Dark Realms

by Kristen Middleton

  “She tried hurting the both of you?” squeaked Kala. “As in, kill?”

  She grabbed Kala’s hand and nodded. “Tried, but she never succeeded. In fact, that was the very same night that Michael and I rescued the both of you. We left Salem for good and never looked back.”

  “Is that when you realized you loved each other?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “No, honey. At that time we both loved you and were not romantically involved. Michael asked me to help him escape with you two girls that night, and I did, without question. Eventually, over time, we fell in love and decided that I’d raise you as my own. We eventually got married and you pretty much know the rest.”

  “How come you never had any of your own children?” asked Kala.

  “What do you mean? I had you girls,” she smiled. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted. As far as I’m concerned, you are my children. I… hope you feel the same way.”

  Kala and I both snuggled up to her at the same moment, like we did when we were really young.

  “You’re our mother,” I whispered, resting my head on her shoulder. “Nothing else matters.”

  She loved us and had risked her life to protect us. As far as I was concerned, she was not only our mother, but our guardian angel.

  “Yes,” said Kala. “We love you so much, mom. Don’t ever doubt it.”

  “Thank you,” she answered, her voice thick. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

  We sat there silently for a while and then Clarice cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt, but it’s getting really late and I’m sure everyone’s exhausted. I think we need to decide what’s going to happen next.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, sitting up.

  The older woman scratched her head. “Well, now that Vivian’s coven knows where you live, it’s not safe going back to your house. You’re going to need a new place to live.”

  Mom nodded. “She’s right.”

  “You could stay with us in Vail,” said Rebecca.

  “That might work,” said Clarice. “For now.”

  “I couldn’t burden you,” replied mom. “You’ve already done so much for us.”

  “Oh, it’s not a bother. You’re my friend and I’ve missed you so much,” replied Rebecca.

  Clarice sighed. “Actually, you are going to need each other.” She looked at Rebecca. “Frankly, you’re in just as much danger as Adrianne, so right now you should stick together.” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Speaking of which, I think it might be time to get in touch with some of the members of my old coven.”

  “That might be a good idea,” replied mom, standing up. “We could use all the help we can get.”

  “I agree,” said Rebecca. “We may have started a real war by killing Vivian and should be prepared for anything. Once they find Mark, which I’m quite certain they probably already have, he’s going to want revenge, as will her coven.”

  Mark, I’d forgotten all about him.

  “Oh, my God,” gasped Kala. “I almost kissed my brother!”

  “Half-brother,” I reminded her.

  “Who cares, it’s still pretty gross,” she answered with a grimace.

  “What I don’t understand is why she kept Mark, but didn’t want us?” I said.

  “I’ve been wondering that myself,” said mom. “He’s obviously around your age and she would have had to have gotten pregnant soon after you were born.”

  “Mark isn’t her real son,” stated Clarice. “I found this out tonight from Semora, although I’m surprised I hadn’t known about it myself.”

  I stared at her in shock. “What?”

  “Not only that, Mark is going to be a very powerful warlock, once he hones his skills. In fact, he’s Isadora’s son.”

  I gasped. “You’re serious?”

  She nodded. “Oh, Yes. Vivian knew that and after his real mother died, she decided to raise him as her own.”

  “How did she die?” asked Kala.

  “Isadora was ultimately killed by her sister. She was cursed, actually.” Her lips twisted into a secretive smile. “Care to guess who her sister was?”

  “I have no clue,” answered mom.

  “Your mother, Lisbeth. She was Isadora’s sister.”

  “What?! But, how can that be? Mother never mentioned anything about having a sister,” said mom.

  “She was hiding from Isadora the same way you were hiding from Vivian. From what I learned, they had a falling out and Lisbeth placed a curse on Isadora.”

  “What kind of curse?” I asked.

  “Should Isadora ever try harming another person using her magic, she’d perish. Well, after Isadora gave birth to Mark, Vivian apparently showed up at her doorstep in a pickle and asked her to help destroy you, Adrianne. She wanted revenge for stealing Michael. Obviously, Isadora tried and it became her demise.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” whispered mother. “How come you never told me any of this before, Clarice?”

  “That’s because my mother never told me anything about it. I only found out about you from my own mother’s diary, ten years ago. She was obviously very frightened of her younger sisters.”

  “Clarice, your mother was Isadora and Lisbeth’s older sister?” asked Kala. “I’m so confused.”

  Clarice nodded. “Yes, there was actually four sisters all together. My mother was the oldest, then Isadora, Lisbeth, and Margaritte, who was the youngest. Nobody knows what happened to Margaritte.”

  “So, um, did you get Chloe from your mother?” I asked Adrianne.

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Who’s Chloe?”

  “The wand you’ve given me,” I said.

  Adrianne smiled. “That’s right, Chloe talks to you. Our connection wasn’t as strong as yours. No, I didn’t get Chloe from my mother.”

  “I gave it to her,” said Clarice. “I knew that she wouldn’t have a chance against Vivian, without it. Chloe belonged to my mother.”

  “Did anyone grab Vivian’s wand?” asked Kala.

  “No,” I said. “And it’s probably a good thing because if it’s a bonding wand, then it could destroy anyone not meant to use it.”

  “That is very true,” said Clarice. “Unfortunately, I’m sure Mark will eventually retrieve it, making him even more powerful.”

  “I think we should get moving soon,” said Rebecca. “Something tells me we don’t have much time. That they might be coming for us pretty quickly. I’m sure Mark is aware of this shop.”

  Kala and I stood up.

  “What about Bailey and Trixie?” asked Kala. “Are they coming with?”

  “No,” replied Clarice. “They’re needed here in Bayport. They can keep an eye on things for us and communicate with the other witches in town.”

  “There are other witches in Bayport?” asked Kala.

  “Adele,” I said. “Megan’s mom. She’s a witch, isn’t she?”

  My mother nodded. “Yes. I haven’t spoken to her in years, but she is.”

  “Can we trust her?” asked Kala.

  “The truth is, it’s hard to find a witch you can trust. If it were up to me, however, I’d probably trust Adele,” said Clarice.

  We walked into the main store, where Tyler sat with Bailey and Trixie.

  “We’re leaving,” said Rebecca.

  Tyler, who was eating pizza, sighed. “Can’t we wait until we finish the food? I picked up four of these bad-boys and they won’t be good reheated.”

  “No, we should leave now,” said Clarice, looking troubled. “I’m quite certain that…”

  Before she could finish, there was a flash of light and the room was filled with witches.

  “You!” snarled Mark, stumbling towards me. “Did you think you could get away with it? Killing my mother?”

  I stared at him in horror. “No, I didn’t… it was the wand!”

  My mother stepped in front of me and pointed at Mark. “Vivian’s death was her own doing. Her greed and the darkness in her heart caused her
fate.”

  Mark stared at Adrianne. “So, you’re the sister, the one she wanted destroyed.”

  She raised her chin. “I’m her sister, yes.”

  He smiled evilly. “Well, then, I think it’s only right that if you shared everything, including a birthday, that you share the same day of your death, as well.”

  Before anyone could react, he grabbed her hand and placed the wand into it.

  Vivian’s wand.

  My mother’s hand began to glow a bright red.

  ***************************************************

  End of book one

  book two – Enchanted Objects

  Available February 15, 2014

  The Coin Collector

  By Kristen Middleton

  “A child should be kept closest to the heart. Do not squander what is innocent to gratify that which is wicked.”

  Chapter One

  “Did you see that, Trent?” whispered my younger brother, Ben, as we stared into the darkness towards the old house across the street. “The weird light coming from his hands?”

  We were kneeling in Brent’s bedroom with the binoculars, trying to get a better glimpse of the short, stocky man who’d just walked out of his garage for the fifth time. Now he was pacing back and forth, talking to himself and looking agitated.

  “No,” I sighed. “And frankly, I’m really getting sick of spying on the neighbor, Ben. This is ridiculous.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  I snorted. “What? That he’s some kind of goblin or boogieman?”

  “Yes! I saw him disappear and then reappear a few minutes later. He had a black pot, too. I swear to God, there was a stack of bright gold coins inside.”

  I groaned – nine year old boys and their wild imaginations. “Okay, Ben, that’s enough.” I stood up and walked over to the light switch. “You were obviously dreaming.”

  “Wait,” he whispered loudly as he stared through the binoculars again. “Oh, my God, Trent. He did it again!”

  I rushed over to the window. “What?”

  “He vanished into thin air. He’s gone.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, he’s probably in the garage.”

  “Why are the lights off then? Who walks around their garage in total darkness?”

  Deciding to humor him, I grabbed the binoculars and waited. Even though I didn’t believe in Leprechauns, I had to admit that the neighbor across the street certainly looked like the kind in picture books, especially with his red beard, bulbous nose, and short, stubby legs. He also wore a lot of green.

  “See anything?” asked Ben.

  “No.”

  “Just keep watching,” he said.

  Ten minutes later, out of patience and feeling foolish, I stood back up and stretched my legs. “This is ridiculous. I don’t have time for this. In fact, I have a lot of homework that’s due tomorrow. You’re on your own, bud.”

  He turned back towards the window. “Fine, but if something happens and he comes for me…”

  “Ben, nobody is coming for you.”

  The sound of the bedroom door creaking open made us both jump.

  “What’s going on in here?” asked our mother, Mira, flicking on the lights.

  Releasing my breath, I pointed to Ben, who looked like he’d just pissed his pants. “He thinks the neighbor across the street is some kind of Leprechaun or something.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “A Leprechaun? Mr. O’Darby?”

  “Yeah, mom!” he said, rushing to her side. “I saw him disappear into thin air and his hands, they were glowing!”

  “Oh, Ben,” she smiled, putting an arm around him. “You’re letting your imagination run wild, again. You know there are no such things as Leprechauns.”

  He pushed the dark hair out of his eyes. “But…”

  She groaned and shook his shoulders, playfully. “No buts. It’s getting late and,” she wrinkled her nose, “you could use a shower. And there will be no more television before bedtime either, young man. Obviously some of the crap on television is warping your young, impressionable mind.”

  “Fine. I’ll take a shower but I still think that guy is hiding something.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. By the way, Trent, we need to talk,” she said, turning to me.

  “Why?” I asked, although I already had an idea of what it was. Parent-teacher conferences had been earlier today and I was slipping in both Math and History.

  “In your room,” she said, snapping her fingers.

  “Okay,” I answered.

  She followed me down the hallway to my bedroom and then closed the door behind her. “Listen,” she said, leaning against the door. “We really need to talk.”

  I sighed. “I know. School. I’ll try harder.”

  She rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers and shook her head. “It’s not about school, although I’d appreciate it if you would try harder. I wasn’t very happy today. You’re supposed to be graduating this year, have you forgotten?”

  “No. I haven’t, okay?” Why did parents have to be so freaken condescending? “I’ll bust my ass and try to raise my grades. Maybe even do some extra credit.”

  She nodded. “Good.”

  “So, what did you want to talk about?”

  She bit the side of her lip. “I want you to keep an eye on your brother. Especially at night, when I have to work.”

  “No problem. I already do that now.”

  “Well, keep a closer eye on him.”

  “What’s the big deal?” I asked.

  “Listen, don’t repeat this to Ben but there were two missing children reported earlier today, in Barnet. A boy and a girl – both only ten years old.”

  Our mother works in the local Sherriff’s Department as a dispatcher.

  “Who took them?” I asked. Barnet was the next town over, less than five miles away.

  She shrugged. “That’s just it. Nobody really knows what happened. Both of them left school, walking their separate ways, and nobody has heard from either of them since.”

  “Nobody saw anything?”

  She shook her head. “No, unfortunately. Both kids lived within walking distance of the school so they weren’t missed on any bus. The police have been searching the surrounding neighborhoods and wooded areas all evening.”

  “What about the parents? Could they have…?”

  I’d learned from my mother’s boyfriend, Matt, who’s a cop, that parents were usually the first suspects.

  “Don’t know for sure. The parents all had alibis and appeared to be genuinely upset.”

  I sat down on my bed. “Wow, that’s freaky.”

  “Tell me about it. Anyway, I’m sure it’s all over the news right now.”

  I grabbed the remote control for my television.

  “Wait, finish your homework first. I’ll keep an eye on the news and let you know what I find out.”

  “Okay.”

  She picked up my dirty clothes hamper. “Just remember to keep an eye on your brother, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it,” she said, and left the room.

  Chapter Two

  There hadn’t been any new information regarding the missing kids, and I’d all but forgotten about it until the next morning, when our mom pleaded with me to pick up Ben after school.

  “I don’t want him walking home alone,” she said.

  “Fine.”

  “What’s the big deal?” asked Ben between bites of his Cocoa Pops. “I always walk with Steve and Jacob.” He turned to me. “Can you give them rides, too?”

  “Yes, he can,” said mom, wrapping her dark brown hair into a ponytail, which made her look more like a college student than a woman of thirty-eight.

  I groaned. “Seriously?”

  Ben’s friends were slobs – always farting and picking their noses when they were over. Once I saw Steve eating a booger and almost hurled.

  “It
’s a good idea,” she said. “Don’t you agree?”

  I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument so I just agreed.

  “Thank you,” she said, kissing the top of my head. “Now, Ben, are you ready for school?”

  “Almost,” he said and then stared at her in horror. “You’re not actually going to drive me to school now, are you?”

  “Yes.”

  He sighed. “Fine, drop me off in the back, though. I’ll never hear the end of it if one of the guys catches me getting a ride from my mom.”

  She pretended to pout. “My little guy doesn’t want to be seen around mommy anymore?”

  “I’m going to be ten next week. I’m not a little guy. Sheesh.”

  I stood up and grabbed my backpack. “I’m outta here. Wait for me by the parking lot right after school, little guy.”

  “Whatever, butt-face.”

  Mom shook her head. “Boys.”

  ***

  After school, I dropped off Ben’s friends at their homes as quickly as possible and then we headed to ours.

  “Did you ever notice that Mr. O’Darby is never seen in the daylight?” said Ben as we pulled into our driveway.

  I glanced into my rearview mirror at O’Darby’s house and gave a sinister laugh. “Maybe he’s actually a vampire.”

  “That’s not funny,” he mumbled.

  I stared at him. “You’re seriously that freaked out about the guy?”

  He shrugged. “He’s strange.”

  “Have you actually ever met him?”

  “No.”

  “Well, I think we should do something about that.”

  He looked at me in horror. “No way.”

  I opened the door to my ’72 Impala and got out. “Come on, Ben. Let’s go over and properly introduce ourselves to the neighbor.”

  He shook his head vehemently. “You can, I’m not.”