Enchanted Secrets

by Kristen Middleton

  “Yes, but they deserved it,” he smiled. “They wouldn’t let me over their bridge.”

  “Wow, you’re amazing,” I said, shaking my head.

  “Sorry,” he laughed. “I just couldn’t resist.”

  I lowered my voice. “Seriously, though, are there really trolls?”

  He pursed his lips and nodded. “Yes, and pray that you never meet one. They’re nasty creatures and very hard to kill.”

  “Uh, okay.”

  We started climbing down the hill, which was actually steeper than I thought. “This would have to be very dangerous if you’ve been drinking,” I noted.

  “Yeah, look down below us.”

  There was a ravine at the very bottom of the hill, about three hundred feet down.

  “If you didn’t get hurt tumbling down, you might just drown in the ravine,” I said.

  Loud music and laughter blasted out of the large cave as we drew near.

  “I wonder if the cops know about this place?”

  “No,” replied Mark, stepping out of the cave. “And I’ve worked hard to keep it that way.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Where’s Kala?”

  His smile gave me the chills. “Come, I’ll show you, Kendra.”

  Tyler looked at me and I knew he felt it too. Mark was acting strange and he hadn’t seemed surprised at all to see us.

  Mark glanced at me. “Well, I have to say, Kendra, you’re looking pretty hot. It’s almost like,” he said with a wicked grin. “Someone put a spell on you.”

  “Hey, Kala!” smiled Hailey. She was sitting with a couple of girls and drinking a beer. “I must be seeing things because I could have sworn you just passed by a few minutes ago.”

  I smirked. “Maybe you’ve just had too much to drink?”

  “Not yet,” she answered and then giggled.

  “Don’t worry, Hailey,” smiled Mark. “I’ll let you know tomorrow if you’ve taken off any clothes.”

  “Stop about the last time already!” she pouted. “You shouldn’t have been looking anyway!”

  I wasn’t about to ask what she meant by that. Tyler just shook his head and removed his sunglasses.

  We followed him deeper into the cave. It was getting darker and after a while, Mark pulled out a flashlight. “Watch out for spiders and other things lurking in the dark,” he said. “You never know what you’ll run into in these caves.”

  “Where is Kala?” I asked, getting worried. Why would my sister be hanging out somewhere in the back of this smelly dank cave?

  Mark turned to me. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”

  We came to a tunnel and he motioned for us to keep following him.

  “Are you sure she’s back here?” I asked.

  He turned back and gave me a reassuring smile. “Of course. Wait until we get there, you can see for yourself how great she’s doing.”

  I shuddered at the way he said that, and even Tyler frowned.

  “Here,” said Mark, pointing towards a lit-up passageway. “Come on.”

  We followed him through the opening and my breath caught in my throat when I noticed my sister. “Kala?” I whispered in horror.

  She lay on a giant slab of rock with her arms and legs tied together. Her eyes were closed and her skin was so pale, she appeared almost… dead.

  “Oh, God!” I screamed, rushing towards her. “What have you done to my sister?”

  “Wait!” yelled Tyler, as I slammed into some kind of invisible wall and fell backwards.

  “So we meet again,” chuckled Vivian, stepping out of the shadows of the cave. “Isn’t this a quaint little family reunion?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I stood up. “Let my sister go!”

  “No,” she sneered. “I don’t think so.”

  With a very determined look, Tyler took a step towards Vivian.

  “Freeze!” she demanded, raising her wand. “You try anything, boy, and I’ll kill both girls.”

  Tyler clenched his fists. “Leave them alone. They’re not who you’re after.”

  “No, but they’re good bait, don’t you think?”

  A bright flash of light lit up the cave and I sighed in relief when I saw Rebecca and Clarice appear, both of their wands raised.

  “Teleport!” they cried in unison. Rebecca aimed her wand at me and Clarice aimed hers at Kala.

  The next thing I knew, I was transported through the rainbow vortex and landed on my butt at Tyler and Rebecca’s home in Vail.

  “What happened?” moaned Kala, who was lying on the plush carpet a few feet away. She rubbed her temples and shuddered. “Man, I don’t feel so good.”

  “Oh, my God, Kala,” I cried, crawling over to her. “You’re okay!”

  Kala opened her eyes and gasped. “What… what happened to you?”

  I smiled sheepishly. “I lost a little weight. It’s a long story.”

  She looked around. “Where in the heck are we, and how’d we get here?”

  “Um, we’re at my friend Tyler’s house.”

  She stood up and swayed. “Oh,” she mumbled, touching her forehead. “I’m a little dizzy.”

  “Sit down,” I said, motioning towards the white leather couch.

  Kala stumbled towards the sofa and plopped down.

  “Better?” I asked.

  She sighed and put her head in her hands. “I don’t understand, what happened?”

  I took a deep breath and started telling her about mom and how she was a powerful witch.

  “Excuse me?” she snapped, raising her head. “Are you on crack?”

  “Listen, don’t you remember being tied up in the cave? Or the crazy redhead who looked like our mother?”

  She glanced at her wrists, which were slightly pink. “I don’t remember being tied up, but I tell you what, I’m never going out with Mark again. He dragged me to that party and then left me alone in the middle of the cave.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “So you really don’t remember anything else?”

  She shook her head and frowned. “No.”

  Before I could say anything else, Tyler burst out of the vortex and landed on the carpet by her feet. Kala backed away from him on the sofa and began screaming.

  I placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, he’s a friend.”

  “A friend…where did he come from? He wasn’t here a second ago!”

  “He just came from that cave party,” I said. “Like us. We both teleported here as well.”

  She put her head back in her hands and moaned. “Okay, someone must have slipped me something in my diet soda. This must be what it’s like to be stoned out of your mind.”

  “You’re fine,” I said, sitting down next to her. “Thank God.”

  Tyler cleared his throat. “So, are you two girls okay?”

  “I think so,” I said, turning to him. “Oh, my God, what happened to you?”

  I had been focusing all of my attention on my sister and hadn’t even noticed the horrible shape he was in. His clothes were ripped, he was sweating, and his hand was torn up and bleeding.

  “I’m okay,” he said. “A few scrapes from Vivian. Could have been a lot worse.”

  I frowned. “I think you need stitches. What in the heck did she do to you?”

  “She blasted me with her wand when I went after her son.”

  “Her son?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Yeah, you know, Mark.

  “No way, seriously?”

  He closed his eyes and let out a painful sigh. “Deadly serious, Kendra.”

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked, seeing his face grow paler.

  Before he could answer, Rebecca appeared out of nowhere.

  “Is everyone okay?” she asked.

  Kala’s face was as white as a ghost. “I’m definitely losing my mind.”

  “Tyler’s hand is pretty messed up, other than that, we’re okay. Where’s Clarice?”

  “She went to go find your mother. Let me see your ha
nd, Tyler.”

  He held out his hand and Rebecca pointed her wand. “Mend.”

  Kala and I watched in awe as the skin on his hand began to glow and repair itself. The next time I blinked, his hand looked smooth and free of any injury.

  “Please tell me I’m dreaming,” murmured Kala, “because if I’m not, I should be locked up.

  “Oh, you’re not dreaming,” said Rebecca with a reassuring smile. “This is real and someday, you’ll hone the same powers as your mother.”

  “It’s true, Kala,” I said. “Like I was trying to tell you, our mother’s a witch. She also has an evil twin sister who practices Black magic and wants to destroy her.”

  She laughed, bitterly. “Really? So that she can rule the planet and kill us all.”

  “No,” said Rebecca. “Just those who won’t bow down to her every whim.”

  “Are you people out of your freaken’ minds?” she yelled. “Our mother runs a daycare! There is no way she could possibly be a witch. That’s absurd and I won’t believe it for a minute!”

  “Believe it, honey,” murmured the soft voice of my mother as she began to materialize before our eyes. “Everything you’ve heard, it’s… true.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Mom!” I cried, stumbling towards her. “Where have you been?”

  She raised both of her hands and took a step back. “Wait,” she answered, breathlessly. “Please don’t touch me. It’s too dangerous.”

  “What? Are you hurt?” I asked, noticing how pale and delicate she looked.

  She swayed slightly and blinked. “Vivian’s… placed a spell on me.” Then before I could say or do anything, she collapsed to the floor.

  “Mom!” I sobbed, reaching for her.

  “Wait! Stay back!” hollered Clarice, who suddenly materialized next to her. “You mustn’t touch her!”

  Rebecca placed herself between us and then turned to Clarice. “Take Adrianne into my bedroom.”

  She waved her wand. Then, they were both gone.

  “What in God’s name is wrong with our mother?” choked Kala, who was still sitting on the sofa. “And who are you people?”

  Tyler removed his sunglasses and walked stepped forward. “Don’t be afraid,” he said softly.

  She stared at him in confusion.

  “You must relax and listen to your sister. She’s telling you the truth. You need to be strong so you can help each other.”

  Kala’s eyes were now dilated. She nodded her head slowly. “Yes.”

  Tyler, who also looked exhausted, turned to me. “Okay, now, talk to her.”

  “Kala?” I asked, edging back towards the sofa. “Are you okay?”

  She turned to me and I watched as her eyes began to refocus. She nodded. “Yes. I’m just trying to absorb everything.”

  Rebecca stepped forward and squeezed her shoulder. Then, she looked at me. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to find out what happened to your mother, although,” she said with a pained expression, “I think it’s pretty obvious.”

  “Listen,” I said to Kala as soon as we were alone. “Everything I’ve told you is true. Vivian is mom’s twin sister. She wants to kill her so she can steal all of her magic. I guess if you’re a twin and a witch you can absorb the other one’s magic after they die.”

  She turned to me in horror. “Why would her own sister want to do this, and secondly, why didn’t mom ever tell us she was a witch with an evil twin sister?”

  I sighed. “To protect us. The less we knew, the better.”

  Kala wiped the tears from her eyes. “This just seems so… crazy,” she laughed bitterly. “I mean witches, spells, and… what about your friend Tyler?” her eyes grew large. “Is he a warlock?”

  I shook my head. “No, he’s an Enchanter. Tyler inherited his gifts from his father, who, by the way, was also killed by Vivian.”

  “Oh of course,” she mumbled.

  “Girls,” said Clarice, coming up behind us.

  We both shot up off of the couch.

  She smiled sadly. “We must talk. Please sit down.”

  I sat back down next to my sister and cleared my throat. “So, is mom okay?” I asked.

  Her face darkened. “Well, she’s been hexed.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Kala.

  “Vivian has put a curse on your mother.”

  Kala’s lips began to tremble. “A curse? What do you mean? Is she going to die?”

  Not one to mince words, she replied, “Yes she will die, unless we can stop the curse.”

  “Oh, my God!” I moaned. “She might really die? Seriously?”

  “How can we stop it?” asked Kala, wiping her eyes. “There must be a way?”

  “Vivian must die,” stated Tyler, coming out of the kitchen. “The only way you can save your mother, is to destroy Vivian first.”

  ~~~

  “How in the world are we supposed to kill her? Wouldn’t you have done it years ago if it was feasible?” I asked.

  “We’ve never tried to actually kill her before,” said Clarice. “To be honest, I’m not sure if we’re even strong enough to do it.”

  “That’s why we work together,” said Tyler. “She has weaknesses. I know she does. In fact, the Shape-shifters have been watching her for me.”

  “How clever, my dear boy. Have they learned her weaknesses yet?” asked Clarice.

  He sighed and sat down on the couch. “Well, obviously she needs her wand, without it, she’s not as powerful. Also, Mark. She spoils the crap out of him. He’s her other weakness.”

  “Mark?” spat Kala. “That jerk is her son for real? That means…”

  “He’s our cousin.”

  Kala closed her eyes and groaned. “Thank God I never kissed him.”

  “That would have been disturbing,” I said. “He knows we’re cousins, too, I’m sure.”

  Clarice nodded. “Oh, yes I’m sure he does.”

  Rebecca walked into the room and sighed. “She wants to speak with you girls, just be careful not to touch her. The spell that’s been cast upon her is like a poison. If you touch her, you’ll be vulnerable to the curse as well.”

  “We can’t touch her at all?” I asked.

  “No. I’m sorry,” replied Rebecca.

  My sister and I looked at each other sadly.

  “Let’s go,” I said, grabbing her hand.

  “Follow me,” said Rebecca, leading us down a long hallway.

  We entered a beautiful, dimly-lit room on the other side of the house where our mother was now tucked inside of a luxurious king-sized bed.

  “Come closer, just don’t touch me,” she murmured.

  I stood over her and marveled at how fragile she looked. Not only was her face pale, but she looked almost gaunt, nothing like the healthy woman who’d fed me breakfast this morning. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, with tears in my eyes.

  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” she sighed. “It’s my fault. I should have told you a long time ago. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.”

  “We understand,” I said.

  “What did you do to yourself?” asked mom.

  I smiled sheepishly. “A potion, to lose weight.”

  “Oh, Kendra…”

  “But mom, you wanted me to lose weight.”

  She shook her head. “I wanted you to be healthy. Potions are dangerous and not worth the risk. Please, don’t ever do something like that again.”

  I nodded.

  “Are you really going to die?” asked Kala. “Is it true?”

  She swallowed. “Girls, I won’t die and do you know why? Because you’re going to destroy her.”

  I stared at her in shock. “Us? How can we do anything against her? She’s a powerful sorceress.”

  Mom smiled. “She is not the only one. You two, together, can stop her.”

  “But we don’t know the first thing about being a witch,” argued Kala. “We know nothing of casting spells or witchcraft. I mean, all of this st
uff was thrown on me fifteen minutes ago, although Kendra seems to have known about it much longer.”

  I frowned. “Hey, I just found out about it today, too. Cut me some slack.”

  She sighed. “Well, whatever. The point is we don’t know how to be witches so there has to be another way.”

  Mom closed her eyes for a minute.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  She nodded and then reopened her eyes, which looked very tired. “Yes, just very weak from this… curse.”

  “I’m sorry for upsetting you, mom,” whispered Kala.

  She shook her head. “Oh, God, don’t be. Now, I have something important to tell you. Listen to me carefully – in the attic there is an old trunk with all of my… secrets.” She paused to catch her breath. “To unlock it, you only need to say, ‘Michael, I love you’, and then… it will open.”

  Michael was our father’s name.

  She went on. “I have a spell book in the trunk. In this book is a very powerful spell called ‘Removal.’ If you can get to that book and use the spell while you’re standing before her, Vivian will disappear and… never bother any one of us again. She will be gone and the spell she’s cast on me will also be removed. But, this is important, you have to say it and believe, without a doubt, that it will work.”

  Her eyes closed again and it looked like she’d stopped breathing.

  “Mom?” I choked in horror.

  “I’m… okay,” she answered in a breathless whisper. She opened her haunted blue eyes up again and smiled weakly. “I’m still here.”

  “How much time do we have?” I asked, wishing I could do something for her right now.

  She licked her lips, which were dry and cracked, as if something was sucking every ounce of life out of her. “You have twenty-four hours. Around four… tomorrow evening. But, I believe in you girls. You have it in you to defeat her, especially together. As a team. ”

  Kala looked at me. “Defeat her?”

  I pursed my lips and nodded. “We have no choice. We have to try.”

  “Now, regardless of whether or not I make it, she must be stopped at all costs. If not, everyone will suffer. Her heart is as cold and black as death…” she whispered before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out.