Fractured Truth

by Rachel McClellan

  “Hi, Rose. It’s me, Llona. From down the street?”

  She opened the door and smiled big. “Hello! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you by?”

  I cleared my throat. “Um, I was hoping my friends and I could talk to you.”

  “Friends?” She stuck her head full of long silver hair out the door. When she saw the others, she withdrew. “I don’t think so. My sisters wouldn’t like it.”

  A wave of excitement ran through me. We’d found the witches, I was sure of it. “Please, Rose. It’s important.”

  “It’s always important whenever we have visitors. Life or death usually. It would be nice if someone came by just because.”

  “I will, I promise, but right now I’m worried about your safety.”

  “Why?”

  I looked her square in the eyes. “Jackson cannot be trusted. It’s just a matter of time before Cyrus discovers your location.”

  This startled her. Whether it was mentioning Jackson’s name or Cyrus that frightened her, she opened the door. “Come in, come in,” she said. “All of you.”

  I stepped by her into the house and shivered from the chill in the air. The temperature felt like it was a mere fifty degrees. I moved all the way into the seventyish-styled living room. The walls were wallpapered in orange and yellow swirls, and up against them were glass cabinets that held all sorts of porcelain trinkets. Some of them looked extremely old.

  “Have a seat,” Rose said after I introduced everyone.

  May, Liam, and I sat on a green sofa while Charlie lowered himself into a paisley Queen Anne chair. Rose’s gaze lingered specifically on him, and I thought she was going to say something, but then she turned to me and said, “Tell me about Jackson.”

  “Your sisters,” Charlie said, making her head snap in his direction, “will they be joining us?”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” Her voice was no longer pleasant.

  “I think they need to hear what we have to say.” He seemed unaffected by Rose’s sudden change in demeanor.

  “Wait here, then,” she said.

  As soon as she was gone, Charlie turned to us and said in a quiet voice, “I want to meet all three of them to see if we can trust them. They did give Cyrus control of the Shadow after all.”

  “We can trust Rose,” I said.

  “Rose has been around for over a thousand years. Don’t underestimate her.”

  He was about to say more when Rose returned. “Meet my twin sisters, Agatha and Audrey.” She stepped out of the way.

  Behind her, emerging from a darkened hallway, two figures hobbled side by side toward us. Their shadowed bodies jerked as they moved, as if their joints weren’t quite hinged right. It was like watching a horror film at the exact moment a monster reveals itself. If I hadn’t been frozen with fear, I would’ve squeezed Liam’s hand resting on his thigh next to mine.

  A collective gasp sucked the air from the room when the faint light from the window touched their faces. The women looked similar. Both were adorned all in white, a combination of satin and lace, part of it frayed at the edges. Their long straight hair was a brilliant silver, so shiny it almost looked like tinfoil. This brought out tiny blue veins just beneath their translucent, wrinkled skin. As if this wasn’t frightening enough, each one of them was missing an eye. They were standing so close together that their good eyes were right next to each other, both of them the color of gold.

  “My sisters are conjoined twins,” Rose said. “Audrey’s on the left.”

  I lowered my eyes, and that’s when I saw it. The sisters were connected by their shoulders. So this was the strange-shaped figure I’d seen in the window that night.

  “Sit, sisters,” Rose said.

  Their eyes darted around the room for a tense few seconds before they finally jerked their way to the two-seater hard chair across from the sofa. They lowered into it as if one person. At the same time, their good eyes looked up at Rose. She stared back at them long and hard as if we weren’t even in the room. I glanced at May. She mouthed the word, “Awkward.”

  Finally Rose spoke, but it was directed at her sisters. “I know this is an intrusion, but they have to talk to us about Jackson. They say he can’t be trusted.”

  It was another few seconds of silence—the sisters were staring at each other—before I realized the three were communicating telepathically.

  “I want to hear what they have to say first,” Rose said. She turned to us. “My sisters want to kill you, but I won’t let them. Not yet anyway.”

  This time I did grab Liam’s hand, but a second later, the twins made a sucking sound as air passed in and out of their mouths through their teeth. Rose started laughing shortly after, and I realized that’s what the twin sisters were doing too—laughing.

  “We’re just playing with you,” Rose said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

  May and I looked at each other and laughed uncomfortably. I let go of Liam’s hand.

  “Now, please, tell us why you’ve come,” she said.

  Charlie motioned for me to speak first. I cleared my throat and mustered some strength. “I’m not sure if you know of Lucent’s troubles recently—”

  “We know,” she said.

  “Oh, um . . . well then you probably know that several of the Guardians betrayed the Auras and joined forces with Vykens, specifically Cyrus who was the president of the Auran Council.”

  More hissing-like sounds came from the twins, but it was more high-pitched than their laughter had been. Rose patted Audrey on the shoulder as if to quiet them.

  “Anyway,” I continued, trying to look anywhere but at the twins’ strange golden eyes, which I felt burning into me, “we captured Jackson and he told me the only reason why Cyrus hasn’t killed him yet is because he knows your location.”

  “That is true,” Rose said.

  “Jackson escaped”—the twins hissed again, but I ignored them—“and we feel it’s just a matter of time before he tells them where you’re hiding. We’d like to bring you three within Lucent’s walls so we can protect you.” I took a deep breath.

  “Go on,” Rose said and waited for me to speak.

  “We also want you to summon the Shadow back.”

  At this, she straightened. “We can’t do that.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  The twins’ single eyes turned on me, sending an electrifying chill up my spine.

  It was Liam who spoke next. “It’s not just about calling the Shadow back. We learned recently that Cyrus wants you to create another one.”

  “We know. That’s why Jackson is hiding us. So far he’s kept us safe.”

  Charlie cleared his throat. “Look, the bottom line is if Cyrus can’t get you to make another one, then he’ll kill all three of you to give him complete control of the Shadow. We can’t risk this happening. It would ensure the destruction of the entire Auran race.”

  The twins looked up at Rose. Several seconds passed before she said, “We don’t care about your wars. We just want to live in peace.”

  “Then why did you summon the Shadow to begin with?” I asked, but instantly regretted it when Rose turned on me, the cloudiness in her eyes seeming to clear, leaving vibrant blue eyes staring at me coolly.

  “Like you, Aura, we do what we have to do to survive.”

  “Then come inside Lucent where you will be protected,” Charlie said.

  “Jackson will not tell. He too will do what he has to do to survive.”

  “Unless they torture him,” May said under her breath.

  Rose turned to her. “Don’t speak in my house, Fury. You were only invited in because of Llona. You are not welcome here.”

  “Hey,” I said. “May’s as good as any Aura.”

  “Comparing Furies to Auras is an insult to your kind.”

  The twins hissed again; the movement made their eyes vibrate within their sockets.

  May stood up. “I’m going to wait outside.”

  “
May, don’t—”

  “It’s okay.” May left the house and closed the door behind her.

  It had been a long time since I felt the familiar Vyken poison burning inside me, but I sure felt it now. “How dare you!” I said. “We came to help, but—”

  “You came to help yourselves,” Rose said. “Don’t pretend you’re here for any other reason.”

  The twins began to rock and a breeze, coming from who knew where, blew their silvery hair, moving it back and forth like fine spider’s silk.

  “I think we got off track,” Charlie said, his voice calm and soothing. “The bottom line is we have to keep you safe. This will also help Auras. So you see, both of us will win.”

  Rose looked down at her sisters. Their silent communication seemed to last forever.

  “Relax,” Liam whispered, covering my tightened fist with his hand. It didn’t help. After everything May had done for Auras and me, she should never be treated like that.

  Rose looked up. “We will think about it.”

  “For how long?” I asked.

  “As long as it takes.”

  I scooted to the edge of my seat. “You don’t have—”

  “Deal,” Charlie said and stood up. I glared at him, but he ignored me. “Thank you for having us into your home. We will stop by again soon.”

  Rose opened the door, and we followed Charlie out. I stopped just before leaving and addressed Rose. “Auras are good people. Please help me protect them.”

  She nodded her head once and slowly closed the door.

  I turned around and walked to the car. May was sitting inside staring out the passenger window, her expression blank but her eyes ablaze with a familiar fury. As soon I slid into the backseat, I said, “Rose should never have said—”

  “It’s fine, Llona,” May said.

  “No, it’s not.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.” She remained face forward and didn’t say anything the rest of the short drive back to Lucent.

  Before we exited the car, Charlie, who must’ve sensed my anxiety, addressed me. “Give them some time, Llona. They’ll make a decision soon.”

  I snorted. “ ’Cause that’s what people who have been living forever do. Time means nothing to them, and in the meantime Cyrus could find them.”

  “Maybe we could get a couple of the Guardians to watch their home?” Liam suggested as May, without saying a word, jumped from the car and hurried inside Lucent.

  “Maybe, but I doubt it. We barely have enough as it is.” I opened the door and stared after May. There had to be something I could say to her.

  Just then my phone buzzed. While Charlie and Liam said their good-byes, I walked a short distance away and looked down at my phone. A message from Christian read, “I want to see you.”

  FIFTEEN

  I lowered the phone, breathing in deeply. Christian wanted to see me. I should’ve wanted the same, but the truth was I was still upset that he had chosen to stay with Vykens. The Christian I knew would never have done that.

  Charlie drove away while I clutched my phone tightly. Liam was standing on the pavement, looking at me like he wanted to say something, but instead he gave a small smile and went inside.

  Once I was alone, I walked around the side of the building and called Christian. He answered on the first ring, saying, “I’ve been dying to talk to you.”

  “You know where I am. You can stop by anytime.”

  He paused. “I’ve been busy.”

  “Yeah? Well, so have I.”

  “What’s wrong? You sound stressed. Are you okay?” His voice was kind, gentle. I imagined him standing in front of me.

  I didn’t know where to begin so I started first with May and my concerns with her father. Christian’s response surprised me.

  “I know you don’t like him, especially after the whole car and fire thing—”

  “That’ll do it.”

  “—but he had his reasons. Maybe if you got to know him like May’s doing you would understand.”

  “I can’t believe you’d even suggest that.”

  He breathed into the phone. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Sometimes what makes sense in my brain isn’t always right, know what I mean?”

  “It’s the poison, Christian. You need to come back here so I can help you.”

  “And I will. Soon. I just have to find out more about where they are keeping Sophie and the other Auras. I think I’ve convinced Jackson to tell me.”

  “That’s good, but I’d still feel better if you were here.”

  “So what have you been up to today?” he said, changing the subject.

  “A few of us went to see the witches.”

  “Witches?”

  “Oh, right, you don’t know.” I took a deep breath and told him about what Jackson had said and how we’d used Charlie to find them.

  “Wow. I can’t believe you did it. I guess that shouldn’t surprise me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m just surprised that you found them, especially since Jackson’s managed to keep them hidden from Cyrus for so long. So where are they?”

  “It was actually pretty clever of Jackson. He used the Auras’ power to mask theirs.”

  “And where’s that again?” he asked for the second time.

  I hesitated at the edge in his voice. Why was there an edge? “Not far,” is all I said. “Look I have to go, but I’ll call you soon.”

  “I want to see you. Tonight?”

  “Can’t. I want to check out the warehouse.”

  There was silence on the other end, and then, “Make sure you take Liam. To be safe.”

  “Will do.”

  “I love you, Llona.”

  I opened my mouth to say it back, but the words felt all wrong in my mouth.

  “Good-bye,” I said and quickly hung up. I slumped against the wall behind me. Something was wrong. I should have been ecstatic that Christian was alive and well, but all I felt was a sickness spreading in my gut.

  Just then a sound, like glass breaking, echoed off to my left, and a flash of light tore through the air. I took off running toward Denelle Hall, the building it had come from. My heart was pounding, and I could barely breathe. It’s not Vykens, I told myself. I prayed, Not yet. We’re not ready.

  I flung open the door and ran toward voices. Lots of them came from within the training room. Something was wrong.

  I turned the corner into the room and skidded to a halt. There must’ve been at least thirty girls, all ages, backed against the wall. In the center, four more Auras, two of them Ashlyn and Kiera, were laughing hysterically. The other two were giggling, but it was a frightened giggle, like they weren’t sure how to react.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, breathing hard.

  Kiera and Ashlyn looked at me. I must’ve been quite a sight, panic-stricken face and hands lit up with balls of Light, because my appearance only made them laugh harder.

  I clapped my hands, extinguishing the Light, and wiped at my brow with the back of my hand.

  Mason walked up next to me, grinning ear to ear. “They were trying to teach Abbey how to use Light, but it went horribly wrong,” he said and glanced up at a window.

  I followed his gaze. An elongated window near the ceiling had been completely shattered. I looked back at the girls. I guessed which one was Abbey by her bright red face. Her hair color was almost as blonde as mine.

  “I’m impressed,” I said and patted her on the back. She glanced away bashfully, but the corners of her mouth were turned up.

  Kiera was still smiling and wiping at her eyes. “You thought we were under attack, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, well, I’m not used to seeing Light being thrown around. How are they doing?”

  “Why don’t you stick around and see?” Ashlyn asked.

  “Would love to.”

  The rest of the day we had a steady stream of Auras into the training room. I couldn’t believe their trans
formation. Teaching them hand-to-hand combat came easily, much like it had when Christian first taught me. Forming tight balls of Light, however, proved more difficult for them, but they had this thirst for knowledge and strength that I couldn’t quench. Kiera, Ashlyn, and I, along with Mason, Alex, and a couple of other Guardians, did our best to teach them all that we could, but there simply wasn’t enough time.

  By the end of the day, I was exhausted. Kiera and Ashlyn had already left for dinner, leaving me alone in the room. I was lying down on a mat, arm over eyes, when someone said: “The girls really seem to like this class. They can’t talk about anything else.”

  I moved my arm and opened my eyes. The school nurse, Abigail, was walking around the room as if inspecting it. I sat up.

  “They did really good today. It’s encouraging.”

  She looked back at me. “But will it last?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you think parents, or even the Council, will let this continue?”

  Having gotten caught up in the excitement of everything, I hadn’t thought of this. “I hope so, because this is the only way Auras can effectively protect themselves.”

  “I agree, but not many do. I hate to say it, but you’re wasting your time.” She came over to me and helped me stand. “Besides, someone inside Lucent let out Jackson, which means Cyrus still has some control over this school. It’s like you can’t win.”

  “I don’t believe that.”

  “Not yet, but you will. I’ve lived here for almost forty years. I’ve seen what’s gone on, heard the lies.”

  “Then why are you still here?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe I keep hoping things will change. But you, Llona, you need to get away from here. You’re special. Not like these other girls. Maybe on the outside you can make a real difference.”

  I stared at her, not really sure how to answer. I’d never heard a teacher, or even an Aura for that matter, speak like that. She patted my arm.

  “Just remember who is important in your life, the ones who have made the biggest impact on you. That’s who you should be with.” She turned and walked away, leaving me staring after her.