Charmed: The Next Generation

Chapter 5

I would say I looked sunburnt, but it was worse than that. My skin was not just red, it was glowing red. Every inch of me seemed to be covered in a red fog, which was slowly evaporating off my body. I just stood there, completely unsure of what to do or how to react. I had never seen this, let alone experienced it before. I looked at my family, who were also staring at me with complete surprise.

"What the hell is happening?" I said, looking at my Aunt Paige. She just shook her head, mouth slightly a gape.

"Mel...you were there last night weren't you?" said Wyatt, as the scarlet glow began to fade to pink. "What? No!" I lied, avoiding his narrowed eyes. But he knew.

"That nice red mist you're covered in," said Wyatt "is the effect of cupid magic. It means it's wearing off."

I looked down at my hands which were rapidly fading from pink back to my normal tanned skin tone. The fading off of the spell now at least explained why I didn't hate David's guts this morning the way I did now.

"Melinda we specifically told you not to follow us." Chris growled. He was angry, very angry - and I didn't blame him. This cupid magic that was used was dangerous, and unpractised. If something had gone wrong, I could've been badly hurt.

"I really wanted to help." I said imploringly, hoping he'd understand my need to join in and be included in the fight...my need to not be treated like a child.

"Well you didn't help did you. We didn't need you. If that wasn't obvious enough." He stopped and sighed, looking away from me, as if he was far too disappointed to even look at me.

"Melinda I don't think you understand that even we had known you were there, we would have been distracted. It could have been dangerous." He voice was softer than Chris', and he was, for once, the voice of reason. Normally Wyatt and I were the ones at each other's throats in unreasonable disagreements. This time, it was me and Chris.

"I understand that." I said, my voice small.

Chris just stood there facing away from me. Wyatt avoided my eyes, a look of growing disappointment on his face.

My heart ached seeing them so disappointed in me, so I decided to leave. "Aunt Paige? Can you ring my mom please and tell her I'm safe. I don't really want to talk to anyone."

Paige nodded. Out of everyone, I knew she'd understand. She had told us many times about how rebellious she had been as a teenager. Granted, she had never put herself in any type of magical danger, but she had defiantly not lived up to expectations.

After I had climbed the stairs to my room, I stripped my clothes and changed into ones not polluted by my adventures the previous night. I had gotten lucky in a way. My brothers had been so distracted by the fact I had been there, they had looked over the fact I was suffering the after affects of the cupid magic. I was sure I could lie, make up some story about where I had spent my night...as long as no one got any premonitions about me and David my secret was safe.

No I was alone, home and safe, I could think about what had happened. The waves of shame had begun to roll over me now, making me feel incredibly guilty. I had slept with a warlock. An evil creature, an enemy of our family. Even worse, a member of the most powerful evil family there was. I felt tainted; like there was blood on my hands that I couldn't wash off. One thing was playing on my mind. If David was a warlock, then why did the cupid magic not burn him as it did the others? It worked on him...like it did on me.

I decided that was another problem for another day. Or maybe a problem I would never have to face. I hoped that was the last time I would ever see David - that our encounter was buried in the past. It was bad enough that my first time had been with a creature of pure evil, I didn't ever need to be reminded of that again.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Come in." I called.

The door slowly opened and my mother walked in. "Hi honey." she said, a sympathetic smile on her face. I found this fairly odd, as she was normally the fist person to yell at me after I'd done something wrong.

"Hi mom," I said, apprehension in my voice. She smiled at me, and sat down next to me on my bed, and placed a comforting hand on my knee.

"Honey, Paige told me what happened."

I sighed, preparing myself for argument that was sure to follow.

"I think that the boys should have let you out last night."

My heart stopped for just a second. I was sure that I had heard my mother wrong. Was she seriously agreeing with my, over Chris and Wyatt?

"You're old enough to go out vanquishing with them now." She continued. "You're almost an adult, and Wyatt and Chris were fighting demons at a far younger age then you. I understand their worries, but if you don't go out, you'll never learn."

I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open in surprise. I wasn't sure whether or not to be happy, surprised, or apprehensive as to why my mother had seemed to randomly changed her mind. "Mom...are you serious?"

She nodded at me, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I'll talk to them at dinner tonight." She got up to leave, but paused before exiting my room. "Melinda...I know you're not a little girl anymore, but that doesn't mean we'll stop protecting you."

I smiled back, understanding completely. "I know Mom."