by Maggie Walsh
“He says, the triangle speaks the truth. Follow the truth and his soul will be set free. Only you can save him, Matthew. You hold the key. Then he just walks away toward the back door of the house and vanishes just as he’s about to hit the closed door.”
“Wow. So what do you think it means? Whose soul will be set free? And what key?”
“I have no clue, but I think it has something to do with us being twins. I don’t know how, but I just get this feeling that that’s what it is. I was hoping that if I told you about it, that maybe you would know, seeing as you got the witchcraft and are going to get Allison’s powers.”
They both sat quietly for a few minutes, staring at the wall, each lost in their own thoughts. Sage pulled his hand back from Maddy’s hands and slid it across the bar to his other one. He turned them inward to clasp them together. “What is that?” Maddy asked, breaking the silence.
“What is what?” Sage asked, looking at him.
“That, on your wrist,” Maddy said and pointed to the tattoo.
“Oh, that.” He broke his hands apart and turned his arm over to expose the tattoo. “It’s the sign of the Tribeca. Our family bloodline. The one who’s to receive the family powers, gets the symbol.”
“So you had it tattooed on your arm?”
“No! One day, a little over a year ago, which we have figured out was the day Allison died, it just appeared on my wrist. I had no idea where it came from or even what it was. Freaked me the hell out though,” Sage explained.
“I bet. So what does it mean?”
“The pitch-black triangle is the sign of the Tribeca. Each point represents the three bloodlines of black magic. The Tribeca’s at the top. They held the most powerful of the black magic.”
“And what about the clear one?” Sage’s head snapped in Maddy’s direction as he looked at him in confusion. “What?” Maddy asked cautiously.
“I keep referring to it as the light one. I never thought of it as a clear one.”
“Does what you call it make a difference? What have you found out about that one?”
“I haven’t been able to find out one thing about it. Zane has a theory that it has something to do with me being a twin, but we have no idea. What really confuses me about it though, is it moves.”
Maddy’s eyebrows shot up. “It moves? What does that mean?”
“When it first appeared, the black one was exactly where it is, but the clear one was below it. There was about a half-inch gap between the two. Every once in a while, when I woke up, I noticed it got closer to the black one. Then one day it started to overlap it. Now it’s half way up the center of the black one, but as you can see, the black one doesn’t show where the light one is. Or as you said, the clear one. Which just made me think, if it’s clear, then why wouldn’t the black one show through it and it just disappear into the black one and only the bottom of the light one that’s still there, the outline, still be showing? But the clear one looks like it’s blocking out the black one, right?”
Maddy reached out and ran his fingers over the tattoo. As he did, Sage’s skin felt like it was being burned and Sage hissed. Maddy pulled his hand back quickly. “Shit. I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No, it’s okay, it just felt like someone put a hot iron on it for a second. Shit, look,” Sage said and Maddy looked to the tattoo. The light one was moving. Slowly going upward for about a half inch, then stopping. They both just stared at it.
“You saw that, too, right?” Maddy asked.
Sage nodded absently, his confused gaze staying on the tattoo. “Uh-huh.”
“What the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t know, but I think we need to go find Zane.”
“Good plan,” Maddy agreed and they both stood. They turned toward the door and started across the room, then suddenly Maddy stopped and grabbed Sage’s arm, halting him. “Oliver,” Maddy blurted.
“What?”
“Oliver. The cat. In my dream. The cat had a collar on with a charm dangling. It said Oliver. That’s the name of your familiar.”
Now Sage’s brows shot up on his forehead. “How do you know that?”
“That guy we trapped, Unger. He told us. He said that your familiar was waiting for you near the place of your family’s power. It is sitting in its domain and the familiar is guarding it until you come for it.”
“Oliver is the name of the guy that talked to me outside Allison’s house that day I was there.” Sage gasped.
“What?”
“He had pure white hair and black eyes. Well I think they were really dark brown, but they looked almost black. And he said, when you’re ready to hear the truth of your bloodline come and find me. The name is Oliver, Oliver Legend.”
“I think we need to get everyone here now and tell them everything we’ve discussed,” Maddy said.
“I agree.”
* * * *
“For the record, I think this is one of the stupidest plans ever,” Slade grumbled.
Sage looked to his mate and gave him a soft smile. “No one could come up with anything better. And it is the likely choice for us finding this cat.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like my mate being used as bait,” Slade hissed angrily.
“I agree, Slade. I don’t like Sage being bait any more than you do, but we need to find that cat. We’ve been looking for it for days and haven’t been able to find it. We figure it’s waiting for Sage and Sage alone,” Raith said.
“Shelby and Taylor both said they feel a presence here watching the house, but no one has been able to find where it’s coming from. Even you with your super senses can’t locate it, Slade, but it is here. I can feel it. If it is this Oliver, then maybe he’ll come out once he sees Sage,” Zane added.
“But what if Francis already got his hands on the thing and he’s the one now sitting here lying in wait for Sage to show, so he can grab him? We know he’s trying to get his hands on both of them so that he can kill them,” Slade argued.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Sage said and wrapped his arm around Slade’s waist. “And with everyone hiding around here and Gabriel blocking their presence maybe we’ll get the upper hand?”
“We have company,” Raith announced and motioned with his chin toward the end of the road.
They all turned their attention in that direction and spotted a homeless man, pushing a wobbly shopping cart filled with junk, limping toward them. They just stood there watching as the man got closer. Sage could feel the tension coming from the three men standing next to him and he could tell they were each getting ready for whatever was about to happen. He quickly looked at each of them and thought, to a stranger they must look like some kind of goth group or rock band, maybe. The three of them wore all black clothes with black combat boots. Then there was Slade’s long black hair, Raith’s long blond hair, Zane’s shoulder-length black hair with blue streaks, and his own long light brown hair with golden streaks. He must look like the odd man out though, with his blue jeans and purple T-shirt with the rainbow prism of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album cover on it. Sage heard a sickly rasping sound and turned his attention back to the man.
The homeless man walked closer until he was a few feet from them, then stopped and raised his hand. Sage flinched back slightly, afraid of what he would do, but the man held out his dirty hand and looked at them with empty eyes. “Change?”
“Sorry, buddy. None of us has any cash on us. There’s a shelter four blocks that way. Why don’t you head over there and they can give you a meal and a place to sleep,” Raith offered calmly, but Sage could hear the caution in his voice. Like he wasn’t trusting this guy for a minute. Which put Sage on extra guard.
The man’s eyes got sad and he dropped his hand. “Thanks,” he mumbled and started walking again, moving away from them.
Sage watched him go farther down the road. “That’s so sad.” But as soon as the words came out of his mouth his gaze fell on the man’s shoes.
&n
bsp; “How the hell would a homeless guy get his hands on a pair of expensive shoes?” Slade commented.
“That’s what I was thinking,” Raith agreed.
“Those are Testoni Norvegese shoes,” Sage offered.
“What?” Slade, Raith, and Zane said at the same time.
“His shoes. They are like the most expensive men’s shoes on the planet. I’m talking like thirty-thousand dollars. And there is only one person I know who would waste that kind of money on a pair of shoes,” Sage whispered.
A wicked laugh came from the man as he stopped walking. Zane pulled his short swords from his back as Raith slid a long sword from the sheath at his hip. Slade grabbed Sage and quickly pushed him behind him and got into a fighting stance, none of them taking their eyes off the man.
“Well, it seems you’re getting brighter with age, Anthony.” The man sneered and turned to face them. “But then again, it was very stupid of you to show up here knowing I was looking for you.”
“When are you not looking for me, Francis? I think you need to find yourself a hobby. Seeing as you like money so much and love to show it off, maybe coin collecting would be the perfect match for you.”
“It depends on your view of coin collections. Because I already have one of those. My collection of little twinks, like you, make me plenty of coin. Where are my boys by the way? After I’m done with you four, I’ll swing by there and pick them up.”
Sage gave him an evil smile. “Always so full of yourself, Francis. They are somewhere you will never be able to reach them,” Sage said over Slade’s shoulder.
“I am a god, you insignificant piece of slime. I will find them and they will pay dearly for leaving me.”
“Ha! You are not a god, Francis. Not even close. You just have an overinflated ego and think you’re better than everyone else.”
Francis gave him a toothy smile. “Your ignorance is what will ultimately destroy you, slave.”
“No. Yours will, Francis. Or should I say Genesis? You’re just the leader of a bunch of disgusting skinwalkers. A form of shifters, nothing more.”
The smile slipped from Francis’s face and his expression turned cold. “I am more powerful than you will ever be, you useless half breed.”
“If that’s true, then why are you trying so hard to get my magic? I’ll tell you why. Because you know that once I claim it, I will be more powerful than you and I will come back to fucking slit your throat.” Sage sneered, then hissed as his wrist burned. He grabbed it with the other hand and looked down. The light triangle moved again, but this time it moved down, back to where it was before Maddy had touched it.
Francis let out a maniacal laugh. “Who will claim who, Anthony? Will you claim your power or will it claim you? Even now you fight between good and evil, and it appears evil is winning. When that power claims you, and it will, you will come to me willingly and join me. We will sit together and rule my people as we take over the rest of the paranormals. You will be my mate.”
“The hell he will,” Slade growled and took a step toward Francis, but was suddenly frozen in place.
“And the first thing I will have you do is kill him. How dare he take what is mine. You belong to me and we will be together again.”
“I’m not stupid, Francis! If I have all my powers and you make me kill my mate, then I will die, too, and my powers will be right there for you to pick them up. I will never let you touch my mate, me, or my powers. I will fight you to the death.”
“And you will take him with you and your powers will still be there for me to claim,” Francis said happily.
“Not if I bind them to someone else upon my death first.”
Francis’s face twisted in rage. “There is no one else strong enough to handle those powers. Only I can take them into me without them imploding!” Francis screamed, and as he did the ground began to shake and a large crack appeared, racing quickly toward them down the center of the road. The fissure caught them before they could react. Slade grabbed Sage’s hand and disseminated, reappearing on the sidewalk. Zane lost his footing and slipped into the deep crevasse, but he released his swords and grabbed on to the edge just in time. Raith kept his balance, never taking his eyes from Francis.
“Nice parlor trick,” Raith said calmly.
Francis flinched and looked at Raith as if he were insane. “Parlor trick? I can control the elements, wolf,” Francis said in disgust.
“Who can’t?” Raith answered and suddenly another loud, rumbling sound could be heard from under and around them, and a huge wall of water came rushing down the street.
Sage watched as Francis actually looked scared and took a step back. He quickly composed himself and began to move toward Raith with his hands up in front of him. “Dad, watch out!” Sage warned.
Just as Francis stopped at the other side of the fissure water burst from within like a geyser, knocking Francis on his ass. At the same time a gentle wave moved under Zane, lifted him up, and gently rolled him across the road.
“You were saying?” Raith said to Francis.
Francis sputtered as he tried to clear the water from his face and looked to Raith. “You are just a useless wolf.”
“Not that I doubted my son’s words, but he was definitely right. You are the biggest blowhard, egotistical, piece of shit I have ever met. And I’ve met evil demigods. Shifters get powers, too, asshole.”
“But you only get one and they’re not very strong. How do you have that much control?”
Raith looked at Sage with a raised brow, then back to Francis and shook his head. “Sage is right again; your ignorance will be your downfall. And that’s just better for us. Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Raith said in a singsong voice, then smiled. Francis tilted his head and his eyes filled with confusion as he stared at Raith like he was nuts.
A bluebird flew down and landed at Raith’s feet. A light shone around the bird and it grew. Suddenly a very naked Shelby stood there. He rolled his head around his shoulders, stretching his neck. “Damn, that was tight.”
“I thought you liked tight, sweet thing,” Taylor said from a few feet away.
Francis looked to where Taylor spoke but there was no one there. “Who said that?”
“Oh, that was just little ole me, you sick fuck.” Taylor and Gabriel instantly appeared.
“Who and what are you?”
Taylor tsked. “Now that’s for me to know and you to find out. Oh, what’s the matter, Francine? You not the big badass you thought you were?” Taylor asked in a child’s voice as he pouted. “There’s a new power in town that makes yours look like a firecracker?”
Francis got to his feet and turned cold gaze to Taylor. “So you know how to use vanishing and appearance spells. Doesn’t mean you’re more powerful than me.”
“Nope, no spells needed. Just gods’ given power. I may be the hottest, but I’m not even close to being the strongest. That title goes to the Heart.”
Francis’s eyes went wide as they filled with humor. “The Heart? You all are truly delusional and it will be my complete pleasure to control you all and make you my new stars. Keep believing in false prophets, it will only help me.” Francis laughed.
“Oh, this just keeps getting better. Here I thought we really had something to worry about with this one, but he’s an idiot.” Taylor chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest.
“You will pay for that, tart,” Francis sneered.
Taylor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, like I haven’t heard those words before, and from much scarier pricks than you.”
Francis’s face twisted and changed. His body shook and began to morph. When he was done, another Taylor stood there and this one gave the real Taylor an evil smile. Taylor just looked at him like he was bored, then raised a hand and started inspecting his nails. “Now I have your powers,” Francis announced.
Taylor shook his head and sighed heavily, then looked up at Francis. “No, you don’t.”
Francis flinched and the smile fell from
his face. He narrowed his eyes at Taylor, then began to chant. Sage jumped and his eyes went wide in fear as he realized that Francis was about to hit them with an energy blast and he needed to stop it. Sage took off running to Raith, Shelby, Zane, and Taylor.
“Sage, no!” Slade yelled from behind him, but Sage couldn’t stop. His wrist burned again, causing him to cry out, but he kept going.
Taylor turned his hand, palm facing Francis, and an invisible wall appeared between them just as Francis’s energy blast rushed toward them. It hit the wall and sparks exploded in all directions, but nothing penetrated the wall. Sage stopped in his tracks and just stared.
Francis morphed back into his own form, then turned his cold eyes to Sage and smiled. He began to chant again. All of a sudden Sage was thrown back, his body traveling at top speed down the street until he slammed into a wall with incredible force. He felt his head hit and heard a sickening cracking sound. Then everything went black.
* * * *
Terror like Slade had never felt before, swamped his body as he watched his beautiful mate take off running after Francis. Then he stopped and his body was thrown through the air, slamming into the side of the brick building down the street. The force of the hit was so hard that the concrete blocks burst apart, crumbling around Sage.
Then everything happened all at once, and Slade didn’t know where to look first. He wanted to run to his mate but he couldn’t. A large blast of energy that looked like a comet flew up the street from a few houses away, and headed toward Francis. Francis countered the attack with a spell of his own and everything that was alive in its path dropped to the ground dead, including the plant life. Shelby, Raith, Taylor, and Zane ducked, and Gabriel ran to them, making them all disappear, but Slade knew they were still there. Gabriel could only cloak them, not take them away. He only hoped Zane used one of his spells and got them the hell out of there.
Slade tried to move his feet to go to his mate, but he was frozen in place. He looked down and was shocked to see his feet were now embedded up to his calves in the sidewalk, as if he were a part of it.
