The Book, The Witches, and the Doorway (Fated Chronicles Book 1)

by Humphrey Quinn

  Arnon nodded weakly in her assessment. He fell back a bit, almost stumbling over the trailer steps. Even in the shadows of the trailer, the twins noted a sickly color replacing his normal healthy tan.

  “You all right, Uncle Arnon?” asked Meghan. He looks like he is going to be sick she thought.

  Or, like he has seen a ghost added Colin, in his own mind. Meghan heard and silently agreed.

  “Yes. Yes I’m fine,” Arnon stammered. “You two… go… clean up breakfast. I’m going to wait for Kanda to return.” His tone indicated it would be a private conversation.

  They didn’t argue. But something in their Uncle’s demeanor caught them as strange. A sudden whiff of something serious he didn’t want them to know, or worry about. Which of course had the opposite effect and made them worry at once.

  Regardless, they gathered dishes and leftover food, heading inside the trailer. Once in, Meghan washed the dishes while Colin dried. Halfway through, and in unison, the twins shuddered as an eerie tingle crawled down their spines. It brought them out of their silent stupor over their uncle’s unusual behavior.

  “Was that your creepy feeling or mine?” asked Colin.

  “We felt it at the same time,” said Meghan. “Bad omen if you ask me.”

  Colin hated when Meghan said things like that. They had a bizarre way of coming true.

  They tried to shake off the ominous feeling and finish with the clean up, all the while keeping an eye on their uncle who still sat on the step, appearing now to be in deep concentration. They heard Kanda’s voice call out to him and he walked methodically, meeting her in the middle of the now empty roadway.

  The twins were curious about their uncle’s strange reaction to the gypsies and strained their ears to hear the conversation, but heard nothing but unintelligible echoes.

  “I did not wish to worry you, Arnon,” began Kanda with a sigh. “I was afraid if I told you this was the summer… oh, honestly Arnon, I was half afraid you would take the twins and disappear.”

  Instinct did tell him to grab his two young traveling companions and run far away, but he fought that instinct realizing he could not act upon it. It was not what they’d all agreed to so many years before. However, he was the one raising them, and considered them like his own children.

  “You know me too well, Kanda.” His eyes wandered toward the gypsy’s campsites. “My betrayal to them I can handle. But my impending betrayal to my young companions...” he left the sentence unfinished, knowing she already understood his anguish.

  She took hold of Arnon’s hand and squeezed it firmly, forcing him to realize the truth.

  I do not need to run anymore. This thought brought him relief, followed instantly by regret for feeling that relief.

  This is the moment I have feared more than any other in my life.

  All our lives will change now.

  Is this good or bad? Are they ready? Do they have a choice?

  All of Arnon’s fears came pouring out at once, forcing him to take a deep, cleansing breath to regain his composure.

  “Maybe we…” he stopped, closing his eyes. He did not dare speak his wishes aloud.

  Kanda dropped his hand gently.

  “Their path lies before them, Arnon. We cannot interfere with their destiny any longer,” she affirmed. “There is still a little time…” She did her best to allay his fears and offer comfort.

  He nodded, barely able to ignore an irrepressible desire to seize the twins and run. To hide them far away from the dangers they now faced. Dangers that would find them, eventually, no matter where he tried to hide them.

  “I knew this day was coming. Even so, I’m not sure I’m ready,” he admitted.

  “None of us are,” she replied softly. “I love them like they are my own, too.”

  Arnon dropped his gaze. She spoke the truth. It didn’t make it hurt any less.

  “But they are not ours…” he spoke gently, more to remind himself than anything else.

  Inside the trailer, the twins finished cleaning up and exited. They saw Kanda’s hand sliding down their uncle’s arm.

  “Do you think they like each other, Col?”

  “Sure they like each other. Why would we come back every summer if they didn’t?”

  “I mean like-like,” Meghan rephrased. “You know. Are they in love?”

  “Oh. That. Well, if they were, don’t you think Uncle Arnon would have stopped traveling around and stayed here with Kanda?”

  “I can imagine a lot of things, Col. But Uncle Arnon settling down in one place is not one of them.”

  Kanda and Arnon approached. “You must all come tonight, to my fire pit,” she bid them. “I have a grand feast prepared, to welcome the summer.”

  Uncle Arnon forced his fears aside.

  He had no other choice. He was the twins’ willing caretaker and protector. But fate was knocking loudly at the door and it would not stay closed much longer.

  “We will be there, Kanda,” he replied firmly. “Besides, I know Colin is eager to hear more of your campfire stories.”

  Colin’s excitement showed as he beamed widely in agreement.

  “And I have a special one planned for tonight,” Kanda added, in a tone that sent Colin’s mind reeling with curiosity, and once again reignited Arnon’s fears for the twins’ safety.

  Kanda’s mischievous eyes sparkled as her attention turned to the campground’s entrance. “And now, I think more good news.”

  The low rumbling of the approaching motorhome was unmistakable. Meghan’s heart skipped a beat. A second later Colin had guessed, too.

  “The Jendayas are here!” He ran a few steps closer, waving vigorously. Meghan ducked behind the mirror on their uncle’s station wagon, rechecking her clothes and hair. She wished there was time to apply a darker shade of eyeliner.

  Arnon rejoined Kanda and held out his hand, inviting her to lead the way. She snatched him instead and they walked arm and arm.

  The thirty-four-foot motorhome came to a slow, skidding stop. The windows rolled down and the entry door flew open. An athletic looking tall and tan boy, with crazily curly, dusty blond hair, leapt out, grinning widely.

  “Sebastien, hey,” said Colin.

  “Hey, backatcha,” the athletic boy replied, patting Colin’s shoulder. Sebastien turned to hug Meghan, but she kept her distance. He blushed slightly, but did not step any closer. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by his mother.

  “Don’t run off, Sebastien,” she said, in a controlled, but quiet manner. “You need to help your father.”

  “I know, Mom,” he answered begrudgingly.

  He and the twins walked a short distance away so they could have their own private conversation.

  “I was beginning to think summer would never get here,” Sebastien droned.

  “It was a long year this time, wasn’t it?” agreed Colin. He continued without waiting for a reply. “There’s a caravan of gypsies in the campground. Did you see any of them on your drive in?”

  “Gypsies? Um… no,” he stumbled across his words, his grin faltering.

  The twins caught another whiff of something unfamiliar, their friend... caught off guard. But a moment later his grin had returned and he acted as though everything was perfectly normal.

  “I haven’t seen them. Where are they camped? And please tell me you haven’t already gotten yourselves grounded by getting caught spying on them?”

  Colin frowned at the idea.

  Meghan laughed. “No. Not yet…” she replied, her tone insinuating it was only a matter of time. “They are in the next few sites over. You know, the ones with the permanently parked wagons,” she explained knowingly.

  Sebastien’s gaze flitted toward the campsite next door. “So they are the owners of those.” It was nearly impossible to see the site next door from the Jacoby’s though. There was a thick divider of trees and shrubs between them.

  He looked back at the twins.

  Meghan swore she caught
the faintest hint of unease dissolving in his gaze.

  “Always wanted to know what those wagons looked like on the inside,” he added, a grin widening across his face.

  “I know. Right,” she agreed. “So weird, no windows you can see into.”

  Colin sighed. His sister the nosy neighbor… “I am not spying on them, so get that idea out of your head.”

  “Grow up, Little Bro. Can’t be endlessly afraid of getting caught all your life.”

  Colin scowled. “Not afraid,” he clarified. “Um, well, except that you will get us into trouble again. And I am not getting grounded this summer!”

  Meghan punched him in the arm.

  Colin winced.

  “I can see the two of you have not changed a bit,” jested their friend. Meghan forgot her tirade on Colin as blood rushed to her already flushed face, turning her cheeks even rosier.

  A voice carried over to the trio.

  “Sebastien, honey, it’s time to go,” called his mother.

  “Let’s meet up in two hours, at the secret path,” he suggested, jumping back on board the motorhome. Meghan and Colin nodded their agreement. Sebastien gave them the thumbs up, which meant one thing: summer had officially started!

  Sebastien held his smile until he was alone inside his motorhome.

  He'd never been told what was so special about Meghan and Colin Jacoby. Only that they were special and needed protecting. And by the time he'd climbed up the three steps and planted his hands on the counter, he was reeling wildly at the idea that this was no longer enough information. He wanted to know more. Needed to know more.

  Up until this moment, the reason why hadn't mattered so much. But that's only because those moments were not this moment—the big one. The one that mattered. And now that he was faced with it, he felt unprepared. Too in the dark.

  He'd been charged with befriending the twins, one summer, years ago, which had been the easiest job ever. He hadn't had to fake a thing because as it turned out, they were easy to be friends with. So much so, they were his best friends today. And his job had turned into more than just watching out for them.

  It was like it was a job, but not. If he was told he was no longer their protector it wouldn't matter, he'd still be their friend.

  The hardest part of it all was hiding who he really was. And never more so than today. Because this summer, everything was going to change. He could feel it prickling the air and his nerves all at the same time.

  And that scared Sebastien in a way he'd never been scared before because he had no idea what this meant for his friends. He'd been warned, more than once, that this day would come, that their destiny would catch up with them.

  But now that it appeared that time was here, Sebastien felt something stirring deep inside he'd never experienced before: dread.

  Dread of the future. Dread for his friend's safety. Dread over the things he didn't know.

  Dread over the why of it all.

  Why were they so special? Why did they even need someone like him to watch over them? Why could they not be told the truth?

  He'd spent numerous summers keeping an eye out for danger. It had never come. He was their secret protector. His parents had suggested it since he, Meghan, and Colin were so close in age. It would make sense for Sebastien to hang around them. He wouldn't be out of place.

  But he'd grown up in a world completely different than theirs. A world that was suddenly sending him into a panic that pressed and squeezed its way through his veins. A world the twins knew nothing of…yet.

  Sebastien realized with sickening reality that it wasn't just the danger lurking around the corner that had him in a panic.

  It was the lie.

  The one he'd carried with him since the day they'd all met and become friends. The lie he'd told himself he was okay with, and was necessary, because it allowed him to remain in their lives.

  He cared about them. A lot.

  And once they found out the truth, he was bound to lose them.

  But he'd been promised this was the only way. That this way of life kept them safe for as long as possible. Their uncle traveled around, and each summer they returned to this campground waiting for fate to kick in. Waiting to see if this was the year destiny would track them down.

  It was one thing to know of this possibility, it was another thing completely to see it beginning to happen all around him. It filled his veins with dark excitement.

  Sebastien's parents filed into the motorhome and stiffened upon seeing him.

  Yup. This was getting real. It was written all over their features.

  "Any changes in my orders?" the young man asked his parents.

  "No," his father, Milo, replied with a heavy sigh.

  The three took a seat at the table in the small kitchen.

  "But it's happening, isn't it?" Sebastien dared.

  Kay, his mother, nodded gently. "It does appear so."

  "But what exactly is going to happen?" Sebastien bombarded his parents. "I mean, do we have any idea what to expect? Is there anything I can do to—I don't know, warn them or help them or—"

  Kay reached across the table and grabbed her son's hand in comfort and pause.

  "It's simply fate, darling. It will unravel as it should. We've done our part."

  "Wh-what do you mean? Am I no longer their protector?"

  "Yes, you are," his father clarified. "We mean that what we've done to this point has gotten them to where they need to be, and given them the most normal life possible. Now, fate will do what it wants. We simply have to let it unfold. We cannot interfere, but have no doubt, you are still needed."

  Sebastien let out a relieved push of air, his shoulders sinking. He wasn't ready to give them up to some unknown fate just yet. Maybe ever. But he'd not let his parents or his people down.

  He might only be fourteen, but he'd been charged with a job and he'd see it through. In so many ways though, he'd been groomed for this moment, and now that it was here it was the most frightening reality ever.

  "And what about the gypsies?" Sebastien prodded, seeking out his focus and determination.

  "Steer clear if you can," Milo explained. "However, you're young enough you won't be recognized so it's not a problem if you come across them."

  "We, however, will be staying a bit low," Kay added. "We've aged some, and have changed enough of our appearances that they won't recognize us at first glance. But it's not something you need to worry about. We've got that handled."

  "You just stay focused, Son. And do what you do best." Milo gave him a proud smile.

  But Sebastien's focus and determination faltered because right then, what he did best felt like one giant mountain of a lie, and a betrayal aimed at the two friends he cared about most in all the world.

  They didn't even know the real him.

  They didn't even know the real them! And neither did Sebastien and that was starting to bother him more than he liked to admit. But whenever he asked for more details about why the twins were special, he'd just get vague answers that were more like questions meant to sidetrack him.

  The twins knew Sebastien Jendaya, all-star student and athlete whose parents decided to camp in Cobbscott, Maine each summer. It was a lie he'd kept up and built on for years. A fake life he too easily slipped into around the twins.

  But like he did so many times before, he reminded himself the lie was necessary. It allowed him to be friends with them and stay close to them. It allowed him to protect them. So, even if the truth did come out, which it would, eventually, it was worth it to see his job through.

  He just had to hold onto hope that in the future, perhaps they'd understand why he'd lied to them. And be willing to forgive him.

  CHAPTER 2

  Two hours had not seemed like a long time to wait, but after mere minutes, the twins were already bored. Meghan kept busy by turning her room upside down in attempts to locate her lost black jacket. After finally locating it, she set up her sewing kit… outside the trailer ne
ar her brother… and sewed on a new button. Colin attempted to read a book, but let his thoughts meander every few lines or so.

  “Why do you keep trying to read that book?” asked Meghan, her eyes still on her sewing project.

  “Huh?” Colin had only half heard her.

  “You’ve started it like ten times and haven’t even finished the first chapter,” Meghan said. “It obviously isn’t any good.” She cut her thread and put the needle back in her sewing kit.

  Colin put the book down.

  “I guess I keep trying because it is the only book I own that I have not finished. I’ve read everything else I own at least five times over.”

  “Yeah, more like ten. I will never understand your need to read books.”

  Colin could think of a hundred different, and as equally amusing, replies, but decided it was not worth the energy to get into another argument with her.

  Meghan arose to put away her sewing kit, when a rustling in the bushes between their camp and the gypsies’, stopped her in her tracks. Colin slid his chair back a few feet, not thrilled at the prospect of something in the woods he could not see.

  “Oh, don’t be such a chicken, Col. It’s too high off the ground to be anything big.” Meghan thought she saw the shadow of something in the rustling bushes and stepped a little closer. She sensed her brother’s opinion that getting closer might not be the smartest idea.

  “I see… something,” she said softly, scrunching her eyes together in attempt to focus into the bush. “Looks like a…” she fell backwards, yelping, as a bird flew out of the shrub nearly missing a straight on collision with her face.

  Colin tried to get a close look at the bird, his curiosity getting the better of him, even over the humor of his sister’s shocked face. As it flew away, he could see a spiky blue-gray crest, a long, black, sharp looking bill and a white underbelly. Colin tried to recall such a bird from his books and wondered what it was.