Marion shook her head again, pulling Caia to her feet. “You are the strangest girl.”

“Ryder gets me.”

Lucien tried not to wince as he watched Marion train Caia on how to control her telekinetic abilities. The first few hours had been grueling as the witch taunted Caia with her past, and insulted her abilities in every possible way in an effort to incite her temper. At first it didn’t seem to be working, and Lucien had laughed quietly from his place at the kitchen door, amused at Marion’s disgruntlement and Caia’s ethereal coolness. But when she mentioned Adriana’s name, the hose pipe they had been using earlier suddenly whiplashed into the air and missed knocking Marion’s head off by an inch. The witch had smiled triumphantly and continued to push Caia until the young lykan-magik was able to control the telekinesis, even when her emotions were toyed with. Now they were working on Caia’s ability to utilize the telekinesis whenever she wanted. Marion had nearly been killed by many a flying object.

“Shi-” he hissed, and ducked his head as a large branch flew at him. It crashed past him and into the kitchen, skidding across the table and smashing his mother’s fruit bowl and some glasses that had been left there. He turned wide-eyed to see Caia smirking at him. “It’s OK!” he called. “I’m OK.”

Marion walked towards him sheepishly. “Sorry, Lucien, that was an accident. Didn’t know you were there.”

“I did.” Caia shrugged and smiled too sweetly.

Lucien groaned. “Still like that is it?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Marion frowned at her protégée. “I think we should take another break.”

Caia nodded and turned away from them, heading into the woods. Lucien sighed, his eyes following her closely. When was she going to come around and stop being pissed off at him? He had said he was sorry.

Marion strode up the porch steps and glanced back at Caia before she reached him. She smiled sympathetically when she turned back to him and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “She doesn’t hate you, Lucien. She just needs someone to be angry at right now.”

He grunted. “That makes me feel so much better.”

The witch chuckled, her eyes twinkling. “Well, the fact that she’s chosen you as the one to be angry at should make you feel better.”

“And how’s that?”

“Well, generally to be angry at someone they have to have done something to upset or hurt you, and to be able to upset or hurt someone means you having to have meant something to them in the first place.” She smiled as he took this in, and then slid past him gracefully into the house.

Lucien sighed, gazing at the spot Caia had entered the woods. He hoped to Gaia Marion was right about her, because if they were going to get through the next few weeks together, Caia was going to have to like him enough to trust him.

20 - Replaced

The wave of energy sparked her senses as she drove closer towards the house off the highway. Crap, she groaned. It definitely wasn’t energy from someone from the Midnight Coven. She cursed profusely as she pulled over to the side of the road and quickly dialed Ethan’s number on her phone.

“What?”

Ah, he was as pleasant as ever.

“My lord, I think we may have a problem.”

“You know, I’m seriously considering having a t-shirt made for you with those exact words on it,” he sneered and then snarled, “Why am I not surprised? What the Hades is going on now? Incompetent wench.”

She flinched and bit her tongue. If she said anything disrespectful to him she would be dead in seconds. “I can feel unfamiliar energy radiating from the house. I think it’s Daylight. I’m just parked off side their driveway.”

“That’s why you’re calling me?”

Duh.

“Yes, my lord.”

“Xylena, do you remember why you’re going to the house?”

What?

“Yes, my lord.”

“And do you remember to whom you are going to visit?”

She rolled her eyes. He really was a jackass. “Yes, my lord.”

“And do you remember that Caia has just been introduced to her new powers? That the energy coming from the house is most probably hers?”

Oops.

“No, my lord. I didn’t think of that.”

“Yes. Obviously.”

“I apologize for disturbing you, my lord.” She was lucky he hadn’t fried her already.

“Just get your ass in there, already.”

“Of co-”

He put the phone down on her. Charming. Prince of the Coven … My ass, she snarled and threw her phone down. Frickingcenter toad.

Caia took a deep breath and smoothed her hair back before she opened the door. She had been training constantly for the last week with Marion and hadn’t seen anyone other than Marion, Saffron and the Elders since the revelation. Everything seemed to be going well so far. Marion was impressed by how quickly she was learning to control her powers, and awed by the range of said powers. But Caia was exhausted and missing her friends. And to be honest, despite all the sadness and madness, she was a little excited by her new powers and wanted to share it with Jaeden and Sebastian. So instead of her working at Lucien’s this Saturday, Jae and Seb were on their way over to visit with her.

“Sebastian.” She smiled and drew him into a hug. He squeezed her back tightly and placed an affectionate kiss on the top of her head. “How are you?”

He chuckled and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “How am I? You’re asking me how I am?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m OK, now I know you’re not angry at me.”

Caia shoved him playfully and then made for him to follow her upstairs. “Angry at you? Seb, you saved my life at school, getting me into your car so fast. Thank you.”

He looked adorably embarrassed by her gratitude, shrugging and mumbling incoherently under his breath. She laughed and then stopped him as he blushed. She wanted him to know that she was serious. He had been a true friend to her throughout the whole ordeal. “Honestly, Sebastian. Thank you.” She exhaled slowly. “I mean you even tried to tell me the truth that Saturday...”

“About that.” He blushed again. “Caia, I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was wasted.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, you were. But you were also sweet. Wanting to mate with me so the pack would accept me.” She smirked, brushing his hair from his face.

Sebastian laughed and pushed her away. “Will you stop? I’m dying of humiliation here.”

“Don’t be humiliated, Seb-”

The doorbell rang cutting her off.

“Just go up into my room. That’ll be Jae, we’ll be a sec.”

He nodded and headed towards her bedroom while she ran back down the stairs, throwing the door open, and then throwing herself into her best friend’s arms. Jaeden laughed, but hugged her close.

“Whoa, Cy. You OK?”

Pulling back, she was shocked by the strange feeling of unfamiliarity that hit her. She smelled like Jaeden, her energy felt like Jaeden, but there seemed to be something else there. It was the strangest trace she had ever encountered, thick, smog-like, icy. It was difficult to describe the feelings that ran through her. She blinked, trying to clear her mind, and then noticed how uncomfortable Jaeden was. Her eyes were darting all over the house, into the hall, the kitchen, up the staircase.

“I’m fine. Just glad you’re here,” she answered. “Are you OK?”

She nodded and smiled a little falsely. “Of course. Is Sebastian coming?”

“He’s already here. Let’s go up.” Jaeden nodded and Caia followed her, frowning. “You sure you’re OK?”

“I’m fine. Really. Anyway, you’re the one that’s been through all the crap. How are you really? How’s the training?”

“Good, I think.”

Once they were seated in her bedroom with Sebastian, Caia frowned at how stiff her friend seemed to be, still trying to identify the unfamiliar trace that Jae reeked of. Jaeden narrowed her eyes at her scrutiny and then shrugged as if remembering herself. “So, Cy, everyone at school has been talking about your meltdown with Alexa last week.”

“Oh great,” she groaned. Just what she needed, gossiping kids when she returned to school on Monday.

“I wish I had been there to see Alexa fly across the room.”

Sebastian laughed. “Right. Man it would have made my year.”

“Aaaahhheeeeaaaahhh!”

“What the-” Caia jumped to her feet at what sounded like a cat being tortured. Saffron’s energy hit her before she physically appeared and Caia’s eyes rounded as Jaeden shrieked in outrage, her chair flying away from her. Her body wavered, flickering in and out of existence, as she began muttering something in Greek under her breath, her eyes now a blazing onyx instead of their natural blue.

Before Caia could do or say anything, or even comprehend what was going on, Saffron materialized behind Jaeden and placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. Jaeden slumped immediately and collapsed on the floor with a thud. Saffron’s own eyes were onyx as she cursed at the girl she had just knocked out. She kicked her and Caia cried out to her to make her stop. She did, catching her breath, her eyes changing back to ice-blue.

“Would someone like to explain what just happened here?” Sebastian whispered, staring in horror at his friend’s unconscious form.

Marion suddenly flew into the room, her wild red hair plastered to her head with dark gunk in it. She glared at Saffron. “I’m getting tired of your dramatics, Saffron. My head is burning.”

It was then Caia noticed Saffron was wearing plastic gloves covered in hair dye.

Marion mistook her questioning gaze for the gunk on her head because she shrugged looking sheepish. “It never comes out the right red. I’ve tried all kinds of magik on it but L’Oreal does it every time; it’s just th-”