“Okay, are you guys ready? Who is taking the girls? They will be to weak and disoriented once we awaken them,” Roxia said her wand still outstretched.
“Desmond and Simone are taking the girls, while the four of us are taking defense positions pointing at Gabby, Kat, and Piper. While Solena, and Selena will oversee portals opening and closing,” I replied to Roxia just as she reached out and hugged me, whispering into my ear, “thank you for coming back for them,” as her hands dropped to her side.
“We will have approximately twenty minutes for you to get the girls out and portal out before they arrive. Now Lori has a shelter build to block us from their sights, so we can stay under ground and hidden. So you just worry about you guys,” Roxia said now standing in front of Ashley.
The two, Roxia and Lori walked up to the girls both touching their own hearts and reaching out to the girls heads. And just as their hands touched the heads, bright lights burst from them. Lori and Karen burst forward raising in the air, their skin turning to silvery grey, their eyes both flashing bright with the orange red of rust.
Ashley and Roxia were stuck to the ground, their feet wrapped in twigs, leaves and roots as they grew up their bodies. Ashley screaming, her face in pain as the roots wrapped themselves around her tighter and tighter, covering her body completely. Her teal colored eyes dimmed, the roots hardened around her. Roxia dropped to the ground, her hands clawing along the floor. “Get going, take her and go,” she screamed as she dug her hand into the carpet lifting a latch she fell through.
Karen and Lori dropped to the ground in loud thuds, Desmond rushed to Ashley to pick her up and carry her out, while Simone reached for Karen. “Holy she’s heavy,” Desmond said, looking strained even for a Vampire.
“Karen is red hot, almost like molten metal, is this normal?” Simone asked looking at me.
“How am I supposed to know, I turned invisible,” I replied almost annoyed with Simone.
“What did you do what you awakened?” I asked if to be a child being a smart ass to their parent.
“Well, I burned down my family home, I erupted in a ball of fire,” He replied his face turning from strained by the weight to something more sorrow filled.
“I’m sorry,” I replied feeling stupid for asking like that.
Everyone did what they were responsible for, everyone piled into the back bedroom, as the door closed behind us we heard the loud thud of the front door being beaten on.
The room was smaller than I had always thought, the room held a small twin bed, and a dresser with a mirror. There were two windows each with shutter style curtains drawn. The original pink color I could only imagine it came with when the house was created. The dresser had only a few perfumes and some small hygiene items, like a brush, hand mirror and make-up brushes.
Everyone stood each trying to take their place as the window began to crack from the guardians outside them. Each hitting them with magic after magic. The color of each aura bursting towards the glass, as it spider webbed. Taking a deep breath, I looked at Solena and Selena, wondering if they couldn’t open the portal now?
“We know your in there, come out now and surrender or we will use force!” a male voice yelled, his voice slightly muffled by the walls.
The girls clapped hands together, and just like before the colors of their aura flared to life, this time the door way was bright white and black in coloring. The line where the two colors met shown bright with lights, as if it was ripping open the realms themselves.
Everyone made their way through the portal doorway. Myself and Gabby the last to go through as the door to the room was broken down, my eyes locked with a guardian I recognized from the diner. As he stepped forward, I blew out at them standing in the door way.
The sheer gust I managed pushed them back, their heels digging into the floor. The woman with him launched her whip out, hitting Gabby in the face. As the whip retracted to the woman, Gabby managed to grab it and slam it to the ground, causing the woman to slam into the ground. Gabby’s face bleeding where the whip hit her.
The man held the door frame as the wind picked up, his feet lifting from the floor as he continued to lift into the air. His helmet broke off his face showing what he looked like, the scars from the very first encounter with him all those years ago, still stuck out on his face. A large red hot scar across his lip up his nose and across his eye.
“Surrender, you wont get away,” He said, his voice choppy from the wind.
“I think you miss understand, we aren’t going anywhere,” I said looking at Gabby, her hand gripped mine.
Our hands glowed bright with green and a violet color almost opposite of Desmond’s beautiful deep purple shine. The colors married together turning ominous, the deep of the violet bleeding with the green turning to a dark brown black color. Our magic bouncing around as it dripped to the ground around us, the carpet below turning black as if it was living and dying finally. And just as it completely turned black, it blew away leaving patches of wood underneath were the carpet died.
The guardian’s eyes widened in fear, his head shaking as he still clung to the door frame, blowing in the wind. As we stepped closer towards him, his hands released the frame launching himself to the opposite side of the house, hearing him slam into the kitchen cupboards.
Gabby and I continued walking towards them, our steps echoing through the house as we walked, the carpet and wood began to rot away, leaving nothing behind in its wake. It was as if something took over us, our magic was amplified, our spells were deadly but painless.
The portal stayed open, Simone and Desmond came out of it. Stepping forward through the room, they turned to the windows, clasping hands, their magic exploded in a bright light. The fiery red of Simone and the beautiful deep purple of Desmond burned bright. The colors changed and swirled until one finally won out. The bright orange swirled with black purple color as if a deep flame of life. Just as Gabby and mine killed everything around it as it dripped from our hands, theirs seemed to burn bright, as it dripped it burned the area around it so bright it was blinding.
Their hands still clasped tightly, they stepped forward, their opposite hands reaching out to the window. The tips of their fingers gliding along the walls, the bright light of their magic red-hot, shining as if thousands of stars sparkled inside the magic, each illuminating so much it would have been hard to see without our eyes. And with a loud explosion of dust, glass, bricks and wood, the wall where the windows stood was gone, the guardians surrounding them were now hundreds of feet into the fields, some landed in the traps set. The debris continued to fall to the ground, almost in slow motion. It was as if we continued without realizing what we were doing. Desmond and Simone walked through their now blown hole, Gabby and I walked towards the guardian in the kitchen.
I raised my right hand, the magic we shared flowed through my arm, down to my hand, the veins turned black as the magic continued to make its way out. Just as the magic released from me, the veins turned back to their normal blue purple color. As the magic flowed through the air, it hit the guardian directly in the face, his veins turning black in his face, spider webbing completely to cover his cheeks, nose and forehead.
His body began jerking around as if seizing, his eyes rolled back in his head. As the magic moved on, rolling through to the living room towards the female guardian, he took his last breath. His chest fell, his body stopped seizing falling limp to the ground.
The aura circled us over and over, we continued walking forward, our hands outstretched tracing lines on the wall as if to cut out a portion of the house like the boys did.
As the wall turned black, I waved my right hand again, this time a gust of heavy wind blew through, slamming into the wall, shattering into dust. As it crumbled to the ground there stood more trembling guardians. Each stood their weapons out stretched as protection from us.
Gabby turned looking at me, I nodded, my eyes slowly blinked as if slow motion. I raised my hand up,
the wind picked up, blowing our clothes and hair all over, the dirt around us swirling. Gabby outstretched her hand, the same black color pumped through her veins. As the magic left her, I could see through the cloud of magic as if I was flowing through it, feeling my body float and mist around the guardians. Rolling over the ground, circling them, the mist rose towards their face. Each inhaling the now black smoke, their brains began shutting down, I could feel myself inside them, shutting down parts of their bodies. Their eyes rolling back in their heads, the seizing began. I felt myself grip their hearts, squeezing them tightly, slowing them down.
Just as their bodies slowed to almost dead, Gabby pulled me back. Flowing through her veins again, back into my body. The guardians dropped to the ground, each barely breathing but still alive. We may have been in danger, but we were not killers. Not on purpose anyways. The guardian on the ground we stopped before rose to his feet, Gabby was controlling him, his broad sword at the ready.
Desmond and Simone came around the corner, we stood face to face. Desmond outstretched his hand to Gabby, Simone stuck out his hand to me. As the four of us clasped hands a pulse of magic flowed from us like a beacon. Wave after wave of magic erupted from us, the ground shaking, the grass burning and turning black as it travelled. The realm was dying, we were killing it.
“Everyone is safe, lets go,” Solena’s voice echoed from behind us. As I turned the portal they had created was open, waiting for us.
Chapter 27
Family
The plan we came up with was ingenious really, while the four of us were distracting the guardians charged with monitoring this realm, everyone else was pulling the families out of the realm, taking them to the mortal realm. From there the families would have to do the rest, but they managed to get everyone free. Then once everyone was free and moved including the guardians the four of us could destroy the realm.
It was a trick one of us remembered from when we fought against the horsemen once. Then when we pair up our powers are unmatched. Pairing Simone and I up would not be as powerful as the master of death and the wind to carry it, or the master of life and the fire to burn it bright. It was the perfect idea and came together seamlessly.
The destruction of the realm only rippled minorly, no other realms were affected more than a little shaking and minor destruction. Desmond managed to go to each of the realms the night before and let them know what was happening.
Looking to the sun now, in the true earth realm, it was magical. The birds chirping, the bright color of the sun shining down on me, almost as if to burn. It felt more concentrated, not like a light bulb shining on everyone and everything. Desmond’s hand clasped mine, as he snuck up on me, wrapping his other arm around my chest. He kissed my cheek, “this is what the earth realm should be,” he said holding me closer yet. His body crushing me in his embrace.
“This is pretty, its elegant, it reminds me of my realm,” I whispered back, but my mood changed. I felt sad, almost hurt by how my realm was destroyed, my guards killed. I knew we had more important things to do, and going back to my realm to fix things was the last on them. I still felt sorrow for them all.
Turning in Desmond’s grip, I looked him in the eyes, kissing him passionately.
“What was that for?” he asked looking confused.
“Nothing, just love you is all,” I said again, turning back to face the sun.
The hill we all came out on was beautiful, the wind blowing around us, I could see the tree tops as they swayed. The houses below were like any houses in the other realm, but this time there were children playing outside. There were people mowing their lawn, the grass was green and lush.
Gabby and Solena were playing on the hill, chasing each other, rolling in the grass. They were truly having fun. There was something about the realm that actually made us feel normal. Like everything we had been through or what we were about to do was just a care for another day.
“We have to find your parents do we not Kade?” Selena asked, watching Gabby and Solena play in the grass almost like a protective mother. Every time Gabby would show wolf features when playing she would tense up and make a motion as if to try and stop them from playing. But Solena would shape shift to other creatures, it was such a sight to see.
“Yes, but that’s why Simone and Piper chose this location, it where they think my parents would be. I must agree, the hospital over that tree is where I crashed out of, and the lake over there looks like where I went to my parent’s home. It felt like a longer distance but that’s it all right.” I replied, my hand still pointing at the house I was remembering.
The feeling of seeing my mom and sister again made my heart pound, I missed them so much. Even my dad and brother I missed, but I knew that Alexander was always away at school. He almost never came home. I fought all urges to run to my parent’s house right now, but I knew everyone was tired and wanted a moment to just relax. The realm really took a lot out of us, as if it was draining everyone’s powers to keep it alive.
Desmond and I lay on the grass just holding each other watching as everyone else relaxed, played with their magic and even Karen and Ashley seemed to really show themselves. We must have lay there for hours, as the sun was setting we decided to head to my parent’s house. The walk wasn’t like it had felt before, reaching the door before the sun completely set over the horizon.
Simone reached out to the door, just about to knock when it flew open, the see-through screen revealing Alexis standing in the door way. Her face sad, tears streaming down. My body taking over, I launched past everyone, reaching out to her, gripping her tight. Squeezing my little sister tight, my lips kissing the top of her head.
Her eyes still tearing up, my grip loosening, our eyes meeting again. “Oh, Kade you are safe!” she exclaimed, her heart raced as her tears continued to stream down. Wiping the tears away, she was cool to the touch. Her face was just as soft as I remembered. Taking multiple deep breathes together, we turned to see mom and dad in the entry.
“He’s back,” Alexis said directing her comment to mom.
Before I could move or notice anything mom gripped me tight, our bodies in an embrace. She was not letting me go this time. I could feel her hands as they checked my head, my back and even my sides. She was making sure I was real.
Dad came across the room, gripping my head tight as he kissed it. “Son, you are safe,” he added, looking towards my friends.
“Oh my, come in, come in all of you,” mom said releasing her grip on me. Her arms now outstretched to everyone.
Gabby and Simone looked confused, but Karen and Ashley did not hesitate to jump into my mother’s arms, gripping her tight.
As everyone did as mom asked, dad walked around everyone asking if anyone wanted something to drink or if they needed a rest.
Mom looked through the doorway as if expecting someone else to walk through.
“Who are you looking for mom?” I asked knowing full well who she was looking for.
“Where is Quart?” she asked turning to everyone else.
“We have not found him yet, he is next but we came to you two hoping you would know where he was,” I said looking at mom and dad.
But as I looked to dad, I noticed his hands were bright red, almost burnt or melted, the skin had tried healing, but it was not able to.
What would have caused that? Dad and mom were magical, they could have just used magic to heal the wound especially if it was something mortal that caused the burn. Dad’s hand fidgeted hiding themselves behind his back as if he noticed I was watching.
Chapter 28
Lies
Everyone was settled and resting, mom and Alexis had set up the rooms in the house for everyone to stay in, set up the couch and even prepped the boat house. Dad standing in the kitchen, his hands on the cupboards, as I walked up. His head turned to look me in the eyes as he placed his hands behind him.
“What happened?” I asked feeling concerned by what his hands l
ooked like, the closer I got to the them I could see it all. The burn of the skin melting off, his expanded cells of his skin soaked with water. The roughness of his finger tips and palms as if run across the ground scratching them up. The worst was seeing the red his hands continually stayed.
“Its nothing Kade, you should rest. You all had a long day,” he said patting my back, moving my body out of the kitchen.
My feet slide across the floor, dad’s strength pushing me out of the room, edging me up to my room. My head spun, I could feel my magic surrounding him, Simone’s magic pulled me to his as well. I could not have been the only one to feel that when I saw him. I wanted to confront him, I wanted to ask the question, but what would that do?
I would ask mom in the morning what he did. Something was wrong, really wrong. But feeling my feet take me up the stairs, my eyes were getting tired. Anger flared up, he was right, I was tired.
The sun shone brightly over the window sill. Desmond gliding his hand over my back, “good morning,” his voice sung in my ears. The bright light of the sun glowed through my eye lids, the smell of the flowers on the wind ran through my nose. The feel of the warmth beating down upon me. As birds in the trees above sang loudly. The morning felt perfect, and then it all came crashing down around me. My mind ran with what happened last night, what was my father hiding. I needed to tell someone.
“Desmond did you sense Simone’s magic on my father?” whispering to him, knowing Simone was on the floor below us. His face scrunched up, thinking and I knew the answer he was going to give.
Not even waiting for the answer, my feet hit the floor at the edge of the bed, the cool metal of the door knob tingled against my fingers and palm as the door swung open. And before I realized it I was down the stairs.
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