Witches and Devils

Death by Fire

When we get back to the school Ariel and Baldwin are nowhere to be found. Michael is exhausted from moving both of us from one place to another, even though the school isn't all that far away from L.A. it still took a lot out of him. I walk around the school, looking everywhere for Ariel or Baldwin. I finally find some form of clue in the dining room, which has been cleared of it's table and there is only a cup and some dust in the middle of the room. I bend down and wipe up some of the dust on my finger, smelling it. I shake my head, 'don't tell me those two where stupid enough to try to posion or trick Cordelia, at least not on their own.' I clean up the mess as quickly as I can. If Cordelia saw it coming, which I assume she did, I can only imagine what this will do to one of the boys if they get a hold of it. Once I clean up I decide to head up and into town. Just to get some space away from Michael and everyone to think things through and process what I've learned.

I get into town and walk around a small grocery store, stopping at the meat counter and looking over some of the things in the case. "Can I help you with anything, ma'am?" the employee asks.

I shake my head, "no, thank you. Just looking."

"Alright, let me know if you need anything."

I look around some more, noticing a blonde woman is following me. I'm not sure who she is, I've never seen her before. But something tells me she's with Cordelia. Before long I head out, the woman still following. I turn and smile to her, "can I help you?"

"Not at all," she shakes her head.

I turn back around and take a few more steps, now I can hear her heels on the pavement. Before long I turn and wave my hand, knocking her to the ground, "I saw you following me in the store." I chuckle, "are you new at this or just not that bright? What do you want?"

Before the woman answers a black bag is shoved over my head, I try to fight, but whoever is holding me is too strong and I can't lift my hands enough to cast a spell of any kind. I am shoved into a car and it drives away. We don't drive for long before the car stops. It must have been early in the morning when they grabbed me, because I can now feel the sun on my face through the bag. They pull me out of the car, but not before tying my hands behind my back. Once I am out of the car, they walk me forward a bit. Once we stop they take the bag off of my head, it takes my eyes a minute to adjust. I blink a few times and look around seeing; Zoey, Madison, Queenie, Cordelia and to my shock John Henry. I take a step forward in an attempt to run to him, but the man to my left, a tall and pale man, holds me back.

John Henry looks over to Cordelia, "she had nothing to do with this, let her go."

"How do you know she didn't plan to kill you?" Cordelia looks over to John Henry.

"Because..." John Henry sighs, "because I love her and I know she doesn't have a cruel bone in her body, you know that too."

Cordelia looks over to me, "very well, Rose Sinclair you are pardon of your crimes against your fellow warlock, by his own plea." She looks to the man to my left, "let her go."

The man nods and cuts the ropes I am tied with, once he does I run to John Henry, hugging him tightly and crying into his chest when I get to him, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea they would..."

"Hey, hey," John Henry strokes my head, "it's okay, I know you didn't. It was all part of Michael's plan."

"Michael's plan?"

"We will talk about it later." John Henry looks down to me before looking up to Cordelia, who turns her attention forward, as does everyone else. I follow her gaze and see that Ariel, Baldwin and Ms. Mead are all on the stake, in white robes. Ariel and Baldwin look as though they have had their lips removed and mouths sewn shut.

Cordelia takes a few steps forward, "Ariel Augustus. Baldwin Pennypacker. For the murder of your fellow warlock, John Henry Moore, and conspiring to commit treason against this coven, I, Cordelia Goode, on behalf of this council, sentence you to death by fire. Our people have long stood by an agreement that no witch may kill a condemned warlock. Only your brother may light the flame. I do not intend to break with that tradition today." Two men walk up to Ariel and Baldwin, pouring gasoline over them. But they don't approach Ms. Mead.

John Henry steps away from me and up to one of the men as he picks up the container meant for Mead. "May I?" John Henry walks up to her and pours the gasoline over her. Then walks back down to me, wrapping an arm around me and turning back to Ariel and Baldwin, "any last words?" He chuckles, pointing to his mouth, "ah, right."

Ms. Mead laughs, "you think death is a punishment? I do not fear the fire. It cleanses me, as it will cleanse this world. I've seen the end. I bear witness to the darkness. Father! Take me in your arms. Your kingdom is nigh."

With a wave of his hand John Henry sets the torches the men are holding on fire. He looks down to me, "you don't have to look if you don't want to." I nod and bury my face into his chest as he holds me. I can hear the muffled screams of Ariel and Baldwin, as well as the haunting laugh of Ms. Mead. Before long we begin to walk away, it takes everything in my power not to look back to the three of them as we leave.

But I stop, pulling away from John Henry, "I can't," I shake my head.

"You can't what?"

I take deep breath, "someone needs to be here. When Michael finds them."

Cordelia nods, "someone will be. Me."

I shake my head, "I'm sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea."

John Henry shakes his head, "and you think it's a good idea for it to be you?" He scoffs, "Rose, he has you under a spell, why can't you see that?"

"I believe, somewhere in him, Michael wants to be good. He just needs someone to put him on the right path. We don't have to end this with hate or war. We can end this with love and compassion."

Cordelia smiles to me, "Rose is right. We have tried to fight fire with fire and that doesn't seem to be working." She looks over to John Henry, "Rose will stay and talk to Michael," John Henry begins to protest, "alone." She looks over to me again, "then she will meet us back in New Orleans."

While he is not happy about it John Henry agrees to this, leaving with the witches. I wait for what feels like hours for Michael to arrive. Hiding until he does. When he finally does, he looks over the bodies. First Ariel and Baldwin, then to Ms. Mead, where he begins to cry. I wait until he is on his knees before I come out of hiding. "It's over, Michael. They.... We know who you are." Michael turns to me, "your allies are all dead."

Michael shakes his head, "no, they're not. You're still here."

I shake my head, "Michael, you failed," I try to hold back tears.

Michael shakes his head again, "I've already proved I can deft death." Michael turns back to Ms. Mead, "and when I do, my Ms. Mead will stand by me... and so will you.... As we watch them all die."

"You wouldn't find her, Michael. No matter how hard you try. Cordelia has hidden her soul with a spell only she can break. You'll never see her again. You're alone."

Michael's voice begins to break, "I'm not alone." He turns back to me, "I have you..." He steps toward me, "someone who always believed in me. Someone who will stand by my side forever." Michael sniffs a bit, "and I have my Father."

"Where is he now? Where am I now?" I shake my head, "you don't have to follow this path. You don't have to follow his path. You can write your own destiny... with me... There is humanity in you, I can see it in your eyes. If you come with me, maybe we can find it. Together."

Michael moves in close to me, "somehow, someway, I am gonna bring her back. And I am going to get you back. And then I'm gonna kill every last one of you."