Power Struggle (Book 3)

Chapter 15

'Okay, I'm getting nervous.' Dani said, pacing around the kitchen. 'Why hasn't anything happened yet?' They were gathered in the kitchen after varying degrees of a successful night's sleep.

'Maybe the potion worked?' Lauren suggested. 'And Natalie doesn't want to face us again.'

'What about Kate?' Katherine asked. 'They wouldn't just leave her.'

'She might if she feels betrayed. Which is what I did, I betrayed them.' Kate sighed.

'You did the right thing.' Lisa assured her.   

'Lauren, I think it's time you went and had a look around.' Christina said. Lauren nodded and sat at the counter, closing her eyes. In a moment her head dropped, and she was gone.

Lauren appeared in the living room of the Barnes' house and everything looked normal. There was no one there and everything was quiet, until she heard a noise coming from below her. She walked over to the basement door and went right through it, taking the steps slowly and making sure no one could see her. She stopped when she heard voices and knelt on the step to look down into the basement. She saw Natalie and Lucy in a heated conversation. Their mothers coffin was in the middle of the room. 'It's not going to work!' Lucy shouted.

'How do you know?' Natalie replied, agitated.

'Because we need a necromancer. If Katherine and Christina were right, then it won't work without one. We always thought there would be more than one way to do it, but there might not be.'

'So, we find a necromancer then.' Natalie said.

'Where!?' Lucy exclaimed. 'We've been trying to bring her back for years, and we haven't found one. I'm tired of this.'

'We don't know for sure Lisa isn't one.' Natalie reminded her.

'Then let's ask her.' Lucy said. 'If she says no, then we can finally get on with our lives.'

'I have a better idea.' Natalie smiled. 'They think their little potion worked, that a little bit of purple liquid could strip my powers. We could use that.'

'What do you mean?' Lucy asked nervously.

'We go over there and declare a truce. Say the potion worked, and we don't want to fight any more.'

'Alright, then what?' Lucy wondered.

'Then I can take one of them out, Christina probably just based on power levels.' Natalie said. Lauren shifted uncomfortably from her position on the stairs.

'Take her out? You mean kill her?' Lucy questioned.

'It'll get their attention.' Natalie said.

'But killing another witch, that's just.....'

'Just what?' Natalie interrupted. 'It's just like killing a demon.'

'No, it's not.' Lucy argued. 'You're turning us into murderers.'  

'It's the only way to get what we want. Once Christina is dead the others will have no choice, Lisa will raise mum to save the rest of them.'

'Yeah, and what if she can't?' Lucy queried. 'Then you've killed someone over nothing, just like they were saying before.'

'I don't care Lucy! This is our last shot.' Natalie said angrily. 'I've lost Kate, I won't lose you too.'

'You're not going to lose me.' Lucy confirmed quietly.

'Then we're doing this.'

'Fine. But you don't have to kill her. Let me drain her powers and keep her down.' Lucy said.