I sighed in frustration. “Ok. I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m acting so weird right now.”
“It’s the sorcery genes. Now, tell me what you’ve got there.”
Oh, yeah. I forgot about the jacket in my crazed state over potion ingredients. “Scott and I went to espy the room I found while I was captured. We found this. It’s my dad’s, and Scott said you may be able to sense something about what happened from it.”
Her hand stretched out for it, and I placed it there carefully. She took it to a smaller table on the other side of the room. I took that as a sign she was to do this alone.
I turned to find Aiden staring at me with a far off look in his eye. “Hey, Aiden. Are you ok?” I asked, truly concerned about his well-being.
“I’m fine. Anna’s been trying to help me. I almost bled to death, but everything’s good now.”
“Bled to death? What?” I asked, moving closer to him. I inspected his face, but didn’t see any cuts. My eyes trailed over his body, but found nothing visible. I caught his eyes, glaring with expectancy. He grinned and held up his hand. It was wrapped in a towel, a small, round blood stain near the tip of his finger. “What happened, Aiden?”
“He pricked his finger, Liv. He’s fine,” Sadie said beside me.
“What do you mean, pricked? That’s more than a prick. Looks like he chopped it all the way off or something.”
“No, she’s right. It was a prick. We don’t know what happened. Anna was trying to find out what happened the last day I remember, and she gave me this tiny pin to poke myself with. The first time, nothing happened. I didn’t bleed at all. The second time, this happened. And it took forever to get it to stop.”
Amazed, I looked at Sadie curiously. She shrugged in response. “I wonder why…” I said.
“I dunno. But looks like we won’t find out what happened today.”
“I’m sorry, Aiden,” I placed a hand on his shoulder. His whole body tensed, and I heard him breathe in sharply. I bent closer to his face, searching for understanding. He wouldn’t look me in the eyes. Hurt, I moved away, dropping my hand from him. I looked at Sadie, who appeared to be angry with us.
I folded my arms, stalking closer to Anna. If Aiden and Sadie wanted to act strange, then I wasn’t sticking around them. Anna’s eyes were closed, and she gripped my dad’s jacket tightly. Her mouth moved soundlessly while her eyelids fluttered. I couldn’t tell if she was casting a spell of sorts or if she was just talking to herself. I looked to the shelf on my left, reading the titles of the hundreds of volumes it contained, when I heard her gasp loudly.
Her body jerked, and the jacket flew out of her hands. It landed directly in front of me, lying across my right foot. I lifted my head, looking at her in surprise. She was shaking all over, her quivering hand covering her mouth. Sadie rushed past me, guiding Anna to a seat. I bent to pick the clothing up, but it burned me. I mean, it burned me. I yelped in pain, dropping it back to the floor.
I watched Anna and Sadie. Sadie didn’t seem all that shocked by the happenings, so I guessed this happened before. Anna was starting to relax. Her features were softer, less terrified. Sadie smoothed her hair back, speaking softly to sooth her. Aiden stared at them, wide eyed. He looked like he was in shock. But from everything that had been happening, no wonder the poor guy was horrified by every little thing that happened.
I softly walked over, careful to not make any startling noises. “What just happened, Sadie?” I whispered to her.
Anna peered at me through thick lashes, her eyes dilated and full of fear. “Dear…oh, Olivia…we have a big problem.”
Aiden
Once again, I had no idea what was happening. It seemed to be the theme of my life these days. Olivia’s parents were missing; all of Scott’s family hated me, except Anna, and Olivia’s friends weren’t too fond of me either. I now bled like crazy if some “sorcerer” told me to prick my finger, and I couldn’t remember anything about what happened to me in the past couple of years. If this wasn’t stress, I really didn’t know what would be.
Anna was being cryptic; telling Olivia over and over there was a problem. She just wouldn’t tell us what the problem was exactly. Of course, Olivia was freaking out at this point. She kept pacing the room, her hands scratching at her arms. I stayed seated, because I honestly had no idea how to help anyone at this point. I could barely help myself.
I caught Sadie’s gaze, raising my brows in question. She shrugged, continuing to stroke her grandmother’s hair and shoulders. She’d been doing this for at least twenty-five minutes now, but Anna was still flipping out. The only thing that would make this situation any worse would be if Scott showed up.
Scott
The steaming hot water from the shower relaxed my muscles, easing the tension away as the water dripped off my body. I hadn’t realized how much stress I’d truly been under until I’d found Livvie. After we traipsed around in the unknown location, I sent Livvie to Grandma’s for assistance. I had something much more important to do. I decided I was taking Livvie out on our first date tonight. What better way to forget our problems for a few hours than to spend some quality time together?
I dressed in my best jeans, cowboy boots, and a buttoned shirt. I chose red, a passionate, flaming color that reminded me of our relationship. After brushing my teeth, gelling the tips of my hair, and conjuring some yellow roses, I called Sadie. Livvie was there, and I had to ask her to go out with me before I did anything else.
Sadie picked up, “Scottie?”
“Hey, Sis. Is Livvie around?”
“Uhh..yeah. Hang on.” Her voice sounded…off. Like she was worried about something, or was in the middle of a serious situation.
“Hello?” Livvie’s voice came on the line. Her voice was usually perky and upbeat, but now it held the same worrisome tone Sadie’s did.
“What’s wrong?”
She didn’t say anything, only sighed.
“Olivia?”
“Scott…don’t freak out or anything, we have it handled…I think. Your grandma…she’s in shock or something? I don’t know. You may want to come over here.”
“I’ll be right there.” I closed the phone, stuffing it into my pocket. I closed my eyes, ready to project my body over to Grandma’s. The initial impact was never felt. My spirit always went first, with my body following. When the two came back together, it was like I was being hit with a ton of bricks. I took a minute to regain my composure, then, rushed to Grandma’s study. I don’t know how I knew that’s where they were, I just did.
The scene in front of me was unexpected. Livvie was pacing the room, chewing on her fingers. Grandma sat in a chair at the table. Sadie stood beside her, petting her from what I could tell. Shaking my head in disbelief, I closed the distance between Livvie and me. She hadn’t even noticed I was there. She walked right into me, grunting when our skin touched. The fire running through me from her touch made my heart beat fifty times faster. My hands circled around her upper arms, squeezing her gently.
She lifted her face, looking at me with wide green eyes. “Scott? When did you get here?” Her eyes devoured me appreciatively.
I was suddenly very glad I’d dressed nicely before asking her on a date. I studied her face, noticing the little wrinkles around her eyes from her worried expression. Her smile wasn’t as bright, her eyes not as sparkly. Something terrible was going on. “I just popped over. What happened? Why is Sadie petting Grandma?” I looked over my shoulder at them, then, back to Livvie with my eyebrows raised.
She giggled quietly, “She’s not petting her. She’s comforting her.”
“Ok…why is Sadie comforting Grandma by petting her?”
She swatted my arm playfully and rolled her eyes. She grinned at me, then, shook her head and took on a more serious expression. “Anna was doing—“ she waved her arms around in the air, “—something with my dad’s jacket and it got really hot, and she’s been freaking out ever since. Keeps saying we have a ‘big problem.’�
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I glanced back, worriedly. “Is she ok?”
“I don’t know…” Livvie admitted.
She was on the verge of tears. I pulled her close, inhaling the clean strawberry scent she gave off. I kissed her forehead and winked. “I’ll go check it out.”
Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I took hurried steps over to my family members. Grandma’s eyes were wide and her lips trembled. My heartbeat quickened. I’d never seen her like this…so…unstable over something. I hugged her to me, holding her tightly to stop the shaking. “Grandma?”
Her eyes seemed to finally recognize me, and she gasped, “Little one! They exist. They really exist. And they have her parents. Oh, Scottie, I don’t know what we’ll do.”
Her voice shook, and her eyes welled with big tears. I surveyed the room, not sure what in the world she was going on about. No one else seemed to have a clue, either.
“Who, Grandma?” I pleaded with her.
Her eyes widened, and she peered into mine closely. “The Destroyers,” she whispered, almost silently.
Olivia
The Destroyers.
The Destroyers.
Those two little words kept playing in my head, over and over again. Anna was beyond freaked out and now I was, too. I didn’t know what they meant, but anything with the word “destroy” couldn’t be good. Scott had paled when she said it, and Sadie looked even worse. Scott had sent me away soon after. He’d looked pained to do it, but he sent Aiden with me. Considering he didn’t remember the last few years, we assumed he didn’t have anywhere to live. So for now, he would have to stay with one of us.
My fist pounded on Juniper’s door. I missed her more than I could ever imagine. I didn’t feel comfortable taking Aiden to Scott’s apartment, and I just couldn’t face going home knowing my parents had been abducted there, so I begged Juniper and Mark to take us in. She was hesitant, but our bond won and she agreed to send Aiden and Mark out for boy time while we talked.
My emotions were scattered all over the place; confusion, hopelessness, desperation, and fatigue. I desperately needed to talk everything over with J. As much as Scott tried, we could never have the bond that J and I share. We were more than friends, more than close. We were sisters.
The door flung open, revealing J in jeans and a fuchsia shirt that complimented her skin perfectly. Her large round eyes were still hard to get used to with the red rim. Her dark curls bounced with her every movement, showing just a flash of pink that matched her shirt. She let out a squeal and grasped me in a strong hug.
“Hey, J,” I croaked out. Her strength had multiplied so much that a tiny squeeze was like being under a ton of rocks.
She peeled off me, grinning slyly. “Sorry. I forget how strong I am now.”
“It’s ok. I’m just grateful you’re still alive. I’ve missed you so much.” I threw my body at her, crushing her to me. She laid one arm around me, careful to not squeeze me too tightly this time.
“I know. Why don’t you two come on in?” She backed away from the entryway, allowing us access.
I turned to Aiden, motioning him in front of me. He looked skeptical, but he eased his way in. He nodded at Juniper, stopping at the table just past her. I followed, shutting the door behind me. Mark sat on the couch, looking uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure what it would take, but I must make them all see that this wasn’t the same Aiden.
“Mark, why don’t you take Aiden out and show him the town? We haven’t had an opportunity to explore yet with all that’s going on.”
Mark’s expression hardened, and his mouth opened to speak. A stern look from Juniper stopped him and he stood. “Ok, Aiden, let’s go. I don’t think we can get out of this.”
Aiden chuckled, “Doesn’t look like it.”
They left and we were finally able to talk. J took a can of soda and an apple from the kitchen on her way out the back door. We stepped out into the blazing sunlight. The warmth heated my skin. I closed my eyes, pressing my face upward to drink in the vitamin D. The rays trailed over my exposed neck, arms, and legs. I sighed, relaxing. I’d been locked up for far too long, and I desperately missed being outside.
I cracked my lids to see Juniper watching me with a smile on her face. I lowered my face, and asked, “What?”
She shook her head, laughing. “Nothing. You’re just really enjoying that sunshine, Liv.”
“I’ve missed it,” I exclaimed, bouncing over to sit with her. The snack and drink were placed in front of me, and I stared at her quizzically.
“I don’t eat much anymore. Thought you might be hungry.”
“J…you have to tell me everything that’s been happening. Like…what can you do? You have powers and stuff, right?”
“I guess…I haven’t really tried much,” she said, a gleam in her eye that told me that wouldn’t be true for long.
“Well…I haven’t either, now that you mention it.” I bit my lip, smiling widely. I nodded my head, and we both jumped up, racing out to her backyard. She won, of course. She stood in the middle of the grass before I was even down the steps. I anxiously hurried towards her, curious about what abilities we both had acquired. “You first.”
She looked around checking for nosy neighbors, then ran around the yard in a blur. She stopped in front of me, lifting me effortlessly. I squealed because I wasn’t expecting it. My feet found their way back to the ground, and J grinned. She flexed her muscles, though there wasn’t much to show. I laughed at her display.
“That’s all I can do…besides only eating every few days and not really sleeping anymore,” she shrugged, like those abilities weren’t much.
“Uh, J…that’s kind of awesome! So far, all I know is I have those visions when I touch humans, I can apparently do a variation of Scott’s dream walking, and I can create fire.”
“Hmm…well, see if you can move things.”
“Ok…how?” I asked with a laugh.
She shrugged again, “I dunno. Mark just kind of looks at something and it moves.”
“Worth a shot, I suppose.” My eyes surveyed the space, looking for something that I could attempt to move. I spotted a Frisbee tucked away in a bush at the edge of the yard. I concentrated on it, trying to will it to move with my mind. I laughed in my head at how ridiculous this was.
“You aren’t doing it right, Liv. You have to focus.”
“Ok, ok.”
I tried again. I closed my eyes, picturing only the Frisbee. The roundness, the color, the location. I imagined it flying into my hand. And that’s when I felt it. I peeked down, and there it was. The plastic toy had found its way to my fingers. I gasped and jumped up and down, grasping J’s arm in excitement. “I moved it, J! I really did it,” I shockingly said.
“That was awesome. Try something else,” she urged.
“Like…?”
“I don’t know…flying or something,” she suggested playfully.
I rolled my eyes at her, moving around to think more clearly. I wandered in a circle, concentrating when I heard a collision. I turned to see Juniper’s face looking guilty and shocked. “What was that?” I questioned.
“I kind of kicked that rock…” she said, pointing to a medium size rock lying beside the tree on the other side of her lawn.
“And took out half the tree?” I yelled, rushing over to inspect her damage.
“Crap. Mom is gonna be so pissed,” she muttered, her hand squeezing her temple.
Leaning down, I placed my hand on the tree, allowing my fingers to trail over the splintered wood. There was a dent where the bark had broken off. A very noticeable dent. I caressed the tree, mumbling how sorry I was to it when I heard J behind me, “Ummm….”
I turned quickly, wondering what in the heck had happened now. “What is it, J?”
“The tree…it’s…it’s growing back where you touch it, Liv,” she said, astonished.
“What?” I gave her a look that clearly showed how crazy I thought she was, but then, I looked back at the pine. Pee
ring closer, I could see the dent wasn’t as large. My shaking hand lovingly rested on the top of the dent. I closed my eyes and thought only of restoring the tree back to its full self. I felt energy running through my body, a tingly sensation that warmed me to my core. Heat radiated out my palm, pouring life back into the tree. I don’t know how I knew when it was whole, but I did. It was like the energy sensed it and just stopped. I drew my hand back, feeling a little weak.
J bent beside me, inspecting the work. “Holy moly, Liv. That was amazing.”
I stared at her, my eyes wide. “How did I do that?” I whispered.
Her hand clutched my shoulder, “I think you’re a healer, like Anna and Scott.”
“Wow,” I said, holding my hands level with my eyes. Knowing what I had just done was mesmerizing.
“So, you really are part sorcerer,” Juniper stated.
I stared at her, asking, “Can you see my aura, too?”
Laughing, she shook her head no.
“Oh. If I was part sorcerer…wouldn’t I be able to see auras?”
“I dunno,” she said, shrugging.
She stood, holding her arm out to help me up. I turned back to the house, to follow her back to the porch, when I saw him. He was standing on the edge of the sidewalk, just watching us, an angered look on his face. His eyes glared as they looked me over. His stance was rigid and hard, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. I gasped, bringing my hand to cover my mouth. Juniper looked at me, then, to where I was gaping.
“Is that…?”
I nodded. “Yeah…that’s my brother, Kyle.”
Aiden
The thick silence in the car made me uncomfortable. Mark wasn’t much on talking, and I didn’t know what to say. It was obvious he didn’t like me much. We pulled down the road, passing a stream of homes. The car rolled to the left, putting us on a main street. Mark turned into tourist mode, obliging to Olivia and Juniper’s orders to show me around.
Pointing out the right to a beat up building, “There’s the barber shop. Old man Gary is the only one in town. You can go to Loudon Heights, it’s not too far away, if you want more options.”
The Vessel Page 8