Last Descendants (Vitarian Chronicles Volume 2)

by S. L. Watson

  I searched the room again, my eyes trailing over people dressed in costumes in preparation for the ball later, and others wearing their normal attire. Maybe Lucas had gone to the bathroom. I made eye contact with Jasper and mouthed, “Lucas?”

  Jasper shrugged and shook his head, then stuffed something from his plate into his mouth.

  I shimmied over to my mom and Darion. “Has something happened?” I kept my voice low so as not to worry Piper, who was still consumed with her coloring sheet. “I bumped into the sheriff, who left in a hurry.”

  My mom motioned me closer. “A body’s been found. The sheriff got called away. But Darion overheard pieces of the conversation and mention of a symbol being carved into the forehead.”

  “What?” My stomach dropped.

  Darion handed me a folded piece of paper. “I glimpsed the picture sent to the sheriff’s phone as I passed him.”

  I unfolded the paper and stared at the dotted symbol. Something about the formations of the dots seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place it. I quickly folded the paper and shoved it back at Darion. I swallowed hard to fight off the wave of nauseous bubbles. “How could someone do that to another person?” My voice shook. “Why?” I mumbled, thinking of the loved ones who were about to find out about their loss.

  “It has to be Vitarian.” Darion talked in such a hushed whisper that I could barely hear him. “But I don’t recognize the symbol. Most likely a rune of dark magic.”

  The three of us shared a look as if the same thought ran through our minds. “The Spider Witch,” I breathed.

  Death, destruction, and chaos. It’s started.

  The remainder of the party continued in a mechanical blur. I accepted gifts, offered thanks, and we cut the cake, though Darion, my mom, and I had no appetite for cake or any other food.

  My mom quietly updated Calista and Selkie about the call the sheriff had received, and they each took a turn studying the symbol Darion had sketched. No one seemed to know exactly what the symbol was used for, but Darion was sure it had the markings of dark magic.

  Lucas was still nowhere to be seen. I tried his cell again with no answer and typed a quick text.

  U ok? Where are u?

  Finally I spotted him through the sliding glass doors, which had been rolled open.

  What were you doing, Lucas?

  He walked toward the café from the waterfront park. He stood out in the sea of other costumed people moving along the street, since Crocodile Dundee hadn’t been mainstream in a couple of decades. A gust of wind blew his cowboy hat off his head, but he caught it in midair and dangled it in one hand instead of putting it back on.

  I rushed outside. “Hey, where’d you go?” My breath hitched when Lucas avoided eye contact with me, something he’d never done before.

  “Just for a walk to get some air.” His tone was unusually cool.

  I thought to reach for his hand but instead asked, “Do you want some cake?” It sounded lame even to my own ears.

  Someone bumped into me from behind, shoving me forward into Lucas’s arms. He caught me but held me at a distance. When his eyes locked on mine, I knew he’d seen me with Arden. My insides twisted as if someone were wringing them out. The only words I could think of were death, chaos, destruction.

  I shook myself. “Lucas, I—”

  He dropped his hands from me. “I need to find Jasper. I’m supposed to practice with him and Ty before we play the show tonight.”

  Crap! I’d nearly forgotten all about the annual Halloween ball and our meeting with Freya Moon tonight. This day had really taken a nosedive.

  “Lucas,” I tried again, but Jasper and Ty came up behind him.

  A neon-green hand clapped Lucas on the back. “Let’s go, buddy,” Jasper announced. “It’s time to jam.”

  “Woo-hoo!” Ty hollered as he and Jasper dragged Lucas away into the parking lot. They were nearly to Jasper’s mom’s car, which he routinely borrowed when he drove more than himself.

  “Wait!” I called, and caught up to Lucas. “Can we talk later? I need to explain.”

  An awkward silence hung between us. Lucas started to turn but stopped. He spun back and pulled me into his arms, warming my body against his.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “Later,” he said, then took off to catch up with Jasper and Ty.

  I watched him go with a pang of guilt and confusion. Things had felt right with Lucas before. But now that Arden was back … everything had changed in an instant. What was I going to do? My shoulders slumped as I went back inside, unable to pretend that terrible things weren’t happening.

  The party finally ended, and my lips relaxed from their false smile. Darion stayed behind to help Molly and Selkie’s catering crew clean up, while I left with my mom. She’d agreed to drop Piper with her grandparents and dropped me off at home on her way. A few hours remained before our planned meeting with Freya at her shop, and there was someone I wanted to see.

  I barely remembered the drive when I pulled up to the warehouse that appeared to be abandoned to anyone who wasn’t Vitarian. My body jostled in my seat as my car bounced over the bumpy ground until I found a spot to park in the grassy field. The music never stopped at the club. Whether patrons came by portal or not, there were always partygoers at any time of day, and Neil believed in providing entertainment whenever it was needed. Windows rattled in the vehicles I walked past, and the ground practically vibrated with the bass coming from the club.

  I paused inside the foyer and glanced around.

  Where is the front-desk attendant?

  Neil never left the entrance unguarded. If he wasn’t perched behind the counter himself, hired help would sit in his place. I walked through the red velvet curtain leading into the main part of the club, and a blast of bass vibrated across my skin like an indoor breeze. I scanned the space for Neil, but it was impossible to make out a single person in the wave of bodies moving on the dance floor in such low light.

  Hmm … Neil could be upstairs in his flat, where he lived above his club. I turned to head in that direction when a voice echoed in my mind: “My queen.”

  I spun around. “Neil!” I threw my arms around his neck and bumped his glasses out of place.

  His shoulders shook with laughter. He ignored his lopsided glasses, which he wore for effect and not necessity, and hugged me back. “Darling! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the ball with your hunk of a date? And please”—he leaned back and waved his arm all diva-like—“tell me I’m not a matchmaker made in heaven,” he joked.

  When I looked down at my feet, he said, “Ahh … I see.” He scratched his chin. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  I shrugged.

  “Come on, sweet thing. Let’s go upstairs.”

  Neil’s flat was a full one-eighty from the club downstairs. Bright and cheery with white and soft gray tones. Sleek modern furniture decorated the open, airy space, which Neil kept extremely tidy. The only thing that ever littered the room was stacks of books.

  Since not everyone had Neil’s ability to mentally block out external noise, he’d had the flat designed with incredible soundproofing so you couldn’t hear a peep of the music bouncing off the walls below.

  I plopped down on the white couch, which was more comfortable than it looked, and leaned back into the cushion with my eyes closed.

  I felt Neil sit down next to me. He waited quietly until he was sure I was ready to talk. When I finally cracked open an eye and sighed, he said, “Has the Aussie done something untoward? If he has, the glasses are coming off,” Neil joked, or maybe he wasn’t joking. His expression was pretty serious when I opened both eyes and looked over at him.

  I covered my face with my hands, not caring if I smudged my mascara. “Lucas didn’t do anything wrong. He’s perfect. It’s me. I’ve done something. I’m so terrible. Argh!” I moaned, and scooted farther back on the cushion. I kicked off my shoes and tucked my legs up in a cross-legged position.
“Arden’s back.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, and I’m sure Lucas saw me kiss him today.” I grabbed a cushion and buried my face in it.

  “Double oh.”

  “I’m a horrible person, Neil.” The cushion muffled my voice.

  Neil slipped the cushion from my grasp. “Come here.” He pulled me over to him, and I laid my head on his shoulder while we both leaned back against the stuffed cushions. “You’re not a horrible person.” He smoothed my hair.

  “If you had seen the look on Lucas’s face, you’d think otherwise. I hurt him. And the worst part is I can’t say I wouldn’t do it again. When I’m near Arden, it’s like everything else vanishes, and it’s just the two of us. I don’t know what to do. I care about Lucas.”

  Neil mussed my hair. “I’ve known Lucas a few years now. He’s a good guy. He’s honest and understanding, which is why I trust him to manage one of my bars. He doesn’t strike me as the unforgiving type. But your dilemma goes beyond apologies.” Neil gave it to me straight.

  “I know that I’ve never stopped loving Arden. But after he left, we agreed that I should live my life as normally as possible before I have to give it all up. I was angry when I first read Arden’s letter, but over this past year, Lucas has really been there for me in every way, and somewhere along the line, my feelings toward him have grown. I thought … I don’t know … that I could finally move on from Arden. But after seeing him today and being near him again, it all came rushing back. I’m in love with him, Neil. And I know he’s only here temporarily, but I don’t care if we can’t see each other every day. I want to be with him.”

  “Wow, honey. That’s huge.” Neil clapped his hand over mine. “I think you know what you need to do.”

  I nodded into Neil’s shoulder. “I’ll talk to Lucas tonight, after the ball.” My eyes burned, but I forced the tears back as a lump settled in my chest. I hated the thought of hurting Lucas, but if I didn’t end things now, I’d only hurt him more in the future.

  We sat quietly a moment. The view outside Neil’s tall windows was all massive trees filled with creatures that lived simple lives, not knowing the burden of loving more than one person and needing to choose between them.

  Neil’s breath brushed the top of my hair. “Why did Arden come back?”

  Neil’s question reminded me of the meeting with Freya tonight. I reached for my bag and checked the time on my phone. Shoot! I sat up. If I didn’t leave soon, I wouldn’t have time to get ready.

  I uncrossed my legs and tapped my feet around the floor in search of my shoes. “My mom sent a letter to Felix. Some things have happened in the last couple of days, and they’re not good.”

  Neil quirked a brow and waited.

  I ran my hands through my hair, smoothing the frizz I felt floating above my head.

  “Long story short, Calista went to Bali under the guise of taking a vacation while attending some rare markets. But she was actually searching for someone who might have knowledge about the curse linking Darion and me.”

  Neil nodded like he was following along.

  “She met a witch called the Spider Witch.” I paused to see if that name meant anything to Neil. No signs of recognition crossed his face, so I continued. “This witch is known for practicing all types of ancient Earth magic. Calista found her, or rather, the Spider Witch found Calista. She gave Cal a tarot reading, and—” I shuddered at the memory of the Spider Witch’s warning. I held my cheek, remembering the raw power of her cool touch.

  Neil’s eyes narrowed. “Go on,” he urged.

  “The Spider Witch warned of a grave threat that will bring with it devastation.”

  Neil sat erect. “Anything else?”

  I nodded. Neil deserved to know everything. “My mom used her power to retrieve the memory of the reading, only the Spider Witch expected this. She gave Calista the cards from the reading, but Cal didn’t know the witch had spelled them. While Calista was in her trance, the witch channeled through her. She warned not to ‘give him what he wants.’ Then the rest was all riddles: light will be consumed by dark, and the answer is written in the stars.” I threw up my hands.

  “Then Lucas showed up with new photos of the man from the pictures you gave me last year.”

  Neil tilted his head.

  “The ones Lucas brought were taken recently, just this past week. We’re positive it’s the same man who sat with Creagan in the original photo.”

  “Did Lucas get his name or remember what he looks like?”

  I got up and went to the window. Leaves the color of apricot and pumpkin swirled in the air as they fell from branches above.

  “Whoever it was wiped his memory.”

  Neil joined me at the window. “I have more bad news. It may be a coincidence.”

  My stomach twisted. “What is it?”

  “Well, the reason I wasn’t able to make it to your party today, and you know I wouldn’t have missed it for anything less than an emergency.” He ran his hands through his short black hair, causing strands to stand straight up, and for the first time since I’d known Neil, he actually seemed stressed.

  I put my hand on his shoulder. The lines smoothed around his eyes as he relaxed.

  He smiled and placed a hand on top of mine. “Someone intercepted my delivery of the ever leaves. It was a substantial delivery, and I’m out loads of dollars and favors on that shipment, and nearly out of current stock for the club.”

  “What would anybody want with an enormous shipment of ever leaves?” I knew the ever trees embodied magic and that the oils from the leaves contained hallucinogens, but my knowledge of the magic of Aenoas-Vita was still sparse.

  Neil answered patiently. “The leaves in that quantity could create massive spells. Ones that aren’t good.” His dark eyes settled on me. “When Arden finds out about this, he’ll shut me down. You barely persuaded him last time to cut me a break.”

  Neil was right. Arden had been ready to pack Neil’s operations up and haul him back to Aenoas-Vita for his illegal smuggling. If he found out about this, Neil would be done for.

  “I won’t say anything to Arden.”

  Neil’s posture relaxed.

  “For now,” I added.

  “I understand, my queen.”

  “Neil, I’ve told you not to address me that way. You’re my friend, and you know I only accepted the title out of obligation. It’s not what I want.”

  Neil glanced around his flat like he was about to lose it all, then shook himself and folded his hands around mine. “Well, you’d better get used to it, because you are a queen. And whether you want it or not, you were born to rule.”

  I kissed Neil on the cheek. “I have to go. And don’t worry about Arden. If he finds out, I’ll talk to him. I am queen, after all.” I winked at Neil and hurried out.

  4

  My mom, Darion, and I left the house dressed in our costumes. Our moods lacked the usual excitement that came with attending the Halloween ball, and a bleak silence filled the car as we drove to Freya’s.

  I fiddled with the fringing at the hem of my dress. Three months ago, I’d been in love with the sequined black flapper getup that now just felt cumbersome and itchy. I adjusted the black feathered headband that pressed at my temples. A tension headache brewed as I wondered why I thought this outfit had ever been a good idea.

  I cracked the window, letting in a wisp of cool October breeze, and tried to relax. I had no idea what to expect when we got to Freya’s and just hoped she’d have some answers about the Spider Witch.

  Darion reached over from the back seat and squeezed the top of my shoulder. Of course he sensed my unease. The curse made it impossible for either of us not to know certain things about each other, which we determined was how Siobhan had always stayed one step ahead of him.

  He hadn’t known then that he was linked to Siobhan through a curse she’d conjured when she’d stolen him from our mother’s womb. She’d created a barrier so the benefits were one-sided.


  Darion and I hadn’t been so lucky with such an attempt. We assumed that the fact that we were twins had something to do with the magic creating a stronger bond between us than it had between him and Siobhan. The spell we’d concocted helped minimally while in each other’s presence. At a distance, it worked much better.

  We turned onto Freya’s block, but cars lined the street. It was no surprise, since the town blocked off the main downtown streets to vehicles every year for Halloween festivities.

  After circling the block a few times, we found a spot and parked. Hundreds of costumed bodies crowded the streets, making our short trek take longer than it should have. Kids ran back and forth carrying plastic pumpkins and bags filled with candy as they went to the next house or business for more. The residents along the downtown strip went all out when it came to decorating for Halloween. There wasn’t a bare porch or storefront in sight.

  I jumped and a scream tore from me when one of the props we walked past suddenly came to life and darted toward us, holding a bloodied butcher’s knife. Darion pulled me behind him and blocked the creepy character from coming any closer.

  “Sorry, man.” The mask muffled the man’s words. “It’s Halloween. Chill.”

  I pulled on Darion’s arm. “Come on, Darion. I overreacted. I’m fine. Sorry!” I waved at the man dressed in blue overalls and a hockey mask. “Your costume is great. You really freaked me out.”

  He shook his head and went to torture the next wave of people heading his way.

  Dried leaves crunched under our feet as we continued down the block in a flock of black. We had chosen our color theme completely by coincidence. Darion looked slick in his black Gomez suit, with his raven hair combed back with some type of product that gave it that wet gel look while holding it in place.

  My mom, who seldom wore makeup except for special occasions, had her sapphire eyes lined in kohl, and the surrounding eyelids dusted in gold. She’d flattened her new haircut straight and decorated the top of her head in a metallic gold headband with a red jewel adorning the center, which was a replica of the belt wrapped around the waist of her sparkling black Egyptian dress.