by Brea Viragh
Astix pushed her own sopping mass of hair from her eyes. “A message only works if you send it.”
“You know all my tricks.” Karsia took a step back so Astix could exit the shower.
“You shouldn’t have used any magic, especially for a stupid message you didn’t send. What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you. You left so quickly, we didn’t have a chance to talk. To catch up.”
“Maybe I don’t want to catch up. There’s too much on my mind.” Wrapping herself up in a huge towel, Astix pushed past her sister and down the hall to her bedroom. “Are you okay?”
Karsia, undeterred, followed her. “Never better.”
Astix noted how her sister shifted to hide her left wrist behind her back. Paler than usual, Karsia’s skin had taken on the translucence of frosted glass in winter.
“You can’t lie to me. You’ve never been able to fib well in your life.” Astix sighed, bending to search the floor for her pile of clean clothes. It took several breaths to get her heartbeat back to normal, though she doubted she’d ever get the lost years of her life back. They’d been scared into the void.
“I’ve gotten good, trust me. I’ve been practicing in the mirror.”
“Such a you thing to say.” Astix maneuvered her body into a skintight pair of pants and stared at her sister with pained eyes. “I’m sure you have, honey.” She bit her lip to keep from saying more. Saying something inappropriate. It had been too long since she’d spoken to her family, let alone a one-on-one chat. Awkwardness crawled over her skin like a rough wool sweater.
What could you say to a woman when her life was in your hands and you wanted to toss the ball to someone else before you fumbled?
“You…you should probably get back. It wouldn’t be good for someone to see you here with me. You understand.”
Karsia shot her a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s fine. Didn’t you hear? I’m dying anyway.” Plopping down on the unmade bed, she reached out to run her fingertips along a large selenite crystal.
“Don’t!”
Instantly contrite, Karsia retracted her hand. “I’m sorry.”
Anger and guilt paled her cheeks as Astix finished dressing, turning her back to her sister. She chose a shirt at random and slipped it over her head.
“How did you find the house?” she asked. “I’ve kept it warded since I bought it.”
“I followed you the other day. After the yummy blond guy herded you into his limousine.” Karsia scooted to the edge of the bed and stared eagerly up. “Friend of yours?”
Astix felt her cheeks flush. “You followed the car?”
“Yup, on my bicycle. It was a little touch and go with the weather but no one saw me. I know better than to be seen.”
“Oh, you do?”
“Of course!”
“You had no business following. No right.” Astix shoved the sleeves of her sweater up to her elbows and walked out of the room. “You should have stayed home and minded your own.”
Karsia followed close behind, sneakered feet pattering across hardwood. “I wanted to talk to you, okay? I just didn’t think it was the right time.”
“And now is? It’s never a good time. Not anymore.”
“You don’t honestly believe that.”
“I do now. You need to concentrate on fighting the rune. Finding a way to break the curse.” Astix used her chin to gesture. “Leave me to figure this out on my own.”
“No,” Karsia said, adamant. “I won’t do it.”
“You won’t concentrate?”
“I won’t leave you alone.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Neither did you when you were banished. Yet you came back to help me. To help us.” Karsia’s fingers fisted over her heart. “I can’t let you do this by yourself. I can’t let you go off to find Zee by yourself.”
Her voice hardened. “He’s my twin.”
“He’s my brother, too. We’re a family, and it’s taken me too long to realize family must stick together. We’re stronger together.”
The way Astix stiffened at the mention of family was nearly imperceptible. Karsia saw it because she had been staring. Otherwise, she might have missed the slight movement. She wanted to cross the space and say something, do something, to banish the stiffness. To make her sister smile.
“The Claddium—” Astix began.
“Fuck the Claddium,” Karsia interrupted.
Astix lunged across the kitchen island to slap a hand over her sister’s mouth. “You hush.” They stared at each other with identical eyes until Astix dropped her gaze. “Are you hungry?”
“No.” Karsia’s stomach belied the statement, audibly growling. “Okay, well, maybe a little something would be good.”
Astix was more embarrassed by the state of things than she cared to admit. Her home, while tidy on the inside, was nothing to look at. It certainly could not compare to the opulent surroundings of her upbringing. She remembered the sad refrigerator contents and gave herself a mental slap. She still hadn’t bothered to go to the store for food. For that matter, when was the last time she prepared a proper, decent meal for herself? Bernardino’s ham sandwich was sounding better and better.
Takeout containers littered the length of the countertop. She swept them into the trash and avoided eye contact.
“How about an apple? Is an apple all right?”
Karsia, seeing the harried set to her sister’s shoulders, shrugged and went for nonchalance. “An apple would be perfect.”
Astix grabbed the last remaining Granny Smith, peeled and sliced it and threw on a dash of cinnamon and sugar. She handed the finished product to Karsia.
The girl smiled. “Just like Mom used to make.”
Somehow, the thought didn’t bring an answering smile forth. “Yeah. Like Mom,” Astix murmured. She rubbed her hands together, staring at the fruit slices.
Karsia moved to a row of Lucite bar stools and made herself comfortable. She bit into an apple slice with a crunch. Juice ran down her chin. “Thanks.”
Astix turned and busied herself with coffee. A half pot had already been made and consumed before Karsia’s arrival. Circumstances seemed to warrant a second one. She added an extra scoop to the mix for good luck. “I still think you should leave. Let me do this alone, tug on a few strings, and find Zee. Research the rune. I have a better idea of where to start, anyway.” Lies. Always more lies.
“Nope.” Karsia smacked her lips together. “I’m here to help you.”
“Absolutely not.”
The coffee pot gurgled once before belting out black liquid. It dripped down the sides of the brown-stained glass and collected in a puddle at the bottom. Soon the smell of fresh-brewed java filled the air.
“You haven’t seen what I can do since my Awakening.”
Astix closed her eyes and let out a bark of laughter. “I don’t need to see it. I already know what you can do and what you’re capable of doing. Besides, I—” Don’t even have a plan. You could get hurt. Killed. “I don’t want you to use more than you have.”
She shut down to keep from breaking. Seeing Karsia sitting at her counter…it was enough to have her unraveling. For her sister’s benefit, she kept her tone neutral. “Whatever I decide to do will be on me. I’m used to being alone. Doing things my way. This is no different.”
“It doesn’t have to be different.”
Astix held the warm mug in her hands, breathing in the familiar scent. Her home felt strange, somehow. The energies she’d become so accustomed to were jolted out of synch. “I’ll go out because there’s no choice. I’ve felt the stirrings, even though I haven’t been able to admit it,” she said softly. “You’ll only complicate things.”
“What if I told you the last place Zee went before he was taken?” Karsia popped the last slice of apple into her mouth, her gaze sliding into somber when Astix fixed her with a stare.
“You know where he was?”
“He told me he was going to talk to someone who could help him with whatever powers he’d started to manifest. I know where he went that night.”
Astix let her palm slap down with a resounding bang. “Dammit, Karsia. Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“He asked me not to. But if you’d rather I not help…” Karsia let the possibilities hang in the air as she trailed off. She would play on emotion if she had to, and had become a master of manipulation. As the youngest sibling, she was accustomed to getting her way in all things. Especially when it was important. She rubbed a thumb over the rune on her wrist and thought about Zenon. This situation had zoomed past important days ago. There wasn’t any time to waste.
“Tell me where he went,” Astix commanded.
“Say you’ll take me with you,” Karsia countered. She clapped one hand down on her sister’s shoulder and steered her toward the front door.
Astix glanced briefly over her shoulder. “Without your magic? You’re more a hindrance than a help.”
“Trust me. I don’t need magic to ferret out the bastard that sent Zee straight into the Claddium’s clutches. We need to figure out what happened to him, what’s happening to us, before something bad goes down. You know I’m right.”
Astix wanted to tell Karsia something bad had already happened.
The immediate refusal she prepared slid down her throat and dissolved. How easy it would be to turn her away. It was the smart thing to do. Keep Karsia’s involvement to a minimum. In a perfect world, her own involvement would have been minimal. Unfortunately, her conscience would not let her pass on this one.
Astix tapped her fingernails, magic flaring out in a wave. The crystals near the front and rear doors flared to life to lend her strength. There was a presence in the night. A persistent feeling that something wasn’t right. The air held the lingering aroma of cinnamon and apples, commonplace scents, but something was different.
Clearly, the first step in trying to save her family was to change her way of thinking. She couldn’t change the past, but she could try a little harder. Embrace her magic to save her family instead of hiding on the sidelines. Wondering what lurked behind each tree and bush and building.
Help them live. Full stop.
She sighed, running a hand over her forehead. “Fine. I’ll let you tag along as long as I think it’s safe. The second I decide it’s not, you’re out of there.”
“Gotcha.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know. And the second things get rough, I’ll leave.” Karsia hid her hand behind her back, fingers crossed. A flick of her mind sent a message out, undetectable. The magic, however small, drained her energy immediately. “I promise.”
“Then I guess we’re going out.”
Astix left Karsia in the kitchen and walked down the hall to tame her untamable mass of hair into something acceptable, wiggle her feet into stylish boots, and wedge a pair of bloodstone earrings through her lobes. She gathered her stones close to hoard whatever edge they could give her. All of this without giving in to anger. To resentment. To fear.
**
Karsia rode behind her sister on the back of the motorcycle. She let her head drop, the too-big helmet flopping.
“Hold on tight!” Astix shouted above the roar of the engine.
Karsia squeezed until her arms shook. This was excitement. This was life. This was living large instead of small. For too long she’d existed under the shadow of what had happened to her sister. Her parents, while wonderful in many ways, had been terrified by the Claddium’s orders. No contact. No nothing. They’d loosed their middle daughter into the ravaged world and hoped she would be okay. In turn, they were determined not to let anything happen to their other children, especially their baby.
Karsia couldn’t help but feel she was too small for Chicago. For the entire world of magic. Goddess willing, there would be a chance to prove herself. The rune on her wrist gave a single pulse in response to her thoughts. Karsia felt her power deplete half a second later. A wave of wooziness washed over her and she struggled to remain balanced on the bike.
There was more to this night than searching for clues about their brother. More than spending time with Astix and shoving it in the face of the Claddium. It was about death. Life. Trying to find whomever it was that had the power to curse an entire family without their knowing. And not just any family. A powerful family. She had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the veil thinning. But why?
“Take a left up here.” She struggled to be heard, delighted when the blinker flicked on. “Second building on the right.”
Moments later, the two slowed in front of a plain brick-front with flashing neon signs above the door. Astix idled around a corner, pulling to a stop in the nearest alley and parking the bike behind a dumpster. She flicked the kickstand into place and set a piece of tiger’s eye on the seat. She activated the protection properties with a tap of her index finger.
“Is this it?” she asked about the club.
Karsia ripped the helmet off her head. “Yeah. Club Lake Waves.”
As Karsia’s blood began to hum with excitement, Astix felt hers go frigid. Pulsing lights. Hazy, smoky air. A line out the door with people standing and waiting to get inside. It was a typical scene at any of her concerts. One she’d seen dozens of times in the past.
She could not remember ever seeing owls taking up residence in the rafters of a downtown building, though. Three owls, lined in a row with their beady black gazes trained on her and red spots dotting their chests. Like someone had dabbed a paintbrush and slashed it across feathers.
What the hell?
The ugly feeling from before, the one that had her throwing a ridiculous amount of magic out in public, raked its claws through her chest.
Yes, they were in the right spot.
Karsia spoke in hushed tones even with loud music pulsating from inside the club. “There was a guy here who told Zee he could help. It was over the phone, but I heard the voice.”
“You’re sure it’s a man?”
“Yes. Zee seemed certain the man could talk to him about…you know. Whatever he was manifesting.”
The two walked around to the front door, their footsteps falling in unison. “What exactly was happening to Zee?” Astix asked. “No one seems to think it’s important to tell me.”
“Besides sparks from his fingertips setting the rug in the parlor on fire? This is awkward, but—”
“Tell me it wasn’t gem calling,” Astix pleaded. She hated that she felt the need to ask.
“It wasn’t gem calling. He’d…started to…levitate.”
She was startled. “What? Impossible. Flight’s impossible.”
“You’re telling me. Which is why he was adamant to meet this person. He was panicked.”
“Let’s see if we can quietly pick up the trail.”
“Sorry, sis, but I really don’t think quiet is the point tonight. Follow me.” Karsia pushed through the entrance door with hardly a glance from the doormen. Growing more annoyed with herself by the second, Astix followed. Rather annoyance than the gut-wrenching anxiety tearing a hole through her lower intestine.
Something had her turning back to look, and the last thing she saw before disappearing inside was the clouds parting to reveal a glimpse of the moon. And the blood-red ring around it.
Astix kept her gaze on Karsia as they pushed past the hired muscle guarding the gates. Lake Waves was typical of the Chicago club scene, a dank little dungeon of dancing and drinks and flashing strobes.
It was impossible to hear anything above the music and impossible to see anything with the press of bodies. How the hell was she going to find anything in this sweaty labyrinth?
She glanced up long enough to see her baby sister disappear in the direction of the bar. Whatever happened to the little girl obsessed with her swing set? The one with the missing front tooth that didn’t grow in until she was seven? The woman Astix saw march forward and hold her fingers up for
drinks didn’t match the image in her head. Not by a long shot.
“What would you like?” Karsia called out when Astix joined her.
“Nothing. Thanks.”
It figured; everyone else was dressed in their best going-out outfit. Dressed to the nines. Astix was solidly in the six to seven range with the mismatched pieces she’d thrown on. This was going to be a long night. Karsia was a picture, honeysuckle vines winding through the thick strands of her hair in an intricate updo with hints of white and yellow flowers peeking through. A pinch to her cheeks restored color there, and dark liner brought out the odd lightness of her eyes.
Astix felt like a slob in comparison. Her hair air-dried after the shower without so much as a comb run through it and she hadn’t bothered to put on anything nice. Everything she was wearing had been plucked up off the floor. Who knew if her clothes were even clean?
“We need to keep our eyes open,” she nearly shouted despite the three inches separating them. “See if there are any signs.”
“Signs of what?”
“About what happened to Zee, dammit!”
Loud music blasted through speakers set at random locations around the space. The bass, turned high, rattled the glasses of the bar in tempo. Navy-painted walls gave the area a cave-like appearance, with recessed lights in the ceiling and candelabras haphazardly placed on the tables.
Alcoves hid some of the more intimate couples from view, with small bistro tables and benches set in the recesses. It was the sort of place where the real patrons came out after midnight. The casual observer would find the club macabre and slightly filthy.
Karsia shook her head. “He told me he was going to meet someone. End of story. I didn’t ask him for details because I thought he’d come home.”
Astix fingered the lapis lazuli around her neck. Vision, truth. Awareness. She’d need all three before the night was done. “Then keep a lookout for the Claddium. If someone sees us together, we are both going to be in for a world of trouble,” she cautioned.
“Oh, come on.” Karsia slugged her shot back in a smooth, practiced movement. “If the Claddium wanted us to have zero contact, then they would be here by now. You think they don’t have eyes on us? With Zenon in custody, they’re probably sending out the platoons to wiretap our phones. I wouldn’t put it past them. They can be sneaky.”