by Willa Alders
I hurried up hopping in the shower, threw on a black t-shirt, and jeans then left. Kilyn and Carter had already left. I sped my way through town, reaching the school in no time. I put my leather jacket over my shirt and stood outside of the car leaning on it waiting for her to arrive. She did a few moments after I got there.
She looked very pretty as she did every day. She had her hair down, was in a pair of jeans, boots, and a long sleeve sweater that was green. She looked hot. I had to keep myself under control because I wanted nothing more than to take her away from here and show her how much I love her again. Just like I had done this past weekend but I couldn’t. So I settled for kissing her cheek for now.
“Good morning beautiful.” I said, as she grabbed my hand as we walked toward the doors of the school.
“Good morning.” She smiled. I smiled back at her because I had all my classes switched to match all of hers as we headed into our first period together.
“I’m glad you are wearing the necklace.” I smiled as we took our seats; I sat right across from her. Kilyn was behind her.
“Of course I am.” She whispered back. I watched as Kilyn whispered something to her as she tapped her shoulder. I watched Aralynn respond, and then Kilyn had said something else. Then I caught what Aralynn had said:
“Extremely good, I’ve fallen for him.” She had whispered.
Good I thought she felt the same way but good again because it would keep Kilyn off my back. Aralynn was helping me even though she didn’t realize it. She was keeping me alive, alive to fight another day and tell her the truth. I was so glad that she was telling Kilyn that stuff, but at the same time wasn’t because I had to keep my thoughts secretive. Hopefully my mom would come back soon, and the chant she would give me would help me with that.
The next few classes went by quickly, then someone from the office came in to give a note to the teacher. Our teacher gave it to Aralynn saying that Aralynn had to leave for an appointment. I didn’t want her to leave, and I knew it was not for an appointment I figured it was for training. Instead I whispered to her.
“Bye beautiful I will see you later.” I said as she smiled.
I sat there the next few moments thinking about her again until Kilyn broke my train of thought through mind-speaking. Good brother, she confirmed what you said. She saved you again… You’re doing better; she is head over heels for you so to speak. Good job, you’re close to earning your freedom. Just need a few more things for you to do. I need a chant casted on her to blind her from the bears until they attack her. Do you understand? I will give you the chant later on. I want you to be with her when they attack.”
I growled under my breath then I responded. Fine sure thing, but you better grant me my freedom after this remember you signed in blood. I hissed through my mind. I looked over at her and she flared a sneer in my direction before she spoke again.
Yes I know, and I am good on my word, and my blood. No attitude remember I can wipe you off the face of the planet with one blink dear brother do not forget that!! She yelled in her mind. It hissed through my brain, causing my head to ring and pound quickly.
Wouldn’t be the first time you didn’t keep your part of a deal. But then again you never did sign in blood before either. Yes I know you make that perfectly clear on a daily basis. I grunted back at her.
Good, I want you to wait till you hear back from her and go back to your duties of wooing her; I don’t want you home today. She said again. I looked over at her and nodded. Then the bell rang and I headed to the rest of the classes for the day. They drug by.
I sat most of the time not paying attention. My mind kept bouncing back and forth on what I was going to do to stop Aralynn from hanging out with Kilyn today. Then I started thinking about how I was going to save us both from my sister. Then my mind jumped to seeing my mom. All of the thoughts were flooding my brain then I decided to take a deep breath in and out, then the bell rang. I got out of the school building as quickly as I could in order to get to Salem Woods as quickly possible, and hope my mom would show up there. I got out of my car blinked, raised my arms and flew myself to the most secluded spot of Salem Woods.
I stood staring off into the wilderness, I lit up in took a few puffs then put it out. I stood there thinking, you need to come mom, you just need too. After what seemed like forever, a glow came whizzing past me and about knocked me over. It stopped and formed into a glow of a human again.
“Mom?” I asked heading toward the glow, but then another glow whizzed past me and about knocked me over again.
This glow was bigger than my mom’s. My mom stepped out of the circular form and she looked the same as yesterday. Her silhouette swayed toward me. She leaned forward and touched my cheek. I smiled at her, she promised she would come back and just like she did promise she did come back. This time though not alone.
“Yes my dear Archer, hope you don’t mind I brought a friend. She will help.” She said grabbing my hand.
I stood there thinking um ok. The other glow swirled once and then stepped out. Unlike my mom she was taller about my height. She was tiny and long black wavy hair that looked like it didn’t end she had it tied back in a braid. Her face was pale like Aralynn’s and her eye color was gray. Her clothing was pretty she was in a white top and a pair of black pants, and heels. Did not look dead I thought then again the more dead I saw the more I noticed they looked more alive than the living did.
“Hello, Archer I have heard a lot about your situation from the others, and your mother.” She smiled at me kindly stepping toward me.
“Others? I am sorry I don’t think I know what you mean?” I asked puzzled.
“An elite group that can harness abilities, they are ones like you and show you the way. Then of course there are those who are extremely special who we are sworn to show the way and protect. One you know I believe. Anyways young sir, we know what abilities you currently possess, and we know the new abilities that you will be developing very shortly. Unfortunately due to circumstances I cannot deliberate what the new abilities are. I can tell you that you will be just as powerful as your counterpart is. Together you two will do great things for us. Are you beginning to understand?” she asked walking toward me.
“I guess. Counterpart you mean Aralynn right?” I asked defensibly at the sound of Aralynn’s name.
My mom wrapped her hand in mine. “Yes son she means Aralynn.”
“Counterpart, you know she has a name right! What does Aralynn have to do with it?” I asked again.
“Yes young one, I mean her. She is training with my counterpart right now, Orion and I am Lona, please excuse me for not introducing myself earlier. I am a Kintana member have you heard of us?” She asked.
I thought for a moment, I had remembered stories my mom used to tell me stories when I was little. They were about a mysterious magical group who gave good people gifts and abilities to do supernatural things to my stories at bed. I smiled a bit, and knew now that the stories weren’t stories. I hadn’t even recollected them just now, but now they came flooding back swarming my mind like they were waiting for me to put two and two together.
“Yes through stories, I didn’t think they were real when I was younger.” I said as Lona whisked her fingers and two chairs plopped down behind us. My mom and I sat down, and then Lona sat down on hers as well.
“Well these aren’t stories, my dear boy. They are quite real and quite trivial. Of course there is a group that holds evil ones near they aren’t the Kintana. However when we notice a special talented young one has fallen for another special one in time it’s destiny to be, kind of planned sort of you would say. This magic of two beings happened way quicker than any of us planned. Well then so did the threat. It just so happens the threat moved in quicker and using you. The threat wasn’t always bad until she received a visit from the evil ones: The Abaddons, which derives from Greek meaning evil iniquity. The name fits them. You see the Abaddons will choose one, like the chosen one to battle the most go
od of all good here. That is Aralynn, and my dear boy, you do know who the one who is going to battle her is?” Lona asked quietly.
“Yes, my sister Kilyn. Did you know anything about this?” I asked my mom looking at her.
“No my dear son, if I did I would have banished her long before I left this place, and you would have been safe.” She whispered touching my cheek.
“We didn’t know either till Aralynn started coming into her own quicker than expected, we started suspecting something like this was going to happen. We had no idea who it was who was chosen to do this task. We still wouldn’t know if it wasn’t for your mother. Your mother was the one, who brought us back an Abaddon guard; he spilled quite easily, and begged for death so we granted it to him. We may sound harsh young sir, but you see death was far better than the wrath he would have felt. You have felt just a taste of this wrath that the Abaddon member possesses. That wrath is nothing like the wrath this poor guard would have gone through. Death was a far better option. So you see that is why we sent your mother to you so we could cloud your mind and cast a chant on the amulet Aralynn wears, and cast a chant on you to protect you.” She said crossing her legs.
“I get you want to protect me, but why me and not her?” I yelled at the lady sitting before me. I was starting to get angry, because Aralynn was the one who needed protected not me.
“It’s quite simple really, if we protect you her loved one, she will do anything to protect you as well. She will come into her abilities quicker and faster and harness them better, because now she has more to lose.” She stopped.
“So I’m a pawn?” I said cutting her off.
“Well kind of, but not really. You are her mate that is destiny, we cannot stop it. How your paths cross we do not intervene with that. We do not derail one’s destiny with another in any way shape of form. You and Aralynn are going to do great things young one. You two will be the most powerful set of mates we have in the Kintana, and possibly be the head of it if you two shall choose. We have never seen such a powerful force and bond like yours together. That is why it is imperative that you tell her what you are, so you can help her. You know, and I know that she will be mad, but with her forgiving spirit and aura it won’t last long. It will be a brief disappointment then you both will battle the person who was sent by Abaddon to destroy her.” She smiled.
My head was spinning as I was trying to wrap my brain around what she had just said. She had said that Aralynn and I were destined to be mates forever. That I knew I was in love with Aralynn, I knew I couldn’t destroy her, or live without her. I knew I had to protect her and myself from my sister’s wrath. I knew that too. I knew she would probably battle my sister, and be battered a bit but would not lose. I knew all of this. Then I thought more.
I thought the stories weren’t real, of course that was stupid because if they weren’t real I wouldn’t exist. Then I tried to understand that together Aralynn and I were mates and would rule the Kintana one day. Ok that was some type of crazy, but somewhere in it all they had foreseen Aralynn with me together for eternity. That right there was worth it all it was worth everything.
Not to mention the fact that now I had to help kill my sister, and bring down the first major attack on the Kintana in a long while. Then my gut fluttered because no matter what the pain, I now knew the destiny of my future. I now knew that I would help destroy my sister, and despite the sadness I may feel I knew that it was for the greater good. The greater good would relinquish me from my personal hell and send me to a greater future with my love. So if it meant killing my sister to protect my future with Aralynn then I would I would gladly do it time and time again.
“Ok, I’m in.” I said in a calmer tone relaxing in my chair.
Lona blinked at me and smiled. “I thought he may, very good Vida, I knew him seeing you would help. Now young sir, I can’t go into great detail but you will train with your mom for a bit, she will always be near, and will help you with blocking your mind from your sister. She will be here but only for a bit. Then she will join you and Aralynn training together with my mate Orion and me. Hopefully your sister’s attack does not come as fast as we think. We hope it will subside just long enough for us to train you two as a team. You will be more beneficial as one unit versus two. It is imperative that you tell her as soon as possible. Just in case we don’t get to train you both together like we plan; if you at least know each other’s secrets it will help forge a bond between you two. It won’t be as strong as one if you train together but it will be strong enough still to defeat your sister. It will just be a far rougher battle without training. I fear the way the power of premonition is progressing in Aralynn the battle will be within weeks not the months we initially thought. So with that I have to be going, but you must tell her it’s of the utmost importance.” Lona said hugging me and my mother then twirling and she was gone.
I sat there blinking and thinking what the hell just happened. My mom read my mind and frowned at me. Then her frown turned into a half crooked smile. She touched my face again, and then kissed my head.
“My dear boy I know you have this in you to do this. I know you do. My son and daughter were destined for great things. Just your sister took the wrong path. I could not bare for anyone to destroy either one of my children, but sometimes certain circumstances make it necessary. Once you’ve been taken over by evil and there is no good left in you then we are left with no choice. You cannot live any longer you must be destroyed. As much as it pains me that fact holds true to your sister I’m afraid especially after what she has put you through. I know you can defeat her, believe me you have my blood and your fathers’, not her fathers’. Her father was an Abaddon member, that’s probably why she was more susceptible to evil. I never told anyone but your father and now you. I am sorry for the pain I have brought you, but you will defeat her with your love. I have faith in you and Aralynn. Here” She said handing me a note, and a few chants.
“Practice them my dear boy, we will pick up tomorrow while she is training with her family, I have already foreseen your sister will be out of town with her mate, another Abaddon. I will meet you here and we will train. I love you my son.” She whispered kissing my head.
“Mom?” I asked and she was gone.
I stood there, waiting for her to reappear, for a little while. Nothing happened, no mom, no Lona, no nothing. I figured it was time to go. So I flew back to my car puzzled, more than ever. I didn’t know how this was going to work out but I knew it had too. The deadline was moved up, I knew I needed to tell her but I still didn’t know how. I had hoped that Lona, and my mother knew what they were talking about saying she would forgive me because I knew I couldn’t live without her.
I got in my car started it, turning on the heat, and flipped open my phone to text Aralynn.
Hey Aralynn, I miss you. Are you out of your appointments, and ready to hang out? I hit the send button.
CHAPTER 10 ARALYNN
I got home a little after four, and checked my phone to see if I had any messages. I had one from Sam and another from Avery but none from Archer yet. I walked into the kitchen, no one was home yet. I grabbed a water and an apple then I sat on the couch in the living room. I looked out the window, eating the apple, and waiting. When I finished my phone beeped, I opened it; there was a text from Archer.
Hey Aralynn, I miss you. Are you out of your appointments, and ready to hang out? I smiled as I read it. I.
Yea, where are you? I’ll meet you somewhere. I waited for a response.
My wait wasn’t very long, because he had sent one back saying he was on his way. I decided now would be the perfect time to cast a chant to see if I could open my mind better to see who the couple were. However no chants worked, as I waited for him to come. So I went outside, with my coat and sat on the front step. No sooner than I had sat down he pulled up and got out of his car.
“Hi beautiful.” He said hugging me, and giving me a soft kiss. “How was your appointment?”
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�Hi it was ok. How was your day after I left you all alone?” I asked smiling at him as I got into his car.
“Ehh boring kind of mostly listened to the teachers I guess the project deadline was moved up to two days. Good thing all that we have left is the summary.” He said. “Then I left to go to Salem Woods for a bit because my sister wasn’t home, so there was no need to go there.” He said getting on the highway.
“Good thing that it is done then we can type that up tomorrow. Where are we going?” I asked looking out the window.
“Your favorite restaurant first –Sam told me which one. Then I thought we could take a walk along the water later.” He said looking at me as I grabbed his hand.
Thank you. I like the sound off that.” I said back leaning over giving him a kiss on the cheek.
We were just going the speed limit when another car came up besides us revving his engine up; Archer looked at me and smiled. They wanted to race, and he didn’t want to turn them down. I nodded; he looked over and nodded at the driver. We were off whizzing in and out of traffic zooming past all of the other cars. We were outrunning the other car easily, but then we passed a cop. He flipped his lights on and tried to catch up. I looked at Archer, then speedometer it was at 115. Well the cop definitely wasn’t gaining but I still wanted off the highway quickly just in case so I froze the cop car when he wasn’t looking as he took the exit. I watched the cop car go past the exit we got off. I looked at Archer and he laughed. Shortly after that we arrived at my favorite Italian restaurant in the U.S. It was a hole in the wall, but it was about as authentic as you could get without going to Italy. Archer got out, and opened my door for me. I grabbed his hand, and we walked in and got our seats, then ordered.
“Remind me to thank Sam for telling you.” I smiled.