by Mona Hanna
She’d looked carefully at each of the spells and was fairly certain which one she’d choose. She’d examined them thoroughly and was confident in being able to cast the spell accurately. She didn’t need to brew a potion, which was a relief, as that would certainly raise questions. When they had some time away from their parents tomorrow, she’d cast the spell on James.
Erica put the book she was holding down and rubbed her eyes. It was well after midnight and she was ready to go to sleep.
“Finished?” Gareth asked, shutting his book. “You’ve been reading for ages.”
“I’m done. I just wanted to be thorough. I should be able to cast the spell properly tomorrow, but whether or not I get the information out of James is another thing. We’ll just have to see.” Erica yawned, then covered her mouth sheepishly.
“Alright, time for sleep.” Gareth put his book on the table, then took Erica’s hand and smiled at her.
“What?”
He said nothing for a while, just gazed at her. “I’m so in love with you. When we’re married, I can’t wait to be with you every day. Hold you and kiss you all the time —make love whenever we want. I so want to live with you, and I can’t wait until we have a child. Until then….” Gareth put his hands on either side of Erica’s face, leaned in, and brushed her lips with his.
Erica took in her breath, and then he kissed her again, softly, slowly. Her skin tingled as she remembered when they were together yesterday—it had never been that intense before. They wouldn’t likely be able to make love again until they got home, but she felt so happy even when they just kissed. She wished she could lie in Gareth’s arms all night, but they were reduced to each sleeping on a settee. At least they were alone, for now.
They held each other tightly, only kissing gently so as not to get carried away. Gareth finally pulled back, sighing. He retrieved the pillow and blanket from beneath the settee, stood, and placed them beside Erica. “Good night,” he said, then walked to the other settee.
Erica stood. She wanted him to hold her that night. “Wait.” She picked up the pillow and blanket and walked to the other side of the room. She lay the blanket on the floor, tossed down the pillow, then looked over at Gareth.
He grinned at her and brought the other blanket. Erica lay on the floor, and Gareth joined her, covering them with the soft material. He wrapped his arms around her, and Erica rested her head on his chest. She snuggled close, immediately feeling comforted. She was nervous about tomorrow, but for now she would drift away.
***
“Ahem.”
Erica opened her eyes at her father’s voice. She was still lying in Gareth’s arms, but it was morning. Her heart dropped and she sat up and saw everyone looking at them, Father with a huge frown on his face. She rubbed her eyes. “Oh dear.”
“As I recall, you two were meant to sleep on the settees,” Father said. “What happened here?”
Erica looked at Gareth, now awake and sitting up beside her. His lip quivered, and then he burst out laughing.
“I’m sorry,” he said, trying to stop. “Nothing happened, I assure you. I promise I just held her.”
Father continued frowning.
Gareth contained his mirth. “I really love Erica. I would never do anything to hurt her. I think you know that.”
Gareth and Father exchanged glances, and then Father finally nodded. “Alright. You two get ready for breakfast.”
Erica breathed a sigh of relief as the group staring at them finally dispersed. As she stood, she heard Caeden speak as he headed for the kitchen.
“Father, can I stay with a girl all night if I ‘just hold her’?”
“No, Caeden.”
“What if I really love her?”
“Definitely not, then.”
It was going to be a long morning.
***
Finally the children were alone late that morning, when their parents went out to town. James was filled with nervousness as he sat cross-legged on the floor opposite Erica. The others were gathered around them.
“Okay, James, I don’t want you to be afraid. I’m going to put you in a trance-like state, and then I’ll guide you with questions to help you remember where you had been transported to. Ready?”
“No. But go ahead.”
Erica half-smiled. She consulted the open spell book beside her briefly, then looked back at him. “Alright, here we go.” Taking both of his hands, she shut her eyes.
James shut his eyes too, then waited, not sure what to expect. He wasn’t feeling anything, but didn’t expect to straight away. His was concerned that this wouldn’t work. He completely believed in Erica’s magical ability, but just didn’t think he’d be able to bring forth the information she needed. He would try. Although, if he was in a trance, he didn’t know how in control of his thoughts he’d be.
Several moments passed. James didn’t notice any difference for a long while, but then he gradually felt a calmness come over him. His mind stilled, his breathing slowed, and he felt like he was in a place of serenity.
“James, I want you to think back to the day you were captured,” Erica said. “Picture yourself standing in the street, the woman before you.”
“I don’t know if I can manage it. Lie there the whole night? And what if he reacts the moment I possess him, even while asleep? He could appear strange to the person watching him. They’d know.”
“There’s no other way, Miranda. We only have a short amount of time, and they’re always going to be watching him. We just have to do this. I have to wonder… is your hesitation about thinking you won’t be able to kill Ariel and Hallie in the end? Are you having second thoughts?”
“I know I have to do it—for Benjamin, for our parents. But if they figure out James is possessed, and if they figure out my vulnerability….”
“They don’t know about that. You heard them discussing what they’d discovered. You’re safe from that. But it is imperative they don’t figure out when you’re in control of James. You’re so powerful, and we’ve prepared for so long. I know you can do this. The only thing stopping you is fear. You need to promise me. We do this tonight.”
“We do this tonight.”
“James! Wake up! We’re losing him!”
James felt his shoulders being shaken, but he couldn’t open his eyes. He was so cold. Why was the ground beneath him? Why did Erica’s voice sound so far off? If only he could just drift away….
A stinging slap rocked James’s head back. His eyes flew open, and he saw everyone crowded around him as he lay on the floor. He felt as if he’d been asleep for a hundred years, as if he’d traveled a thousand miles in his mind.
Caeden helped him sit up, and Elliot handed him a glass of water. He downed the whole thing.
“Are you alright?” Erica asked. “You collapsed shortly after I hypnotized you. You kept looking sicker and sicker by the moment.”
James rubbed his face. “I was in her head. The girl who cast the spell on me, her name is Miranda. I heard her discussing her plans with someone —I think it was the older woman who was there when I was captured, and I think they’re sisters. Miranda intends to possess me tonight while I sleep. And I also heard what their plan is. They want to kill our mothers. That’s what this is about—revenge against them, but I don’t know what for. Something about their parents and a person named Benjamin.”
There was complete silence for a long time. “It’s worse than I thought,” Erica finally said. “I suspected this had something to do with our mothers, but I didn’t know these women wished them dead. What in the world could they have done to invoke such hatred? What’s all this about?”
“Wait, there’s something else. Something about a vulnerability Miranda has when she’s possessing me. She’s scared we’ll figure it out. I don’t think it’s about how if one of us is killed when I’m possessed, the other dies—they said it was something we don’t know, and they seem to know what we’ve learned.” James hesitated before continuing. �
�You have to hypnotize me again, Erica. I need to be back in Miranda’s head so I can find out more.”
“No! You’ve recovered now, but you looked like you were about to die, James. I can’t. I won’t.”
“Do we have a choice? Or do we just wait for her to possess me and kill our parents?”
“You just won’t sleep tonight,” Caeden said.
“And the next night? I can’t stay awake forever.”
Caeden growled. “But we’ll know that you’re not you. We’ll stop her from doing anything.”
“Enough, both of you. I need to think about this,” Erica said. “I don’t want to risk James’s life on the off chance Miranda will discuss whatever this vulnerability is while he’s in her head. I mean, you can hear her speak, but it’s not as if you can read her mind, right?”
Something occurred to James, something that explained what had just happened and how they could stop this whole thing.
Chapter 9
James’s skin tingled as he thought about what he’d just learned. Everyone was looking at him. He could feel he was right; he had the answer.
“I know what her vulnerability is. It has to do with the bond between me and Miranda because of the spell she cast. We know she can possess me, but when Erica hypnotized me, something about my mind being clear and in a susceptible state meant I could go into Miranda’s head in some way. The bond between me and her means not only can she come to me, but I can go to her. Not just when I’m hypnotized. I think, when she possesses me, I can control her too. That’s what she’s scared we’d figure out. I don’t remember anything when I black out, but I must be able to control her body at the time. I just don’t know how.”
No one said anything. James was worried they would think he was crazy, but he was sure he was right. It made sense. It explained how if Miranda’s body was killed while she was possessing him, he died too. Because his spirit was within her. They were linked.
“I believe you, James, but I’m not sure what to do next,” Erica said. “Are you saying when she comes to you tonight, you want to somehow control her?”
“I don’t want to wait until tonight. I want to go to her now, or as soon as we can figure out how I do it. You’ll tie me up so when Miranda and I swap bodies, she’s trapped and can’t get away. When I’m in her body, I’ll find the nearest carriage and have the driver bring me here. Then we’ll go back into our bodies and try to convince Miranda to break the spell.”
“Why don’t we just tie you up tonight so when Miranda comes to you, she’s trapped then, and then we just threaten her to make her break the spell?” Caeden said.
“With what? Death? Or torture? It’s my body—either way I’m dead or injured. We have to make her break the spell when she’s in her own body. I need to bring her here.”
“This is incredibly risky, James. I’m not sure,” Erica said. “Besides, we only have a few hours to research how to possess someone and teach you how to do it. I don’t know if that’s enough time.”
“Can we at least try? Our mothers’ lives are at stake. Please, Erica.” James hoped with all of his heart she would help him. He would never forgive himself if they didn’t stop Miranda. He didn’t want the last thing his mother saw was her own son killing her.
Erica stared at him for a long time, her eyes full of concern. She wrung her hands, gazing at the floor deep in thought. Finally she nodded. “Alright,” she said at last. “I’ll help you. But promise me you’ll be careful.”
James breathed a huge sigh of relief. “I promise.” He was scared to death but had to see past that. By day’s end, this would be over.
***
Miranda sat at her desk in the early evening, mentally preparing for what she had to do that night. Leona was in the kitchen making dinner, but Miranda felt too nervous to eat. She felt sick to her stomach—nerves, she told herself. But she knew it was her fear and worry about carrying out their plan. Both over whether she could do it and if she really believed, deep down, that it was the right thing to do.
She put her head in her hands, trying to quell her anxiety. She was about to get up and pace when she heard a buzzing in her ears, which grew and grew. No! How did he figure it out? How did he know? She knew she only had a moment to possess James in return or else she’d black out.
She quickly concentrated on taking control of his body. There was a flash of white light….
Miranda opened her eyes, but they weren’t hers. It took her a few moments to adjust to being within James’s body, but her mind was racing at the same time as she took in her surroundings. She was tied to a chair in the twins’ bedroom, with Erica, her brothers, Caeden, and Gareth standing around her.
“Is it her?” Caeden asked. “James? If it’s you, tell us what our plan is.”
Miranda said nothing.
“It is her. I could kill you for doing this to my brother. What’s this all about?”
“What are you going to do to me?” Miranda asked.
“Nothing,” Erica said. “For now, we wait.”
“And then?”
Everyone exchanged glances. Erica spoke again. “We’ll see.”
***
James opened his eyes. He was completely bewildered. Everything felt… strange. He looked at his hands but saw her hands. He looked at his body—oh dear! He was sitting at a desk in a small room. He stood, knowing he had to quickly get to a carriage, but immediately fell down. His center of gravity was all wrong. She was shorter and skinnier and… different. He was immensely glad she was wearing a shirt and trousers instead of a dress.
He got to his feet and steadied himself, trying to remain standing. After a short while, he felt okay and took a few steps. He took a few more, then headed for the door.
“Dinner’s ready,” he heard someone call out. Must be her sister. He had to get out of there before she saw him. He walked out the door, then down a hall, but the dark-haired woman who was there when he’d been captured exited a room holding a dish towel.
“Come on before it gets cold. You’ve got a big night ahead of you.”
James gulped, unsure of what to say. He had to get out of there fast, but he couldn’t alert Miranda’s sister to the fact that something was wrong—she could ruin their plans. He merely nodded and walked towards her. Sit down to dinner, then excuse yourself and get out.
“I know you’re nervous, but I have faith in you,” the woman said, walking back into the room she’d left. James followed her into a kitchen, and she sat at a table, so he did too. “Are you alright?” the woman asked. “You’re white as a sheet.”
James swallowed loudly, then managed a smile. “I’m just….” He coughed, the feminine voice startling him. He took a deep breath. “I’m just nervous, like you said.”
“I understand, but it’ll work. I know it will. Eat up.”
James smiled again, then picked up his spoon and ate some soup. They had dinner in silence, James desperately hoping the woman wouldn’t ask him any questions.
“Oh, I forgot the bread. Fetch it for me, will you?”
Glancing around, James spotted a cutting board with a loaf of bread and knife on the kitchen bench. He rose and retrieved it, then placed it on the table. He was about to sit back down, but froze at the look on the woman’s face.
“Why—why didn’t you use your magic?” she asked.
There was a terrible silence. He couldn’t think of an excuse—if Miranda’s magical gift was calling things to herself, of course she would use magic to get something like the board. It was only a matter of time before….
“What’s my name?”
James didn’t hesitate. He bolted for the door, running as fast as he could in his new body. A chair crashed to the ground and he heard the woman come after him. James ran down the hall and through the front room of the house, then hurled the front door open.
“James!” Miranda’s sister yelled. “I know it’s you!”
He didn’t respond, just racing down the street, hoping he would
find a carriage. Did his pursuer have magic? He didn’t think so, otherwise she’d just magically transport to catch him instead of chasing him. But wait—Miranda was a witch. Did he have her powers? Or his own? No matter. Some things both of them could do.
He concentrated and turned himself invisible as he ran. There was an exasperated yelp behind him, but he ignored it and went down the mostly deserted streets full of houses until he reached a row of shops. To his relief there was a carriage waiting out the front. James stopped next to the driver, standing by his horses, and turned himself visible.
“Where did you come from?” the man spluttered.
“I need to hire you,” he said, again startled by his new voice. Wait… money. He fumbled in his pockets and found a small coin purse, hopefully with enough to pay the fare.
“James!” a voice screeched.
He turned and saw the dark-haired woman running up to him. He looked back at the driver, who had his eyebrows raised, then thrust the purse into his hands. “Take it all. But we need to leave now.”
“Whatever you say,” the man replied, and James hurriedly opened the carriage door and got in. He slammed it shut just as Miranda’s sister reached him. The carriage jolted forward, and he was on his way.
Chapter 10
By the time the carriage arrived, it was well after dark. James had told the driver his address when they had stopped to rest the horses. Luckily they were already headed in the right direction. They stopped at the start of his street, then James got out before quickly walking to his home and darting around the side of the house. When he reached his bedroom window, he tapped on the glass.
Caeden pulled the window open a moment later. “James?”
“It’s me,” he said.
He climbed through the window, and Caeden shut it after him. James briefly looked at the others, then saw himself tied to the chair. While he was used to seeing someone who looked like him, being a twin, this was different. Not even like looking in a mirror. He gazed at Miranda, as him. He’d never seen someone look so sad before.
