by Raven Steele
I whirled around and slapped my hand against the back window. “Boaz!”
He stood next to my grandfather, arms at his sides. The streetlamp above cast an eerie light upon him, stretching his shadow beyond what I thought it should be. He stared at me, unblinking, his face no different from a stone statue.
As the car drove off, I sucked in a breath when it appeared that his shadow detached from his body and followed after me. I must’ve imagined it, for when I looked back again, only the darkness of the night remained.
We were the only people on the road and had been for miles. A forest on each side of us pressed up against the pavement, never giving me a clear view of what lay beyond.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
Neither twin answered.
I sighed. “Come on, girls. We’re family. Can’t we at least be civil to each other?”
Still they didn’t speak.
“Fine,” I mumbled. I slumped against the cold leather seat and stared out the window. Occasionally, the vehicle’s headlights would flash against a green sign. I soon realized we were headed to Vermont, to my grandfather’s home.
I tried to endure the silence by thinking of Boaz. At first, I was angry he hadn’t tried to save me, but surely he had a good reason. He’d never let me down before, so why would he start now?
In front of me, the back of the twins’ white-haired heads hadn’t moved for the last two hours. It really annoyed me, their oddness, almost as if they weren’t mentally all there. It was like they each shared a brain between them. Despite the silence, I laughed.
Helen and Harriet turned around simultaneously and glared.
I nodded toward the road. “Watch where you’re going. I want to make it there alive so I can figure out what this is all about. Someone’s going to pay.”
They turned back around, wordlessly.
Because I hated to be ignored, I decided to goad them, having a pretty good idea what would make them talk.
“Your mother’s hardly powerful,” I said. “Did you know my father once crushed a giant tree with a single blast of air? All that remained was a circular wood disk, one inch thick. It was one of the most remarkable things I ever saw.”
Helen gripped the steering wheel, but still, neither responded.
I tried again. “Then another time, he completely changed his appearance for over three hours while he sat in on a meeting with the governor of New York. The entire meeting the governor thought my father was a high-up European diplomat and divulged some very valuable information. It was impressive, for sure.”
The hair on both girls’ heads ruffled while the temperature in the car seemed to rise. They were close to breaking.
“Most importantly,” I continued, “my father married my mother, the most powerful female witch of her time… until they gave birth to me.”
Slamming on the brakes, Helen swerved the car to the side of the road and stopped. The twins turned around.
“You are not powerful,” they said, each of their half brains working together.
I let my eyes burn bright, power coursing through me like a live wire. “How do you know?”
“Our mother said,” Helen said.
“Our grandfather said,” Harriet echoed.
“They lied,” I snapped back.
I clapped my hands together, and with a simple command from my mind, the windows shattered and blew into the night in tiny shards as small as snowflakes. Then, as if time had stopped, the shards of glass suspended in mid-air, floated for a few seconds, and then returned to the car doors, forming windows once again.
“This is grandfather’s car,” Helen said.
“We must not hurt it.”
“I will tear this car apart piece by piece unless you tell me what’s going on,” I said.
“It is for Grandfather to say.”
“We are forbidden to speak to you.”
I gasped, appalled by their child-like behavior. “How old are you two?”
“Twenty-two,” they said together.
So they weren’t much older than me. “Then how is it you can’t do what you want?”
“We are good daughters,” Helen said.
“Better than you,” Harriet added.
“So you keep saying. And because you think you are better than me, you want Boaz.”
The far-off, dreamy look returned to their faces.
“If you’re so much better than me, why aren’t you two with him now?” I asked.
“We haven’t proven ourselves yet.”
“It isn't the right time.”
“And who do you have to prove yourselves to?” I asked.
“Grandfather.”
I leaned forward. “Then do it. What does this have to do with me?”
“Grandfather will tell you,” Helen said. She faced forward and pulled the car onto the road.
“Yes, Grandfather will tell you,” repeated Harriet. She joined her sister.
Silence returned. I could’ve pressed the issue but realized these two were about as brainless as others who allowed themselves to be taken advantage of. They were followers. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the seat. I focused my anger, which still surged through me. I had a feeling I was going to need all the hate I could muster.
Eventually, a light sleep came, but when the car slowed, I forced my eyelids open. It was still dark. In front of the car, an enormous iron gate opened up. We drove down a long lane until we approached a mansion twice the size of Boaz’s. It loomed behind rows of skeletal trees.
As we approached, lampposts lit up a circular driveway, and at its center, two red lights shined up from the ground, lighting two statues of lions fighting each other. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, even after the car stopped. There was power in those two lions, frozen in combat.
“You must get out now, cousin,” Helen ordered.
“Don’t try to run,” Harriet warned.
“Why would I run? Someone will be held responsible for the treatment I’ve received tonight.”
They ignored me and exited the car. I followed behind, up stone steps and in through double wooden doors. I couldn’t see much of the inside of the home as all the lights were off, but I could hear our steps echo against stone floors, which told me the entryway must’ve been enormous.
The twins approached a cupboard along the wall and removed two candles. While holding them, the wicks ignited at the same time.
“Follow us,” Helen said.
“Not far,” added Harriet.
The twins pushed open a door that led us through a narrow hallway. The light from the candles made shadows twist and turn unnaturally upon the dark paneled walls. Was it a trick of the light or something magical causing the illusion in an attempt to frighten me?
I yawned loudly.
At the end of the hall, one of the twins opened a door. I still couldn’t tell them apart unless they were standing next to each other. Helen always stood on the right and Harriet on the left.
“This is your room,” Helen said.
Harriet motioned me forward. “It’s well-guarded tonight, so it’s useless to try and escape."
I stepped into the room, then turned to insult them, but the door had already closed and locked from the outside. I pounded on it with my fists twice before I stopped.
Get a hold of yourself. Stay in control.
The bedroom was bare except for a table and chair in the corner and a nightstand with a lamp on its top next to a single bed. The room had the same wood paneling as in the hallway. There were no pictures or decorations anywhere.
After waiting a few minutes, I tried to open the door by using magic, but as soon as I touched the doorknob, a jolt of electricity shocked my body, sending me to the ground. Angered, I jumped up and rushed the window opposite the door but again was shocked. The room had been fortified with magic. No wonder there weren't any decorations. The simpler the room, the better guarding spells worked.
The twins were right.
I wasn’t getting out.
Chapter 15
I peered out the window, frustrated. The dark sky glowed as the morning sun began to burn the night away. Surrounding the mansion, a pine forest and jagged mountains jutted sharply from the ground, trapping me as if in a cage. I leaned my forehead against the cool glass. On every exhale, my breath fogged the cold windowpane and then disappeared. What I wouldn’t give to be back with Boaz.
Just then, a shadow moved into my view from the left side of the house. It slid across the lawn, a dark mist, until it disappeared into the forest. A ghost perhaps? I’d encountered some while playing with the dead, a game Liane and William had taught me. Ghosts did nothing but tease my curiosity.
A few hours later, after lying in bed, my eyes snapped open to the creak of the bedroom door opening. I quickly sat up. A woman wearing a silk red robe entered the room in a grand gesture, her gown swaying back and forth. She looked eerily similar to me with long, blonde hair, an almond-shaped face, and small straight nose, but instead of green eyes, the woman’s were an Arctic blue. They reminded me of Hunwald’s single blue eye. In her hand, she carried a champagne glass filled with a red liquid.
“It’s a little early for a drink, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Not early enough.” The woman took a sip as she stared at me coolly. “So, you are my brother’s daughter.”
I stared back, mirroring the woman’s venom. “And you must be my father’s sister. Funny. I never knew he had a sister.”
Her eyebrows rose. “And I never knew he had a witch for a daughter. We assumed you were average.”
I moved to the edge of the bed. The slit in my dress opened, exposing my naked long legs, which I crossed. “Hardly. Average is what my twin escorts were last night.”
The woman’s lips tightened, as did the grip on her glass. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but after a deep breath, she said, “We could insult each other all day long, and as much fun as that sounds, I have a headache. I’d rather we get this conversation over with as civilly as possible so I can go back to bed.”
“You are my aunt, yet I don’t even know your name. You have kidnapped me to who knows where, and you expect me to be civil?”
“Very well. If you require formalities, then my name is Anne Swithin. I am your father’s older sister, and we live in northern Vermont. Your grandfather’s name is Erik Segur the Second. His wife’s name was Gertrude. She died ten years ago. Now can we talk?”
“Why am I here?”
She strolled toward the window. Her long robe stirred the dust in the air, spinning and twirling it in the morning light spilling in from the window. “There is a matter of an inheritance that needs to be resolved.”
“An inheritance? What does this have to do with me?”
Anne turned to me. “Absolutely nothing until this year. You were supposed to be an Adept, a slow learning witch who could barely light a candle. At least that’s what Erik told us, but according to Boaz, you’re at least a Master, possibly bordering at Legend level.”
“Boaz?”
Anne smiled as if she were keeping a great secret. She drank a long sip before saying, “Personally, I think my brother knew all along of your talent and waited until the last minute to let our father know.” She paused briefly. “His little way of getting back at me.”
“My father tried to kill me for believing I was an Adept.” One day I’d confront him and my mother for sending all those diablos after me. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“Until dear old Daddy decides who is more powerful—my twin daughters or you. All his fortune will then be given to the winner’s parents and eventually passed on to their children." She grunted. "I think it’s a waste of time. My girls are more powerful than I could ever have dreamed.”
I came to my feet. “I don’t care about any stupid inheritance. Keep it. I want nothing to do with the Segur fortune.”
Anne shook her head. “You are such a disappointing child.”
I laughed, harder than I expected. “You think I care? Erik and Sable were horrible parents who should never have had a child.”
It was Anne’s turn to laugh. “This is not about raising children. It’s about raising power. And whoever has the most will get the money.” She tipped the glass to her lips and swallowed the last of the wine. “I need another drink.” She moved toward the door.
“When can I leave this room?”
Anne stopped and looked around as if seeing it for the first time. “Anytime you’d like, now.”
“I can go outside?”
Anne shrugged. “Be my guest. You’ll be stopped when you’ve gone too far.” She exited the room, leaving the door open behind her.
I took a step toward it hesitantly. Could I really just leave? When Anne didn’t return, I peered out the door and down the hallway. Voices echoed in the distance. I moved quietly, pressing myself against the wall to avoid squeaky floorboards.
Up ahead, the hall opened into a living area. I stuck my head out. The room was massive with high ceilings. Old-looking wooden beams crossed overhead, and more dark wood trimmed the rest of the room. On the far wall, a huge fireplace was encased in stone from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Sitting areas were scattered throughout the room, positioned just right for entertaining.
The twins were sitting in the middle of the floor. They each sat in the same position, opposite each other: crossed legs, elbows on knees, books in hand. They were reading aloud, their voices in perfect unison with each other. By their words, it was some kind of history book.
The foyer we’d come through last night was just past them, but the only way to get there was to go into the open.
So be it. Anne said I could go outside.
“Hello, cousins,” I greeted, moving into the room.
They stopped reading at the exact same moment and looked up at me with blank expressions.
“Don’t stop reading on my account. Please, go on. It sounded like a best-seller.”
Neither of them said a word. They simply stared as if they’d never seen me before.
I waved my hand. “Hello? Remember me?”
Simultaneously, they returned to their books and began to read again.
“I guess not,” I mumbled. I walked toward the exit and, after realizing no one was going to stop me, opened the front door and walked out.
I walked, half-ran, from the house, afraid to turn around for fear of being stopped. The ground was cold and wet, winter stubbornly clinging to it. Luckily, I still had my coat with me. I wrapped it tighter around my chest and kept moving until I reached the shade of the trees.
Once hidden, I let out a breath and smiled. Freedom. Now all I had to do was find the road we came in on last night. I hurried, making my way through the forest, but it was difficult with high heels. When did nature become so annoying?
I took a few more steps forward when all of a sudden I smashed into something, but there was nothing visible in front of me. Just sort of a pressure, similar to when the twins had created an invisible barrier. With arms outstretched, I touched the transparent wall that blocked my escape. For some time, I followed the length of the barrier — it circled through the woods, the house at its center.
Panic flooded my veins, my organs, my mind. Now I understood what Anne had meant when she said I would be stopped. She had cast a spell similar to the one my parents had used when I lived at home. This made me angry, and I growled low. No one was going to imprison me again.
I placed my hands against the invisible wall. My palm hummed from the force of the electric current it contained. It felt strong but not strong enough. Given enough concentration and time, I could break it.
I closed my eyes and let the familiar dark magic take over. Light dimmed, and the colors in the forest dulled. The smell of magic filled my nose, but it was no longer repugnant. In fact, I preferred it to any other smell. Why hadn’t I used more magic growing up? It was amazing!
With my hands upon the wall, magi
c warming my palms, I became aware of a sudden stillness in the forest. Birds no longer chirped, animals no longer scurried, and the wind ceased to blow. I continued to concentrate despite my growing unease. I wasn’t alone, and whatever was in the woods with me wasn’t human.
When the pressure in the air changed, I dropped my hands and turned around. I peered into the trees, squinting, but saw nothing. I waited a moment longer before I returned to the task at hand but stopped again when something moved out of the corner of my eye.
Floating directly to my left was the black fog I’d seen the night before. It was my height but wide, the length of two of my arms. The mist never kept one shape, as it was constantly shifting and moving. But I didn’t care about its strange form; it was the dark power emanating from it that fascinated me.
The fog moved toward me, and I felt the shapeless shadow’s power grow proportionately stronger, the nearer it drew. The thick smoke parted and circled around me, rising in stature. Ever so slowly, as if not to frighten me, it crept up my body until it had entirely consumed me. I inhaled deeply, enjoying what felt like warm wine going down my throat. It was intoxicating, powerful, and… familiar.
“Boaz,” I whispered.
Immediately, the black fog retreated and crossed the invisible barrier to the other side. I couldn’t help but smile as the smoke took shape into the man I craved. Boaz stood across from me, grinning back.
“How are you doing, love?” he asked.
“Better, now that you’re here.” I smoothed back my tangled hair. “So, you can turn into smoke.”
“Only when I need to, but if I cross this barrier as myself, those inside the house will be alerted.” He looked me up and down and frowned. “You haven’t changed your clothes. Are they not taking care of you?”
I laughed. “Is that what you’re worried about? I couldn’t care less about my clothing. I just want to get out of here.”
“Eve, listen to me. You must treat this place as if you are their queen. Do not allow them to treat you any less. Do you understand?”
“Last time I checked, I’m their prisoner. I highly doubt they’re going to give me what I want.”
