Dark Realms (34 page)

I took a deep breath. “Okay.”

He handed me the picture frame and I stared
at it in confusion. It was an older picture of two little girls,
around five or six, and they were obviously twins.

“I don’t understand,” I said looking up at
him.

“Look closely at the picture. Doesn’t it
remind you of someone?”

There was indeed something familiar about
the girls. I couldn’t quite place my finger on it.

“Look at the shape of their noses and the
fullness of their lips. Ignore the color of their hair, she’s
obviously changed it. That’s to be expected.”

I nodded. Both girls had luxurious red hair.
Their eyes were a dark blue with a catlike slant. “They’re
certainly cute,” I said. Then something clicked and the blood
rushed to my ears.

“Yes?” he asked, prodding me.

I looked at him in shock. “It’s my
mother!”

Tyler smiled. “Bingo.”

I shook my head. “But she’s not a twin. My
mom told me that she was an only child.”

He shrugged. “I would too if my twin sister
was a ruthless and evil witch.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your aunt Vivian and your mother are very
powerful witches.”

I stared at him for a few seconds and then
burst out laughing.

His eyes narrowed. “Well, I’m glad you’re
amused, but it’s the truth, and believe me, there’s nothing funny
about Vivian.”

I wiped away the tears from my face. “Okay,
that’s enough. Quit messing with my mind, Tyler.”

“He’s not messing with you, at all,”
interrupted Rebecca, closing the door behind her. “Your mother is a
twin and she’s also a witch. I should know, we used to be best
friends.

“I don’t understand,” I mumbled, looking at
each of them, “My mom? You seriously expect me to believe that
she’s a witch?”

Rebecca smiled sadly and then pulled out
another folding chair. She sat down next to me and looked at her
son. “Tyler, go mind the store for a little while please.”

He nodded and left us alone.

She reached over and took my hand in hers.
“It’s probably not my place to tell you this information, and I’m
sure your mother will be furious when she finds out. But Tyler and
I, well, we didn’t have any other choice.”

I stared into her eyes. “I just don’t
understand. Why would she hide all of this from us?”

Rebecca sighed. “Because of Vivian. Her
sister is one of the most vicious sorceresses in the world. She’s
cruel, evil, and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”

A shiver went up my spine. “Well, what does
she want?”

“She wants your mother’s power all for
herself. You see, when you’re a witch and a twin one at that, it
makes for a very powerful combination. In fact, when one of them
dies, the other inherits the other’s magic.”

“And my mother’s sister, my…aunt… wants her
dead, so she can be more powerful?”

She nodded. “Vivian has been looking for
your mother, Adrianne, for the last twenty years.

I raised my eyebrows. “Adrianne? My mother’s
name is Holly.”

“Dear, Holly is your mother’s middle name,”
said Rebecca, softly.

“Okay, this getting too deep for me,” I
said, standing up. “I need to go home and talk to her.”

“Wait,” said Rebecca. “I’m sure your mom has
kept this from you and your sister, to keep you safe. It’s very
dangerous for all of you right now. Especially since…”

“What?”

The fear in her eyes made my pulse race.
“Vivian knows your mom is here, in Bayport, and she’ll do anything
to find her, even if it means using you or your sister, Kala.”

I bit the side of my lip. “You mean hurting
me or Kala?”

She nodded. “Oh yes. If she finds you,
she’ll definitely use whatever means possible to hurt and destroy
your mother.”

“So, basically, we’re all in danger?”

“Yes.”

“How come you’ve found us, but she
hasn’t?”

She shrugged. “I’m sure your mother used a
spell to keep her from locating you all these years.”

“How does she know we’re in Bayport?”

“Some spells get weaker over time. Or it
could be that Vivian had help from someone else.”

“So, is this why you moved here, to warn
us?”

She nodded. “We’d hoped you were here,
Adrianne once mentioned this place. She’d read about it and wanted
to travel here. But I didn’t know for sure until Tyler lucked out
and found you at school.”

I bit the side of my lip. “I know this
sounds weird and I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but why do you
care so much? Why would you move here just to warn my mother about
Vivian? Isn’t it too dangerous to risk your own lives?”

She smiled. “Two reasons. Adrianne and I
used to be best friends growing up. I do care what happens to
her.”

“And Vivian killed my father,” interrupted
Tyler from the doorway, his expression somber. “We need your
mother’s help to destroy her, once and for all.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Are you okay?” asked Rebecca as I stumbled
towards Tyler and the exit. I’d had enough of this magic talk, and
just wanted to go home to my mom, so she could tell me that these
people were crazy.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I answered thickly.
“I’ve just shed thirty pounds, I witnessed a doe turn into a girl,
and now I’ve been told my mother’s a witch who’s being hunted down
by her evil twin sister. Seriously, I don’t think I’ll ever be okay
again.”

Tyler held up a bottle of water. “You don’t
look so good. Drink this, you’re probably dehydrated from the
potion.”

“Good grief,” said Rebecca, looking at her
watch. “You two haven’t had lunch yet. Tyler, take her to our house
and feed the poor girl. You can try and answer any more questions
she may have, there, where it’s safe.”

He nodded. “Are you hungry?” he asked,
holding out his arm to me.

I stared at him for a minute, trying to
decide what to do. Food sounded like the only sane thing right
now.

“Food will take the edge off of everything,”
he joked. “Seriously.”

I sighed and slipped my arm through his.
“Sure, but to tell you the truth, I’m pretty exhausted. I don’t
know if I can walk to your house.”

“Who said anything about walking?” he asked
with a sparkle in his eyes. He turned to his mother. “Um, it is
okay if we teleport, isn’t it? I know you said not to perform
magic, but surely this is an exception?”

Rebecca stared at us for a minute and then
nodded. “Okay, but just this once.”

Tyler turned back to me and smiled. “You’re
in for a wonderful surprise.”

“Swell,” I mumbled, not really digging his
surprises anymore.

He grabbed my hand and dragged me through
the store, into their small public bathroom.

“Don’t tell me… we’re going to teleport
through the toilet and end up at your house?” I asked dryly.

He shook his head. “No, silly… that’s too
gross. We’re going to go through the drain.”

I looked at the sink and studied the drain
hole. It didn’t appear any less gross or absurd. “Seriously?”

He burst out laughing. “No, I’m just messing
with you.”

I tightened my lips, not really in the mood
for jokes. “Tyler…”

Sighing, he pulled me to him and circled his
arms around my waist. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “I
keep forgetting how new all of this is for you.”

“It’s okay,” I said, inhaling his delicious
smell, which seemed to comfort me somewhat. I looked up at him “Um,
has anyone ever told you that you smell like vanilla bean ice
cream?”

He smiled. “Hold onto me, tightly, and don’t
let go, for anything.”

Although everything was crazy at the moment,
being in his arms was better than anything I’d experienced in a
long time. I certainly wasn’t about to let him go. Not if I could
help it.

Tyler closed his eyes and began chanting
something under his breath. I shut my eyes, too, and held on as
tight as I could, even when I felt his body temperature begin to
rise at an alarming rate. Just when I thought I couldn’t bear the
heat radiating from him, there was a loud popping noise and I felt
like we were being pushed through some type of spinning tunnel.

“Hurry, open your eyes,” he said.

When I opened them I gasped in awe. Multiple
colors of light, almost like a beautiful rainbow at the end of a
storm, engulfed us as we moved through some type of twisting
vortex.

“Wow…” I whispered, stunned by the beauty of
the colors intertwining and bouncing off of each other.

He tightened his hold on me. “Almost there,
get ready.”

A second loud popping noise and we were
pushed out of the traveling tunnel with such force that we both
landed on plush, white carpeting, with me, lying right on top of
him.

Chapter Sixteen

“Well, hello there,” he said with a sly
grin. “Come here often?”

I groaned and stood up.

“What?”

I shook my head and looked around in
amazement. “So, this is your home?”

He stood up and smoothed down his shirt.
“Yes, our humble abode. At least the one we feel the safest
in.”

I was surprised to find that they lived in
such a contemporary-styled home. Since they were witches, I thought
they’d live in something old and mysterious. This place was white,
spacious, and from where I stood, appeared to have all of the
modern luxuries.

“This place is beautiful,” I said, looking
up, admiring the tall vaulted ceilings and sky lights.

“Check out the view outside,” said
Tyler.

I walked over to a tall window that extended
from the floor to the ceiling and looked out.

“Whoa, where in the world are we?”

“I told you it was a nice view,” he
smiled.

“A nice view? We’re in the middle of
nowhere.”

Well we were somewhere, somewhere high up in
the mountains and surrounded by snow.

“We’re in Vail,” he said. “It’s a good place
to hide. Vivian hates any kind of arctic weather.”

My mother was the opposite. She dragged us
skiing and ice skating every winter. My sister loved the cold
months as well. I, on the other hand, didn’t really care for
winter. If it were my choice, I’d live in Florida all year
long.

“So, you’re hiding from her, too?”

He handed me a cup of cocoa, which seemed to
have just appeared. He nodded. “Something like that, We moved here
after she murdered my father.”

I touched his hand. “I’m really sorry,
Tyler,” I said softly. “How did it happen?”

He sighed and then walked over to the white
leather sectional facing the window. “I should probably start from
the beginning,” he said, sitting down. “My father worked for Vivian
years ago, he was the head of her security.”

“Security?” I snorted. “Why would she need
bodyguards if she’s so powerful?”

He scratched his chin. “Mostly for
appearances. You see, she’s also a famous pianist and doesn’t
always use her magic.”

“Seriously?”

“Oh, yes. She’s very vain about it, too,” he
said, his lips thinning. “I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of
Vivian Reynolds, but she’s your aunt.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Vivian Reynolds?
Although I’ve never actually seen her, I know that my mother has
some of her CDs. She doesn’t listen to them, which I always thought
was a little strange, in fact, they’re actually still in the
wrapping. Wow, I just can’t believe that’s her.”

“She’s probably too afraid to listen to
them. Anyway, my dad worked for Vivian before he met my mother and
then something happened. Something she didn’t expect.”

I leaned forward. “What?”

“Well, one night, Vivian paid my mother a
visit and took my dad along with her, probably to try and scare her
into telling her where Adrianne was. It didn’t work. In fact,
Vivian left in such a huff when my mother refused to tell her where
Adrianne was that she demanded my dad go back that same night,” his
face darkened, “and kill her.”

My eyes widened. “Vivian told your dad to
murder Rebecca?”

“Yes. But my dad wasn’t a killer. In fact,
something drew my dad back to mom’s shop, but it had nothing to do
with murder.”

I smiled. “Your mom is a very beautiful
woman.”

“Yes and she has a heart of gold. I’m sure
that’s what really drew my dad to her in the first place. Anyway,
all I know is that he and my mother disappeared together that
night.”

“And Vivian freaked?”

“You could say that. I’m sure it’s why she
spent all of those years searching for them, as well as your mom.
Obviously, she found my parents first and…” he looked down at his
hands.

“Killed your dad,” I said, softly.

He looked back up at me and his eyes were
burned with hate. “She did and I’m not going to let her get away
with it. I don’t care if I die trying, I’m going to make sure she
pays.”

“I understand,” I said, thinking of my
father. If someone had killed him, I’m sure I’d feel the same way.
“I just can’t believe how evil that woman is,” I said. “Thank
goodness you and your mom survived. How long ago was this?”

“It happened almost two years ago,” he said,
his voice cracking. Embarrassed, he looked away.

“I’m so sorry, Tyler. I wish there was
something I could do.”

“There is,” he said, standing up. He walked
over to the window and put his hand on the glass. “Help us talk to
your mother.”

I moved closer and put a hand on his
shoulder. “I will. I promise.”

The snow began to fall and we both stared
out of the window in silence, watching the flakes.

“It’s amazingly beautiful here,” I said.

He smiled. “I love it. You’ll have to go
skiing with me sometime.”

“I’m not much of a skier,” I snorted. “I
suck, actually.”

He grabbed my hand. “Maybe you just need the
right guy to show you how to ski.”

I smiled. A guy like him could make a girl
forget all about the cold. “Maybe.”