Devlin's Descendant

by Felicia Tatum

  “Ok, Grandma,” I sighed. “I’m going to run upstairs and shower, then finish packing. Just put a plate on the stove for me.”

  They nodded, each distracted with their own thoughts about what was happening today. I hurried up the stairs, lost in my thoughts. The next few days were going to be hard, hell, the next few months were going to be hard. It seemed more and more went wrong when it came to us.

  Grandma was certain Abana would show up when we got to Montana and lead the way. Livvie hadn’t seen her since the day she showed her the image of Aiden and me. It worried me, a lot, a sinking feeling in my gut. We were going into this blind. Livvie and I wished to bask in every stolen moment we had, never knowing when the end might be…but we were running against a deadline. No matter what happened now, it would all end April 1st of next year.

  Sadie was barely sixteen. Still a baby in my eyes…and we were subjecting her to this danger. The council could take us all, strip us of our powers or worse. They weren’t going to like that Livvie’s binding didn’t work. In the thousands of years they’ve been binding, there’s not one story of someone not staying that way. It was scary, to think of how powerful Livvie really was. One question still lingered on my mind, though…why didn’t Kyle lose his binding?

  Aiden…any second now, The Crimson Calamitous could show up and make him his vessel again. The thought sickened me. My own flesh and blood was out there somewhere, armed with Livvie’s essence, and ready to destroy us all. No sense of family obligation, no morality. Sadie’s birthday party had been a test, and a hard one it was. She was the only one that didn’t give him the benefit of the doubt, the only one that attacked immediately when she was needed. My heart beat intensely at fighting, harming, or worse, my brother…but I knew it would come down to it.

  I still worried about this revelation only Grandma and Mark seem to know about. Something was going to be revealed, some sort of information that would hurt my love. It pained me to think about, to know Grandma knew and couldn’t warn us, or tell us herself. It wasn’t her. Something, or someone, was stopping her from telling us. She always prepared me for anything that was bad. I knew she would do the same for Livvie.

  I threw the rest of my clothing; shorts, shirts, and boxers into the overnight bag. I tossed in my toothbrush and a comb, leaving it open in case I remembered anything while in the shower. The journey would be difficult, and possibly long, but at least I would have my Livvie with me. Anything was possible when she was by my side.

  Olivia

  The aroma of the Italian bread filled my nose, the spices tingling and tickling my senses, told me it was finished cooking, finally. I’d topped it with a light layer of cheese after the first few minutes in the oven, hoping for a cheese side to our pasta. Scott showered while we ate. I knew he was stressed, concerned about the journey we were making, so I gave him his time.

  Sabrina, Spencer, Anna, and Santos all joined us at the table. I helped Sadie fill each plate, placing the cut up bread in two baskets to go at each end of the table. We all laughed and talked, but there was a different feel to the air. We all put on our happy expressions, but the stress lines appeared on everyone’s faces. Aiden didn’t smile, Sadie did, but her brows were forever creased. Santos, who I didn’t know all that well, kept fidgeting with everything around him. It didn’t seem like a normal activity, so I assumed it was from worry. Anna was quiet. Too quiet. I wanted to know what she did. Juniper hadn’t found out anything, but swore she was still trying. It wouldn’t matter, though, because I would find out for myself in just a few days.

  Assuming Abana showed up, that is.

  Our whole journey depended on if a deer showed up to guide me or not. I trusted my mother, and I knew the majestic animal always showed when I desperately needed her, but to depend on that? It made me nervous. What if we were wrong? What if this wasn’t what we needed to do and she didn’t show? We would never find the council. Their location was still unknown.

  So everyone says.

  Some part of this, I didn’t know if it was large or small, was off. It didn’t feel right. It felt like things were being kept from us. I knew this was our journey, but if there was information we needed to know, I would hope those who loved us would tell us and not let us walk in blindly.

  Anna said she couldn’t, but I wondered if she wouldn’t. Yes, we were almost adults, at least not children, so we needed to do things on our own, but I was unsettled.

  A feeling I didn’t like.

  So I sat through the meal, desperately wishing Scott were by my side to hold my hand. Watching everyone, I knew we all shared the same sense of dread, the gloomy feeling in our veins. I scarfed down my food, starving from training with Sadie all morning. I wasn’t confident in my powers, not in the least, but I was in knowing Sadie was a wonderful sorceress. She worked on pure instinct, a wonderful trainer, and a great friend. I knew she would keep me safe, keep us all safe. I may be walking into a disaster, but at least some of the greatest people I knew were going with me. Juniper was the only person left out, but she wasn’t needed for this fight. She would be needed for the next. She had her revenge planned for The Crimson Calamitous.

  Sadie

  I knew the seating arrangement would be awkward, but hearing Scott tell us how long this trip would take…I was dreading it. Being stuck in the backseat with Aiden for any amount of time would be too much for me to handle, but thirty hours? Thank Goodness he was driving first. Maybe I could get control of my emotions.

  Liv managed to focus and get our luggage in the metal trunk Scott kept in his truck bed without lifting a finger. The boys, of course, had minimal things, only one bag each, while we each had three. Girls liked stuff, and required a lot of it, but they mocked us nonetheless.

  The Sade necklace Aiden gave me was lying against my chest, falling right above my heart. It wasn’t heavy, but it felt like it weighed a ton after I put it on. The cool metal warmed instantly, reminding me over and over it was there. He hadn’t seen it yet, and I prayed he didn’t make a scene when he did.

  We hugged my parents, Grandma, and Santos before we all fought over who was sitting were. Scott was granted shotgun positioning; only because he had to keep an eye on Aiden’s driving. Liv and I settled in the back, sharing my iPod to hopefully drown out the bickering that would soon follow. Scott and Aiden were cooperating recently, though Santos did reveal a few shots at Aiden that were less than friendly in training, but they weren’t bickering. No jealousy, no macho-man attitudes for who was better.

  It was weird.

  It showed how desperately hopeless our situation was. For them to get along, things must be bad. We waved goodbye, glancing back to four anxious and grim faces. I leaned over, huddling closer to Olivia. “They could have at least put on a fake smile,” I whispered with a nod in their direction.

  They all stood on the front porch, Grandma at the bottom of the steps with her hand over her heart, and the rest of them with a timid hand raised to wave. They didn’t smile, in fact, my mother cried. Santos kept shaking his head, while Dad looked stern, frozen. He was worried. As long as I could remember, my Dad was lively, happy, and always smiling. He liked to tease and joke around, but it was all in good humor. The sinking in my gut dipped a bit lower at the same time Aiden jerked the truck in reverse.

  “Ugh,” I groaned, clutching my stomach to stop the rolling it was doing. I’d never been one to get carsick, but things were not looking pretty at this point.

  “Sadie,” Olivia exclaimed, leaning to see my face. “Are you ok?”

  “I feel sick,” I moaned, breathing deeply. Oxygen, I needed oxygen. I breathed deeply, inhaling the air around me, but I needed more. I fumbled with trying to push the window button, concentrating on not losing my lunch, when Aiden gently did it for me. I stuck my neck out, gasping for the fresher air, and instantly felt better. I let it expand in my lungs, calming me as it settled my uneasiness. Aiden was still driving down the street, so how he knew I needed the window down, I wasn’t su
re.

  “You need to sit up here,” Scott called. He turned to peer at us between the two seats.

  “No, I’m feeling a little better,” I said. The moaning and groaning coming from my throat was a little contradictory.

  He shook his head, mumbled something under his breath, and I was in the front seat. Should have known he wouldn’t listen to me.

  Aiden

  She smelled like vanilla icing. I wasn’t one to go crazy over cake, but one whiff of Sadie and I was ready to devour her. The smell attacked me, tingling my nose and settling in my stomach. I must be getting used to having these people around, because Scott magically switching their seats didn’t even faze me.

  The thought terrified me.

  This was my new normal, a regular day for me. Evil sorcerers? Check. Evil twins? Another check. Beautiful girls and jealous boyfriends? Yet, another check. I ran my hand down the length of my face, groaning slightly.

  “Keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel!” Sadie exclaimed beside me, still holding her stomach gently.

  I snapped at her, “I’m fine. I didn’t even waver, chill out.”

  She leaned back, head sinking into the seat and groaned. “Scott, move me back.”

  “No,” he called. “You aren’t puking in my truck.”

  “I don’t get carsick. It was a fluke,” she replied.

  “Hey, fluke and puke rhyme,” I cracked, grinning at her.

  “Mature,” she snarled. She was edgier than usual…she seemed nervous. Her left hand furiously picked and pulled at her nails on the right. Did I make her nervous?

  “I’m a guy, Sade,” I chuckled.

  She gave me a sidelong glance and that’s when I saw it. The necklace I had Mark make for her dangled from her neck, shimmering in the sunlight. I didn’t have money, obviously, and hadn’t become an amazing jeweler while being a vessel. I knew her family would be suspicious, or tell her, so I went to Mark. He managed to create it in seconds, and it was perfect. I knew it would look amazing on her, but seeing it around her delicate skin made my heart stop, my breath hitch. The way she acted the other day, and then the confrontation with her brother, led me to believe she didn’t want it and wouldn’t accept it.

  I was overjoyed she did. “Hey, nice necklace,” I hissed, winking at her. Whatever this dance was we were doing was supposed to stay private, and I suspected Scott wasn’t in on the awkwardness of our relationship.

  She blushed, a slow red creep starting at her neck and crawling up to her cheeks. Little round dots that made me want to run off the road and finally feel her lips pressed to mine. “Thanks,” she mumbled, eyeing me cautiously.

  I heard Liv giggle in the back. I rolled my eyes at Sadie, not even bothering to look in the mirror to see what they were doing. I doubted I wanted to know. I drove on, stealing glimpses of Sadie, sometimes catching her doing the same. We didn’t speak, sitting in our uncomfortable, yet, relaxing silence. The backseat was full of giggles and who knows what else, but I pushed it from my mind. Sadie was inches from me, no longer clinging to the door, and wearing the necklace I gave her for her birthday.

  Scott

  The hours dragged on, the conversations falling short. Livvie rested on my shoulder, her soft locks falling all around me, the sweet smell of strawberries filling my nostrils. Sadie and Aiden were unceremoniously quiet for most of the drive, raising my suspicions a few notches. My sister was a reserved person some of the time, but she was acting downright weird when it came to Aiden. Livvie’s words kept trickling into my mind. I knew she’d been right, but it was still more than I could handle, thinking about my baby sister liking a boy.

  We travelled along. I imagined we were somewhere in Missouri, or maybe the outskirts of Nebraska. The scenery was beautiful, each state bringing a new natural beauty for us to behold. I was beginning to like Grandma’s suggestion of driving more and more.

  We stopped at a gas station right off the highway. I nudged Livvie, only gaining a sleepy moan in response. Shifting her body, I pressed my lips to hers, caressing her awake. The moaning changed, to a more appreciative sound, and I heard my sister gagging in the front seat seconds before throwing her door open and jumping from the truck. Aiden was a few steps behind her. I continued to ravish Livvie’s puckered lips, knowing the instant she woke because she wrapped her arms around my neck, sinking her nails into my sensitive skin.

  “Scott,” she muttered against my lips, her breath hot on my face.

  I kissed her harder, longer, our bodies melting together. A pounding at the window caused us both to jump. Livvie attempted to hide a smirk as she snickered, but it was no use. I noticed everything about her. I turned, seeing Aiden pointing the gas pump and shrugging, and Sadie scowling at our make-out session. I opened the door, lifting my love’s light body down from the large seat. “How did you get down so easily, Sadie?” I questioned. She usually needed help.

  “I didn’t want to throw up in your truck, Scottie. I jumped,” she said sarcastically, batting her long lashes at me.

  Shaking my head, I pulled my wallet from my back pocket and inserted my card into the pump. “Get over it, little sister. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of puke worthy moments soon,” I teased. I raised my eyebrows a few times, darting my eyes from her to Aiden, who was carefully setting the pump up now that it had my card info.

  Her cheeks reddened, her lips grew tight. She sighed heavily, brushing her hair over her shoulder and turning abruptly. “Olivia, want to go in and take a restroom break and get snacks?” she asked. Her body was tense, her tone hostile.

  I’d definitely pissed her off. She didn’t think that I knew about her crush.

  Livvie appeared confused, glancing at me and giving my hand a squeeze before stepping to her side. “Sure,” she smiled. Turning, she said, “We’ll meet you inside, boys.”

  I watched her go, missing her instantly, but I stayed where I was. It was time for a little one on one with Aiden. “So…”

  He glanced from the pump to me, “Yeah?”

  “You got something going on with my sister?” I figured bluntness was the best way to approach this.

  His mouth fell open, then shut. He was at a loss for words.

  “It seems you two are acting strange around each other. I want to say…you were after my girlfriend not too long ago, and while I’d much rather you want my sister, I’m still not sure I’m ok with it. I don’t know that much about you, Aiden, but we’ve had a rough start. I would really like it if you took your time with Sadie, let us all get to know you. She’s barely sixteen.”

  He nodded, clicking the gas pump of f and hanging it up. “Your sister is beautiful,” he started.

  “I know. I know guys like to look at her, but she’s never noticed any of that before. She’s never been interested in any guys…but she’s acting strange, and I have a bad feeling it’s cause of you.”

  His eyes lit up a little, like what I said made him happy. “Scott, I know we’ve had a rough start. I wouldn’t hurt her. She doesn’t want me, though, so you don’t have to worry. She avoids me at every corner. I told you that kissing Liv was a mistake and I meant it.”

  I wanted to believe him. Sure, my jealousy raged when I found out, but something was sincere about his words, his actions. “Don’t break her heart,” I commanded.

  “She wouldn’t let me if I tried,” he mocked, holding his head over his heart. “She’ll break mine, if anything.”

  I grunted, jogging across the parking lot to join the girls in the store. They were by the drink coolers, whispering and giggling. Their friendship grew fast, something I wasn’t completely expecting, but so grateful for. Girls were known for being catty, some loving drama, and I always worried someday when I found my heart mate, my sister and she wouldn’t get along. Watching them now, I knew my worries were for nothing. My family loved Livvie….well, most of my family, that is. “Ladies,” I grinned, draping an arm around both of their shoulders.

  Sadie glared at me, the anger fro
m earlier evidently not gone. “We need to talk,” she hissed.

  Livvie’s eyes popped, her mouth fell. Sadie was pissed and I was about to get an earful.

  Olivia

  I slunk back, not wanting to be in the middle of the siblings fussing. Sadie’s nostrils flared, her face growing pink as she fought to bite her words. I wasn’t sure what happened between them, but she was definitely angry.

  “What was that all about?” she snapped, hands atop her hips, toe tapping. She was the epitome of a mad woman.

  I almost felt sorry for Scott. Almost.

  “What did I do, Sadie?” he grumbled, shrugging his shoulders and hands.

  “You know what you did, come on, Scott. What was that? There’s nothing going on, why would you do that?” she screeched. Her voice was loud and causing a scene, a few customers glanced our way as they perused the aisles.

  “Livvie told me that…” he started, but stopped his words the instant he saw my face.

  “Don’t bring me in to this,” I snapped, stepping closer. I lowered my voice so only they could hear. “Sadie, I didn’t tell him anything. I simply stated I observed you two and thought there might be an attraction.” I emphasized my words, hoping she got the hint that I hadn’t told him anything she told me in confidence.

  She raised her brow, giving me a slight nod before redirecting her attention to her brother. “It doesn’t matter what Liv told you, I haven’t told you anything. So why would you do that? I haven’t said I liked Aiden, and you’re out there making suggestive gestures between us!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat.

  Shocked, I gasped. “Scott? Suggestive gestures??” I questioned.

  He sighed, running his long fingers through the length of his hair. “I raised my eyebrows, Livive. It’s hardly a suggestive gesture,” he said, using finger quotes.