“Hello?” I called out. “Where are you?”
“Please,” the voice moaned. “Someone help me.”
The thick smoke filled my lungs. Coughing, I covered my mouth. “I’m coming,” I promised. Realizing the voice was coming from my room, I rushed down the hallway as quickly as I could. Once I reached the bedroom door, I immediately grabbed the doorknob and screamed out in pain. The hot metal seared the skin right off the palm of hand.
“I’m in here!” the voice called out. “Please hurry!”
The dark smoke was overwhelming. “I’ve had just about enough of this,” I coughed. Sparks of electricity vibrated throughout my body. “Life be still.”
I opened my eyes, and to my surprise, everything around me had frozen in place. Time had temporarily stopped. I pulled my shirt up over my head and thanked myself for remembering to wear a tank top underneath it. Balling up the shirt, I used it to turn the doorknob safely; however, it still refused to open. I threw my weight up against it, and it finally flung open.
“Help me,” the small voice begged.
A tear fell down my cheek once I realized who the small voice belonged to. It was me, as a child. “Don’t be afraid,” I smiled. Using my unscathed, dirty hand, I wiped the tears from my face.
She looked at me, fearful. “He’s coming for me.”
“Who, sweetie? Who’s coming for you?”
“Death.”
Feeling the heat on my skin once again, I knew the hands of time had begun to tick. I held my hand out to her, and she reached for it. I smiled at her reassuringly to let her know I was there to help. Suddenly, she pulled back and hid her face in her hands. A chill ran through my body and I turned around. Emerald-green eyes greeted me and I knew I was too late. The bedroom door slammed shut and I screamed.
Nicolai’s strong hands shook me by the shoulders. “Angelina, wake up!”
Snow barked loudly in my ear, and my eyes flew open. “Where is she?” I asked, looking around the campsite frantically.
“Who?” Jeremiah asked, a wild look in his eyes.
My father looked to Daniel for help. “Honey, calm down,” my father urged.
I looked around frantically. “Where is the child?”
“Angelina, there’s no one else here,” Nicolai answered.
“Then how do you explain this?”
My father took a step back and looked at my hand in horror. “Angelina, how did you burn yourself?”
“He’s entering her dreams,” Daniel replied.
Nicolai’s eyes burned brightly. “How is that even possible?”
He smirked. “Jealous he can do that and you can’t?”
My father looked at him sternly. “Daniel…”
“Fine,” he muttered. “The child in her dream is manifestation of her innocence, and he’s trying to take it away from her.”
“Why would he do that?” Jeremiah questioned.
“Because if he can take away her innocence then he can take away her soul,” he said.
Nicolai took my hand into his and gently kissed the burn. “I won’t let him get to you,” he promised.
Flinching from the pain, I pulled my hand away from him quickly. “He already has.”
“Calm down, child,” Ctephanyi said. She wrapped her arms around me protectively. “Angelina, your soul is your own, and he cannot take it unless you let him.”
I buried my head in her chest. “I won’t let him have it…I can’t.”
She caressed my hair softly and whispered. “You are more powerful than you know, dear. Unlock the hidden doors in your mind, and you will unlock the power to defeat him.”
I shook my head and sobbed, “We don’t have enough time. What if I fail?”
She pulled away and grabbed me firmly by the shoulders. “Angelina, look at me.”
It was hard to avoid her icy white eyes.
“Do not be afraid. You are the deadliest creature on the face of this planet. It is he who should fear you.”
Ctephanyi continued. “You left this Earth once and came back stronger to keep this world intact. You are here to protect humanity. That, my child, is your destiny.”
Maybe she was right. Everything, regardless of how terrible it had been, had happened for a reason. I had been put here to protect humanity. I had died to save humans from killing themselves and had come back to protect them once again. This was my destiny. This was my soul, and he wasn’t going to get it, or me.
Chapter 18
Betrayal
Tristan took a step back and let out a frustrated yell, “She will be mine!” He fell to his knees and pounded the dew-drenched ground with his fist. “I must have her soul!”
“What can I do?” A sweet voice asked calmly.
He looked up at her with wild eyes. “Bring her to me.”
She nodded. “Our deal still stands?”
“You bring me Angelina, and yes, I will honor our arrangement.”
She smiled wickedly. “Then I shall do as you ask.”
“Then go,” he waved her on, “but remember one thing.”
She nodded. “Yes?”
“Do not disappoint me,” he warned.
“Disappointment is only failure for the weak,” she said, “and I am not weak.”
He smirked. “We shall see.” He watched her disappear into the woods and sighed. He didn’t have much time left and Angelina was the key to his salvation from the hell he had been sentenced to. He loved her and vowed to make her love him in return. He would own her soul for all of eternity and together they would rule the world.
A gruff voice interrupted his thoughts. “Master?”
“What could you possibly want?” he asked, annoyed by the distraction.
“We have a problem.”
Tristan cocked his head to the side and groaned in displeasure. “What could possibly be wrong now?”
Mathias lowered his head in shame. “She’s acquired two more people in her party.”
Tristan took a step towards him, causing the man to fall to his knees and beg for mercy. “Please, master, I was unaware of this until just now.”
“Who are these two new additions?” He hissed.
Mathias’ voice trembled. “Elias.”
“And?”
“Ctephanyi,” he said. Mathias grabbed at Tristan’s feet. “Please, have mercy on me.”
Tristan kicked his hands away. “Ctephanyi?! How could you possibly miss such a pertinent piece of information?” he bellowed.
“Hecate hid it from me.”
“Hecate,” he snarled angrily.
“She returned Ctephanyi’s powers.”
Tristan took another step forward and backhanded his hooded henchman, sending him sprawling across the ground. “You idiot!”
“Please,” he begged, “It won’t happen again.”
“You’re right.” Tristan laughed wickedly. “It won’t happen again.” He hit him again.
Mathias struggled to lift his head. “Please…”
Tristan reached down and pulled the hood off of Mathias’ head. “How do you think your dear Angelina would feel if I sent a little birdie her way with some pertinent information about you?”
“You wouldn’t.”
He took a step back and smirked. “Are you so sure?”
They stared at each other momentarily before Tristan threw the hood on the ground. “She’ll find out soon enough.”
The man reached for the hood and suddenly found his hand crushed under Tristan’s boot. “Tell me, Mathias, what does the future hold?”
Mathias looked up at him, his eyes running through a multitude of colors. “The future has not yet been written, Tristan. Only Angelina knows what’s in store for it.”
“How about your future?” he asked, “what does it hold for you?”
Mathias winced in pain as Tristan ground his foot into his hand. “My future holds much more than yours does,” he answered, his eyes turning to their blood-red color.
Tristan l
et out a hearty laugh. “Is that so?”
Mathias nodded and smirked. “Angelina will understand.”
Tristan crouched down and grabbed Mathias by the hair, pulling him closer. “She will banish you for your betrayal. She will cut your tongue out and remove your unique eyes.”
Mathias glared at him, pure hate emanating from his soul. “Tristan, you shall never have her. She knows of the task that has been set before her and she will not fail.”
A look of surprise crossed his face. “You little sneak.”
Mathias braced himself for the blow. It came swift and it came hard. He went rolling across the ground like a ragdoll. He used what strength he had left and pulled himself into a sitting position against a nearby tree. “Kill me if you must. You may be my master, but you do not own my soul, and she will never give you hers.
Tristan stood up and dusted himself off. “My dear Mathias, I’m not going to kill you.”
Mathias eyed him up suspiciously.
“I’m going to let her do it,” he retorted. He kicked the black hood towards him. “I’m going to let her rip the soul out of your weak body and feed your remains to the wolves.”
“We shall see.” Mathias smirked. “The future is in her hands, not in yours.”
Chapter 19
Sins
Nicolai stroked Angelina’s long, wild hair—pushing strands of it away from her face while she slept soundly next to him. He was curious what she was dreaming about. He had promised her he would stay out of her mind. He’d already broken that promise once and wasn’t about to break it again. He was so worried about her. Things had been different between them lately. She seemed constantly on edge, unbalanced by something she had seen in her first nightmare. Though he’d regretted peeking into her mind, he had seen it too. Regardless of what decisions she would have to make, he would stand by her.
She smiled subconsciously, and he smiled right along with her. He figured she was at least dreaming of something pleasant with that sweet little smile that graced her adorable face. He caressed her cheek lovingly and thought of how far they’d come. Their love had passed through the boundaries of life and death itself to come together so they could be one. No matter what conflicts they faced, he knew they would always strive to overcome them. They were a team, and with their love guiding them, they would be unstoppable.
Looking up into the night sky, he could see Angelina’s earthly mother and Hecate watching over her protectively from above. They both loved her with such fierceness that he pitied Tristan’s fate. Angelina had so much love on her side. If she could only see it all…
He sighed and caught Daniel staring at her.
“When are you going to tell her?” Nicolai questioned.
Startled, Daniel blinked and looked away.
“She will figure it out soon enough you know,” Nicolai noted.
“Figure out what?” Jeremiah asked mid yawn.
“Nothing,” Daniel mumbled under his breath.
Jeremiah stood up and stretched. “It doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“He’s afraid she won’t accept him,” Bethani’s sweet voice chimed in.
Jeremiah looked from Daniel to Bethani curiously. “Accept him?”
She smiled sweetly and nodded. “For his sins.”
“Shut up,” Daniel ordered angrily.
Ctephanyi’s voice rang out of the darkness behind them. “Do not talk to her like that.”
Daniel sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat. “This is none of your business.”
“It becomes my business when you treat a Lady of the Forest as you are treating her, young man,” she retorted.
He was speechless for a moment and then turned to face Bethani with a humble expression on his face. “I’m sorry.”
She gave him her sweetest smile. “Daniel, sometimes life graces us with a decision that, regardless of our thought process, we must follow through with.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked gruffly.
Bethani’s light lavender eyes darkened. “Your sister will have to make the hardest decision that she will ever be faced with and you must be there for her when she does or the blood moon will rise.”
The camp grew eerily quiet as they all stared at her in surprise. Finally, Angelina’s father, who had been watching silently from beside the fire stood up and went to Daniel’s side, “She’s right, Daniel.”
Daniel looked down, his hard demeanor momentarily fading. “I can’t change the past.”
He put his hand on Daniel’s shoulder and squeezed. “She’ll understand, son. Your sister will remember you for your strength, not for your weakness.”
Nicolai caressed Angelina’s cheek again delicately. “Listen to your father, Daniel. She doesn’t remember you yet. Her mind is still too fragile for those memories to come back.”
“Wait,” Jeremiah said. “You’re Angelina’s brother?”
Daniel looked up and studied Jeremiah before answering, “Her twin brother to be exact.”
Jeremiah’s eyes widened at his omission. “Twin? How…but…wait…” He struggled to find the words but nothing that came out sounded right.
Ctephanyi walked over and sat down next to him. “Daniel, it is imperative that you wait until the very last moment before her decision to tell her who you are.”
Elias sat down next to his wife and put his arm around her shoulder protectively. “Heed her words wisely, Daniel. Any sooner and you will cause an inexplicable amount of damage to her thought process.”
“Wait a minute,” Jeremiah demanded. “Someone please explain this to the ‘normal’ people in the group who have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
Angelina’s father chuckled and returned to his seat by the fire. “Jeremiah, your mind is just as fragile as Angelina’s. I’m not so sure you could handle all the mysteries our family history hides from you.”
Jeremiah glared at him. “Try me.”
He sighed. “Daniel, do you want to tell the story or do you want me to?”
Daniel shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just as painful hearing it the fifteenth time as it is hearing it the first.”
Nicolai lay his hand on the top of Angelina’s head so he could sense when she was getting ready to wake up. He didn’t want her to wake up in the middle of the story and hear something she wasn’t ready to hear. “I will tell it.”
Daniel looked up at Nicolai, surprised. “You’ll tell it?”
“After all, it did involve me.”
Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “Surprise.”
Ctephanyi shifted her gaze towards him. “Jeremiah, some things in life must happen for other possibilities to present themselves.”
He rolled his eyes again. “Well, what is the possibility of hearing this story before she wakes up?” he asked, pointing towards Angelina.
Daniel shifted his weight uneasily. “Just get it over with.”
Nicolai nodded. “Fine, here we go.”
Chapter 20
Memories
Recalling the past was hard, but even though his memories were bittersweet, they were his. He recalled watching his twin sister with admiration as they grew up. She had seemed so innocent with her wide, chestnut-colored eyes. She was feisty and fearless. Though she was young, his mother had told him of what a great person she was to be in the future. He had been proud to stand by her side and keep her safe.
There was one memory that stuck out more than any other.
Angelina wrinkled up her freckled nose and stuck her tongue out. “What are you looking at?”
“Do you know what they say about making faces at people?” he asked.
“No, what do they say?” She made another face at him before shoving him playfully.
He grabbed her by the side and began to tickle her feverishly. “They say your face will end up sticking that way.”
She laughed uncontrollably, pushing his hands away from her. “Stop it, Daniel!” she begged.
“What are you two doing?” their father asked, stepping out of the small log cabin that was tucked away deep within the woods.
They both looked up at him innocently and together answered, “Nothing.”
He gave them a stern, playful look. “Is that so?”
They looked at each other with wicked smiles upon their young, beautiful faces and nodded.
He shook his head. “You two…I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.” He laughed, pulling them both in for a hug.
“Father, when is Momma coming to visit us?” Angelina asked hesitantly.
He put a finger to his chin and looked at her thoughtfully. “Hmm, I don’t know,” he replied. He turned toward the forest and pointed. “Surprise!” he yelled.
Her gaze followed his and she let out a shrill scream. “Momma!”
Angelina skipped toward her mother in excitement.
“Daniel, aren’t you going to go see your mother?” his father questioned, looking down at him.
He stared at his mother and Angelina. “I guess.” He shrugged.
“Now Daniel, she loves you too, you know.”
“Does she?” he asked snidely.
His father looked up at his beautiful wife and remained silent. Daniel knew the answer. Angelina was the special one. She had been born with unimaginable power that would someday save the world. He knew his mother favored her and he was okay with that. While he lived with his grandmother, it simply meant another protector for his beloved sister.
“Daniel.”
“Hecate.”
She frowned, “Please do not call me that. I am your mother.”
Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked at the grass. “Mother,” he muttered.
Angelina grabbed their mother’s hand and pulled her towards them. “Mother, Daniel taught me how to climb trees today!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Their mother put her delicate hands on her hips. There was a hint of disapproval in her voice. “Is that so?” she asked.
“Yes, and then we skipped rocks in the river and chased the wolves through the forest.”
“You did what?” she looked at her in shock.
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