spoke. "Let's get the introductions over with. I'm Alex. I'm a slayer and I'm everyone's guardian. Deenie?"

"I'm Aideen," the blonde punk girl said. "I'm a slayer. I can call dragons and control fire. I'm Hecate's granddaughter, and I'm a vampire and a witch. For a full list of my abilities, see Arnie."

"I'm Arnie," the boy sitting beside her said with a smirk. "I'm Hecate's son. I'm a slayer. I excel at memory modification and am an extremely empathic healer."

"I'm Melissa," the redhead said brightly. "I'm new. I can change my appearance at will." She blinked and her hair turned blue. "See?" She asked with a grin. She blinked again and it returned to its natural red color.

The African-American girl smiled at them. "I'm Cierra," she began. "I'm Ma'at's daughter. I'm a Libra, and I'm all about balance. I do a lot of the research here, along with Spencer."

The Asian girl still didn't smile. "Cassandra," she said. "Number one slayer in Salem. My soul is the daughter of Durga."

"I'm Dylan," said the boy with the guitar. "I'm a slayer and I work for the Unit. I am a legally emancipated minor. More than anything, I'm a musician. I also love to make people laugh. I'm full of sarcasm, and you have been warned! My soul is Sarasvati's son, and I'm a strong healer."

"I'm Randy," the muscular blond boy in the football jersey said. "I'm really athletic, and I'm a slayer. I'm also telekinetic, or I'm supposed to be, but I'm awful at it, so I don't use it much. I'm better with the warrior side than the telekinesis. I'm Hel's son."

The Hispanic boy spoke next. "I'm Jesse. I live here with Alex, and until today, I was the newest member. My soul is Rhiannon's son. I'm a polywere and have complete control over it, but I generally only shift into my wolf form. I can call animals and can sort of communicate with them, although I'm still working on that last part."

That's why Bastet went straight to him, Jade thought.

"I work at the Unit, too," Jesse continued. Jade had no idea what the Unit was, but they apparently hired teenagers.

A dog came toward Jesse and curled up next to him. "Oh, and this is my dog," he said. "He followed me home three weeks ago. I call him Trent, just because it's cooler than, like, Spot or Rover or something."

"Ladies, I'll introduce you, since I'm sure I know more about why you're here than you do right now," Alex said. "Everyone, Beth is a very strong empath. She's Kuan Yin's daughter. Jade is a necromancer, and a telepath, and is very strong with magick in general. She comes from New York. Her soul is Kali's daughter."

"How did you know that?" Jade demanded. She'd known for a long time that she was Kali's daughter. Her mother had appeared to her countless times over the years when Jade needed her the most.

"The silver pentagram you wear was given to you at birth, just like Beth's silver cross. These objects were blessed by the Gods," Alex went on, ignoring her question. "They protect us, and help us find each other. That's why we call ourselves the Silver Society." Alex proceeded to explain to Jade and Beth what he'd explained to Melissa earlier.

"I don't do group activities," Jade said. She made sure Bastet was still in her bag before she got ready to leave. "Are you coming, Beth?"

Beth glanced around the room nervously. "Yes," she said. It was obvious she felt safer with Jade than with the others.

"You can't just leave," Dylan protested.

"Watch us!" Jade said defiantly, her hand on the doorknob.

"Let them go, Dylan," Alex said. Jade and Beth hurried out of the house.

When they were gone, Alex said, "They just need time. They'll be back."

"Are you sure, Alex?" Arnie asked. "They seemed really freaked out."

"Well, Beth's been raised by mortal parents, and Jade... It's not my place to say why Jade is freaked out, but they'll come around. They'll realize we're here to help, and that they're destined to be part of this. They just need some time to process it."

"Your scroll told you all of that?" Melissa asked.

"Not all of it. Some of it is purely due to my instincts and visions. I'm as psychic as anyone else. Not all of my information is handed to me on the scroll. Actually, it doesn't tell me much at all most of the time."

"Right, Alex. I could be all-knowing, too, if I had that thing," Aideen teased him.

Alex laughed. "Deenie, you know as well as anyone how often I throw this scroll across the wall in frustration because it never gives me a straight answer, so don't even start!"

"So, you're sure they'll come around?" Melissa asked.

"Well, most people react like you did Melissa, but Jade and Beth are different. I am sure, though. I have had visions of a battle we're all going to face soon, and they were fighting alongside us."

"Oh, a battle?" Melissa suddenly looked very excited. "Goody, a chance for me to kick some butt!"

Alex laughed. "Your contribution may or may not be physical, Melissa. It depends how developed your fighting skills are by then. I mean, you're not a trained slayer, but I have a feeling you could be. Not all of us are physical fighters, though."

"But I like kicking bad guy butt..." Melissa pouted, then quickly brightened up again. She batted her eyelashes at Alex and asked, "Train me?"

Alex shook his head and tried not to laugh again. "I'll look into whether or not it's okay, alright? If you're destined to be a slayer, then I'll make sure you get the training you need."

"Something tells me that that's gonna have to be good enough for now, right?"

"Right."

"Okay then." Melissa nodded and went back to focusing on Arnie.

"So, Alex, when's the food coming?" Randy asked. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving," Aideen teased him.

"I'm a growing boy," Randy replied with a bit of embarrassment.

"I ordered a couple of pizzas. They should be here soon," Alex said.

"Assuming the pizza guy doesn't get attacked again. That was so messy the last time. I don't like blood on my pizza," Arnie whined.

"There's nothing wrong with a little blood," Aideen said with a grin.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Alex answered it and was pleased to see that the pizza delivery boy was alive and not bleeding. Things were looking up.