by Abra Ebner
“What? With Greg?” I grabbed her arm.
My heart stopped as a weak feeling pulsed through my bones. I hadn’t talked to Emily since Monday, but it was no surprise that something was up. Wes was gone from classes for the third day in a row, and Emily’s makeup application had gone back to normal. I would be blind not to notice. I just had bigger issues to be concerned with, and my sister’s psychic abilities were sort of at the bottom of the list, as crazy at that seemed.
“Earth to Jane,” She said it in a bratty tone—like she always did. She snatched her arm out of my grip. “You are so impossible,” she groaned, shaking her head.
I snapped out of it. “Did you see them together?”
She snorted, her face dramatic, like it was when she talked with her friends and was about to announce a juicy bit of gossip. “See them together? Jane, I had a hard time discerning that there were two people in that heap of limbs. They were practically doin’ it in the courtyard.”
“What?” I gasped. I felt my stomach twist. I knew as well as anyone that Greg was dangerous. He was a murderer. A member of some dark cult I never hoped to come face to face with, though that’s hardly my luck.
She nodded gravely, and then pouted. “I was going to go for him too!” She stamped her foot like a two-year-old. “What is it with you guys? Is there some perfume you’re wearing that I need to know about? Why do you get all the hotties? You’re not even…”
I knew she wanted to add the fact that my sister and I weren’t even hot to begin with, but I saw her swallow her words. I tuned her out, not caring about her trivial pursuits.
What was Greg up to?
I began to wonder where Max was as I scanned the hall. He had met me at my locker everyday after class, but today he was late. Liz was now humming to herself as we stood together, the halls empty.
She grew bored of the fact I wasn’t giving in to her whines for attention. “Well, I better get home,” she finally announced.
I nodded, too concerned to respond. She walked away, not all too concerned with me, either.
“Max, where are you?” I whispered under my breath, feeling dread wash over me, my head alive with notions.
Max:
I silently stormed up behind Greg, my jaw fixed. He was sauntering in a way I knew meant he was up to something, pleased with some sort of evil plan. I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and threw him into a locker, just before he turned the corner to meet with Emily.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
He smiled at me, though I had him choked against the wall. “Fitting in like you are, Brother.” His answer sounded rehearsed and hollow. He was hiding his thoughts away from me.
I pressed my arm harder against his neck. “I know you well enough to know that’s not the case. What are you doing with Emily?”
Greg laughed. “Isn’t… it cute?” His words were choked as my arm pressed against his voice box. “We’re dating sisters, Max. It’s kind of… sexy.”
I let go of Greg and he fell to the ground in a pile of black leather. He rubbed his neck with his hand, leaning his head against the locker, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that I wanted to kill him. He knew better than to think I’d give up being with Jane for that.
“That hurt,” he pouted.
I shook my head. “You’re an angel, Greg. Give up the act.”
He stopped rubbing his neck and stood. “Oh, yeah, you’re right!” He was being sarcastic. “For a moment, I almost thought I was human again. It must be all this pretending.” He narrowed his eyes, his face close to mine, menacing me.
My whole body was rigid, my fists tight at my sides.
“I can do what I want, Max.” He smiled at me. “You should really try to show me a bit more brotherly love. I’m stronger than you, yet you don’t see me throwing you around.”
I wanted nothing more than to hit Greg, but I knew how much that would hurt me.
“Now you know how it feels, Max. How it feels to be the weak little brother, the poor outcast of the family that didn’t fit in. You were all so cute together, the perfect unit, if not for me,” he spat. “Oh, and perhaps that stupid alchemist.”
I took a deep breath, calming myself and keeping my emotions in check. “We loved you, Greg. We tried to make you see it, but you refused. You wanted to believe we hated you, but we didn’t. It’s all in your head. You just want to be angry. You just want a reason to hate—just like you want a reason now.”
He laughed once. “Love. There was no love. I envied you, Brother. I saw the way Mother’s eyes glimmered when she held you, a glimmer that never came when she held me. If I were the first born, then I would have been the one to steal her heart, but no, you had to beat me to it.” He was shaking his head with jealousy. “You got everything, Max. But now—now I’ll take everything you care about in return, starting with what’s left of Jane’s family.”
“Leave her family alone,” I warned. “Leave Emily alone.”
He chuckled, straightening his leather jacket on his shoulders. “I won’t harm her, Brother. Emily’s far too much of a talent to simply throw away. It’s not everyday you come across a natural mind reader. I’m just going to teach her.”
I exhaled hard, my heart pumping cold hate into my blood. “Do not convert her, Greg. You know what that does.”
He shook his head. “She wants to be like me. I know she does. Who wouldn’t? And with her on my side, we’ll be unstoppable.”
Emily couldn’t protect herself against his mind control. She didn’t know what she was getting into. Someone circled the corner then, and I turned my head, seeing Emily glaring at me. Her eyes were dark, her mind so wrapped in Greg’s lies, that she was losing hold of herself.
Her thoughts screamed at me, gripping and tightening their hold on my brain. I winced.
Greg pushed me away from him. “See, Max. She likes it.”
I looked at Emily, begging for her to stop as the shrill sound pulsed through my bones like electricity. I tried to cover my ears, but it did nothing. I pleaded with my eyes but her lips remained a concentrated line. Her face was already turning white with death, her talents heightened by the addition of evil.
“She… does not… understand…” I gasped.
Emily stopped the attack on my mind, allowing me to speak.
I was breathing hard. “You have her so doped up, Greg.” I pointed at Emily. “This is not Emily. This is you inside her head, like a puppeteer.”
Greg shrugged. “What’s wrong with that? It’s nice to have control.” He advanced toward me, backing me against the locker on the other side of the hall. “Too bad you let the intensity of your power fade, Max. If only you had come with me and taken lives, you could have had the same power she will have.” He looked upon Emily with pride. “This is just a taste of what’s to come, Max. When I’m done with her, you’ll wish you never came back. You’ll wish you remained on that dreary mountain, all alone. No pathetic teenage love affair will justify the destruction you’ve brought upon her family.”
“No matter how many souls you recruit, you will still be lonelier than I ever will be, Greg. No one loves you without your manipulation pulsing through them. No one could.” My words were filled with spite.
He laughed. “So, you admit it? Our family never loved me.” He drew in a breath of air. “Good to know the truth.”
I shook my head. “You’re delusional, Greg.” I did not want to play this game, not again.
Jane:
Something felt increasingly wrong as I stood against the locker, watching the clock on the wall slowly tick, counting the seconds of Max’s tardiness. He was now fifteen minutes late, and since he always made a point to be punctual, it concerned me.
Maybe he’d decided I was no longer worth the chase. Maybe he’d finally seen that all I am is human, while he was suspended in a never-ending purgatory. Who was I kidding to believe we could be together? Like a flowering spring tree, things were destined to come to a natural end.
I heard the sound again, a shrill twang of dread hanging like a weight inside my heart. My sneakers gripped the linoleum as I took off at a run down the hall, my brown hair fanning out behind me. The school had a series of halls shaped into an ‘H’, each lined with identical beige lockers. I slid around the corner as my sneakers fought for traction. Images began to flash across my mind, dark ghosts, and the decaying faces of people I didn’t know.
I ran faster, seeing Emily amongst the faces—her eyes void of life, the glow of her soul leaving her body. I turned another corner, and that’s when I saw them. I halted abruptly, nearly falling back as Max’s pained eyes met mine. I looked to Emily as she stared at Max, and finally, my eyes rested on Greg. I threw myself at him before I gave them a moment to explain, my fists flailing at his face before a scream erupted in my head. I was crippled to the ground, grasping my ears as the fingers of the sound burrowed into my brain.
Greg laughed. “Look who’s finally made it to the party!”
I looked up at him with teary eyes, my gaze flickering to Emily. I furrowed my brow as she stared at me, her expression fixed. Nothing about her face seemed at all familiar. Her eyes were blank and dark, her skin drained of life. I recognized the scream in my head, knowing it was hers. I tried to force it away, but found no relief. Not knowing what else to do to break her concentration, I swung my leg out to trip her. She fell to the ground with a thud, falling like dead weight. The screaming ceased.
Max rushed over to me, grabbing my face in his hands and looking me in the eyes, “Jane, are you alright?”
I nodded, the pressure in my head slowly beginning to subside. “Yes, I’m fine,” I motioned for him to tend to Emily. He left my side, his cool grip lingering on my hot skin. Sitting up, I saw that Emily was rolling on the ground, moaning to herself.
Max hovered over her, touching her face and looking her in the eyes. He had a concerned expression on his face. “Emily.” He shook her gently, but she did not respond. “Emily.” He shook harder, but all she could do was moan.
Greg leaned against the locker, looking annoyed. “She’s fine.”
Max searched her pockets, retrieving a pill bottle from her coat. He popped the lid open and looked inside. His expression twisted into a grimace, a look of both recognition and dread on his face.
I glared at Greg. “What did you do to her?” I hissed.
Greg snapped his fingers and Emily pulled herself away from Max, now pushing her body off the floor as though controlled by a force that wasn’t her own. She stumbled over to Greg, slowly straightening out and standing tall. Her eyes rolled back into her head for a moment before refocusing. Greg put his arm around her frail frame, grasping her tightly. She tilted her head, her eyes reflecting the same dark stare Greg’s had—soulless.
Max stood, offering me a hand as he lifted me off the ground. I walked up to Emily.
“Emily?” I tried to take her hand, but she shied away from me. Her fingers slipped through mine, cold and clammy. I tilted my head, glaring at Greg.
He raised his brows. “See, she’s fine. And she’s with me now.” His eyes looked straight through me. “Maybe if you had treated her like a beloved sister, and not an inconvenience, then perhaps she wouldn’t have turned on you.”
Emily smiled, leaning her head against Greg’s shoulder.
I swallowed hard. Max reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers and grasping tightly. His touch gave me a sense of comfort, as though telling me he would solve this, but for now, we needed to go. He began to pull me away from them, but my feet refused to move.
“Come on, Jane. We’ll get her back, I promise,” he whispered.
Greg smirked at Max’s words, treating it like a challenge.
My stand was firm, but Max’s grip on my hand was firmer. My feet began to move as though unattached to my body. I couldn’t stop staring at Emily, hoping that she would snap out of it, wishing she’d run into my arms where I could comfort her. I reached toward her one last time. “Emily, please,” I whispered.
There was a flicker in her eye, and for a moment I thought I’d found her, but Greg’s influence was too strong. Her eyes quickly flooded with a black that was deeper than ever. We rounded a corner and they disappeared from my view. A tear fell from my eye.
How could I have let her down?
This was entirely my fault.
Max:
I helped Jane into the car and buckled her in. Her face was blank, the rose of her skin replaced with a morbid white. She looked at me with fawn eyes, the weakness of her spirit filling me with guilt.
“It’s going to be okay, Beautiful.” I tried to reassure her, rubbing her arm.
Jane’s eyes squeezed shut, tears pouring down her cheeks. I leaned in, kissing her tears away, the saltiness a reminder of what it was like to be alive.
“I promise,” I whispered against her skin.
She tried to nod, but her body shook too hard. Brushing the hair from her face, I shut the door and walked to the driver side. I got in, glancing at her, my thoughts filled with concern.
“How is it going to be okay, Max?” Her voice was breaking my heart. “How?”
I started the car. “There is something we can do,” I reassured her. “But we need to find your friend, Wes. We’re going to need his help. He is the only one with the ability to go in unnoticed.”
I felt her relax a little, forced to gather her emotions. “I haven’t seen Wes in days,” She whimpered. “I don’t know where he is.”
I pulled out of the lot, taking her home, knowing that my house was no longer safe. “He’s gone rogue, but I can easily hunt him down. He’s new at this. He’ll be simple to find.”
She nodded, wiping the last tears from her face. “What can I do to help?”
I touched her hand as it sat on her leg. “Keep your thoughts open. Your dreams can help give us clues. Greg will not show up in them again, you have the ring, but Emily still might—she shares your blood. She will be drawn to you, because she trusts you to help her as you always have.” I squeezed her hand, feeling her fear. “That girl in there wasn’t your sister, Jane. Greg has her brainwashed and drugged. We will get her back.”
I hoped my words were reassuring enough. I’d dealt with this before, but I didn’t want her to know that. It hadn’t ended well for the girl, but I knew what it was I’d done wrong, and that was to try and do it by myself. Wes loved both sisters, and I needed to use that love against Greg. Wes’s abilities would provide us with the perfect cover, and the perfect poison.
* * *
There was a splash in the ocean, and the man looked up over the brim of his newspaper. The man saw nothing, shrugging it off and going back to his reading. Another minute passed when he heard the splash again.
The man quickly laid his paper down, jumping to his feet to swiftly set the shield around him, but he was too late. The dark figure stood before him, one arm preventing the shield from sealing shut.
The man’s heart surged to life, knowing that no amount of sorcery could save him now.
“So this is it. You’re finally going to kill me?” the man asked.
The Black Angel laughed. “No, I won’t…” a girl walked out from behind him, her eyes as dark as night and her hair as red as hell itself. She was in transition. “But she will.” There was a dagger in her hand.
The girl approached the man. He shut his eyes. Before he knew it, the sharp object entered his side. It was all over. Now, he was in a better place, a safer place. Here, there would be no more hiding. He hoped the girl knew that; he hoped the girl understood that his murder had done him a great favor.
&n
bsp; He was in the arms of the woman he loved once more…
* * *
Wes:
I cleaned my paws after another hunting trip in the woods, the bones of a deer lying beside me. My tongue combed over my smooth grey fur, the taste of the meat lingering between the pads. I heard a snap of a branch overhead and looked up, my satisfied purr coming to a halt. My ears were perked and my cougar eyes sharpened. I waited for a moment, but there were no further sounds. I flicked my tail, licking my jowls as I moaned and rolled onto my side.
I lazed in the leaves before extending up to my feet. Leaning all my weight onto my back paws, I stretched my front paws before me and then leaned forward to stretch the back. I yawned, eyeing the deer carcass with fond memories of the vigorous hunt.
It was then that something came crashing through the trees overhead, landing beside me as the forest floor shook. Leaves fell delicately in its wake. I hissed and hunched to the ground, my ears flat against my head.
As the debris settled, I saw a figure of a man, a man that tickled my memories. A low growl escaped my lips. I scanned his familiar build, surprised to see a large set of wings sprouting from his back.
I squinted, feeling a pang of hate, mixed with a long lost memory. I circled him, every muscle in my body tight and ready to pounce. He stood tall, crossing his arms against his chest as the wings on his back relaxed.
“Wes,” he addressed me with a name, one that seemed to belong to some part of me I no longer knew. “I know that’s you, Wes.” He looked down at me from over his nose, saying the name for a second time.