by C. M. Owens
Everyone gasped again. Side effects? Others? How could I not question such a thing?
There was a changer across the room that spoke in disbelief. "If that is true, then why haven't we crossed him before now? And how could he have avoided the side effects? None of the others were able to do so."
Jaslene sighed out deeply. I had no clue what they were talking about. It was as though everyone was too scared to go into too much detail. So they kept it vague and non descriptive, the way someone does a dark chapter of their life. They were being forced to speak of it now, but no one wanted to, and it was obvious.
Jaslene started speaking over the crowd's whispering this time. "Merlin had a brother—Malachi. Malachi was deeply in love with Isis, but she loved Merlin. Jealousy is a strong emotion, second only to love.
"Magic had granted Isis a soul mate—Merlin. Isis had already loved him before magic granted her that gift. That was the first soul mate connection. The evolution of magic has made soul mates more important than anyone could have ever known.
"Malachi grew to loathe his brother with an intensity that fueled his quest to destroy the soul mate bond. He didn't want to kill his brother, but in a mad rage, he tried to. He was convinced that Isis was meant for him, and Merlin was the only thing he saw blocking his path to her. He wasn't evil in the beginning, only deeply in love. The rejection that he felt from Isis made him burn with resentment that festered into hatred, and it was directed toward Merlin and magic.
"Malachi only had a slight window of opportunity before Merlin received his immortality—as seen in Isis's vision. Merlin couldn't kill his own brother, so he allowed Malachi attack him without defending himself. Merlin could have easily killed Malachi. Malachi had almost finished the job, but then he saw Isis.
"She threw a gust of wind at him, slamming him into the wall far away from Merlin. She ran to her love's side and began soothing him, kissing him, and healing him. She looked at Malachi and told him that even if Merlin was dead, she would never love him. She would never love anyone the way she did Merlin.
"Malachi ran away, sick with fury, and shattered by her rejection of his love. He killed himself that night in front of his eighteen-year-old son… Isolis."
Everyone suddenly started talking over each other, and the room became a jumbled up mess of ramblings. Everyone in the room was shocked, including Tallis. He looked at me even more concerned than he had been before.
I smiled, though it was brittle.
"I guess you're not the only one with family drama now," I said, finding my terrible luck these days humorous.
He didn't smile or even acknowledge my apparently not-so-funny joke. Horror was etched on his face.
"That's how he got in. He never had to even try," he almost whispered, talking more to himself than to me.
I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"
"He's your blood. Your crest isn't designed like ours. We had to take precautions to keep some of our blood out. Many covens have to do the same thing. The Coldwell family has never had a single bad witch, so it was never necessary. Your crest accepted him as blood because he's family. He could have killed you anytime he wanted to."
His hand now traveled down my waist, pulling me almost into his lap. If he was trying to distract me from my latest concern, it was working. Very well.
"I should have never left your side. I don't know what I was thinking," he muttered, staring at nothing in particular.
There he went blaming himself again. Now he was even blaming himself for my screwed up family.
Ignoring his hand on me and the surreal sensations it caused, I said, "It's not like you knew the other crazy man trying to kill me was from my family." I paused as so many questions came to mind. "Why didn't he just kill me then?"
Tallis just stared at me blankly. For once he looked stumped.
The rest of the room had gotten quiet as Jaslene cleared her throat to continue. "Lokan learned to control magic as Merlin had. He learned to create his own magic without any conductors. He has a black smoke that acts as a weapon—a fog that can strangle and destroy witches quicker than drowning. I've never seen anything like it.
"He learned how to turn himself immortal when he turned thirty-five, but I can't see how he did it. He's found a way to hide that from me. He must be stealing essences just as the other dark lights, but I can't find that either. I'm also not sure how he was able to get around the side effects, but there is no other explanation for his power. If he wasn't stealing essences, then there would be nothing tying him to the dark side. He's more powerful than we initially feared. This is going to be a fight that we have to prepare for. I'm afraid there are far too many gaps in my visions to be of any further assistance."
"When is he coming?" I heard a worried changer ask.
"He can't come after us for the time being. He can't touch any of us until Arisianna's transformation. He'll stay hidden from us for now because we can fight him."
"Why can't he touch us now?" Ash asked, echoing my confusion.
"Because of the spell Isis cast. She said protect your blood and she will protect you in the light. No Coldwell female mortal witch can be harmed her blood, nor can any of her protectors be harmed by her blood. He is forced to feel protective of her. That's why he told her of Graven's quest to find something that was going to make him stronger—Lokan is bound to the spell. He felt compelled to tell her about the imminent threat that Graven posed.
"Right now, Aria is the only mortal witch in our family. He cannot hurt any Coldwell girl before they step into their powers—at least that's what I've gathered from the collection of visions. After the transformation, however, he believes he can.
"He's never tested that theory, though. He hates our entire family. He feels as though we're the family he should have had. He blames us for his father's death. He hates anyone in connection to Isis and Merlin.
"He wanted to attack when Arisianna was still in guardianship, but Ash just received her powers last year, and he was unsure of his boundaries. He was afraid of being forced to expose himself, as he did with Arisianna. He didn't find us until five years ago. He hasn't had a safe chance to come after us yet.
"He's a very patient and calculative person. He won't make his move until he's certain he'll win. That's why he's survived for so long and stayed under the radar so well. He is watching her closely and testing his boundaries. He wants to be ready to attack as soon as she turns in a few years.
"That's as much as I've been able to piece together for the present, and none of that is definitive because I'm trying to glue the snippets of visions together to formulate it. The past shows clearer—before he learned to guard himself. We need to practice our shielding for the younger ones. We're going to need a lot more defense."
Tallis stood up to speak. "I have somewhere I can take Aria and Amelia if that's okay with you. I know it'll be safe. I'll take Henry with me as well."
Iris nodded. "That's exactly what I was hoping you would say. Nowhere with my family's crest will be safe. It will take at least three months to create all new crests. I may can cast something to help move things along."
"He can't hurt me until I transform, so we shouldn't worry. Right?" I asked, confused by their panic.
Tallis tilted my face up so that my eyes met his. "He can't hurt you, but he can learn your every move. He can come and go as he pleases. No one is willing to take the risk of him finding a way around the magic that protects you. Especially when there is nothing concrete to prove it a fact, rather than a theory. Magic seems to evolve by the hour. What we knew two hours ago may become irrelevant in five minutes. You're coming with me, and we will have to move fast."
I just thought it was going to be bad to stay with the Verdans—all of them. Now it'll just be me, Tallis, Amelia, and Henry. It'll be nonstop awkward moments with more push and pull than my heart can endure.
Tallis turned to a girl I had only seen once but never met. "Can you follow us and wash their scent?"
/> The tall slender girl replied in an echoed tone, "Yes." Then she disappeared out the door.
My bags were still in his car. I guess it was good we hadn't bothered to get them out since now we were about to be on the move. Tallis flashed upstairs to grab a bag for himself. I hugged my family just before Tallis grabbed my hand.
Amelia and Henry were right behind us. It seemed like a never-ending battle just to stay alive. I couldn't wait to be able to defend myself. I was sick of running.
Chapter 10
Hiding
No matter how many problems you hide from, there's always something you have to face.
Tallis stepped on the gas so hard that my head slung back. I could heard tires squealing and rubber burning. There was another car behind us that was driving at the same ridiculous speed. It was the girl he had asked to wash our scent.
I turned to look at Henry and Amelia in the back seat. They were nestled into each other, like two puzzle pieces. He was protectively draped around her. I was jealous and yet worried in the same breath.
Amelia would be crushed once Henry had to do as Tallis had. But if they could stay together, why couldn't we?
Tallis put his hand on my leg, which distracted me from my own reverie. He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke.
"I'll keep you safe no matter what," he said softly.
"Just don't run off and leave me alone wherever we're going," I mumbled, already dreading his first freak-out that was sure to come the second we found ourselves in a too-close situation.
He tilted his head, letting his eyes find me briefly. "You couldn't pry me away unless I knew you were safe."
The intensity in his eyes burned through me. This moment would be the perfect moment to kiss him... If I could do it without dying, of course. That was the only thing we couldn't figure out. Everything else felt perfectly in sync. Everything else about us was so natural.
My mom had originally thought that it was the Coldwell blood versus the Craymon blood. Ayla was Craymon blood and Jay had Coldwell blood, so obviously that threw a wrench in that hypothesis, because they were constantly in a lip-lock. I could only hope that we figured it out—together.
I finally stopped thinking of our messed up... whatever it was long enough to think of something I could actually use to start a conversation. The silence that was surrounding us was suffocating me.
"Who's that girl?" I pointed to the headlights shining brightly behind us.
"Josephine. She's a washer."
There he went again, speaking another language so casually, as if I knew what he was saying.
I said the same exact line I must have said a hundred times in the past several months. "She's a what?"
He laughed as he realized that yet again I was out of the loop in the magical terminology.
"She's a washer. It's a witch with the power to wash away the scent of another witch. She cleansed your essence from the woods the day you were first attacked. She'll make sure that none of you leave a trail to suggest where you've gone. It's just a little added precaution. I'm sure they have some fierce trackers."
I started remembering all of the references made by everyone about washers and washing. I did vaguely remember him mentioning a washer that first day in the woods as well, but that was the least of the questions I had on that day. That was the day my entire life changed. That was also the day I knew I was in love with Tallis.
We drove for at least three hours before finally I could feel Tallis easing off the accelerator. He turned onto a rocky driveway that seemed to stretch on for half a mile. Josephine turned one-hundred-and-eighty degrees in the road in one swift motion, never slowing down, and drove back toward the Verdan's place.
There was a cabin with all kinds of crazy symbols, sitting off in the middle of nowhere. I looked at Tallis as he winked at me and suddenly there were lights on.
I looked, tensing. "Is someone here?"
He grinned. "No, that was just a little magic." He seemed very proud of himself, almost smug.
Henry laughed as Amelia stared at him, confused. "You used magic to turn on the lights? Why not just flip the light switch?"
Now I was hiding my mouth on the inside of my shirt collar to conceal my laughter when Tallis pouted. Amelia maintained her unimpressed expression.
"Thanks for ruining my moment," he muttered dryly.
Amelia giggled. "I hope that's not the best you can do, otherwise we're in trouble. I don't know how scared the bad guys will be when you break out that big-bad power."
I couldn't help but laugh along with Henry and Amelia. She had been unconscious when Tallis had shown his true power against Taryn's soul mate.
That made me think of poor McKee and what he must have been going through. He had found out his sister was in league with Graven and dead in one night. I could only imagine the pain and mixed emotions that he had to be feeling. He most likely felt guilty for mourning his sister's death. And he probably needed a friend. I felt horrible because I couldn't be that friend right, considering I was too busy hiding from my own secret dark family.
What a twisted new world.
Tallis noticed my deep thoughts. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried.
I forced a smile. "Yeah," I lied, trying not to add to his already full plate.
I put my hands in my pockets and followed him as he carried our bags inside.
Amelia flipped on a light in the kitchen. Then she smirked before saying, "Hey Tallis. Did you see that? Pretty magical, huh?"
I laughed despite the dread weighing me down as Tallis smiled and shook his head.
"So they can't smell our essence here, right?" I asked as Amelia and Henry became lost in a sickening display of staring at each other with stupid grins on their faces.
Tallis smiled as he pointed to thousands of crazy symbols. "Those are some of the most powerful crests ever created. A small space like this is easier to protect. Those symbols can block any scent, but they take a great deal of magic.
"They're not like ordinary crests. They took centuries of work. No one can get in unless escorted by me or my direct family. Not even someone from my coven. You'll be safe for a half-mile radius. Don't step outside the perimeter, and you'll be fine. This is our safe house. I have a larger place that is just as safe—safer actually—but I think this will be good for just the four of us."
He walked back out to the car, and I watched through the window. He grabbed two large, canvas bags that I had seen Desmond and Allaysia carrying out while I was hugging my mom and dad.
"Anyone hungry?" Tallis asked, smiling as he walked back in.
"I'm starving to death!" Amelia gushed, prompting him to laugh.
She ran over to the kitchen as he unloaded the food from the bags.
Tallis knew that we hadn't eaten in a while. We had taken a nap when my family had gone into town to eat and gather supplies. They'd brought us back food, but we were a little distracted by all of the chaos.
I walked over to the kitchen with everyone else. Treating it like a normal night, we carried on casual conversation as we cooked pancakes. We all laughed as we cooked. It was comfortable and cozy. For a moment, I forgot there was anything even wrong.
Tallis was cutting up with me and touching me as if we were still together. Amelia smiled at me, feeling my emotions. Tallis looked at me, smiling and moving in closer.
He sat down beside me as we enjoyed our pancakes at nearly one in the morning. His body was so close to mine that our sides were touching. He kept looking at me, smiling here and there, making my heart do stupid, crazy things.
I was trying not to stare at him, but it was nearly impossible to do. I was so engulfed in our silent moments that I didn't even hear Amelia talking to me until her incredibly sarcastic voice mocked my distracted self.
"Aria? You in there? Anybody home?"
I snapped around to face her so quickly that I almost fell out of my seat. Embarrassed, I replied sheepishly, "Oh, yeah. Sorry. What's up?"
Amelia
and Henry giggled at my expense. Tallis was looking at his plate, still eating, but smiling, too. I think he either enjoyed the fact that I had gotten lost in my gaze, or I had embarrassed him, too. Amelia made an obnoxious throat-clearing noise when she noticed I had started drifting again. Tallis snickered this time.
"I was saying that Henry and I are about to crash," she said, sounding entertained and teasing.
"Oh, yeah. I'm going to crash soon, too."
I glanced over at the couch which seemed cozy enough. It looked dusty when we came in, but Tallis touched it and suddenly the whole room felt and smelled freshly cleaned. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere.
The couch looked comfy enough to sleep on now. I stood up and Amelia joined me in washing the dishes. We got down to the last dish, but suddenly it was clean before Amelia even put it in the water. Then all the dishes flew into the cabinets.
I turned around to see Henry and Tallis smiling smugly.
Amelia put her hand on her hip while throwing down the dish towel, puffing in irritation. "Oh, that's real cute. You would wait until the last dish to do that," she scolded.
Tallis smiled happily at his chance to pay her back for all her earlier snide comments. "Well, I thought if you could do it yourself, then it wasn't really magic."
He and Henry started laughing, and I couldn't resist joining in. Against all her best efforts, Amelia started laughing, too.
The guys got up and started talking about what to do the next day, and Amelia leaned in to whisper to me. "I really think I'm going to like having Henry all to myself. This whole 'cabin in the woods' thing is really perfect. It's been hard to get intimate with him with so many people around all the time, but now it's just us. He already planned on staying in the room with me for safety's sake. I've been baiting the hook for a while, and now I'm going to try to reel him in. What do you think?"
