Dead Witches' Society

1948...

Phoenix...

A blue Buick sped by in the night as a rippling effect overtook a large area in the woods. A quiet explosion rocked the Domus Cecidit, leaving Lana and Phoenix in the midst of a house full of dead witches.

Phoenix and Lana let go of each other's hands. Lana moved around the room, taking in the sight of all the corpses. She didn't want to say what she was thinking, what she was feeling.

"This should have worked." Phoenix said with disillusion. He moved among the bodies, "I did this."

"Phoenix-"

"They'd be alive if this had worked. We'd be-"

"Stop." Lana said softly. She moved opposite him, "This road we're on...it's death. It always has been."

Phoenix was silent. Her words hit him with force that nearly knocked him off his feet. He'd become the very thing he hated, that thing being Tituba. To unite the witches, he had a vision. His vision only worked if the logical parts fit together.

The ritual had to work.

The ritual did not work.

"The world doesn't need to bow to witches, nor am I calling for us to be the superior species. We cannot hide in the shadows anymore because we're not the only ones who dwell there." Phoenix turned to her, "I cannot stand by and watch my people, my very line, cower in the darkness. We, too, deserve a spot in the sunlight. We deserve to be ourselves without being hunted and burned."

"It's the only reason I still believe in this." Lana said as she gestured around, "You are the only reason I still believe in anything."

As they were talking, they were oblivious to one of the witches waking up and shakily standing. The two quickly realized what was going on. Both witches watched as the elder woman stood wobbling to stare at them.

"Mari is alive!" Lana moved towards the woman but Phoenix grabbed her by the arm. Lana looked between them before her eyes landed on the woman again, "Not Mari."

The woman lifted her hand and scrunched it into a ball. Lana began to gasp as she sunk to her knees. Phoenix moved towards the woman but she swiftly raised her hand, causing Phoenix to lift into the air.

"Mother! Stop!" Phoenix shouted.

"Stupid, insolent boy! Look at the chaos you have wrought upon our own kind!" Her voice was a far cry from anything he'd heard before, "In some ways, I wonder why I chose you and your—I chose you because I knew that if I let your Mother die, our line died. It was only after I rescued her that I realized what you were."

"You used my gift to keep yourself alive."

"How is that any different from your using these lesser witches? Do you want to know how to complete the ritual?" Tituba's voice grew more amused, "You choose. Her or the answer to the question you seek more than life. More than their lives."

"You can't ask me to choose. I won't!"

"What makes her life better than theirs?" Tituba asked alluding to the room of dead witches, "Choose one or lose them both."

Lana's petrified eyes landed on Phoenix.

"I'm sorry." Phoenix said softly.

Tituba jerked her hand and Lana's neck snapped. Phoenix stood solemnly as Mari's body hit the floor at the same time as Lana's. He scrambled to Lana's body and picked her up off the floor, cradling her.

Lana's eyes popped open and he could hear her neck pop back into place. A vindictive smirk ran the length of her face, "He's the answer. He always was." She laughed.

                                                                ***************************  

Perry...

"Come again?" I ask the woman standing in front of me, Astrid.

Astrid's dark mahogany skin glistened in the dim lights of Byars. With a small, natural afro and honey colored eyes, Astrid is a beauty. The sentence she'd uttered just before now seemed to have sent a pulse through my body.

How she could have just spoken with Porter, my mind asks.

"I know this is hard to explain," She cuts away and bickers with herself about something I can't hear before looking to me again, "I'm a medium. Porter and I met when he first learned to use magic."

I stare at her, unsure if I should believe her. Far be it for me to distrust someone who claims to have magic powers but she'd be the first witch I've come in contact with that wasn't a complete loon...or related to me...and a complete loon.

"If I'm distracted, it's only because your Brother is quite annoying." Astrid says glancing to her left. I stare at the open space and looked back at her. She sighs, "Of course I know I'm losing him. Look, I obviously know about witches and magic. I know the Bennett family is beyond powerful, just like I know that you brought the book in your satchel."

It is true. I rarely go anywhere without it these days. But all of that could be gleamed by other means, such as her watching me. I need something a bit more logical.

"When were little, my Brother used to sing something...what was it?"

Astrid concentrates on the spot next to her and giggles, "Part of Your World by Ariel. Little Mermaid."

I chuckle myself. He always loved 'The Little Mermaid' and he used to sing the song to me when he wanted to keep my quiet about something. He once broke a vase, blamed it on me and sung the song. I didn't say a word but Penny realized what he was doing right away.

"And I'm the gay one."

"What, I'm not saying that! Fine. He says you're a brat. And that you've been going about this all wrong." Astrid's face fills with confusion, "He told you something, just before he died. The key to bringing him back...You're not doing it right."

Without knowing it, she proves herself. I am past not believing her and onto his jibe about doing his resurrection right. That is completely my Brother. My look of anger must have triggered something as a look of concentration came over her face.

"He wants you to open the book to the last page." Astrid watches me as I take the book out and flip through until I get to the last page, "Vive liberum vitae, et vivat . Amare debetis ambulant coram te deseram ...." She echoed my thoughts as I read.

I concentrated on the words, hoping they will spur a realization. Nothing comes to me and I look up to see Astrid staring at me. She looks away.

"Do you know what it means?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "No, I don't."

An obvious lie.

I nod at her and put the book back in my satchel, "I knew he wasn't gone. What I don't know is why he's coming to me now."

"He says you don't understand. You don't accept who you are." Astrid rolls her eyes, "He says that every time you're close to fully accepting your powers, you...puss out. Really?"

I cross my arms and Astrid giggles.

"Sorry, he says that you're 'angry' face."

"What else did he say?" I ask pointedly.

"Nothing."

"Astrid." I frown.

"He says you make a constipated face to assert dominance...but you still just look constipated." Astrid winces, "I'm assuming that this is-" Astrid trails.

"What?"

"He's gone." Astrid says with a frown.

"Gone? What do you mean gone? Like fell the floor or floated through the roof?"

"I don't know." Astrid says quickly.

"You're not a good liar Astrid."

Astrid turns to leave but I grab her arm, "The phrase...the Latin one meant 'Live Life and Live free. The Ones you love never leave...they walk beside you.'" She gives a light chuckle, "I have to go."

"Astrid, where is he?" I ask.

"I don't know. That has never happened." Astrid says as she loses herself in thought. When her gaze returns to me, she shudders, "He's gone. My reason for coming here was to tell you that Porter knew what Phoenix wants. He was forthright about his plan to stop Tituba but how is different. They are working together to use your power for different things. They plan to attack youth and innocence while they can. Good luck, Perry."

Astrid jerks away from me and rushes out of Byars.

Her parting words were just as effective as the ones she used to enter the conversation. I am not confused at all for some odd reason. Somehow, I just know exactly what she means. There is only one event that combines youth and innocence and the loss thereof.

"Prom." I hiss as I hurry out of Byars.

                                                                ***************************  

David & Parker...

Parker and David sit a table with their dates. The two boys are not very interested in their dates for varying reasons. One of the reasons happens to be their conversation at Yaga Point. Neither one seems intentionally hostile, yet there is an almost palpable tension between them. David has been honest with Parker and Parker seems to take it as a joke. Their relationship works on the fundamental principle of them being wingmen. David is the asshole that the women wanted to change, Parker is the good-hearted guy who they'd eventually end up with.

That's how they worked.

When their dates excuse themselves to the restroom, they are left alone. They've opted not to sit at the table with the other jocks and David is glad they did so.

"So, have you told him?" Parker asks.

David glares at him, unsure of what part of their conversation he's missed. "What?" He asks.

"When we were drinking, you finally said it." Parker says causing an audible groan from David, "Bro, it wasn't shocking. Well, not as much as you might think."

"So, you heard what I said and you understood?"

"Duh, I'm not an idiot. Then again, I didn't know vampires and werewolves were running around Endor, though the name Endor and the fact we're in Salem seemed like a glaring sign." Parker chuckles and pats him on the shoulder, "It's cool, you know. At least to me."

"It's not weird?"

"Don't get me wrong, if you hit on me, I'll probably be a little freaked. But if you're happy and-"

"You think this makes me happy? Being a fa-"

"Hey! Stop that. I've watched you be a jerk to pretty much everyone you've come in contact with." Parker is annoyed, "I won't watch you be that to yourself. Not about this."

"How long have you known?" David ask.

"You stared at him, even before you knew. You still stare at him." Parker thinks back, "You always seemed so captivated by him. I never saw you look at a girl like that. I've never seen you look at anyone like that. I knew you were curious about him. And then you started to 'hang out' with him and you were different, happy, I think. And then..."

"I fucked shit up." David mutters angrily, "And then the vampires came and I got turned into a werewolf. Things just...they weren't right."

"So, you care about him but you never put in half the effort you did with a girl?"

"I didn't have to." David says as a small smile creeps over his face, "I'm not gay. I-"

"Are you?" Parker asks, "When's the last time you dated a girl for more than sex?"

David grows quiet as he thinks. It's true. Parker is never as dumb as he pretends to be. His SAT scores and college acceptances are living proof of that. David is the dumb one. He let the vampire come in and take everything he wants. His lycanthropy is a direct result of him trying to not love Perry.

"Hey guys." Charlotte says as she bounces over wearing a sparkling gold dress with her hair swept to one side. On her arm was Noah Harper, an equally stunning boy on their football team. His pale skin and dark eyes seemed to give him an ethereal look. They look somewhat happy, as opposed to her normal snarky nature, "I'm glad you guys came. Where are Marisol and May."

"Dudes...twin magic." Noah says bumping knuckles with them. Charlotte throws him a very disgruntled look and he clears his throat, "My Girl did good, right?"

"Yeah, she did." Parker nods, "The place is great. No theme. Very modern."

"Have you seen Eva? Her and Finn were going to the photo booth." Charlotte asks looking around.

Parker tenses at Eva's name. David notices but ignores it.

"They're on the dance floor, center of the floor." David points.

Charlotte, Parker and Noah stare at him with surprise.

"Perfect view of the dance floor." David adds.

"Sure." Noah nods as he stretches out the last few letters of the word and turns his attention to Charlotte, "Want to dance?"

"Sure. Bye guys." She waves as she disappears into the crowd with him.

"Hell...freezing...over." David shutters.

"Something weird about him...since he got back...right?" Parker seems very intent on the boy.

Both guys shrug as their dates appear. The girls take their seats again and the guys acknowledge them.

                                                                ***************************  

Lucas...

Across the gym, Lucas stands with a blue plastic cup in his hand. The cup appears to be full of punch and it would appear so to anyone who isn't looking for more. Anyone who stood close enough would know that the contents of the cup are far less innocent. He's snuck in his flask and spiked his own punch. He watches as the idiotic morons that would eventually come to inherit the world dance like the yuppie idiots they are.

He wonders how any of them will be able to function in the real world, if they make it that far.

"He's not here." Nora says as she slinks over beside him, "I compelled his friend. Cute girl, dating our Brother. She says that he decided not to come. I think I might like her better than I like him. It's not saying much. I like chalk more than I like him."

"That's very diplomatic of you."

"I'm nothing if not diplomatic. When we kill everyone, I think I'll save her for last." Nora says with a devious smirk, "Then again I'm not walking around naked in front of her."

"I wasn't naked." Lucas utters as he rolls his eyes. Nora stares at him and he scoffs as he turns the cup up to his lips, "Not totally."

"Tell me, what kind of revenge are you trying to get?"

"My squeaky clean Brother and his hyperidiotic muse warned Perry about me. They actively discouraged him, sewed little bits of doubt in his impressionable mind." Lucas hisses, "I'm just biding my time."

"And he was worried about me." Nora chortles, "Is this really happening? Finn might be a pious prick but I highly doubt he encouraged Perry to leave you. It's not his style."

"Of course he did. I think he's got a thing for Perry."

"This family and its love for witches. We're all beyond screwed up." Nora groans as she surveys the room, "Are we done here? I doubt I have anything left in my stomach to throw up."

"Not quite yet, Nora."

Both vampires turn to see Phoenix standing before them. Nora tenses at the sight of the witch but Lucas just took another gulp of his spiked punch.

"Where is it?" Phoenix asks calmly.

"You? Thank God, teen angst isn't really my forte. Luckily, you're here. I'd love some disemboweling right about now." Lucas sets his glass down, "Rematch. Round two."

"I wouldn't." They both turn in the other direction to see Lana walking up beside them. Lucas and Nora stare at her. "Hello, Elnora."

"Tituba." Nora says breathlessly.

"Surprise." She says with a smirk, "Last time I saw you, I was restoring your sanity, though I didn't know it would cost me an heir."

"This again? He's dead. A lot of people are dead. Get over it." Lucas states dismissively.

"Silence!" Phoenix growls, "You will not speak of him or our fallen as if they are nothing."

"I made him a vampire. I compromise." Nora shrugs, "Let's not get hasty. I still know where your body is. Your true body."

"Blackmail? Dear, to be clear, we both know where my body is." Tituba states with a smirk, "The only distinction is that you perceive that you are smarter than I am."

"So, we're going to do this here?"

Nora quickly notices that the entire Prom has come to a stand-still.

"Subtle." Phoenix whispers to Tituba.

"That was not me." Tituba says as she stares around the room with fascination.

                                                                ***************************  

Five minutes ago...

Perry...

I arrive at the doors of the gymnasium out of breath from trying to get here as quickly as I can. The traffic getting here is atrocious and trying to find parking is even worse. To be completely honest, the thought of going home passed through my mind a few times before finding a spot.

So, I am mildly annoyed when Sherry asks for my ticket.

"This is serious! I need to get in there." I declare.

"Not without a ticket." Sherry smirks. She crosses her hands across her chest, "It's sad that you weren't able to come. You're like the only one in our class that didn't get asked...well, the only one that semi-matters."

"That's really charming." I say turning from her. My mind is spinning as I try to figure out a way to bypass the Prom Patrol. I turn to her and stare her directly in the eyes, "Sherry, listen, I don't have a ticket as I matter of fact, if I had a ticket count, I'm literally negative one ticket. I really need to get in there."

"Dude," Sloane says standing from the table next to her, "Are you on something? This isn't a rave. It's Prom."

"Perry!" Eva squeals as she catches my eye. She and Finn had apparently been walking by the door. They had to have noticed the spectacle I'm making. She rushes over and throws her hands around my neck, "I thought you weren't coming!"

"I wasn't. But something's wrong." I notice Finn and nod to him. I look between them and Sherry and Sloane, "I need to get into Prom and the Prom Nazis won't let me."

"He needs a ticket, which we stopped selling two days ago." Sherry flashes a superior smile.

I roll my eyes and look inside the Prom. I can see Nora, Lucas, Phoenix and an unknown woman standing at the far end of the room. I stiffen at the tense sight and my eyes find Sherry and Sloane once more, "You're going to move. You're going to get out of my way and go screw yourselves."

The blink twice.

Without so much as a peep, they leave us. Finn and Eva stare at me, a look of shock on their faces. I move through the doorway and into the Prom. I stop when I am lost in the shuffle. I feel an overwhelming need for everyone to stop. The feeling of everyone pushing against me sends my senses into a total tailspin. Within seconds, everything stops.

"How are you doing this?" Eva questions.

"I'm very annoyed." I mutter as I head towards the stand-off.

I only stop when I hear the unknown woman say, "That was not me."

"No, it wasn't." I say as I reach them, "Jig's up."

"Extraordinary." The Woman says softly, "It's there. It wasn't there before."

"I trusted you." I growl at them. I stare at the woman, "Not you. I don't know you."

"You do. Tituba." Nora nodded.

"Seriously? Is this your eighth life? Oh. Hey Nora." I say waving my hand at her. I send her flying backwards into the refreshment table. I look to the people remaining in front of me, "I want answers now."

"The vampires have to be dealt with. They are dangerous in more ways than one." Phoenix's tone is quickly becoming less and less calm, which is very much unusual, "I omitted truths because I knew it would color your opinions. Not of me, but of the mission."

"The mission? I thought it was to stop Tituba."

"It's so much more than that." Tituba announces, "We are the tethers for this world to magicks long forgotten. It's about the persecution of us and the fight for our freedom, to not be ashamed or scared of what we are."

"Our freedom can't come on the backs of others...That's not freedom, that's capitalism."

"Naivety that only youth can bring." Tituba chuckles angrily, "Your beliefs are the only thing that confine you. This soul. Tell me, when you loved the vampire, did you rationalize his murders? Or did they make you feel better about yourself?"

"How could they make me feel better about myself?" I ask, "And we're not talking about that. While we're talking about rationalizations, can we please talk about how you let Nora murder my Brother, your ancestor?"

"I was displeased about that."

"Displeased?" I ask with disbelief.

"She'll pay for her crimes, as I suspect we all will." Tituba says lifting her hand towards the door. Nora bounces off an invisible force field and skids to the floor, "No one's leaving until we resolve a couple of things."

"My m-Tituba is not wrong. You know me to be a fair, logical man." Phoenix says calmly, "All my wisdom and logic brought me back to this fundamental truth: Tituba is not wrong."

"She's a nut." Lucas' voice is full of disdain.

Tituba reached her arm out to him and he shrinks to his knees gasping for air. I wave my hand, causing her grip on him to loosen and she glares at me with disbelief. Before I can stop him, Lucas speeds towards Tituba but in a flash she is gone and in her place is Eva.

Lucas' hands, without trying, snap her neck.

I hear a loud cry from Finn and from Charlotte behind me. She, Parker and David join us as Finn pushes his way to her. He falls to the ground and cradles her in his arms as I stand, paralyzed. Lucas begin sputtering about how he didn't mean to do it, how the witch tricked him. Charlotte is the first person I truly notice. The flicker in her eyes have died and her face is filled with sadness...and rage.

"What happened?" Kai asks as he finds us. His eyes grow wide at the sight of Eva, "What happened?!"

I look around the room and notice that Nora, Tituba and Phoenix are gone. In front of my eyes, Finn disappears with Eva's body and the room begin to move again. Feeling an intense pressure on my chest, I move towards the door.

The shock of what I just witnessed seems to numb what I know I feel. I know it's there, right underneath my conscious mind. I can't reconcile what just happened with what I hope I didn't see.

As I entered the hallway outside the gym, I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see David standing in front of me.

"You're not okay." David's voice seems far away and worried, "You don't need to be alone."

"You don't care! Stop with your pity. You don't have to feel guilty about whatever we did. I can't do this now." I bicker. I stare at him with confusion, "This ends now. They all die."

"What do you mean?" David ask.

"The witches, the vampires...they're all dead."

I turn away from him and head towards the exit.

I've been feeling this overwhelming sadness and grief for quite some time. It's been threatening to overtake me for weeks now. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is but it's deep-rooted. It's not rational, not all the time.

The numb feeling is wearing thin now and it's flooding into me.

I'm starting to feel it all.

                                                                ***************************  

Anger clearly rules my emotions at this moment.

I decide that I don't have to wait to take the fight to every single party involved. It's foolish and petulant but the more I wait, the more people get hurt in the crossfire.

Collateral damage.

As I take a step into the mansion, I am surprised that the servants aren't around. As I make my way through the house, I realize that something is leading me into the study.

I feel drawn to it.

When I enter the dimly lit study, I am surprised to find Phoenix scribbling something down on a piece of paper. When I enter, he finishes whatever he's writing. Phoenix didn't speak. The shock feels more overwhelming than anything I could have predicted.

"I never meant this." Phoenix's voice is small for the first time since I met him. His sincerity does nothing for me at the moment. He pounds his fist on the desk, "Your life was supposed to improve. The life of your friends was supposed to be prolonged. She was an innocent."

"Another casualty of your wretched mother!"

"Don't call her that!" He rages as he turns to me. He stares at me impassively until his façade breaks, "Do you really think I would condone this? Your friend was innocent. A lot of innocent people-"

"This ends now. Like right now."

"No, it really doesn't." Phoenix says sadly, "Nora will run and she must be stopped."

"Nora? And not Tituba?" I tilt my head to view him more clearly.

"Both of them. Nora is my cross to bear."

"And Tituba?"

"Yours." Phoenix raises and eye to me, "I will never be able to face her, not like you can. She means something to me, as much as I fight it. To you, she's always been the villain. There is nothing holding you to her."

"You're not a bad person. You're just not a good one either." I say with a sigh, "Hundreds of years and you...you're still just as screwed up as everyone else. A kid still searching for approval from some thing that doesn't exist."

Phoenix takes in what I am saying and nods, "Your Brother told you that the key to his resurrection is in your book. You never really understood what he meant. The book has passed through my hands many times and something remains the same-"

"The last entry."

"I love you, in an odd way. You're not my Child, nor am I your Uncle. I'm your great-great-great-It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you are who you are." Phoenix walks over and stands in front of me, "The truth is that the werewolf...he's your soulmate."

I stare at him.

"The vampire will only lead you into darkness...both of them. I've called your Parents...as much as I detest your Father, he loves you. Your Mother as well. You can stay here as long as you like but don't stay too long." Phoenix says as he walks out of the doorway.

I turn and follow him out of the door and into the hallway, only to realize he is already gone.

Just as quickly as he came, he left.

                                                              ***************************

When I arrive at the Christiansen Estate, I let myself in.

I am very nervous about being in the house. I am not aware of just how fearful I am until I turn around the corner to the sitting room and see Finn sitting by a fire. As I approach him, he turns his head slightly. When he is satisfied with who is in his house, he turns back to the fire. I can feel the emotions flowing from him in a way Lucas' never did.

The same way as Charlotte's.

"Where are they?" I ask.

"Did you come to kill my Sister? What about my Brother? The man you loved" Finn grows quiet, "Me?"

"Finn—"

"I don't know."

"Dumb question but are you okay?"

Finn seem thrown off at my question. The confusion on his face is haunting in the light of the fire. "My Brother just killed the love of my life, your Best Friend. And you're asking me if I'm alright?" He laughs as his eyes find the fire again, "You're damaged. I've never really understood your connection to Lucas until now. You two share such a shattered view. Where is your sadness? Where's your anger?!"

"Don't."

"Don't what?" He shouts.

"Pretend you know what I'm feeling!" I yell back, "Do you want me to come here in a blind rage? To come and kill you?"

"Yes."

"You think I didn't think about it?"

"Do it! It's what you should do. I think you should just do it!"

"Tough. My Best Friend just died. You loved her. I loved her and she's not coming back." I shake my head slowly, "Trying to explain human emotions to you is mute because as strong and...frankly, dead, as you are, you still feel it too. So don't presume that my grief is less than yours or non-existent."

"When you got to sleep tonight..."

"...There'll be no sleep." I say with a snarl, "We brought this crap into their lives, all of their lives. We're responsible for this. I said no one else will die!" My voice breaks a little, "I was wrong. I was an idiot. Naïve. We're all going to die, some of us a lot sooner than others. But we won't be alone."

Finn stands up and faces me, "She's gone, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she really is." I say softly.

Finn moves to me and embraces me as the tears begin to fall down my face. Eva is the one person who truly never gave up on me. She fought to the death to be there for me. Finn's embrace is almost too much. It makes me feel everything and nothing at the same time. I can still smell her on his tuxedo. It is almost too much to bear.

"Glad my death brings you together." Eva's voice says causing us to break part.

Finn's eyes move behind me with surprise. I whip around to see Eva standing beside Lucas, who is grinning from ear to ear. It takes the breath from me.

"No." Finn whispers softly.

"Not again." I whisper.

                                                                ***************************  

Hey guys, thank you for reading! Don't forget to like and comment. See you in the next chapter!