Chapter One

Remi

John Proctor was hung for being a witch.

Throughout recent history, witches have been looked down upon and treated like mud under human's trampling feet.

These 'witches' were not Cailleachs. Cailleachs wouldn't be foolish enough to skip around, flaunting their divine powers for anyone to see. No, Cailleachs can't afford to do that.

Cailleachs are under the control of the Daoine Sidhe, the rulers of Avalon, the most ancient planet in the universe. This is where the Cailleach's powers come from.

Long ago, humans and the Daoine Sidhe contracted a deal, in which the Cailleachs would be granted the powers of the Daoine Sidhe, to an extent, in exchange for their eternal servitude. Cailleachs are used as spies on earth, making sure the populations of our planet keep on believing in things such as Faeries, Goblins, and Elves. Without the belief of these mere humans, the Daoine Sidhe would cease to exist. Therefore, the existence of the Cailleachs is important to the survival of all species.

However, humans must not know of this incredible power the Cailleachs possess, for humans are greedy and will attempt to take it for their own selfish uses. So they hide their powers when out in society, attempting to keep their massive secret under wraps.

There were some, a long time ago, that decided they didn't want to be in the service of the Daoine Sidhe any longer, and performed a ritual to strip themselves of any power given to them by the Daoine Sidhe that they possessed.

As each generation passed, the powers of these three men appear slowly in their children, a small amount adding into their DNA each time a child was born. Now, thirteen generations later, these children are almost too magickally strong for their own good.

They must be disposed of.

"We're getting closer."

"I feel them."

"They're here."

"What should we do, Rem?"

 My team swarmed around me like bee, energy buzzing from person to person, the anticipation almost too exciting to bear. Would this finally be the day? The day when we captured our most sought-after enemies?

Yes. Yes, it was.

I felt it in my bones; a low, drumming ache that seeped into my very being, telling me that today was the day, the day I'd waited for my entire life.

Since I was a child, they'd told us stories of a pack, a band of Cailleachs like ourselves, who manipulated their magick into different forms, unnatural forms. They'd separated from our society after thousands of years, some of them even leaders, kings of our kind, who'd left us to die, taking their strongest and anyone else they could muster. They went into the human realm, Earth, and began terrorizing the pathetic humans who roamed, unable to grip the concepts of our world. Legends of these beasts, so terrible, so terrifying, were told throughout history, tales of bloodshed and death. They needed to be extinguished.

"We'll wait for them. Find a post, stick to it. When I give the word, attack with all your might. We need this victory."

 Excited thoughts swam through my head. Not my own, no; most of the thoughts that passed through my mind were not my own, but others, just passing through. The ability to read minds was a sacred one to my people, only the most powerful could posses it. But I found it a curse, for there was never a quiet moment in my life; never a time where I could sit and revel in the silence that surrounded me. I was blessed with this gift that haunted me every second of my existence.

Ford Alexander began to make his way to the side of Salem High School, where a vent was sticking out of the wall.

"Ford," I cautioned, mentally grabbing him around the waist. He paused, glancing down at the sudden pressure that was concentrated around his middle. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I released my hold on him, and his body relaxed again. "I'm going into the vent system." He started forward yet again.

"Don't you think that'll look a little suspicious?"

"No one's around, Rem. Calm down." He reached the vent, a rusty piece of circular metal extruding from a very moldy brick wall.

"That doesn't look very sanitary." Sutton Monet commented, looking at the wall with disgusted expression.

"You guys worry too much."

Ford had always been a go-getter, a laid back guy who just wanted to go with the flow. Sometimes his attitude helped us get through horrid situations, but this time, it was more annoying than anything.

"You should worry more."

Ford attempted to hoist himself up, but stopped mid-pull. He glanced back at us, "Is anybody going to join me, or are you going to just stand there and look like idiots?"

I rolled my eyes at Ford, and glanced around to see who would volunteer to go with him. No one moved.

I sighed. I can't believe I'm about to do this. The last thing I wanted to do was spend hours in a ventilation systems with Ford, but I didn't trust him enough to be alone. So I stepped forward, receiving thankful glances from at least three others. "Find a post as soon as you can." Nobody moved. "Go!"

The five remaining scouts scattered, pairing off and excitedly chattering as they moved around the school in different directions. The only one left was Malcolm von Derrivalle, the boy I'd hated since I'd popped out of my mother's womb eighteen years ago.

"I'm coming with you two." He announced. It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and he made that completely obvious.

I raised my eyebrow at him, but he didn't back down. "Why can't you go find another spot? We should have as many as possible covered."

"Why? So you can have sex with Ford up there? Don't you think that's a little tacky, not to mention unsanitary?" 

Malcolm had tested me these past eighteen years, making snide comments about my appearance and love life, but I'd ignored them, because, frankly, he wasn't worth my time. Today, I wasn't in the mood for cynical cracks about my relationship with my friend. Ford had always been somewhat of a big brother to me, and Malcolm knew that very well. 

I stepped forward, my arm shooting out and my hand clasping around his quivering throat. Shock was evident on his face as I squeezed just slightly too hard. "Don't you dare say something like to me, ever again, or I'll have you defenestrated from the highest building in sight and hung by your toes from a flagpole."

I released him and turned my back without a second thought, leaving Malcolm von Derrivalle shocked and alone in the dust.