by Mary Ting
The headmistress considered her answer and glanced at the book in front of her. “Do you know why the book was cast away?”
“It’s been a while.” Awan smiled, her tone sounding a bit nervous for the first time.
“Let me refresh your memory. Your original witches, including you, tried to cast a spell in this house, intended to kill us all.”
Voices rumbled.
Headmistress raised her hand and the room quieted again. “I was not the headmistress then, but this outrage will never be forgotten. However, I believe in giving second chances. And it has been centuries since the witches went into hiding. It’s about time to start anew and open the gates to the new generation. Allow the witches TO membership, or not—place your vote now, councilors.”
The councilors looked at the touch-screens in front of their podiums and placed their votes.
“While we are waiting, I’d like to say we are taking baby steps, so we will be taking only one of you as a councilmember for now. After time passes, if all goes well, we will add more witches. You can always opt out after you serve your two-year term. Are we clear on this?”
“Yes,” the four witches said.
“Very well, before I appoint our new member, let’s talk about the second matter regarding Keira.”
Lotus moved forward, closer to the headmistress. “My lady, I beg you to release the Book of Enchantresses to the witches so they can help me save Keira’s mother.” Then Lotus told her everything that happened between Kelly and Liana.
The headmistress looked at me with a blank expression. Either she was really good at hiding her sympathy, or she was simply cold hearted.
“I can’t just unlock the book and allow witches the opportunity to keep it, not until time has shown them to be acting in good faith.” She paused. “However, I suppose since we are trying to start anew, we can slowly build trust. I can bind the book to one witch, only allowing one witch to open and use it. If you all agree, we can start with that.”
“Yes,” the witches agreed.
“Very well. I will designate the book to Balen.”
Awan’s curses weren’t loud enough to hear amid the shocked whispers coming from the council.
Balen blinked, his lips trembling a bit. “I think you meant to say Awan.”
The headmistress gave a hint of a smile. “I sense goodness in you, Balen. I think I can trust your good judgment. If not, you’ll face the consequences and I promise you many lifetimes in prison. Either you take the book or it’s lost forever.”
“Why me, Headmistress? I am not worthy of that book. I never wanted to retrieve it in the first place.”
“Precisely why I want you to be responsible for it.”
Awan smiled—a fake one at best. “Headmistress. Balen doesn’t want—”
The headmistress leaned forward, her face a mask of calm, but her stern voice told me she had lost her patience. “What Balen wants is none of your concern. This is between me and Balen. Are we clear on that?”
“Yes.” Awan backed away with a hidden scowl only I could see.
“Now, where were we?” Headmistress rubbed her temple. A few strands of her gold hair slipped out of her bun. “Yes. Balen, come.”
When the headmistress pointed at Balen, he floated two stories off the ground toward her. Balen remained stiff as a board, and not a sound escaped his mouth.
“Put your hand on the book,” the headmistress said. “And repeat after me. I, Balen, swear to protect this book and use it for the purpose of good.”
After he repeated, a ribbon of light wrapped around him and the headmistress, and then around the book. Then it was over, and Balen floated back to his place.
Awan gripped the fabric of her dress tightly and said nothing.
“Before we end the meeting, I would like to announce our last decision. We invite the four of you to have a seat in our council meetings; however, the only person allowed to speak is Balen. The meeting is adjourned. We are set for a meeting in three weeks.”
When the headmistress pounded the gavel, every one of the councilmembers disappeared. All was silent until …
“What is the meaning of this, Lotus?” When Awan realized her disrespectful tone, she lowered her voice. “I asked for Balen’s position. Balen doesn’t want to be part of TO.”
Lotus raised her chin, seemingly displeased. “It’s what they want. They don’t want an original in a seat. Can you blame them? Let’s get the facts straight.” Lotus stepped closer, her face in Awan’s. “Some witches are spreading a rumor they want others to hear that the council burned them because they were afraid the witches were becoming too powerful. But that’s not how it went. The originals—that includes you—tried to burn this place down with all the council members in it, a very long time ago. The council found out and made sure that plan backfired by shielding themselves. When the original witches lit up their fire, it was thrown right back at them. So who started the war? The council will not let history repeat itself. You’re lucky they even reconsidered. They are hoping the second generation will do better. And that is why Balen has been appointed. Just be grateful you even get to be inside this sacred place.”
Sweat beaded on Awan’s forehead. “Very well, Lotus. I will not deny it. But you have to understand, it wasn’t my plan to destroy the TO.”
“Then you should have warned Trinity Order. You would have been protected from your kind.”
Awan angled her head to the side, unable to meet Lotus’s eyes. “I know. Sometimes you think you’re making the right decision, only to find out it wasn’t. I regret it every day.”
“Let me tell you this. There are one hundred council members, and each has their own spies. They know everything before it happens. They knew you didn’t plan the massacre, so they allowed you to escape. Otherwise, you would have been hunted down. Now, no more talk of this. We have dire, important things at hand.”
Chapter 36
Saving Liana
Keira
Paymon looked familiar. After digging through my memories, I found out why. I had run into demons one night when I’d walked home alone, which was a stupid thing to do. A thing I vowed I would never do again.
I recalled seeing a demon with red hair. And he’d smiled at me instead of attacking me. Then I’d taken a wrong turn and more demons surrounded me. A figure had appeared wearing a red cape, glowing in the moonlight. It had been hard to see her face, but I never forgot her voice.
Liana had come to my rescue. She’d happened to be at the right place at the right time. I would have dealt with the demons on my own, but a part of me felt all mushy inside that perhaps my mother was looking after me from afar.
I had to shut out that thought. I didn’t have time for such daydreams.
When I arrived at NU, Ezekiel was speaking to Kelly, or at least trying to. Kelly ignored him with her back to the window. She only wanted to speak to Uriel or me.
I left the room to get Uriel.
Uriel and Jonah waited with an unconscious Liana. Ever the good soldiers, they had a cool, damp cloth over her forehead to help the fever.
“How is she?” I examined Liana from the threshold.
Jonah stood up to greet me, his blue eyes warm. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly quelled it by looking away. It unnerved me that my heart had a mind of its own when I was around him.
“She’s the same. How are you?” Uriel asked.
“I’ve been better.” I shrugged. “Lotus told me to tell you to bring Liana to Kelly’s cell. It’s time.”
Uriel cradled Liana in his arms and carried her out, and Jonah and I trailed behind. It felt so strange to be walking beside Jonah with butterflies swarming in my stomach. Like a stupid, love-sick teenager.
He didn’t say a word, but I felt his eyes on me.
Jonah opened the door for Uriel and we entered. Kelly turned to face us, and she beamed a smile at me.
“Keira, you’ve come. Your father and I had an amazing talk last night. I wish you had been here too
. It would have been wonderful.”
I ignored her and stood behind the monitors next to Ezekiel, who was receiving instructions from Balen.
“Kelly is happy and talkative when you’re around.” Ezekiel punched several keys and sat in his leather seat.
Glass walls, thick and heavy, slid down from the ceiling, blocking Kelly into a tighter space.
“What are you doing?” Her eyes darkened in rage. “If you kill me, you’ll never see your mother again.”
“Don’t worry, Kelly. We’re not going to kill you. Sweet dreams.”
“No.” She punched at the wall, harder with each strike.
A tiny crack appeared in the glass, but shortly after, she collapsed.
“Is she asleep?” Uriel asked.
Strange. He seemed concerned about the demon.
“Is it safe to enter?” Balen asked, holding the Book of Enchantresses to his chest.
“Yes. But hurry.” Ezekiel hit a button.
The cell door opened with a click. We rushed in.
Lotus and Paymon positioned Kelly and Liana side-by-side, and I lay in the middle as instructed by Balen.
“Keira, instead of doing what I did before, we’re going by the book. It’s an ancient book, and it knows far more than I do. You’ll have to thank Awan for insisting we find it. She did something right, even though it was for selfish reasons.” He shook his head and frowned. “The book says souls can only be merged through dreams channeled through the gatekeeper, and that is you. I’m going to connect the three of you through your dream. But be aware, the dream may shift and not become your own, but rather Liana’s or Kelly’s. You might experience some discomfort. Disorientation. And then your dream state becomes indistinguishable from reality. If this happens, you cannot stay there. You must find your way home. Do you understand?”
“If she cannot determine reality from a dream, will she be stuck there?” Lines deepened on Uriel’s forehead.
“Yes. It won’t be my doing. I have no control. I’m just warning her of the possibility.”
“Can I go in with her?” Uriel asked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Balen shook his head, and concern crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Too many people in her dreams might complicate things. If she dreams about you and then sees a second Uriel, she might get confused.”
Uriel stood before me. “You be careful. Don’t stray. Don’t let anything take you.”
“Okay.” I swallowed. I hadn’t been afraid before, but I was now. I hated the unknown.
“Here.” Uriel plucked a feather from his own wing and handed it to me. “If you can’t find home, let this take you back to me. I can track you in there as long as you have it with your physical body.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I shoved the feather inside my front jean pocket and bit my bottom lip, trying to contain my fear. “I’m ready.”
“Keira. Close your eyes.” Balen stood before me. “If you fall in, don’t let the fake life consume you. Don’t let it take you. You can’t want it.”
At first, I worried, but then Balen’s soothing voice put me in a hypnotic state. His words sounded like a lullaby. My body, a leaf, floated with the summer breeze. My mind became a blank canvas. Drifting … drifting into the void … to the unknown. Then—blinding light.
I sprinted through tall grass, and my dark hair billowed behind me like a cape.
A woman … my mother waited for me with her arms opened wide. Behind her was a cozy cabin in the woods.
She wrapped me in her arms and swung me around. “My sunshine.” She kissed my face and set me down. Strange, my head only reached her belly. I was no longer an adult Keira, but a little girl about five years old, wearing a long, white dress.
“Where’s Papa?” I asked.
“Go inside. Papa is waiting for you.”
I skipped toward the cabin. Bliss filled my heart as I went through our front door. “Papa. Papa, where are you?”
Heavy footsteps thumped closer. Through the door. I turned. Thick, strong arms picked me up and squeezed. He smelled of wood and leather. When he placed me down, I saw a familiar face.
Uriel. The same toned frame, brownish hair, and eyes as deep and blue as the ocean.
“Why did you call me?” He ruffled my hair.
“I-I-I don’t remember?”
This felt so weird. They saw me as a little girl, but I thought like an adult.
“Supper is ready.” Mother pranced like a happy bunny to the kitchen.
A whole roasted chicken, carrots, beans, and potatoes were already prepared. The three of us sat at the small wooden dining table, held hands, and prayed.
Home. This felt like home. Mama, Papa, me, and … a dog. A small dog, white and fluffy with the cutest face, waggled his tail and barked once as if in greeting.
“Hey, Angel.” I reached down and rubbed his head.
The three of us talked and laughed while we ate. After we finished our meal, it was time to clean up. As Papa and Mama took the dishes to the washbasin, I stared at them.
Papa had a strong, handsome face with stubble on his jawline. But Mama … sometimes she had a heart-shaped face and sometimes she didn’t. Her eyes changed from light brown to black. And sometimes her hair was auburn and then dark brown. Her voice changed too.
Why did Mama’s appearance shift as if two faces occupied it? Something felt strange. As if I didn’t belong here. And stranger still, not one but two faint lights glowed from her body. I rubbed my eyes, but they were still there. One golden and the other gray, almost black.
“We have a long day tomorrow. It’s time for bed.” Mama held my hand and took me to my bedroom. Angel followed us, wagging his tail.
I forgot my observations.
She changed me into a clean white dress and tucked me in bed. My small room consisted of my narrow bed, a wooden dresser, and a small table. On one side of the wall were painted fluffy white clouds. Beautiful. Serene. I felt as though my room floated among them.
Father entered and kissed my forehead. “Sweet dreams, sunshine.” He caressed my cheek and smiled.
Mother did the same.
My blissful heart thumped with love, and I wanted this forever. Mother, Father, Angel, and me. They left, and I snuggled into my pillow and fell asleep.
Peace filled me. I had no sense of time.
I was sure I had awakened and spent the morning doing … doing what?
I sprinted through the tall grass, my dark hair billowing behind me like a cape.
A woman … my mother waited for me with her arms opened wide. Behind her was a cozy cabin in the woods.
She wrapped me in her arms and swung me around. “My sunshine.” She kissed my face and set me down. I reached her belly. I was no longer an adult Keira, but a little girl about five years old.
“Where’s Papa?” I asked.
“Go inside. Papa is waiting for you.”
I skipped toward the cabin. Bliss filled my heart as I went through the open door. “Papa. Papa, where are you?”
Heavy footsteps thumped closer. Through the door. I turned. Big, strong arms picked me up and squeezed. He smelled of wood and leather. When he put me down, I saw a familiar face.
Uriel. This was Uriel. The same toned frame, his brownish hair, and eyes as deep and blue as the ocean.
“Why did you call me?” He ruffled my hair.
“I-I-I don’t remember?”
I felt like I had repeated the day, repeated the words.
We ate dinner, and I went to sleep after my parents tucked me in bed.
The next morning, I sprinted through the tall grass wearing the same white dress. I repeated the day, repeated the words.
Something was wrong, and I didn’t know how to stop it. All I could do was let my day run its course.
I had no sense of time and my day replicated like I was rewinding an episode on TV and playing it over and over again.
Tucked in my bed, I sat up, wondering why I was there.
I needed to get out of this loop. I held onto my purpose—the reason I was sent there, but as my day replicated, my memory became fuzzy.
Don’t let this fake life consume you. Don’t let it take you. You can’t want it. Balen’s warning held me like an anchor to the other side.
But I did want it. How could I pretend otherwise? My parents were here. We were all here, together. I was loved. We had a family, had a life together. It was what I’d always wanted.
Why not stay here? Why not be with them? A voice entered my mind.
No. Get out. Get out now. People are counting on me.
“Good girl. You’re all ready for bed.” Mother embraced me and stroked my hair. “You’re my little sunshine.”
Mother sang a song I didn’t recognize, but it calmed my anxiety and I forgot why I worried, why I was there. I yawned and relaxed. And I went to sleep.
Chapter 37
A Worried Father
Uriel
“How long does this take?” I paced in the small space, unable to take my eyes off Keira.
It had been only five minutes, but every second she wasn’t in the present drove me insane.
I had no idea what she faced on the other side. She could be hurt, or trapped, or even influenced to stay, unable to find home.
“I don’t know.” Balen narrowed his eyes at me. “I’ve never done this before.”
I must have asked the same question every minute.
“Relax, Uriel.” Lotus gave a reassuring smile. “Have faith in Keira. She’ll know what to do.”
Balen flipped through the pages of the book. “I’m trying to find a way to communicate with her.”
My pounding heart eased a bit. “Good. I’ll feel better if—”
Keira twitched … again … again. Her chest rose and fell too rapidly, and then she gulped for air.
I shoved my fingers through my hair. “What’s happening?”
Balen stopped reading his book, and Lotus placed a hand on Keira’s head.
I waited. If I blinked, I might miss something.
Liana and Kelly twitched in unison. Then Keira’s body glowed. From her center, a thin ribbon of light wrapped around Liana and Kelly.
