“You took me out of school, knocked me out and I haven’t a clue what part of the country I’m in.” I knew that last part was a lie. He couldn’t have taken me out of Angels Fall. “Not only that,” I continued, “there was a shadow creature in the cafeteria, monsters outside my room and you, standing there like you’re an expelled god.”
“Pardon?” Aiden was caught off guard by the last comment.
“Oh come on, don’t act like you don’t know. All the girls are swooning over you.”
“Are you jealous?” he asked.
My face turned red. “No. I was just…don’t change the topic and just tell me what you are.”
“Looks like you have to tell her, brother.” Ethan entered the room as he wiped his face with a cloth.
“Is that blood?” I asked, horrified.
“No, Amelia, its tomato sauce,” Ethan replied sarcastically. “Of course it’s blood.”
Color drained from my face as my legs went weak. Ethan snorted as he placed the cloth down on the table and poured himself a glass whisky. I moved away towards the fireplace.
“Brother, are you going to speak? Or should I tell her?”
“Is it really necessary? She doesn’t need to know.”
“Excuse me?” I said, “yes I do.”
Ethan pulled a shrugged and nodded towards me. “She is right, brother.”
Aiden looked pained by Ethan’s words. He didn’t want to tell me and it appears that Ethan was no longer on his side. Aiden could not avoid telling me anymore.
“What are you?” I pressed.
“What do you think I am?” Aiden seemed to echo my voice. I stared at him and saw how his face pleaded for me not to say it. But I couldn’t hold the suspense much longer and I needed to know.
“You have super speed and super strength,” I began.
“Oh, don’t forget super good looks,” added Ethan with a mischievous grin. He lifted his glass at me and emptied the whisky into his mouth.
“Yes, that too,” I said. My muscles tensed as a part of me prepared to run. If Karen’s theory was true, I didn’t know what these two brothers will do to me. The worse that could possibly happen is that I die, here and now, on their beautifully polished hardwood floor, or kept as some sort of prisoner in their underground dungeon. In a house like this, I shouldn’t be surprised that it had such a room.
Aiden waited for me to speak. I could see Ethan’s amusement out of the corner of my eye. He was preparing himself to ridicule me while Aiden continued to look as if his heart was about to explode.
“Vampires,” I said finally. “You guys are vampires.”
Ethan snorted and then burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach as he bent over and almost choked on his breath.
“Oh, Amelia, do you think of us as undead, sunlight fearing creatures?” said Ethan as he attempted to stifle his laughter.
“Well, I can’t think of anything else, unless you’re werewolves, but you were still in your human forms during the lake party and it was a full moon.”
“Oh, this is gold,” said Ethan.
“Fine, so you’re not vampires and werewolves, then what are you? Djinns? Faeries? Spirits from the Underworld?” I shot Aiden a sharp look and he flinched at the sight of my growing anger. Ethan’s laughter continued to fuel it. I picked up one of the couch pillows and threw it in Ethan’s direction. “Stop it,” I commanded. Ethan caught it and walked over to Aiden and gave him the pillow.
“She’s all yours, brother,” he said and patted Aiden on the shoulder. “I’m going to wash up.”
“Hey, wait, don’t go,” I said as Ethan made his way out of the living room.
“Amelia, my dear, I’m half covered in blood and I’m tired. Oh, don’t worry, it’s not human. I know you love me, but sweetheart, I need to take a shower,” Ethan grinned and left. My face turned red with embarrassment. Sure, he was good looking, but he didn’t have to push the fact so bluntly and in that sort of manner, and I am certainly not in love with him, despite whatever he thinks he has achieved with his high cheek bones and clean cut jawline. I’m only fifteen. There’s still a life time ahead of me to fall in love and do that sort of stuff. Besides, Ethan is much too old and Aiden, well, Aiden must be about the same age as his brother, however old that is, despite his deceptively youthful appearance. Right now, I just wanted to find out what was going on and who they really are.
Aiden stood beneath the arched entrance and I gave him a questioning look. “So are you going to tell me?” I demanded.
Aiden hesitated but eventually gave in. We both knew that I was involved far too deeply and already knew and seen things I shouldn’t have seen. A silence fell between us and I could hear a large clock tick on the second floor’s landing, its pendulum swinging back and forth.
“Why aren’t you afraid of us?” he asked.
“Who said I’m not afraid?” I said through gritted teeth and released that my body was shaking again. “Of course I’m afraid. I’m terrified of what you could do to me. I’ve seen what you’ve done, at the mall, you snapped that person’s neck, and now Ethan’s covered in blood. You can kill me right now and no one will know. So yes, I am terribly afraid but I know you won’t hurt me.”
“How can you be sure?”
I lifted up my chin and spoke with confidence. “Because this is not how I die.”
“Of course,” he whispered. Aiden walked away from the arched entrance and placed the pillow down on the couch. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“Aiden, just tell me.”
“I’m a Dextris.”
“A what?” I blinked.
“It’s a long story.” Aiden was still hesitant but there was no more avoiding the matter now.
“Well,” I started, “it’s not like I’m about to go anywhere.”
Aiden inhaled deeply and looked as if he needed to sit down more than I did. The confusion momentarily stopped my body from shaking.
“Several hundred years ago, Ethan and I made a deal with a fallen angel and now we work for him.”
Aiden observed my reaction carefully and waited for me to say something. I stared at him. It sounded as if he was making it all up and yet, I knew that he was telling the truth.
“Fallen angel,” I whispered after some time. Then when it all sank in, I realised what it all meant. “So you’re saying that you basically made a deal with the devil.”
“Not exactly like that,” said Aiden.
“Then what?”
“The angel we dealt with was not the devil. His name is Kael and he gave us our gifts of speed and strength. There are many dark things in this world and when we became Kael’s agents, we also pledged to keep the darkness in check.”
“Wait. I thought fallen angels are supposed to be evil.”
“It depends on what your definition of evil is. From what I’ve been told, Heaven’s politics is very different from our human ones. Their concept of good and evil is on a completely different scale and it is best that we don’t try to understand it.”
“Alright,” I said, “so what exactly do you do to keep the darkness in check?”
“Well, for starters, we track down stray demons and vanquish them before they can hurt anyone. We also deal with spirits and what you call monsters.”
“Was that person’s neck you snapped, is he one of the monsters too?”
“Yes. He was a Double Walker.”
I stared at Aiden until he realised that I needed an explanation for what double walker meant. Although the name was self-explanatory enough, I suspected that there was more to it than just looking like someone’s twin.
“Double Walkers are shape shifting demons that take on the appearance of someone its victim trusts. Double Walkers are usually free agents and they feed on human flesh to survive, but that one that lured you was controlled by someone who wanted you alive.”
“How do you know?”
“Ethan found an abandoned spell doll nearby. Spell dolls are sort of like
voodoo dolls, except it controls Double Walkers.”
I blinked as I absorbed the information. “What does it want with me?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”
I nodded. “What about you?” Aiden tilted his head slight and gave me an enquiring look. “When you left me alone on the highway. What’s your explanation for that?”
“Oh,” whispered Aiden. “I didn’t meant to cause you any injury but I was trying not to kill you.”
I was surprised by his admission and didn’t know what to think. “Kill me?”
“Yes. You’re a threat to the Balance.”
“What? How? You’re not making any sense.”
“You’re a witch.”
I stared at him as my mind became blank. I didn’t know what to think and felt tickled by the idea. It was as absurd as Karen’s theory of them being vampires, which turned out to be wrong, with the truth being as farfetched as the original speculation.
“Me? A witch? Right.”
“It is the truth, Amelia. You are a witch, which is why they are after you.”
“Who do you mean by they? Wait, you don’t mean the monsters outside my window and the shadows?”
“Yes,” said Aiden.
“Why?”
“We don’t know yet. Ethan and I have been trying to figure it out, but whoever is behind everything have managed to keep his trail hidden and we can’t track him down.”
“And what have you found out so far?”
“Nothing significant,” he said. I sensed that he was lying. Although I had no proof of this, I knew it in my heart. Something didn’t add up and he knew it too. Aiden’s expression remained guarded and unmoved and he would have been impossible to read if not for the seemingly psychic deductions I was making. Was this part of my powers as being a witch? I didn’t want to believe what Aiden had just inform me, it seemed impossible. Witches only existed in books and the imaginations of people. I, Amelia Ryans from the small town of Angels Fall, cannot possibly be a witch. I noted the irony in the town’s name and the brothers being a Dextris.
The clock struck four and I realised that I must have slept through the entire afternoon. My stomach grumbled on queue. I hadn’t really eaten anything before Ethan blew up the shadow and the hunger bit my insides like an angry animal.
“You must be hungry,” said Aiden. “The kitchen is this way.”
Aiden indicated towards the archway and waited for me to walk towards him. I hesitated at first, but seeing that I didn’t exactly know how to get home without one of the brothers dropping me off, or that I still hadn’t gained all that I wanted to know and I was starving, I complied.
I followed Aiden down the wide corridor until the end, where the large kitchen hung with heavy stone pots, pans, herbs and various strange plants. Through the glass kitchen door, I could see a greenhouse paved with rough brown stone. A mixture of plants grew in curated wooden boxes while some hung from baskets. The sight seemed fantastical with a touch of rustic flair.
A counter top island completed with its own sink and sleek Italian styled faucets, sat in the middle of the kitchen, with three round wooden stools in front of it. A double door fridge tucked away in the corner and a stone kiln-like hearth sat on the other side.
“Sit down,” said Aiden as he indicated to the stools. “What would you like?”
“Surprise me,” I said.
Chapter 10
Ethan came out of the shower, half dressed and with a towel drying his head. The smell of freshly snow filled the room and I wondered if it was some sort of Dextris signature scent. Both brothers seemed to always smell like fresh snow, the scent was amplified on Ethan, who just washed himself.
I sat at the counter eating Aiden’s grilled fish and bean salad with him. Ethan came over and peered over my shoulder.
“Fancy,” he remarked. “Where’s mine, little brother?”
“Make your own, brother.”
Ethan fetched himself a fork and took a chunk of fish from my plate. He grinned at me before I could protest.
“Juicy.”
Aiden glared at him. Ethan shrugged and then made his way to the fridge and took out what looked like left over chicken. From it, he constructed himself a hearty sandwich.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do with Amelia, brother?” said Ethan.
I watched them. Ethan spoke as if I wasn’t sitting right in front of him.
“I’ll take you home,” said Aiden to me.
“What about the Hunters? They’re not going to leave until they get what they want.”
“Hunters?”
“Shadow things you saw today,” Aiden explained. “They can also shape shift, but not as good as Double Walkers.”
“Are they the same things that attacked Lydia and her mom?”
Aiden and Ethan didn’t reply. They looked at each other, waiting for the other to take up the task of explaining things to me. Ethan shrugged.
“What?” he said with a raised defensive tone. “She’s your responsibility.”
“What are you two talking about? I am still sitting here.”
Ethan opened his mouth to speak but then stopped himself with a false expression of realisation. “Oh, so you haven’t told her about that.”
Aiden closed his eyes with regret as Ethan revealed the existence of whatever it was that he wanted to keep from me.
“Should I tell her, or do you want to do it?” said Ethan in a cheerful tone.
“Start talking, Aiden,” I said.
Ethan whistled. “This is why I like you, Amelia. Go on, little brother.”
“Ethan, that’s enough,” said Aiden in a low dangerous tone. His irritation only made his older brother gloat more. I placed my fork down on the counter and waited. “You’re my responsibility. I was supposed to kill you when the Hunters started appearing, to stop them from attacking Innocents when they got hungry. If you die, they will most likely go away, but since there is no guarantee, I decided to make you my Charge, which means that I am responsibility for your continued living existence.”
“Innocents? Charge? What?”
“Basically,” started Ethan. “Innocents are all the normal, mortal people like your parents and everyone at school. And yes, your friend, what was her name?”
“Lydia.”
“Yes, her and her mother, were attacked by one of the Hunters, but luckily, we were there on both occasions and they seem alright. Still alive, I last heard.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” I said.
“Which part?” said Ethan.
“Lydia was attacked weeks before Anna turned up at my door. What about her father? Where did he disappeared to?”
Ethan shrugged. “Don’t know.”
I frowned as Ethan seemed so nonchalant about the entire ordeal. His lack of empathy was starting to get on my brain and I couldn’t decide which brother I liked better. Aiden was tense and unwilling to talk most of the time while his brother didn’t seem to care about anything at all. It made me wonder why Ethan is really here at all.
“What my brother meant to say was that the Hunters had taken the two adults back to their lair and was about to eat Lydia before we found her. We found Anna later and dropped her off at your front door because it was faster than going to the hospital.”
“Yeah,” Ethan started, “that particular Hunter was more vicious than normal and it nearly took my fingers off. Don’t know why you care about the father though, he’s a complete ass. Beats up his wife and kids. Deserves to be eaten by the Hunters, for all I know.”
I enquired Aiden with my eyes.
“We’ve been watching your town for a while.”
“How long?” I asked.
“A year and a bit,” Aiden answered. I blinked and stared at him. Aiden glanced at the wall clock. “You should really get home. Come, I’ll drop you off.”
“Right. And I’ll go and deal with the school administrators, your parents and your friend.”
“What are you going to do to them?”
“Change their memories. You know, that sort of stuff. Hey, don’t give me that look Amelia, unless you prefer to be questioned on your disappearance from the school and late return. I suppose you could say you’ve been with my lovely little brother. He’s not bad looking and that should crank up the jealousy meter amongst the other girls.”
“Fine,” I said after a moment of thought. He did have a point and I was not in the mood to be questioned. I felt conflicted as I realised that all this will be kept from Karen and Lydia. Besides, they would never believe me even if I tried to tell them. It was clear that Aiden didn’t want anyone else to know about his secret, despite the carefree attitude Ethan held.
Ethan winked at me and clicked his tongue. “Then I better get going, love,” he said. He finished his sandwich and left for the front door.
~
The house sat in the middle of the forest and was only accessible by a hidden unpaved driveway that led to a lonely road on the other side of the town. Aiden drove his black mustang with expert ease and took me home. I wanted to ask him question but something prevented me. Perhaps it was the sense that Aiden’s demeanor changed once we stepped outside the house. He was no longer soft and gentle but seemed pained by an invisible force. It was as if the house protected him and all that was said inside. In the car however, he sat with a tense grip on the steering wheel and I wondered if there was some sort of spell on the house. I decided to remain silent and I could feel his relief when I reached my front door.
My parents seemed oblivious to my late return and did not question me about where I had been. I suspected that Ethan worked his magic on them first. My phone was bombarded with messages but someone had turned it off while I was at Aiden and Ethan’s house. There were at least fifteen missed calls from Karen and another dozen from Rick, Lydia and my parents combined. The last message was from Ethan. I opened it up immediately.
Ignore previous calls and messages.
I didn’t like the idea of Ethan messing with people’s mind but I had no choice. It was either that or unnecessary drama from everyone I knew. It would have been too much for me to deal with, especially with the brothers convinced that I am a witch and I’m wanted dead by the Hunters.
Witchling (Chronicles of Witchood) Page 9
