Chapter 44 - A Little Too Much

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Damian slid his hand down Jane's shoulder as she broke their embrace and stepped through the door to the High Witches Council with Julie. He felt so useless it was killing him. And to make things worse, they were leaving him alone with that thing wearing his dead sister's face. The door was there and they already went through, so the spell worked. Why was she still here? He could see her through the corner of his eyes. The entity just stood there staring in front of it… expressionless. So still and unmoving. If he didn't know better, he could swear she was a statue. Cold and creepy. Perfect! Now she not only made him angry with her appearance, but his skin was crawling too.

He turned towards her with the intention of asking her why she was still here when the door behind him opened again. Jane and Julie stepped out with a look that he couldn't exactly put his finger on. Confused, disappointed, shocked? 'What happened? It didn't work?', Damian asked. They came out as soon as they went in, so something had to have gone wrong. Jane didn't say a word and just zoomed past Damian and down the stairs. He turned to Julie and she was looking at the entity as well. 'Why is she still here?'

'I've been wondering the same thing, but Julie, what happened? Why are you back so soon?'

'Soon?', Julie frowned, 'it felt like an hour at least. They were wasting our time talking about God knows what amongst themselves and then they said they would help us, but only when the time was right. Then they told us to go home quickly because we needed to be back here… but for what?'

'Grams isn't waking up', Jane returned. Her eyes were fixed in a state of panic and tears were streaming down her face. 'No-', she said shaking her head at the others' unspoken question, 'She's not dead, but she's isn't reacting to anything. I don't know what to do… I j-just don't k-know…'

'There's nothing you can do'

Damian growled at the entity's words. So that's why she was still here. Julie caught on quick as well. 'Grams? You're here for our grandmother?!', she screamed the last bit.

'A reaper… we've summoned a reaper', Damian said, the energy in his hands visualizing; fire this time, not ice. Julie dived for the circle and ran a hand across the connecting lines. 'GO AWAY', she screamed, 'Go AWAY!'

The entity looked up from the now disconnected lines of the summoning circle and disappeared. Jane wasn't aware she was holding her breath until a heavy sigh came out the minute it disappeared. She turned around to return to Rosalie's side and realized she was relieved too soon; the entity was standing in the doorway.

'Breaking the circle only allowed me to come and go as I please. Trust me when I tell you this isn't something you can do anything about. Whether it happens in 2 minutes or 10 days… it will happen. The sooner you come to terms with it, the better…' and then she disappeared again.

'The hell it will', Jane said getting Rosalie's spell book from the bottom shelf. 'We are not losing anyone anymore!'

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The entity took up residency in Rosalie's bedroom. Sitting quietly and unmoving in the corner armchair from where she watched the twins as they came in every 5-10 minutes to check on their grandmother and change the wet towel. They'd exhausted every possible spell to get the entity to leave, but none of them seemed to work. Damian was on the phone calling all his family's allies to see if they knew of a way to get rid of a reaper, but one after the other they  told him the same thing. There is no way to expel a reaper. They are neither good nor bad and only leave after they've fulfilled their job. Despite hearing this he kept calling, hoping someone would tell him differently.

It was getting on their nerves whenever the twins entered the room to check on Rosalie and the entity felt it was doing so. She took it upon herself to become invisible whenever they entered and only reappeared when they left. In doing so she wanted to show them she wasn't their enemy… but that didn't make the unpleasant truth any more pleasant. Their grandmother was going to die and there wasn't a thing they could do about it.

'Your intrusion to my bedroom is kind of pissing me off'

'It can't be helped, Rose, I'm free from the confines of the circle, but I still can't leave the house even if the girls don't know that. I didn't realize you were awake'

Rosalie turned her head to the side and looked at the entity for the first time, having only felt its presence. 'I see they made you wear my granddaughter's face. No wonder Damian's aura is suffocating this place'

'I –am- your granddaughter, Rose'

'Having her thoughts and memories doesn't make you her. I know about you reapers… my sister told me who hers looked like before she died. I realized way back then that you change your appearance to sooth the one crossing over', Rosalie looked back up towards the ceiling. 'So this is real isn't it? My time is really up'

It was more of a statement than a question really, but the entity nodded. 'It is, yes. You –are– one of the strongest witches alive Rosalie, but you especially, given your talent, know that you can't prevent the things fate has set in motion from happening. You're worried about the girls which is only natural, but they won't really grow into their full potential and be independent if they have you to fall back on. They cling onto you too tightly'

Rosalie knew the entity was right, but she had such plans for the future. Working the girls further into magic; teaching them new things and laugh as they failed trying. Hearing the pitter patter of little feet again after so long. That child was going to be a handful, she could feel it. Rosalie had been looking forward to that child more than Jane and Damian… but it all seemed so much further away now. Like a dream that is right in front of you, but when you reach for it you never seem to be able to grab it.

'Was it the summoning that did me in?', Rosalie wanted to know. The entity shook its head. 'No, but it did hasten it. I've been hovering around you ever since the girls went to Belladonna Cove to search for the keeper of prophecies'

'Were you the one that took them too? Jean and Rinka?'

'No, it was another'

'How long before you take me?'

'It's your choice whether I take you at all'

Rosalie turned around and frowned at the entity. If it was her choice, what in the hell would make her want to go at all. If she refused to go, would she stay alive?

'No-', the entity answered, reading her thoughts through her eyes, ' you are still going to die Rose. I can take you now and it'll be painless and quick, for the longer you wait, the weaker you will get and it will start to hurt. You won't be able to leave the bed as it gets worse and one by one your internal organs will start to shut down. It will be a long and slow process which, true, will give you more time with the girls, but the pain… it is not worth it, Rose. You do not want them to remember you like that'

'How long do I have to make my choice?'

'I can delay for maybe a week or two… that's when you'll start getting weaker. I must warn you though should you refuse me entirely. In the final hour when you do die there will be no one waiting for you and your spirit will be trapped here; roaming this house. It might not seem like a bad thing at this moment and it won't be…. for a while. But in the long term it will be unbearable and that's when spirits lose it. They become restless and angry and the haunting begins. Your restlessness will bring discomfort and fear into your family's lives'

'If I stay…'

'Believe me, you will not want to—'

'-IF- I stay', Rosalie started again interrupting the entity. She had already heard what was going to happen. She didn't need to hear it twice. '-will I see Jane's child born before I die?'

'No... Her pregnancy is progressing much faster than usual, but not enough for you to be present when she gives birth'

Rosalie sighed and closed her eyes. 'Rose…'

'Please', Rosalie held up her hand, 'I want to be alone right now'

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Rosetta Estate

Iden's Residence

Marina ruffled through the pages of the old books Iden had dropped on the table. The pages were old and yellow and very fragile. The text on some of them had even faded away with time. The ones referring to all this mate business were luckily still intact… not that they told her much. Iden's name written on the first page told her this was one of his diaries. In it he wrote about what the medicine man had told him about mates. About women born to bring back balance to the world because of their own vampiric state that made them live longer. These women were branded with the ability to keep the beastly part of their state peaceful and subdued which included the savage hunger. Finding a mate would be the most difficult thing imaginable since there is nothing -visible- to indicate or recognize the woman as such. There are two known, but difficult,  ways of recognizing a mate: -1- The vampire and the woman will have an inexplicable pull towards one another. But it is hardly distinguishable from the pull of the hunger need, so very easily overlooked and blamed on the bloodlust. And -2- The blood of the woman will be poisonous to EVERY vampire. Difficult to sense because one cannot tell through the skin. The person has to be bitten (lethal), bled or hurt to be able to test the theory. If bitten, the mate will kill her vampire before even being recognized as a mate.

If by lucky chance the mate is found, the poisonous blood can be reverted into regular blood by ways of a blood ritual during and after the claiming. There is no telling when such a mate is or will be born and could be after a hundred or even thousands of  years.

'Get your hands off me!'

A commotion outside the door made Marina look up from the diary. She knew that voice. How did she manage to find this place? Even Marina herself didn't know where this place was. Marina got up and ran to the door only to have it smack open before she could touch it and Binny spilling inside.

She muttered a few words, but Iden waived them away. 'If you throw another hex at me I will no longer see the use in you' He looked over at Marina as she shushed Binny telling her he wasn't joking. 'Here I am searching for a witch and lo and behold, you bring along your own', Iden addressed Marina.

'How are you this late afternoon?'

'Better…', Marina answered a bit short. He was Raven's brother and already proved he wasn't going to hurt her, but her trust wasn't something he was going to get anytime soon.

Iden sensed her discomfort and decided maybe this wasn't the time. 'I see we have interrupted your reading. I shan't keep you any longer', he made a polite bow and turned to Binny. 'If you know what is good for you, I suggest you keep to this part of the mansion. No one will enter here on the threat of death. Step out and I cannot guarantee your safety…. Not that I want to right now', he threw over his shoulder when he closed the door.

The minute the door closed Binny jumped up and hugged Marina. 'I didn't know what to think. Are you okay? No one called to say you were okay; I've been worried sick!'

'I'm fine! This was just an extreme way of Iden trying to get Raven here. He knew he wouldn't come otherwise… Which reminds me, how did you get here?'

'I put a binding spell on Chase. He was going to leave me behind like Raven did and I wasn't going to let that happen. This way he couldn't go anywhere without me. I didn't realize we were going into a pit of vampires, although I should’ve known. Who was that douche bag?'

'That was Iden. He's Raven's brother and also the leader of the vampire clan. He doesn't make empty threats, so be careful'

'That was the leader of the vampires? I feel dizzy all of the sudden. Can we go home now?'

'I can't…'

'What do you mean? Are they holding you prisoner? I can call for help if…'

'No, nothing like that. What I meant was… I don't want to'

Lubinnia looked at her like her head had just sprouted mushrooms. 'I think I need to sit down… why? What on earth would make you want to stay with them? Apart from the obvious Raven'

'He's the main reason I have… want to stay! There's this thing called a 'mate'. Apparently it's quite the phenomenon in their world and, well, turns out I'm Raven's'

Apparently her head sprouted more mushrooms, because Binny kept staring at her. 'Well, aren't you going to say anything?'

'Yeah, sure. Bullshit! That's all romantic and everything, but don't you think it sounds a bit, I don't know, insane? Your destined mate is a vampire; a hungry vampire at that. Yes, I know what the red eyes mean now. Marina, I don't know how to explain it, but the way I feel right now and looking at him, my mind is screaming that he might attack you at any minute'

'He won't—'

'But how can you be certain?'

'Because my blood is poisonous to him at the moment'

'Okay, it's reassuring that you're protected, but it only means that he can attack anyone else then'

'That's why I have to stay and accept the role of his mate. So that he doesn't need to attack people. After the ritual, my blood won't be poisonous anymore and…'

'And and what? You can feed him? Are you even listening to yourself? Do you seriously expect me to be okay with this?'

'I'm not asking you to be okay with it. I'm simply telling you what needs to be done'

'What needs to be done is you need to get the hell away from them. I don't like the idea of sacrifice, but I wouldn't mind if he fed off someone else that isn't YOU'

'That's not going to happen, because I want to do it'

'Marina…'

'BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, OKAY! Why are you the only one that can't see that?'

'What?'

'You heard me…'

'Why?'

'What kind of a question is that? You know we don't choose who we fall in love with. So, yes, I'm in love with a vampire, but if in doing so I can keep even a handful of people safe from him, what's wrong with that?'

Lubinnia looked the other way. This was taking a whole other turn than she thought it would. Marina was staying here willingly in the midst of danger and wasn't really listening anymore. It didn't matter how much she argued, it looked like Marina made up her mind. Her best friend was going to give herself to a vampire who for all she knew could kill her. Not intentionally, but still possible.

'What… uhm, what did that leader mean about needing a witch?'

Marina sighed. 'A witch needs to do the mating ritual so that it lifts the poisoned blood. I know how you feel about it, but believe me when I tell you I love him. And I promise you I'm not going into this blindly. I've had almost an entire day to think about it. I asked the questions I needed answers to. It won't help my case, but I'm going to be the first mate and there isn't much known about it than what's written. I need your help Binny. Will you do this? The ritual? It's something I really want…'

'So you don't know the risks involved? If it has consequences or changes or anything? You're right, that didn't help your case at all. And no, I will not do the ritual'

Lubinnia got up and closed the door behind her, leaving Marina with an empty feeling in her stomach. She expected Binny to argue and fuss at first, but the refusal, even after she explained, stung like crazy. They could get another witch to perform the ritual, but would she and Lubinnia ever get past this?

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Chapter 43 - High Witches Council

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*Note*

- I was having trouble with the High Witches Council's chapter. The sims I made weren't showing up in-game. I decided to use others, but then other things went wrong. It went downhill from there and I lost interest. Frustrating me so much, I scratched and skipped it completely. Then I reevaluated and, after a LOOOOONG hiatus, decided to just post it un-pictured.

-----------------------------

As soon as they entered the door closed behind them. Julie turned around and was shocked to see it had disappeared entirely. There was no way out of this place. 'Maybe Damian wasn't wrong to be worried', Jane thought, taking in their surroundings. They appeared to be standing on a round platform in the sky. The whole scene oozed serenity and calm. With the forest sounds and clouds surrounding them accompanied by a soft breeze. If they didn't know better, they'd think they died and gone to heaven. No wonder the council was hard to find…

'Hello?'

'Is there anyone here?', Julie whispered. She had no idea why she was whispering, but it was like the area called for soft voices. 'We came here to ask for help. Something big is happening, but we don't know what. Please, is there anyone h—'

'Welcome, Jane and Julie, daughters of Allen', a voice floated on the wind. 'I am Mica'

A woman materialized out of nowhere. She had a short hairdo that seemed to enhance her features perfectly. Her dress was pure white and almost merged with the floor. The cloud carpet made it seem as if she was floating. 'I represent the present. What can I do for you?'

'Our cousin asked us to contact you about what's happening. If you can help us in this coming war'

'The war between the vampires and the hunters? You're witches… You should stay out of it'

'We can't! Both of them are after our family, because of some stupid prophecy. They're after our cousin'

'I'm aware of the prophecy, but it still has nothing to do with…'

'They already killed one of them!', Julie burst out, 'A witch! So don't stand there and tell me it has nothing to do with the witches! She told us to look for you just before she died and you're saying you want nothing to do with this?'

'Your cousin made a choice of which she knew the outcome. She has even told you why. Yes, I know more than you know. One deceased witch does not send all of them into a battle between vampires and Hunters---'

'Future has changed, Mica' Another woman materialized. This one had long curls in her dark hair and the same chocolate brown skin as Mica. 'Victoria – of the future, at your service', she nodded at the twins and walked over to whisper in Mica's ear. 'The future that was seen included their cousin. She made a different decision this time around and it resulted in her death. We need to revisit the present occurrences to see the future outcome'

'We're not asking you to send an army into battle, just to help us save our cousin, also a WITCH, from suffering the same fate. What is going on here? We're running out of time!'

'Silence Julie, daughter of Allen'

Mica and Victoria hushed as well and took a step back. Right next to them the third and final council member appeared. A woman with pure white hair that was so long it flowed over into her white dress. 'Karima - of the past, at your service', she introduced herself and continued. 'The change in the matter has already been brought to our attention and now requires a moment of thought'

Her face suggested a young woman, late twenties, but her manner of speaking and calmness showed maturity.

'I understand you are worried about your cousin Marina, but there has been a change in the foreseen future. It seems your deceased cousin Rinka made a different choice this time around and changed the outcome.  The present is now filling in the holes she left. Since we represent the past, the present and the future, my sisters and I will need to revisit all we know and see if us helping you brings it all back to the way it was. You will see us, but you won't be able to hear a word, because it includes your future as well. Please, have a seat', Karima said, waving her hand and a couch appeared. The trio didn't give the twins time to respond and floated off to the other side.

Jane watched them; their ethereal beauty and mystery and the elegant way in which they moved. They looked exactly like a child would imagine an angel only without wings. So serene… and yet intimidating. These were the leaders of the witch community, so in the back of your mind you're always reminded of how crazy powerful they had to be. Julie must've felt the same way, because she just sat down without protest. Or maybe she realized that pushing the council could just turn them from helping.

'I didn't ask before, but how is it they know a war is coming?', Mica wanted to know. She knew about everything that was happening in the present, and that nothing was indicated in their direction. 'Surely they're not blindly following what their cousin said?'

'Jane and Julie, daughters of Allen. One can see the future and the other the past. They can feel a lot of things, even if they can't explain them at the time. The gifts of time are born to them, Mica', Karima answered watching the twins take a seat.

Mica's mouth fell open slightly as the words sank in. She'd been following their process like any other witch in the present without really seeing, but now hearing what Karima said opened her eyes completely.

'Council members, Karima? They're the future council members to take over from us?'

'Yes. They are the twins Victoria saw a few years ago. They were only toddlers then and we couldn't figure out what their significance was at the time, but it's quite obvious now. The new council members have been born into one family this time. There is another, but her powers are dormant'

'Though a great honor, this gift is tiring and the responsibility far too great… will they be able to handle it, Karima?'

'None of us knew what we were getting ourselves into going into this. We all struggle with it at first, but we'll worry about them when the time comes. Let us discuss the pressing matter at hand. Victoria, if you'd please'

Victoria nodded and with a wave of her hand one by one ghostly figures appeared in their circle as she named them. 'The vampire…' A long haired male appeared; his hair tied back in a messy ponytail. He looked young, but important. 'The witch…' A woman appeared this time. She had a short haircut that framed her features perfectly. 'The hunter…' A second woman appeared. Very sophisticatedly dressed, looking both elegant and mysterious at the same time. There was something unsettling about her making Karima frown. She zoned out and searched the past for references.

'So the fight is between the 3 of them?', Mica asked Victoria, giving Karima the time she needed.

'Not really. The fight is between the vampires and the hunters. The witch, Valerie Prescott, is the bedmate of the vampire. Her current position in his life will most likely convince her to aid him. Her being a witch is where we're linked to all of this. Not to mention that vampire's half-brother is romantically involved with the twins' cousin Marina, also an indirect cause of this war'

'How so?'

'The prophecy. She's the one destined to aid the vampires. The hunters will be at a disadvantage if they are to fully mate. She would give strength to the founding vampire's bloodline; the Elite bloodline'

'I see… so eliminating this Marina should be the right solution, to not give the vampires the advantage'

'No, I'm afraid not. Not only is she the other council member Karima spoke of, the one with the dormant powers, but eliminating her could make it a lot worse. It could bring innocents into this mess, humans! The one she is tied to, the Elite Raven, would go on another Rampage. Remember New Orleans?'

'How could I forget?! We lost 80 people that night… Didn't Ivory, the previous past-dweller try to change that event?'

'She did. Several times in fact. The outcome was always the same'

'The huntress then! If she is out of the equation, there's no one to fight and…'

'And it would give the vampires free reign to feed on all'

'Yes, but we can always promote another one in her place. Easily fixed'

'You can't kill the huntress'

Both Mica and Victoria looked at Karima, returned from her trance and Mica laughed. 'That's funny coming from you. Why shouldn't we be able to kill the hun---' She stopped abruptly when she saw Karima's annoyed face and turned her head towards the hunter's ghostly silhouette. 'No… Isis?', she spat out with disbelieve.

'She goes by the name of Lillian now. And… now we know where she's been all this time'

'But then it's a losing battle, Karima. Isis---Lillian is immortal', Victoria said, circling the hunter's silhouette. 'Sending witches into this will only make the death count bigger. I say we just let the vampires and the hunters cancel each other out like before'

'I agree, Karima. The twins of Allen coming to us for help is for their own personal cause. They want to take revenge on the vampires for killing their cousin. I'm searching for a reason to help them, but I'm coming up short every time. We shouldn't intervene…'

'They don't know that it was the vampires that reached their cousin first. They want revenge, that's true, but not on a specific side'

'Should we tell them?'

'No, their cousin didn't so we won't either. If that knowledge reaches them and by chance the vampires survive, the next war will be between the vampires and the witches. More innocents will die then'

'So what do we do? If it comes down to a vote, we're already two against'

Karima looked at the silhouettes and back at the twins. 'If we don't do anything and leave it as it is now, what is the damage?'

Together with Mica, Victoria gazed into the future immediately after the war and came up with 1700 dead, including 400 bystanders… humans. 'And if we do help?', Karima asked.

'Almost the same number, minus 200', Mica answered.

'Then we help'

'Karima…'

'We're not helping the twins with their personal reasons, we're helping innocents. That's our job, that's why we're here'

'We're here to keep the magic community under control', Victoria corrected her.

'Would you carry the death of 200 people on your conscience? Only because most of them weren't magical?', Karima raged.

Victoria seemed unmoved by Karima's reasoning, but Mica was looking at it differently now. The vote now stood at one against and one for. Mica would have the decision in her hands.

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'What are they talking about? And are those ghosts between them?', Julie whispered.

'I don't know, but I'm tired of waiting. If they don't want to help, fine, but they're wasting our time keeping us here. We could've come up with our own remedies by now', Jane got up from the lounge, planning to find a way out of here, when the silencing veil lifted and the trio approached them once more.

'We have decided'

Chapter 42 - Communication

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'Surely they're not expecting you to go in today?', Jane protested, when Damian received a text from one of the secretaries at the auction house, 'We've just laid them to rest. The auction house can wait for another day or two'

'It's also about me, Jane', Damian took both her hands in his and placed a kiss on them,' If I sit here and do nothing, I'll drown in my misery'

'If you go to work, you'll drown yourself in there too, and that's worse'

Damian couldn't help but smile at how right she was. He had indeed planned on working to keep his mind off of the pain and loss. 'I need a distraction, Jane'

'I'll be your distraction!, 'Jane said turning his face towards her. She felt his hand caress her stomach, 'Both of us… You need a bit of time to yourself, alright?'. 'Alright', he sighed, then kissed her long and deep. 'I love you Jane, I mean it. Get used to me saying it, because I will do so every day;  just so you don't forget'

'I won't forget', Jane caressed his face. 'All the same, I'll still tell you', he smiled, 'I'll approve some documents per mail and tell Vanessa to close the auction house for the next few days… then I'm all yours'

'Okay, but don't be long'

'I won't'

Jane went downstairs to make them something to eat 'cause their baby was starving. From upstairs Damian could hear her rummaging through his kitchen cabinets. It took an entire day to clean up his rampage, but everything was back in place again. His laptop's battery was dead, so he had to use the computer downstairs. There were 30 messages waiting for him. Some from the auction house, others labeled with condolences. He wrote a letter to the overall manager about keeping the auction house closed for a bit longer and gave a 'go for it' on various request. Bundling all the condolences emails together, he replied with a simple thank you for their sympathies. What more did they expect him to say?

After all that was done, he leaned back in his chair and stared at the screen. There were a few emails from Rinka at the bottom. Ones he knew now he would never delete… Moving his mouse over to the screen to sign out, a new message popped up in his inbox and he froze. It was a mail from Rinka send to his box today at this very moment. He called for Jane; screamed actually and she hurried from the kitchen with a glass of orange juice in her hand. 'What is it? What happened?', she said stopping right next to him. She swallowed hard when she read the date of the mail; wondering how it was possible. Then it came to her that you could sent mails at a later date. Her coworker Kaite taught her. She watched Damian as he continued staring at the screen and leaned over to open the mail for him. There was a video attached to it—

'Hey D, and Jane, thank you for opening the mail for him. I had this vision, so I know that he wouldn't. Oh Deeeeeee', she squealed, stretching the first letter of his name, 'I know the good news and I promise I didn't see what happened before you found out. You guys were naked and sleeping under the covers, so I can guess, but I'm glad my vision skipped that part. Isn't it wonderful??? YOU, a daddy! And I remember you doubting my vision,' Rinka stuck her nose in the air and turned her head, 'Okay, sure I said Julie, because I didn't know she was a twin, but still, I was right!'

'Rinka?'

'Mom! Come say hi to D and Jane'

Damian squeezed Jane's hand tighter when his mother came into view. 'Are you video chatting with him? Where is he?'

'No, it's not a chat, I'm recording something for him- oh and mom, Jane is PREGNANT', she squealed again.

'What?', Jean frowned, 'I'm going to be a grandmother? I'm too young to be a grandmother'

'No you're not mom, only your appearance is—what are you doing?'

'Isn't it obvious? I'm calling him. Congratulations are still a thing, Rin'

'No, don't! He doesn't know. I saw it in a vision, that's why I'm making him a video. I'll schedule it to be send AFTER he finds out'

'Oh, well in that case', Jean leaned into the camera, 'Damian, honey, congratulations and thanks a lot for making me a young grandma'

'Jane's gonna be there too', Rinka chipped in.

'Okay, Jane, darling! You have no idea how happy I am that you're in his life. I couldn't have wished for better. He's smiling all the time now and there isn't a day he doesn't mention you at least once. If I wasn't sure you were a witch, I know it now. You've positively bewitched my son'

Jane's eyes filled at the sentiment and she smiled at the screen.

'And now you're giving him the most precious gift there is. You have no idea how happy you have both made me. I love you guys!', Jean blew a kiss to the screen and then moved out of view. 'I'm gonna start on dinner Rin, so finish your video and come down'

Rinka, like Jane, was equally touched by her mother's words and just nodded. A soon as the door closed, she turned her head back to the screen. Wiping a tear of her cheek she smiled and tilted her head a bit to the left.

That's the Rinka they knew, Jane thought as she wiped away tears of her own. But Rinka's cute smile vanished after that and her face turned very serious.

'D…', her voice faltered, 'I'm sorry'

She turned her head and her body shuddered as she fought of more tears. 'I didn't make this video to congratulate you on the happy news, because I know that's not how you're feeling right now. If you're watching this, it means I'm no longer with you'

Damian got up immediately and walked towards entrance hall; looking out the front-door. He couldn't bring up the strength to watch the next part. Listening would be hard enough, but her tears have always been too much for him. Jane sat down on the chair he had previously occupied as Rinka continued.

'I know what you're thinking D- If I knew this was going to happen, why didn't I do anything to prevent it or leave… I thought about it D, I really did. Even to call you so that we'd be stronger together. But in the end I knew it would hurt more people if I saved myself and that's something I couldn't live with- I'm sorry. I know I should've talked to you sooner, but I also knew you wouldn't let me do what was necessary, so I didn't. You love me too much to see it that the choice I've made was the right thing to do.

'Who killed you Rin?', Damian whispered.

'You know I won't tell you that. It'll cloud your judgment in a situation that has nothing to do with my killers. Know that my death was a product of this coming war and that, you, helping to stop it will give me peace. That's all you need to know…

Jane… Seek out the High Witches Council. They can help you greatly', Rinka sighed and reacted to her mother calling her from outside her door.

'I love you both so much and I'll never stop doing so. Take care of my brother Jane and of course my little one', she smiled one last time and winked before turning off the camera.

--------------------

'High Witches Council, that's what she said, yes'

'I've never heard of such a thing', Julie frowned.

'That's because you can't summon the High Witches Council', Rosalie said. 'They're the witches with ancient time-magic. Basically the caretakers of magic all over. Their magic is so strong and powerful that it is greatly desired. To protect themselves, they've created an alternative plane to live on; One that no one can access'

'We still have to try Grams! If they're so difficult to find, why would she mention it?'

'You have to draw a door and recite the summoning spell to take you to the other plane. The problem lies in the fact that none of us can say the spell… only a ghost can'

'A ghost? A real ghost? Why?'

'Because they aren't tied to this place anymore', Damian answered getting up. 'We'll have to summon a ghost then'

'Wait, isn't summoning a ghost or spirit dark magic?, Jane asked looking at Rosalie.

'It has a notorious reputation, but it's not dark magic. More along the lines of dangerous magic. The user needs to have a great deal of magical power to be able to pull it off, because it drains you to an inch of your life. A lot of ignorant witches have died not heeding the warning and right now neither of you is strong enough to pull it off. Damian, maybe, but I won't take that change. With all of you together, you might be, but Jane, you might lose the child'

Jane's hand lifted up towards her stomach in reflex and Damian followed her movement. 'No…', he whispered and shook his head. 'NO!', he said firmly. This was important, but so was his child. They could have others, but this was a human being and he wasn't going to sacrifice an innocent child for the greater good. 'I'm not going to sacrifice… no!'

'Easy Damian, no one is suggesting we sacrifice anyone. It's just a mention of the risk involved if she does it. But no need; I'll do it!', Rosalie said.

'But Grams, are you sure you're strong enough?', Jane worried.

'Don't insult me child. I'm a hundred and ten years old. Been a practicing witch since I was sixteen. Surely I should have enough magic to do it', she scoffed, 'Now be a dear and put the ingredients for the summoning in the cauldron. Julie, remove the carpet over there; there's a drawn circle underneath it and Damian, can you please hand me 4 white candles. They're in the top drawer of that bookcase over there, thank you!'

'Yes, can you place them along the lines of the circle? They should form a perfect cross'

Damian did exactly as Rosalie instructed and magically lit them before helping Jane to chop the ingredients for the summoning. One after the other they were dropped into the cauldron and before long, the brew was ready.

'Okay then', Rosalie said wheeling herself to the magic circle, 'Now pour it into the circle…'

'On the floor you mean?'

'If it is done right, Julie, it shouldn't be a problem… but yes, you'll be the one cleaning it up if it isn't'

'I had a feeling', she murmured. With Jane being pregnant and unable to do the heavy housework it had fallen to her and let's just say she had a newfound respect for Jane being able to do all that. Damian helped her pour the contents of the cauldron into the circle and, to her relieve, it evaporated before even touching the floorboards; leaving nothing but a curtain of steam that rose up to the ceiling.

'I guess it worked', she whispered and Rosalie started the chant.

'Spirit on the other side

I call you forth, heed my cry

To cross the plains of worlds divine

And settle here in circle mine…'

Once… Twice… Three times. To Damian, Jane and Julie it looked as if the spell wasn't working, because nothing visible happened. But Rosalie already felt her power waning with every chant. She wasn't kidding when she said it would drain a person to the inch of their life and maybe even she underestimated it a bit. She stopped chanting abruptly and coughed. Jane was at her side immediately. 'Grams?' Rosalie tried to tell her she was fine, but another cough overwhelmed her. She wasn't fine; she was exhausted. 'S-spirit...o-on...'. 'NO!', Jane yelled, 'That is enough! Damian, can you help me carry her to her room; she needs to rest'

There was no question in Damian's mind and he didn't hesitate. He picked Rosalie up out of the wheelchair and, with Jane behind him carrying the wheelchair, carried her down the stairs. Julie stayed behind to keep an eye on the candles. A fire in the attic was the last thing they needed and there was still the issue of the twirling smoke inside the magic circle. It didn't show signs of stopping and for a minute Julie wondered what she should do. The circle drew its power from the candles, so blowing them out seemed like the best thing. The ritual couldn't be completed today, so there was no need for the circle to stay active. She blew them out one by one. It was working... The twirling smoke was steadily losing speed and practically stood still by the time she reached the last candle. There... they were all out now.

Julie turned around with the candles in hand to return them to their drawer when she felt a certain pull. It came from the circle and was getting stronger. The circle should have been deactivated, but here it was sucking her in. Julie dropped the candles and moved to the far side of the attic. Even from there she could feel the strong pull. 'What is happening? Jane!!', she yelled grabbing onto the corner table. Her feet weren't even on the ground anymore. 'Jane, HELP', she screamed as she held on for dear life. She could hear their footsteps coming up the stairs, but they stopped just outside the room. Stuff was flying around all getting sucked into the clouded mist.

'Hold on Julie, please hold on', Jane tried to enter the room, but Damian held her back. 'You'll get sucked in yourself' His feet were slipping as well and he pulled her back behind the wall. 'Damian, what are you... I have to help my sister! She'll die!'Julie screamed again and Jane looked round the corner to see her lose her grip and slide on the floor towards the circle. 'JU-LIEEEE'. Jane wrung out of Damian's hold and entered the room; sliding one foot after the other. She shielded her eyes from the splinters of a shattered drawer. 'Julieeee', she screamed and tripped over an end-table. Without anything to hold onto, even she got pulled towards the circle. Both sisters were now sliding on the floor. Damian took a firm stance and started calling on his own power. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees and powdered snow erupted from Damian's fingers in a white beam that went straight for the circle. It hit in full force only minutes before Julie reached the chalk line of the circle. It's power was greater than any of them had anticipated. The magic circle absorbed Damian's ice and exploded sending all of them flying into the closest wall.

Damian lifted his hand to the back of his head and rubbed the sore spot. Good, it wasn't bleeding. He walked over to Jane to see if she was okay. There didn't seem anything wrong other than that she was unconscious. A swooshing sound made Damian look up and as the smoke cleared in the middle of the circle, the silhouette of a woman appeared.

'Who are you? Why am I here?'

Damian just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do or to say? 'A summoning circle…' she said looking down at her feet. Taking in her surroundings she once again focused on Damian and Jane, who stirred in his arms, and asked once more why she was here. Damian helped Jane as she staggered to her feet. He froze when the silhouette became solid and he recognized her. It was Rinka…

'Rin? Is that you?'

'Rin?', the woman repeated confused. 'Oh, I see now. I have the face of someone you knew. I apologize if that upsets you'

'You're not my sister?'

'I'm afraid not. I am an entity, most commonly called spirit or ghost. We entities take the form of someone we know is known to the summoner to put them at ease. We have the necessary memories to do so, but seeing as to how I don't have any of you… you are not the summoner'

'GET OUT OF MY SISTER', Damian raged seeing SOMETHING in the embodiment of his sister.

'I apologize for not having memories to put you at ease, but I did not choose this form. We do not choose our forms. We appear as we are meant to… If you have summoned your sister and she did not appear, she is no longer on this plane and has ferried on'

Jane held onto Damian with his eyes still glued on the entity and whispered softly words in his ear to think about something else and be strong. They were doing this because Rinka asked them to. It was uncomfortable being in the same room with an entity that looked like- but wasn't Rinka with their grief still present, but they needed something of it. If it left, this would all be for nothing…

Damian clenched his fists and stepped away from Jane's hold. He swallowed hard and took a breath. He wasn't calm… very far from it and as long as that was here he wouldn't be able to. 'Can you help us?', he asked through gritted teeth.

'What is it you require of me?'

'A spell. We need… ask you to read a spell for us. It requires someone that isn't tied to the human plane', Julie cut in, having heard everything when she came to. It was hard for her as well to see Rinka when she woke up, but when her mind registered this wasn't her, she dialed her feelings down a little.

'We're summoning the High Witches Council. Can you do that?'

'I can and I shall. It has a high success rate and an even higher fail rate. If nothing happens it is not because of anything on my part. The High Witches Council can only be found if they want to be found. Let us hope they find you worthy enough and all the consequences of the summoning aren't in vain. Place the spell on the floor in front of me and draw a door on the wall'

Jane looked for the spell in the, now even more messed up attic, and Julie searched for some chalk to draw the door with. She found a small piece in a corner and drew a door big enough for a person to pass through. The entity started to slowly and articulately read the words as soon as Julie finished drawing. Afraid this summoning would be as dangerous as the last, Damian pulled both Jane and Julie out of the room and they stood in the hallway. He kept the door halfway open to still be able to see what was happening inside. If summoning a ghost was as dangerous as they just witnessed… what would summoning the leaders of the entire witch community bring with it?

Damian looked at the copy of the spell he had made prior to bringing it here and noticed there was a part of the description at the bottom that he hadn't read yet. Turns out the spell wasn't for summoning the council here, but for the door to them. He was confused about the chalk door at first, but now he knew the reason for it. He cautiously took a step back inside the room to be able to see the chalk door. With every word the entity spoke the chalk cut into the wall and little by little a real door started to appear. But other than that, the spell didn't show signs of danger and he felt it safe enough to go back inside the room.

'It is done', the entity said when Jane and Julie came in after Damian. Sure enough, there was a solid door where once a chalk one was drawn. 'That's it?', Julie asked, 'A door?'

'Just a door, yes. Summoning their door is easy. It's going through it that's the trick. If the council wants to be found, it leads to them. If not… you get that!', she answered when Damian opened the door. There was nothing on the other side, just the wall. He closed the door again. Slammed it to be more specific. 'So this was all for nothing? Trying the limit to your grandmother's power to summon a ghost. The summoning started a whirlwind that almost sucked the two of you in before exploding and sending us all flying. All for them to decide we're not worthy enough of their presence? This could not be what Rinka foresaw', Damian raged and muttered.

Jane decided to hear out the entity to see if there wasn't anything else they could try and apart from the council's willingness if there was something they missed. Damian continued pacing back and forth and Julie was fascinated by the magic of the door. She ran her fingers along the seams and silently praised the many faces of magic. It was still unbelievable there was really a door there, made of actual wood. She knocked twice to be sure it was really made of wood.  'The spell literally cut the door out of the wall', she whispered, when her hand reached the floor and she felt sawdust….and a small gust of wind.

'Did you hear that?'

The entity turned her head towards Julie in the midst of talking to Jane. 'What is it?'

Julie pressed her ear against the door and listened. 'I could swear I heard… a bird'. Before any of the others could react to that, she grabbed the doorknob and opened the door.

The sound Julie heard wasn't just a bird, but forest sounds. Birds, bees, apes; everything you would hear in the early morning when on a camping trip. Down to the flowing water of a river stream and faintly that of a waterfall. The only thing wrong with what she was hearing was what she was actually looking at. 'Jane, are you seeing this?'

'Yeah, I hear a forest, but wow…'

It was as if they were on top of the highest point of a high-rise, ready to step off the ledge… ready to fly. Clouds everywhere and the clear blue sky. The clouds seemed to make up the floor and Greek style pillars were floating in the air in what seemed to be the makings of a circle. Julie tried to look around the corner of the door, but was stopped by Damian reaction. 'What are you two talking about? I don't see anything'

The twins looked from the door to Damian and back. 'You don't see the clouds and the floating pillars?'

'What floating pillars?'

'I see them as well', the entity smiled, 'It means the spell worked and the council has answered your call. Yours and yours alone. Go now, both of you! It might not be there for long'

'What? No, I'm coming with you', Damian said.

Jane turned around and embraced him. 'You can't'

'Jane…'

'Do you see anything?', she asked him, gesturing towards the open doorway. It was all right there, bright and white. She could even feel the breeze… 'No, I don't! Which is why, I don't think you should go. Neither of you. This looks more and more like a trap. No one knows what the council looks like, so---'

'No one knows what to expect. And that this isn't it. Do you think Rinka would lead us into a trap?'

'No, she wouldn't, but it's still a risk. And it's not just you any more Jane'

'I know, but this is all we've got to go on. If this is the real thing and we miss it… we don't have the power to summon another ghost to do this again. They might not even let us in'

Damian knew she was right. And if they were the only ones that could see it, he obviously wasn't meant to, but it was still hard to let her go. 'I promise I'll be careful'

She hugged him again and together with Julie walked through the door.