"Jason's got something he wants to talk to us about," Richie said as soon as the original four Harbingers had gathered upon the gravel-covered parking lot of Haven High School. "And it better fucking be where he told his mother to stick that job."

Jason cast a forlorn look at his friend. He let out a small sigh, his breath fogging the air as snowflakes drifted down from a white-gray sky.

"What job?" Melinda demanded. "Was something posted?"

Jason's arm tightened around Melinda, and she snuggled closer as if sensing his distress. He wished he could spend the rest of the day like this and make up for so much lost time. "I want to wait until everyone is here."

"But it's not about the job, right? You're not going to take it. You can't."

Jason looked to Heather in a silent bid for assistance, but she was paying him no mind. Instead, her gaze was directed towards another school bus pulling into the lot.

"For crying out loud, pipsqueak, give your boyfriend some space," Richie said.

"Get bent, Richie," Melinda declared.

"Diane!" Heather suddenly called out.

Diane stepped off the other bus and jogged towards them as fast as the snow-covered ground would allow. Heather rushed forward and met her halfway, the two embracing each other.

"God, I've missed you, Heather," Diane said in a choked voice. "I keep worrying that you won't show up and -- mmph!" Heather kissed Diane full on the lips and held it until Diane uttered a tiny moan into Heather's mouth. By the time they broke off, both were panting slightly. "I missed that, too," Diane said in a softer voice.

"Okay, morning lezzie show over," Richie said. "Jason has--"

"I need Cassie here, Richie," Jason said in an irritated voice. He almost added "stop helping me" but supposed he should be glad Richie was showing interest.

Heather and Diane rejoined the group, each with an arm around the other, just as Jason caught sight of Cassie's limo pulling into the parking lot. He took a slow, deep breath, but it did little to calm him or get rid of the twisted knot in his stomach.

Jason noted the urgency in Cassie's step and believed she had something to tell him. He was going to have to disappoint her; he could not risk learning anything more about his fellow Harbingers which he could use to compromise them later.

Cassie spoke as soon as she was within earshot. "Jason, when you have a minute, I need to talk to you about--"

"It will have to wait, Cassie, I'm sorry," Jason said.

"Something up, kemosabe?" Ned drawled.

"Yeah, you could say that."

"Jason, please, is this about--" Melinda started.

"Melinda, stop making this harder than it already is!" Jason exclaimed.

Melinda fell silent, eyes wide and shimmering. Her lower lip trembled when Jason extricated himself from her embrace.

"I'm sorry, this is easier with my arms free," Jason said, though it was only half the truth. He did not want to be reminded of what he was leaving behind.

The others were staring at him, Cassie with the same sense of foreboding that Melinda's gaze held. Diane drew Heather closer, and Ned closed up ranks.

Jason glanced from one to the other and thought he would not have the nerve to say what needed to be said. He could not bring himself to meet Melinda's eyes. His prepared words dissolved like so much mist, and when he looked at Cassie, he felt the need to defend himself. "I don't have any choice. I have to do this."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Richie demanded.

"Richie, stop being such a dumbass for five seconds!" Melinda screeched. "He is talking about a job at the Inn!"

"I know that!" Richie roared. "Why the fuck is he gonna take it?"

Cassie gasped and buried her face in Ned's chest. Jason heard her whispering "he can't" over and over and swallowed hard. "L-look, this isn't easy for me. Don't make it harder. I'm not going to waste my breath explaining it all again."

"Like hell you're not!" Heather suddenly cried. "Don't assume I know everything that's going on or that Melinda was able to tell me everything."

"I told you everything I know!" Melinda cried, wiping tears from her eyes. She rounded on Jason and shoved him in the chest. "And I want to know what the hell you're thinking, Jason! You can't just go walking in there and--"

"Melinda, you saw my mother with your own damn eyes!" Jason shouted. "What difference does it make if I do it now or later? She's going to force me to do it no matter what! Maybe if I do this willingly, I can spare her the trauma of making me do it."

Jason was careful to avoid looking at Richie, but he heard his friend seething off to the side. Any consternation he felt paled in comparison to the tears in Melinda's eyes.

He felt a trembling hand on his shoulder. "J-Jason, I'm sure you've thought this through," came Cassie's shaky voice. "But are you sure there isn't an alternative? You said you were close to something in Elizabeth's journal. Maybe we can find a way to delay ..."

She trailed off when Jason turned around and unshouldered his backpack. He pulled out the set of manila folders, which he thrust at Cassie. Cassie cast a wide-eyed gaze at them and stepped back. Slowly, she grasped them and pulled them towards her.

"It was a dead end," Jason said in a low voice. "Apparently she was deluding herself all along. There was nothing to it."

"What?!" Cassie cried. "But that can't be right! That doesn't make any sense!"

"It explains why Mrs. Radson never used the information because there was nothing to be found. But the journal is still not safe for me to own, not if--" He stopped when his throat threatened to close up. "N-not if I get compromised."

"But Jason, what--?"

"Now wait a cotton-pickin' minute here!" Ned suddenly exclaimed, snatching the folders from Cassie's hands. "Journal notes ... hacking techniques? ... letter to--"

Jason snatched them back and handed them to Cassie. Without a word, he reached into his backpack again and pulled out the hard drive and a plastic bag, the contents of which rattled. He handed these as well to a dumbstruck Cassie.

"J-Jason ... what are ...?" She murmured in a tiny voice, though by the glistening in her eyes she had already guessed.

"The hard drive from my computer and all my backup tapes," Jason said in a toneless voice to several gasps behind him. "It's safer if I don't--"

A sudden sharp impact to his shoulder would have bowled him over had Ned not caught him. He turned around, rubbing his bruised arm, and saw Heather and Diane restraining a furious and cursing Melinda, her booted foot swinging at Richie. Richie still brandished the fist with which he had punched Jason. "What the FUCK?!" Richie bellowed. "What the flying FUCK are you doing?!"

Ned frowned. "While I think Richie needs ta take a sip from the ol' Well o' Chill, I kinda agree with the sentiment."

Jason was losing what little emotional control he had managed to establish. He thrust an arm at Heather and Melinda. "Go ask them how I tried to fuck up their family's utilities when we were all stepping over each other to use the power in the House. Don't you get it? I can't have a working computer if I get compromised. The damage I could cause--"

"Don't you dare hit him again, you asshole!" Melinda screamed.

"Richie, dude, seriously," Ned said in a flat voice. "Calm the fuck down."

Richie held his fist drawn back, his feet restless as if undecided as to whether to lunge -- or at whom to lunge -- before he finally threw up his hands. "Fine. FINE. Just give up, then. We'll just all fucking give up! Why the hell did I even care in the first place?"

"Richie, shut up," Cassie hissed, surprising both Jason and Ned with her vehemence. "Stop making this harder on everyone."

Richie cast first a shocked look at Cassie, then an angry glare. He clenched his jaw as if holding back a retort. His gaze softened slightly before he looked back at Jason. "You're just giving up, man," he said in a lower but no less furious voice. "That's what it looks like to me. Right, Ned?"

Ned paused, his eyes darting between Richie and Cassie. "I gotta admit," he said slowly. "It kinda looks like that."

Only the calm tone of Ned's voice prevented Jason from boiling over, but only just. Cassie vented for him. "Ned, how can you say that? You think he wants to do this?"

Ned held up his hands. "I said it looks like that, babe, and I won't lie, that sticks in my craw. But I ain't comin' up with anythin' better, and I don't hear no one else spouting brilliant plans of derring-do. So, yeah, mebbe I was hot ta jump on the same bandwagon til I realized we're expectin' Jason ta come up with all the answers. Well, folks, guess what? Mebbe sometimes he don't have 'em."

Jason let out a small sigh of relief, and Cassie appeared as mollified as she could be. Now he was forced to look at Melinda, and his resolve almost dissolved again. Heather and Diane had let go of her, and tears were leaking down her face. "You can't do this," she said in a choked voice. "You j-just can't. Please."

"What is he supposed to do?" Cassie asked in a tired voice.

"Run away! Don't go back home!"

"No, Melinda," Heather said.

Melinda whirled around. "Don't you start, okay?!" she cried, wiping her face. "I don't have a choice now, but he does."

"I can't go on arguing," Jason said, his voice cracking. "I've made my decision. Look, maybe there's something I missed in the journal. I haven't read past the point where she revealed the self-delusion. Maybe something will turn up there, but I'm not going to be in any position to examine it myself."

Jason watched with deepening despair as his words triggered a greater cascade of tears down Melinda's face. "No, this isn't right! This isn't fair! R-Richie's right, you're just giving up. How the hell are the rest of us supposed to keep going if you give up?!"

"I'm not ... it's not giving up," Jason said in a strained voice. "I'm not going to let them do whatever they want. I'm going to fight it as much as possible."

"Yeah, right, like you are now!"

"Melinda, I already explained it, I--"

"Shut up! Don't talk to me anymore! Just ...!" She sobbed once and dashed towards the school.

"Melinda!" Heather called out, running after her with Diane in tow.

Jason clenched his jaw. He drew in a breath and let it go, covering his own choked sob with an awkward clearing of his throat.

Cassie placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jason, Melinda's not angry with you, she's--"

"I know," Jason said in a small voice.

"Well, I'm sure as fuck angry at you!" Richie shouted.

"Aw, give it a rest already," Ned grumbled.

"Fuck you, Ned! Fuck all of you! Maybe you should've let me keep hitting Jason to pound some sense into him! Just what the fuck do--"

"AHEM."

Richie fell silent, though his eyes still seethed with fury.

"Is there a problem here?" asked Vice Principal Seeger.

The question was voiced in a tone different from the one Seeger reserved for most troublesome students. His eyes betrayed genuine concern as they flitted between the members of the Harbingers.

"It's fine, Mr. Seeger," Jason said in a neutral if shaky voice. "Apologies if we were a bit loud."

"A vast understatement, Mr. Conner," Seeger said in a dry voice. He glanced around until a few lingering curiosity-seekers headed towards the school entrance. In a low voice he said, "I have tried to give the lot of you more ... more leeway than the other students."

"But we should not abuse the privilege. I understand."

"See that all of you do. And Mr. Gardner, I will excuse you striking Mr. Conner this once. Do not further test my generosity. Do I make myself clear?"

Richie uttered a grunt, still looking daggers at both him and Jason.

"I will take that as a 'yes.'" His gaze softened. "Is there anything I may help with? The younger Miss Sovert looked quite upset."

Jason was taken by the compassion in the man's voice. He sometimes still thought of Seeger as the gruff old man who considered teenagers to be lower life forms despite his assistance on the night of Halloween and his willingness to believe the truth behind extraordinary events at Haven High. "It's nothing that would affect the school, Mr. Seeger."

"I see," Seeger said in a neutral voice. "Very well. You all know where my office is if you need me. I suggest you all get inside now before you miss your first class."

Jason nodded and walked away before anyone could say another word. He imagined their departing stares gathering as leaden guilt around his shoulders. He wiped his eyes and rushed towards the school entrance. He had made the best decision given the situation; that he could not make the others understand changed nothing.

He closed his eyes for a moment and saw Melinda's anguished face. Now he had to convince himself that the best decision had been the right decision as well.

Diane emerged from her second class and rushed down the hall. She shuddered to a halt when she spotted Heather engaged in a conversation (or rather, from the volume, a shouting match) with her sister. Diane sighed and leaned against the lockers. For a fleeting moment, she felt as much enmity towards Jason as Richie had, as his predicament prevented her from having as much time with Heather as she wished.

She was about to turn away when Melinda stomped off in a huff, Heather calling to her sister in a frustrated voice to no avail. Heather stamped her foot and slammed a hand against the lockers. Diane edged away when Heather's gaze turned towards her.

"There you are!" Heather declared, and for a moment Diane was afraid Heather was angry with her. She let out a small sigh of relief when Heather slipped an arm around her waist and gave her a quick kiss. "You disappeared when we went inside the school. I thought you were right behind me."

"I didn't want to get in the way," Diane said. "Between you and Melinda, that is."

Heather rolled her eyes. "Not that it would've mattered. I swear, Diane, Melinda can be a pigheaded brat sometimes."

"She's upset about Jason. I mean, I would be, too, if I were in the same situation." She paused, and she said in a lower voice, "In a way, I am."

Heather gave her a hug and sighed in Diane's ear before drawing back. "I know, but you're not mad at me over it."

"No, of course not."

"Well, try telling that to her."

"Do you really think Jason's right, that he had no choice? I mean, I can't imagine ever walking into something like that, not after what happened to me."

"I know, it doesn't make any sense to me, either."

"But what is he expecting us to do? Figure out a way to rescue him?"

Heather gave Diane what she interpreted as an expectant look, and her heart plunged into her stomach. Was this where the other Harbingers expected her to use her new powers to save Jason?

"Maybe you can ask Mrs. Radson about it," Heather said.

"I can ... what?"

"I ran into Cassie after first class. She mentioned you were taking some sort of lessons with Mrs. Radson, that you had a new ability you were learning to use." She paused and smiled. "Is that what you did yesterday morning?"

Diane nodded, not daring to trust her voice.

Heather again looked expectant, but Diane could not bring herself to speak about it. "Well, you can tell me later. So can you talk to her about this?"

"I'll try," Diane said. "Um, Heather? You understand ... I mean ... this thing I'm doing, it will cut into my time with you."

"I know," Heather said, and Diane heard the disappointment in Heather's voice despite Heather's attempt to hide it. "But you've always been talking about needing to boost your own confidence. Maybe this will help."

Diane let out a relieved sigh and nodded. "I still want to see you, but this is important to me."

Heather took Diane's hand and squeezed it. "I know, and that's why I'm cool with it," she said in a soft voice.

Diane managed a small smile and squeezed Heather's hand in return.

"We better get to our next class." Heather let go of Diane's hand and started away.

"Heather, wait!"

Heather stopped and turned. "What is it?"

"I have to ask you something ... well ... actually, my mother is asking something."

Heather looked askance at Diane. "Your mother?"

"She wants me to invite you over to dinner one night this week. Wednesday or Thursday."

Heather stared. "Are you serious? Does she know about us?"

"Yes, I told you that."

"No, you said you told your Mom that you're a lesbian. You never said if you told her about us."

"Well, I did, so yes, she knows about us. It's the reason why she wants you over. Well, that and ... um ..."

"What?"

Diane stepped closer. "I don't know how, Heather, but I think my mother knows about you and Ms. Bendon."

Heather's eyes widened. "How?"

"Not from me," Diane declared. "But, remember, she had some sort of run-in with the principal during that whole Nyssa mess. Ms. Bendon did something to her, and it's like she's facing it only now. So when I told her you were spending every other week at Ms. Bendon's house--"

Heather gasped. "You told her what?"

Diane cringed. "I didn't tell her what you were doing! Please, Heather, you know how hard a time I have lying to my mother. I told her you were being tutored, but then she started asking me if Ms. Bendon ever, well, ever touched me. So I think she's guessed something of what's going on."

Heather sighed and leaned against the lockers. "So is she worried I'm going to do something to you?"

"No. In fact, she's worried about you. I think she wants to see for herself if you're okay. I wouldn't have agreed to ask you if I thought my mother wanted to get on your case about anything."

Heather let out a long sigh. "I'm not sure about this, Diane."

"Maybe if she sees you acting normal, she'll let it go." Diane certainly hoped so. After seeing what happened to other Harbingers' parents when they became involved, the last thing she wanted was her own mother poking around. "And then she'll stop hounding me about it."

"Okay, I'll do this on one condition: you tell me exactly what this new power of yours is supposed to be."

Diane bit her lip.

"It doesn't have to be right now, but Cassie wouldn't tell me. She said you were sensitive about it, and she'd rather I hear it from you."

"Okay," Diane said. "I really shouldn't be keeping things from you anyway."

Heather nodded. She gave Diane another quick kiss. "I'll see you at lunch time, you can tell me then," she said as she headed away.

Diane managed a small smile and waved before heading to her next class. Despite having shed the burden of this task, she still felt like nothing was in her control. Events were simply carrying her along like a raging river, and she struggled to keep her head above water.

Ned caught a glimpse of Cassie down the hall working the combination of her locker after third period. He wound and dodged through the crowd of students until a gaggle of gossiping girls suddenly emerged from a classroom and blocked both the view and his way.

Ned turned sideways and knifed through them. "'Scusa, my loquacious lovelies," he drawled as he went by.

"Hey, what the--!"

"You almost knocked my books to--!"

"Gawd, get that nose away from--!"

Ned emerged from the now indignant crowd of girls to see Cassie heave a sigh and twirl the dial again, her fingers twitching when she tried to align it on the right number.

"Don't know what the hell she sees in him," he heard a fading voice say behind him as Cassie yanked the handle of the locker to no avail. She thumped her fist against the door.

"You okay, babe?" Ned asked.

Cassie flinched and held her books against her bosom like a shield. She let out a windy sigh, and her shoulders slumped. "Goodness, Ned, it's been almost the whole morning and I'm still so rattled!"

"Yeah, I can tell." Ned twirled the combination dial to, fro, and to again. He thumped the locker with each fist, then turned and kicked it with a backwards sweep of his foot. The locker remained closed.

Cassie stared. "What are you doing?"

"Heh, it always works in the movies." He dialed the proper combination, lifted the latch, and swung the door open.

"Thank you," Cassie said in a subdued voice. She swapped books as she spoke. "Frankly, Ned, I don't know how you can even joke at a time like this."

"Keeps the bats from roostin' in my head and leavin' their droppin's in my noggin."

Cassie paused. "What?"

"That way I don't go batshit insane. Geddit?"

Cassie frowned and slammed the door shut. "No."

"Babe, look, it's either that or--"

"Do you realize what Jason gave me? Did you see that folder marked 'Letter for Melinda?' I'm supposed to give it to her once I'm sure that Jason is g-gone, that's he's never ..."

Her voice broke up, and she covered her eyes with her hand. Ned stepped towards her, but she waved him off. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I can't do it, not now. I h-have to work this out so I can get through the rest of the day. If I let you comfort me now, I'll just lose it."

"Then ya know how I feel, jus' different emotion. Like I was 'bout ta say, it's either joke around or start gettin' all hot under the collar at Mrs. R."

"You can't blame her for this!"

"I know, but I don't got no one else ta be mad at. And she coulda warned Jason he was barkin' up the wrong tree."

Cassie sighed and leaned against the lockers. "This doesn't make any sense. My concentration was so bad during class that I peeked at some of the journal entries Jason had highlighted. I read the last entry and then the ones right before it. She did a complete reversal in two entries just a week apart!"

"Babe, she was pushin' sixty when she wrote them. Mebbe she had a few bats in her belfry. I had an aunt who started losin' her marbles early on in--"

"No. Ned, this was a woman who took a living spirit and merged it with a house. I refuse to believe she was delusional in the three years it took her to get to that point."

"Then lets go talk ta Mrs. R. after school," Ned declared. He still thought the journal to be no more than the ramblings of a woman who may have once been a great witch, but Cassie's statement forced him to hold out some hope.

It was better than doing nothing.

"I'll not have you yelling at her!" Cassie cried. "There's been enough of that today to last me a lifetime."

"But she was supposed ta have known the Good Witch o' the West," said Ned. "Mebbe she knows more than what's in the journal."

"She's giving those private lessons to Diane."

"Yeah, an' we can get over there before Diane. She's gotta go home by bus and then hoof it. We can be done by then."

Cassie let out a small sigh and said in a softer voice, "And it's something to do."

Ned smirked and placed a fingertip on his nose. "Right on the nose. Not that hard with me, though, ya gotta admit."

The corners of Cassie's mouth twitched, but that was all. Ned accepted it and did not push his luck. She turned her gaze down the empty hallway and drew her books to her bosom. "We better get to our next classes."

Ned glanced down the hall and grinned. "Heh, could feel Seeger's glare from here." He started to raise his hand, but Cassie slapped it away.

"No, just go," she said in an urgent voice, nudging him down the corridor. "Don't test his generosity, please."

Ned nodded and let himself be shepherded down the hall. He glanced over his shoulder, but Seeger was already gone. He let out a small sigh, his eyes melancholy. He realized he should be glad Seeger was on their side, but he felt he had lost something. The school had become alien to him, just a building with walls and a ceiling in which he spent a chunk of his day.

Without the school as a day-to-day battlefield, he had the disconcerting sense that their quarry had somehow escaped its confinement. Nowhere in Haven was safe anymore.

Richie used to be good at this. As his eyes darted over the stream of students, he recalled the thrill of past exploits. He stood in the short corridor leading to the counselor's office, which had remained vacant since Victor's "unexpected" departure. Now it served as a good place to wait for the right prey.

Some preferred to do it in groups, but he had always thought that lame. He didn't need an audience of sycophants to enjoy the visceral thrill it gave him. He never did it to make himself feel important or superior; he did it purely for the rush of the adrenaline high.

Or used to. He had given it up a long time ago. His formerly aimless anger over his home life had become more focused, thanks to his knowledge of the Darkness. Now his intent had purpose beyond his own amusement. Maybe someone else could have done this with flowery words or some kind of bogus pep-talk, but Richie could fall back only on what he knew.

He drew back as he spotted Jason in the crowd. He bent his legs so he could not be seen over the heads of the students. His eyes narrowed as he watched Jason pass and head towards his locker.

Richie scurried near the far wall, keeping his head ducked. As Jason reached for the combination lock, Richie dodged through an opening in the crowd on the balls of his feet, his footsteps lost in the general din of conversation and movement.

He crept up behind Jason and waited, his body tensed like a coiled spring. Jason started to open the locker, but Richie threw a kick which impacted with the bottom edge of the door. It was yanked from Jason's hand and slammed shut.

Jason glared at Richie. Without a word, he lifted the latch again. Richie jammed his palm into Jason's elbow, smashing Jason's fingers against the latch. A shocked Jason pulled his hand way, several fingers scraped and oozing blood. Richie brought his hands down upon Jason's other arm, scattering books to the floor.

Jason narrowed two blazing eyes at Richie. "Is there a point to this infantile behavior?"

Richie shoved him in the chest. Jason stumbled back, raking his upper arm across the handles of several lockers. "Just jogging your fucking memory."

"What the hell are you--"

Richie kicked one of Jason's textbooks down the hallway. "Reminding you how you used to get fucked over every day. You remember that, right? All the stuff the bullies used to do? I fucking stopped them by kicking their sorry asses! Remember that?!"

Jason sighed. "Richie, what's the point of--"

"I'll tell you the fucking point!" Richie shouted. By then, a semicircle of curious students had gathered. "I beat them for you! I went out on a limb for you! I ever tell you how one of them pulled a knife on me? You see me just throw up my hands and run away? Or let them keep whalin' on you? No, I stayed in the fight and kicked his fucking ass so far up you couldn't tell his mouth from his asshole. I didn't give in like a fucking coward!"

He kicked another book, forcing a startled spectator to jump out of the way. It slid until it struck a polished shoe. Several onlookers gasped.

Jason cast a cold look at Richie. "Coward, huh? So tell me, Richie. How's your father doing?"

Richie's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sure you've had a nice chat with him by now, since you have his phone number."

Richie shook and curled his hands into fists. His jaw clenched until pain lanced down his neck.

"Or maybe not. Maybe I'm not the--"

Richie grabbed Jason's shirt and slammed him against the locker.

"MR. GARDNER!" roared Seeger, both errant books in his hand.

Richie's head snapped to the side, and his eyes widened. He looked back to Jason, as if suddenly surprised to see his friend backed against the lockers. He swallowed and slowly let go, his hands shaking. He stumbled back a step, still staring at Jason.

Jason stared back, his eyes now betraying both shock and curiosity.

Seeger stepped forward, the other students parting for him. Some scurried away, but most riveted their attention on him. He glanced back at them, then focused a cool gaze upon Richie. "Detention, Mr. Gardner," he said in a strained voice. "Today."

Richie opened his mouth, but no sound came forth. He looked at Jason, whose face now held an apologetic look. Everything Richie had been thinking over the last few minutes replayed in his brain in a cruel loop.

(Don't be a dick)

His throat became too tight for words.

"And you, Mr. Conner," Seeger said. "Report to the nurse's station to get those scrapes treated, and then report to my office immediately."

Jason gave Seeger a surprised look. "But I have class now," he said in a somewhat sheepish voice.

"I've made my wishes clear, Mr. Conner. I am no mood to have them debated. The rest of you, get to class."

The crowd of onlookers slowly broke up. Richie lingered, as if he did not know where to go.

"That means you as well, Mr. Gardner. Do not force me to be more harsh with you." He sighed and added in a softer voice. "Please."

Richie nodded and turned away.

"Richie, wait," Jason said.

Richie stopped and turned his head. Seeger raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean all that stuff I said about you and your father," Jason said in a contrite voice. "I'm sorry."

Richie swallowed. The words formed in his head, but they were devoid of meaning. He wanted to be sorry as well, but it would not happen. The anger which had served him so well for so many years had abandoned him, as if the relationship were but a sham. In its absence, he had nothing.

Into the void rushed the words: Nice job. Asshole.

Richie's throat closed up, and he fled down the corridor.

As he approached Seeger's office, Jason realized that today was supposed to be the last day in which he remained in control of his life. It had not taken long for that hope to be dashed. He supposed he should be resentful of Richie, but he could not bring himself to feel the requisite rage. Was Richie that desperately dependent on him? Jason had seen more fear than anger in Richie's eyes.

Jason passed Laura's office. He cast a cool look at the ever-bubbly and vapid-eyed Marcie, who simply smiled and waved. Jason glanced at the closed door to Laura's office before he quickened his pace.

The door to Seeger's office stood ajar. He paused before he was in plain sight, but the play of his shadow across the opening gave him away.

"Come in, Mr. Conner," came Seeger's dour, businesslike tone.

Jason stepped inside and paused at the threshold. This had been the first time since Halloween he had been in this office. The last time was to tell Seeger that a threat to the school had been eliminated.

"Close the door behind you," Seeger said, folding his hands before him in the center of a pristine desk. He nodded towards the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

Jason shoved the door closed and fell into the proffered seat. He said nothing and cast a level gaze at the Vice Principal.

Seeger let out a small sigh, then drummed his fingers against the desk. "Mr. Conner, you and your cohorts -- the Harbingers I believe is what you call yourselves -- were causing me problems well before today's incident. Incidents, if you consider the feud in the parking lot."

Jason paused, as if hoping it would allow him to parse the words better. It didn't. "I don't understand, Mr. Seeger."

"I have no idea how to treat you or act towards you."

"Like you would towards any other students, I would guess."

Seeger slapped his hands on the table with a report which startled Jason. "That's just it, Mr. Conner! After Halloween night, I could no longer think of you as mere students. I had the audacity to believe there just may be credence to your claims of mind control at this school. It explained everything I was seeing. It explained Laura's unusual behavior. And I dared to believe you and your cohorts were my last bulwark against it."

Jason clenched his jaw for a moment. "I'm sorry we disappointed you, Mr. Seeger."

Seeger gave Jason an incredulous look. "Disappointed? I had assumed, Mr. Conner, that you were aware that incidents of odd and inappropriate sexual behavior at this school are down rather drastically, save for some incidents involving ... well, never mind that. The point is, I had assumed your Harbingers had something to do with it."

Jason ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I should have seen this," he said, his eyes distant. "Dammit. That's how it's interfering with us through the line. It didn't just preserve one spell. But that meant abandoning a lot more energy it could have obtained from the Book so it had to pull back from somewhere. It must have pulled back from here."

"Mr. Conner, what are you babbling about?" Seeger demanded.

Jason flinched as if he had forgotten Seeger was still in the room. "Um, nothing. Uh ... are we done now, Mr. Seeger?"

"We are most certainly not. You see, Mr. Conner? While I barely understood a word of what you were saying, it is quite obvious you and your friends are still hard at work trying to protect people from whatever this is."

"Well, yes, we are. Or at least ..." Jason trailed off. He had been about to say "at least we had been" but that was his own despair trying to enter the conversation. He had to remain confident that Cassie could succeed him and keep the others together.

He had not expected he would need to calm a nervous Vice Principal as well.

"Yes, we are," Jason said in a more firm voice. "And a lot of the time we're fighting it away from the school. You don't have much more to worry about, except maybe Ms. Bendon."

"But now you come to the heart of the matter, Mr. Conner: Laura Bendon." He glanced towards the door before leaning forward and lowering his voice. "I have heard a very disturbing rumor about ... about one of your friends." He uttered a shaky sigh and wiped his forehead. "I could be fired for talking about such things to a student. I feel vaguely perverted."

"Mr. Seeger, I'm assuming anything you say here is confidential. And I am still a rational person who can tell the difference between concerned inquiry and lascivious interest," Jason said with a trace of impatience in his voice.

Seeger paused, then nodded once. "Of course. My apologies. It is still difficult, if for no other reason than my own sensibilities, but ... is there any truth to the rumor that the older Miss Sovert is ... cavorting with Laura on a semi-regular business?"

Jason almost wanted to laugh. "Cavorting, Mr. Seeger?"

Seeger frowned. "Spare me enough dignity and use your rational mind to intuit my meaning. And I assume such an arrangement is not entirely in line with Miss Sovert's desires?"

"Yes, Mr. Seeger, most of what you had heard is likely true."

Seeger paled and leaned back in his chair. "But then ... Laura would be ... Miss Sovert would be acting as ..."

"The term you are looking for, Mr. Seeger, is 'sex slave.'"

"And is anything being done about this?!" Seeger roared.

Seeger's words were tempered by the shimmering look of honest concern in his eyes. Nevertheless, Jason needed to repeat to himself that Seeger was not angry with him or the other Harbingers before he could respond with anything less than a rant. "It would take too long to explain why things are as they are," Jason said in a tense voice. "As I told you, most of what we've been doing has been away from the school. Unfortunately, we've had a few setbacks."

Jason pleaded with his eyes to leave it at that. He did not want to explain how most of their parents had been turned against them, or what methods they employed to do the Darkness' bidding.

Seeger frowned. "Then I am even more distressed at what I have witnessed today. Would you care to explain what precipitated all this infighting among the Harbingers?"

He wanted to tell Seeger everything and beg for help. He wanted Seeger to hide him at school or in his home. He actually considered the idea of holing up at the high school with Seeger's tacit approval. With the Darkness' focus now turning away from Haven High, he could hide in plain sight.

He stopped when he realized he would be using Seeger, the students, and the faculty as human shields. He was tired of others falling when he was the true target. If the Darkness were focused on him, others could operate with less scrutiny.

He had wanted to come out and say as such but refrained in fear of the Darkness hearing. He had hoped the others would come to understand this on their own. He had not expected such a violent reaction to his decision.

"I can't tell you the exact details, Mr. Seeger," Jason said. "But ... but certain events ... certain things have happened which forced me to step down as the leader of the Harbingers. I also may not be as involved with them for awhile."

Seeger's eyes widened. "Is that what precipitated the near brawl in the parking lot and Mr. Gardner's attempted assault?"

Jason sighed. "Yes, and I'm sorry about that. If I had know that would happen, I would have waited until the end of the school day to tell them."

"Mr. Conner ... I am most distressed to hear this," Seeger said in a hesitant voice. "I always saw you as the most mature of the group. You must have been an inspiration to them, considering the backlash your decision has generated."

Jason's throat became tight, and his eyes misted. "Thank you, Mr. Seeger," he said in a slightly choked voice. "But I need to ask a favor of you. From this point on, I want you to speak with Cassie Kendall if you want to discuss matters like this."

Seeger's eyebrows rose. "Miss Kendall?"

"Yes, and please support her as much as you have me. She'll be the ... well, I don't think I really designated her a leader, but she's good at organizing the others."

Seeger nodded slowly. "You are coming back to the group, are you not, Mr. Conner?"

Jason swallowed. "I don't know."

Seeger let out a long sigh. "As much as I respect your belief in Miss Kendall, I still feel the group is diminished without you."

Jason had to end this conversation. He was not sure how much longer he could stand to hear praise he did not believe was warranted. He felt nothing noble in what he was doing, and he did not want to go on a rant which would go nowhere and change nothing. He stood. "I really ought to go, Mr. Seeger, it's getting close to lunch period."

Seeger nodded and stood as well. "Is there anything else you wish of me, Mr. Conner?"

"Just maybe go easy on Richie in detention."

"I will try. Do you realize why I had to do it?"

Jason nodded. "You can't show favoritism. Cassie will make sure the others don't push it."

Seeger's eyes clouded, and he reached across the desk and clasped Jason's hand. "This is not a handshake of goodbye or any other such nonsense," Seeger said in a stern voice. "It is one of good luck. I fully expect you to return to your former role."

Jason pumped his hand once. "No one hopes that more than me, Mr. Seeger."

Cassie closed her locker and then stared at it, wishing she had another class to attend. Despite her rumbling stomach, the cafeteria was the last place she wanted to be.

"Ya doin' okay, babe?"

Cassie flinched and whirled around. She let out a ragged sigh. "Ned, please, make some more noise when you come up from behind me today."

"Sorry about that," Ned said. "Guess I don't need ta tell ya 'bout the Haven High hoo-hah over Jason and Richie, huh?"

"To be honest, I'd rather hear it from Jason first before I believe anything." She let out a ragged sigh. "And I hope that's all he wants to talk about over lunch."

"I don't get yer meanin'."

"Isn't it obvious what he's expecting of me? All he has to do is come out and say it. He wants me to be the new leader of the Harbingers."

Ned rubbed the back of his neck. "Gotta admit, babe, yer the best choice."

Cassie wanted to reject his assessment, but she knew it to be true. She was the only likely choice. Ned was too gung-ho for action; Richie did not have the right temperament; Heather was effectively unavailable every other week; Melinda was not mature enough despite her recent strides; Diane was not assertive enough; and Debby had been imposed upon enough.

Cassie closed her eyes and shook her head when she realized she was assessing everyone with the same calculating aplomb as her mother. She felt that alone should disqualify her from the position.

"Really, I think ya are," said Ned.

Cassie opened her eyes. "No, I didn't mean that. I was just thinking how much my mother would love this moment. We better get some lunch."

She was aware of Ned's confusion, but she did not feel in the mood for giving lengthy explanations. If he did not understand her misgivings about power by now, she was not going to explain it to him again.

And I'm even falling into the same dismissive attitude, she thought and forced the words from her mouth. "I'm not comfortable with this. I think this is a bad time for me to be in charge of anything."

"But ya got something that a lot of us don't have."

Cassie gave him a pointed look. "You better not mean money or influence."

"Nah, not unless the Poobah of Evil would take a bribe. But it does sorta give ya some more protection."

"I'm not even sure of that anymore, not after what's been happening at home."

Ned had no immediate response, and silence descended while they got their lunch. Cassie spotted Jason at once, sitting in their usual space by himself. She swept her gaze around the cafeteria and sighed.

"Richie's done vamoosed, it seems," Ned commented in a dry voice.

The words rose to her lips, but she bit them back. She was not glad Richie was absent, and she would tell herself that until she believed it. She would also tell herself she was sorry for calling him to task in the parking lot that morning.

Cassie stepped towards Jason, gripping the edges of her tray tightly to stop the contents from rattling. Jason had been there for some time, but he had done little more than move morsels of food around on his plate. Cassie was given pause before she closed the remaining distance and sat next to him. "Um, hi."

Jason's head jerked up as if he had not heard them approach. His eyes flitted between Cassie and Ned. "Hi," he said in a small voice.

Cassie hesitated, having exhausted her possibilities of conversation. She looked at Ned, and her face must have conveyed a silent plea, for Ned looked past her to Jason and said, "So, kemosabe, about these worms ya done take the can opener ta--"

Jason dropped his fork. "Okay, I know my decision is not popular with anyone--"

"About as much as a skin rash at a nudist colony."

"--but can you please stop and think about it for a moment? What else am I supposed to do? Can either of you think of anything?"

Cassie could not tell whether this was a plea for understanding or a plea for another option. She had been unable to think straight all morning, as the cavalcade of emotions from her fellow Harbingers had kept her on edge. She had known about the altercation between Richie and Jason long before she heard about it.

What upset her most was Richie. After Jason had calmed down, she had felt nothing but rage and bitterness from Richie. His emotions had been too tumultuous to discern to whom or what they were directed. They eventually waned, only to be replaced by a torrent of sadness, horror, and guilt.

Cassie had no idea what to say, but Ned rescued her. "We're gonna go talk ta Mrs. R. after school."

"I'm not sure she would be able to yield any more insights," Jason said.

"But it's something to do," Cassie said. "And it's the way the Harbingers are supposed to work. We're supposed to get together to figure things out."

Jason nodded, and his lips twitched into a tiny smile. For Cassie, the gesture was both welcome and unwanted. He had all but voiced his approval of Cassie's leadership. "So who's going with you?"

"Ned, of course, and Diane will be there later since she's doing those, um, lessons with Mrs. Radson. Heather is certainly welcome to come. Melinda ... um ... she told me earlier ..."

"Yes, I think I know," Jason said in a low voice. "Her mother did something to her again to make it so she has to go right home after school."

"Well, it's her aunt who's really behind it, but it doesn't make it any less revolting," Cassie said with a shiver.

"Wait, her aunt?"

Cassie had not intended to discuss this. She had hoped Melinda would stop giving Jason the silent treatment and tell him herself. "She thinks ... she thinks her Aunt Jo might be a former member of Victor's cult."

"That bloody well figgers," Ned grumbled. "What the hell game is her mother playin' now?"

"She said Heather believed it had something to do with their mother feeling too guilty to do it herself anymore, but I think she was being sarcastic. Actually, 'sarcastic' is not a strong enough word to describe her reaction."

"I think I get it," Jason said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Jason, I didn't want to burden you with this."

Jason shook his head. "I can't worry about that anymore. I can't ... I can't worry about Melinda anymore. I know that sounds ..." His words trailed off, and he stared at Cassie with shimmering eyes. Cassie's heart ached at the guilt and confusion emanating from him in waves. He cleared his throat and forced his next words through a tightening throat. "Just promise you'll keep an eye on her and try to do something for her, please."

Cassie did not want to make any promise she thought she could not keep, yet the look in his eyes needed no empathic sense to read. She let out a breath which almost quavered into a sob and squeezed his hand. "I'll try," she said in a strained voice.

Jason swallowed and nodded. He squeezed her hand in return and withdrew. "Okay. What about ..."

He trailed off again, and Cassie was about to say something when she noticed his gaze and followed it. She uttered a tiny gasp at the sight.

"Crap, dude, what happened ta -- oof!" Ned started before Cassie elbowed him hard in the stomach.

Richie cast a sharp look at Ned, but it dissolved as quickly as it had come. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and sniffled once, then thrust both hands into his pockets. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Cassie sensed an awkwardness which would have been endearing in any other context. She felt realization from Ned, who let out his breath in a shocked sigh.

"Hey, Richie," Jason said in an even voice.

Richie's eyes flitted between the others, and his arms drew inward, his shoulders slumping. "Listen, I ... I, uh ... I still think you're a total dumbass for doing this," he said in a low voice.

"Yeah, I kinda got that idea," Jason said.

Cassie hoped Richie would hear the undertone of humor that she felt in Jason's response. She almost came out and said it in so many words when Richie did not respond for a long while, his emotions still whirling so fast that she could not discern what exactly he was feeling. She sensed a second presence in his head, trying to be heard over the general din of his tumultuous feelings.

He let out a sigh and said, "But I didn't hafta be a total dick about it, y'know?"

"Ya got that right," Ned grumbled.

"Ned, hush, please," Cassie whispered.

"Just tell me that while you're at the Inn you'll stop being the nerd-brain and do something I'd do," said Richie.

"You mean like kicking its ass?" Jason asked.

Richie paused. "Yeah. Yeah, man. Kick its fucking ass."

"Only if you do something I would do."

Richie's eyebrows shot up. "Huh?"

"Stick with the Harbingers like glue. Don't skip out on meetings. Give them help when they need it. Cassie says 'jump,' you say 'how high.'"

"Oh, Jason, don't--" Cassie began.

Ned squeezed her shoulder and whispered into her ear. "Now you hush."

Richie paused for another long moment, then nodded. "Yeah, okay. I can do that. I mean, once Saggy-Seeger lets me out of detention."

"I have a feeling he won't be too hard on you today."

"How would you ... wait, did you clear things with him for me?"

"Sort of. I imagine he'll have to keep you for a little while just for appearances."

Richie stared. "F-fuck, you did that for me after I ..."

"We're Harbingers, Richie. We don't let petty stuff get in the way anymore."

Cassie felt Richie was on the ragged edge of his emotional control, and he was nearly pushed over when Jason extended his hand across the table. Richie cleared his throat and sniffled again as he grasped Jason's hand and pumped it once. "O-okay, enough of this sentimental shit," Richie said. "I gotta get me some food or I'm gonna be a dead Harbinger."

"Aye, make sure ta partake o' the mystery meat of the day," Ned drawled. "But stay away from the unidentifiable sauce-like substance. It turned me into a newt, it did."

Cassie stared at him.

"I got better," Ned said in a deadpan voice.

Richie snorted, and Cassie saw a hint of a smile and felt a trace of amusement. While she was glad they had resolved their dispute amiably, she still sensed something odd within Richie's psyche. As he walked towards the food vendors, the sense of two distinct voices in his head was even stronger. They vied for attention like two men shouting at one another until their words became incomprehensible. She doubted he was even aware of it, but as powerful as the struggle seemed, it had to be cutting through his emotions like a scythe.

The fact that he had no Aura did little to assuage her fears.

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