=:= Cindy =:=

The cafeteria re-appeared around her, and Cindy immediately looked around for Zoe, the three teens, and those Brotherhood assholes.

She'd been in a great mood since dinner last night, right up until Zoe got the text that those pricks were here threatening the teens. Now she wanted some payback. That Christopher guy killed Becky and she was going to make sure he learned what an angry sorceress could do, before she turned him over to the coven and the Goddess.

To her dismay, the cafeteria was completely empty. All the students had cleared out, there was no sign of the young witches or Zoe, and the Brotherhood guys were already gone too. There was one body on the floor near the cafeteria's main exit. He was an older guy, Cindy figured he was probably a teacher or something.

She'd last seen the teens heading for the emergency exit, and Zoe had been out there with the other girl and a car. Cindy figured they'd all got away, but to be sure she focused on her girlfriend and cast the clairvoyance spell. She expected to see them all in the teen's car, probably heading back to the vineyard.

Instead of getting a vision of Zoe and the teens, the spell just fizzled.

Frowning, Cindy raced out the emergency doors to check for them out there. There were lots of students and a few teachers milling around, but no sign of the three teen witches, and no sign of Zoe. The squeal of tires caught her attention.

Peeling out of the faculty parking lot were two vehicles. A large black SUV with tinted windows took off to the right. Cindy could just make out a tall thin man in the passenger-side window. It was that Anthony guy, the 'wizard'. A dark blue sedan took off to the left. Behind the wheel was Christopher, the killer.

Cindy's mind raced. Her clairvoyance spell fizzled, but maybe Zoe was being hidden. If they grabbed her, that Anthony guy might be shielding her from scrying. Zoe was probably in the SUV. She knew Zoe should be protected by her amulets, but she also knew amulets could be lost or taken. Her heart started pounding as she realized if they had Zoe, she'd be in serious danger.

Acting on emotions and instinct, she launched a fireball at Christopher's car. She saw the trunk blow open and one of the rear wheels came off as the back of the vehicle exploded in flames. Then she teleported herself into the back seat of the fleeing SUV.

As soon as she appeared she immediately looked around, but Zoe wasn't here.

The two men in the front seats felt her magic as she appeared, both of them glancing over their shoulders. The way they both did a double-take would have been almost comical if Cindy wasn't so desperate to find her girlfriend.

She glanced from one to the other as she demanded, "Where the fuck is Zoe?!"

The two men both reacted at once. In the drivers seat, the tech guy shouted "Fuck!" as he fumbled to pull a gun out from under his hoodie. In the passenger seat, the wizard started casting a spell.

Cindy's heart was already pounding with anger at the men and fear for Zoe. There wasn't any thought or deliberation, and no hesitation, she was still running on pure emotion.

She jammed her left hand flat against the back of the driver's seat. The fireball was small, no bigger than an olive, as it burned through the seat and emerged with a flare from the centre of Gabriel's chest. It buried itself in the dashboard, then everything happened at once.

Gabriel was already dead as the airbags all went off, the dashboard burst into flames, and the SUV jerked hard to the right then flipped into a roll. Anthony's spell died on his lips as his body was jolted and battered, first by the airbags and then the crash.

Unlike the two men, Cindy wasn't wearing a seatbelt. She was protected by her amulets though, as she was thrown from the SUV. What should have been lacerations and fractures were reduced to cuts and bruises, and even those soon began to heal themselves.

The vehicle came to rest upside-down on the side of the road. Several windows were shattered and the passenger door was torn off during the SUV's roll, and smoke was rising up out of the interior.

The angry sorceress picked herself up off the road and gave her head a shake, oblivious to any pain from her fading injuries. She neither heard nor saw the bystanders running around in a panic, or people calling for ambulances and firefighters.

Cindy stalked back toward the wreck. Anthony was still moving, struggling weakly to get his seatbelt off. As she neared, she could see he was bleeding from several minor wounds.

She crouched next to him, ignoring the smoke, ignoring the fire that was burning on the dashboard and Gabriel's body. Her voice was a mix of anger and worry as she demanded, "Where is she? Where's my girlfriend?!"

Anthony flinched, turning to look at her. He coughed, "You'll never see that abomination again..."

"FUCK!" Cindy shouted at him.

Another fireball appeared, in her right hand this time. It was the size of a baseball, and Anthony's eyes went wide. He started scrambling at his seatbelt again, franticly trying to free himself from the wreck.

Cindy straightened up and flicked the orange ball in through the open door. As she teleported away, the vehicle was completely engulfed in angry flames.

She re-appeared in front of the high-school. There were students and faculty standing around in a crowd, and she could hear sirens approaching.

In the back of her mind, Cindy knew she was out of control. She was breaking all the rules the coven abided by. Even worse, she'd just killed two people. At the same time, she was vaguely aware of a sharp pain behind her eyes. She knew was over-doing it, she'd already used so much magic it was starting to take a physical toll on her.

She didn't care any more. She was done with rules, done with laws, and done holding back. She needed to find Zoe, nothing else mattered anymore.

She took a deep breath and pushed the pain away, then closed her eyes and tried clairvoyance again. She focused on the teen witches this time, and immediately found them. Sadie, Amanda, Ashley, and one other girl, Brittany probably. All four were in a small car on the highway, heading south. Probably heading for the vineyard.

She tried again to find Zoe and once again, the spell failed. Why couldn't she find her girlfriend?! Suddenly she had a bad thought. The other car, the sedan!

Cindy opened her eyes, and spotted it. About a half a block away to the left, it had come to rest against a telephone pole. The back of the car was still burning. Cindy raced towards it, ignoring the people who were crowding around, ignoring the police cars and fire trucks as they were pulling up.

There was no sign of that Brotherhood bastard. And no sign of Zoe in or around the burning car.

She focused on Christopher this time as she cast the clairvoyance spell one more time. He was the son of a bitch who'd killed Becky. If he'd done anything to Zoe... Cindy forced her mind not to go there. Find him, find Zoe, save Zoe. That's all she needed to think about now.

It took a couple seconds but she located him, behind the wheel of a sports-car. He probably stole it as soon as she'd wrecked his other car. He was on the highway now too, heading north by the look of it.

Her eyes still closed, Cindy teleported herself into the car's passenger seat.

Christopher's reaction was instant. As soon as he realized she was there, Cindy felt the death spell wrap around her heart and constrict. At the same time, the defensive magic in her amulet flared to life, and the power drained from his spell.

Cindy ignored the man as she twisted, looking around the car for Zoe, but there was no trace of the catgirl here.

She registered the shock in Christopher's eyes as his spell failed, but he didn't miss a beat. He pulled a gun from under his jacket and raised it to the side of her head. As he squeezed the trigger, Cindy teleported the weapon away, leaving his hand empty.

"Where is she?!" Cindy shouted, as her eyes filled with tears of frustration and fear. "Where is Zoe?!"

Christopher sneered at her, "She's dead! And the rest of you people will soon join her!"

"NO!" Cindy screamed at him.

A glowing ball the size of a grapefruit appeared in the space between Christopher and the steering wheel. Its colour shifted rapidly from orange to yellow to white. In her grief she pushed more and more power into the glowing orb, while the pain in her head was becoming just as intense.

She saw his eyes widen and he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say anything, Cindy released her hold on the spell and teleported herself away. A fraction of a second later Christopher, the sports-car, and about ten square meters of highway vanished in a blinding flash of energy.

Cindy appeared in her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. The pain behind her eyes was intense, but she was barely aware of it. The pain in her heart was so much worse.

She curled up, her body shuddering as she started sobbing uncontrollably.

=:= Michael =:=

His hands were shaking as he stuffed his laptop and a few other essential belongings into his duffel bag.

Behind him, the television was showing footage that cut back and forth between a local high-school, two burned-out wrecks on city streets, and aerial views of a section of highway that now contained a large crater.

The news anchors spoke in tense voices about a possible terrorist attack and multiple explosions and fatalities. No-one seemed to know who'd been attacked, who'd done the attacking, or why. There were some interviews with students and other witnesses. A few sounded frightened, but most seemed ok.

Michael knew he was the only one left. And he was getting the fuck out of here. He wasn't a field man, he was an analyst for fuck sake. He should never have been brought along in the first place.

With the last of his things in the bag he zipped it up and hurried from his room and to the lift. A few minutes later he was in the underground parking. He picked a car at random and used magic to open the door. He tossed his duffel onto the passenger seat, then slipped in behind the wheel. With another little push of magic, the engine started up.

His hands were still shaking, but Michael forced himself to stay calm as he pulled out of the lot and left the hotel.

Traffic was a nightmare, the main highways were all closed, but the car's GPS helped him find an alternate route. He was soon on his way back to the Toronto airport. He was getting the fuck out of this country, and back home where he'd be safe.

• • • • •

Several hours later Michael was finally starting to calm down. He finished his third gin and tonic as he relaxed in his first-class seat. It was midnight now, and the plane was out over the Atlantic. He'd be landing at Heathrow in the morning, and an hour or so after that he'd be safe at home.

After the nightmare this afternoon, he was relieved to have some quiet time. The seat next to him was mercifully empty so there was no annoying seat-mate to deal with.

He set the empty cup down on the tray in front of him, and pondered whether or not to buzz the stewardess for another. He was still a little on edge, so maybe...

Before he could make the decision, someone quietly approached down the aisle and slipped into the seat next to him.

Michael frowned, about to tell whoever it was they had the wrong row. His heart skipped a beat when he realized who had joined him.

The small blonde cultist had appeared almost friendly and playful in the surveillance pictures. Now she just looked dangerous. Her eyes seemed cold, dark, almost dead. The flesh around them was red and puffy, she'd clearly been crying. Right now though, she seemed emotionless.

Her outfit bore several tears and rips, many of which were surrounded by stains that must have been blood. She looked like she'd boarded the plane straight after surviving a car wreck. Michael thought back to the TV news images and realized that might well have been the case.

Except there was no way this girl could be here. Unless the cultists' goddess sent her? But why? This girl wasn't physically threatening. Of course, if their goddess sent the girl here with magic, the goddess could just as easily reach him too.

Cindy spoke first, before Michael had a chance to get his own thoughts in order. Her voice was cold, quiet, dangerous, just like her eyes. It sent a chill through him. "Where is Zoe? Did you guys take her?"

Michael gulped. "I don't know. I wasn't there..."

"You were part of the team." Cindy stated. "What aren't you telling me?"

His mind raced. He didn't want to use the death spell and wind up next to a corpse for the rest of the flight. Instead he tried the sleep spell. He could just keep doing that for the rest of the flight, then when the plane landed he could use the death spell before he disembarked.

He worked the spell, he felt the magic, yet the blonde didn't even flinch. It was as if she was immune somehow, but he'd never heard of that before.

She must have known what he'd attempted, because she just shook her head slightly and in a cold, threatening voice said "Don't try that again. Now answer my question!"

Michael gulped once more, his heart racing. He replied quietly, "There was a package from London. A collar. They didn't tell us what it did."

"What else?!" the girl demanded, anger flashing across her face. "What was it for?!"

"They said to put it on one of you. They didn't care who... Anyone but the priestess or vessel," he replied nervously. "They said it had to be done at any cost. I swear that's all I know!"

Cindy looked up at him, calm and cold again. Her mood shifts were keeping him off-balance. He wasn't sure if she was doing that intentionally to intimidate him, or if she was simply unstable.

As she stared into his eyes, she asked "So she might be alive? What's your analysis, Mr. Analyst?"

"I don't know." He shook his head. "They needed information, so maybe it was to get information out of her? They don't tell us everything. Just enough to do our jobs. I swear, that's all I know!"

"I can't find her with magic," the blonde stated. "It's like she's completely vanished. Or does that mean she's dead?"

Michael hesitated. "If she was dead and there was a body, you should be able to see that. If there's no body though... I don't know. I'm sorry."

The teen was quiet for a few moments, frowning now as she stared downwards.

He gulped, then asked "What are you going to do with me?"

Cindy looked up at him again. "The others want you alive. Our Goddess wants to take your mind apart, piece by piece, incase you know anything else that might help Her."

Fuck! Michael was trying not to let on how scared he was. He knew what gods could do, he'd been taught like the rest of the Brotherhood. His hands were shaking now, as he thought about ordering another drink or two.

"I swear that's all I know. I wish I could help you find your friend but... I'm sorry. I've told you everything."

Cindy shook her head slowly. The cold look was back in her eyes again, and in her voice too when she spoke. "Then there's nothing more you can do for me."

Michael felt a buzz of magic, then for a split second he was looking at the plane from the outside. Then there was just wind, cold, pain, and then nothing.

=:= Nicole =:=

"Nikki, she's out of control." Samantha whispered. "She killed four people, blew up two cars, and obliterated part of a major highway..."

"I know," Nicole sighed. "She didn't hurt any bystanders though. The only innocent death was the school's principal, and he was killed by the Brotherhood."

It was about two o'clock in the morning, and they were curled up together on the sofa. They had a small fire burning in the fireplace. The others were all asleep, Jess and Kara in their room and Ciara in the guest room.

They didn't know where Cindy was at the moment. She hadn't returned home after tracking the analyst down on his flight back to the UK.

"What are we going to do about her?" Sam asked softly.

Nikki shook her head slowly. "I don't know, hun. You know she's distraught about losing Zoe. But in a single day she's eliminated the Brotherhood here in Canada. Even if the way she did it wasn't exactly subtle."

It had been all over the news, on every channel. The amazing thing was in all the chaos and panic, not a single video clip had surfaced that actually showed magic. There were a few witnesses who spoke of seeing an angry-looking blonde teen throwing fire around, or suddenly appearing or disappearing.

Those claims were easily dismissed though. People saw all sorts of strange things in times of stress and fear. Cars were exploding, people were running around. Nobody seriously believed the handful of witnesses who claimed something supernatural had taken place.

Authorities meanwhile were trying to piece together a mundane explanation for the day's events. After the stress of the past month, Nikki didn't really care anymore how it played out. As long as nothing led back to the coven and their families, she was happy.

"What does the Goddess think of all this?" Sam asked softly.

Nikki shrugged. "I don't know. She's been quiet again."

Samantha hesitated, then asked "Do you think She'll be upset? I mean, She wanted that analyst guy alive, and Cindy killed him anyways."

"I said I don't know, hun." Nikki sighed. "Maybe She's feeling the same as the rest of us, just glad it's over for now. I'm sure we'll hear more from Her soon."

They were both quiet for a few minutes, staring at the flickering light from the fireplace.

Sam finally commented, "I hope Maria's girls are going to be ok."

Nicole nodded, "Me too."

The three young witches were feeling awful about Zoe. Ashley was blaming herself, she was the one who asked the catgirl to come and help them. They were all second-guessing how things played out, thinking they shouldn't have left Zoe behind when they fled.

And Maria was dealing with Jenny and Beth after the ordeal at school, trying to explain to them what happened, and why.

Eventually Nikki whispered, "We should get some sleep, hun. This is over for now, but you know it's not finished. There's more of those guys in Europe, and they'll probably try again someday."

"I know," Sam sighed. "You're right, love. Let's go to bed."

=:= Richard =:=

He and Nathan were in the hallway, in the cellar beneath the Brotherhood's headquarters. Before them was a heavily reinforced door with a small window in it, which opened onto one of their holding cells. The cell was warded, and was sturdy enough to contain most demons and other non-human subjects.

After a glance through the window, Richard scowled at his subordinate.

"The order was to secure one of the cultists, Nathan. Not some random nobody. Who is this person?"

Nathan was holding a report in his hand, his eyes flicked back and forth over the document.

"We ran his prints and photo. His name is Danny Jacobson, age twenty-three. A factory worker from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He went missing in June of last year."

Richard looked through the window again. The cell was small, six feet by eight feet. There was a single cot bolted to the wall on the left, a combination sink-toilet was bolted down in the corner on the far right, and light was provided by a reinforced fixture in the ceiling.

Laying on the cot was a young man. His height appeared to be about five-foot-nine, and he probably weighed around a hundred and sixty pounds. He had scruffy brown hair and brown eyes, and a rather unremarkable face.

He'd been issued a plain white t-shirt and grey track pants, and his feet were bare. Alexander's iron collar was secure around the young man's neck.

He was positioned on the cot so he could watch the door, and he could see Richard looking in through the window. His eyes met Richard's, and the young man raised up his right hand, middle finger extended.

Richard scowled, and turned toward his subordinate again. "Why is he here, Nathan?"

The UK controller replied, "Until Christopher put that collar on him, this young man was known to us as Zoe Zaitsev, our cat-girl abomination. One of the cultists, after all."

Despite himself, Richard felt his lips curl into a smile. "So your men in Canada did something right after all. Well done, Nathan."

Nathan frowned, "We haven't had any luck using our normal methods of extracting information..."

"No, you wouldn't," Richard shook his head. "In addition to bringing him here, that collar negates any and all magic. Obviously it drained and dispelled any magic already done to him or protecting him. It will also neutralize any magic directed at him now. So no mind-reading or control spells, I'm afraid. The good news is, it also blocks his friends from finding him. Neither divination nor clairvoyance will get through. He simply doesn't exist, as far as they know."

Nathan looked impressed. After a few moments though, he frowned. "I suppose when we take the collar off so we can work with him, that will allow the other cultists find him."

"They might find his body," Richard shrugged. "Only way to get it off is to kill him. The collar will not release as long as the wearer is alive."

After a pause, he added "Still, there are other ways to get what we want. The manual methods may be slow and messy, but they do still work."

Nathan nodded, "Of course. I'll get someone on it at once, sir."

"No," Richard stated. "I'm taking the lead on this now, Nathan. After the failure in Canada, Alexander has taken a personal interest in the situation."

He watched the colour drain from Nathan's face. Good. The operation in Canada had been a catastrophe. Nathan's men failed in almost every way imaginable, and the UK controller was lucky he hadn't been summoned to explain himself to Alexander in person.

"I'll let you know when we're ready to send another team to Canada." Richard stated. "Until then, dismissed."

PurpleCatGirl

Sorry that was such a rough chapter. It was honestly one of the hardest things I've ever written. Please stay tuned, things will get better again.

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