by Lola StVil
Remedy shrugs, dusting herself off. “What can I say?”
“Another one coming!” Saudia yells.
This one has six legs, and it’s running fast, screeching and howling, chased by Quinn and Mason.
“Ugh,” Saudia says.
“Just hug it again!” Remedy yells, but before she can, I see Quinn slide to a halt, and she’s muttering something while moving her hands in an elaborate pattern.
Just then, right before the creature reaches us, the ground below the thing ripples. Dirt and dust fly, and it’s like the creature has stepped onto a disguised pit. The look of surprise and shock on its face is priceless. Barreling towards us one moment, ready to tear me apart, and the next it’s crashing into the side of a pit as the ground completely gives way.
It scrambles to latch onto the earth, but Quinn just keeps moving her hands, and the ground falls away even more, until the demon howls as it plummets out of sight.
A moment later, the earth reseals and closes in on the beast.
“Look out!” someone yells, and I see a shadow an instant too late. The teenager-creature, still with headphones awkwardly caught on its horns, lands after a powerful leap, right in front of me. It’s got a barbed tail, which swipes Saudia and Remedy off their feet.
It reaches for me, but someone is there first. A hand gracefully catches the demon’s enormous wrist, right below the huge talons. Mason gives me a wink and a smile.
He squeezes, and I hear a screech of agony from the demon as its wrist is shattered in Mason’s grasp. And that’s just his left hand! In his right, a brilliant sword materializes. Bright and glowing and almost three feet long. He raises it high, and its light seems to stun the demon and sap its energy. In the next moment, Mason brings the sword down like an executioner and cuts the demon into two equally revolting halves.
“More coming!” Quinn yells, and before I can thank Mason, Saudia touches me again.
This time I wind up in the center of the seal pool area, on an island made up of boulders.
Another multi-armed demon with two heads and a set of spikes down its back tracks us and comes racing over the lawn. The visitors scatter, shrieking in horror. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch the other twin, Regal, sauntering towards us. The ground shakes and Saudia pulls me off the rock we were standing on—as it rises into the air.
Regal’s doing this—lifting it with his mind—and it’s hovering now, fifteen feet up. The demon slows as it enters the pool, not sure what to make of the rising boulder, but it doesn’t have long to consider its options. The seals all bark and dive into the water as Regal makes a flicking motion with his fingers, and the boulder smashes into the demon and pounds him into the bottom of the shallow pool.
The boulder rises, and as the demon lifts one of its crushed and mangled heads out of the water, Regal drops the boulder again. And again. The splashes get bigger as the boulder rises higher and falls faster, and the pool turns a frightening yellow.
“Ick,” someone says, and Saudia touches me again, and again we’re somewhere else—in a hilly area with a lot of lush greenery…and lions.
“Now we’re getting the full tour,” Perry says. He and Langston come running towards me, then turn around protectively. Two more demons are rushing full tilt at us. I can’t even make out their forms, only see rows of teeth, horns, and hollowed-out eye sockets.
Lightning flies from Langston’s fingertips just as red webs of energy shoot from Perry’s palm, and both demons are suddenly down on the ground, writhing in agony.
A pause, and then another burst of electricity sends the creatures tumbling over a hill—right into the midst of four lions, who sense the blood and pain and fear and pounce.
Perry laughs as the sound of rending and chomping fills the air, amidst the demons’ screams. “At least they get to eat!”
“Seriously!” Regal says as he shows up, followed by Mason and the others. They’re all a little out of breath, but are dusting themselves off and smiling. Mason calls to Quinn. “We have a little matter of some terrified zoo guests, and some unwanted alarm…”
“On it,” Quinn says. She grins at me. “I just love the wiping of memories. Normal people are so fragile!” she says, taking a dig at me before she takes off.
At last I take a breath, and I’m still gazing at Mason, who hasn’t looked at anyone but me. He smiles back. “That was fun, right?”
I saw a cartoon once where two cats had somehow gotten stuck on a leaky wooden boat and started to drift out to sea. They tried desperately to plug the holes, but when they stopped one leak, another one would pop up. Soon they were sinking to the bottom of the ocean. That’s what’s happening to me now—figuratively speaking—I’m sinking. Thoughts of Kane pop up in my head like the random leaks in a rinky-dink boat, and every time I plug them up, another thought pops up.
I decided the best way to stay afloat was to focus on my new life. So for the next few days, I made getting to know the team my number one priority. It was the least I could do since they all saved my life and went to the trouble of learning everything about me. They know that my parents called me “Lissy,” a take on my name. They also know that I’m terribly allergic to wool and that I can’t live without coffee. Sadie had filled them in, and they made an effort to remember what they’d learned.
So, I made an effort. I started with Regal. I learned that in addition to moving things with his mind, he also has the ability to heal. That came in handy when I slipped on black ice embedded in the sidewalk and almost cracked my head open. He told me that even though only five angels were allowed to guide me on the quest, because he and Remedy are twins, they are considered one.
Regal likes to sit on the roof and meditate early in the morning. I told him that I would like to join him but when he knocked on my door at four in the morning, I threw my pillow at him, grunted and went right back to bed. I’m sorry, but “inner peace” will have to wait until I have had my coffee and a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.
Perry used to make fun of me for eating that, until he tried it. Now, every morning it’s a race to see which one of us will get to the box first. Saudia said we were childish. She said some other things, but we couldn’t hear her over the loud crunching sound of artificially flavored fruity goodness.
I also learned that the team calls Saudia “Puff” because she can appear out of nowhere like a puff of smoke. It’s so cool to watch. She’ll be standing at the top of the steps and in a flash she’s in the kitchen or a block away. Her teleportation is only for short distances, but it’s still pretty remarkable. Then there’s the one and only Perry. Perry’s power to induce pain doesn’t come with a secondary power. But he’s already a handful, so he doesn’t really need a second power.
The fact is, Perry may not live to see the end of this quest if he keeps playing pranks on Quinn. He says finding the five objects may be his quest but his mission is to get Quinn to lighten up. When she yelled at him for taking too long in the shower, Perry posted her cell number on a site for obese and hairy men looking for love called “Suga-Daddy-and-Bae.” Quinn got calls all hours of the night because according to the ad she was a former gymnast who loved vegetable oil and was “up for anything.”
I’ve gotten to know Langston a little bit more by talking about her favorite subject—Langston. Her beauty routine can sometimes take forever. This became an issue when Perry was scheduled to go out on a date with a vampire. Langston had taken so long in the bathroom the sun came up. Perry was so pissed; we could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. That was the first time I saw Quinn truly laugh.
Another team member who, like Perry, makes me laugh, is Remedy. She is the most random girl you’ll ever encounter. We call her “Zoom” because she can’t sit still. She is always doing something wild and bizarre. Unlike her twin, who seems fairly calm and centered. One night Remy (or Zoom) landed on the roof of the loft, ran down the steps as if she were on fire, and shouted, “Incoming!” The moment Mason heard that, he brough
t out his sword, and soon the team was armed and ready to tackle the danger.
It turns out she was being chased by a six ogres, a pissed-off centaur, and a pack of Goth style pixies. The team fought them off and managed to get them to retreat. Mason demanded an explanation. Remy, dressed in her signature tan-colored leather jacket and shades, just shook her head and said, “Guys, if you’re ever in Casablanca and a one-eyed banshee named “Trix” asks you to hold her spot in line for a rooster fight, say no.”
Although Remy is the most bizarre member of the team, the one I don’t get is Mason. He’s soft-spoken but there’s a quiet strength in his voice. And when the team gets out of hand, one word from Mason will stop everyone cold. No matter what is going on, they all take his final word as law. It’s the way they were brought up. He doesn’t take advantage of his rank but the team knows better than to second-guess him.
I found out he has super strength when he lifted a parked car that was blocking us above his head. But that’s about all I found out. I can’t get a fix on him. I try to spend some time with him, but he’s always busy with something. It’s like he’s trying to avoid me. Sometimes, he treats me with a cool distance. It’s like he wants this whole thing to hurry up and be over so he won’t have to put up with me. But on the other hand, he’s never rude and there are times I catch him sneaking a lingering glance my way. But then again, maybe I’m wrong. I mean, I’m also the genius who thought a demon was an angel.
When Monday came around, and we headed back to school, I thought I could introduce them to some of my friends, but it turns out they didn’t need my help. In fact, the team made more friends in a few hours than I have in the three years I’ve been at Gordon Parks High. But I have to give the team credit: no matter what goes on, their main focus is the quest. They are on edge because we have yet to get some kind of sign to let us know what the first object is that we have to find.
The team and I have headed to the bookshop every day for week now, and every day, nothing out of the ordinary has happened. In a strange way, I want the quest to start as soon as possible so I can push Kane away from my mind completely. But again, there is nothing pointing me towards my first quest. We call Sadie for days and have yet to hear anything back. I was able to get a text from her saying she’d be coming by and that I should be taking my lessons with Quinn very seriously.
My lessons…
So far I have had two lessons with Quinn and I can officially say that there is no worse torture. She has given me stacks of books to read about spells and the history of witches and a slew of strange objects I have to go off and buy. The first lesson was about learning to connect to and harness my powers. She said I have access to different kinds of magic but I can’t use them without knowing the basics. She said we would start with elemental magic. The first thing I would learn to summon was fire. Well, heat. And then we would build that into actual flames. So, I “channeled” my energy, followed the directions in the book of spells she called “Witch’s Bone.” I focused as hard as I could and looked at the glass jar full of water. All I had to do was get it to boil over. I couldn’t.
Then I had my second lesson and well…nothing. And now I’m standing in the kitchen, ready for my third session. I’ve done the required reading and I feel more certain. So, I stand back and look at the jar of water.
Boil, you son of a bitch! Boil!
Nothing.
This time Quinn actually has to walk away to keep herself from going off on me. I tell her I watched every episode of Charmed on TV but she isn’t very impressed. I tell her that Sadie is coming and that maybe she can help me focus, and Quinn loses it.
“Sadie’s coming?! Are you sure? Did she say that?” Quinn asks.
“Yeah, she texted me.”
“ARGH!!!” she says as she storms out of the room.
Seriously, what is that girl’s deal?
The fact is Quinn has been working hard to help me, but I’m still not getting it. I feel like a complete loser. I grab the jar and head up to my room. I try again and again for the next three hours.
Frustrated, I hurl the glass jar filled with water out the door. It nearly takes Mason’s head off as he comes down the hallway. Thankfully with his quick reflexes, he’s able to dodge it just in time. The glass hits the wall and shatters, spraying water everywhere.
“Oh no! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” I assure him from the doorway.
“It’s okay. In this house you get used to girls throwing things,” he jokes.
“I was working on my elemental powers,” I reply.
“And I see it’s going very well.”
“Yeah, and that’s the highlight of my day.”
“Can I come in?” he asks.
“Yeah, sure,” I reply, moving out of the way so he can enter. He closes the door behind him. We’ve always been surrounded by members of the team, but now, the two of us are alone in the same room for the first time. I look at his impeccably sculpted body. My heart races, my mouth dries, and I find it nearly impossible to look away from him.
His dark blond hair has natural highlights and is worn in a spiky high fade. He’s just about the same height as Kane and equally toned. His face couldn’t have been carved out by anyone other than Orah, because it’s absolute heaven: from his sterling gray eyes to his chiseled nose and masculine jawline. And then there’s his mouth…
“How are things going with you and Quinn?” he asks.
“That’s like asking how oil feels about water.”
“Quinn is a brilliant witch. She can be hard to take but she’s a really good teacher.”
“It’s hard to learn from someone who kind of hates you,” I reply.
“She doesn’t hate you. She’s just dealing with the ‘mom’ stuff, you know?”
“No. What ‘mom’ stuff?” I ask.
“You don’t know about Quinn?”
“What about her?”
“Wow…she knows so much about you. I thought you would have heard about her.”
“I didn’t. Tell me.”
“For most of her life, Quinn has had to share her mother with you in a way.”
“Wait… Are you saying—”
“Sadie is Quinn’s mom.”
“But they look nothing alike,” I reply.
“Quinn’s dad is Korean and Chinese. She got his features.”
“Sadie never told me she had a daughter my age.”
“Maybe not, but Quinn heard all about you. And I think that was kind of hard for her.”
“She hates me because her mom looked out for me?”
“Something like that. Give her some time. She’ll warm up to you, like we all have.”
“Have you warmed up to me? You kind of avoid me,” I reply.
“What? No. We’re here on a quest. Not a vacation, so it’s important to stay focused.”
“So I haven’t offended you somehow?”
“No. But you look like the kind of girl that could derail things.”
“Derail things like what—afternoon plans?”
“Lives. You could derail many lives. You could probably take the very universe off course with that smile,” he says mostly to himself as he studies my lips.
“So you’re staying away from me?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the only reason I’m staying away.”
“What’s the other reason?”
“The same reason you are having trouble with your powers. Your mind is somewhere else—with someone else.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I reply, growing angry.
“Lissy, I’ve tried to get you to understand just how lethal Kane can be, but nothing I’ve said has worked. Maybe you just like darkness and cruelty. I don’t know. But you need to try harder and erase all thoughts of Kane—every single last one. Because make no mistake about it, he doesn’t give a damn about you.”
“I’m not thinking about him at all. What is it with everyone? I said I was done with the subject
of Kane and I meant it. You guys are the ones that keep bringing him up.”
“So you never even think about Kane anymore? That’s what you want us to believe?”
“It’s the truth.”
“Really?” he pushes.
“Yes! I don’t give a damn about Kane. I don’t care if he lives or dies,” I vow.
“That might be a little easier to believe if you didn’t moan his name every night.”
***
“Saudia! Is it true?” I ask as she tidies up the kitchen just moments after my talk with Mason.
“Well…”
“Tell me, have I been calling out for Kane in my sleep?” I ask. Perry enters the kitchen, grabs a bag of chips, and starts laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
“You asking if you called out for Kane. You did more than that. I mean, it was kind of hot. I’m thinking about charging tickets to your show,” he teases.
“If I am calling out for Kane it’s because I’m flashing back to when we were on the run and I want him to…help me,” I reply.
“He ‘helped’ you all right,” Perry says suggestively.
“Leave her alone!” Saudia scolds as she grabs the dishtowel and tries to shove Perry out of the kitchen. I can hear Perry calling out for Kane in my voice as he’s thrown out of the room.
“Kane! Kane! Come and help me. Yes, help me all night!” Perry teases. I hear Quinn laughing at me in the hallway. I sit at the counter, slump forward, and place my forehead on the countertop. Saudia comes over and strokes my hair gently.
“It wasn’t that bad. You just called out his name a few times,” she says. I dare to look up from my own personal hell and ask questions.
“How many times?” I ask.
“Only two—five—seven—all night,” she says reluctantly.
“ARGH! ““All this time, why didn’t you guys say anything?” I ask.
“We didn’t want you to feel bad,” she says.
“This is so humiliating.”
“It’s okay. Trust me; we’ve all fallen for guys who weren’t right for us.”