Chapter 10

The supernatural teens were sprawled all over Lauren's living room with their weapons in their hands. Some were cleaning them, other inspecting theirs, and yet others were just wielding them and threatening to knock over and break every item in her house.

When Quinn threw one of his ninga stars and it embedded itself in Lauren's drywall next to the old stone fireplace Zach called an end to the fun and games much to Lauren's relief.

"Guys, Lauren's ready with the spell for the weapons. Xan do you have the Gorgon sweat? "

Xander drew everyone's attention when he just smiled and said, "Yup and if you ever need me to get more, just say the word." His face took on a wistful look.

"That good Brah," Kyle leaned in excitedly, "Give us deets?"

Travis poked his arm from their spot on the floor and cocked his eyes at Kelly to indicate the hurt look on her face. All eyes were on her, but the dejected look promptly evaporated and a nonchalant expression took its place.

Xan handed the vial to Lauren who placed the vial lying flat in her palm and started to mutter the incantation while she circled her open hand and vial with her other one. The liquid began to glow a bright green color and it started getting brighter and brighter. When the glow was so bright you could no longer see the details of Lauren's hand she stopped and looked up.

For a brief moment her eyes had glowed green as well, but they faded back to her normal hazel color. Lauren took a small blush brush and began to pour the liquid on it. In the remaining light from the setting sun, he watched in wonder as she brushed the liquid over everyone's weapons in turn.

They stood in line waiting their turn by her big bay window after the application of the spelled liquid the weapons glowed green until they dried.

"I've got a question, "CJ asked after he sat down with his weapon, "Do we need to keep them dry or something will this stuff wash off?"

"No. That's why I needed to use gorgon sweat. Does everyone know the story of Medusa?"

Everyone nodded their heads and mumbled yes in unison.

"Well we know she could turn people to stone right and that Perseus promised to kill her and with the help of a mirrored shield he was able to cut her head off and use that as a weapon."

"What the story doesn't tell you is why the mirrored shield worked. When she looked into the mirror her gaze turned her to stone. "

Lauren returned to her seat on the couch and continued," The mirror reflected the complex magic back at her. It was Poseidon's doing."

"Medusa and her Gorgon sisters weren't born monsters they were born nymphs with the power to entice any man with the pheromones they secreted. "

When Poseidon fell in love with her and she would not return his feelings he accused her of having a heart of stone. So poetically anyone who looked upon her and marveled at her beautiful face would turn to stone. He punished her sisters too, because he knew that would hurt her the most.

"That guy sounds like a huge douche bag." Marley interrupted.

"Yes very." Lauren agreed before she continued, "It was her eyes that were cursed with reflective magic. Your eyes reflect the light. In using the gorgon sweat we are imbuing the weapon with powerful reflective magic. When the wards try to see it the reflection on the surface will make it invisible and impossible to detect.

He didn't know about anyone else but that explanation didn't help him understand one bit.

Lauren looked around at the confused faces of her friends and concluded they weren't getting it.

"Okay let's put it this way: a magician uses mirrors to make it appear as though items have disappeared. To the magic detector at the entrance of the school and the magical barrier at the entrance to the magic wing it will appear as if these are not even there, because I've turned them into mirrors that will reflect back the magic of whatever magical device that is trying to see them."

And it will never wash off because the magic was created by a God millennia ago when Gods were all powerful. "

"I'm just going to say it at the risk of soundly like a broken record, but I've got to do it. Lauren Evelyn Nash you are a friggin' genius." Zach wrapped her in his arms and squeezed her until she groaned.

He quickly let her go though. Sometimes the Dude forgets his own strength.

Well if you like this you're going to love the other idea I came up with this afternoon during a particularly torturous symbolic magic class. I was thinking that it would be great if we could stay in touch with each other when were travelling like everyone else can who can use a cell phone."

"Do you guys remember the spell I used for us to communicate with Megan when we were looking for ways to get by the trust-me-knot pact?

"Yeah Zach said eagerly rolling his arm to encourage her to go on.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats.

Travis couldn't help, but feel their excitement. He'd love to be able to use a cell phone again. If she'd found a solution to that she was going to be a very rich girl.

Lauren looked around and chuckled at the looks on their faces," I see you think I've answered the mother of all questions, but sorry not yet. But I have come up with a minor tweak to the anti-tech issue. I've modified the spell to allow us to keep in touch at all times."

Lauren picked up a backpack and poured out pens of every description on her coffee table.

"Let me demonstrate," she picked up a plain bic pen and wrote in the air:

I'm a magical text.

The words didn't appear anywhere near her pen they appeared at eye level on the wall.

Zach quickly picked up another pen and wrote:

You're a friggin' Genius.

The words appeared just underneath it.

"I wasn't able to get it to include everyone's name, but I think we'll soon get used to everyone's hand writing and we'll be able to identify the sender easily."

With that said everyone dove for a pen wanting to try it out. When Trav got to the table there were only two left, one plain black pen and a purple pen with an even brighter purple feather on the top.

Kyle groaned from behind him when he snatched the black one up leaving him the only other option.

Travis chuckled at the look his brother gave the ridiculous writing implement.

Travis wrote:

Sucs to be you.

And immediately started worrying if he'd spelled everything correctly, he started feeling embarrassed and his palms began to sweat at the idea of everyone finding out how badly he spelled.

"Trade ya, "he offered his brother his pen, it didn't matter if he had the gaudy one if he had no intention of using it.

Kyle snatched it from his hands and thrust the feathered one into his, before saying, "Thanks brah."

Kyle promptly wrote:

Who's up for magical sexting?

The girls looked at him like he had two heads, but it gave the guys a chuckle.

Lauren interrupted their fun to remind them, "Look guys these aren't normal pens you can't lose them. If they fell into someone else's hands we might just get a really long really boring report on the Man of the Sea and nobody wants that. So no losing them!"

Everyone agreed.

"Guys the text show up anywhere but it will only be seen by us. Don't miss use the pen. Don't think you can sext and no one else will see it. The pens are spelled to send out group texts. What you text to your neighbor will be seen by all. Just keep that in mind too."

She gave Kyle a hard stare to make her point hit home.

"And don't forget to bring your weapons to school tomorrow we take them everywhere from now on," Zach reminded everyone."

Everyone was still going crazy over the pens it was nice to have the ease of communication that humans take for granted, but Zach called the meeting back to order.

"Hey quiet down we still have a lot of important things to discuss. Speaking of important things: Cam where are you with the analysis of Trav's blood?"

Cam looked down at the floor before he answered, "I've got nothing, sorry. I did ask Knight to take a look and he wasn't very happy about it, but in the end he agreed. He said he should have something for me in a couple of days. Since there seems to be no ill effects to Trav or the others at the club I have to conclude that the magical concoction failed, but I won't be sure until Knight examines the samples."

Everyone looked to Trav which made him really nervous.

When Zach asked him point blank, "How are you feeling, any weird symptoms?"

At first Trav couldn't respond. He hated being the center of attention, but he stammered, "I-I- feel fine."

Zach addressed Kyle then and asked him, "Have you noticed anything different about him that he might not be aware of?"

"Nope he's the same old same old at least from what I can see. I'm not going to lie though I'll sleep a lot better when Knight gives him the all clear, no offense Cam."

"None taken." Cam assured him.

Travis breathed a sigh of relief when he ceased being the subject of everyone's scrutiny.

Brenna spoke up in her small voice then, "hey everyone can I have your attention?"

Connor moved in closer to hear her better.

"I've charmed the protective amulets we discussed and I have them with me. She pulled a velvet jewelry bag out of her pocket and poured the agimat charms on to the coffee table. There's one for everyone. I read up on the amulets properties and what it does. I was happy to find out that it prevents Aswang from feeding on your life force. So yeah that's great. "

"The people of the Philippines use these amulets to protect unborn children and infants from the creatures; apparently they're young are a delicacy for the Aswang."

"Eeewww gross." Liv said from her spot next to Mars.

Everyone ducked forward to grab the amulet and attach the charm to the bracelets they already wore.

CJ wiggled his wrist, making the charms jingle loudly, and joked, "Any more of these and the enemy will be able to hear us coming a mile away."

Brenna narrowed her eyes and said, "If you'd rather go without them please be my guest."

Travis noticed Connor couldn't have looked at her like he was any prouder if she announced she invented rocket fuel.

When Trav went to shift his feet out from under him, they were falling asleep and his muscles were protesting, the paper in his pocket crinkled and he remembered the Manticore's riddle.

"Hey guys," he announced, "I've got something from a friend. He seems to think it might be helpful for us."

Travis handed the piece of paper to Lauren who started reading it aloud:

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, ends life, and kills laughter.

Lauren looked up from the paper and asked, "Who gave you this?"

"A Manitcore I'm helping Ms Murakami treat. He likes to riddle. He told me he thought it would help us with our troubles."

"Why would he think DARKNESS would be helpful?"

He knew it! He knew she'd get the answer right away.

"Wait one second . . ." Lauren dug through her backpack from school to grab her astrological calendar.

"OMG how could I have missed this?"

Everyone sat forward looking like they were on pins and needles, but he could tell that, like him, no one knew what she was talking about.

"Guys I think I know what Liam's waiting for? The full moon has come and gone, right? Well there's another special day coming this month. We don't celebrate it but it's a pagan day none the less. I think he's waiting for Ostara."

Brenna dropped her pen and her mouth fell open in a perfect oh, "The Vernal Equinox," she exclaimed.

"Can you please explain to those of us that don't follow the astrological calendar what makes you think it's this date?" Ray voiced what everyone was thinking.

"Okay, Lauren sighed but launch into an explanation he hoped he could understand," The spring equinox is a powerful time of year. It's the only time there is equal light and darkness throughout the day, but that's not really true, on an equinox, day and night are of approximate equal duration all over the planet. They are not exactly equal, however, due to the angular size of the sun and atmospheric refraction. "

Lauren looked around to see everyone but Zach and Brenna faces were blank, so she started again.

"That really doesn't matter anyway. It not the reason for his action it's the catalyst."

During the spring equinox the ancient Anjana come out to play. They are very powerful fairies that come out to dance under the light of the moon in fairy fells, knolls, and mounds. If you call to them and your heart is pure then they must do your bidding."

"There's no way he can get them to open the barrier, right? There's no way his heart's pure enough." Ryan pleaded.

"Right, but he doesn't need them to open the barrier. On that night his power might be enough to tip the scale. You see, it's been a magical night of openings or rebirth and re-growth since the dawn of time. It's the only time the door opens and let's these powerful fae out. He's going to use that residual magic to push his magic over the edge, I just know it."

Lauren consulted her book and looked up at her friends with eyes as big as saucers, "Guy he's going to attack the school in just three days."

Authors Note:

Hello loyal readers and Wattpad friends.

I need your help.

Please, please, please find away to introduce this story to your readers. Maybe recommend it on your wall, or in one of your chapters in your book like I have done with some of your stories in the past, or just message a couple of your friends on wattpad that you think might really like the gang at Haven High. It would mean the world to this starving artist.

****************** THANKS FOR READING********************

I hope you all liked this chapter.

Dang that Lauren is brilliant or as Zach likes to say it, "A friggin' genius." LOL

"How are the gang going to stop Liam from getting the Ankh?

Tune in tomorrow to find out.

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