A Little Dark mAGIC nEVER hURTS [cLAIRE, oPEN]

[kyra Pandora Chambelain]

Her heels clicking against the pavement, she made her way up to the door of 'Charms n Thangs', the shop Everette worked at. She hoped he wasn't on, she wasn't after him, yet, after all. They had different goals in the long run; she had goals of power, he had goals associated with his brothers. There was no reason for the two of them to exchange blows, but she was rather certain that when he heard of Jace's condition, if he hadn't yet, he would come after her. They all would. But she wasn't phased, she had the power she needed, that was all that counted. They wanted to come after her? They could damn sure try, because the dark magic flowing through her veins was intense. Sure, she wasn't as powerful as she was when Wesley was with her, but she could still cook up a mean ass kicker.

Walking through the shop like she owned it, she went straight through to the door and out the back where they as a circle usually practiced simple and boring spells which were useless to her. Why was she in such a useless and boring place? There were some books here, which could be useful. Sure, she had power, but books had content and knowledge. Now she wasn't going to be called a book worm or anything, because she was far from it, but light reading to benefit her was something she would find a way to manage. She shuffled through some of the books on the table, throwing the useless ones onto the ground, until she found the one she was useful. This had spells; not just any spells, but dark spells. Powerful spells. The circle was forbidden to use it, for some stupid reasons of responsibility and 'goodness.' But she knew better, she knew they were just scared of what was contained in these books. She was going to use it, they both were.

Now was the time that Wesley and herself were to start their own circle- a duo, that was all that they needed. She trusted his judgement, and it hadn't let her down so far, it had benefitted her in ways she never thought possible. But then again, now anything was possible. This city was their toy, they had the power to mould it into anything they saw fit. This was going to be fun.

[Claire Diastone]

Claire had spent quite some time first with Mari not that long ago after what happened between her and Wes, and having Mari help her see and feel things more straight again, but mostly after her talk with Wes and how he'd been, trying to put everything on Kyra that was going on... But still, even with her deep love for him, she wasn't stupid, she knew it was also that side of him that the most people around her were bringing up, a part of him that she was sure would get darker and darker if she didn't try to do anything about it, even though it was hard to even figure out what and how that might happen more.

So Claire had gone to 'Charms n Thangs' to check some of the books there and to maybe practice some stuff if she got the chance too. She had been somewhere in a corner of the back room, sitting on the floor and reading one of the books she had grabbed, because she had grabbed them one by one and putting them back, in case someone else of the Circle came in, not wanting to have to explain any of this yet again, not until she found a way that she could better help Wes, because she really wanted to, but mostly she felt as if she had to if she wanted any chance of saving him, from Kyra, from power, but also from himself. She knew more or less what was going on, but she needed to know more, she wanted to know more, she wanted to be prepared, she wanted to make sure that she could be able to do something, to make a difference, to make sure she didn't lose Wes, not completely at least otherwise, she wasn't going to let himself or Kyra especially do that anymore than had already been done!

Just as Claire was about to turn a page she just noticed that someone was inside of the back room because of some books she heard hitting the ground and after she got up and moved past the bookcase she was behind, she saw Kyra at the table and looked at the book she had lying in front of her now on the table that she had just thrown the things she didn't need obviously on the ground as if they were nothing. 'Kyra...' She said softly from surprise to see her here and the realization that came with it that she didn't even know if Kyra knew what happened between Claire and Wes. When she stepped closer and when she got a better view of which book it was, her eyes became wide in some shock and stepped closer quicker now. 'What the Hell are you doing?' She asked in disbelief as she nodded at the book and looked at Kyra then with a frown on her face. 'You know damn well that book is forbidden!' She said not making any effort to hide that she was already pissed and getting it even more now that she saw this, because it only showed how right she was all along! 'Give it to me! Now!' She thus said as she tried to grab the book away from Kyra.

[kyra Pandora Chambelain]

She skimmed through the pages of the books, looking for something 'out of the box' interesting. Hate spells, anger infuelment spells, even turning others into rat spells were in this book. There was definantly some useful spells to read up on and experiment with in this book. Even if this book did prove unuseful, she was sure she could find some other books with more advanced spells, or even hook onto one of Wesley's contacts who were known to dabble in black magics. If anyone was to know of ways to boost their power, it would be them. She would have to see Wesley about paying them a visit, but first, light reading.

She was soon interrupted by the familiar voice of Claire Diastone. She looked up, seeing Claire standing there, obviously angry at Kyra for touching one of the forbidden books. She smirked softly, closing the book. "I'm sorry, when did you become the guardian of the forbidden books in this place? If I'm not mistaken, these are our books, I'm just taking it upon myself to do some light reading. Because I actually have the guts to look through the forbidden books." She went to open the book again and ignore Claire's feeble attempts at being a goody too shoes on her, but then Claire reached out for the book and tried taking it from her. Kyra's expression changed, and she pulled the book away from Claire, defensively. "Hey, I'm reading! You want to read, you can wait. Not that you would anyway, I think the stuff in here is a little too advanced for you, Claire. Unless your just trying to be a hero and take the book from me? Because that would be stupid."

She placed her palms on the book and begun draining the book of its magic and spells, the chants all flowing up her arms and body until they disappeared, her eyes turning black for a second before reverting back to their normal color. She glanced back at Claire, throwing the book onto the ground in a thud. "There, you can have the book. Not like there was anything useful in there anyway..." She turned her head towards the book, and watched as it caught on fire. She then focused on the flames, and send the flames towards Claire. It was time to test out these powers, and if Claire had to get caught in the crossfire, that was too bad.

[Claire Diastone]

When Kyra looked up at Claire she couldn't help but feel even more anger going through her body as she clenched her hands to fists because of the smirk this bitch showed her, after she could even guess that Claire knew, that she knew everything! She was totally enraged to her core, it felt like she was getting more nad more on fire with anger and pure rage toward Kyra, after she always already hated her to the core. 'Since when? Since you broke this Circle because of your own lust for power! Because nothing is good enough for you! Because I'm smart enough to know to stay away from it!' Claire said as she looked at Kyra with eyes that would shoot fire if they could.

When Claire had tried to grab the book away from Kyra and her expression changed, she couldn't care less, she just wanted the book away from her to stop her from making things even worse than they already were. Still Kyra managed to pull the book away from her defensively and Claire's eyes narrowed because of her anger even more because of that. 'Believe me, you'd be surprised of how advanced I can handle.' Claire just but growled through gritted teeth because of Kyra's words to her because it only showed Claire that Kyra probably didn't expect what Jace had given to both her and Everette before she died, because of what they did! Because of that damn lust for power of them! Of her!

Still Claire wasn't in time to react when Kyra placed her palms to the book and witnessed how she drained the book of it's magic and spells and Claire took a small step back but kept it at that as she saw Kyra's eyes going black for a moment before reverting back again. She didn't even think of looking at the book at the moment which Kyra threw on the ground when she was done and shook her head because of the comment she made about the book. 'I'm sure you didn't think so, seeing as you didn't even think it was enough to kill Jace for her powerds.' Claire said before she looked at the ground when the book caught on fire and as she had expected Kyra soon enough sent the flames her way which would have usually made Claire react differently, but not now, especially not with how totally pissed off she was now. She focused on the flames for a moment and then put them out before looking up at Kyra again and shaking her head. 'I always knew you were trouble, I just never thought you would be insane enough to do all this, but don't you dare think I'm just going to stand by and let you get away with this!' Claire yelled while keeping her eyes locked on Kyra but using the new power the dark magic gave her she now had herself, thanks to Jace's last efforts, to focus on getting the stuff on the table and the table itself to move toward Kyra in an attempt to hit her with it. Usually she would have had to focus more on it, even look at it, but now was the point of staring Kyra down and hoping to surprise her with it and the power Claire had now too, even if she totally wasn't going to say that out loud, she'd just have to figure it out herself, but for now, all she thought about was kicking this bitch's ass!

[kyra Pandora Chambelain]

She smirked softly at Claire's remark towards her. "No, stupid girl. If you were smart- you would have done exactly the same thing as me. But you wouldn't do that, now would you? Your just so much better than me; you, Everette and Claire...Always overlooking the two of us like we are nothing. Well this 'nothing' is stealing the 'forbidden' books dammit!" She could tell Claire was angry, she probably had every reason to be. As unbelieveable as it may sound, Kyra didn't want things to go this way. She didn't think the spell would kill Jacinta, if she did, she probably wouldn't have gone through with it or would have found another way. She loved power, but to kill someone? That was just something beyond her, at least she thought. She was after power, not blood. But it was a combination of both that she inevitably recieved.

She scowled at Claire, her jet black eyes almost piercing Claire with their look, before her eyes once again went back to normal. She laughed momentarily. "I didn't kill Jacinta for her powers, I really didn't mean for any of this to happen. You must believe me. Though even if you don't, I really don't give a crap. I wanted Jacinta's powers, but to kill her? No, what killed her was her last feeble attempts at escaping to the two people who she cared about the most. How sweet. I hope her last moments were worthwhile." She was stirring trouble with Claire, but she really didn't care quite frankly. She really didn't care about Claire or anything she had to lecture Kyra about because Kyra knew the power she now possessed and she embraced it, not run away from it like Claire had always done.

She twitched briefly as Claire put out the flames. She then watched on curiously as Claire magically moved a table towards her. She focused on the table, and it froze mid-slide, before it shattered before them into tiny pieces of wood. She eyed Claire again with a smirk. "Still playing with our training wheels, are we? Moving tables may be your style, but I have something a little more adventurous in mind." She giggled softly, and sent the momentarily frozen wooden table shards straight at Claire. This was either going to be really painful, or just extremely painful to watch. She was guessing both.

[Claire Diastone]

Claire's eyes flared up even more with furious fire as she narrowed them some more because of the remark Kyra threw back at her and the use of the words "the two of us" with it, which obviously meant her and Wes, which only made her even more pissed if that was even possible after just having witnessed your friend die in your arms. 'Do the same? Betraying your friends!? Ripping power out of one of them just for your own damn gain? Tell me are you really that desperate for attention? So desperate for keeping Wes for yourself? That you necessarily need more and more power!' Claire yelled before shaking her head again. She didn't care for any excuses that Kyra might come with, she wouldn't believe a damn word of it, she had been warned about this, she had felt and seen it coming, and still she hadn't been able to do crap! Well, not anymore!

Claire just simply shook her head with the furious look still clearly on her face when she saw Kyra's jet black eyes again for a moment, but she didn't pay too much attention to it, she wasn't going to let her intimidate her, she wasn't backing down, no matter what. 'You bitch! But believe me, it would surprise you how worthwhile it was, because I wasn't sure how I was going to fight you for Wes, get him away from that... There's not even a worse enough name for me to call you! But now I know, now I have that way!' Claire said loudly and with a very determined look in her eyes mixed with the complete and utter rage. Claire knew herself she had always been way too careful with the magic, wanting to know everything before using it, and if it were any other circumstance, she would definitely do the same with the powers that Jace had given her and Ev, but there was no time, she wasn't going to run away herself either anymore.

Even though it was very small and short, the twitching response from Kyra when Claire had put out the flames was just the kind she was hoping for, she wanted Kyra to underestimate her, she wanted her to keep believing for as long as possible that she had the upper hand, that Claire was still just... Good old Claire, but she wasn't, and she wasn't as weak as she may have been then, compared to now and the power that Kyra held, she wanted the element of surprise. She watched as Kyra froze the table mid-slide and watched how it eventually shattered into tiny pieces of wood. Claire didn't respond yet to what Kyra mocked her with about the training wheels, instead focusing on the shards of wood that had still been frozen that Kyra sent flying towards her. She focused some more and after putting one hand in front of her, she stopped the shards that were coming straight at her and would have hit her in mid-air and then made them turn around in preparation for what she was going to do back with the extra concentration she used but mostly the new power she had now.

'And here you were saying Ev and I feel like we're better than you, but you always thought the same thing, you thought about shoes when a damn demon was trying to kill us! That's the kind of superficial and shallow bitch that you are, you only think about yourself, you're the lowest kind of person someone can be!' Claire yelled before she used the elemental magic she had to put the shards of wood on a strong and hot fire, all of them before a gush of wind came past them and Claire made the flaming shards swirl around in a kind of tornado way and smirked slightly for a moment, feeling the power go through her, but she could still focus on that it wasn't why she was doing this, she was doing this for Jace, and deep inside her, for Wes. 'I bet you're so full of yourself, you even think the love spell that happened didn't even effect Wes.' She said mockingly with the slight but bitter and enraged smirk for a moment still on her face, but then pushed her hand forward, making the swirling and flaming shards fly toward Kyra at pretty high velocity.

[kyra Pandora Chambelain]

She snickered as this little girl spoke of everything, and Wes. She really was blind. She was literally BLIND! "Claire, before I kick every square inch of that scrawny 'nobody taps that' ass, let me just clarify something for you. We were never friends. This whole circle thing, was purely a circle. We weren't all happy circle, we were playing like that. I thought you of all people, with your brains, wouldn't be so unpracticle and just plain stupid." Now this girl was going to bitch about attention? Attention? To Kyra? Maybe Kyra was giving her way too much credit in the intellect department, because she was really pushing the boundaries of mentally unstable right now. Not like she wasn't anyway, but this was just a pure confirmation of her damn insanity. And now she was going to talk about keeping Wesley to herself? She begun laughing as she glanced at Claire. "Oh? I'm keeping him to myself, am I? Coming from a delinquent virgin, I really couldn't give a crap about your petty jealousies. I mean, it happens. The little nerdy girl falls for the star of the football team; he just makes you melt, doesn't he? You begin thinking, 'could he be my first.' 'Could he love me?' Then you realize, nobody loves you. Not even your family. You think I'm alone, but you are the definition of it." She giggled softly as she begun circling Claire, gazing at her sternly.

Now she was trying to get Kyra away from Wesley? Oh please, like she was the dark influence behind this whole thing. "Oh sweety, your complete lack of knowledge of what is happening is rather pathetic. Its not even laughable anymore. Get Wesley away from this? Wesley is 'this.' You can whine and accuse me of being the big bad witch in this whole fantasy scenario where Wesley waltzs into the sunset with you, but there is no damn sunset. Just Wesley, and power. You couldn't possibly understand Wesley like I do, not even dream of it in your little childrens book fantasies. You know nothing, because your nothing but an ignorant little girl who thinks she can mess with the big kids."

She rolled her eyes as Claire begun ranting on again. Boy, was she itching to shut this girl's trap for once. "To be fair, those shoes were prada. The weight of prada shoes...Or demon, I think the answer is rather self-explanatory. I mean, being the 'heroes' was your job. You, Everette and Jacinta. It started with Everette, who sucked you guys into believing in his brother's cause, in fighting against all of that evil out there which had no problems with us beforehand. Why do you think we so desperately wanted to get out of this circle? This circle is poison. And you are all just the same now." She wasn't going to be losing any of her blood or ruining her clothes for this cause of Everette's anymore, she was better than that. And Claire was right, she was better than them, because she picked and choosed her battles; she knew when it was of benefit to fight and when it was best to just run. She sometimes wondered how these guys even survived as long as they did.

She smirked at Claire, as she twirled flames. "I don't even know how you got this kind of power, but I have an idea. Feels good, doesn't it? Having the power to manipulate basically anything you want. I see it in your eyes Claire, you enjoy it just as much as I do. Your just more petty about it. Power corrupts you know, especially when you tap into this kind of stuff....Told you not to mess with the big kids," she stated as she moved foward. She had no fears. Claire didn't have it in her to kill her, and even if she managed to do so, she wouldn't be able to live with herself, and would turn into a wreak like Everette did after she has her lapse of enjoying the hell out of it.

She felt the heat as the flames lunged towards her; she closed her eyes as the flames wrapped around her being. She screamed ferociously, the flames beginning to circle her before wisping away before their eyes. She glanced at Claire with rage at what she had just said about Wesley. Then she chuckled. "Next your going to convince me that the love spell didn't affect me..." She cut off with a smirk as she glanced back at Claire. "I know exactly what happened. I know how he was dry reaching the following day, or maybe he was just sick...I dunno, its hard to read into these things. Maybe it wasn't just a spell, maybe it was more than that? He is a guy after all, you can never really tell." She was cut off as she noticed a part of the roof collapse, just missing her by a few inches. She started at the collapsed wood from the fire, startled slightly, before glancing at Claire. "Well, doesn't this make it more interesting- to fight me, your going to destroy your best friends shop. Let me help-" She grinned as she shot some flashes at the roof, watching as more of it begun to collapse around them. She destroyed the shelves, the cabinets and even flipped that damn ugly cashier, before walking out the back way confidently, happy to leave Claire with all of this mess.

[wickedmagik]

It was strange to say this, but he felt what was happening at Charms N' Thangs. He had never been this powerful before he killed Jace, but now he felt like he could sense the pulse of the city. There was an undeniable hum of magic in the air, drawing him all over like a dog chasing a car. There was that whisper in the back of his mind, that pull to be great! It was maddening, and already he was planning to invoke that same spell again. The problem was he couldn't count on Kyra to do it again, not after it had cost the life of Jace. She didn't understand like he did, despite her yearning for power, that sometimes one life had to be given up for the greater good.

With just a thought, Wes found himself muttering a soft spell, and then he was across the city. It was nuts the sort of things he could do now, it was as if touching that box had given him some sort of magical index. He knew exactly how to use Jace's power, there had been no learning for him when it came to this dark magic. The voice inside his head guided his every step, whispering subtely into his sub concious tiny suggestions that he would never notice. As she came out the back door, Wes dropped down from the roof, slowing his descent last moment as his feet touched the pavement. The power of this magic was intoxicating, he used to every single moment, even for small things.

Waving a hand, he opened the door, closing it behind him with the same thought without breaking a stride. She was here, he could feel it, it was like some kind of sense in the back of his head. There was carnage everywhere as he made his way to the room where the book had been held, Wes wanted to see the extent of Kyra's fury for himself. It was how he would determine just how far he could push her, just how much he could get her to do with him. For now he would continue with this circle of two, but power was corrupting. Who knew how long it would be before he wanted the rest of the power, how long until he turned the spell they had used on Jace on her.

Raising a hand, the debris in the room would start to right it's self on it's own, objects flying from the floor to the shelves. The entire time Wesley's eyes were a dark black, soulless as the power flowed through him. When he was satisfied with what he had done, his gazed shifted to meet Claire, who he knew would be here. Fading back to the original deep brown, he looked at her with a confusing look. Part of his expression showed concern, while part of it showed a sort of hunger. For what, he was unsure, it was a subconcious urge for something that he could not comprehend right now.

"Claire are you alright? I could feel what was happening from several blocks over." he said quietly, as if he had any right to speak to her right now, speak to her like this after what he had done. Kyra put it together, where Jace had run off to, that much he knew without even having to ask her. It was to be confirmed soon, by testing their abilities to see if they had changed. Though Wes couldn't figure out how he would be able to bring himself to raise a hand against her, she was still Claire.

"Was that book really worth all of this?"

[Everette Jason Evans]

He hoped it wasn't too late. Dark magic was strong, really strong. It seemed that tapping into it having that power forced into him just didn't seem to give him more power, but to enhance his powers already. Ev would be lying if he said he wasn't already a powerful witch, and now he had the powers of elemental magic, dark magic and his shaman magic coursing through him. Not that he was complaining, but sleeping wasn't the only time he could see the future now. He was at the library as always with books everywhere, trying to finish his history paper in an all nighter. It wasn't like he had much time to focus anymore, with Jace gone and everything just going down hill, it seemed that school work was the only thing that was stable anymore. He could barely even punch a vampire anymore, not after everything. He wanted to close himself off from everything. From the past, from the present and everyone in it. But he couldn't, and when he saw flames, Claire and Kyra and the shop's state, he couldn't have moved faster.

It was the centre of the room that he came in. A dark cloud shifted from the ceiling, spiraling down in a lightning filled twister in the middle of the room in a thin, life-size tunnel. Wind flicked around the room as Ev appeared there, standing still and hard as he looked at the witches. He looked from Claire, to Kyra and then to Wes, emotionless. All he wanted was not to talk, not to reason this out in anyway. He wanted these people dead, and if Claire couldn't do it then so be it. They had the elements on their side as the sky boomed outside. Ev's new specialty apparently, premonitions and also a strong connection to the skies above. It worked well, and he stood his ground. What could he say? Could he say anything? A few feet away in the backroom was where his friend laid to die, and it was because of these two freaks. He glared at them both as rain started to pour outside and he looked around the room. He hadn't been in their for a while, and he didn't like the fact. But he was purely pissed at this moment, and didn't want to deal with explanations or rational thoughts. Just - vengeance.

"You - have no right to be here, you sick bastards". His gaze was fixed on Wes. He always didn't like him, and now he wanted the kid in the ground, bloody and broken with not a drop of life left in his body. Ev wasn't using magic against them yet - just not yet. He wanted to spring it, and make sure Claire was out of danger before he did anything. His strong jaw line flexed as he staired, and waited. They were strong, but he was better. He had natural magic, it wasn't forced. It wasn't abused and it wasn't a game to him. It was serious. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to let them go. Or at least not just yet, depending on how this whole show plays out. "Goddess Cadria, bind these walls. Make no man stand beyond". Shooting from his body, yellow energy waved through the room and absorbed into the walls as he telekinetically locked the doors, shut the blinds and windows and got ready for what had to come next.

[Claire Diastone]

Claire shook her head as she listened to Kyra's words again, exactly as she had expected them to be, only making her more and more pissed and being more willing to tap into the power that was coursing through her. 'Oh I'm not the virgin you clearly seem to think I am anymore, and you have no clue! Oh I was stupid, I agree, so I'm promising you, if very maybe not today, I will kick your ass!' She didn't care what Kyra thought or how insane she called her in her head most likely, she didn't have many boundaries right now anyway, she just lost a friend, saw her die in front of her, nothing to do about it, having no idea how it stood between her and Wesley, and this bitch she hated to the core of her existence stood in the center of all of those things. Claire's hands clenched to fists once again as she listened to Kyra who begun circling around her, but instead of doing the same, Claire kept her place, trying to keep some control over herself, over who she really was, she couldn't go completely and utterly reckless, not with Kyra, not now. 'Again with the assumptions of me being a virgin huh? Of me wanting him to be my first?' Claire asked as she laughed on purpose before shaking her head. 'Now who's the complete blind one? You have no clue don't you? And besides, I'm pretty sure you don't have any idea of my family!' Claire said before turning around and [putting a step backward so she faced her again, but not letting her get too close.

'Oh come on! If you really knew him you would know that it's just people like you, parasites of life itself that make him want that power! Thinking he needs it! YOU are the one that is destroying of what he really should be! He doesn't need to be the same heartless person that you are, he doesn't need to be consumed by this damn power! And damn if I won't do everything I can to make sure he's not lost completely!' She said with the fury still almost flaming in her eyes and she could just barely keep herself from trying to destroy Kyra at all costs and destroying everything around both of them just to get that done. Quickly Claire rolled her eyes intensely before laughing sarcastically before looking back at Kyra. 'Do you really think I'll believe any word coming out of your mouth? That you really think I would believe that you just wanted out because of the dangers? Because you don't want to be heroes? You just went out for your own selfish reasons! We don't have a hero complex like you with your power hunger, we just realized that there are bigger things than damn prada shoes, but we clearly weren't heroes enough, otherwise we would have noticed what the Hell was happening under our noses, I should have followed my instinct right away when it came to you.' Claire said as her eyes narrowed some more but she bit her lip because she still felt guilty toward Jace, she still felt like she should have done something, that she should have been able to stop this somehow.

Claire kept her eyes locked on the girl she hated so much in front of her as she was twirling the flames and she spoke up again, about her not knowing how she got the power, but that she had an idea. Still she mostly had to focus on listening to her own thoughts getting pushed away a bit more by how Kyra clearly noticed that a part of her of course enjoyed the power she had, of finally being able to do things she wanted to with magic more easily without the training and spells first most of the time. She closed her eyes for just a few seconds as she shook her head and then opened them again. 'No, I'm nothing like you, you hear me? And you're right, I know damn well you're right... But right now? I don't give a damn.' Claire said as she kept her ground, not flinching in any way as Kyra stepped forward without any fear clearly, at least not of Claire, but she would make her regret that. She watched as the flames after some creaming, that Claire couldn't help but enjoy at the moment too, disappeared and wisping away, which made her bite her lip. 'You would sleep with anyone if it suited your benefits.' Claire said simply when Kyra chuckled and cut off how Claire was going to say next that it hadn't effected Kyra. When she heard the rest of what she had to say about it, she laughed and instantly shook her head with it. 'If you knew, you wouldn't have implied of what I am at least two times, you would know a whole lot better, I could draw you some pictures, but I'm sure it would take some time to get all of it down.' Claire said as she put a step forward herself now with a smirk on her face for a moment. 'You can't, but I can.' Claire said simply then too about how Kyra had said that Wes was a guy and you never knew.

Claire's eyes shut up too toward the ceiling as part of the roof collapsed because of the fire but she quickly glanced back herself at Kyra in front of her, taking the slightly startled look temporarily in her eyes as at least something of the kind of reaction she wanted, at least for now. 'I told you, right now I don't care!' Claire shot pissed off at Kyra about how to fight her, she was going to destroy her best friends shop. Still when Kyra started about letting her help she quickly looked up again as more of it began to collapse and then concentrated on at least saving some of the shop, but also try and keep herself protected, even though some of the destruction hit and cut her here and there, but she ignored it as best she could. 'NO! I'm not done with you yet!' She all but screamed then as she noticed Kyra walking out the back way and tried focusing as good as possible to use the magic to pull her back inside with as much force as she could actually have any say in at the moment.

The next moment when Wesley suddenly appeared inside of the back room, Claire's eyes shot to him and her eyes grew wide, ignoring the blood taste in her mouth from her bleeding lip, it was one of the least injuries she actually had right now. 'Wes...' She said softly in surprise as she tried her best to keep some tears from welling up, but still couldn't stop it and shook her head softly, lowering her guard at the same time a little. 'Am I alright? Am I alright? You son of a bitch! How can you ask me that!?' She yelled before she threw her arm at him, concentrating the dark magic she had on him, trying to throw him against the wall, hoping it would just be that, still not really wanting to hurt him too much and couldn't stop the first tear from falling down her cheek anyway. 'Look at me! Do I look alright!? And seriously? Was the book worth it?' She cut off kind of repeating his question to she thought was Kyra and bit her lip even harder, even though it hurt with the cut in it.

Again she was slightly shocked for a moment when Everette suddenly came in too, but with Wesley here too, and knowing exactly what Ev wanted to do to him, just as much or even more like she wanted to do to Kyra, she couldn't stop the worried feeling still coming up next to the rage that was still racing through her, which made her more confused with what she was feeling for a moment, first Wes showing up, then Ev, this fight went from simply focusing her anger to something completely more difficult right now. When she saw and heard what Ev did her eyes widened some more for a moment and then stepped forward to step somewhat in front of him and look at him. 'No! Not yet Ev, please, just wait!' She almost begged him before she turned around and felt one of her arms that was kind of hurting at the moment before she turned to Wes again and stepped toward him and looked straight at him, hoping for at least some back up in case he was even going to hurt her, or if Kyra was going to do anything. 'Come on Wes... I know you might not even remember or... Even don't want to remember, but you can't tell me it was all a lie, that it was all just the love spell...' She started as she bit her lip and wiped away a few tears coming out the same time but didn't help very much. 'I won't just give up on you, even though Ev wants to kill you as much or even more than I want to kill Kyra...' She said while throwing a glance Kyra's way and then quickly looking back at Wes his eyes. 'I won't just let that happen, I know you're not like her! Like how those people around you want you to be!' She tried almost desperately to get to him, keeping the three words she had all ready on her lips in for now, but she did really feel that, she did really love him, that's why she couldn't kill him, why she couldn't watch as Ev did, why she wouldn't give up on him!

[wickedmagik]

She said his name with astonishment or was it fear? Hatred? Sorrow? He couldn't tell anymore, he was too absorbed in how he felt now. If it had been just her, he would have been fine, but he could feel it now. Their power was resonating through out the room, it called to him like a light shining into the hungry void that was his soul now. Yet part of him held him back from acting as she swung her arm, sending a wave of powerful magic at him to bind him to the wall with her telekinesis. Hit by the energy, he smashed into the wall, his head looking down to the floor as his chin touched his chest. He was adjusting now, his magic loosening her hold on him slowly.

"Sick? One of our own plays with peoples feelings, emotions, takes away their free will and I am sick?" he asked, laughing as he didn't bother to look at either of them yet. It was all he could do to remain composed. He thought himself a hero, a savior, the one who had freed them all from the whims of an overly powerful child. He had the right intentions, even if the outcome was the most horrible thing anyone could have imagined. "I did what I had to do, for everyone. She was out of control, we have rules for a reason, isn't that what you've always said?!" his voice rose in anger, shaking the room around them. Looking up at them now, his eyes had become empty once more, pupilless dark voids.

His gaze shifted to Claire now, a smirk on his face as he looked her over. She was perfect now, in this form, the power. In this moment she had overcome that shy shell she had around herself, but to his other half she was fine the way she was. This new being taking over, the power, was excited by the idea of using what they had to bring her power into his own. "Don't corner a beast, you won't like what they do next.." he warned Everette, he was only going to warn him once. Even if he couldn't take the both of them outright, it didn't mean he didn't have an incredibly obnoxious amount of tricks, back doors, and other things up his sleeve.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Wes watched Claire for a moment, remembering the night she was mentioning. "I remember. You told me how you really felt, you knocked me off of my pedastal.." he said, suddenly sliding down off the wall as if he had finally adjusted, his magic forming a barrier around himself. If she wanted to do that again, she would have to work harder for it this time. "How can you say I am not evil? I killed her Claire, I killed Jace. Even worse, I couldn't stop myself. I think part of me wanted to do it, Claire. Whatever I unleashed, it was only feeding on things it found in my own heart, it knocked down my inhibitions and I did it." he said, looking down at his own hands.

He would leave out the part about tricking Kyra, about not even informing her that the spell might most likely take the targets life. "Why are you holding on to me? Even knowing what I did, do you really.. love me that much?" he asked, seeming confused by the idea that she could love the man who treated her like she didn't exist for so long.

"How do you know this monster isn't what I am suppose to be?" he asked, before objects around him started to hover independant of his will. It probably seemed like he was going to attack to anyone else in the room, however he was not using his magic of his own free will in the moment, his rage was overflowing as he looked to Everette. The guy who had always been such a quick learner, always the star, the one people seemed to be starting to turn to. Petty, jealous rage. It was one of the worst sins, to be filled with such pride, and then to fall from the vision you had.

[Claire Diastone]

Claire watched as Wes ended up against the wall as she had wanted in that moment of rage of when he asked her the stupid question if she was alright. Of course she wasn't alright, at this moment she was all but alright, it felt like she was on the verge of breaking down, but she couldn't, if there was ever a time that she couldn't let herself, it was now. 'Stop!' She yelled then in an attempt to stop both Wes and Ev from talking to each other and she quickly looked over her shoulder to the latter one with almost a begging look from giving her this chance and shutting up before she looked back at Wes. 'Yes, we do have rules and maybe a part of me understands your reasoning, but what you did... Isn't that something that goes way beyond that what you're talking about? If it is that you want to follow those rules, why are you here? Why are you letting this take you over? Because you are sick, this giving into that power hungry void inside you, it IS making you sick, it just doesn't let you notice it.' Claire asked as she pulled up her eyebrows and then kept herself from putting a step forward when she saw him look up at them and the emptiness in his eyes and the pupil-less dark voids.

Claire had already decided that she wasn't going to step back, that she wasn't going to fear him or at least show it to him, because of course she was cared and was most of it of losing him completely, of not being able to save him like Mari for example had said even after Claire already believed that a little herself. 'Don't focus on him! You are talking to me now!' Claire couldn't help but slightly order Wes as she put a step forward and sideways, putting herself more in between both Wes and Everette. [color=Purple['Then where were you?'[/color] Claire asked Wes softly as she didn't flinch when he suddenly seemed to have adjusted and slid of the wall, but kept her eyes locked on him with again some tears burning in them. 'If you remember, if it was true what I saw in your eyes and how you felt for me, then why did you just leave me afterward?' She continued as she shook her head with the soft tone in her voice still.

She couldn't help herself from gasping a little in shock when she heard what he said about what he did to Jace, that he blamed himself, that he even said he thought part of him wanted to. She looked away for just a moment before she looked back at him and as she bit her lip shook her head again. 'Because I just don't believe that you really are evil... Even with this... I still believe you're not past redemption, because the guy I spent that night with, what I saw in his eyes, that was all but evil, the spell just helped you tap into it because of all those other people around you messing with you has buried it so deep, it's easier to give into this temptation than fight for something you have barely given in to...' She did her best to explain to him as she kept looking at him.

The tears came more clearly again in Claire's eyes when Wesley suddenly asked her why she was holding onto him so much, even with knowing what he did and if she actually loved him so much. She bit her lip and felt a few new tears going down her cheeks but she still put another step forward, keeping herself from looking at Ev because of the way this conversation was going. 'Why do you think I'm here? I never needed that spell to feel what I feel for you, it just helped me loosen up enough for it and help you realize that this isn't what you really want, because yes, I don't know how you want me to prove it to you, but I do love you that much. There! I said it, I love you, even after everything, I can't stop it, I just can't...' She admitted to himself now as she bit her lip again, still somewhat afraid of his response. She finally stepped close enough to Wes so she was right in front of him and the barrier and raised her hand a little but kept it in front of it just in case. Because I just believe, don't... Don't focus on him, don't focus on that jealousy I'm sure you feel, just... Please, let me help you... She begged him softly as she started sniffling a bit more obviously from the tears.

[wickedmagik]

Stop!

It almost hurt to hear her yelling like that, he flinched visibly as she cut through their chatter. Where had this come from? Since when did Claire actually take control of a situation, dominate it? Maybe she wasn't the little bookworm he used to pain her as, maybe she was stronger than they had all stopped to consider. Either way, she had his undivided attention now, though all he could do was watch that aura of hers with a gluttonous lust. Now that he could see her power, see the darkness, he craved it for his own. "No one was going to do anything about it. Words were lost on her, action was required. Did she need to die? No, maybe not, but she was too strong for us to stop her if she chose not to comply. You both know that, I did what I had to do before she could decide to do something worse." he said. Was what she did so bad? No, not entirely, not for him. But for others it could have ruined lives, many, many lives.

"My entire life, everyone has been telling me what to be, who to love, who to hang out with. I left because I don't even know what is worth anything anymore, Claire. The only thing that has never let me down are my powers, my own two hands. Now that I am stronger, I can choose what I want to be, I am in control now!" he said, the last part forceful as the shelves in the room shook from the power surge. "I really did want you, Claire. Did? Do? I.. I don't know, I can't think. I can't focus on anything, all I can think about, all I can feel is your power, the pair of you." he said, holding his head. The dark magic in him was strong, guiding his actions like a puppeteer, it was a very thin thread holding him back from assaulting Claire.

He did his best to stay focused on Claire because if he looked at Everette he wasn't sure there would be a way to hold himself back this time. It was her turn to talk, she was getting that much, time to talk about it all. "There are parts of ourselves that we keep from everyone else. How do you know this isn't what I am? I don't even know that isn't what I am. Pretty boy over there seems pretty sure it's who I am, maybe he's right." Wes said, sneering as he said it.

She was confusing the darkness in him, the power was almost sentient now, and it was angry. "You.. love me?" he asked, seeming confused by the fact that she would even say something like that to him now. In his confusion he let his gaurd down, everything he had been levitating fell, and the magic from him seemed to relax noticeably. There was an opportunity here, one that could not be passed up, if everything went right what a chance it would be. Assuming that Ev did nothing to try and stop him, Wes took a slow step forward towards Claire. His arms remained at his side, though it seemed like he was going to try and embrace her.

If she let him touch her, he would hold her, bringing his face close enough to her ear to whisper. "I can't control myself long and you can't save me now. The two of you are going to have to fight me, I under estimated the power of her magic." he finished, before looking into her eyes. He couldn't will himself to let go, probably because he was suddenly starting to whisper a spell.

[Claire Diastone]

Claire didn't really give a damn right now how she was kind of taking control with how she told so clearly to stop, she just focused on Wes now that she had the chance and bit her lip again while looking at him as she was in front of him. 'You can't know for sure that no one was going to do anything about it Wes... That's the point, you couldn't have known what any of us was going to do, of course she made mistakes, all of us do! But you made this choice on your own, you didn't even come to me! You made it with her! But I'm telling you, it's up to you what you're going to do with the choice you made, if you're really going to let happen exactly what you're telling me why you did this, are you really going to let yourself get out of control like that too now that you have the power? Are you really going to give in to that getting out of control by power like you were afraid of from her?' She said as she shook her head and shortly looked away before looking back at him.

Claire kept silent for a moment when she heard what Wesley explained to her, again about how everyone had always told him what to do, who to love, who to hang out with, the things she already knew, the things she had instantly believed the night that he had told her them, that she had seen that he wasn't messing with her in his eyes, for the first time for sure, a look that she hadn't forgotten for a second. She looked at the shelves in the room from the power surge but kept standing exactly where she stood, close to him and looking back at him. 'Have I? Have you even given me the chance yet to show you that I'm not abandoning you? That I'm not going to let you down? Because you're not, you're not in control Wes, and I'm pretty sure deep inside you know it! In a way, you've put yourself in a position where you're even less in control than you've ever been...' She shook her head slightly as she said that and bit her lip, trying to cease the continuous stream of tears still rolling down her cheeks, and still ignoring Ev for now, as long as he didn't try anything stupid and impulsive. 'See? What kind of choice or control is this giving you?' She asked as she was still trying to get through to him with logic, with showing him that she was sure she knew him, that just like she said she wasn't just going to give up on him.

Claire opened her mouth, ready to speak but then closed it when Wes talked about parts that you never showed anyone else, how she knew that this wasn't who he really was, that he wasn't even sure himself that he wasn't just exactly that, also pointing out that Ev seemed to be pretty sure about it. 'I don't care! He's not! Right now I don't care what Ev thinks! i know the most that is going through his head now is the pain that I'm feeling too, the mourning for our friend! But I won't just let him kill you... I know this isn't you! I saw who you were then, I saw it in your eyes, not just because you finally treated me the way I wanted to, but because it finally made you able to do what YOU wanted! And because I have to believe that it was the truth that a freaking Cupid told me that I'm the only and best chance of keeping you grounded and human! To redeeming you, I have to have faith in that, I have to...'

If Claire didn't already have hope inside her for that she was having any effect, she did have that moment when she clearly saw how she was confusing the darkness in him, how clearly confused he asked her that she loved him, ,not being able to believe she gathered that after everything, she could actually still love him, but she did, God she did. Keeping hope also that Ev wouldn't try anything, Claire put a step forward to Wes when she also saw how everything that he had been levitating fell as he seemingly let his guard down. When he put a step forward to her himself, Claire could feel her heart starting to race more faster when she had the feeling that he was going to embrace her even though his arms were still next to him. 'Yes... Yes Wes, I do, I love you, even now, just look at me and see how much I mean it...' She said softer, while shaking her head a little desperately, almost begging him to see it in her eyes, believe it and remember it.

Eventually Claire put another step toward him and put her own arms around him for a moment, closing her eyes a bit too when she noticed him bringing his face close enough to her ear to whisper. 'I... I can't... I'm not going to lose you...' She whispered back when she heard what he said. She turned her face to face him and looked him straight in the eyes. 'I know you did...' She said softly first then about how he under estimated the power of her magic, shortly also looking at her hands, still feeling those kinds of effects herself, just luckily not as bad as it seemed to have on Wes and how all those people already twisted him. 'But I am, even though I can't now, even though we'll have to fight you, even for what I probably will have to do in a bit... I will, I promise you, I will save you. Please, believe and remember that no matter what?' She really whispered to him again then while looking at him, soon hearing him starting to whisper a spell, but having trust in him that he was probably just going to try and take off, so not stepping away from him. She knew that that way, she might be giving him that chance, but she would just have to hope that Ev could somehow understand how she felt, how she wasn't going to give up. 'Take this with you...' She whispered again quickly before she would be too late, as she put a small picture in his hand she had sneakily taken with her from their date of the two of them together, hoping that even if it would be later, it would make somewhat of a difference too, that in her absence, it would have something of an effect too.