The Magician

"The thirteenth card in the deck, Death." said Solomon, " Meaning: End, mortality, destruction, corruption; also, for a man, the loss of a benefactor. In this case, his benefactors of love, as he lost one girlfriend after the other."

"Also picked it because he is obviously going down a darker path. Slowly killing his old self, becoming a man of decadence and destruction," said Meifeng.

Solomon had told Meifeng everything he learned about the six witches and their current situation. Based on her observation and what Solomon told her, she chose Adam as her mark and labeled him with the Death Tarot Card.

"So what's the plan? Seduction?" Solomon asked as he tried to profile the rest of the witches.

"Yes and no. I'm going to break him." Said Meifeng with a vicious smile. " Before we meet them today, I'm going to meet Adam. Adam lost Diana because he believed in fate, then he lost Cassie, and he thinks Jake is fucking her, which he is. I saw them last night. So, I'm going to flirt, Adam's going to swoon, Adam will get my number, and you'll introduce me as your girlfriend. Then I'll trigger the hex I'm going to put on him and watch the chaos roll."

"Then I should go see Melissa and tell her about the article that led me to this quaint little town," said Solomon. " The hex is good, but no one falls in love overnight."

"Tell that to Melissa Glaser," said Meifeng.

"Easy, now, Meifeng."

The couple locked eyes. Meifeng then sighed to herself.

"Why can't you just recruit them and move on?" Meifeng asked. "Why the battle plans?"

"Nothing is ever so simple, Meifeng. These people talk of Demons, Qetsiyah sends us after baby witches with no apparent skills, and we have a magical weapon of mass destruction in our hands now. And where pray tell is Qetsiyah?"

"S-she...I thought she was here. You're the one that sees her," said Meifeng.

"Well, I don't, and I haven't. Nor have I seen a single spirit since I've been here. Qetsiyah gave me clear instructions. She should be calling for me by now and not a peep. She wanted to rush me out of her for a reason. I don't care what that reason is, but I do know and care about six witches. Six strong witches who only started practicing a year ago, and most of that time they were spent bound together. So tell me, Meifeng, how can I recruit something that I do not understand?"

Meifeng was quiet as Solomon's eyes had hardened.

"Not a word. Do not mistake my feelings for you as common conduct. Stifle your jealousy, at least while we're in the mouth of a beast we do not know."

"I will hex Adam. Feed his corruption and warp his mind. My target will be Faye Chamberlian, The High Priestess." said Meifeng.

"Why?" Solomon asked.

"Hidden talent, untapped potential, the one that knows all the secrets of the group. If you want to obliterate the circle, Faye is my target. But what about the Blackwell children? They come from outside, like us."

"I have the perfect plan for them, don't you worry. But I need you to keep your wits, Love. We do the job and go home."

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Later that day, Solomon and Meifeng split up. As they went through the day, they could feel themselves being watched. But it did stop them from doing what they had to.

Before Solomon went to Melissa's, he stopped at a little shop that sold crystals, next to an antique shop. Solomon bought himself a serpentine obelisk and went on his way.

When Solomon made it to Melissa's house, they chatted for a while until Solomon innocently asked about Nick Armstrong. Melissa was defensive and wonder what Solomon was up to when he showed her the article about Nick's death.

He then began to sow seeds of doubt and knowingly stirred Melissa's guilt, churning it to anger. Only three people were near Nick when he died, and Melissa thought of them as the prime suspects. She didn't get riled up or flip out. She just became oddly calm and focused.

At the bar and grill that Adam's father happened to own, Adam and Meifeng shared a few drinks on a slow day. Meifeng worked her charms and was finally able to hold the hand of the ignorant boy. She then hexed him.

Suddenly she looked at her phone and feigned shock. She downed her drink and left her number on a napkin before running off, pretend she was late for something.

Meanwhile, with Melissa, Solomon had used to truth spell on her to get more details about chance Harbor. Though he found nothing out of the ordinary except for the Crystal Skull and Demons.

It was around evening When Melissa and Solomon made their way to the secreting meeting place. Solomon made a pit stop to pick up Meifeng. When he introduced her to Melissa, Melissa was a bit taken aback but recovered fairly well.

Mostly because her mind was filled with questions of who killed her boyfriend and why they lied about it. But her going there was that Cassie murdered him because she is the dark witch of the circle.

After a drive and a hike through the woods, the moon hung high in the sky, and its bright beam bathed the earth, but there was no warmth in its light. There was a slight breeze, and the harbor town was cool. Cool enough for a jacket. Standing in front of a run-down abandon house covered in overgrown vegetation, surrounded by half-dead wild brush, Melissa held out her hand, and Solomon grabbed it. He, in turn, grabbed Meifeng's hand. The trio moved towards the abandoned house.

Weaving their way through the unruly and neglected lawn, one by one, they step onto the old wailing porch and push their way through the partially obstructed door. The house was stuffy and had a slight moldy scent to it. Solomon took a moment to look around when he felt a crazy rush of power that sent chills down his spine.

"You feel it too," said Meifeng.

"Yeah, it feels like the Witch House but more potent," Solomon replied.

"Nexus," said Melissa as she turned around with a warm smile. It was the first word she had said since they left her house. "Something called Telluric currents, completely minimal, but a nexus is where multiple currents converge. So so now the minimal is at its max."

"Sweet. For a moment there, I thought it was the spirits of dead witches," said Solomon.

"No." said Melissa, " Though only thing with that kind of power was destroyed in that creepy-ass church."

"What church?" asked Meifeng.

"Church of Sacred Heart."

"Melissa!" Faye called out, "Is that you?"

"Yes, bitch! Are you ready to do some magic?" Melissa replied. She then looked at Solomon and Meifeng, gesturing for them to follow her.

Up the stairs, stepping into a common room. Solomon and Meifeng notice the walls decorated with pages detailing spells, positions, herbal properties, and so on. The tables were cluttered with books, makeshift platers, and chemistry equipment. It was clear that the circle of witches were stumbling through their practices as many of the manuscripts they had were incomplete or an outright misinterpretation of magic written by humans.

"Who's she?" Faye asked.

"Rex's girlfriend, Meifeng." Melissa replied nonchalantly as she looked around, "Where is Adam?"

"Who knows," said Cassie, "He's been acting sketchy recently. Probably held up in his room again."

"Regardless. We have to learn control, so everyone snap to it," said Diana.

Solomon and Meifeng spent the even teaching the circle a few things. But it was Solomon who noticed something wild, unusual, and according to his knowledge, Impossible.

By the end of the night, Solomon, with the mending Incantation, fixed up the abandoned house, much to the circle's amazement. When everyone was leaving, Melissa took a few moments with Jake alone.

When Solomon saw Jake again, he knew Jake was a different man. When Solomon looked to Melissa, he saw a faint smirk and mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

'So that's your plan?' he thought to himself. 'In that case, I know what to do next.'

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The next day, Meifeng spent the day with Faye while Solomon took Grant's body to the abandoned house. He revitalized the body and fashioned it like a sacrificial ritual.

He then went out into the field and performed a series of hand movements as he chanted. A moment later, a burning triangle appeared in the sky. Around the circle was series of glyphs. Within the triangle were six emblems.

Solomon's eyes widened, and he felt a cold sweat. He then knew why the abandoned house had so much power and why the Chance Harbor witches were so strong. And it wasn't because of some telluric nexus.

That night, Solomon went looking for the Church of Sacred Heart. The moment he crossed over town lines, Qetsiyah appeared.

"Why are you alone?" she asked.

"Because I'm looking for something. Where have you been?"

"Right here. A step outside of city lines."

"The Expression Triangle," said Solomon.

"I knew you would figure it out. It's a modified version, though. It keeps everything but witches and humans out. Even when I entered, I was barely able to bear the pain."

"Did you know that the power of the Expression Triangle is linked to the bloodlines of six families?" Solomon asked.

"But, if we take two families out for a generation, then the Expressions Triangle will be harmless. They will still be powerful within it. But they won't be able to tap into its full potential anymore." Qetsiyah explained.

"That's why you wanted me to take the two witches," said Solomon.

"And the Crystal Skull is to shatter the triangle just incase a younger generation manages to appear," said Qetsiyah.

"Fuck that. I saw the array, all I have to do is drive one family into extinction, and the array will crumble. Now, if you don't mind, I have shit to do."

An Expression Triangle is the combination of three brutal massacres that happen at separate equidistant locations. These massacres mark the Earth with power and can be used as focus points for witches who practice Expression.

Expression is a form of extremely dark and powerful sorcery that supposedly draws on energy that is so malicious it would demolish the world if it were ever called into existence. The forces of Expression are considered so powerful that many witches discredit it as magic, for it expands beyond the limitations of both ancient and modern witchcraft.

Because of this magic linked to the bloodlines of the Chance Harbor witches, they are innately powerful without practicing. They do spells with a single thought and conjure results that would kill most witches. It is also why their ancestors created the binding ritual. The power is too wild and untamable for witches to master alone.

Later that night, Solomon stood in an old abandoned church. At his feet were the shards of an old medallion. He then took out his Gold Medallion and used the last few grains of the sands of time to turn back the clock on the medallion.

When the old iron medallion was in one piece. Solomon picked it and embraced its raging power. A moment later, a coven of six sacrificed witches appeared around Solomon. They wanted the power from the medallion, but Solomon only smiled.

In an instant, the spirits of the Bennett Ancestors appeared and snuffed out the sacrificed witches.

"That's a dangerous artifact, Sol," said Qetsiyah.

"Better we have it than anyone else," Solomon replied, "It's called the Balcoin Medallion. The Medallion enables a witch to channel Dark Magic and to perform some powerful spells, but it can also absorb a witch's powers inside of it. According to Jake Armstrong, the Balcoin Medallion has the power of thousands of Witches."

"Balcoin? That's a dangerous family Solomon. You should leave them alone." said Qetsiyah.

"You brought me here, so I'll handle this my way. "

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Another day passed, and the Chance Harbor witches discovered Grant's body in the abandoned house. Adam was going mad due to Meifeng's hex, and Jake was planning ways to trap Cassie, all the while Meifeng was seducing Faye with Dark Magic.

That's when Solomon struck. He sacrificed Adam and used the Serpentine obelisk to absorb his power. Adam's body was found in the Bar and Grill, an apparent suicide.

This time Melissa proposed murder. Solomon then insinuated that a few new witches did roll into town recently. While Melissa was trying to blame Cassie for Adam's suicide. Solomon's insinuation spurred Diana to think of Blackwell's children.

Not wanting to let Cassie go any longer. Melissa and Jake planned to trap her and force her to confess. But how could Solomon allow that to happen? He had no idea if she killed the boy or not, but it was a wonderful opportunity to destabilize the circle further.

So Solomon insisted on being there with Melissa while Meifeng entered Cassie's house, where Jake was waiting to ambush Cassie. Meifeng then killed Jake as a sacrifice to the Serpentine Obelisk with a spell that caused him to drown. She lazily styled it as a suicide to instigate the situation, then left.

All the while, Solomon cast a sleeping spell on Melissa. So, when Cassie got home, and screamed at the deadly sight. Solomon woke Melissa with a false panic, and together they rushed in to see Cassie crouched over Jakes's body. Melissa called the rest of the circle.

Diana believed Cassie and Faye, seduced by power, could feel the dark magic in the air, so she assumed that Cassie was the one who killed Jake, being as Cassie and Diana were the only two with innate Dark Magic. But Faye was unsure of what to do as she was also practicing Dark Magic. This made her the swing decision.

However, Diana was now on a witch hunt. And Solomon graciously offered what they needed to find Blackwell's children in town -a locator spell using the blood that Diana and Cassie shared with the Blackwell children.

Within two days, shit hit the fan. Diana, Melissa, Faye, and Cassie located one Blackwell child who had stepped out to do some shopping without cloaking herself. They managed to trap her in an alley and killed her, but Melissa was hit with a vicious incantation that took Meifeng all day and night to heal.

Broken, suspicious, inexperienced, and faced by a deadly enemy, Solomon talked them into fighting fire with fire. Diana and Cassie gave into the Dark Magic inherited by their father. Faye dived deeper into her craft, and Melissa was introduced to it. The entire circle was corrupted—each with their own nefarious intentions.

Ready to end this little game, Solomon suggested that Melissa should tell Diana her thoughts about Cassie. While Meifeng told Faye that about a conversation she overheard between Melissa and Solomon. On the surface, Diana was unphased. But her feelings reflected when Cassie woke up, tied down and surrounded by Faye, Melissa, and Diana.

"You drowned Nick," said Melissa.

"You killed Adam because Melissa confronted him about it," said Diana

"You killed Jake because he wanted you to come clean," said Faye.

Cassie thrashed about and cried, but her mouth was gagged, and she couldn't use magic as she was trapped in a magic suppressing circle made of various substances to fuel a boundary spell.

"A witch who betrays their Circle must burn." Said Melissa.

"A witch who kills a member of their Circle must burn," said Faye.

"Cassie Blake, you are guilty," said Diana.

"Burn Witch!" Diana, Melissa, and Faye shouted in unison. Cassie combusted in flames.

Using an incantation that Meifeng taught her, Faye muttered, and the flames that swallowed Cassie turned black and blue as the smoke split three ways and filled them with Cassie's power.

But with Cassie's death, the Expression Triangle shattered, signifying that one of the six families had gone extinct. With the destruction of the Expressions Triangle, Chance Harbor witches lost a significant amount of power. And the remaining three Blackwell children took the opportunity to get revenge for their sister and father.

On the street in front of Cassie's house, Diana, Melissa, and Faye battled the Blackwells as Meifeng and Solomon watched. It was an intense and heated battle. It was clear who had the upper hand until The High Priestess showed a hidden talent.

Faye's hands moved with great speed, and a blast of energy burst forth, liquifying her enemy's organs. The oldest Blackwell flew into a rage. He blew a hole in Diana's stomach, and she went flying down the street.

"Meifeng," Solomon called out as he tossed her the Balcoin Medallion.

Meifeng rushed to Diana's side and performed healing magic. Melissa shouted, and roots erupted from the middle of the street, impaling her enemy. Without the Expression Triangle, she had no backup to perform that magic. As a result, her nose began to bleed, and she collapsed into a seizure.

The oldest Blackwell was moving in for a kill shot that was miles ahead of Faye's power. Solomon moved and blocked it to save Melissa.

"It's you. The witch who thinks himself the best. Solomon Bennett of Mystic Falls. The other family that fleed Salem. While you were watching them, we were watching you." said Blackwell.

He then tossed out the first Tarot Card of the deck, The Magician. Seemingly profiling Solomon the way he profiled the Chance Harbor witches.

"I can feel The Balcoin Medallion on you, and I know you hid the Crystal Skull. I want them both," said Blackwell.

Faye's eyes shined with lust, and she dawned a wicked smile as she was the only one to hear the conversation between Blackwell and Solomon.

Solomon scoffed then attacked. But his eyes went wide when his spell was sent back at him. Solomon acts quickly shredded the spell with a disposal incantation.

Blackwell chuckles, "You are good."

Solomon was shocked again as Blackwell's hand-formed two gestures, and an arch of lightning was fired at him like a circular saw.

Solomon muttered and waved his hand, knocking the spell aside. The two witches then entered an exchange of spells that destroyed the streets, cars and set the neighborhood ablaze. The screams of dying humans filled the night, but Blackwell and Solomon battled unphased.

Qetsiyah appeared and watched with shock as Blackwell, only a year older than Solomon, had Solomon on the ropes. Not to mention, Solomon spent twelve years outside of time practicing.

Qetsiyah worried for him as she watched helplessly.

Finally, a black lightning curse hit Solomon, creating a Lichtenberg scar on his right arm, chest, and torso. Solomon channeled all of the power in Qetsiyah's talisman to stop the curse from spreading.

Solomon then got his feet beneath him, shifted right, and barely slipped a severing incantation that cut the left side of his face. Solomon was enraged, embarrassed, and his pride scared. He channeled the power from the obelisk used in the sacrifice of Adam and Jake. Ill-prepared and recklessly, he shouted, "Morte!"

A red ripple flashed and hit Blackwell in the chest. Solomon then limped over to the downed man who was still moving. A great boom resounded as the houses that burned began to collapse, and the dying screams of humans fell to nothing.

Solomon looked down at the man with blood flowing back into his body.

"A healing spell isn't going to save you," Solomon growled.

At this point, Faye helped a weak Melissa, and Meifeng helped a weak Diana to Solomon's side.

Blackwell laughed. "You're... all fools... He--"

Solomon grabbed Blackwell by the face to shut him up. " Ex hoc fascinatore totae potestates tollantur!"

Blackwell shouted as Solomon consumed all his magic. Blackwell's back arched, and he wailed in pain. When it was over, Blackwell could no longer heal himself. But Solomon snapped his neck to make sure he died. He then used a telekinetic pull to rip Blackwell's heart out.

"That's it?" Faye asked.

Solomon muttered, conjuring the black flames he once used on the Freemasons. The flames ate away the flesh of the Blackwell children and burned them to ash. Not even a protection spell could save them from that kind of death.

"Now it's done," said Solomon.