Chapter 33
Just like in Selena’s and Xavier’s dream, the translucent, rainbow colored piece radiated beauty and eclectic energy. Next to Lucretia, Xavier and Selena stood speechless and without movement.
“Is this what you were looking for?” Lucretia asked as if she already knew the answer.
“Yes,” Selena responded simply.
“Can you tell me what this strange key of yours was doing in my watermelon patch, stuck to my Saguaro as if it grew out of it?”
“We can’t tell you,” Xavier stated.
“Can’t or won’t?” asked Lucretia.
“I’m sorry,” Selena expressed. “We can’t tell you because it’s a secret Xavier and I are bound to.”
“Bound to?”
“Yes,” Xavier answered.
“And it’s very important that you and Selena get this key?” asked Lucretia.
“Yes, very important,” Xavier assured.
“Very, very important,” Selena affirmed.
“Take it then,” Lucretia said, handing them the Key of Hearts.
Xavier carefully took it. “Thanks, Aunt Lucretia. Thanks for understanding.”
“You’re welcome.”
“We really wish we could tell you but we can’t,” Selena declared with regret in her voice.
She smiled. “Don’t worry, kids. I know there is much more to this world than meets the eye. Much more. Count on me if you ever need my help.”
“We found it Xavier! We found the Key of Hearts,” Selena gushed as they drove back to Trans Mountain. Next to her, she could sense Xavier’s excited heart beat in tune with her own.
“No thanks to me who missed the clues,” he solemnly said as his dark eyes swept over her.
“Xavier, we did this together and that is all there is to it.”
“Don’t worry, Selena,” he stated. “It doesn’t bother me that you’re smarter than me. In fact, I’m more attracted to you than ever.”
Selena chuckled lightly. “You are?”
“Yes, for sure,” he said, kissing her cheek lightly. His unexpected touch pushed sharp bumps out of her skin and made her brain hazy like a person with the flu.
Selena tried to regain her senses. “Stop that or we’re going to have an accident.”
He gave Selena a final peck and tore himself away. “Okay, okay.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said grudgingly.
“You’ll be thankful when we find the Tree of Birth. It’s hard to concentrate with you smooching me.”
“I hope we can find it fast,” he stated.
“Grandmother Chela told me the general direction of the Tree of Birth. We’ll find it one way or another.”
When Selena finally halted the truck, they quickly stepped out of it. Anxious to get the key where it was supposed to go and finish with their quest, Xavier followed Selena. As they passed the usual tourist sights, they distanced themselves from the road. All seemed to be going well until she abruptly stopped in her tracks. Not being able to decide on a pathway, she frantically looked in every direction while Xavier patiently waited.
“I have no idea where we are,” she mumbled. “I guess I didn’t take Grandmother Chela’s directions very well.”
“Don’t worry, Selena,” Xavier said soothingly. “We’ll find the tree.”
A humming sound vibrated through the air, more like a sweet melody than a broken appliance. Selena’s and Xavier’s eyes swiftly shifted to it with curiosity, alarm, and fascination all mixed together. A green, red striped hummingbird glided by them.
“Barbra!” exclaimed Selena. “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you’re here?”
“I think she wants us to follow her,” Xavier stated.
“Let’s go.”
They diligently made their way behind Barbra who patiently waited for them to catch up to her. As they hiked, passing many beautiful sights, Selena and Xavier took little notice of their surroundings as their focus laid fully on finding the tree. Suddenly reaching an immense Weeping Willow, they gazed at it dumbfounded. Having dreamt it didn’t ease the shock of seeing it in person. The huge branches nearly reached the ground in a shower of bright multi-shaded green leaves. The gray-brown trunk seemed to be twice Xavier's size and surrounding it on the sandy ground were desert wildflowers creating a colorful palette of translucent purples, brilliant reds, and gleaming yellows.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she sighed, exhaling a prolonged breath. “Our dream didn’t do it justice.”
“No, it didn’t,” stated Xavier, his dark eyes firmly glued on the tree.
Barbra hummed in their ears as if proud to show it to them. Selena forced her eyesight away from the tree and smiled gratefully at the hummingbird.
“Thanks, Barbra,” Selena called out to her as the bird flew away.
“Thanks a lot,” Xavier expressed.
Selena and Xavier returned to admiring the Weeping Willow in complete awe of its majestic splendor.
Selena finally found her words. “Xavier, do you see a keyhole?”
“No, but maybe it’s hidden.”
Searching with frenzy, they started looking but could find nothing that remotely looked like a key could fit into it.
“Hi!” yelled a voice.
When Selena and Xavier looked behind them, their surprise couldn’t have been more palpable. Of all the places to run into somebody, this had to be the oddest. Selena’s defenses immediately went up.
“Hi,” Steve Harmon said nearing them.
“What are you doing here?” asked Xavier, suspiciously.
“I’m meeting Asher, Cherise and Sebastian at the picnic tables.”
“He’s already out of the hospital?” asked Xavier.
“Sebastian got out today. I told him it was too soon for him to be out, but he said he needed to get something from Tans Mountain. ”
“Did he?” asked Selena, deep suspicion coloring her words.
“That’s what he said. We planned on a quiet picnic. Hopefully Cherise and Sebastian will get together again. I think she’s lost all hope of being with you, Xavier. Sorry for bringing this up, Selena.”
“That’s okay, Steve.”
“I don’t know why she was so into you, Xavier, when you can’t stand her.”
“Hopefully she’s out of my hair,” Xavier expressed.
“I saw you while I was waiting for them, and I followed you. I hope you don’t mind. Finding you here was a stroke of luck.”
“Stroke of luck?” Selena asked.
“I wanted to apologize for Asher.”
“You do?” asked Selena.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you. I really feel bad about what’s been happening with Asher and Cherise. They’ve been very mean to you, Selena, and that thing with the kiss was unforgivable.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” said Xavier.
“No, but Asher’s my girlfriend and Cherise is her best friend. I feel involved in their tricks.”
“Don’t worry about it,” stated Xavier. “They can’t break up Selena and me.”
“You don’t know how happy I am for you and how glad that I bumped into you here,” he said, suddenly noticing the Weeping Willow. “What a tree.”
“It’s amazing, right?” Selena agreed.
Sebastian eyed the key in Xavier’s hand. “What’s that?”
“Just a decorative key,” Xavier quickly stated.
“Can I see it?” he asked nearing, them.
“No!” yelled Selena. “Keep it away from him, Xavier.”
Steve stopped moving as soon as he saw Xavier put the key in his back pocket. Even when not all of it fit, at least a large portion of it was in.
“What’s wrong, Selena?” Steve asked. “I just want to take a quick look at it.”
“You’re a greedy gifted!”
“A what?”
“A greedy gifted.�
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“What’s that?” Steve asked.
“You know what it is,” Selena insisted.
“No, I don’t.”
“Of course you do,” Selena stated.
“What’s wrong with you, Selena? Is this some sort of a game,” he asked angrily. “I thought we were friends and now you’re accusing me of being I don’t know what.”
“If she says you’re a greedy gifted then that’s what you are,” Xavier retorted.
“I don’t know why I hadn’t figured this out sooner. You act all nice and everything, but you’re really the one causing all the problems, aren’t you, Steve?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re the power behind the It Club. You’re behind the scenes, making all that mess explode without anyone knowing you’re the one influencing them. You put Saul in the football team causing many problems, you sneakily guide Asher and Cherise, you pulled the Its together, you—“
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about, Selena,” Steve insisted.
“Sure you do,” stated Xavier, glaring at Steve.
“What better way to manipulate things when no one sees you coming. You act like a good guy, but you’re really controlling people like puppets.”
“I’m not—“
“You might as well admit it, Steve. We know who you are,” affirmed Xavier.
“But—“
“We know,” Selena insisted.
Steve crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, you found me out. I guess there’s no use hiding who I am from you,” he chuckled darkly.
“No use at all,” stated Xavier, his eyebrows knit together in a disgusted stance.
“That was pretty smart, Selena.”
“Yes, she’s smart,” declared Xavier.
“How did you know we had the Key of Hearts?” Xavier asked dryly.
“I’ve been spying on you for a long time just in case it chose you. It’s easy to tell the loser psychics with your soft hearts and when I started shaking things up at school, I knew a loser psychic would stop students from getting hurt,” guffawed Steve. “It didn’t take a lot to figure out your powers, Xavier.”
“You made the mega-uglies get even uglier,” Selena snapped.
“Not only that,” Steve proclaimed proudly. “I shifted things around.”
“The bookcase!” exclaimed Xavier. “That was you!”
“It worked,” Steve announced arrogantly. “You stopped it from squishing silly Moonflower into a pancake.”
“Moonflower?”
Steve rolled his eyes. “Selena, That friend of yours is the worst type of an idiot. I’m only sorry I didn’t mess her up more,” he grumbled.
“Hey—“
“Don’t get all defensive, Selena,” stated Steve. “Just be happy that you’re not anything like her. But you are a loser psychic—why don’t the both of you join us? Be with the psychic winners instead of having to take care of losers.”
“We’d never join the greedy gifted,” snapped Selena.
“We don’t steal or mess people up with our abilities,” growled Xavier with ice in his voice.
“Don’t you get it?” Steve smirked. “How can you be so naive? It’s the strong that have it all. You have to take what you want. Take it!”
“If everyone just took what they wanted then what kind of a world would we live in?” Selena grumbled.
“You won’t be able to take whatever you want,” declared Xavier. “You won’t take the Key of Hearts.”
“I’ll get it,” he insisted, his voice steel. “You won’t be able to stop me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of myself,” Selena snapped.
“Oh, how sweet. You’re defending your little boyfriend but his untrained, sloppy energy can’t beat my perfected powers.”
“I stopped you from smashing that bookcase on Moonflower, didn’t I?” Xavier disputed with acid on his tongue.
“You had help,” grumbled Steve.
“What?”
“Never mind. Just know that you can’t win!”
“We’ll see about that,” snapped Xavier.
“You can’t win, Xavier,” Steve insisted, chortling. “Just so you know, I was lying about Asher, Cherise, and Sebastian being here. I'm free to do what I want with you. I'll get the key one way or another! I just can’t believe my luck.”
“Your luck?” asked Selena.
“We never thought the key would come to you. I thought I was on a fool’s errand in that stupid high school, but you’ve got the key in your hands and soon I will have it. I’ll be the hero!”
“You’re not getting it,” declared Xavier.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m getting tired of these games,” Steve retorted. “You’d better give me the Key of Hearts if you know what’s good for you.”
“No,” stated Xavier.
“Hand it to me or else. . .” Steve menaced.
“You and what army?” asked Xavier, his voice as menacing as Steve’s.
“I haven’t shown you all that I can do but believe me, you don’t want to fight me. If you give me the key, no one will get hurt,” Steve growled.
“He’s not handing you the key,” Selena stated.
“Okay, it’s your funeral,” he said as he glared at a huge gray boulder on the mountain. It started crashing down at the fast speed of a rocket. Xavier calmly gazed at it, breaking it into thousands of pebbles that continued harmlessly rolling down.
Steve grinned. “Not bad, novice, but that’s amateur stuff.”
Steve flung his arms out and a thick blanket of dust quickly started pushing itself off the ground. Selena choked harshly until Xavier pointed his fingers in the air and a shower of thick rain poured down.
Steve laughed. “This is only the beginning.” He flung his right hand up and Xavier was abruptly thrown in the air for several yards. As Xavier was about to come crashing down, he suddenly steadied himself and landed softly.
Steve stopped laughing. He turned his raging sight to Selena, but Xavier stood between them.
“Don’t you even think about it,” Xavier stated.
Steve let out a frustrated sound. “Consider yourself lucky, Selena because I can’t take my concentration off of him and put it on you.”
“No, you can’t,” stated Xavier.
Steve growled. “But I’ll get you as soon as I finish with him.”
Xavier’s dark eyes became as solid as the strongest metal and his whole body took a defensive stance, forming itself into a concentrated mass of force. “Don’t worry, Selena. I won’t let him hurt you.”
“He won’t have a chance,” guffawed Steve. “I’ve got too much help coming my way."
“What?” asked Xavier.
“My friends are here.” he snickered.
“What friends?” questioned Selena.
As Steve turned his head, Selena and Xavier followed his eyesight. She gasped loudly at seeing what was fast approaching. Xavier and she had been so involved in the conversation that they had missed what was happening around them.
They were here!
Selena’s skin puckered in hard lumps as cold as ice in the Antarctic. An overpowering tremble started in her stomach and quickly spread to every part of her.
Yellow eyes!
Here!
Selena had to harshly remind herself that she wasn’t in bed having one of her nightmares. What was happening to her wasn’t a dream. This was reality and the sickly eyes she had assumed were nothing but a warning about the greedy gifted, belonged to the vicious animals getting closer and closer to her and Xavier.
Even though coyotes were dangerous by nature, these frightening specimens seemed to be a million times worse. These specific creatures were different, their rigid faces scrunched in a merciless scowl. Their dusty-colored fur blended with the desert but their eyes stood out with yellow s
pikes of evil. They stared without blinking and without a shred of fear. Selena could feel Xavier harden next to her, and she wondered how he’d be able to handle Steve and three monster-like creatures.
“Meet my guardians,” cackled Steve.
“Where did you get them?” growled Xavier, his voice tight and devoid of any warmth. “In the fires of hell?”
“Everything on earth has a choice,” stated Steve. “Either you choose to be with the winners or the losers.”
“To do evil or do good,” Selena announced.
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Steve blurted.
“Of course not—you’re with evil,” Selena muttered loudly.
“I’m on the winning team,” Steve retorted, “and you two are dead meat.”
“I thought I’d find you here,” a voice resonated nonchalantly.
All three pairs of surprised eyes immediately shifted to where the voice came from. Sebastian Crawley had quietly sneaked up on them. With a calm posture, he ambled over to them.
“What are you doing here?” snapped Steve.
“I’m here to help.”
“You can’t! You just got out of the hospital,” blurted Steve. “Your powers are weak.”
“I’m not a total invalid. I can help.”
“I don’t care how many of you there are and how many animals you bring with you,” Xavier declared, “you’re not hurting Selena!”
“We’ll see about that,” stated Steve.
“You feel good with all this evil helping you, don’t you?” growled Selena.
“You don’t understand,” ascertained Sebastian.
“Understand what?” Xavier asked.
“I’m not here to help him,” informed Sebastian, pointing at Steve. “I’m here to help you.”
“What?” Selena and Xavier said in unison.
“I’m not one of them.”
“Yak, yak, yak! I’m tired of all this talking,” Steve smirked, eyeing the coyotes. They swiftly lurched forward, their hard faces in a growl and ready for a war. As they started pouncing, they suddenly stopped. They tried to push forward, but they couldn’t get past the invisible barrier in front of them, detaining them.
“Crawley, you’d better stay out of this,” demanded Steve, fury engulfing him.
“Xavier, I can keep the coyotes away with an energy wall for a while. You take care of Steve.”
“But—“
“There is no time for questions,” Sebastian informed impatiently. “You’ve got to use everything inside of you for this!”
“He can’t win and you know it, Crawley,” Steve taunted.
“He can and will beat you,” Selena assured vehemently, her voice at its most confident.
Xavier and Steve slowly circled around each other in what seemed like a Mexican stand off. Each had a determined snarl on his face. Selena forgot to breathe as she waited for what would happen next, and she didn’t have to wait long. The chaos was about to hit the fan as they started moving towards one another.
They’re going to crash into each other! Selena said to herself.
As Xavier and Steve collided, a wave of unstable energy jumped out of them, sending Selena and Sebastian to their knees when it reached them. Sebastian quickly got his balance back and put the invisible wall back in place, keeping away the fierce coyotes while Selena placed her hand to her heart.
A loud thud sounded from Xavier and Steve as they crashed into the hard earth, causing another atomic-like wave. This time Sebastian stayed firmly balanced, stumbling only a little. Selena, still on her knees from the previous time, managed to stand up.
About to rush to Xavier, his strong voice stopped her. “Stay!” he stated.
Even though his sight was completely and firmly focused on Steve, Xavier knew Selena too well and didn’t need to actually see her to know what she would do in certain circumstances.
“Stay,” he repeated as he and Steve rushed towards each other until they were mano a mano. Steve tried to punch Xavier but Xavier grabbed his fist before it hit and threw Steve to the ground. A surge of Steve’s energy suddenly exploded and sent electrical shock waves to Xavier who counteracted them by making them change direction. The waves returned to Steve who was pounded with a force that threw him a few yards away once they penetrated him. Xavier reached him when Steve hit the ground with a resounding THUD! And both were in hand to hand combat once again. Their fists diligently tried to hit their marks but each was too fast. Streams of sweat poured from each one.
Selena desperately tried to figure out what to do. She didn’t have their powers, but she had to do something. She couldn’t just stay put as Xavier wanted her to do. While he was doing wonderfully, it was obvious that Steve had the more practiced powers. Selena wondered how much longer Xavier could sustain his strength. As she neared them, Steve had a fist-size gray rock fly towards Xavier who moved just in time by stumbling down. Steve rushed to him, ready to take advantage of his upright position but Xavier caught his leg and made him trip. Throwing their punches from the ground, neither saw the bulky rock smash into Selena who lost consciousness when it painfully rammed into her head.
Selena! Selena! You’ve got to wake up,” Clara pleaded inside of Selena’s disoriented mind.
Selena sluggishly tried to see through the thick fog permeating her surroundings. “Where am I?”
“You’ve got to wake up!”
“Who are you?”
“It’s Clara, Selena.”
“Clara?” she asked, finally starting to put familiar strings together in her head.
“It’s me, Xavier’s mom.”
“Xavier?” His name seemed to want to push out the haziness in her head.
“Please concentrate on waking up in the other dimension.”
“What?”
“You’re unconscious, Selena.”
“I am?”
“You’ve got to wake up.”
“I . . . I . . . I wish I could see you, Clara,” Selena stammered, trying hard to look through the fog and get her bearings.
“Never mind that. You’ve got to make yourself wake up!”
“But . . . But I can’t!” Selena exclaimed, holding her head.
“You have to.”
“But—“
“Selena, Xavier and Sebastian can’t beat Steve without your help. They needs your energy.”
“I don’t have any powers. How can I help them?” she mumbled desperately..
“Selena, your energies interconnect with Xavier’s! He needs you. If you don’t wake up, he’ll die.”
“Die?” gasped Selena.
“Steve will kill him. You’ve got to save Xavier.”
“Xavier! I’ve got to be with Xavier!”
“Just concentrate on waking up.”
“If only my head would stop throbbing . . . It hurts so much.”
“Tell yourself to wake-up.”
“What?”
“Selena, do you want to save Xavier?”
“I’ve got to help Xavier!”
“Then tell yourself to wake up.”
“Wake up,” Selena told herself.
“Say it with no insecurities and claim the motion. Believe. Xavier’s life depends on it.”
“Xavier’s life,” Selena told herself.
“He needs you.”
“Wake up!” Selena demanded, this time with total confidence and no questioning bubbling inside the word. It was a solid utterance that held no room for the holes of doubt.
As soon as Selena fluttered her eyes open, she immediately tried stumbling up, even with the waves of disorientation attacking her. The enormous lump on her head caused her harsh and throbbing pain, but she ignored it. Finally standing up, she didn’t have any time to waste. In her absence, Steve had gained enormous ground. Even with both sitting up on one knee from the dirt, Xavier looked exhausted and completely depleted while Steve, although shiny with perspiration, seemed ready t
o keep going. Wet drops spilled out of her eyes as she heard Xavier’s hard breaths trying to regain control.
Selena tore her sight away and put it on Sebastian whose own breathing was spastic, and he was barely able to hold up his hands to keep the invisible wall in place. His face, contorted in pain, stayed focused but Selena wondered how long he could keep it up. The guy had just gotten out of the hospital, and he had to face hungry coyotes with yellow eyes firmly locked on him and ready to pounce. If she didn’t do something fast, it would be the end for all three of them.
“It’s over, Jones,” Steve stated. “It’s ov—“
He fell abruptly to the ground unconscious within seconds of Selena having smashed his head with the heavy rock that had originally hit her. Xavier stared at her, stunned.
“Selena!” exclaimed Xavier, stumbling up. “Why did you do that? You could’ve gotten hurt.”
“I’m fine.”
Xavier looked Steve over. “He’s completely out. Was that the rock Steve tried to hit me with?” he asked.
“Yes, it hit me instead.”
“What? Xavier asked horrified.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine but we need to get the key to the Tree of Birth before Steve wakes up.”
“Guys,” blurted Sebastian, his voice rickety and worn. “My powers are about to give out.”
Xavier flung his hands but not a single movement happened, not even a dancing leaf. His dark eyes reached Selena with frustrated concern. “I'm completely depleted. I’ve got nothing.”
“You have to do something,” cried Sebastian.
“I’ve got an idea!” Selena proclaimed, rushing towards the coyotes.
“Selena!” Xavier shouted, trying to catch up to her even with his depleted strength. “Don’t—“
“I can’t anymore,” Sebastian muttered as he dropped to the ground in exhaustion.
“Stop!” Selena ordered the coyotes as they were about to rush across the space where the energy wall had been.
With all that was left inside of him, Xavier stumbled towards Selena. “Get me,” he taunted the coyotes but to his immense surprise, they stayed in place.
“You aren’t going to hurt us,” Selena demanded from the fierce coyotes, looking into their yellow eyes as they stared back at her with reverence. “Turn around and go back where you came from.”
Giving Selena one more respectful glance, they suddenly turned around and started moving away from the humans. Their multi-shaded fur became only a small dot as the coyotes left with alarming speed and agility.
“How did that happen?” Xavier asked, breaking the stunned silence.
Selena breathed out a long, unwavering breath. “I don’t know. I just felt the impulse to do it.”
“You’re an animal charmer, Selena,” Sebastian announced, admiration in his voice.
“Animal charmer?” she questioned.
“You have a special communication with animals.”
“My grandmother always says I’ve got a way with critters.”
“Is that why your risked your life like you did?” Xavier grumbled, frowning.
“I had to do something.”
“But—“
“Xavier, I knew I’d be able to get through to them. I just knew!”
“Selena—“
“Let’s stop arguing,” Selena stated. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get the key where it belongs.”
“Let’s get it to the tree,” Sebastian declared, nodding. Xavier reached into his back pocket and pulled out the key. “Let’s do this.”
They quickly stepped up to the Weeping Willow but this time, the tree looked different. The leaves were much more vivid in different shades of bright green and the many rings on it rapidly moved round and round until they suddenly stopped. In the middle was a wooden key hole.
“I guess that while Steve was conscious, the tree didn’t want to tell us its secrets,” Selena said.
“Can you blame it?” Sebastian asked sardonically.
“Here,” he chuckled lightly as he handed the Key of Hearts to her. “You do it.”
Selena gently took the key. As she placed it in the hole, the rings started rolling round and round again, much swifter than before, until they swallowed the crystal key. A flood of rainbow beams streamed out in long, straight lines. Selena quickly pulled back to allow the display of the electromagnetic color light show to freely flow without human interruption.
“It’s beautiful,” Selena sighed, not taking her eyes off the reflected beams of sky blues, pastel pinks, and radiant greens.
“Yes, very,” stated Xavier, also affected by the mystical scene in front of him.
Glancing at Steve, Sebastian frowned deeply. “This is the dangerous moment.”
“What?” Selena asked.
“The danger moment,” he repeated.
“What’s that?” questioned Xavier.
“It’s the time anyone can steal the energy. The powers of the key are unlocked and if we pull out the key right now, the energies will be up for grabs instead of going into the tree.”
Selena and Xavier quickly looked towards Steve who was still completely out. Relieved, they turned their sight back to the incredible display. The colors shimmered with deeper hues than before and threw vibrant sparks. The three pairs of mesmerized eyes were unable to leave the scene.
The moment soon ended when the reflected light suddenly pulled itself into the tree and the rings stopped their motion. All turned normal again.
“That’s that,” Selena said, smiling at Xavier.
“What did you do?” Steve asked in desperation from behind them.
“The key is gone,” stated Xavier, taking a defensive stance.
“You idiots! Do you know how much power you just let go?”
“We do know,” ascertained Sebastian.
“I just hate loser psychics,” snapped Steve.
"I'm happy being a loser psychic as long as I'm not anything like you," smirked Sebastian.
“So you’re one of us?” Xavier asked Sebastian. “You’re a heart gifted and not a greedy one?”
“Didn’t you recognize one of your own?” smirked Steve. “How stupid can you be?”
“You didn’t know who I was either, Steve," Sebastian stated. "Not for a long time.”
“I figured it out!”
Sebastian groaned. “Only after I kept you from hurting them with the catwalk.”
“You were at the theatre that day?” Selena asked Steve with complete surprise in her voice.
“Yes,” he retorted impatiently. “I was hiding and I would’ve flattened you if this idiot wouldn’t have shown up.”
“I’m sorry I messed up your plans,” Sebastian sneered sarcastically.
“What’s wrong with you losers?! That key had all the energy to make us the most powerful beings on earth. How could you just let it go like that? The three of you are so stupid! You’ll never be able to outdo us!”
“How’s that lump on your head?” Sebastian asked wryly. “You know, from when Selena clobbered you?”
“Does it hurt?” Xavier asked slyly.
Steve started lunging towards Xavier but as he did, Sebastian, who was next to him, flung Steve to the Tree of Birth. Its long branches caught him like waiting fingers and pinned him against the strong trunk. He tried violently to free himself but it was of no use. The Weeping Willow held him firmly with complete ease. Steve’s strength was no match for to the tree’s mighty fortitude.
“I guess the Tree of Birth doesn’t like you either, Steve,” Selena stated.
He grunted angrily. “I don’t care! You’d better let me go, you stupid tree,” he snapped, struggling fiercely to get free.
“I don’t think you can tell the tree what to do,” stated Xavier.
After a few seconds, the branches spread out. Steve quickly stumbled away from the tree.
“You see, it listens to me,” he sne
ered as soon as he got his bearings back. “No one and nothing gets me—not with my powers. The three of you losers had better be prepared for my revenge!” He lifted his hands up but Xavier already had taken his defensive stance once again. Sebastian folded his arms in nonchalance as a smirk formed on his face. Selena couldn’t help flinching as she waited for the chaos that would likely ensue.
But nothing.
Nothing happened.
Raging, Steve kept trying to mobilize his powers to no avail. His face scrunched up in frustration.
“What happened to my powers?” he questioned desperately.
Xavier pulled his hands up, pushing his energy forward and flinging Steve a few yards away.
“Mine are okay,” Xavier said matter-of-factly. “They’ve re-charged.”
“What did that stupid tree do to me?!” Steve keened as he ran to the tree and started beating it. The tree’s branches hurled Steve harshly to the ground. Its leaves shook as if laughing.
“It now has your powers,” Sebastian smirked.
“I wouldn’t tempt the tree anymore,” said Xavier.
Steve stood up angrily dusting the dirt off of himself. “I’m going to get my powers back if it’s the last thing I do,” he said as he strode away. “Even if it’s the last thing I do!”
“Whatever,” Selena said, smiling.
“Yes, whatever,” Xavier reiterated.
“Good luck in trying to get your powers back,” Sebastian smirked. Steve swiftly kept striding away until he was just a dot in the distance.
“I’m so glad you’re one of us, Sebastian,” said Selena, suddenly coming back to earth after all the commotion that had taken place.
“Yep.”
“That’s why when you were on the gurney at the theatre you told me we had to be on the same team?” questioned Xavier.
“Yep.”
“Why didn’t you tell us who you were?” Selena asked.
“The other heart gifted felt it was better to keep it a secret so that I could get in the It club. The Its had the greedy gifted written all over them. Selena, I was sent here to keep an eye out for the Key of Hearts."
“How did you know to come here—to the tree?” Selena asked. “How did you know that we’d be here?”
“I felt a shift in energy—it was probably when you found the key. I wasn’t sure that Steve was with you, but I knew he was keeping an eye on you, and I came here hoping you’d be putting the key where it belongs.”
“I’m so relieved that that’s over with,” Xavier asserted with a smile.
“Xavier, you did better than I thought you would. For a guy who hates his powers, you’re very good. Steve has been developing and training his energy for a long time.”
“All it took was one hard knock from Selena to put him out,” stated Xavier, his dark eyes admiring her.
Sebastian grinned at her. “You’re very lucky, Xavier."
"Yes, I know," Xavier proclaimed, his dark eyes sweeping over Selena. Her face flushed a bright pink.
“If you ever get tired of him, I’m here,” teased Sebastian.
“Hey, you, stop flirting with my girlfriend. You’ve got your own—Cherise.”
Sebastian’s face tightened in a huge grimace. “Cherise—ugh!”
“You don’t like her?” asked a surprised Selena.
“No!”
“You don’t think she’s the prettiest girl in school”
“She’s the ugliest—next to Asher. Sorry, Xavier.”
“Don’t be sorry. I think that my cousin and Cherise are the ugliest girls in school too.”
“You’re probably the only two guys at school who think they’re ugly.”
Xavier chuckled heartedly. “We can’t help being so smart.”
“I’m so happy that I don’t have to hang out with the It Club anymore. I don’t have to put up with Cherise,” Sebastian proclaimed, full relief coloring his voice. “What a great day.”
A very few moments later, after Sebastian had gone home, Selena and Xavier were at their favorite spot on top of the world breathing in the tranquility and quiet beauty of Trans Mountain. Motorists zoomed by on the road not knowing about the Tree of Birth so close to them or about the near catastrophic disaster that had almost occurred. These motorists went on with their normal lives and Selena and Xavier wouldn’t have had it any other way. Xavier smiled his movie star sparkler at her and she smiled back.
“We did it, Selena,” he said, gliding his fingers through her hair playfully.
“Yes, we did,” Selena answered back, the palm of her hand on his cheek. “Are you proud of your abilities now?”
He chuckled lightly. “You’re the one who immobilized Steve with the rock, Selena.” He tenderly kissed her palm.
“C’mon, Xavier. You know I wouldn’t have been able to handle him and his powers without you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“He would’ve flattened me out like a tortilla.”
“Or the other way around,” he stated firmly. “You’re pretty tough.”
“I’m kinda tough.”
“No, not kinda. You’re pretty tough,” he insisted.
“Okay, so I make a terrible ingénue. I’m not a delicate flower.”
“No, but you’re still a flower nonetheless.”
“Thank you,” Selena expressed.
“Your sharp thorns don’t scare me even a little bit,” he teased.
“You’re the one with freaky powers,” Selena kidded back.
“We’re both officially freaks now.”
“Yeah, freaks,” Selena said, chuckling. "Freakoids."
“You have to admit that we do make a good team,” he stated.
“Yes, a very good team.”
“We take care of each other.”
He grinned before he brought himself to Selena. His sweet gentle embrace only drew their slow deliberate kiss closer and his calm breath interconnected with hers as if snapping together. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he caressed her long strands of dark black hair. Selena could feel every one of his magnetic fingers sending mini waves through each dark string. She actually swooned. Maybe it wasn’t so bad being a squishy romantic after all.
The Key of Hearts Page 33
