by Leyton, Bisi
“Yes.” He banged the steering wheel. “Do you want to go back and face your mum, though?”
“She’s probably already at your house, waiting to finish what we started.”
Slowing down, Garfield turned the SUV around. “She did the right thing, you know? Enric was just going to drag you into something serious again.”
“I guess—Stop!” she shouted as a dog ran across the road. “You’ll hit James.”
Almost smashing into the animal, Garfield swerved to keep from hitting it.
The shaggy gray mutt trotted by, seemingly unaware of its brush with death as it crossed the road and found his way to a man dressed in a black suit. The tall stranger bent down and scratched James’s nose.
She could tell immediately from his green-tipped hair, blue-rimmed glasses, and James’s death-defying devotion, exactly who he was.
“Jason Webb?” Garfield read her mind.
Instantaneously, Jason appeared in the backseat of their SUV.
Now Wisteria knew this was a very serious situation, as Jason had always hidden his supernatural abilities while in Smythe. “You’re back? You escaped from Coia.”
“She never had me. I’ve been—hiding,” Jason explained. “I came here with Enric because he knew I could talk to you.”
“You and Enric—?” she stammered. That was another startling event, as Jason was a half-breed and Enric would normally not even give him the time of day.
“I told him not to approach you, but he’s very impatient.” Jason shook his head as a small smile tugged at his lips. “And he is not particularly bright.”
“Everything—he said was—true?” she realized aloud. “Bach has been brainwashed?”
“Yes, but this isn’t just about Bach. The Dy’obeth killed the First Pillar and they will slaughter your entire race once they discover the people on Earth aren’t protected by the First Pillar anymore. They will enter this realm and destroy what’s left of your people.”
She closed her eyes and prayed. “How can I stop it?”
“I don’t know, but the answer might be in the Hall of Ages on the Family’s Home Realm. It’s a vast depository of artifacts, maps, and books.”
“How do I know you’re not Malcolm?”
“Ask me anything you think I should know from when I lived here. Like were you ever in love with Steven Hindle—”
“Please don’t tell me you’re seriously considering going back?” Garfield interjected, his face pale.
“If Jason is telling the truth, then I have to.” Wisteria studied Jason’s face.
“Garfield, trust me, if you thought the empirics were bad, wait until you meet the Dy'obeth. The rest of The Family hate humans, but the Dy’obeth wants absolute dominance over all the realms. They will finish what they began before the First Pillar stopped them.”
“Why are you dragging us into this? Hasn’t humanity suffered enough?” Garfield looked angry as he drove.
“Why was I born half-human? I can’t answer that. All I can do is walk the path, or die where I stand,” Jason replied. “Just like you.”
“How much time do we have?” She rubbed Garfield’s shoulder to try and comfort him.
“Months at most, but I’m guessing weeks.” Jason shook his head.
“That soon?” She felt sick at the news.
“I know I’m going to regret asking this, but how are we going to get there?” Garfield gritted out through his teeth.
“We?” She glanced over at her best friend in shock. “Garfield, please don’t get involved.”
“I’m not letting you run off on your own again. Each time you come back, you’re almost—dead!”
“Garfield—” She wasn’t going to let him get mixed up in her mess.
“You can barely walk Wisteria, so you’ll need someone who can watch your back.”
“No, you can’t.” She shook him and noticed she was trembling, overcome by the realization she was going to face the fire again. “I’m not sure if I’m going to go.”
“We’re not negotiating.” He shook his head. “We’ll go to this Hall of Ages and we’ll make it back.”
“I . . .” She didn’t have the words. Her insides felt like they were churning.
Jason’s green eyes darkened and he turned to her. “You’ll need one of these.” Stretching out his hand, he revealed a black tile that shone brightly. “Take it.”
Wisteria stared at the dark glass, knowing she might make it back in worse shape than she was in now. She might not survive the trip at all, but she wouldn’t be here with her family, alive, if not for Bach. His words echoed in her mind, the last thing she heard when she was infected by the biters at Franklin. Whatever is left of life and death, promises and curses . . . till death, I will always be for you.
Two things she understood now--if there was away to protect what remained of humanity from the Family, she needed to make that happen, and Bach was on the other side and she had to save him.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bisi Leyton was born and lives in London. She grew up in the UK, Nigeria and the States, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters. As a fan of the Sweet Valley High Series, she started writing fan-fiction at eleven, will never reveal under pain of death. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels, and cracked.com.
You can email Bisi on [email protected] as she would love to hear from you. You can also follow her on twitter at @bisileyton or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Bisileyton2 or http://bisileyton.blogspot.com/
THE WISTERIA SERIES
Bisi is currently working on the final book in the Wisteria Series. For information visit the Wisteria Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Wisteriabooks