Twisted Sister of Mine (Overworld Chronicles)

by John Corwin

  The nebulous image spoke. "Adam or Felicia, if you are seeing this, it means something has happened to us, and Jarrod Sager or one of our other contacts has given you the code to unlock this message. Your mother and I were handed down a task from a long line of predecessors to keep safe a secret so vital, if the wrong people were to possess it, it could mean the end of life here as we know it."

  The ghostly image paused, as if collecting its thoughts. "There is too much information to compress into this message, so I will keep it short. Thousands of years ago, a race of beings we call Seraphim, or angels, entered our mortal realm. The Seraphim are divided into two factions—Brightlings and Darklings. Although the distinctions have to do with the spectrum of soul essence they feed from, there are other nuances we have yet to understand. The Brightlings enslaved humans. Used them as toys in war games. They fed from them, leeching their light, making the Brightlings even more powerful than when they'd first arrived."

  Phillip Nosti's expression darkened. "The Brightlings also blessed their devoted human followers with gifts"—his voice filled with scorn at the word—"granting them immortality at a price—drinking blood, aversion to sunlight, and the vampling curse should they try to pass on their immortality."

  "Vampires," Adam murmured.

  "The Darklings, long oppressed by the Brightlings, sought escape to this world, and sparked a rebellion. But feeding on humans for so long made the Brightlings too strong. Demons recognized the threat the Seraphim posed to their realm should they dominate the mortals, and gave birth to the original demon spawn. The first Arcane, Moses, and the Darklings reluctantly allied with the Daemos. Even with their combined might, the Brightlings were nearly impossible to kill. The Darklings recommended an all-out assault on the only thing allowing access to our world—the Grand Nexus. Despite horrendous loss of life, they were able to remove a key component of the nexus, the Cyrinthian Rune, disabling it. Parting the rune caused a tremendous shockwave that drained the light from anyone in the blast radius, including those within range of any Alabaster Arches linked to the Grand Nexus." Philip Nosti shook his head sadly. "This left behind husks of humans, Seraphim, and Flarks—dark creatures that drain the light from the living."

  The apparition flickered like a television image with a bad signal. "Moses kept the rune hidden, passing it down to generations of Arcanes, until it ended up in the hands of Ezzek Moore. He founded the Illuminati and discovered a better means for concealing the rune. Though the Illuminati long since splintered into dysfunctional cells, we have carried this burden and must pass it on to you. Should the Brightlings find the rune, they will reactivate the Grand Nexus and unleash Armageddon on this world. I have left detailed records for you. Go to the place your mother and I met, and let the staff guide you from there.

  "We love you, Adam and Felicia. Please do not seek vengeance on our behalf, but work toward the greater good."

  The image winked out, and the glow faded.

  "Moses?" I said, wondering if it was the same guy who'd parted the Red Sea.

  "Demons made Daemos?" Bella said.

  Nosti's briefing had opened a king-sized can of worms.

  Shelton took out his father's staff and regarded it for a moment before walking up to the statuesque remains of Bigglesworth. With a roar, he swung it like a bat, shattering the grotesquely deformed head of the dead Flark. "Rot in hell," he muttered, and left the room.

  The next day, I went by the infirmary with Meghan, and explained our idea for healing those sickened by the rune with the use of drain wards to Healer Hutchins, leaving unmentioned, of course, the cause of the illness. I hoped Meghan's idea would work, but wanted to have a backup plan just in case it didn't. There was only one other person I could think of who might be able to help, but I had to find her first.

  I grabbed an Arcane Daily scroll from the healer's office before I left, expecting to see Jarrod Sager's death as the top headline. Instead, it was something about the Grand Melee drawing record crowds.

  "What the hell?" I asked myself.

  In each class, I couldn't stop looking at Morgana's empty spot. The other kids seemed to notice it as well, their eyes wandering to me as if I might have information. I did my best to ignore them. Zagg had taken a leave of absence to study the rune. I should have skipped out on classes, but following my usual routine was more important than ever. With Bigglesworth dead, I didn't want to act unusual or guilty. If I did, Ivy might know something was up, and she was my backup solution to the aether poisoning. I just hoped she was at lunch today.

  After sitting through a horrifically boring lecture where Zagg's backup read straight from the textbook, I went to the dining hall. I sat down, and took lunch, waiting, and hoping to see my sister. She never showed.

  As I was trudging to my next class, someone tugged on my shirt. I spun, startled, and saw Ivy smiling innocently up at me.

  "Can we get ice cream?" she asked without preamble.

  A profound sense of relief swept through me. "Of course."

  "I heard about Morgana," she said, eyes sad as we walked toward the gelato shop.

  I steeled myself, hoping, praying she would say yes to my next question. "Would you like to stop and visit her before we get ice cream?"

  Ivy's forehead pinched. She nodded. "Yes."

  Healer Hutchins was out. A golem was attending the clinic, so Ivy and I walked straight in. My sister gasped when she saw the little girl, her face pallid, dark rings beneath her eyes.

  "What's wrong with her?" Ivy asked.

  "Some kind of magic poisoning," I said. "They don't know how to heal her."

  "Oh no." Ivy touched Morgana's hand. "I like her. I—I think she was my first real friend." She looked up at me. "I like Mr. Bigglesworth, but he's a grownup like the others. He told me what to do a lot. I like friends who aren't bossy." Tears pooled in Ivy's eyes. She looked up at me, lips trembling. "Do you think she'll die, Justin? I don't want her to."

  I hugged my sister. Her arms wrapped tight around me as she sobbed. After a moment, I pulled away, holding her by her shoulders. "Ivy, you're so talented and strong, you might be able to heal her." I motioned to the other children in the ward. "You might be able to heal all of them."

  She wiped away tears, her face growing horrified at the sight of more children suffering from the same condition as Morgana. "This is terrible, Justin. What's making them sick? Please tell me it's not something you did, something evil."

  I shook my vehemently. "No, I promise. Why would I want you to help them if I did it?"

  She regarded me for a long moment, her red eyes harboring suspicion. Finally, that suspicion faded. A nod. "I'll try."

  Chapter 41

  A desperate breath I'd been unconsciously holding escaped. "Oh, thank you, Ivy. Thank you!"

  Brow furrowed in concentration, Ivy laid a hand on Morgana's chest. Pale white light glowed between her hand and the sick girl. Minutes ticked by at a snail's pace, but I didn't dare move or ask Ivy anything which might distract her. Sweat glistened on my sister's face. Her eyes crinkled, and her face blanched even as dark bruises appeared beneath her eyes.

  Ivy let out a little whimper and crumpled.

  I cried out in dismay even as my lightning reflexes caught her before she hit the floor. "Ivy? Oh god, are you okay?" I touched her cheek. Rubbed her sweat-dampened hair from her face. She moaned, eyelids fluttering. The purple smudges beneath her eyes faded, and her skin took on a normal flushed hue.

  Blue eyes blinked open, unfocused. Ivy looked at me, confusion on her face. "Justin? What happened?"

  "You fainted," I said. "Your face started to look like Morgana's."

  She groaned. "I feel sick. I think I'm going to—" With that, she threw up all over me.

  For some reason, I wasn't grossed out. I didn't even yell, or jump away. Instead, I turned her over so she could empty herself out on the floor. When she was done, I felt horrible. Had she infected herself with aether poisoning? Was I responsible for making her sick, too?


  "Ivy, are you okay?"

  She wiped her mouth. Looked with disgust at her dress, at the floor. "I'm going to be in big trouble," she whispered, sounding frightened.

  I helped her to her feet, grabbed some washcloths from a nearby sink. "I won't let you get in trouble," I said, dampening a cloth, and handing it to her to clean up.

  "I ruined my dress," she said. "Bigmomma's gonna have a spell when she sees it."

  "Haven't you thrown up before?" I asked.

  She nodded. "When I was first learning magic. But I haven't done it for a long time." She smirked at me. Took a cloth and stood on her tiptoes to dab at my face. "I got it all over you." A giggle escaped.

  I couldn't help but smile. "Are you feeling okay now?"

  She nodded. A sad look clouded over her smile as she looked back to Morgana's still form. "I couldn't help her. I don't know how." Her lower lip trembled, and tears spilled from her eyes. "I don't like feeling like this, Justin. She's sick, and she might die. I have all these powers, but I don't know how to save her."

  I touched her shoulder. Squeezed it gently. "I know the feeling. To have all sorts of abilities, but no matter what I do, I can't save the ones I love."

  Her tear-stained eyes looked at me. "I feel that way about you, brother. I want to save you from the dark."

  "I want to save you from the light," I said.

  "No matter how hard I try to convince you, you won't believe me," she said.

  Despite all the battles I'd fought. The times I'd been captured, tortured, and otherwise molested. I'd never felt so helpless as I did now. Ivy was so close, but still a million miles away.

  The clinic golem walked up to us. "I noticed you regurgitated. Here are some sanitary spells to clean up the mess." It handed us tiny scrolls.

  We opened them, and the cleaning spells sparkled around our clothes, removing the puke the washcloths hadn't gotten. After saying our goodbyes to Morgana, we went into the hallway.

  "Still feel like ice cream?" I asked.

  Ivy nodded. "I feel super hungry now."

  "Will they notice you're gone again?"

  She shrugged. "They're busy looking for Mr. Bigglesworth. He never reported back yesterday. I think he went"—she shuddered—"on a feeding binge again. He can be so gross."

  We got ice cream, but the shop was so crowded, we decided to walk outside. I looked toward the road leading to the mansion and wondered if I could convince her to go there. Bella told me since the drain ward was already carved, she was able to reset it last night. That meant it was ready.

  "You ever walk along Greek Row?" I asked Ivy.

  She shook her head. "No, Bigmomma won't let me go near that pit of Satan spawn—at least that's what she calls it. I've always wanted to see what was so bad."

  I winked. "I'll take you up there. If you want, I'll even take you inside one of the houses."

  Her mouth formed an "O." "Really?" She looked around with a conspiratorial look. "Are they really awful? Full of drunk naked boys and girls who worship demons?"

  I wondered what in the world Eliza Conroy had been telling the poor girl. "No, it's not bad. They just like to party and act stupid."

  "Well," Ivy said, still licking her gelato. "I guess maybe you could show me. It'll be our secret, okay?"

  I smiled. "Cross my heart."

  We walked along the road, passing drunk fraternity boys and girls, some of them swerving on brooms as security golems chased them down for intoxicated flying. The closer we drew to the mansion, the more my heart pounded. I wasn't sure I could do this. Ivy seemed to trust me. She was walking with me, talking and having fun like siblings should. Why would I ruin that?

  What if she trusts me enough to help me?

  The question lingered in my mind. I saw the driveway to the mansion coming up on the right. Cinder stood outside watching the revelers, his face mimicking expressions. He glanced over, eyes locking onto Ivy. Without another word, he walked back toward the mansion, probably to tell the others to be ready to spring the trap.

  Sweat broke out on my forehead. If I did this, I would ruin any chance of my sister ever trusting me again. It would be a complete betrayal. She would hate me. I pause at the end of the driveway. Ivy looked down the road.

  "Oh, that's a spooky looking house," she said. "I think I remember hearing it was haunted or something. Bigdaddy said he used to live there a long, long time ago."

  "What?" I said, my mind distracted. "Was he in a fraternity?"

  "Can we go inside?" she said, finishing off her cone. "Pretty please? He's never taken me inside, and I want to see where he lived."

  I took a hesitant step down the driveway.

  "You look scared," Ivy said.

  My heart thudded. My guts clenched. This feels wrong. So, so wrong. But I had to do it. We could trade Ivy for Mom, save Nightliss and me, and maybe even those sick kids if Meghan's plan failed. But I felt so close to making a breakthrough with Ivy. I felt as if I'd won some small battle for her trust, and that I might be able to win the war if I just didn't betray her.

  We closed to within twenty feet of the door. I froze in place unable to take another step.

  "Are you okay?" Ivy asked.

  I couldn't answer her. I think I'm going to throw up. One way or the other, I had to make a decision. Whatever I decided could determine the fate of everything. Betray my sister, or try to win her heart, and pray I did it in enough time to save my friends.

  "Justin?" she asked.

  I flicked my gaze to her. "Let's not go in," I said. "I don't like haunted houses."

  "But, I've never seen one. Please, please, please?" She clasped her hands together and gave me such a sad look, I felt even worse than before.

  "Oh, crap," I said, widening my eyes. "I saw security golems in the windows. We gotta go or we'll get in trouble."

  She gasped. "But I can't run in these shoes." She looked down at the ruby-red slippers she wore.

  "I'll carry you," I said, scooping her up in my arms, and running at top speed down the driveway back to the main road.

  She squealed with delight the whole way. "Again! Again!" she said as I set her down.

  I laughed. "Maybe later."

  "You're so fast," she said, giggling. "And that was so much fun." A little sigh escaped. "I really like having you as my brother."

  My eyes misted. I wiped them. "I like having you as my sister," I said.

  She touched my hand. "Maybe you're not so bad after all. Maybe…" she trailed off, eyes lost in thought. "Maybe you're right about some things."

  "Sometimes you have to stop listening to what other people say and listen to your heart," I said.

  "Do you still want me to meet with Nightliss?" she asked, a shudder working through her shoulders.

  "Yes. She's very sick, Ivy. Daelissa did something to her, and I think she's going to die."

  A troubled look crossed my sister's face. She looked at the ground for a moment. "If she's sick, she couldn't hurt me, could she?"

  I shook my head. "But you might be able to help her."

  "Why would I do that?" Ivy said, looking at me with horror.

  "Because she's my friend, and I love her. I don't want her to die, just like you don't want Morgana to die." I got down on my knees. "Please, Ivy. Can you help her?"

  Her mouth dropped open a fraction and she just stared at me. "I don't know if she's brainwashed you. I don't know if she's done things to make you love her, and your feelings are fake." She looked down again, shuffling a foot on the pavement. "Do you love me, Justin?"

  I couldn't stop the tears from trickling down my face. "Yes, Ivy. I love you. I would never want to put you in danger. Do you believe that?"

  She wrapped her arms tight around me, squeezing desperately hard. "I love you too. I know you've been through bad things, and evil people have tried to take advantage of you. But my heart tells me to help you."

  "You'll come see her?" I asked.

  "No. But if you bring her to the healer's
office, I'll help her there." She put her arms akimbo. "If she tries anything bad, I'll have to hurt her, okay?"

  I nodded. "I understand."

  Her gaze wandered to the ground again, and a sad look pinched her brow. "I'm really sorry about what I did to you. About tricking you with Maximus. They told me it was the only way to save the world."

  I took her hand and squeezed it. "I forgive you," I said.

  She grinned. "This is a perfect day."

  "It is," I said.

  Something slammed into my back. Ground and sky tumbled in my vision until I came to a stop, dazed and warm blood trickling across my lips. I sat up in time to see Jeremiah Conroy, eyes blazing with anger, his staff aglow, coming right for me. Students scattered out of the way like scared rabbits.

  "Please, Bigdaddy, no!" Ivy said.

  Jeremiah flicked his staff, and an invisible force hauled me up by the front of my shirt. He glared at me. "I told you not to talk to him, girl."

  "But—"

  "Did you know he intended to lead you into a trap?" Jeremiah said. "That at this very moment, there are people waiting to ensnare you inside the mansion right down the road?"

  "The haunted one?" she said.

  His lips curled with anger. "The very same."

  Ivy's blue eyes, clouded with disbelief met mine. "How do you know, Bigdaddy?"

  "I used to live there, girl. I have ears everywhere."

  Does he know about the rune? Dread welled in my chest.

  Ivy looked at me, as disbelief morphed to denial. "It's not true, is it, Justin? Please, tell me it's not true."

  I thought about lying. I thought about playing dumb. But what if Jeremiah really knew somehow? And how had he managed to overhear it even with the wards? "I planned it a long time ago," I said. "But I decided not to do it, Ivy. I changed my mind."

  "You lied to me!" she shouted. "You told me"—her voice grew very quiet—"you told me you loved me." Tears poured from her eyes.

  Jeremiah hugged her with one arm, keeping his other with the staff pointed at me. "It's okay child. I told you he was dangerous. You need to listen to me."