Cauldron Bubble (Toil & Trouble Book 1)

by Wendy Knight

  Eldest wasn’t alone.

  There was another with her, hair silver, eyes as gray as Eldest’s. But other than that, they looked exactly the same, down to the wrinkles around their mouths and the way their hands shook almost imperceptibly.

  “Your twin,” Quin breathed. “How—how did you get in here? I was standing in the doorway.”

  Eldest nodded.

  Ancient spoke, her voice soft, the creaks in it barely audible. “I am blind, Quin, save for one thing. I see the end.”

  His eyebrows raised. Did… did that answer his question?

  Eldest reached out, brushing his arm with her leathery fingers. “Quin, this is important.”

  Quin nodded. “Okay.”

  “There is a prophecy,” Ancient started.

  Quin held up his hand to stop her, but realized she couldn’t see. “I’m sorry, Ancient. With all due respect, all I care about is my mom. I know there’s a war and you’ve been fighting it for a long time, but I just want to stay here with my mom until she wakes up. When she’s better, you can tell me all about your prophecy.” He paused, pacing the room, trying to control his breathing. These rooms were small. There was a couch that his dad had been sleeping on the past several nights. There was a reclining chair that Quin had been sleeping in. There was barely enough room to walk around them, but he managed. He turned back to the witches. “Anyway, I’ve heard the prophecy. Twins, one night, one day, will stop the war and save the day. That’s why you’re so revered, right? You’re the twins that are supposed to stop the war?”

  “No.” Eldest smiled kindly. “The prophecy is not ours.”

  “Well, okay. Then good luck finding your twins. I can give you their address, if you want.” I’ve driven by it often enough. “But I’m focused on my mom. That’s all. This war has cost my family enough.”

  “Only the night can wake your mother.” Ancient’s voice sounded hollow, her eyes glowing faintly. He would bet that they had been silver, once.

  He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ve gone through several nights, Ancient. Her condition hasn’t improved.”

  Ancient’s smile turned sad and she turned toward her sister. No words were spoken, but he had the distinct impression that they were talking. Finally, Eldest turned toward him. “Night will save her, Quin. I must go.”

  He closed his eyes, praying for patience and tried to formulate a statement they would understand. But when he opened his eyes, they were both gone, and he stood alone by his mother’s side.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  DESTINY STRETCHED TENTATIVELY. SHE’D ONLY BEEN to one practice since the battle — the battle that the school and everyone in it believed had been a bomb threat. Despite her best potions, she had taken far too long to recover.

  She’d lost magic. She wasn’t as strong as she’d been, and it was killing her.

  When she’d broken down and cried, Alina had pulled her close and stroked her hair and told her it would come back. It always did, she said.

  But between the pain and that she’d lost, she hadn’t been able to get out of bed until a couple days ago, which means she’d missed several days of practice, as well. Normally, the coaches didn’t let anyone run in the meet if he or she had missed practice, but since Destiny was instrumental in preventing a bombing and had been wounded because of it, they were letting her run.

  She just hoped she could do it.

  “Honey, you don’t have to do this. You can run next week.” Alina stopped in her doorway.

  Destiny shook her head. She had to run. She couldn’t explain it, she couldn’t ignore it; it just had to happen. There was something in her brain, pushing her. Go to the meet. Go to the meet. No matter how crappy she felt. “I can’t raise my arms. Can you help me tie my dress?” she asked timidly.

  Alina raised an eyebrow, the irony not lost on her at all, but motioned Destiny over, shoving the black hair out of the way while she tied the bow.

  “Have you heard from that boy?” she asked quietly.

  Destiny shook her head, hair falling back into the path of her mother’s bow. “Nothing. Fate said he hasn’t been at school, either. I don’t know if his mom survived.” She knew nothing. It was driving her crazy.

  Fate had even done her detective work, gotten his phone number and then his address, but he didn’t answer his phone and he didn’t answer the door. His jeep hadn’t been in the driveway; although, there had been blood stains on the cement. But no sign of anyone.

  “So,” her mom briskly changed the subject. “Team meeting this morning. I got the orange juice. It’s waiting by the back door. Then school, then meet, right? At West Lake High at three o’clock.”

  Destiny nodded, wishing she could raise her hands to rub her neck. It ached something fierce.

  “I’ll not let her out of my sight,” Fate yawned and stumbled into the room. “Just gotta brush my teeth.”

  “You don’t have to be to school for another hour. And you’re still in your pajamas,” Destiny pointed out.

  Fate looked down, muttered something and wandered back out.

  “She’s driving you.”

  “I can drive, Mom. I’ll be fine.”

  Alina shrugged. “You scared her, Destiny. She thought we lost you. We did lose you. If not for that potion you’d made last week, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

  Yes. The potion she’d made last week. Because nothing she’d made after was even close to as powerful.

  It will come back.

  “She just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

  Destiny nodded. “I know. But she’s sacrificing sleep and she loves her sleep.”

  Alina smiled, smoothing the dress across Destiny’s shoulders. “She loves you more. I’ll see you at three.”

  “Ready?” Fate appeared in the doorway.

  “Fate.” Destiny smiled. You’re the best sister ever. “You only have one shoe on.”

  ****

  “ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE up to this?” Brookell asked as Destiny fell into the bus seat next to her.

  She hadn’t been sure she would survive the school day. She had no idea how she was going to run three miles. Or even just the warm up lap. “Yes,” she lied.

  The bus ride there took more energy than Destiny had. There was chanting, which she should have enjoyed, given her other profession. There was yelling, which she normally would have loved, because she really liked to be loud. They cheered each other on and sang along to fight songs on the radio. She did like to sing.

  But not today.

  She stumbled off the bus after the rest of them. She saw the worried looks Coach Heather and their other coach, Hyrum, shared as she passed them. But it couldn’t be helped. No matter how much she didn’t feel up to this run, there was something in her that said she had to be here. She had to. She didn’t understand it, didn’t want to do it, but it was going to happen anyway.

  Except she collapsed during warmups.

  Alina was instantly at her side, Fate right behind her. “You are not running today.” They even said it simultaneously. Reprimands in surround sound.

  Destiny groaned and let her eyes fall shut. “I have to.”

  “I’m sorry, Destiny. Not today,” Coach Hyrum said, kneeling next to her. “Get better and run next week.”

  Frustrated tears filled her eyes and she angrily brushed them away, except that it hurt to move her arms, so it was only semi-angrily. “But I have to run,” she whispered.

  Coach patted her on the shoulder and got up to help with the other runners. Fate pulled Destiny to a sitting position, checking her eyes and tongue. Destiny was fairly positive her sister had no idea what she was doing, but she humored her because Fate looked like she was about to cry and she never cried.

  Destiny cried all the time.

  “Perhaps I can help.” A man Destiny didn’t know stopped next to them. Well built, probably over six feet tall. She attempted to tip her head back to see his face, but it hurt too much. “I’m a doctor.
”

  Alina stood and turned toward the man.

  And gasped.

  Fate sprang to her feet, looking wildly from her mother to the man. “What? What’s wrong?” Her voice shook as violently as her hands.

  Destiny laid back down and closed her eyes.

  “Luca?” Alina whispered.

  Destiny’s eyes flew open. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but the tone of her mother’s voice told her everything. She struggled to sit up, and by the time she’d managed that, Fate had knelt next to her and looped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to her feet.

  Everything that had run through her head in the last ten seconds was confirmed by the huge aquatic blue eyes.

  Exactly like hers.

  Exactly like Fate’s.

  “What are you doing here?” Alina whispered.

  Luca just stared. His eyes seemed to devour Alina, as if he were trying to memorize every detail. Or like he’d been lost without water for so long, and he’d finally found an oasis. “I’ve looked everywhere for you,” he whispered.

  Fate looked at Destiny, her eyes so wide they might fall out of her head, and Destiny guessed she probably had the same look.

  Alina seemed to remember them just then, and blinked several times, turning to introduce them. “These are my daughters, Fate and Destiny. Destiny was supposed to run today but she’s still healing from— from an illness, and—”

  Luca turned to them as if just realizing they were standing there. “Close your eyes, close your eyes, close your eyes!” Fate screeched in her head. Obediently, Destiny’s eyes flew shut.

  “Why am I doing this?”

  “So he doesn’t realize—”

  “So we’re just going to stand here with our eyes closed?”

  “Your—your daughters?” Luca sounded like he’d been sucker punched in the throat. With a unicorn. “When?” He sounded like someone was strangling him. Destiny peeked through one eye to make sure he wasn’t.

  Because she didn’t want him to die. She’d just met him, after all.

  Her father.

  Her father.

  “I’m freaking out. Are you freaking out?”

  “Quiet! I’m trying to eavesdrop.”

  “Is it really eavesdropping when we’re standing right here?”

  At this point, Destiny wasn’t even sure which voice was hers and which was Fate’s, so she wasn’t sure which one of them had asked.

  Either way, neither of them answered.

  “They’re eighteen,” Alina answered slowly.

  “Alina…” His voice held the hint of a warning, and Alina, never being the confrontational type, started to look for shadows to melt into. Destiny knew — she could feel her mother’s panic. But they were in the middle of a field, surrounded by a gazillion people. There was nowhere to escape.

  Fate to the rescue, as always. “Maybe this isn’t the best place to have this conversation. Luca, is it? Why don’t you give us a call later and we’ll set something up.”

  “Like a playdate,” Destiny chimed in helpfully.

  Fate sighed, dropping her chin to her chest. Luca and Alina both looked at her like she was insane.

  Fate looped Destiny’s arm over her shoulder again with one hand and grabbed Alina’s arm with her other, and started dragging them backward, toward what she hoped was an exit from the field and to freedom, even though everything in Destiny was screaming to stop, to go back, because that was her father, and she’d wondered about him her entire life, and holy crap, what was she doing, why didn’t someone stop her—

  Luca’s hand shot out and caught Alina’s wrist. “I’ve scoured the earth looking for you. For eighteen years, Alina, I have looked for you. You can’t leave me. Not now.”

  Alina whimpered in her throat, and Destiny and Fate both froze, looking from one to the other. Destiny felt like her brain would explode, and if not her brain, then her heart.

  “You can’t have looked too hard. You’re here with a child, aren’t you? One of your own?” Alina whispered.

  Destiny and Fate both gaped at her.

  Luca shook his head. “I’m the medic for this high school. I’m here in case anyone is injured.” His blue, blue eyes burned into Alina’s. “There’s only been you, Alina.” He looked toward Destiny and Fate, who both instantly wilted into each other. “I can’t believe you never told me.”

  There was definitely anger in his voice. Anger, pain, betrayal, all warring for position there in his words.

  “You can’t believe I never told you? You were with my sister, Luca. I went back. I bet you didn’t know that.”

  Destiny and Fate both gasped. They hadn’t known that.

  “And do you know what I found, Luca? I found you. In Winnie’s bed.”

  It was Destiny’s turn to feel like she’d been sucker punched by a unicorn. She felt her knees give way and she nearly fell, if Fate had not caught her. Winnie? Really? Of everyone in the world—

  “You saw me alone in Winnie’s bed. Do you know why? Because I tried to force her to tell me where you were, and she attacked me. I died that day, Alina, and the only thing that saved me was your potions. Potions you’d left behind so your warrior sister who ruined your life would be protected.”

  Belatedly, Destiny realized that since she’d just collapsed, and then the two adults started having a yelling match, that they were attracting quite a bit of attention. Her cross country team was warming up not far from her, hanging on every word.

  Everyone in the vicinity was hanging on every word, actually.

  “We need to go. Luca, feel free to follow us home and we can talk there. If you don’t, we understand, and we won’t bother you again.” Destiny gripped her mother’s hands, both of them this time, and turned to go. Her entire body had started shrieking, every single nerve.

  “I can’t leave the meet.” His voice was utterly tragic and completely broken. “If something happens—”

  Destiny looked at Fate, who shook her head in bewilderment. He had no problem yelling their whole family history to everyone nearby, but he insisted he stay in case anyone needed him. How did that make any sense at all? Wasn’t he as humiliated as they were?

  Actually, though, she kind of liked that about him.

  Fate, as usual, read her mind. “We should cheer your team on anyway, Destiny. Let’s go find a place to sit down. Out of the sun.” She nodded toward the trees on the other side of the field. “Luca?”

  “Of course.” He seemed to do a double-take, as if just realizing that he was talking to his daughter. And then he half-turned, turned back to them, and then turned away and led them to the trees and the shade. Fate twirled her finger, conjuring a blanket, and shook it out.

  “Fate,” Alina hissed. “Someone will see.”

  “So we can fight off two dozen warlocks in broad daylight and it’s fine, but we can’t use a blanket? Destiny, lay down.” Fate snapped.

  Destiny sat on the blanket, drawing her knees to her chest and resting her forehead. Her father, the man they’d never even been allowed to discuss, was standing here in front of them.

  Make that kneeling here in front of her. “So this illness is magic-related?” He dug a light out of his bag and shone it in Destiny’s eyes. She winced, blinking quickly. “No concussion.”

  “She fought off several warlocks by herself until we could get there to help her. They fed off her for at least forty-five minutes after. Her magic has been greatly depleted and her health has suffered, as well,” Alina said quietly. Oh, so she wanted to run off to the shadows when they were talking about her, but telling Luca Destiny’s life story wasn’t a problem at all.

  Awesome.

  “You’re a warrior? Like your aunt?”

  Destiny shook her head, raising her chin defiantly. “No. I’m nothing like my aunt. I’m a potions witch.”

  “But you were fighting.”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. I have something that can help you. But it’s at home, not here.”<
br />
  “You have something that will help her? Ibuprofen won’t cut it. Believe me, we’ve tried.” Fate sank down next to them.

  “I work with the coven. I treat their warriors on a regular basis. I don’t use Ibuprofen.” Luca frowned. Sitting right in front of Destiny, she finally had the chance to study him. He had light hair, and the massive blue eyes. But everything else, they both seemed to get from their mother — the high cheekbones, the fragile faces and straight noses.

  Until he smiled under her scrutiny. He had dimples.

  Alina didn’t have dimples.

  Fate and Destiny did.

  “Can you roll your tongue?” she blurted.

  He snorted. “No.”

  “Me either! Fate can. Mom can. I can’t.” She beamed at him.

  He swallowed rapidly, his Adam’s apple jerking against his throat.

  Maybe she should let him get used to the fact that he had daughters before she started asking him to compare traits.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, peeking at Fate guiltily to see what she thought.

  She was rolling her tongue.

  “Why don’t your potion witches take care of the wounded in the coven?” Alina asked, settling gingerly next to them. Her hands shook, and she hid them in her lap, but not before Destiny saw them. And Luca, too, she would bet.

  Luca’s frown returned, wrinkling his forehead. “You don’t know?”

  Alina raised one perfectly arched brow and didn’t answer.

  “Alina… There are no potions witches left. You three… you’re it.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  LUCA FOLLOWED THEM HOME. IN A 1958 Apache truck that he called Rust Bucket. Apparently, at one time, it had been a literal bucket of rust, but he’d fixed it up. A lot. Now it was a monstrous thing with huge tires and a lift and a shiny new paint job — metallic blue. It fit right in with Destiny and Hope’s trucks.

  Any hope of moving on with their lives, of everything returning to the way it was, well… it was over. If he knew where they lived, all the power was in his hands. He could walk away and shatter their hearts, or he could walk in and…