Two Halves Series (6 page)

How could someone I’d just met have so much power over me? I knew she hadn’t put a spell on me, but her body controlled mine when we were together the way no one’s had before. Yet somehow, Xela was right. As much as I wanted to be with her, perhaps the sphere wasn’t for me.

“You know deep down we’re meant to have the water mark,” Mira said, interrupting my thoughts. She turned her head to face me. Had a human seen two infants talking to each other like adults, they’d think we were the spawn of the devil itself.

“I know,” I said.

“It will pass, Xander.” The guilt in her voice flew through me. Mira knew she’d have Eric to share her life with; nothing could prevent them from being together once she, too, was marked with the water sign.

The wind blew, lifting lone snowflakes off the branches to swirl and settle in new spots.

“I wish that was true.” I sighed and emptied my mind again.

We remained in our infant form until morning.

* * *

One day.

When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the forest, the wind blew again. We jumped as if shocked with electricity, instantly shifting into our adult selves and standing back to back, scanning the forest. It was in our nature to be wary, and in this case, we were right to be.

I sniffed.
Stinky socks and spoiled eggs.
Seekers.

“How many?” Mira asked.

“I don’t know. It feels like—”

“Twenty or more,” she finished. “You think we can take them?”

“No doubt we can.” I turned clockwise, moving in unison with my sister.

Suddenly, the air filled with a lavender mist and Eric stood beside us.

“We can handle this, lover boy,” I said, keeping my eyes on the underbrush, waiting for the seekers’ orange eyes to appear.

“I’m sure you can, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“What now?” I growled.

“You’re being called to a meeting with the keepers. Aseret has sent armies of seekers to start their killings.”

“Then let’s stop him,” I challenged, eager to return to the underworld to get a glimpse of Xela.

“Meeting first, underworld second. Believe me, you’ll get your chance soon.” His tone left no room for argument, and there was no time to argue, as his lavender mist wrapped itself around us and the swirling began.

This vortex was longer than the others I’d travelled through. The greens and grays of the forest mixed with drifting snow, then blended with ocean blues as we warped to Spain. When the blues changed back to greens again and the swirling ceased, we were in Monasterio de Piedra: the home of the keepers. The thunder of waterfalls hit our ears before the room stopped spinning.

“We don’t have much time.” Eric rushed us forward.

Mira reached for his hand, but he pulled away, giving her a not-now look. I felt her pain. She didn’t understand his commitment to his job. Neither did I. Would our priorities shift that much once we were marked? Enough to leave the ones we loved for the “greater good”? If so, I didn’t want it. But just like Xela, I had no choice.

I put my arm around Mira’s shoulder; her eyes silently thanked me. No matter what happened, we would never leave each other’s side.

We followed Eric through a corridor that stretched into infinity, its walls painted with landscapes. Candles burned in wall sconces, scattering their soft, smokeless glow over the walls. Gold stars patterned the edges of carpeting so plush it felt as if we were walking on clouds.

This was the safest place on Earth.

The evil-bender led, turning right at the end of the hall where three shining stones were embedded in the wall. The hall widened into what most resembled a circular room and within, our father stood between Drake, the leader of all vampires, and Gabriel, the angel who watched over human beings. I expected to see white wings protruding from the angel’s back, but he was in his human form. Otherwise, I realized, we wouldn’t be able to look at him at all. Drake on the other hand, the most flamboyant of the three, looked like he stole Dracula’s costume.

“Pop?” I asked. “Why are we here? Are you going to mark us?”

“Your mark will come from your actions, Xander, not from us.”

Gabriel spoke next. “You’re here because it’s finally time to tell you about your destiny.”

“There’s a reason Aseret has gained power,” Drake explained. Their speech sounded rehearsed, although I doubted they’d planned exactly what to say beforehand; they were merely working in concert toward a common goal. “Castall, Gabe, and I each have species we watch over.” He paused. “But there has never been anyone who held control over all three.”

“You want us to do it?” I asked, then tightened my lips in apology for the interruption when my father’s eyebrows rose—a sign I knew too well.

Castall, my father, spoke next. “A prophecy has been written and your help will be needed. The choices you make today will determine whether the prophecy comes to fruition.”

The hum of the distant waterfall was deafening in the silence that followed. I waited another ten seconds, making sure it was the right time to speak without offending anyone. “So what you’re saying is if I don’t choose the water mark, the world will end?”

“It won’t end, but a new species, a demonic one, will rule after killing the rest. Hatred will take over and suck the life out of all living creatures.” Gabriel’s eyes darkened to their whitest shade.

“No pressure, huh?” I chuckled. Mira bumped my shoulder. Pop raised his brows again.

“Aren’t we demons?” Mira asked as I cleared my throat.

“You’re shape-shifters and watchers of the dead.” Drake raised his chin higher and I thought I saw a grin on his face, well hidden under nearly invisible scars.

That widened our eyes.

“Your destiny will reveal itself to you soon; then you will understand why you haven’t been marked yet,” my father added.

“We never had a choice in the mark, did we?” I asked, my heart sinking.

“It’s because the mark chooses you, not the other way around,” Pop replied. “And though shape-shifters are not marked at birth, you are destined to have a specific mark.”

“Are there any shape-shifters who bear the sphere?”

“Unfortunately, there are a few,” Drake answered. “Aseret has been sneaky in expanding his army and their range of powers. Shape-shifters, freezers, and movers have joined his legions.”

“Xander.” My father looked at me with soft eyes, this time speaking as my father and not a warlock. “She’s doomed to be at Aseret’s side. The sooner you let her go, the easier it will be for you after you get the mark.”

“Is there no way?” I asked, my question nearly a wail.

“For now, no.” He lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

When my head sank, I felt Mira’s grip on my arm. I looked up and the three keepers dissipated into their colorful mists, its sizzling reached my ears like crackling mini-fireworks. The three shiny stones left behind illuminated the room in red, blue, and white light. The white reminded me of Xela and the gem I still held in my pocket.

Eric took us back to his living quarters. Smokeless candles set on wall candelabras weren’t enough to illuminate the space, but it was bright. A two-story opening in the wall, about twenty feet wide, was the main source of light. Beyond the back wall, a sheet of falling water flowed seamlessly—Eric lived behind a waterfall. The hum of the water hypnotized me, and I wouldn’t find it difficult to stare forever at the shimmering candlelight reflected in its flow.

The room had a high ceiling, but it didn’t make the space overwhelming. Centered on the left wall was an oval bed with white and blue sheets. Mira sat on the edge of the wrinkle-free sheets, sinking in unnaturally deep. The bed moved like a wave flew through it and I’d heard pockets of air flow with the motion.

I took a step forward on the plush red carpeting to join her, messing up the vacuumed edges of the rug, but nearly doubled over as a sharp pain stabbed the middle of my stomach, accompanied by a pulling sensation. Although excruciating, I welcomed the throbbing tug; when it released for a moment, I wanted to be tugged at again. Dark magic. The only reason my body would give in was because I knew to whom it would take me.

Mira focused on my trembling body with concern. “What’s going on, Xander?”

“Someone’s trying to summon me to the underworld,” I mumbled.

“Xela?” she asked.

“I think so, but she’s being forced.” My eyes bulged open at the thought of the body that heated mine yesterday being tortured. I wanted to give in to the dark sway just so she’d be safe.

The falling water in Eric’s room flashed a picture of Xela with her wrists tied, hanging over the fire pit in Aseret’s dungeon. Hundreds of seekers stood around the pit, their bright orange eyes broadcasting death as they squeaked and yelped with pleasure.

“I have to help her,” I whispered.

“No, Xander, it’s a trick.” Then Mira gasped and fell to her knees, hunching over, jaw clenched.

My sister’s pain brought me back to the waterfall room. I recognized the searing aches, but for me, Xela’s suffering overrode my agony.

“Are you all right?” I rubbed my sister’s arm.

Mira managed to stand. “Aseret’s trying to summon us to the underworld again. You’re tied to Xela and he’s using her. It’s time to bind his powers so they cannot be used outside the underworld.” She straightened her shirt and looked at me. “We have to bind him.” Then she collapsed, Eric catching her before her head hit the floor.

I smoothed her hair behind her ears. Her eyes were closed.

“What’s happening to her?”

Her body shook the same way mine had a minute earlier. Tremors of pain rippled through her from her fingertips to her toes.

“Aseret’s summoning you.”

I looked at Eric in alarm. “I can’t feel anything.”

“He’s using Mira to get you both. He knows you’ll follow her.”

“I’ll go by myself if that’s what he wants, but not her.” I pointed at Mira.

Eric raised his hand. “No. He knows you’ll go, but he’s not sure about Mira—of her loyalty. He doesn’t know if she’ll follow.”

“Help her, Eric, or I swear I will disappear in the next ten seconds.” My fingers found Xela’s gem in my pocket.

“Shhh,” Eric hushed, standing with his feet apart. Fleshy spikes protruded from his neck. I’d seen them before in the cave when Aseret arrived, though not as many as now. Blue sparks shot around his body, now charged in an electric current. The sparks sizzled louder as the charge increased. The spikes vibrated. A blue mist formed.

Mira opened her eyes.

Eric’s shoulders slumped, and flashing a crooked grin, he knelt beside my sister again. “You all right, sugar?”

She smiled, then looked at me, the corners of her mouth drooping. “Xela’s in trouble,” she whispered.

The pull I felt earlier returned, hauling me like a cruise ship tied to a tugboat. I no longer wanted to be in Spain; I wanted to help Xela. My hands faded from flesh to nothingness and I didn’t care to protest. The need to rescue my witch overrode any rational thoughts and I let Aseret’s summons carry me to the underworld.

“Xander, don’t. Not this way.” my sister cautioned, knowing I’d given up my will.

My vision of the waterfall shuddered as it slowly dissipated and was replaced by an apparition of a cave in the underworld. I looked down at my legs; they became ghostly and transparent. The room fogged and I saw my sister and Eric behind a blur.

Eric’s narrowed eyes darted between Mira and me. I assumed he waited to see whether my sister would pass out again so he could stop me from leaving. The spikes on his neck trembled as his eyes shifted to purple.

The tug in my stomach eased. I looked to my sister. “What is he doing?”

“He’s bending.” Mira’s voice held pride. She sat upright.

“Let me go. I need to help her.” My dissipating fingers solidified.

“I’m trying to shift your aura. It’s drawing underworld creatures. You’ve been with Xela too long. She’s connected to you. Aseret can sense you,” Eric told me, his jaw clenched with the effort.

“So let him. It’s time I show him a shape-shifter’s strength.”

“Xander, it’s a trick. Xela’s not with Aseret; she’s on the run. What you’re seeing isn’t true. He doesn’t have her yet. If you go now, we don’t have a chance of helping her or binding Aseret.”

“It’s too late.” I smiled, feeling the heat of the underworld.

Eric’s eyes glowed purple. He seemed strained, and then released the built-up pressure from his throat. “Arghhh!” He screamed falling to his knees.

The mirror on the wall cracked, and ripples zigzagged through the falling water. My eardrums throbbed at the high-pitched shout. I shut my eyes. The pull on my body eased.

“One more minute,” Eric grated. His jaw tightened.

When he’d bent the evil back toward the underworld, the spikes retreated into his neck and he slumped to the floor beside Mira.

“Thank you. I guess,” I muttered, but couldn’t blame Eric. He was right—him, and my sister, who was smart enough to know that forming a plan and ambushing the underworld together made us much stronger.

Eric exhaled, pulling himself off his knees, then Mira, and onto a wooden chair. His flushed face paled as he steadied his breathing.

“Are you all right?” Mira took his chin in her hand.

“I’ll be fine, sugar. But Aseret’s powers are increasing. It’ll only get more difficult to contain him.”

I poured some water from a flask on a side table and handed the cup to Eric, who nodded in appreciation. “And how are we supposed to bind him to the underworld?”

“The keepers will step in when the time is right. We just have to make sure he stays in the underworld.” He gulped down the water.

“So by containing Aseret, we’ll get marked?”

“No. A decision between good and evil will mark you.”

I barked a laugh. “That’s like telling a child he can’t play with fire and handing him matches.”

“You’re right. But imagine Aseret getting control of vampires, then humans. Hell, we’ve already lost good warlocks to his demonic army. He’ll change the world.”

If this was supposed to make me care, I didn’t feel it. I suspected it had to do with the hold Aseret already had on me, through Xela. His power penetrated my bones, and I knew Eric was right. Aseret was planning to take us to the underworld; he just showed me his strength by summoning me.