The Twin Prophecies: Rebirth - Special Edition Page 13

  “I love you, Violet.”

  Violet blushed and turned to Jack. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying. He doesn’t even know me.”

  “He doesn’t. He doesn’t know either of us. Don’t tell him my secrets.”

  Violet looked at Bobby. He’d turned and was wheeling into the building.

  “Violet, he won’t love you when he finds out you’re evil.”

  Violet turned to look at Jack. “I’m not…”

  Jack was no longer there. Instead, there was a tall, thin woman wearing a red coat identical to Violet’s. She had long dark hair and light brown eyes.

  “Who are you?”

  The woman smiled. “I am you. And you are me. We are the same, Violet.”

  Ashlyn.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I Will Not Hurt You, But It Might Be… Unpleasant

  “We are not the same.”

  Ashlyn tossed back her head and laughed deeply. Her hair flowed in the breeze and she smelled of jasmine.

  “Oh, sweetheart. We are more alike than anyone could have imagined. You don’t know it yet, but you will. Soon. You’re more powerful than he is, did you know that? You are more powerful because I was more powerful.”

  Ashlyn reached out and twirled a lock of Violet’s hair with her fingers.

  “You don’t appreciate any of the power you have. You don’t understand it yet. But once you do, Violet, this power will set you free. It’s the answer to everything. You should ask yourself, if knowledge is power, who had the knowledge?”

  Violet couldn’t look away from Ashlyn’s eyes. She felt like she was swimming in them. It was as if they were a deep pool of warm honey, and the harder she tried to pull herself out, the deeper she sank.

  “Don’t fight it, Violet. You’ll need your strength because we’re coming, you know? Lincoln and I. We’re coming for you and the boy. And we want our souls back.”

  Ashlyn’s grip tightened on Violet’s hair and she gave the strands a hard tug. Violet screamed in pain as she awoke. Her bedroom was dark, and she sat straight up in the center of the bed, her nightclothes damp with sweat.

  “It was just a dream,” she said, into the darkness.

  Violet knew it was just a dream. A dream so real there was a dull ache on her head where Ashlyn had pulled her hair. A dream so real that she stayed up till the sun rose, telling herself that she didn’t smell jasmine in the air.

  As soon as the first rays of sunlight slipped through the blinds, Violet felt safe enough to leave her room. She put on her robe and quietly walked down the hall to Jack’s bedroom. She gave the door a soft knock before letting herself in. She expected to find him sleeping, but Jack was already awake.

  “Why are you up?”

  “Ms. Sweet’s moving around the kitchen, probably making muffins or waffles from scratch. Does she live here? Is there some secret room I don’t know about? I don’t think she ever leaves.”

  Jack was smiling at his observation, but sobered up when he saw the look on Violet’s face.

  “What’s wrong with you? You look like crap.”

  “I had a dream about Ashlyn. It was so real. I couldn’t go back to sleep afterwards.” Violet sat on the edge of Jack’s bed, retelling the details of her dream.

  “How can you dream about someone you’ve never seen?”

  “I don’t know if that’s what she really looks like. I guess it’s what my mind pictured from Dr. Tesla’s description. The one thing that really stuck with me, though, besides the headache…”

  “Headache?”

  “Yeah, she pulled my hair in the dream and I don’t know if it’s a side effect of my power or my imagination, but when I woke up my head was sore. Anyway, that’s not important. She said that I should ask myself who had the knowledge. And it got me to thinking about what we discussed before. Who knew about us? Who even knew that you and I had their souls? I know it seems like a stretch, and it’s just a stupid dream, but maybe I dreamed it for a reason, you know? Maybe it’s a sign that we need to answer that question once and for all.”

  “You’re not gonna let this drop, are you?”

  “Not even a little bit.”

  “Fine, I’ll ask him today.”

  “Thank you. I’m going back to study.” Violet started for the door. “Kalina gave me a book of spells last night. We’re supposed to learn one.”

  “I’ll pass.”

  “What? Why?” Violet turned.

  “All of this magic is what started this mess to begin with. I’m not interested in learning any spells.”

  “It’s supposed to help us protect ourselves, Jack.”

  “Well, let’s find out who we’re dealing with first. I’m having enough trouble keeping up with my schoolwork. I don’t need more homework.”

  “Suit yourself. If you change your mind…”

  “I won’t.”

  Violet opened the door, but stopped before walking through it. “Oh, I’m supposed to tell you that Kalina is pissed.”

  “Perfect.”

  Jack showered, dressed, and headed downstairs to find Dr. Tesla. He usually spent Saturday mornings in his office, but when Jack didn’t find him there he followed the aroma of apples and cinnamon to the kitchen. Ms. Sweet was emptying the dishwasher and stacking dishes into a cabinet by the stove. She wore her usual pale blue dress with a white apron over it and her silver hair was tied in a bun. She smiled when she saw Jack.

  “Good morning, Jack.”

  “Hi, Ms. Sweet. Do you know where Dr. Tesla is?”

  “He was called away on Trust business. He’ll be away all weekend. Can I get you some breakfast? I have some cinnamon apple muffins that should be just about ready to come out of the oven.”

  “No, maybe later though. Well, what are we supposed to do if…” Jack wasn’t sure how to phrase a possible scenario. They were clueless as to the nature of the danger they faced and that was the problem. Ms. Sweet understood what he meant and said simply, “Kalina will be here.”

  This news brought Jack little comfort. He could think of nothing worse than spending the weekend in the care of a ticked-off vampire. He went to tell Violet about Dr. Tesla’s absence and found her asleep in her room. He decided that she needed the rest and didn’t wake her. He turned to leave and spotted the book of spells on Violet’s desk. She’d used a bookmark to hold one of the pages. He considered looking at it - even taking it back to his room - but instead shook his head and quietly left the room.

  Later that evening, after dinner, Violet and Jack went to meet Kalina in the backyard. Considering the sizable distance between their house and the neighbors’ and the thick cluster of trees surrounding the yard, she assured Violet over the phone it would be a safe and private place to train.

  Violet didn’t know what would be considered appropriate attire for a training session with a vampire, so she opted for sneakers, jeans and a gray hoodie. Jack wore the same except for the addition of a faded denim jacket. The moon was full and as Jack looked up at it he wondered how many werewolves were awakening.

  They were sitting on the back deck, waiting and shivering in the cold when a sudden gust of wind announced Kalina’s arrival. One moment it was just the two of them on the deck, and the next Kalina stood at the bottom of the stairs asking if they were ready.

  “Ah, I see you brought the book. Good.” She gestured toward the spell book resting on the patio table. “Okay then. To the grass.”

  Violet stood, but Jack remained seated. “If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to sit this one out.”

  They locked eyes. Knowing them both as she did, Violet figured they could be there all night if she waited to see who would look away first.

  “Jack,” she warned.

  “It is fine, Violet.” Kalina placed one foot on the bottom step of the deck, but moved no further. “Jack, I do not believe in making people do things against their will. And even though I could force you, I won’t. I think you’re making a big mistake in not taking this s
eriously.”

  “Oh, I’m taking this seriously. I just don’t think magic has done much to help me so far. Do you?”

  Kalina ignored his question and turned to Violet. “Let’s begin.”

  “Did you practice?”

  “Yes, I memorized it.”

  “Perfect. I want you to clear your mind and recite the words out loud. I am going to attack you.”

  “What?”

  “Did she just say she’s going to attack you?” Jack called from the deck.

  Kalina glared at him and Jack mimed zipping his lips shut.

  “You heard me. I’m going to attack you. I will not hurt you, but it might be… unpleasant. It will work best and you’ll learn faster if we can tap into your body’s instinct to protect itself. Are you ready?”

  Violet felt like she was going to repeat Ms. Sweet’s dinner all over the backyard, but she said yes anyway.

  “Begin.”

  Violet began to recite the spell. Kalina circled her like a lion assessing its prey. In a shaky voice, Violet continued to recite the words, turning to follow Kalina’s movements.

  Defendo adversus magicas

  Defendo contra sermones tuos

  Mea me defendet magicae

  Vox est defensionis

  Kalina growled and suddenly Violet found herself flat on her back, on the ground, with Kalina on top of her, fangs descended. It took Violet several moments to catch her breath.

  “I guess it didn’t work.”

  “It will. Again.”

  Kalina pulled Violet to her feet and they started over. Jack watched for nearly an hour as Kalina attacked and Violet tried to stop her. To her credit, no matter how many times Violet was knocked to the ground or against trees, she didn’t give up. When Kalina suggested they take a break, Violet insisted they continue. Panting and picking dried leaves from her hair she said, “No, let’s keep going. I think I felt something that last time.”

  Jack tried to predict where and how Kalina would attack, but she moved too quickly for his eyes to register. One minute she was in one spot, the next she was on top of Violet, her green eyes turned a deep red and her white fangs shining in the moonlight. She was just too fast. Poor Violet didn’t stand a chance. They continued for another half hour and Jack was just about to call it a night when something happened.

  Violet stood, shoulders squared, and arms at her sides. Kalina paced and Violet followed every step with her eyes. She was chanting the spell, barely above a whisper, when Kalina disappeared into a blur, but instead of reappearing on top of a prone Violet, Kalina was thrown backwards. It was like she’d hit a wall – a dim, blue, wall of light – in front of Violet.

  “Oh, my God! Did you see that?” Violet looked at Jack, a huge smile on her dirt-covered face. Jack could only nod. Kalina, who had landed in a crouch, stood up straight. She smiled.

  “Impressive. And this is just the beginning.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Here We Go

  The next morning, Violet softly knocked on Jack’s door. When she didn’t receive an answer, she opened the door slowly and went in anyway. This time, he was asleep.

  “Wake up.”

  “No.”

  “Seriously. I want to show you something.”

  Grudgingly, Jack rolled over. Violet stood at the foot of his bed, fully dressed in the clothes she wore the night before.

  “Have you been up all night?”

  “Yes, but I’m not even tired. Watch this. Are you watching?”

  Jack rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Violet was focused on one of his baseball caps on the dresser. She had one arm raised, pointing an index finger at the hat. She closed her eyes for a moment, opened them, and then said, “Nunc elevare!”

  The baseball cap slowly floated several inches above the dresser, then higher. As Violet raised her finger, the hat moved even higher. She swiftly swung her arm, pointing at Jack on the bed. The hat flew across the room and hit Jack in the chest.

  “Ow!”

  Violet squealed, laughed, and clapped her hands. “Isn’t that awesome?”

  “How did you do that?”

  Violet sat on the bed, her face flushed. “It’s all in the book! After Kalina left, I was still… pumped, and I wanted to practice the spell some more, but it’s hard to practice a defense spell when there’s no one there attacking you. So, I decided to try some other simple spells.” She flashed a proud smile.

  “That’s simple?”

  “Yes! Jack, you have to read it. There are so many cool spells that don’t require much power at all. I practiced a few all night. And it’s weird because with my dyslexia, reading is usually hard for me. I mean, the words don’t look like they do for you. They’re like a puzzle I have to figure out, but it’s not like that when I read these spells. It’s like they just make sense.”

  “Well, whoop-de-doo, Hermione.”

  “Cute. Very cute. Listen, I have an idea. You need to get dressed.”

  Violet’s idea found the two of them quietly slipping into Dr. Tesla’s office a few minutes later. Jack looked around nervously as Violet shut the door.

  “Relax. Ms. Sweet isn’t here. I checked. And Kalina can’t be here till sundown. We’re alone.”

  Violet walked over to a bookshelf and pulled a red leather-bound book as she had seen Dr. Tesla do before. The wall began to slowly slide to the left, revealing more shelves, lined with dozens of books, compact disc cases and folders.

  Jack walked forward, his eyes scanning the shelves. “I just want to go on record, once again, and say this is a very bad idea.”

  “Noted.”

  “How are we supposed to find information on Lincoln and Ashlyn? On us? There has to be over a thousand discs. Not to mention all the books and folders.”

  “I practiced a revealing spell. Once I got the idea last night, I thought it might come in handy. But, I’m not very good at it yet. I hid a pair of socks around my room and kept practicing. Most times, I didn’t find the socks.”

  “You couldn’t find socks that you’d hidden. Yeah. This is going to work like a charm. No pun intended.”

  “It doesn’t work that way. You’ll see. Hopefully.”

  Violet concentrated on the secret shelves and said, “Indica mihi. Quarero notitia.”

  Nothing happened.

  Jack sat behind Dr. Tesla’s desk. “We’re going to be here awhile, aren’t we?”

  “Shut up. I need to concentrate.”

  Jack threw up his hands in surrender, propped his feet on the desk, and leaned back in the plush leather chair. “Wake me when it’s over.”

  For the better part of an hour, Violet recited the spell to no effect. Her words and the warmth of the office were more than enough to lull Jack back to sleep. He didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping when he heard Violet call his name. He sat forward and swung his legs to the floor.

  “What happened?”

  Violet wouldn’t take her eyes off the shelf, but she summoned him impatiently with her hand. “Come. Look.”

  One of the discs was glowing like a lit piece of coal. Violet reached for it.

  “Wait. Don’t.” Jack warned.

  “It’s okay. It’s a part of the spell. It’s not really hot.”

  She retrieved the disc. The case was labeled with a six-digit number and A. Bale.

  “Bingo.” Violet said.

  Violet carried the disc to the desk and turned on Dr. Tesla’s laptop. She inserted the disc and checked the directory.

  “There are a lot of files on here. Where do we start?”

  “At the top and work our way down.” Jack said.

  The first few files were basic school reports and medical records for Ashlyn. Violet clicked on a subfolder titled INVESTIGATION. In it were dozens of reports from Hunters who’d been tracking her activities. There were numerous reports from someone referred to only by their initials – S.R. They’d been undercover for The Alliance, getting close to Ashlyn and returning information to The
Trust.

  “Sam,” Violet murmured. These reports were the most disturbing. They were firsthand accounts of people being tortured, compelled to the point of delirium, and even other witches stripped of their powers using a very powerful and painful spell. Violet felt her stomach turn.

  Jack clicked on another file. It was the official order to execute the twins based on the prophecies. It was signed by each member of The Trust, referred to by first initial and last name only. The first name on the list was R. Tesla. The children recognized only one other name.

  T.Gervais

  “The lawyer?” Violet asked.

  “That’s what it looks like.” Jack was already clicking on an image file.

  A picture of Ashlyn filled the screen. Violet gasped. “That’s the woman from my dream!”

  “Are you sure? How is that possible?”

  “Yes, and I don’t know. I’d never seen her before then.”

  “Hold on.” Jack went over to the shelves and looked at the discs before and after the empty space that had held the files on Ashlyn. He grabbed two and returned to the desk. Violet saw they were each labeled L. Bale and G. Bale.

  Jack was opening the case for Lincoln’s disc when they heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway. Jack ran to the window in time to see the tail end of Dr. Tesla’s car as it pulled in front of the house.

  “He’s home.”

  Violet ejected the disc from the laptop and returned it to its case. She handed all three discs to Jack, who ran with them back to the shelves. He returned them to the appropriate spots while Violet closed the files and slammed the laptop shut.

  “How do I close this thing?” Jack whispered.

  Violet ran over to the bookshelf and pulled the red book forward. The wall of books began to slide back into place. They left the office, quietly pulling the door closed behind them, and headed for their rooms. Violet reached her door just in time to hear Dr. Tesla enter the foyer and call out, asking if anyone was home.