Angel Island
Nick was walking around the castle checking the work that the construction crew had done when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "What the hell?" He said as he turned around. A smile was on his face when he saw who it was. "Philip! What are you doing here? Were'nt you in Italy."
The Priest smiled at him. "I was in Italy when I recieved a letter from Alex in which she told me about Derek. I'm sorry, Nick. How are you holding up?"
The Ex-Navy SEAL shrugged his shoulders. "I can't believe that he's gone, and I CAN'T believe he made me precept. I been having so many conferences with the London House. The news of Derek naming precept was quite a shock to them." He laughed as he told his friend that.
"How's is it being precept? You having a hard time adjusting to the role?" Philip inquired.
"It's quite an adjuistment. I don't want to let the boss man down. The nemoral gig was pretty tough for me. I was wishing that Derek was there to tell me what to do. In the end, it turned out well. So how long are you staying?"
Forever. I'll be coming back to the Legacy.
"What?! I thought that being part of the Legacy was no good for your soul." Nick stated.
"Yes, I did say that, but I changed my mind. I'm not sure I even want to be a Priest." He told his friend.
"I've done enough work for today. Let's go for a drink." Philip nodded his head, and the two men got into the precept's red Mustang.
Downtown San Francisco
"Wind, water , air, fire, earth, blood." The ten youth in white chanted. "Goddesses of life and Gods of death let there be chaos may we have the power in this hour. Let those who have thought ill of us perish. This is a time of new beginnings. We will be the rulers. " Ariana Cantwell shouted as she rung her anthame against the iron casted bell. The other members of her coven held up their swords. White and black clouds swirled around the group, a clash of thunder errupted, and lightning brightened up the pitch black sky.
Rachel walked into Kat's room. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you, Kitty-Kat. I've been under so much pressure with the new house being built and dealing with Derek's death. I was thinking that once everything settles, you and I will go to Disneyland. Ok?" She went to hug her child only to find a bunch of pillows. "Where are you, Kat?" She noticed that Kat's window was opened.
Downtown San Francisco
"C'mon, Kat. Just a few more minutes." Jan pleaded with her.
"Ok." She replied. Ariana walked over to the dog, which was fenched in. "Which one of you wants to sacrifice this animal."
Kat looked at the older girl and said, "I thought we don't sacrifice animals."
Ariana walked over to her and said, "Rules have changed. I think that you should be the one to kill him." "Never." The pre-teen said and ran home.
Rachel's
Kat climbed through her opened window. Her mother put on the light. "Where were you, Katherine? I was worried about you. I thought you learned your leson the last time you snuck out of the house."
"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. I'm sorry that I worried you. I'm tired . Can I go to bed?" She yawned.
"Go to sleep tomorrow is a school day. We can discuss it tomorrow." Rachel walked over to her daughter and kissed her head.
Ariana's hideout
The twenty -two year old opened her photo album to Joshua Cantwell.'I'm doing this for you grandpa. My sister will never know what hit her. The Luna Foundation will pay for killing momma. They almost killed me too. Ariana closed the book and went to her Alter. She lit the black and white candles. "Kali, I invoke thee. My my enemies know your full wrath. Let there be fire and dustruction in their path. So Mote It Be." She drank the dog's blood.
Angel Island
Alex woke up early and decided to go to the library to work on her journal. Once she arrived there, she found it in total disarry...books on the floor. "What happened here?" She pondered as she put the books in their right place. Alex then sat down and opened her leather bound book and begun to write.It's so weird being in the house without Derek. I miss him, and I should have told him earlier that I loved him. Rachel said that Derek knew how I felt about him. I hope she's right.
Philip entered the room. "Hi, Alex. How are you?" Alex smiled at her friend.
"Hi, Philip. I'm taking it one day at a time. I miss Derek...was my mentor, and he was the one who got me to join the Legacy. Why couldn't he have made it out alive." She started to cry. The Priest huged her shoulders. "Shh. It's okay Alex. God will help you through this." Alex looked at him.
"I don't believe in God. What kind of God takes a good man like Derek Rayne." She rose from the table to her room almost knocking down Nick, who saw her tear streaked face.
"Are you ok, Alex?" The precept asked.
"Just peachy." She went to her room and went to bed. Nick went downstairs to the control room. Philip was in there checking his email. "Phil, how did Alex seem to you?"
"She is having a hard time dealing with Derek's death. I think she needs to take some time off or speak to Rachel."
"I don't know how she'll react to me telling her to take some time off or speaking to Rachel. She still isn't too keen on the fact that I'm precept. Would you talk to Alex for me?"
"Yes. "
Rachel's
"I told you that I couldn't sleep and went for a walk. What part of that don't you understand?" Kat said to her mom.
"Don't you talk that way to me young lady. For that you are grounded for two weeks no tv and no listening to music."
"Fine. I don't like tv or listening to music...such crap they play." She told her mom.
"That's no way for a young lady to speak. I won't tolerate that language in my house." Rachel told her as she moved her hands.
"I'm sorry. It's time for me to walk to school." With that she rose from the kitchen table and walked out the door. Outside waiting for her was Ariana. "Hi, Kat wanna go shopping with me for the stuff we need for tonight's circle?"
"Hi, Ariana. I'm sorry that I left the way I did. Sure I'll go with you." The two of them left for the magic store downtown.
Angel Island
Nick was in conference with London House via satelitte when Alex entered the room. "What the hell did you tell Philip, Nicholas Boyle!" The African American shouted.
"I told him that you need to take some time off or speak to Rachel. Alex, you're not the same since Derek's death. I miss him so does Rachel. He was your mentor and friend. You knew him longer than Rachel and me so his death has to be rough on you." He told her in a calm manner. She looked at her new boss.
"Thank you, Nick. I think I'll go to New Orleans since Tayna and I have patched things up." She walked out of the room. Nick finished with the ruling counsil and went to the kitchen for a junk food break. Rachel was at the tan wooden table going over cases. "Hi, Rach. How are you?"
She looked up from her work and said, "Hi, Nick. I'm doing fine considering the run in I had with Kat this morning."
Nick smiled. "What did she to this time?"
"She snuck out of the house, was fresh and cursed. I think she's into the Craft again." Rachel moved her hands.
" I think you are right ablout that since she did invoke Hecate. I really thought she learned her leson after the Miranda Rhodes incident." Nick stated as he made his coffee.
"That's what I thought. How's Alex?" Rachel quired.
Nick looked in the doctor's eyes. "Not good. She's been crying and not eating. Could you talk to her?" Rachel nodded her head.
Ariana's hideout
"This is were you do spells? Nice pentagram." Kat asked her friend.
"Yes, it is. Thank you. The circle will be here tonight. You want to help me get the circle ready?"
"You want me to help you? Cool. Of course I'll help you."
'This is working out better than I thought. Tonight, she'll be a full pleged witch. She'll know about her birthright. So will my dear sister, Rachel.' She thought to herself. "Let me show you what to do, ok?" Kat nodded her head. Ariana showed her how to make incense from flowers and herbs. Once that was done, Ariana told her to go home and handed Kat an envelop.
"Put this on your desk before you sneak out of the house." She told the pre-teen.
Angel Island
Alex was in her room packing for her trip to New Orleans when Rachel knocked on her door. "Come in." Rachel opened Alex's door.
"You're packing? Where are you going?" Her friend asked in a concerned tone.
"Yup, I'm packing. I'm going to New Orleans to visit Tayna." She replied as she packed her black sweater.
"How long will you be gone?"
"Two week or longer. I need to get away from her too many memories." Her eyes became misty. Rachel put her arms around the younger woman's shoulder.
"It's okay, Alex. Let it all out."
"I miss Derek so much that it hurts to breathe or do anything. I should have told him earlier that I loved him. I kissed him in the catacombs. I've been wanting to kiss him for the longest time, but I restrained myself. Now, he's gone. How do I go on with out him? The house is different without him." Tears ran down her cheeks. Rachel held her close.
"In time you'll feel better. I think that you do need some time away from the house but don't use it as away to escape from your grief." She told her in her shrink tone.
Rachel's later that night
Rachel walked into Kat's room to talk to her some more about her behavior and found the window wide open. "Katherine Anne Corrigan, you are going to get it when you get home." Kat's laptop computer made a noise so Rachel walked over there and shut it off and noticed an envelope addressed to her. She opened it up. In it was a picture of Rebecca Cantwell, who was pregnant and a letter.
Dear Rachel,
Ariana
Cantwell
' Is it a hoax. Was momma really pregnant? I would have rembered it, wouldn't I have?'The blond went to her room and dialed Nick's number.
"Nick Boyle"
"Nick, Kat climbed out her bedroom window again. On her desk was an envlope addressed to me, and inside was a picture of my mother, who looked very pregnant in it. There was a letter inclosed and the person who wrote it is claiming to be my sister. Ariana Cantwell. Kat is with her becoming a witch and she wants me to become one...will bring down the Luna Foundation for killing momma...told me to come to 345 Front Street."
"I can look through Winston Rayne's journal and file to see if Rebecca Cantwell was indeed pregnant. I'm typing up the info. Rach, you have a sister. Your mother was pregnant...didn't die right away went into labor, which is what killed her. Winston shooting her didn't help. I'll go with you to Front Street... don't need you to be ambushed with out back up. Be at your place in a few." The precpt told her. He hung up the phone.
"I have a sister. Why didn't any one tell me? She's a full pleged witch. The Cantwell curse must be stoped. Momma, help me save her from Joshua's curse. You turned away from it so you could protect me now you have to save and proctect her." Rachel said as she put on her beige blazer. The doorbell rang and she opened the door. "Hi, Rach. You ok?" The younger man asked.
"As best as can be. Why didn't anybody tell me that I had a sister? She has Kat. What if she hurts my baby? I know that I have the power to be a witch, and I squelched the urge to practice the craft. Kat isn't able to do that. Hecate came and told her that she has the power to do magic. I've tried to do what momma did for me." She told him as they rode 345 Front Street. to
"I don't think that your sister will hurt Kat. I think that Kat has been practing the craft. Let's hope she knows the diference about "white" and "black" magic.
"I thought that she learned her lesson from Miranda Rhodes. The next day, Kat and I went to the beach. She put her rams head medalion in my mother's Book of Shadows. I guess when one is a natural witch throwing objects away won't stop the power within them." They arrived at the adress and saw that it was an abandoned wherehouse. Nick and Rachel got out of Nick's red mustang. He put his gun in his hollster.
"Do you think you'll need that thing?"
"I always come prepared don't want to be ambushed. C'mon let's go.
Ariana and the other members sat Indian style. Jasmine incense filled the air. The Priestess stood up and faced the east. "Kali, Kali." Bring destruction to The Luna Foundation." She pulled out from her black velvet bag a rooster. Then she pulled out her sword and cut it's neck and drank the blood. "Kat, come here and drink the blood."
Kat was scared because her friend was doing bizare things during the circle. "No, Ariana. I have to go." She rose from the floor. Ariana walked towards her brandshing her sword.
"Sit down or you'll be the next to be scarficed. Plus the circle can't be broken until I saw so." The pre-teen sat down. The priestess went to the Alter and took out some herbs and handed it to all of them. "Ceres, we hand you these herbs as thanks and for hope that our circle will prosper." They put the herbs in a black cauldron. "Now it's time for human sacrifice. Who wants to sacrifice her?" Ariana asked as she led a five year old to the Alter. Kat rose. "Have you lost your mind, Ariana? Since when do we sacrifice children or let alone people." She walked towards the young woman. "Let her go right now." Kat commanded.
"Never. You can to the honors Katherine Corrigan. You have Cantwell blood running through your veins. Your great grandfather was a powerful warlock...in black magic. I come from the same blood line. I'm your aunt. Now do what I tell you so you can be initated." The child looked at her.
"My mom was an only child. You're lying."
"No, I'm not lying. Winston Rayne killed my mom. She was 7 months pregnant when he shot her. I was premature." She told her. "Now, sacrifice this child." Ariana grabbed her niece's hand.
"Leave her alone, Ariana. Leave my daughter out of this." Rachel screamed.
"I was wondering when my sister would show up. Never. She has so much power so much potential."
"I 'm sorry that momma was shot and you were a preemie. Grandpa's spell has to be stopped now and right here." Rachel took out of her blazer a black cord and started wraping it around her wrist. "I bind you Ariana. I bind you from harming others. I bind you from hurting yourself."
" How could you do that to me?"
"Because you are my sister. I don't want to loose you. To stop the Luna Foundation from killing you." Tears ran down Ariana cheeks. She let go of Kat's hand.
"I'm sorry, Kat and Rachel." The five year old started to cry. She walked over to the child and hugged her."Let's get you back home."
I found out that I have a sister and that Derek's father killed a pregnant woman. Was he afraid that momma's offspring would turn out evil? Momma wasn't evil but grandpa was. I hope that I could get close to Ariana...to help her understand the Cantwell curse. I want to help her heal.