The Family Reunion No One Asked For (Ryker)

My heart was beating fast at the thought of being in danger again, relief flooded through me when I saw it was just Hale, a less dangerous situation.

"Hale thank the Gods," Jack muttered as he stood up and went over to her. She was still in the doorway not quite in the house but not exactly outside, like she wasn't sure if she was coming in. Then I notice the women lingering behind her, her arms crossed in front of her and her eyes never left Hale.

Jack glared at her, but the women paid him no attention.

"Hale what are you doing with someone like her?" Jack asked half angry half shocked.

Hale gave him a defensive look, almost torn.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she snapped. She looked between the new girl and Jack, unsure she could really trust either one of them.

"Relax Arcane I'm just here to drop her off," the women replied cooly taking a step back.

Jack didn't waste a second and quickly shut the door.

"What the hell was that about?" Hale exclaimed almost defensively.

Jack glared at the door before turning back to go to his chair.

"A minor inconvenience, I wouldn't hang around people like her, nothing but trouble," Jack explained returning to his seat.

"Wasn't planning on it," Hale muttered and followed to the empty chair.

"Wonderful now everyone is here, now please return to your seats and we can continue." Mayline smiled.

"Great I have a question. Why are you all dressed up a Disney movie?" Hale asked with snark,

Motioning to us.

Peyton piped up from her chair.

"Yes! Please explain why we were bathed and changed in our sleep?" She shared the same tone.

Mayline gave a disappointed sigh, clearly not happy where this conversation was going.

"The fog that was released last night was stuck to your skin and clothes, we had to get rid of the residue," Jack answered.

"I know that you are all confused so let me explain," Mayline regrouped, her voice was soothing to the ear.

"Like I was saying, your birth mothers left you in our care. We have been watching over you your whole lives, making sure you are safe, like last night, "

The room turned so tense I swear I could have cut it with a knife. Peyton was on the edge of her seat, any further she would slide off her of it. Jade was still nervously biting at her fingernails. Hale was sitting back in her chair bored twirling a lock of hair around her finger, clearly unphased.

"Let me start from the very beginning, seventeen years ago your mothers gave birth to you all hours apart from each other. We were all so happy we didn't see how strange it was,"

Jade cut in with a question before Mayline could continue.

"Who's we?"

Mayline and Jack shared an unsure glance.

"Um this next part might take a second to process, but your mothers were part of a coven, we are part of the same coven and you were all born into it,"

It was hard to tell if my heart was beating really fast or not at all. I studied Jack and Mayline's faces seeing if they were lying but they looked more nervous about our reactions then seeing if we would believe them.

To my right, Peyton started to laugh, I turned to her shocked.

"This is a joke, right? This whole thing; let me guess there a camera hidden somewhere right?" Peyton giggled.

I looked over to Jade who was just sitting there biting at her fingernails still staring blankly at nothing.

"They aren't lying," Hale sighed sternly drawing everyone's attention. She didn't look at anyone though, she just staring at the charred pieces of wood in the fireplace.

"Last night in the ring, I said something, a spell. It gave me the strength to keep fighting."

Jade stood up hastily.

"You!" She exclaimed loudly, the change of the mood startled me and made me uncountable.

It seemed to snap Hale out of her daze, blinking quickly and looking to Jade.

"What did you do to Caleb?" Jade, she turned to Jack and Mayline. "What happened to him? Before the smoke, she hit him unconscious, what happened to him?"

Jack sucked in a shaky breath.

"He's in the hospital, in a coma,"

Jade's eyes widened all the way and fear clung to her. Jade whipped around to Hale.

"What did you do him? What spell did you say!" She yelled tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. Hale looked up defensively.

"What did I do?" Hale's voice didn't get higher or lower, she didn't scream or yell or really show any emotion, but her voice was dark and cold.

Hale stood up to match Jade's height, or try to, Hale was short two get compared to Jade.

"Do you know what your friend even did last night? He slipped poison in my drink because he knew without it he wouldn't win. Had I not said that spell he would have killed me,"

The house was rattling like an earthquake, I gripped the armrests on the chair, my heart was ready to jump out of my chest. Peyton turned to me and shared my confused glare. Jade looked sad and betrayed and Hale looked angry and determined.

"But that's not the only thing you didn't know, was it? I saw your face last night. I heard you call his name, you had no idea that he could do that to person did you?" Hale's voice had a coldness to it that slashed like a whip.

"Stop," Jade trembled, hot tears dripping down her face.

Hale's voice was so full of malice and hatred, it was so powerful I felt like she was talking to me. Making me want to shrivel up into the chair and disappear.

"I could barely move this morning, my body covered in bruises, but then again who am I to complain your friend can't even open his eyes, because I sucked all his strength out of him, and sent him far far away. Maybe if he's lucky they will put him down, out of mercy,"

"Please..stop," Jade voice was small and powerless.

"But a little part of you liked it didn't it? That wasn't your best friend in the ring last night, no, your own personal monster. He liked making me hurt, he liked the horror on your face, I bet if I didn't knock him out he would have down the same thing to you,"

The house was shaking now like a child with a snowglobe. I didn't know how but I suspected that is was Hales doing. The exact proof I needed to believe Jack and Mayline about magic.

"No! Stop, stop..just stop talking! Your wrong he would never..." Jade cried, her face hot and wet with tears.

Hale opened her mouth for more but Mayline stood up and put an end to it.

"Hale enough! Stop this now!" Mayline demanded.

As soon as Hale looked away from Jade the house went still, all you could hear was Jade trying to stifle her tears.

Mayline went over to Hale and snapped a silver band over Hale's wrist. It glowed faintly and then died down.

"What did you do?" Hale asked breathlessly.

"It will dim your powers, you'll need it to learn to control them,"

"What was that? I've never felt like that, so cold and evil." Hale asked almost scared, like the last few minutes wasn't in control.

"It's was magic, It's a great trick for your strand of witch,"

Hale sat back down twirling the new bracelet around her wrist.

"Jade you can go see your friend later when we're finished here," Jack promised quietly.

Jade gave him a meek smile.

"Like I was saying, you are all witches, and last night Hale awoke her magic and soon you three will too," Mayline continued "The day you were born was a day of blood and fire, our coven remembers it as the night of betrayal. Our high priest, Edward, wanted to be high priest of all covens, those who didn't join him were traitors and were killed. Lots of people rebelled, it's not the witch way, we follow natures course but a handful of witched joined him and are extremely loyal,"

Mayline had small tears in her eyes and she turned over to Peyton.

"Your Mother the High Priestess told me to take you all and leave. Without you four, Edward is powerless."

"What's so special about us?" I asked suddenly feeling self-conscious, well, more than usual.

"Because without you four, your father doesn't have the power it takes to overrule the other covens,"

"Who's father?" I asked leaning in invested in her story.

"All of yours, Edward is all of your fathers,"