The Third Key (The Alaesha Legacy Book 1)

by Samantha Warren

  "Old witch Warfall. You must have heard the stories about her. You've lived here longer than I have."

  Dana shook her golden locks. "No, darling. I've never heard anything about any witches in this town, and I stay up with all the gossip." Dana's tone caused Edith to perk up. It was not quite accusatory, but it sure wasn't simple curiosity either.

  Alex's expression told Edith that he heard the tone, too, but he didn't waver. "Sure you have. The guys tell stories about her all the time. How pets go missing around her, how her basement apartment is filled with rats and skulls and nasty stuff like that." He leaned over conspiratorially. "Rumor has it, she even kidnapped a few children, but their bodies were never found so the police couldn't pin anything on her." He sat back and examined his fingernails. "I think she ate them, but that's just one man's opinion."

  Edith snorted and glanced at Dana. "Do you believe any of that?"

  Dana raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "That sounds like a stupid tale boys would tell. How do you think she got that nasty bruise on her face?"

  Alex shrugged. "Who knows? Probably trying to steal more children. Do you have anything to drink, Edith? I'm parched."

  Edith wandered into the kitchen to look for something a little less disgusting than tap water to serve to her guests. As luck would have it, there was half a bottle of cola sitting in the fridge. She took three glasses down from the cupboard and filled them with ice, all the while keeping an ear out for any harsh critiques her guest might make in her absence. To her distress, the living room was eerily silent.

  She filled the glasses and put the bottle away before carefully picking them up. When she had made her way back to the living room, she found her new friends in exactly the same position she left them: Alex lounging comfortably while Dana sat perched on the edge of the sofa, back stiff and legs crossed. Both were trying very hard to avoid eye contact with the other.

  "Everything all right?" Edith asked as she handed out the glasses.

  Alex grinned as he took his soda. "Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?"

  She shrugged. "You two seem tense, that's all."

  Dana laughed. "Nonsense." She took a tentative sip of her drink, seeming disgusted to touch her perfectly painted lips to the unfamiliar glass. "Anyway, Edith, do you still have that key?"

  Alex straightened, moving to match Dana's posture. His eyes locked on Edith.

  "Uh, yeah, I think so." Edith reached into her pocket and pulled her new possession out. It gleamed in the sun shining through the window, sparkling as if it were layered in diamonds.

  Dana's gaze fixed on the object. She reached a hand out to touch it, but caught herself at the last moment and withdrew quickly. She tossed Edith a weak smile and averted her gaze to the window.

  Alex's reaction was less obvious, but Edith noticed it nonetheless. He stiffened, his stare not quite directed at the key, but more on Edith's hands. It made her uncomfortable as did the intense look on his face. She was just about to ask them both what was going on when a resounding thud echoed throughout the room. All three teenagers jumped, and Dana squeaked like a mouse.

  The noise repeated twice more before Edith realized what it was. She stood quickly and stuffed the key into her pocket. Once it was out of sight, the other two relaxed noticeably. Shaking her head, she headed to the door and opened it. A young man, maybe two years her senior, stood on the other side. His features were unremarkable, almost bland, but she found herself drawn to him, lost in his green eyes. They were not a green she normally saw, but the color of freshly peeled avocado, the part of the fruit right next to the skin. They even had the same smooth appearance to them.

  He blinked and she shuddered, breaking free from the trance. "Edith." His voice was deep and very British. "It is impolite to make a guest wait on the doorstep." His thin lips pressed into a slight scowl. He had several days worth of growth on his chin and upper lip.

  He was taller than she was and he looked down his nose at her, a bushy eyebrow raised in annoyance as he crossed his arms. She stepped back, so shocked at the stranger's forward attitude that she never thought to reject his request to enter. He brushed past her, tossing her a small smile before heading into the living room.

  She stared after him momentarily, watching his scraggly, chin-length hair bob out of sight before shaking her head and trailing after him.

  Dana jumped to her feet when they entered, moving faster than Edith had ever seen her move.

  "Charles," she said in a breathless gasp. "What are you doing here?"

  Alex rose to his feet as well, stepping forward to place himself partially between Dana and the newcomer. Edith stood to the side, watching the strange exchange with a befuddled look on her face. A flash of concern crossed Charles's face when his eyes settled on Alex, but it disappeared just as quickly as it arrived.

  "Who are you?"

  "I'm Alex, Dana's boyfriend. And who are you?"

  Charles slid his intense stare to Dana. "Your boyfriend?"

  She nodded meekly, suddenly finding her strappy shoes more interesting than anything else.

  Alex stepped forward until he was a mere foot from Charles. "I said, who are you?"

  An amused expression danced across Charles's lips as he stepped back, hands up. "Relax, lover boy. I am Dana's boss. Have no fear. I'm not trying to steal your girl, mate." The green eyes flicked to Edith momentarily before darting back to Alex.

  The younger man was unimpressed. "Dana doesn't have a job. You can't be her boss."

  A hearty laughter filled the small room. "Sure she does, lad. There's more to this girl than meets the eye." Charles leaned forward slightly, his eyes piercing into Alex's. "But I think you already knew that."

  Dana recovered from her unexpected lapse of bossiness and straightened, pulling Alex back beside her. She put on her best fake smile and wrapped her arm through Alex's. "I'm sorry, honey, I should've told you. It's kind of a family business. Charles here is my, uh, cousin, I guess you could say."

  She turned her smile on Charles, but it held an edge, daring him to contradict her. He laughed again. "Yeah, right, cousin." He shook his head and snorted to himself before turning to Edith.

  "Darling, where's the key?"

  Edith took a step back, her right hand going instinctively to her pocket as her eyes narrowed. "What key? And don't call me darling."

  Charles sighed and cocked his head at her, his expression both amused and annoyed. "Let's not play games, shall we? Show me the key."

  Dana crossed the short distance to Edith and put an arm around her new friend's shoulders. "It's okay. He knows about the key. He always has. It's, uh, kind of his key, really."

  Charles shook his head slightly. "No, not really mine. I'm just, let's say, a guardian."

  Edith hesitated a bit longer until her skin flushed under the triple stares. With a snarl, she pulled the key and thrust it at Charles. "Fine, whatever. Here. It's just a stupid key. I don't understand what all the fuss is about."

  Much to her surprise, Charles took a step back, quickly putting his hands up in a defensive position. "Oh, no, I didn't say I wanted it. I just wanted to see it, to make sure it was all right. You keep it since you seem to be better at protecting it than someone else I know." His eyes darkened as they shot briefly to Dana, who blushed and lowered her gaze.

  Edith stuffed the key back into her pocket and slapped her hands onto her hips. "What the hell is going on here?"

  She looked to Alex who had been unnaturally silent throughout the entire exchange. He just shrugged noncommittally and plopped onto the couch. "The girl has a good question. What's going on?"

  The daggers that nearly shot from Charles's eyes told Edith that he was not fond of Alex. That was another mystery she'd need to solve, but first she wanted to know about the piece of metal that seemed to have everyone on edge.

  "So? Dana? Want to clue me in here?"

  Dana shifted uncomfortably, looking to Charles for assistance. "All right then, story time it is." He se
ttled onto the arm of the couch, as far away from Alex as he could get and patted the seat next to him. Edith ignored his offer and sank to the floor, crossing her legs and arms in front of her as she stared at the newcomer expectantly.

  "So what's so special about this stupid key then?"

  "Dana, get us a drink, would you?"

  As the cheerleader left the room, Charles leaned forward. "Well, before I tell either of you anything, you must swear to me that what I share here does not leave this room. Understood?"

  Alex bristled. "Why? What shady deals are you getting Dana involved in?"

  Charles's laugh echoed through the small room. "I'm the one involved in shady deals, eh? Right, mate. Good one. Edith, this is your home. I need your promise or I can't continue."

  Wondering what she managed to get herself into this time, Edith's curiosity got the best of her and she consented. Charles put his hands on his knees and closed his eyes. He mumbled in some gibberish language, then straightened and waved a hand through the air. A ring on his finger glowed a bright purple for a few seconds before the light exploded outward like a sound wave. Edith jumped as her ears popped and she looked around the room. Nothing appeared to have changed. Everything was exactly where it had been before but a strange feeling settled over her.

  Charles smiled at her. "Shall we get started then?"

  Chapter 4

  "Wait, what did you just do?" Edith wasn't about to let Charles get away with something like that and not explain it. She was still blinking spots from her eyes from the bright flash of light.

  "What do you mean?" He took the half-full glass that Dana offered and took a sip, his eyes on Edith.

  "That whole chanting mumbo jumbo sonic boom thing. What was that?"

  His patient smile made Edith feel like a stupid child. "That, my dear girl, was a silencing spell. Once either of you leave this room, you will not be able to speak about what I'm about to share with you. No matter how hard you try, you simply will not be able to."

  "Spell? As in magic? That's crap. Magic doesn't exist." Alex had been silent up until that point, his sudden intrusion drawing everyone's attention.

  Charles shifted his stare to Alex. Dana had settled onto the couch between the boys and looked very uncomfortable as she shrank back to give Charles a clear view. Alex met the glare without flinching, but Charles just quirked his eyebrow before turning back to the girl on the floor.

  "Do you believe in magic, Edith?"

  Put on the spot, she stuttered a moment. "Uh, I guess so? I mean that sure looked like magic, so yeah, why not?"

  The older boy shot a triumphant smile Alex's way before returning his attention to Edith once more. "Now that we agree magic exists, I can explain the key. Despite what my darling Dana may say, I am not her cousin, though I have known her family for a very long time. Much longer than she has been around. In fact, I have been working with her family for centuries."

  Edith held up a hand to stop him. "Wait a minute. Centuries? You're maybe nineteen, twenty at most. Even if we pretend magic exists, there's no way you're that old."

  His grin was magical, though not in the same way as his ring. "You flatter me. Alas, I am much older than I appear. This," he said, waving a hand at his body. "This is a guise, a costume, you could say. My true form is not human and tends to shock and terrify those who are not familiar with me. I couldn't have you running away the moment you opened the door, could I?"

  Alex stood up. "This is bull. I don't know what game you guys are trying to pull, but I'm not buying it. I'm out of here." He stomped toward the door, knocking over the glass he'd set on the floor and spilling soda on the carpet. He paused only briefly to look at the mess before stepping through the opening to the hallway. Or trying to step through, anyway. Before he could break the plane of the doorway, he bounced backward, stumbling and landing on his rear beside Edith. His nose was bleeding and his forehead was quickly developing a bright red spot. He blinked rapidly.

  Charles leaned forward from his perch with a smirk on his face. "The silencing spell also includes a blocking spell. It won't dissipate until I release it, so you really have no choice but to hear me out."

  "You're holding us prisoner?" Edith's stomach sank and her chest contracted, forcing her breath to come in short gasps.

  Charles shook his head. "No, no. Not you. Just him. You can leave anytime you like, though I do hope you'll listen to what I have to say."

  "Why can I leave and not him?"

  "Because I don't trust him. He's hiding something. You, Edith Myers, are an open book. You act gruff, but you're true at heart. I trust you no to share what we have discussed here. I trust you completely."

  Edith's forehead crinkled in doubt. She stood up and headed for the door. As her foot broke the plane of the door frame, she braced for a rough impact but none was forthcoming. She moved through freely where Alex had dropped like a rock. She felt a gentle heat against her leg and pulled the key from her pocket. It glowed warmly for a few seconds before returning to its normal color.

  Stuffing the key back into her pants, Edith briefly considered taking the key and running, but instead she rubbed her temples and sighed. "I'm so in over my head." She turned around and took her place on the floor again. "None of this makes any sense at all, but tell me what I've gotten myself into."

  Dana slid off the couch to sit next to her. "It's not really that bad. You don't need to be too worried. But now that you have the key, you're kind of stuck with it."

  Charles's face pinched as he looked at the cheerleader. "Actually, Dana, it really is that bad. Things are a lot worse than your mum and dad have told you. I wanted them to be honest with you, but they insisted on keeping you in the dark, hoping to protect you. Fat lot of good that did, eh?"

  Dana shook her head. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

  "They told you about the impending war, right?"

  She nodded, her skin blanching noticeably.

  Edith raised her hand. "War? You kind of skipped over that part. What war?"

  Charles glanced between the two girls. "There is a war brewing in our world, Alaesha. Between the good guys and the bad guys. We were hoping to avoid it, but we failed. It's started. Started awhile ago, really. Months. Maybe even years. We just didn't know it. Right now, two keys are missing. That's not counting this one, which was apparently found or the one we know is in the hands of the enemy."

  Dana's pale skin drained of all color and her hand gripped Edith's painfully. Edith didn't notice over the buzzing in her ears. "Wait, they have one?" Dana whispered, her dread floating in the air like a heavy blanket descending on the world.

  Charles nodded, his lips pinched together. "Yes, they do. The Seventh Key."

  "Wait, that's Antarctica, right? No one is there, so it's not so bad." Dana relaxed and Edith could feel her fingers again.

  "It also means they have full access to an empty continent where they can set up base and make strategic attacks on the rest of the world."

  Edith held up a hand. "Okay, stop. What... the hell... is going on? Everyone is freaking out about stupid keys and then this guy shows up who seems to know everything about me and tells me he's from another world and now there's a war? None of this makes any sense!"

  Dana's sad expression nearly broke Edith's heart and calmed her irritation a bit. "Civil war," Dana said. "But not between us, not between humans. Though we'll get the brunt of it if it comes to a full scale battle. I'm not sure we can survive something like that. Without the full protection of Alaesha... " She trailed off when she saw Edith's annoyed glare return.

  "My world," Charles began, "is called Alaesha. It's identical to yours. Set up the same way, the geography shifts in similar fashion. You might call it a parallel universe. Our job, however, is to protect your universe. Well, in theory. The actual protecting really only falls to a small number of people. The rest carry on with their daily lives and maintaining the world, just like yours."

  "How do you get from my world to your
s?" Edith found herself immersed in the tale and almost willing to believe it. She scoffed inwardly, telling herself that Charles was just a good storyteller and she shouldn't believe a word he says, but she still wanted the answer.

  "Doors, of course. Seven of them to be exact. There is one on each continent, and each door is controlled by a key. You have one of the keys. Only humans can touch the keys. It was a rule initially created to keep my people from abusing our power, but as humans grew in number and greed, we began to fear what they would do. Up until now, it hasn't been an issue. But..."

  "But what?"

  "The Keeper of the Seventh Key was corrupt. He sold the key for money and power, and that was the catalyst needed. Tension has been brewing on Alaesha for centuries. It was only a matter of time. A minor group wants the control of the keys to be more open. They want to allow migration between the two worlds, or more correctly, they want to be allowed to travel to your world to use your resources and further degrade your ecosystem, all the while keeping Alaesha safe from your influence. There has even been talk of enslaving your people, but I do not think that would come to pass, at least not anytime soon."

  "And they have a key now."

  Charles nodded. "Yes, they do. They have the key to Antarctica. They have already started building their base and bringing over an army. We did not realize they were so organized."

  "You said other keys are missing. Where are they?" Edith's forehead wrinkled as she tried to take in all the new information. It was all too unbelievable, totally ridiculous, utterly unfathomable, but a growing part of her was actually starting to accept it as truth for some inconceivable reason.

  "We do not know. They may be in the hands of the enemy. Or they may have been hidden by the Keepers. Each key has its own set of rules as to who can protect it. Not just anyone can be a Keeper."

  "And what about this key? What are its rules?"

  Dana perked up. "The Keeper of the Third Key must a child be. A minor in the eyes of the law, true of heart, strong of spirit. Never to falter in their faith or turn from what must be done." She rattled off the rule like it was the Girl Scout creed.