by Sonia Parin
“Hold tight, Rebel,” Lexie said.
Octavia’s chant picked up momentum. “Let the trees part way and the air sweep us away…”
“Everyone,” Lexie yelled, “Assume the crash position.”
The Jeep sped up, hit a bump and crashed through the trees, or at least, it appeared to do so. The scenery around them faded and they were sucked into space.
Everyone screamed, including Slacker. The screaming continued as darkness swirled around them. Then a kaleidoscope of colors shot past them like shooting stars. For a moment, they hovered in space, their mouths gaping open, and their screams silent. The Jeep jerked forward, tilted and nosedived through the darkness until finally they landed with a hard thud.
Silence settled around them.
“Are we there yet?” Rebel asked.
“Hey, that’s my line,” Luna complained. “You have got to be kidding me. She can’t steal my lines.” Luna jumped on Lexie’s lap. “Tell her she can’t.”
Lexie released her hold on Luna and patted around her head in search of Rebel. “Is everyone okay?” She heard a couple of groans but eventually they all assured her they were fine.
Slacker tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “I hope you don’t have a trademark on that spell. I wouldn’t mind using it again.”
“Where are we?” Lexie asked.
Octavia uncurled herself and straightened. “We’re outside Mackenzie Hall.”
A sheer wall of darkness towered in front of them. “This is Mackenzie Hall? I thought it would be more majestic.” Lexie had expected a tower or two and gray stone and perhaps a drawbridge.
“It is, or rather, it was. I guess Mr. Ellsworth didn’t exaggerate when he said darkness had swallowed the magnificent hall.” Octavia looked around her. “And it’s seeping out. We’ve landed way too close to it. I guess my aim needs a little calibrating.”
Lexie rolled up her sleeves only to realize she didn’t have any. “Hey. What am I wearing?”
They all blinked at her.
Octavia cleared her throat. “Your chain mail dress?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
Octavia nodded. “Telling you.”
“Yes, but… I usually wear my regular clothes and the coven outfit is somehow incorporated with it.”
Jonathan said. “Did anyone notice all those lights along the way or did you all have your eyes closed?”
“They were pretty,” Luna purred.
Rebel stood on Lexie’s head. “How do we find her?”
A roar erupted from deep within Mackenzie Hall. Dark clouds converged above them. Daylight faded.
“I think we’ve been announced. Okay. This just got serious. Our presence has been acknowledged now so there’s no turning back.”
Rebel hovered down to Lexie’s shoulder and clapped her hands. Turning, Lexie saw her outfit had changed to match Lexie’s chain mail dress and she wielded a tiny sword.
“Where did that come from?” Lexie asked.
Taking flight, Rebel hovered in front of Lexie, knelt down and lifted her word. “From the Fairy Kingdom Armory. I have been commanded by the Fairy Queen to stand by your side.”
Luna rolled on Lexie’s lap and burst out laughing. “A pinprick. She’s going to guard you with a needle.”
Rebel made a stabbing motion toward Luna. “Would you like me to test it on you?”
Lexie jumped out of the Jeep. “Okay guys. I’m going in.”
“What?” Jonathan pulled her back. “Just like that? No preamble. No last minute revision of plans, which we never really discussed because we only got as far as trying to figure out how to get here.”
“I won’t know what I have to face until I face it.” She shrugged. “I should be fine. I’ve been ambushed plenty of times and I came through okay.”
Slacker strode up to her. “This is different. She has dark magic on her side.”
Lexie scoffed. “Well, in my experience, light magic wins hands down over everything else. It always has. It always will.”
Luna jumped onto her shoulder, lowered her head and curved her back. “I dare you to contradict the incoming Mackenzie High Chair.”
Rebel hovered over and settled on her other shoulder and jabbed the air in front of her with her sword. “Yeah, that goes for me to.”
Slacker put both hands up. “Fine. If you say so.”
Octavia stepped forward and placed her hands on Lexie’s shoulders. “Would you two give us a minute, please?”
Luna hopped off and Rebel flew off.
“Are you about to get emotional?” Lexie asked. “You should know I’m not comfortable with tears.”
Octavia shook her head. “I have a message from the old Oak tree.”
“Huh?”
“When we sat down around it I heard it speak to me.”
“Really?”
“It told me it had charged you with the wisdom of the ages.”
“Oh. Wow. That must have been the first time when I couldn’t hear Jonathan. Or maybe the second time when I couldn’t even move.” Lexie searched her mind. “I don’t feel any different.”
Octavia held her gaze. “You will know what to do when the time comes.”
Lexie looked up at the wall of solid darkness. “I don’t want to think about it too much because, on the surface, it sounds comforting. But the fact I’ve been given knowledge to use at a specific time means… we’re in for a bit of a rumble.”
Looking for Rebel, she saw her hovering nearby, slashing the air with her tiny sword.
“I guess she’s quite handy with it,” Luna said. “And for all we know, she sprinkled some fairy dust on it. That might be damaging to an evil twin. But it’s still a tiny sword being wielded by a tiny fairy.”
Rebel harrumphed. “Hey, Mackenzie, can you catch?”
“Huh?’
Rebel tossed the sword in the air, swirled around, caught it and threw it at Lexie.
Lexie watched it hurl toward her in slow motion. The closer it got, the bigger it became. “Hey, that’s a cool trick.” She caught it with one hand and tested the weight. “It feels as light as a feather.” She ran her finger along the sharp edge. “But still deadly. What do I do with it?”
“Throw it back to me,” Rebel said.
As the sword flew back, it shrunk in size until it returned to its normal size.
“Well, I guess that answers all our questions. Including the ones we didn’t ask. What else did you get from the Fairy Armory?”
Rebel turned and showed them her bow and arrows.
Luna shrugged. “Yes, impressive, but we have our own secret weapon.”
The one they hadn’t mentioned since the first and last time they’d used it. “I hope you’re ready to use it, Luna, because something tells me the evil twin is not going to bother with small talk.” Lexie fell silent. She wished she didn’t have to lead them into danger but she hadn’t been given any other choice. “Any last minute instructions?” she asked.
Luna purred. “I think you and Rebel should proceed in absolute silence. Since I can tune out anyone I want, I can chat to my heart’s content.”
“But since we’ll have to be vigilant, you’re going to keep your inner dialogue to a minimum,” Lexie said.
Luna rolled her eyes. “Fine. If you say so.”
Jonathan cleared his throat. Lexie knew he wanted to talk her out of this so before he could speak, Lexie held her hand up. She looked at the rising darkness surrounding the Hall. “This is a siege. She’s waiting for me but I’m sure she’s expecting me to arrive with the cavalry. I have the element of surprise on my side. All right. This is the plan…”
Chapter Nineteen
“Are you mad?” Jonathan’s words echoed through Lexie’s mind. As she stepped into the darkness, Lexie belatedly remembered thinking she should get some practice in and perfect her ability to produce fireballs.
“I forgot,” she whispered. She’d just have to trust she’d be able to focus enough to
produce them at will. She had no idea if the others could hear her thoughts. They’d agreed to maintain radio silence until she could get the lay of the land and see for herself exactly what she had to deal with.
Navigating her way through the darkness, Lexie kept her mind focused on staying upright. Octavia had guessed the building had retained its structure and so had explained the layout of Mackenzie Hall, including the number of steps leading up to the massive front door.
She waited for her eyes to adjust to the blanket of darkness, but the further she went in, the denser it became.
Counting the steps, she knew the next one she took would bring her up to the front door entrance. Another five steps had her pressing her nose against the door. She reached for the door handle but the door opened of its own accord. The fact it didn’t creak as it opened meant Mirabelle kept Mackenzie Hall doors well oiled. Lexie considered that to be a good omen. She’d bet anything the evil twin would have liked it if the door had creaked as an added effect to the eerie atmosphere.
“It appears the new mistress of Mackenzie Hall hasn’t had the time to hire a butler,” Luna mentally murmured.
Lexie took a step inside. The door opened wider.
Luna giggled. “She must think you need extra space to walk through the doorway. You might want to cut back on the pizza.”
From what Octavia had said, Lexie knew she had to take twenty paces and would then reach the bottom of the central staircase.
Apart from the dense darkness, she didn’t sense a malevolent presence. In fact, she thought she’d be able to hear a pin drop.
Hearing her thoughts, Luna mentally said, “My night vision is working perfectly. I don’t see anyone. It would be anticlimactic if she’d decided to step out to run an errand.”
With each step she took up the stairs, the darkness seemed to dissipate, but not by much. She could now barely make out the outline of her hand a few inches in front of her.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Luna mentally murmured. “The Mackenzie Coven has sent their fiercest witch to hunt you down.”
Lexie rolled her eyes.
“I wonder if this puts you in the same league as mercenaries. Hang on, I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anyone mention pay.” Luna hummed. “Perhaps the others were right in saying you should wait. You could have negotiated a beneficial deal with the Coven. After all, you’ve come here to clean up their mess and rid Mackenzie Hall of an intruder. If we call her the vermin, then we can call you the exterminator. Anyway, if the Coven had put a monetary value on this little adventure, then you would have greater incentive to succeed. As it is, you might be entertaining second thoughts about putting your life in peril. More so now that I’ve seeded the idea in your mind.”
Lexie reached the top landing and stopped. Octavia had told her to take a left turn but she needed to get her bearings first. Something took shape right in front of her. She tried to switch off her imagination but with every blink of her eyes she thought she saw a man standing in front of her.
“I wonder how long it will take you to figure it out,” Luna purred.
Lexie scooped in a breath and tentatively reached out to touch him. Her fingers pressed against something hard. She tapped against it with her knuckle.
“Ready to give up? Okay, I’ll tell you. It’s a full armor and there are several of them standing sentry. At one time, this must have been a garrison for knights. Now that I think about it, you should be wearing a helmet.”
Lexie turned left and focused on counting her steps. Of course, she had Luna to help her navigate her way around but Luna seemed intent on chatting away.
“I am picking up a vibe from you. Are you feeling apprehensive? Yes, I suppose you are. After all, you have no idea what you’re doing. You’ve walked in blindfolded. Well, not literally, although you can’t see a thing because she who can’t be named swamped Mackenzie Hall in pitch darkness. Steer a little to the left or you’ll bump against the door. That’s it. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Trepidation. Or is it fear? I’d understand if you’re afraid. After all, you don’t have any control over your fireballs while I have the advantage of turning myself invisible. It’s a pity you haven’t put any effort into acquiring that power. It would have come in handy now.”
For the first time since entering Mackenzie Hall Lexie sensed something around her but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“Oh, my goodness,” Luna exclaimed, “I just caught a glimpse of the room. There’s an actual high chair made of stone. It’s more of a throne. I can imagine Mirabelle holding court here. Are you dragging your feet? You shouldn’t feel badly. You have a couch and a lot of important decisions are made on it. While I can picture you sitting on a throne-like high chair, I’m sure you’d get bored of it soon enough. You’d definitely fidget. I don’t see a cushion on it. It must be as hard as…well, stone.” Luna hummed. “Still no sign of the vermin. She might have heard you coming and is now hiding behind the door waiting to surprise you.”
Something shifted around her. The veil of darkness appeared to be thinning. Another couple of steps took her inside what Octavia had referred to as the ballroom. Now the darkness surrounding her looked like a gray veil and she could make out the chair Luna had mentioned in the middle of the room. Quite impressive, Lexie thought.
“Alexandra Elizabeth Mackenzie. To what do I owe this honor?”
The cultured voice emanated from the darkness and she could hear it in her head. Lexie guessed Luna hadn’t heard it because she continued chatting.
“I’m thinking she’s not here, but I’m sure she was expecting you and had intended making a statement. I suggest not putting her on your Christmas list. If she’d planned on making this a family reunion she would have rolled out the red carpet. Instead she swamped Mackenzie Hall in pitch darkness. I’m only saying that just in case you have second thoughts about going up against a relative. This is business, not personal. Remember that.”
“Come closer. It’s been so long since I last saw you,” the voice said.
Lexie strained to see through the gray veil. “Who are you?”
Soft laughter swept around her. “I think you know. You’ve always known.”
“Are you talking to yourself?” Luna mentally asked. “No, you’re not. So that can only mean one thing. She’s here but I can’t hear her. That’s rude. Why would she exclude me from the conversation? I’m your loyal feline companion. There are rules. First chance I get I am going to sink my teeth into her, with or without your permission.”
Lexie looked around the spacious ballroom. Focusing on keeping her breathing steady, she tried to adjust her eyes. She could now make out more shapes. At one end, she saw a massive fireplace with large vases on pedestals at either side. Paintings with elaborate frames hung on the wall. A row of tall windows lined the other side.
She took another step and made sure to set her foot firmly on the floor. “I’m no good at guessing games.”
The laughter sounded playful. “You don’t have to guess because you know. Come on, say my name.”
Morgause.
Lexie didn’t say the name.
She didn’t even acknowledge the name. But the name appeared in her mind.
“You know you want to say it. You want to scream it from the rooftops. Would you like me to take you to the roof?”
Lexie set her feet apart and stood firm. If she tried to budge her…
She wanted to ask Luna for suggestions but Luna could only hear her part of the conversation and if Lexie tried to communicate with her, she whose name she refused to even think would hear.
The darkness shifted and condensed around the chair giving form to a woman. Lexie didn’t see any details. Only the shape. The woman sat on the stone chair looking imperious even in her darkness.
“Come closer. I want to see what you’ve become. You had such potential, I wonder how much has awakened inside you.” She laughed. “You look surprised. You shouldn’t be. Great things were expected
of you. It has been foretold.” She gave a nonchalant shrug. “Throughout the ages, powers converged, gathering momentum.” She leaned forward. “All this power bestowed upon you, biding its time until it could be awakened.”
Once again, she was the last to know. She felt Luna shift from one shoulder to the other.
“You’re talking to her. Why can’t I hear?”
Lexie shrugged and hoped Luna understood what she meant by it.
“Are you suggesting she can’t hear me? I’m impressed. I hope she’s not faking it.” Luna shifted again. “I’ll have to think how we can use this to our advantage.”
Lexie gave a small nod and again hoped Luna picked up on the meaning. “Why are you here?” Lexie asked.
“Because I tired of being locked up and this seemed to be as good a place as any. Besides, if not my home then where would I go?”
Her home?
Lexie took a deep swallow.
Mackenzie Hall.
Her mom’s evil twin.
Mirabelle’s mom?
“I sense uneasiness from you,” Luna purred. “What’s happening? I need an update.” Luna yelped. “Rebel just pricked me with her sword. Oh, wait. She wants to say something.”
A few moments later, Luna curled her tail around Lexie’s neck. “Okay. I’m up to speed now and flabbergasted by what I’ve just been told. Although, why the fairy can hear her and I can’t is beyond me. Mirabelle’s mom. Who would have thought? And yet the information was right there under our noses.”
Lexie pushed the information to the back of her mind.
“You’re surprised,” the dark form asked.
“What do you want?”
Mirabelle’s mom gestured with her hand. “My freedom, of course.” She leaned forward again. “I believe that is something we have in common.”
Lexie kept her voice flat, “I believe you lost your freedom for a reason.” Although she couldn’t even begin to guess why she’d been imprisoned.
Morgause rose from the chair and hovered toward Lexie. The closer she got, the clearer she became. Worse. The closer she came to Lexie, the more familiar she looked. She went from hovering to walking and each step she took transformed her from an ethereal shape into the spitting image of Lexie’s mom.