by Raven Snow
“We’re hearing what they have to say, Holly. So let’s go show our friends their Valor Institute profiles.”
CHAPTER 5 - Apprehend with Extreme Force
Holly joined the others in the shared living room that separated the two apartments and closed the door. Gwen was already digging through the refrigerator for anything the previous tenants might have left behind, and Duncan had placed himself in the chair directly in front of Megan.
“Apprehend with extreme force,” Holly blurted out as she walked over and stood behind the sofa where Megan was seated. “That’s what your Valor Incorporated files say, anyway.” Holly tossed the tablet at Duncan.
She was secretly hoping to catch him off guard and at least hit him in the forehead with it. However, Duncan’s hand effortlessly moved upwards and snatched it out of the air.
“Nice work, Megan,” Duncan smiled as he looked through the files.
“I’ve been looking for these for months.”
“Yeah, well, extraction is my specialty.” Megan smiled back.
“So,” Holly interjected, trying to get the conversation back on track.
“Why do they want to catch you?” She vaulted over the back of the sofa and sat down beside Megan.
“Because we’re doing exactly what you’re doing.” Gwen mumbled through a mouthful of food as she walked over with a huge sandwich on a plate. “We’re fighting them, too.”
Duncan moved forward in his seat and locked eyes with Holly. “I placed a trace in those files so that I could see what Valor Incorporated was planning. When you and Megan took the files, I traced her signal, and it lead me to your apartment. We thought that you guys were working for them— exactly the same thing that you thought about us.”
He was telling the truth. Holly didn’t know why, but she now understood everything about the situation.
Duncan had not removed his gaze from hers the entire time that he had spoken. As he had stared at her, Holly had seen images in his stormy grey eyes: images of him and his sister laughing while boarding a train, then both of them fighting Valor mercenaries, and finally his sister crying while pulling him by the arm and urging him to run.
“Okay,” Holly replied. “I understand.”
“I’m glad that you do.” Duncan smiled widely as he finally tore his gaze away from hers.
Holly instantly realized that she had been holding her breath for what felt like forever. As she exhaled a long breath of air, Gwen finally broke the silence.
“You said that you also found a possible location for Valor’s next plan, Meg?” Gwen said as she let out a small burp and put down her plate on the coffee table.
Megan giggled. “Yep, it'll be done decoding in a few days.”
“Then I guess that we should get out of your hair for tonight,” Duncan stated as he got to his feet.
“No, I didn’t mean…” a slightly sad look crossed Megan’s face as she looked back at Gwen, who was already getting to her feet as well.
Gwen walked over to Megan and effortlessly bent so that their faces were inches apart.
“Don’t worry Meg, we’re not going anywhere.” Gwen smiled as she kissed Megan lightly on the forehead.
She then walked over to her brother, who was standing at the doorway that connected their rooms.
“Good night,” Duncan said lightly. “Sorry we probably got you kicked out of your apartment.” Then they closed the door behind them, leaving Holly and Megan alone to contemplate the weird end to their weird night.
CHAPTER 6 - The Secret of Frank’s Apartments
Holly and Megan were already used to having to relocate their lives every few weeks or so. Usual y they moved to follow Valor Incorporated’s trail. Valor Incorporated had businesses and subsidiaries scattered all across the world; their hands were in everything, from electronics to cheeseburgers.
The apartments that Holly and Megan rented were always quiet.
During the day, Holly would either be exercising or doing some magical alchemical experiment. Megan, on the other hand, would be in front of no less than three electronic devices and the New York Times crossword puzzle.
The next few days that they spent at Frank’s apartments were very different.
The front door opened and Holly walked into the room carrying two plastic bags “Meg,” Holly called as she walked into the room. “They didn’t have any of your gross eggplant tofu stuff…”
At that moment, the door that connected the two rooms burst open, swinging backwards to hit the wall . Gwen stepped into their room and locked eyes with Megan, who had just walked out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth.
“Gwen! You could’ve knocked,” Megan tried to mumble as she fished the toothbrush out of her mouth.
“Megan! I surrender!” Gwen shouted as she tackled Megan and both of them fell to the floor.
Holly looked over to where they had landed and saw that Gwen had landed on top of Megan and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. Megan lay stunned for a few seconds, and then dug her feet into the floor under Gwen, pushing her off.
“I see Gwen didn’t tell her about the dream.”
Duncan had walked up behind Holly while the scene unfolded in front of them. Megan had begun to tell Gwen off for almost knocking her out while Gwen was chasing her around the room with outstretched arms.
“What dream?” Holly replied as she tore her gaze away from them and looked over at a grinning Duncan, who gestured for her to come closer.
Duncan spoke in a low tone, barely above a whisper. “Gwen Haven, my sister. Well, my adopted sister...” Duncan looked her dead in the eyes and she began to see flashes of the foster home where he grew up with Gwen. “My sister is an oracle. Every few hours—or even every few minutes— she gets a glimpse into the future of specific people.”
Holly looked over at Gwen, the giggling girl who was just nineteen like her. Holly had only met one other oracle, her aunt. Could Gwen really be that powerful?
“However, she’s never been able to get a glimpse into her own future,”
Duncan continued, still speaking quietly. “Until last night.” Duncan smiled at Holly and his stern expression melted away. “She got a glimpse many years into the future. She was with Megan. They were happy.”
Holly blushed and looked away. She now understood why Gwen was acting this crazy. Gwen had experienced a lifetime of emotions during her vision: all of the love and anguish of days, months, or even years with Megan. Gwen just wanted to capture that again—right now.
Her aunt had told her that this was one of the reasons why oracles often lived alone. Their abilities made them become too emotional and too attached to people in their lives. They loved a little bit too strongly.
CHAPTER 7 - Crazy Magicians and Weirdos
The people who lived near the Valor Incorporated Nautical Division and Cargo Docks had nicknamed it VINDCO whenever they talked about how it had revitalized the community after it was built.
What these people didn’t know was the true nature of what was being delivered in and out of the towering steel gates every night. Valor Incorporated was using their nautical division to mine Tide Stones from the ocean floor just off the coast.
Holly had learned about Tide Stones when she was being homeschooled by her aunt. These stones were the single purest physical manifestation of water magic. They were one of the oldest things on the planet, and they were deeply connected to all water mages and al sources of water in the world. If Valor Incorporated wanted these Tide Stones, then their plans could not be good.
The data that Megan had decrypted had given her this location and date, along with a shipping manifest and pick up schedule for “decorative oceanic rocks” from warehouse 46. They were going to find out what was happening tonight.
“You guys real y are good at this,” Megan said breathlessly as Gwen used her staff to vault over the barbed wire fence that Megan had just levitated over.
“We’ve had lots of practice.” Gwen smiled at Megan
and moved closer to her. She placed herself protectively beside her as the four of them sprinted off quietly across the dark compound.
The docks were eerily silent even though there was supposed to be a pick up happening in the next few minutes. The four of them came to a halt behind an assortment of crates that were positioned a few dozen feet away from warehouse 46.
“Gwen, you and Holly take the other side of the entrance.” Duncan pointed towards the fire escape that lined the far outer side of the warehouse. “Meg and I’ll take this side.”
Holly gave Megan’s hand a small, comforting squeeze, and she and Gwen darted off into the darkness.
“Don’t worry; she'll be fine,” Gwen reassured her as they climbed the metal ladder onto the fire escape.
“You had a vision about the mission?” Holly asked as they crouched down and peered down between the rails.
“No,” Gwen smiled. “But she’s with Duncan. And my brother won’t let anything happen to her.”
Holly glanced down towards where Duncan and Megan were hidden; she could barely make out their outlines.
“So you’re an oracle.” Holly started to blurt out what had been weighing on her mind for the past few days.
“Yes.” Gwen smiled. “I am.”
“But Duncan,” Holly continued. “He’s a—”
“Djinn,” Gwen finished. “How did you know?”
“His eyes.”
“Hmm,” Gwen chuckled. “You saw his thoughts. He comforted you.”
“My aunt used to call it brainwashing,” Holly remarked flatly.
Gwen looked at her for a few seconds before continuing. “Djinn do have strange abilities. You and Megan are both witches, correct?” Gwen asked rhetorical y. “You can both alter the world around you physically with your magical powers, whether it’s Megan’s levitation or your energy projection and strength.”
Holly stared back at her, wondering where Gwen was going with this.
Gwen took a deep breath before continuing. “I see the future. The usefulness of that ability is self-explanatory. And Duncan...” she looked down at the spot where her brother was hiding. “Duncan shares his past with people whether he wants to or not. Yes, it makes everyone want to be his friend, and yes, it makes everyone trust him, but it also leaves him vulnerable. And easily hurt.”
“Gwen, I think you should be careful with Megan. Take it slow.”
“What? Did Duncan—”
“Yeah, Duncan told me about your vision. And I think it’s great, I just…have some experience with oracles, and I have some idea of how you must feel, having already seen your life together and her not knowing anything about it. But take it slow. Don’t frighten her. Don’t—"
“Shh! They’re coming.” Gwen tightened her grip on her bo staff and turned her gaze down towards the tarmac thirty feet below them.
A nondescript white truck glided into view right in front of the closed warehouse door. The passenger door opened up, and a short, stocky man walked over and pressed his open palm against the grey, brushed-steel warehouse door. The door disappeared instantly.
“Go,” Gwen whispered urgently, but Holly had already launched herself from the building.
Holly knew what she had to do.
She closed her eyes as she somersaulted through the air towards the truck. Her magic was flowing within her, making her stronger. Her foot came down on the roof of the truck, and the metal folded inwards below her. The truck wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Four men darted out of the warehouse as Holly climbed out of the wreckage. Two of them held rifles, while the other two held up hands that pulsed with red waves of energy. Valor security.
Megan and Duncan came running in behind Holly. With a wave of Megan’s hand, the guns ripped themselves away from the guards and flew off into the darkness. The two warlock guards waved their hands and sent two spurts of flame rushing towards Holly.
Gwen dove in front of her and brought her staff up to block the flames.
Standing behind her now, Holly could see the sigils in the wood glowing purple as a rippling transparent shield blocked the flames in front of them.
“I would’ve dodged it!” Holly shouted as Duncan dove out from the shadows and knocked out two of the security guards before they knew he was there.
“Screw this!” The driver of the truck had finally pulled himself free from the wreckage. He ran off into the shadows, cursing at the top of his lungs about crazy magicians and weirdos.
“Smart man,” Megan commented as Holly knocked out the other two guards with two swift punches.
CHAPTER 8 - And Don’t Look for Me
“Everyone ok?” Duncan asked as they regrouped inside the dimly lit warehouse.
“Yeah, we’re fine, tough guy,” Holly teased as she surveyed the area.
“The last guy teleported away.” She pointed at the black scorch marks on the floor in front of them. “Rather hastily, too, I might add.”
Megan walked out of the small office at the back of the warehouse.
“Ok, we can go now. If they had anything related to their plans in that office, I now have it on my computer. I just need to comb through the data, and there seems to be a lot of it.”
“Great.” Gwen walked up behind her and grasped her hand. “So now we can go home.” She gave Megan a look that exuded what Holly could only describe as pure compassion.
Holly knew that Gwen would protect Megan no matter what the cost.
She had seen the look that had been on Gwen’s face. Holly’s aunt had looked at her in exactly the same way.
The ride back to the apartment was anything but silent. Gwen, following Holly’s advice, had decided to ease Megan into their future. She had not told Megan what she had seen, but instead blamed her actions on a vision that she had of Frank, who secretly liked her.
Megan had promised not to tell Frank because it might embarrass him, or so Gwen had persuaded her. Now Gwen was simply being there for her, becoming her friend first. She knew that she had time.
Holly thought back to Paulina Winterheart, her aunt. She had run out of time.
Just like Gwen, Paulina had been given a single glimpse into her own future. She had sat Holly down and explained it to her three years ago, when Holly was sixteen. “I will sacrifice myself for you. Don’t cry. Don’t worry. And don’t look for me. Just live and let your freedom be my gift to you.”
She did just that a short time later, when Holly saw her for the last time. People from Valor broke in and tried to abduct her aunt. Paulina’s magic was strong. She would have easily fought them all off if Holly had not rushed downstairs to see what was wrong.
“Surrender!” one of the mages had demanded. Your life for hers.”
Holly had woken up hours later to a deserted and destroyed house.
She had failed to honor her aunt’s wishes every day since then. She was still crying, she was still worrying, and she was still looking for her.
CHAPTER 9 - Combat Training, Five Times a Week
Living with the Haven siblings just happened.
If anyone asked Holly, that was exactly the way that she would have described it. After that first mission, it had become so natural that they never even had to speak about becoming a team of sorts. It just happened.
Megan had awkwardly told Frank that she and her friends would be staying long term. She had then sworn to Holly that Frank had been flirting with her and told her not to tell Gwen.
“But why shouldn’t I tell Gwen? It’s nothing serious?”
“No, just...Nothing happened; I was just imagining things,” Megan sputtered, wide-eyed.
“Ok,” Holly raised her voice. “I won’t tell your girlfriend that you’re hiding something,” she stressed the word girlfriend as she stifled her laughter.
“We’re not...” Megan shrieked as she covered Holly’s mouth with her hands.
After they had all settled into their joined apartments, they had taken to making the place into a home.
For other people, that might have meant putting out their family photos, organizing their stuff, or just settling in. For this weird new family of four, it meant turning the two rooms into mission control for their vendetta against Valor.
Duncan and Megan had lined an entire corner of the shared living room with at least half a dozen monitors, which they were constantly using to decode information, keep up with what Valor was up to publicly and behind the scenes, and update Megan’s blog.
Holly had transformed half of their bedroom into an indoor garden, where she was growing dozens of plants in tiny jars and vases. She had her alchemy lab set up beside the plant, and the scent of burnt cinnamon lingered in the air permanently.
Gwen had taken over the remainder of the living room after her brother and Megan had set up their ‘spy zone,’ as she called it. She had laid out a small sparring mat and assorted exercise equipment. After their first week together, she had woken them up at five in the morning on Sunday
and literally dragged them both out of bed and into her makeshift gym, where Duncan was standing and sipping a mug of coffee.
“Combat training, five times a week, here.” Gwen said in a commanding tone.
“I’m going back to bed,” Holly yawned. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not lacking in the strength department.” She scoffed as she started to turn around to walk away.
Gwen’s hand came down softly on her shoulder. “If you’re so sure of yourself, then knock me out and go back to bed.”
Holly scoffed again. Then she swung around swiftly and aimed a glowing fist at Gwen’s head. Her hand seemingly passed through Gwen’s head and came out the other side. She knew that Gwen had ducked, but she had barely seen the muscles in the other girl’s neck tense up.
The back of Gwen’s hand then came out of nowhere and swatted Holly across the face. She lost her balance and went crashing to the floor, tripping over her own two feet.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Gwen smiled down at Holly kindly as she held out her arm to pull her up. “I’m not sure how your powers work.”
“Everything hurts the same.” Holly groaned as Gwen pulled her up to her feet. “I’m just stronger and faster.”
