“But that’s not possible! The world can’t just end. It might change, but it’s not going anywhere.”
“Do you really want to test that theory?”
Jami sighed, glancing at Jessi and Josi. “So… what do you guys think?”
“I think… this is part of our family heritage,” Josi said. “And we owe it to our family to put everything back the way it’s supposed to be.”
“And I think, I want to meet our Mom,” Jessi said, gathering the book up in her arms. “I want to get to know her. I don’t want to live in a foster home anymore, Jami. I’m sick of being tossed around from home to home. Living in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. I want a real home for once!”
Jami sighed. “Okay. Fine. But before we do anything, I need something to eat! I’m starving.”
“You’ll probably find something in the fridge,” Sky said, winking at her. “Jade, she’s quite the magician in the kitchen.”
“You beckoned, Elijah?”
“Yes, I beckoned. Hours ago!” Elijah shouted, his voice so sharp it could cut through a vine, turning to glare at Talia over his shoulder. “You have some explaining to do, Talia.”
“About what?”
“About my damned wife!” Elijah shouted, jumping to his feet, and racing across the room. He lunged forward, grabbing Talia by the throat, and slamming her back against the wall. “What did you do to her, Talia!”
“What did I do? I have no idea!” Talia shouted, wrapping her hands around Elijah’s broad shoulder, and shoving him back. “Did you forget something, Elijah?” she asked, straightening from the wall, and striding forward. “I’m a vampire, remember? I’m stronger than you!”
“Just because you’re a vampire, doesn’t mean I don’t still have the strength to fight you,” Elijah said, gasping, as he fell back into the dresser. “But look at her, Talia. Look at her neck. If I’m not mistaken, that’s a vampire bite!”
Talia held up a hand, striding forward. She stopped next to the bed, brushing Julie’s hair away. Staring down at the bite on her neck. “Hmm. You’re right. It is a vampire bite.”
“From who?”
“From me.”
“What?”
“It’s from your ceremony, Elijah,” Talia said, her red lips curving into a smile as she glanced over her shoulder at Elijah. “And she’s in transformation.”
“But how? That was ten months ago! And she never drank your blood! She can only be in transformation if…” He trailed off. “The chalices.”
“Bingo! I tainted her chalice with my blood,” Talia said, grinning from ear to ear. “Come on, Elijah. You didn’t think I would pass up the chance to get a chosen one on my side, do you?”
“But you and I were friends!”
“And you chose her, over me!”
“Is that what this is all about? Your jealousy?” Elijah asked. “But why has this taking ten months to happen?”
“Do you remember that potion I gave you. The potion I told you, would help her get pregnant, and to put a drop in every meal.”
“Of course.”
“Well, it wasn’t a potion. It was my blood, and looky here. Soon I’m going to have a new vampire on my hands.”
“Like hell I’d let that happen!” Elijah shouted, striking his hand forward. A blast of fire spread out from his palm, striking Talia. “You betrayed me, Talia! I let you back into the fold, after Satan banished you, but no more! You will never have me, because you, are incapable of loving anyone! All you care about is power!”
“And so do you!” Talia screamed, ducking, and missing the flame. “All you’ve ever wanted is power, Elijah, but you’re pretending to love her! You’re pretending, that she actually means something to you, when I know you! I believe in the same things you do, and I would be an extraordinary queen by your side if you let me.”
“I could never trust you,” Elijah said, jabbing his finger forward. A vortex of wind, whipping through the air, reaching for Talia. “Not after you’ve betrayed me. The only person who has ever stood up for you.”
“Then you have a choice to make,” Talia said, as the vortex opened up behind her. “Let the witch turn into a vampire, and come to my side. Or let her die, and lose her, forever!” Talia screamed, stumbling back, as the vortex pulled her backward. Pulling her into oblivion.
“Damn vampire! She ruins everything!” Elijah shouted, walking to the bed, and ringing out the towel lying on the table. He placed the damp cloth on Julie’s head, wiping away her sweat.
“Don’t worry, Julie, I have a plan,” he whispered, stroking her cheek. “I’m going to save you. One way or another. I promise.”
“Man! This place has so much food!” Jami cried, gathering up the plate of sliced cheese, and setting it on the island behind her. She dug in the drawer, withdrawing some meat, and grabbed the loaf of bread from the cupboard next to her. “Look at this! There’s muffins, cookies, and I think there’s some Sushi in here!”
“Sushi? Is it homemade?”
“Knowing Jade, yes,” Sky said, stepping into the kitchen behind them. “She works magic in the kitchen.” He eyed Jami. “You know, you definitely have the Morgan appetite.”
“What? That’s some sort of hereditary trait?”
“Yup. It is. Just wait until you actually get to meet them,” Sky said, glancing over his shoulder. “Jessi, what are you doing with the book?”
“Reading,” Jessi said. “There’s so much history in here! Look at this! There’s my grandmother, my great grandmother, my great-great grandmother. My mother. Even my father in here! Even spells and potions! This is all… just so cool!”
Sky smirked. “You’re the smart one, aren’t you?”
“Hey!”
“No offense,” Sky said, holding his hands up in surrender as the other two glared at him. “But my guess… is you’re the reason you found this place in the first place.”
“Actually, I’m the one who found it,” Josi said, stealing a piece of cheese off the plate in front of Jami, and stuffing it in her mouth. “I did, after all, hack into the hospital’s files.”
“You did what?” Sky’s mouth dropped open. “Josi! You could get arrested for that!”
“Oh please. As if it’s the first time one of us has been arrested,” Jessi said, waving her hand. “I did, after all spend six months in juvie.”
“You what?” Sky stared at them in shock, then he suddenly laughed. “You are definitely Josslyn’s children!”
“But he is right,” Jessi said, glancing over at Josi. “I am the one who came up with the idea to find our family.”
“Yeah, the boring way,” Josi said, feigning a yawn. “If we’d had it your way, we would have had to wait hours for those DNA results.”
“Actually, they came in, just as we got to the house,” Jessi said, sticking her tongue out at Josi. “Nathan texted me as soon as we got here.”
“Oh, he has your number now?”
“Shut up.”
Sky laughed, holding his hands up. “Okay! Okay! Peace! No fighting. Man, I feel like I’m in the house with Josslyn, Jade and Julie!” He sobered thinking about Julie. Had he really failed her?
“So I guess tempers run in the family too?” Jami asked, taking a bite of her sandwich and moaning. “Oh. That is so good!”
“But you are right,” Jessi said, walking away from the book, and picking a pickle up from the container. “I do like to use my brain. I like thinking, learning, and man, do I love science.”
Josi snorted. “Boring! Me, I always liked action. Getting my hands dirty. Exploring, which is why I am so excited about our family. About where the sisters are. They could be anywhere! When can we go find them?”
“Soon,” Sky said, laughing.
“But I want to go now!”
Jami and Jessi rolled their eyes. “Have some patience, Josi! And eat, would you? You haven’t eaten anything all day!”
Josi opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it as her stomach rumbled, sudde
nly realizing they were right. Maybe she should eat something. She would be no good to anyone if she fainted. She rounded the island, and reached for the bread, staring around the house. Suddenly wondering what it would have been like to grow up here. Would she have met her grandmother? Her great-grandmother? Would their life be much different, then it was now?
The thoughts rolled through her head, and behind her, the back door flew open. She jumped, pickles flying in the air, as a whirl of wind whipped through the house. A dark-haired man appearing in front of them.
“Girls! Get back!” Sky shouted, grabbing the poker from the fireplace, and lunging in front of them. Raising the poker in defense. “That’s…”
“Elijah,” the three girls said at once, narrowing their eyes on the man in front of them. “Our father.”
“And the bastard who killed me!” Jami snapped, glowering at the man. “We don’t like you.”
“Well, I see that you four got your memories back,” Elijah said, raising his hands in surrender. “You don’t need that Sky, I’m not here to cause any trouble. In fact, I’m here, because I need your help.”
“Why would we ever agree to help you?” Sky asked, coldly, still pointing the poker at him, not trusting a word the demon was saying. “When you’ve taken everything from us! We don’t even know where the girls are! They could be anywhere! Hell, they could be dead!”
“They’re not.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve been keeping an eye on them, and they, are still very much alive,” Elijah said. “But I’m not here about them. I’m here about Julie. She’s dying, Sky, and you guys are the only ones who can help me save her.”
“What happened to her?”
“Talia,” Elijah said, still seething. “The vampire queen tricked me. She contaminated the chalices with her blood. Tricked me, into feeding her blood to Julie, and now…”
“She’s either going to turn or die,” Sky said, finishing the sentence. “I get it. I know how the vampire thing works. What I don’t understand though, is why?”
“What else? Power,” Elijah said. “She’s jealous that Julie is taking her spot, with her man, and wants nothing more than to take her out. But she knows taking her out would be a waste, so instead, she wants a chosen one on her side. To strengthen the vampires.”
“And you want exactly what from us?”
“Well not you precisely. What I need is her,” Elijah said, pointing to Jami. “You have the ability to self-heal, Jami. If I can get a potion made with your blood, it should be strong enough to offset the vampire in Julie’s system, and return her to normal.”
“Well, there’s one little problem,” Jami said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “You can’t draw blood from me. I heal too fast.”
“There’s a potion in the book, to stop that temporarily,” Jessi said, pointing to the book lying on the table. “I just need to get a few things from the attic.”
“If Sky’s never come across someone with my power before, how is there a potion in the book for it?”
“One of your ancestors must have come across with someone with the power,” Sky said. “Or knew what was gong to happen in the future. Either way, it’s the only choice we have, Jami.”
“I know,” Jami said, blowing out a breath. “But I still don’t trust him. It could be his way of trying to kill us again!”
“Do I look like I’m here to kill you?”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“You’re right,” Sky said. “We can’t trust him, Jami, but we also can’t let Julie die. If she dies…”
“The Chosen ones would be no more,” the girls said, finishing his sentence. “We know.”
“Which is exactly what you want!” Sky suddenly shouted, swinging his head around, and staring at Elijah. “Unless… you care for her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I could never fall in love with a witch! But you’re right, I do want to get rid of the Chosen Ones, but I can’t. Not yet. I still need Julie.”
“For what?”
Elijah pressed his lips together, refusing to answer.
“Because he needs her to give birth to his child,” Jessi said, staring across the room at Elijah. “I have a superpower too, you know.”
“Oh I know,” Elijah said, narrowing his eyes. “Which is why I sent the Gladiators after you. I needed you gone! But you three are stronger than you look.”
“They’re Morgans. What did you expect?” Sky asked, holding his hands out. “Jessi, give me the book?”
“What are we looking for?” Jessi asked, peering over his shoulder, as he flipped through the pages.
“A healing potion. It’s the only thing that’s going to save Julie.” He flipped another page. “Ahh. Here we are.”
“You found it?” Elijah asked, stepping forward. “You know, for generations, I’ve heard gossip about the Morgan book, but I’ve never actually laid eyes on it…” He rounded the corner of the island, and the book suddenly glowed a bright red.
“Whoa!”
Sky jumped back, the book falling from his hands and falling to the ground with a loud thunk. Staring at it as it shook vigorously. A bolt of lightning leaping from the pages, and streaking toward Elijah.
“Ahh!”
Elijah ducked, glancing over his shoulder, as the lightning bolt zinged over his head and escaped up through the ceiling. “That’s some book!”
“And you best remember it,” Josi said, grabbing the knife from the block on the countertop, and pointing it toward him. “Or you’ll be our next barbecue.”
“Eww! Josi!” Jessi cringed. “That’s gross! Remember, some of us here don’t eat meat.”
“Oh, don’t be such a baby, Jessi,” Jami said, hovering next to the book. “But I think I’ll stay close to the book. After all, it is me he’s after.” She skimmed that page. “This is what we need?” she asked, glancing at Sky. “Some lemon juice, a dash of rosemary, and lavender? Really? That’s it?”
“Don’t forget we need your blood, too. Oh, and some toadstool.”
“We need toads?”
“No, Jami.” Jessi rolled her eyes. “It’s a mushroom! I saw some in the attic, I’ll go get it.” She eyed Elijah. “Josi, why don’t you come with me?” she said, grabbing Josi by the hand and dragging her up the steps.
“Why?”
“For that potion for Jami! What do I need, Sky?”
“Burdock root.”
“Right! Burdock root. What does that do?”
“It’ll separate her power from her temporarily.”
“Gotcha!”
“And don’t forget to grab a cauldron while you’re up there!” Sky shouted, as they disappeared from sight.
“Rodger that!”
He laughed, rolling his eyes. “Kids.” He turned, gathering the lemons from the refrigerator, and the rosemary from the cupboard. “Here, Jami, do you mind cutting these lemons up for me? And Elijah, why don’t you cut the rosemary. You might as well make yourself useful.”
“Aye. Aye, captain.”
They said the words at the same time, and Jami laughed, glancing over at Elijah. Then she sobered. Jami, what are you doing? He tried to kill you, remember?
“You know, I used to say that to Jade all the time,” Sky said, sadness washing over him as he thought of the sisters. “She’s the bossy one of the family. Boy. Do I miss them.”
“You guys have been through a lot together?”
“You could say that,” Sky said, softly, taking the lemon she handed him and squeezing the juicing into the bowl. He picked a lime up from the counter, cutting it in half, and doing the same. “Josslyn, Jade, Julie, and Jasmine are like family to me. We know each other’s quirks, each other’s pet peeves, plus Jasmine…” He trailed off, his heart clenching as he thought of her. “She’s amazing. I can’t imagine my life without her, which is why this is so hard! I don’t know Jorja very well, though. Considering we had just met, and then we were suddenly all torn apart
.” He glared at Elijah.
“And I’d do it again,” Elijah aid. “After all, I am a demon.”
“An evil demon,” Jami put in.
“Hey, we all have evil inside of us, Jami.”
“True, but not everyone acts on it. Some of us are stronger than that.”
“And some of us are raised a certain way,” Elijah said, cutting up the last of the rosemary and pushing it to the side. Thinking about the last ten months, and the bond that had grown between him and Julie. The sight of her smile. The sound of her laughter. The trips they’d taken, and the nights they’d sat, just talking. It seemed like just yesterday that they’d gotten married. That he’d watched, as her sisters tried desperately to save one another. To save each other, and it got him to thinking. Would the demons ever protect each other like that?
Elijah! Stop it! he yelled silently at himself. You’re a demon! You live to kill. To destroy, and what you want is power. Remember that. Nothing can ever change that. You are evil. Evil!
“Elijah.”
“What?” He jerked his head up, jerking free from the memories. Suddenly realizing Josi and Jessi had returned from the attic. “Oh, you’re back.”
“Yes, we’re back,” Jessi said. “Now, can you push the rosemary this way?”
“Uh. Sure.”
“So, what’s in this magical drink of yours?” Jami asked. “Tell me it’s at least going to taste good!”
“Sorry, Jami. I don’t think you’re going to like it,” Sky said, adding the almond milk to the mixture. “Jessi, did you get the burdock root?”
“Yup. Right here.” Jessi set the container on the counter. “What else do we need?”
“Some poppy seeds, and some ginger.”
“Okay. I think I’m going to puke just watching you put it together!” Jami cried. “Seriously? Who would ever combine lemon juice, lime juice, almond milk, poppy seeds, ginger, and burdock root? Gross! We need to get this over with!”
“I agree,” Elijah said. “Julie’s life depends on it!”
“Yes. We know,” Josi said. “And we need to…”
“Josi!”
“What? It’s not like he doesn’t know already,” Josi said, glaring at the three staring at her. “He knows we’re going to get everyone back together.”
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