"Absolutely not! Have you lost your damn mind?" Clearly, my mom was upset with my talking to the reporters. When I got home I had gone upstairs, deciding to tell her first thing in the morning. That had been a bad idea. I had caught her before her morning pot of coffee -- one cup wasn't enough, she needed the whole pot.
My mom was dead set against me talking to reporters. She continued to tell me it was a bad idea, that I would just draw attention to myself. Attention, that she and Dolores had worked very hard to diminish. She didn't realize why I wanted to talk to the reporters. That was because she didn't know about Sarah Good and her vengeance to kill me and this town.
"I just feel that people should hear our side of the story," I tried to convince my mom. She wasn't having it. Her eyes blazed with anger as she glared at me, her coffee mug gripped tightly in her grasp.
"I cannot believe you are suggesting this. I thought you and your sister had been better, so I could go on this weekend trip with Zack, but apparently--
I sighed. Of course, she thought this was more than what it really was. It wasn't about Dara and I's mental state. It had nothing to do with my mom going on a weekend trip with Gellar. I almost rolled my eyes, but she wouldn't have appreciated that.
"Mom, you should definitely go on your trip. It isn't that, it's--
She cut me off, something she was really good at.
"Of course, you want me to go, so you can run to the reporters. If I go, how do I know you won't talk to them?" She brought up a good point. In fact, that had been part of my idea. Except, my mom would definitely know I had talked to them when she came back. Honestly, it was a lose-lose situation for me.
"I won't if you will please think of this. I'm serious about this." She looked from me to her coffee, then back to me.
"That's what I'm worried about." She finished her cup and poured herself another one, emptying the pot. As she did this, I started another pot. I wanted coffee before I headed over to Sage's to train. Last time, I hadn't been on my A-game. I wanted to get better at using my shield. Maybe, I could use the Amulet a little bit. I'd use it just enough to have a power boost but not enough that anyone would be able to figure out I was using it.
"Mom, please don't cancel your trip because of me. I promise I won't talk to the reporters until you get back. Then, we can sit down and talk. I tell you why I need to do this." I meant every word. I would tell her all about S.G. if that meant she would understand. My mom was terribly stubborn and if she didn't want to do something, she wouldn't. The same went for if I wanted to do something she was again.
I needed to make her understand, but I wasn't going to ruin her weekend with Gellar. I knew how much he meant to her. Plus, I would be busy training with the Lycan's I meant Sage, Jack, and Troy. That was going to take some getting used to.
"Okay, only because you promised. I'm holding you to that Cornelia Ann." She rarely used my middle name, so I knew she meant business. I nodded as she stared me down, index finger extended towards me. I held up my hands, defensively.
"I promised, okay?" My tone thin.
"You said you're hanging out with Addie today?" She asked. I nodded. "Let your Gran know when you'll be home because I'll be gone. Call or text me if you need me. I'll have the ringer on for an emergency." She made me recite her phone number -- twice. It was only ten o'clock and I was already tired.
"I'm gonna head out," I finally told her. She had killed a half hour of my time with her babbling. She had me go over every scenario in case of an emergency. I wanted to tell her if an emergency really happened I would use magic. She didn't like that response. She wanted to know the human way I would go about things.
"Please make sure your phone is charged this weekend." I sighed.
"I will. I hope you have a great trip, I'll see you later." I don't know why she was making this such a big deal. She'd left before for weekend trips with Gellar. This time wasn't any different. I need to finish getting ready and head over to Sages. There hadn't been an exact time set but everyone agreed the earlier the better.
"Keep an eye on your sister, she's going to a friend's house tonight and I just worry." I could read between the lines. She was worried Dara's new friend was like her last friend.
"Is it Gemma?" She was the only person I knew about. Gemma was a Freshman like my sister. I hadn't met her, but I trusted Dara to make the right decision and not lie. This time was different.
"Yes, I guess they're studying? I don't know, but please just keep an eye out." I told her I would, then exited to my bedroom. My mom left for Zack's after our conversation. I threw on some old clothes: a black t-shirt and some stretchy pants and combat boots.
I swooped my long hair into a ponytail, after much contemplation on if I should braid it or not. I didn't wear any makeup. I would end up just sweating it off anyways. As I passed Dara's room, I stopped and knocked. I knew she had plans with her friend, but it would be rude not to invite her.
"Hey, did you wanna come with me to the Lycan's? I mean-- Sage's house?" It didn't matter to Dara what I called the house, but I was trying to stay consistent. Dara had only met Sage once or twice, I knew she wouldn't care. She was perched on her bed, flipping through a textbook. It didn't look like she was actually reading it.
"I'm hanging with a friend." I nodded.
"Okay, just thought I'd ask. I'm gonna head out and mom left for her trip." I further explained.
"Cool, see you later." She barely looked up from her book. We said our goodbyes and I hopped into my car.
The drive to Sage's house was quiet since it was just me, but it was more than that. I was on autopilot. I had driven to the cabin in the woods a lot lately. I knew it by heart now. The route there was beautiful. There were lots of lovely scenery. The curve and slope of the road was majestic. As I pulled up to the long winding driveway, I easily recognized Ivelyn's BWM and Erik's Avalanche. Everyone was here.
Once again, I was the last one here. Sighing, I trudged over to the front door. I didn't knock. Instead, I opened the unlocked door. I heard voices coming from the living. They were laughing and joking around. As I entered the living room I took it all in. It was nice seeing everyone so happy.
"Alrighty, Corn's here, everyone ready to rock and roll?" Ivelyn rangled everyone up. We followed Sage, who walked hand in hand with Erik, to the open field. It was where we trained last time. It was a beautiful open field with wildflowers and tall grass. There were large oak trees surround us, so we didn't have to worry about people seeing us. Plus, if there was anyone around, Sage, Jack, and Troy would hear them before any of us.
"Okay, I'm going to shift," Sage said, mostly to Erik. He wagged his eyebrows and she pushed him again, smirking. Then, she took off behind the trees. Jack and Troy followed but stood behind separate trees.
While they did this, Erik turned towards me.
"How'd your family take it?" He was referring to me telling my mom about me talking to reporters. I tried to keep a blank face. I didn't want to admit that he was right.
"They took it well," I told him plainly. He didn't buy it. I could tell by how his smirk intensified. He wet his lips, trying to stop himself from smiling.
"You didn't tell them?" He asked, grinning. I cocked my head to the side, starting to glare at him.
"I did!" I hissed in defense.
"Really?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes!" I couldn't believe he didn't think I was being truthful. "My mom is totally against it, but we're going to talk about it again when she gets back," I added quickly. I hated that he had been right, but I wasn't going to fully admit that. Me and my mom were going to talk about it once she was back. I'm sure I can convince her it's a good idea.
"Ah, there's the truth. He sounded so cocky. I huffed a sigh.
"Listen, you aren't right about it." I pointed a finger at him. It was the same time the Lycan's came charging forward, out of the trees. They were larger than I remembered last time. I gasped, my breath falling my lips.
Specifically, Sage was humongous. The last time I saw her in her wolf form, had been from a distance. Even in broad day life, her eyes glowed yellow. Her fur was the color of pure obsidian and she moved with a grace I thought impossible. Instinctually, I took a step back from Erik.
"There's my girl," Erik chuckled.
Troy and Jack flanked her. Troy, the brown wolf with green eyes, stood to Sage's left. Jack, held his position on her right, signaling he was her right hand -- her beta in the pack. Because there were three of them, this meant Troy was the omega. I wonder how Ivelyn felt about that, considering she was an alpha-female type personality.
Sage held her position in the middle, threw her head back and howled. The sound was both astonishing and terrifying. I took a deep breath in, waiting for them to charge us. Troy and Jack joined her call, waiting for her move. Then, she stopped and rushed forward. There really hadn't been a plan about how we were going to train, but apparently, it was Lycan's versus Witches.
I didn't think it was fair. We outnumbered the Lycan's two to one, but they were larger than life. As they rushed us I threw up my hands, using my shield. I had no idea if it worked on Lycan's, but I guess we were about to find out. It seemed to work, but not as effective as it did with Witches. It slowed the Lycan's but didn't stop them. I grit my teeth, pushing my shield harder.
To my right, I watched Kate throw her hands up, using her telekinesis to try and push the Lycan's back. Her powers also weren't as effective. There was something about the Lycan's that made them less susceptible to our powers. It was a good training exercise. Ivelyn, for obvious reasons, wasn't allowed to use her powers. We didn't need to start a forest fire out here.
That left Mir, Erik, and Addie. Mir's powers with emotions only worked when the Lycan's were in their human form. So, her powers didn't help us now either. Erik could shift, but apparently, he wasn't going to. I looked at him sideways, gesturing for him to do something. A bird might not be a match against three wolves, but it would help.
"What?" He questioned incredulously.
"Do something! I can't hold them back forever." I snapped, feeling the weight of their pressure on my shield. It wasn't going to hold up for much longer. Sage lunged forward, using her weight to her advantage, inching forward. Troy and Jack weren't making much of a dent, but they weren't stunned to their place either.
I needed help.
Thankfully, Addie ran to my side and started to throw some potions. Unfortunately, she threw all of them at the same time. The Lycan's dodged most of them, except for Troy who got hit square in the eye by a flashing bomb. It knocked him out of his wolf form. A naked Troy rolled to the side. Ivelyn sighed and took off her jacket, throwing it on him.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry." Addie stuttered. Sage and Jack stood still and I let my shield down. My muscles ached. I was terribly out of practice. I stood up straight, trying to prove that I was okay.
"No worries!" Troy yelped, taking Ivelyn's jacket and held it over his private parts. He ran towards the woods where his clothes were. Jack and Sage shared a look, then ran to the woods too. I'm guessing they were going to shift back too.
"Are you okay?" Erik asked me once they were out of view.
"Of course," I told him quickly.
"Are you sure? You didn't look--
"I'm fine." I snapped. I didn't need him worrying about my powers. I was fine. "Are you and Ivelyn just going to stand there though? You didn't even try to help." The Amulet throbbed against my throat, reminding me I had a power boast if I wanted to use it. I sighed, feeling the weight.
"These are my only clothes if I shift--
He trailed off. We all knew what he was going to say.
"So? You have more than just your shifting power. You could have used a spell." None of us were as talented as Erik when it came to spells. I think it had something to do with his affinity for writing. He had this knack for writing that none of us could even fathom.
"Right, you want me to cast a spell on them? You know, they're not really the enemy, right?" It was a low blow from him.
"Of course I know that, are you dense?" Instantly, I regretted my words. It wasn't fair to take out my frustrations on Erik. "I don't mean that. I know you're not--
"Dense? Gee, thanks." It was too late to apologize. Erik was already offended.
"Not to gang up on you, but she's kind of right. Why didn't you do anything?" Ivelyn asked, one hand on her hip. "If I knew a spell to help, I would, but you really don't have an excuse." I wasn't the only one that thought Erik was holding back.
By this time, Sage, Jack, and Troy had joined us. There were clear indications of sweat on the three of them. At least, I wasn't the only one feeling it.
"Why don't we try partners like before? I don't think Lycan's versus Witches is a good idea." Sage proposed, wiping the forehead with the back of her hand. I don't know if she heard Erik and I arguing or if she sensed it from before, but she was right on the money with her observation.
"I like the sound of that!" Mir responded bubbly. I caught Jack gazing at her, a smile on his face. When he caught me looking he looked everyone other than Mir. The two of them were so odd.
"Why don't we shake things up and work in teams?" Ivelyn countered her finger dancing on the edge of her lips. There was nothing she didn't like more than competition. Of course, she proposed that we work in teams.
"Ooh, girl I like where your head is. Okay, Ivelyn and I will be team captains." Sage said pointing to her and Ivelyn. Ivelyn took her place next to her, smiling.
"I'll go first," Ivelyn batted her eyelashes. Sage motioned for her to proceed. "Hmm who should I pick?" She paced back and forth, taking her time to stare each of us up and down. I crossed my arms over my chest, unimpressed.
"Any day now," Erik muttered under his breath.
"Kate." Ivelyn chirped. Kate smiled and took a step forward, joining her on her side.
"Good choice, I pick Jack." This didn't surprise me that Sage picked Jack. He was her beta — her second in command. That held a higher status than a guy she was kind of dating.
"Erik." Ivelyn countered, choosing him only because Sage hadn't made him her first pick. It was smart but caused little to no reaction from Sage.
"Cornelia." Apparently, I was worthy to be the second choice. Or was it because Sage wanted to get back at Ivelyn. I couldn't tell as I walked to stand with Sage and Jack.
"Troy," Ivelyn told him flirtatiously. He looked relieved.
"'Bout time!" He coughed as he stood next to Ivelyn.
That left Mir and Addie.
"You can have both Mir and Addie." Ivelyn gestured towards the two left picks. Sage raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. The teams were made.
"Okay, anything goes. Use whatever magic or powers you have. Us Lycan's will heal don't worry." Sage announced. It was pretty wild of her to say. I hadn't expected that. I knew this meant Ivelyn wasn't going to hold back.
This was going to be interesting.
"Hope your flame retardant," Ivelyn said as she sashayed to the other side of the field. Her team followed after.
Sage motioned for us to gather round. We did as she mapped out a plan. I was starting to realize how detail oriented she was. I wasn't really the planner type. Things happened so quickly I was always simply reacting to those events.
"Here's what I'm thinking," she drones on. I wasn't listening. I already knew what she wanted me to do: use my shield. I would hold them at bay as long as I could while Sage shifted and charged forward with Jack. Mir would try to work a spell, meaning Addie would try to not get hurt. Sage told her to stick behind me.
Then, we all turned to face Ivelyn's team. There were about fifty feet in between the two teams. I stood at the center with Addie standing close to my right. Sage and Jack flanked me on the ends, already in their wolf-form. Mir was to my left.
Ivelyn stood in front of me, one hand on her hip, the other was palm up with a nice sized fireball. Next to her was Kate, hands ready to use her telekinesis. Troy and Erik had both shifted. Erik had chosen an eagle to shift into, standing proud.
Sage howled, kick-starting the training exercise. I tried to remind myself this was just training, that Ivelyn wasn't really trying to kill me. Sage rushed Erik, who took flight at the last minute, just barely missing Sage's razor-sharp teeth. My heart winced at the sight. Out of the corner of my eyes, I watch Jack barrel towards Troy.
Before, I had thought Troy and Jack were the same sizes in wolf form. Except, now that I was seeing them again I realized they were different. Like in real life, Jack was a little stockier and had more muscle. Troy's limbs were thinner and he was a tad bit longer. Still, they were pretty evenly matched.
Kate's hands waved, as she went to user her telekinesis. Addie flung backward, falling on her butt several feet back. I knew they were trying to distract me. Unfortunately, it worked and I bent down to help Addie up. When I had my back turned I felt the heat from Ivelyn's ower. I held up my hands last minute, blocking the fireball hurled towards my head.
"Rubrum Fumus!" Mir yelled, moving her arms in an "eight" shape. It was the spell from the party. As she did this, the ground flooded with red smoke. She continued to chant, bringing the smoke to a fullness. It rose and rose, blocking their vision. The only bad thing was that it blocked our line of sight too.
It didn't stop Ivelyn from wildly throwing fireballs into the field. Most of them I caught with my shield, but I missed one. It landed by Addie's feet, instantly setting the grass ablaze. She tried to stop it out, but it spread too fast.
"A little help over here," I called to Ivelyn. We had all agreed if she wanted to use her Fire element she had to use her Water element to put out the fire.
"Ugh, fine," Ivelyn whined. "Kate, get this smoke away." It wasn't easy for Kate, but she moved the smoke. Ivelyn trudged through the path and put out the fire.
"Thanks," I muttered under my breath.
"Anyone else starving?" Troy asked, back in human form, fully dressed. Actually, they all were back in their human form, probably due to the fire Ivelyn had started. On cue, my stomach rumbled.
"I am." We had spent hours training with our powers. My whole body ached, but mostly it was my mind that was sore. It wasn't just me, the general consensus was that we call it a day.
"We've got food here, everyone good with burgers and sandwiches?" Sage came into view, the smoke finally completely dissipated.
"Corn's a vegetarian," Erik said, slightly out of breath. Sage raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sure we have something. Guys, help me out?" She was talking to Jack and Troy, but Erik joined them. I collapsed onto the ground, a part of the field that Ivelyn hadn't singed. The sun was starting to set, casting a beautiful glow. There were little to no clouds, but the ones that were were a mixture of pastel colors. It looked like paint strokes when I looked up.
I wasn't the only one enjoying the sunset. Everyone that had stayed back: Ivelyn, Addie, Mir, and Kate, sat in silence as the beauty befell us. It was captivating and left us all speechless. Sunrays pierced through the trees, making the tall grass shine gold. The silence didn't last long, the boys and Sage were back, carrying coolers and trays full of food.
Troy set up a barbeque grill on the far side of the field. He placed various types of meats on the grill. Jack carried two coolers, one was filled with sodas and water, the other was beer. Sage carried another cooler that had snacks in it. Erik walked towards me, holding a much smaller cooler.
"Hey, um the only vegetarian food I could find was this." Erik handed me the contents of the small cooler. It was a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives. There was also a jar of pickles and a bottle of Italian dressing.
"Did you make this?" I asked, gesturing to the salad. His ears turned red as he cringed, then nodded.
"You don't have to eat it, I just--
"No, I like it. Thank you, Erik." I assured him. It actually did look good. He nodded, then walked away. I hadn't noticed, but Ivelyn had slunk over to my side, sitting down next to me.
I opened my mouth to ask her what she was doing, but she cut me off.
"Are you going to be able to do this?" Her lips curled around her question. It was regular Ivelyn-harshness that I was used to, but her question confused me.
"What do you mean? It doesn't look that bad, I mean the olives are kind of throwing me off, but he meant well." I told her, referring to the salad Erik had made me. At least the Italian dressing helped.
"What? No! Not the stupid salad." She flushed, then calmed herself. "I mean are you going to be able to kill Sarah Good?" No one had asked me that. No one had brought it up. Sure, I knew we had to fight her and I knew she wanted me dead. Still, could I kill her? I didn't think I could kill anyone.
Ivelyn wanted me to say yes, gung-ho and driven. I couldn't tell her that.
"I thought I was going to use my shield and--
"You can't kill someone with a shield, Cornelia." I winced at hearing my full name. It sounded weird, especially coming from Ivelyn who always called me by my last name. She was serious, which scared me to my core.
"I just never imagined myself killing her. Sure, self-defense is one thing, but-
"You seriously haven't imagined yourself killing her? Think about everything she's done!" She was bordering on yelling. I knew she wasn't upset with me. At least, not directly.
"I know," I started, but was interrupted by her.
"She's killed people, she's evil." She stated.
"I get that. I really do. It's just that, she's going to be occupying someone when we fight her. If I kill her, I'm killing that person too. If I do that, what makes me any better than Sarah Good? I'll be a murderer too." This mattered to me.
"Whoever she's occupying might already be dead. Plus, who would want to live after Sarah Good occupied them?" She didn't mean it. I could tell as soon as she said it, she instantly regretted it. I took a deep breath in. My arms were shaking. "I didn't mean it like that." Her eyes begged for forgiveness, but it was too late.
"My sister was "occupied" by Sarah Good. Do you think we should have killed her then?" I stared her down.
"You know I didn't mean that. Of course, we wouldn't have wanted that." She stuttered. I had never seen Ivelyn so flabbergasted.
"So, what's the difference?" I asked her. She opened her mouth but wasn't able to answer. I stood up, beyond angry. "I have to go." I wasn't thinking straight. I was too upset.
"I'm sorry," she blurted out. I wasn't sure if I had ever heard her say those words, but they didn't matter. I didn't want to be here anymore.
I turned away, not saying anything to her. I told Addie goodbye, but I didn't tell her what had happened. She wanted to go with me, but I wanted to be alone. There was too much on my mind. I found my way back to my car, sat there for about ten minutes. Then, drove off. I wanted to be home.