I stared at her. “My sister has been here?”
Josephine nodded. “Yes. Right before… well, you know.”
“The girls wanted to show her this,” Virginia said, giving both Josephine and Calista a glare. “I wish they’d waited for me to be with them. But there’s no going back, so we won’t dwell on it.”
Virginia started down a set of stairs to the left of us and we followed her down.
There were piles of gold coins everywhere, taller than me, and stacks of silver and gold bars, with large jewels lying around on the floor next to them. It didn’t even look real; it all looked like a set in an Indiana Jones movie, but it had to be real. Why surround it with an underground fortress otherwise?
Across the way, some of it was separated from the rest and surrounded by something that looked like Plexiglas. I realized that was exactly what we were walking toward.
“Why is that separated from the rest?” I asked Calista.
“Virginia will tell you,” Calista whispered. “I’ve gotten in enough trouble for saying too much.”
We stopped in front of it and I placed my hand against it. It was thick. I suspected bullet proof. Though I imagined bullets weren’t very useful against these women.
“This,” Virginia said. “Is the Confederate treasury. All of it, as far as we know, save for the random coin here or there in museums.”
I’d never been much for history. But I did understand this was a big deal.
“There are people who have wasted their lives looking for it,” Virginia continued. “It represents a lot of pain, as you can imagine. But to some it represents heritage and pride in a time where they held all the power.”
She looked at me, “And some just want it for historical purposes. So we don’t forget.”
“So why is it here?” I asked. “Why would you want it?”
“We don’t,” Virginia said. “I wish I could throw it into the bottom of the ocean, but then someone would one day find it. And it cannot be found. Ever.”
The way she said that last word made goosebumps rise on my forearms.
“So why show this to me?” I said.
“So you can know you’re one of us. Only we know this exists. The Belles have been guarding it a very long time. It was stolen by someone we thought we could trust. She betrayed us with how she attained it. Many people were needlessly killed by her hand. When we… excommunicated her, we kept it. This, as you can imagine, made her very angry. But it was very obvious she had plans to use it for selfish reasons. Reasons that would have hurt a lot of people.”
“So we keep it down here,” Calista said. “Where she can’t get it.”
“We want to show you we trust you,” Josephine added, stepping toward me. She took my hand. “So please, trust us. That’s where our real power is. With each other.”
“Josephine is right,” Virginia said, taking my other hand. “That’s the only way we win. We stick together. No matter what.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. It was all I ever wanted. A family. A group of people who cared about me, who had my back.
But I was still so angry about the past.
I couldn’t let go of it. Not yet, anyway.
I pulled my hands away from them, “Well, I could have used some of this ‘togetherness’ a long time ago.”
I turned my back to them and looked at the treasure. I could see my reflection in the glass.
I suddenly understood my own anger.
It was hard to never know who you really are.
And harder to comprehend that you were abandoned because you weren’t worthy of love.
And they’d allowed me to feel that way. Until they needed me.
“Maybe you trust me,” I said, not looking at any of them. “But I will never trust you. Or forgive you.”
I turned around and Virginia looked like she might cry.
And as cruel as it was, the thought of her crying made me feel very satisfied.
Chapter 13
I returned to my room. It was late, and I was tired. Fiona brought me food, but I wasn’t hungry.
After I’d snapped at them, we’d all walked in silence back up the stairs and to the elevator bench. We’d gone up and Calista told Virginia she would take Josephine back to the house. I guessed there must be another one somewhere. They clearly didn’t live at this one.
“Okay,” Virginia had said to them. Neither looked at me or said goodbye.
“Oh, so I’m the bitch,” I said as the door closed behind them. “Because I don’t immediately want to be in your weird-ass sorority, sisterhood crap. So you showed me some treasure. Wow. Amazing. Show me something I care about.”
I looked at Virginia, “I want to see my sister.”
Virginia nodded.
“Tomorrow,” she said, her voice sounding defeated. “I promise. You’ll see her tomorrow. Fiona has your room ready upstairs. I’m going to bed. If you need anything… Well. Just tell Fiona and she will let me know.”
Virginia walked down the unlit hallway. I watched her disappear in the darkness.
I was alone.
I stared at the front door. Should I leave? Was it even possible? Where would I go back to? How would I see my sister if I left?
No. I wouldn’t leave. Not yet. There were too many mysteries left to solve.
The next morning, I woke up just as the sun was rising. Its rays streamed through the cracks of my windows and I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of a Charleston morning. It would never get old.
It occurred to me that it was day off from The Dixie Garden, which was a relief, since I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed to leave, even to go to work, but the more I thought about it, my job seemed pretty trivial considering the events of the past twenty-four hours.
Fiona had told me there were clothes in the closet for me if I needed them, and I was welcome to shower as well.
I decided I’d keep my own clothes, but a shower would be nice.
Thirty minutes later I was combing my wet hair, that now smelled like honeysuckle (of course the toiletries were the expensive kind), when Fiona knocked on the door.
“It’s just me, sweetheart!” she practically sang. “I have some breakfast for you!”
I walked over to my door and she waltzed in, a skip in her step.
“Are you always in such a good mood?” I inquired, but I was smiling. Fiona was pretty adorable.
“Most of the time, yes!” she laughed. “It’s a good life, my dear. And a short one. No time to be in a bad mood. Besides, I get to spend my days with special girls like you.”
Her smile was so genuine and her energy was so positive.
“Thanks, Fiona,” I said. “I appreciate you bringing me breakfast. Is Virginia up yet?”
“Oh yes,” Fiona said. “She’s been up a while. She told me to tell you to come down whenever you’re ready and done with food. You’re meeting Miss Emma today!” Fiona clapped her hands together and squealed.
“Oh,” I said, suddenly nervous.
I was meeting my sister today.
And not just my sister… my twin.
“Now, don’t be nervous,” Fiona said, sitting next to me on my bed. “She’s your twin. She lost one sister, but now she gains another. You gain each other. It’s a very good day, my love. A very good day.”
And with that, Fiona picked up the tray she’d brought my food on, and was gone.
I stood up and walked to the closet. I was still wearing my clothes from yesterday, which were my work clothes. Maybe I should wear something different after all, if there was anything that fit me.
Surprisingly enough, everything in my closet was my size. As if it had all been bought just for me. The clothes were gorgeous—and expensive. I recognized some of the labels from the gossip magazines I sometimes consumed when I was bored. It was one of my few vices.
Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Gucci… the list went on and on. And there were plenty of designers I hadn’t heard of.<
br />
I grabbed a pair of jeans and a simple blouse. I was afraid to even touch the gowns and other items. There was also about 14 pairs of shoes lined up on the floor for me.
I chose comfort over fashion and put on a pair of flats.
I walked downstairs to the front door where Virginia was standing, waiting for me.
“Good morning, Briar,” she said warmly. But I could tell she was apprehensive. I guessed she hadn’t known what mood to expect from me after last night’s revelations.
“Hey,” I replied. “So we’re going to meet Emma?”
Virginia opened the door and the sun smacked us both in the face. She put on a pair of what looked like very expensive sunglasses and pointed to the Range Rover that was idling on the curb in front of us.
“After you,” she said.
I walked down to the car and a man in a suit opened the back passenger side door for me.
“You have a driver?” I asked. Virginia didn’t reply.
I turned around to look at the house. Sure enough, it looked like something that should be condemned.
You’d never guess what riches lay inside it.
Chapter 14
“Walter, we need to run by the other house and pick up Calista,” Virginia said to the driver.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
“What about Josephine?” I asked. “She’s not coming?”
Virginia shook her head. “She’s staying behind. We need someone to, and she volunteered. Josephine is going through her own sorts of troubles right now. I think she just needs some time alone.”
Of all of them, I liked Josephine the best. She reminded me of Fiona in a way. Just all around pleasant. Almost like sunshine in human form.
“What is Josephine’s power?” I asked. “And Calista’s?”
Virginia folded her delicate hands in her lap.
“Josephine is a muse,” she said. “She has inspired some of the great thinkers and artists of our time. She can manipulate emotions. She can calm you down, like she did for you last night. She can also make people more anxious if she needs to. She can inspire tremendous creativity. Her moods tend to control everyone else’s as well.” Virginia smiled. “But fortunately she’s almost always in a good mood. She is the joy of my life.”
“Are you her mother?” I asked.
The question took her aback for a moment, but she shook her head. “No, though I would be very proud to be her mother.”
“And Calista?” I asked. “Besides clearly being the most beautiful human on the planet. Or is that her power?”
Virginia chuckled. “Beauty is definitely a powerful thing, but she is much more than that. Calista is telekinetic. She can move things with the control of her beautiful mind. And in recent decades we’ve discovered she can also manipulate technology, a power we’ve come to call ‘technokinesis’. That’s come in handy a bit. A very nice surprise.”
Walter pulled up to a cobblestone driveway of an absolutely gorgeous mansion.
Calista was coming out the side door, looking as flawless as yesterday.
“Is this your house too?” I asked, staring up at the massive columns. It was magnificent.
“Yes,” Virginia replied. “It’s my house, and it is also your house, Briar. Welcome home.”
Virginia moved to the front seat next to Walter, while Calista joined me in the back. Neither of us said much to each other. I stared out the window as the sleek, black SUV glided across the Limehouse Memorial Bridge out into the heart of the marshes and Johns Island.
“Where are we going?” I asked. “What’s she doing all the way out here?”
“Hiding,” Calista said. “We’re meeting her at Angel Oak.”
I was familiar with Angel Oak, as were most people from Charleston. When I was at the home, we’d taken field trips to it. It was a beautiful old tree; but I didn’t really get why we’d be going there.
I didn’t even bother asking.
As we got closer and the land around us turned more rural, Virginia turned to me.
“Now, Briar,” she said. “You might know about Emma, but she still doesn’t know about you. This is going to be a bit of a shock for her, so for now, you should probably stay in the car. When we’re ready for you, I’ll signal Walter to let you out.”
I sighed. “You’re keeping me captive in a car. With some sort of bodyguard.”
“It’s not like that,” Virginia said. “I’m just trying to make this easy on everyone. Imagine walking up to someone who looked like your mirror twin and they had never seen or heard about you before. It would be a huge shock to your system. She’s had enough shocks. Emma is still recovering from her fall.”
I understood that. In this case, Virginia was right. I’d let her handle this weirdest of introductions. Besides, I was still incredibly nervous. Something I hated to admit.
I hadn’t thought about how much we’d look alike. Mirror twin?
This was going to be pretty bizarre.
Chapter 15
Angel Oak is kind of in the middle of nowhere. You’re driving down a 2 lane dirt road and suddenly, there it is. There’s a fence around it and the only way to reach it is by going through a gift shop full of books about the tree and some really beautiful art work.
The path from the main road to the parking lot (if you can call a bumpy, unkempt parcel of land a parking lot) is constantly muddy. I’ve always wondered why it isn’t paved over. I can’t help but think about how many unprepared vehicles have gotten stuck out there after a rainy day.
I’m not sure why this was on my mind as we drove up, but I think I was just trying to calm myself down. I’d hoped Josephine was coming with us. She would have eased my anxiety.
“We’ll see you in a few,” Virginia said, as she and Calista got out of the car. I nodded and they both pushed their doors shut.
It was just me and Walter now.
“Would you like to listen to some music?” he asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.
“No, that’s okay,” I replied. “But thank you.”
We were parked right in front of the gift shop, so I couldn’t see past it to wherever they’d gone. I tried to imagine what her reaction would be to finding out about me. I couldn’t really envision anything, because I didn’t know this person. At all.
My twin sister.
There’d been plenty of times when I’d been in the home where I’d fantasized about having a family. I never really thought about brothers. It was always a sister, just one. We’d be close in age and best friends, and thick as thieves. My ultimate fantasy was loyalty and trust. And unconditional love.
Like something a family would provide. If I’d had one.
Sometimes it can be scary to get something you’ve always wanted. You start wondering if you’re worthy enough for it; if you’re even prepared to handle the change. Or if the having could possibly compare to the wanting. I guessed that was why I was so tense about it. Finding out I could shatter people’s bones was nothing compared to finding out about Emma.
As I looked out the window, the sun was streaming down between a break in the clouds, casting shadows all around. It was an especially gorgeous day and I felt my mood shifting a bit.
“Walter, would you mind putting the windows down?” I asked.
“Not at all, Miss Givhans,” he said. “It seems there’s a little breeze today which is very nice.”
“It is,” I replied. “And please, call me Briar.”
As the window silently went down I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breath of the morning air.
Today I was meeting my sister. I needed to focus on that and worry about everything else later.
Just as I was calming down, everything suddenly turned into a nightmare.
I don’t know where she came from, but a young woman with white hair (or maybe it was blonde? I couldn’t tell) suddenly stood next to Walter’s open window.
She’d literally materialized, it seemed, out of nowhere. The woman was c
hic like Calista, in form fitting skinny jeans and boots. She had on a sleeveless blue eyelet blouse. My first inclination was that she was one of us— a Belle— just someone I hadn’t met yet.
But, it became immediately clear, that was not the case.
Before either of us could say anything, she had made a sudden move and rapidly blood was spurting all over the windshield and steering wheel. Walter was slumped over, a terrible gurgling sound coming from him that would haunt me for the rest of my life.
I screamed, but she was quick. I’d assumed she was going to kill me next and my last thought would be my extreme regret over never meeting any of my family.
But she didn’t kill me.
Instead, she hissed at me, “Shut up. Or you’ll end up like him.”
The woman was steadfast. She swung my door open, dragged me out of my seat and suddenly, we were gone. It was that quick.
I tried to scream one last time—
But it didn’t matter. As soon as she grabbed me, everything went black.
Chapter 16
ZILLAH MARCH
After Zillah had left Ezekiel’s home that day at East Bay, she’d walked down to Waterfront Park, sitting on a bench close to the pineapple fountain, to think about her next move.
She knew Emma must be alive. She could feel it, even though she’d expressed her doubts to Ezekiel. Zillah had just wanted to gauge where he was at on this. And despite his immeasurable powers, even he didn’t know where Emma could be.
Zillah was determined to be the one to find her; to prove her worth to Ezekiel and the rest of his followers so that her supremacy would be recognized among the local paranormal community. She desperately desired that validation, and would go to any lengths to achieve it.
But she honestly had no clue where to start. It wasn’t like she could go talk to Virginia. Calista would be on her in three seconds flat— as in literally flat. The incident at Bronwyn had scared her a bit. The rage in Calista’s eyes… it had been a long time since she’d seen that.
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