Two Halves Box Set

by Marta Szemik

  She paused. “I can do what I want with you. And I want Aseret to see the power I’ll gain. Your essence will be the most valuable yet, half-breed.” Miranda’s howl echoed through the lair as her ghost disappeared into the wall.

  My invisible heart pounding, I rushed to my mother’s side. “Are you all right?”

  She slowly shook her head. Her weakened soul was almost transparent. “Sarah, you shouldn’t be here. She’ll drain your essence.” I had to lean close to hear her faint voice.

  “It’s okay, Mom.” The light ropes that held her soul left creases in her ephemeral being; if it were flesh, blood would be dripping from the wounds. I pointed to the glowing twines. “Do you know how to get these off?”

  “It’s a spell from the book. You need to read it.”

  I rushed to the table on which the magic book rested and peered at the open pages, but the letters unintelligible to me, meaningless markings and symbols. “I can’t understand this. I’m not a witch.”

  “Channel Xela. She has your body. You’re still connected to her.”

  I can’t do this, I thought, feeling overwhelmed. The fire in the pit disagreed as it flared, the flames that never needed more wood to burn encouraging me with flickering oranges and reds. My focus on the foreign words intensified, and I thought about Xela and what she’d do. Aseret’s accent as he spoke in an ancient tongue came to my mind. I imagined Xela chanting, like a witch. Waves of new energy rippled through me. The letters began unscrambling, and I heard Xela’s voice in my head, except it was my voice. With Xela’s magic linked through me, the words made sense.

  “Asuma murani beco malima. Kera ma sukler miserio uff,” I chanted, the spell escaping my mouth on streaming ribbons of light. The change flowed toward my mother’s wrists and singed the ropes holding her arms and ankles. The connection of spell with magical knots erupted in sparkles of light before bands of sulphurous smoke curled upward.

  Freed from her bonds, my mother dropped to her knees.

  “Come on.” I put my hands under her arms and lifted her. “We need to leave before Aseret comes back.”

  “I cannot become invisible. They’ll see us. She took too much away from me.”

  “You don’t need to. We’re going straight up.” I nodded toward the ceiling, both of my hands still supporting the light weight of her spirit.

  “How? You can’t pass through walls. She cursed you.”

  I shook my head. “No, the curse is off. Miranda unknowingly reversed her magic. Can you hold on for a moment?” Gently, I lowered her to sit on the floor, her head against the wall, and floated to the table holding Miranda’s book of spells.

  My plan was already working; I was able to pick up the book and stash it behind a cluster of roots on the ceiling. It fit perfectly in the nook. Try to do magic now, witch.

  “Is William really gone?”

  I froze, then nodded, struggling not to lose my composure. Assuming a brisk demeanor, I went over and helped her up.

  “I’m so sorry, honey.” My mother squeezed me, and my body switched to full ghost mode. The embrace rejuvenated me just enough to carry through my plans to destroy Aseret, the witch, and their seekers.

  “Let’s go.” I took her hand, and we flew beyond the ceiling of the cave. As we passed through the solid rock, then compacted soil, I thought about Eric, Xander, and Mira, hoping to be taken to my watchers.

  The time had come to give the witch exactly what she deserved. It was time to get my body back and bind Aseret and Miranda to the hell where they belonged. I needed vengeance, needed to right what had been wronged. After reading the spell, I understood Xela’s and Mrs. G’s task. I now trusted her as much as I’d trusted my watchers.

  My grip on Mom’s frail spirit tightened, and soon, we burst from the ground into a world of fresh greens lit by the rising sun, the morning glow waking the birds. I wished I could feel the warmth of the sun’s rays on my face, remembering the streaks of light filtering through the canopy in the Amazon.

  That memory pulled on my spirit, leading me through the deciduous forest of the Yellowstone National Park and onward. The trees soon turned into a jungle, their branches twined with webs of hanging vines. I imagined the sweet smells of the Amazon that I missed, the intoxicating orchids and the floating pollen carried by hot winds, the way the fresh grass tickled my toes when I ran through the clearing to our cabin.

  Home would appear in a few seconds. I wasn’t sure what day it was, or how long I’d been in the underworld. Has the news about William reached my family? My hope was for them to hear what had happened from me: I owed them that. But now, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to go back to my human form. Home would never be the same without William. I couldn’t live without him.

  The closer I came to the Amazon, the pull to return to my human form strengthened and became more vibrant, as if arguing against my desire to die. The pledge I’d made to William before he perished couldn’t be broken. I wouldn’t break another promise or let him down again.

  I’d live for my children, even though my spirit would forever remain with my love, my other half. Once again, we were torn in two: no longer together, no longer equals.

  Chapter 13

  My mother never let go of my hand as I dragged her weakened soul through the jungle, even when we reached the edge of the clearing in the Amazon. My ghost flew into the house, past my father, past Atram and Willow, toward the sunroom, the wind of my swift passage tugging papers out of their hands.

  I lowered my mother’s ghost on the chair and knelt on the marble floor beside the sofa, where my children, now back in their young forms, rested peacefully. My only wish now was to stroke Crystal’s cheek with the back of my hand. The expectation to see them as teens eased my heartache, hoping they’d understand their father’s fate. How was I supposed to tell them about their father? I’d failed, and Crystal and Ayer would be devastated. Would they want their spirits to remain with William, abandoning their bodies in this world? Has my husband’s death decided my children’s fate to search for his lost soul?

  My mother knelt beside me, her gaze darting from the children to my father engaged with his iPad.

  I remembered Mrs. G’s words: “Their bodies are there, but not their spirits.” Sure enough, their chests weren’t moving. I waited five seconds for one of them to release a breath, but no air escaped. Was this what happened when they left their bodies?

  “Eric!” I called out, hoping my evil-bender would hear me. Silence. I tried to concentrate on the children’s spirits, letting my soul pinpoint their location and closed my eyes. Again, nothing. Were they preparing to bind Aseret? My worst nightmare would be for them face the demon alone. I had to help them. And they needed to know the truth about their father.

  “Willow! Dad! Atram!”

  My family rushed into the sun room, but my soul was still in its invisible form.

  “I thought I heard Sarah.” My mother-in-law searched the room with her eyes.

  “Me too. Hold on,” Atram froze, eyes focused on the twins. My father placed his tablet on the table. Then Atram frowned.

  “What’s the matter?” Willow asked.

  “I—I can’t hear their heartbeats.”

  Ekim ran to the sofa and fixed his acute sense of hearing on the still twins. “Me neither,” he confirmed.

  Willow covered her mouth. Unknowingly, she knelt beside me.

  I showed myself. “They’re not dead.”

  No one jumped; in fact, Willow’s concerned expression eased. But it wouldn’t for long, not after I told my in-laws their son was gone. Dead. And I was to blame for it all.

  “Sarah?” My father looked my way. “They’re not breathing.” He pressed his ear against Ayer’s chest at the opposite end of the sofa.

  “I know. Their souls are gone.” I placed my hand on top of my daughter’s but failed to feel her soothing touch.

  “Gone where?” Willow gasped.

  “I don’t know. I think Eric does. I’ve seen them
do this before. They travel to the other realms, then return.”

  “But they shouldn’t remain out of their bodies too long. Aseret will sense them.” My mother joined the conversation, taking a visible form. Concern shadowed her face as she stood. Her hovering ghost still looked hollow and drained.

  Everyone gasped.

  “Saraphine?” my father whispered.

  She turned slowly. Surrounded by a family she’d been denied, my mother looked from one to the other, rotating in a circle until she came to face my father. “Ekim,” she said. “I shouldn’t have done this. I’m sorry.” My mother began to vanish.

  “No, please don’t go,” he begged. “You’re with Sarah?”

  Her ghost showed again as she nodded.

  My father’s shoulders relaxed, and he stepped toward her. “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered, trying to stroke her face with his palm. Her ghost vibrated at the touch she couldn’t feel.

  The silenced room felt like the center of the universe, and my children weren’t the only ones without breath. The wind outside stopped whistling; the birds ceased their mid-day chirping. The seconds that passed timed like hours. It felt as if the entire forest around the cabin were concentrated on one couple: a vampire and a ghost.

  My father took a step closer, lowering his head to my mother’s. She remained still and closed her eyes as my father’s lips hovered above hers, then brushed the shape of my mother’s mouth, as if kissing fog without dispersing it. My father closed his eyes. Now I was certain no one breathed.

  Could this moment last forever, be real and my mother be alive? I wished my parents could reunite as a couple. The love they shared cocooned around them like a blanket, the same way it had between me and William. They’d sacrifice their life for one another. But boundaries between life and death couldn’t be broken. My parents would never be together.

  A tear escaped my mother’s eye, leaving a glistening trail on her face. A real tear, rolling on a cheek that should have been incorporeal. Another drop trickled from my father’s eye; from a vampire who’d been dead for decades.

  Certain that ghosts couldn’t shed tears, nor vampires, I could only think that magic had found a way to connect two people who’d lost each other too early in their life. My mother leaned into my father, and the drops joined as their cheeks touched. Glowing, she seemed to regain all the essence stolen from her by Miranda—the essence of love. Their tear, combined as one, fell to the marble floor. The drop didn’t splatter but rolled out the front door into the Amazon forest.

  That’s when I noticed Mrs. G standing in the doorway, her eyes black.

  I didn’t dare speak and interrupt the magic I was witnessing.

  My mother opened her eyes and stepped back. “I’ve missed you too. Thank you for taking care of Sarah.” She took my father’s hand as if hers was real. Could she actually feel his touch? With Mrs. G in the doorway, I wouldn’t doubt it.

  “It doesn’t look like I’ve done a good job.” He shrugged. “I was gone most of her life.”

  “You did what you had to, and you’ve done a wonderful job. Look at her. She’s strong, passionate. Although I wish she didn’t sacrifice herself for others. Just like you.”

  “And you.”

  “She’s a ghost.” Xander stood beside Mrs. G.

  “Not for long.” Xela stepped from behind him. Her eyes, my eyes, were still rolling forward, recovering from a spell she’d recently cast.

  “It was necessary at the time,” my mom explained, “but not anymore. Miranda thinks we’re both trapped in her lair. She’s gone to Aseret to tell him. It’s time to move forward with the plan.” She looked at Xela.

  “We’re ready,” the witch confirmed, squeezing Xander’s hand. It was still odd to stare at myself as if I’d been looking in the mirror, holding my best friend’s hand. Did Xander see me or Xela? The way he examined Xela in my body, I was sure he only envisioned his black witch.

  Xela turned to me. “You have a gift beyond that of a half-breed vampire. I heard you read.”

  “The spell? I thought you read it through me.”

  “No.” Xela shook her head. “You must have had a witch as an ancestor. You read that on your own. It wasn’t me you channeled. It makes sense for the twins to have powers beyond your understanding.”

  “What about the children? Will they wake up?” Atram asked.

  Before anyone could answer, wind gusted into the cabin, swirling the air into a vortex. Eric stepped from a portal lined in purple mist. “They’re ready too,” he said as if he’d been listening. “No need to worry about their bodies. They have a better grasp of what’s happening than we think.”

  “Eric, what happened?” I rushed to his side. “Did you help him?”

  Eric looked down at the floor. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t get him to you. They were supposed to be there.” He looked at the twins narrowing his brows in confusion.

  “No,” I whispered.

  “Where’s William?” Willow looked at me. “Did you find him?” She came to stand beside my ghost.

  “Willow . . . I . . .” I drew a deep, unnecessary breath. “I tried to help him. There were thousands of seekers, and he almost got past . . .” My head hung low. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “He’s gone. William is gone.” The quavering voice sounded as if it someone else spoke. The vibrations of my soul intensified. It was time for my family to mourn my husband. Guilt would remain with me forever for failing them . . . for failing William.

  “What do you mean gone?” she whispered, her voice husky. Her hands trembled.

  “In the underworld. He fell. The lava.” I forced the words out.

  “No.” She shook her head emphatically. “I would have felt it.” Atram took his wife’s arm, supporting her, but Willow remained calm. “I would have felt it,” she repeated.

  Part of me knew exactly what she meant, because I couldn’t feel William’s absence. I still felt him here, with me, but in the flesh.

  “I had to get my ghost back,” I said to my staring family. “It’s complicated, but we had to make it to Miranda’s lair so she could touch me again.”

  “And who told you so?” Eric asked.

  “Crystal and Ayer.”

  Everyone turned to look at the sleeping twins.

  “Do you know where they are?” I asked Eric.

  He shook his head. “No, but they know to meet us in the hereafter at sundown.”

  “Is everyone coming?” I asked.

  “Your family will stay here.” Mrs. G paced across the marble floor, as comfortable as if she’d been in her home. The hem of her dancing skirt flowed around her feet.

  “You’ll come with us to the brink of the hereafter,” Xela interjected, “and if all goes according to plan, you will have your body back tonight.”

  But I wasn’t sure I wanted my body. William was gone. Wouldn’t it be better to let me remain a ghost so I could spend my life with William in the hereafter? Where was his soul?

  The promise I’d made to my husband to remain strong pounded in my head. And this was a promise I wanted to keep. He’d asked me to protect my family and continue on, no matter what. Certain I could do a better job in the flesh, I knew my destiny remained on Earth, not in the hereafter. Even when I gave up my body without the guarantee of ever having it back, I knew I belonged here. It wasn’t my time—nor William’s. Yet he was gone. I wished I had a chance to say goodbye. I just wanted to feel his embrace one more time.

  Atram settled Willow on a chair and brought her water as she repeated, “I would have felt it.”

  I couldn’t imagine William dead either. To me, it seemed more like he’d gone on a vacation. Perhaps it felt that way because I was a ghost, but my gut told me otherwise.

  My children’s bodies begun shaking in spasms, like they were having a seizure, and I darted to their side. Crystal’s chest expanded with an inhalation that reanimated her body; Ayer followed. They sat up, though their eyes were still closed. Crystal’s arms t
witched, then extended. Her hair grew until it was long enough to touch her bottom, rich auburn with blonde highlights. Her lips and her chest filled out as she shifted into her teens. She rolled her shoulder blades backward, releasing the tension in her neck.

  The cracking of bones drew our eyes to Ayer, who tilted his head to the right, adjusting his spine, then to the left. The sound resonated like thunder in the silent room. Ayer’s legs lengthened and the curves of his face sharpened. The skin on his biceps stretched until I thought it would rip.

  The twins shook like they were shedding the years of life they missed. They opened their eyes, drawing their gazes from one family member to another. We stared back.

  Crystal and Ayer’s expressions shifted from blank to comfortable, and it seemed they were remembering their home. They examined the room and the family in sight as if they’d just come home after a stay at a boarding school. Their eyes assessed the height of the vaulted ceiling and the length of each wall. Crystal peeked out the window and squinted when the sun struck her eyes.

  “Sorry, it takes a few minutes of getting used to.” Ayer made small circles with his feet as they stretched out of his kid-size sneakers. The shirt he wore lay in ripped pieces on the floor. His slacks rose to his calves at the bottom, while the top band hung just below his hip bones. Ayer flexed one arm, then the other. He lowered his head and examined his muscles, watching his pecks dance in alternate pumps. “Cool.”

  Crystal rolled her eyes and stretched her arms. “Ahh. That’s better.” Her usually oversized t-shirt would split at the seams, any minute now. The stitches under her arms were already strained like over-wound guitar strings.

  “It gets easier, the more you shift,” Xander said matter-of-factly as he stepped forward and handed Ayer a bag.

  My son pulled out new clothes from the bag Xander’d brought.

  “They’re like you? Shifters? How did you know?” I pointed to the sack.

  “Ma did a reading,” Mira explained as Xela handed a tote to Crystal.