Sweet Menace (16 page)

Launching me to the floor and dragging me by the hair, Edora started pronouncing a strange ritual in a very weird language. I recognized the language as the one of the book. Green flames of fire were drawn in the air and she threw me underneath the symbol.

“There’s not much that arouses me.” -Edora laughed. -“In our lair we eat dragon flesh. Power, life. That’s how big it is. But killing you will surpass the feeling.”

I had always thought that I was born cursed. But truth is that the worst curse I had was a twin sister. The death came with her as well as the life. If I was to die, maybe she should die with me too. Trying to call my Maghik while it kept protecting Lilly had me distraught. I was out of my element as I only learned to control my Maghik in between my kitchen appliances. While Edora continued with her crazy spell, I looked at where Lilly rested. To my consternation, she was wide awake, watching me with curious compassion. She tried to move but silently I warned her not to. That would call Edora’s attention back to Lilly.

Distracted with the stinky book, Edora flipped from page to page, searching for something. Meanwhile, I took the pony out of my pocket and showed it to Lilly, who smiled shyly at me. I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, that I was going to save her, but I knew it was all lies.

I heard Edora cursing some words while the greenish pentagram over me starting fading away. Quickly I managed to stand again. The green vapor knotted in my skin and I pushed it away. I urged Lilly to run, gesturing with my hands. She obeyed instantly and I threw myself on top of Edora. We both fell to the floor as obviously I took her by surprise. She tried to push me away but I sat on top of her, as I did with Jerome, and started hitting her in the face. My knuckles cracked against the floor, forcing me to curse through clenched teeth.

While my sister tried to cover her face from my attack, Lilly was already outside the house. The other pentagram faded away too and Edora’s Maghik stood just dangling in the air hovering over our heads, almost as visible as the steam from a cauldron.

If power was visible, Edora’s could be seen as solar flares. Moving like a hound of ghosts, Edora’s Maghik tried to overlap with her and be claimed back. My evil sister tried hard to push me away. Extending her hand beyond my head, Edora tried to reach the powers that were ditching her body. Her desperation to touch the density flying over our heads gave me an idea. What if every hard blow I give manages to steal some of her powers?

Grabbing her head by the side, I knocked her hard against the irregular ground. With the thump, another ghostly tongue left her body and joined the power above us.

“Stop.” -Edora yelled but I was already tired of her. She had extinguished my patience and killed my empathy somehow. -“It hurts!”

“Much better then.” -I said through clenched teeth.

Her complains only gave me the authority I needed to continue the beating. Now we were even at last. Normal humans without any trace of Maghik. Our fight was body against mind, fist against face. Edora managed to roll over, pinning me against the ground to hit me.

Hot and salty I felt the blood in my mouth. My lips swelling like blowfish forced a caricaturized picture of myself to my brain. Drops of sweat fell from Edora’s face. I couldn’t help but notice how different we were. If we were twins as she said, we weren’t identical. Thank God for the variety! Maybe something in our eyes could give us away. Apart from that little similarity, just the blood in our veins could relate us. Rocking from side to side I made Edora lose the grip and balance, falling to one side. She broke on a run to grab the energy tongues gathered together and growing like fermented dough.

Between painful jumps, I ran to Edora. I cursed my wimp legs and my sprained ankle. Edora laughed in notorious mockery. We both jumped to the energy ball, colliding one against the other and bouncing backwards. The contact of us three- Edora, the bad Maghik, and I- created a booming explosion. My ears buzzed in pain and my brain tried to assimilate the event with distress.

I made it to my knees, crawling towards Edora. Holding her by the neck I felt amazed by the Maghik creeping through my nerves but ignorant of the magnitude of the power yielding in me. This wasn’t my Maghik but now it belonged to me. The time to conjure a spell so powerful to end all this, Edora included- has already come.

A piercing scream took me out of concentration and Edora seized the opportunity to push me away. Searching the source of such disturbing yell, I discovered Lilly floating a few inches from the ground. That wasn’t Edora controlling her, but Lilly learning to put my powers to play. I blushed in shame. Lilly was levitating and she wasn’t gifted. I, owner of Maghik, hadn’t learned any other trick beyond baking goods. Her face was changing from surprise to over-excitement to fright and yet she fought to take control. Flying over us, Lilly let a lot of pottery to fall over Edora, who tried to protect herself from the attack.

Close to me now, Edora looked so helpless that a single kick threw her backwards over the table with the stinky book. With the collision, the book broke in pieces and green flames emanated from it along with whispers and yells. She jumped fast, standing up with a single movement and kicking me outside the house. Lilly’s cries of help made me stood up fast but an old man was standing close to the open door, blocking my way to the insides of the house. His ragged clothes smelled like something between microwave-pumpkin and carob and I felt nauseated. He was obviously drunk and not surprised of what was happening inside the house.

“Is this yours?” -The man asked showing my dragon dagger.

“How you got that?” -Awestruck, I asked trying to snatch it from his hands. A drunken man armed? No thanks. He hid the dagger behind his back, smiling and coiling like a cable. Was he really trying to play hide n’ seek with me pass midnight? Creepy Ouija player!

“Inside this van.” -He answered holding my keys in the air.

“Smartass.” -I answered like a little girl sticking my tongue out and everything. -“Give me those.”

While this vagabond tried to play with me Lilly yelled harder. Her shrieking was like a bat trapped in broad daylight. I felt strong again, my Maghik glowing in between my pores, fighting against the bad Maghik in me but yet getting along with it for my own sake. That could only mean one thing. Lilly was unprotected again.

A cake came to my hands. A cake? Why a cake? Please! Seriously?

Launching it at the man’s face I managed to snatch my dagger from his hands. Nothing prepared me for the scene that awaited inside but I almost chocked in disgust. Lilly had an open cut in the forehead but watching EdoraI knew Lilly had won easily. Red eyes blinked in Edora’s face while she stood up. I don’t know where she gathered the strength to walk towards Lilly, but even so, she did it. Before she managed to touch my little niece again, I was yelling a cry of war.

My dagger stopped millimeters away from her neck but I was certain I would have killed her in a blink.

“Don’t you dare…” -Edora said, trying to look brave. A wave of Maghik ran through my hand and into the dagger. It was a little shot of Maghik to her face. No more words left her mouth because she passed out in front of me.

“Coward.” -I told her unconscious body. Lilly sat quickly, rubbing her bleeding forehead. I went to her and with a little Maghik healed her wound. -“Thank you, Lilly. You saved us.”

“Is she coming back?” -Lilly asked with shaky voice. I hugged her hard trying to erase all this fright and pain from her soul.

“I’ll make sure she won’t bother you again.” -I promised little Lilly. A few pieces of semi-burnt paper fell on my lap and I hid it in my pocket to read later. I left Lilly alone for a second and walked towards Edora. She looked so helpless, even innocent while dozing off. I kicked her a few times, naming in my mind the reason for each blow. -“She won’t bother us never again. Want the honors to free the van?” -I told Lilly on our way to the broken van.

Lilly looked at me like if I was talking Chinese. I pointed at the van still stuck in the tree trunk and she laughed hard.

“You really love this van?” -Lilly asked me. I taught her the basic of my Maghik, anyway she won’t have powers beyond this night, but she had earned this and more.

She tried with all her might and I gave her a little help. She jumped happily when she saw how she thinned the tree trunk to resemble just a fat branch.

Driving back home, Lilly fell asleep in the back seat. My hands reflected power gleaming from inside. Half of Edora’s powers belonged to me now. It was curios how different we were. Her Maghik had a green glow while mine was iridescent and crystal clear as fairy wings.

I entered my house silently, carrying Lilly asleep in my shoulder. Smoke stink was still impregnated in the walls and curtains. My prayers soon vanished when I saw her stern eyes almost glowing with rage. Mamma was waiting for me, rocking back and forward in my leather rocking chair. Her face was somber and she looked kind of sad. Disappointed was a better description to what was reflected in her face. A tear escaped my eyes right when I saw her judging gaze on me.

“You have so much to explain, young girl.” -Mamma demanded with strong authority. After leaning Lilly in the couch, I went to kneel in front of Mamma. Her gaze was severe and I knew what was coming. No longer will she want me to be part of her family. She would never support any kind of relationship between Sam and me.

I burst in tears. Damned Edora who had come to ruin my life! I should have killed her as that’s the only thing she deserved. This silly ambition passed by in front of my eyes and soon I realized I had lost the little happiness I could have found. Sam was a free pass to happiness, to a family, to true love. I blew it all. My life was a perfect growing soufflé and I ruined it by opening the oven a second before time.

“I’m so sorry!” -I apologized to Mamma. Somehow she seemed to understand my misery. -“I didn’t mean to make you suffer. I just wanted to make Sam happy but now I see I don’t deserve him.”

“Is okay, Morgan. I get it.” -Mamma said with caring tone. She caressed my hair, allowing me to cry in her knees. I was crushed by her surprising comprehension. -“But I need to know the truth. You must tell me who you truly are and I don’t want lies. Sammy is my life and yours will be nothing compared to taking him away and make him suffer.”

The phone rang and I hurried to answer, leaving Mamma waiting for a deserved explanation.

“Oh, no.” -I managed to say before the phone fell from my sweaty hand. I walked straight to the door and Mamma called after me. -“Sorry, Mamma. We’ll talk later. Sam abandoned the hospital without saying anything. He left Elizabeth asleep there.”

Driving through the dark streets I looked from left to right, passing by slowly to distinguish the faces marauding in the sideways. Occasionally I looked through the rearview mirror, just to see the same lights, the same careless faces.

Anger and helplessness took power of me. All my life I’ve been on my own, alone, trying to give sense to my meaningless life. Now it turned to be all different. A life that seemed absurd, now was full, with family, love and trouble, but yet I was feeling empty.

Heart shattered, soul broken, and still I kept looking for him. Perhaps Sam was the cause of all this pain. It has to be him. Who else? What else?

I made my way to the hospital. The second after I set foot on the waiting room, Elizabeth jumped over me, shaking like a leaf dangling from a tree amidst a frost. Looking for the solace and comfort I cannot give, Elizabeth sobbed in my shoulder. If only she knew what I had to say, what Lilly had lived the past hours under my care, she would hate me and judge me as much as Mamma. Or worse.

Who would have thought? I, Morgan Caprice, the most determined and stubborn of all young women, the only girl capable to create and fulfill a plan to kill towns just to placate the thirst of vengeance, was now worrying for a man’s life. Funny how love can make us so miserable and meek.

If I was to collect what was left of me, I wouldn’t find anything. Who I was, the girl I used to be, she’s no longer alive. Perhaps it was because Sam meant too much to me, so much he had turned into a significant part of me. Without him I’ll never be the same. The question was, do I want to be the same girl? Or truth is I endured everything, all this senseless life, just waiting for him?

Already delirious with so much thoughts of love, I decided that the only one to blame for my crazy behavior was the lack of caffeine. It has to be. A little over a week, I wouldn’t have needed anyone or yearned for something beyond a full cup of steaming coffee.

“Elizabeth…” -I pronounced her name feeling like a stinging slap in my face. -“I’m so sorry.”

While I managed to look into Elizabeth’s eyes I felt sorrow and guilt. Suddenly her pain turned to be like mine and I couldn’t help but cry without relief.

“He’s going to be all right…” -Elizabeth said trying to comfort me. Her words onl
y
brough
t
more tears to my eyes. -“I can see how much you love him. He loves you dearly. I have never seen him more determined regarding a person. We’ll find him.”

We both sobbed like kids after a fight over toys, hugging each other like loving sisters. I had to tell her. She needed to know. Elizabeth had the right to know what had happened with Lilly, how terrible guardian I had been to both Lilly and Mamma.

“Lilly and Mamma…” -I started, looking for the right words to tell Elizabeth about the danger they had survived.

“Baker?” -Someone interrupted my hurting confession. Turning around I met Officer Evo, who was standing in the front door in his pajamas. -“Can we talk?”

I followed him outside, leaving Elizabeth with a nurse that came to see if we were okay.

“I don’t know what’s happening here but Sam called me. He was distraught, I can tell by his voice, like if he was under pressure for something. He’ll be calling back but he won’t tell me where he is or why he escaped. He just wants to talk to you.”

“Okay.” -Was my only answer but it was obvious Evo was waiting for details. I just shrugged.

“Anything I need to know? Something you do know but haven’t said? He might be in danger.” -He inquired intelligently.

“I’m sorry I can’t be of better help.” -I answered twisting my lips right when his cell phone rang a funny ringtone. He answered and quickly handed it to me. I couldn’t hear anything, no voice or breathing.

“Hello?”

“Listen carefully, Morgan. Jerome’s here. He’s looking for you.” -Sam said through the phone. He was nervous and sick.

“Where are you?” -I asked but he refused to tell me.

“There’s something else you need to know.” -Sam said as if a life or death confession was about to escape his lips. -“Someone from my pas
t
i
s
following us. She wants to kill you an
d
it'
s
my fault. I should have known this was going to happen. How I didn’
t
se
e
it coming?”

“Sam, stop it. Tell me where you are and I’ll go get you. I’ll help you. We are in this together, right?” -I said almost begging him to tell me his whereabouts.

“No. Help Elizabeth with Mamma and Lilly. Please.” -He begged. -“I’ll handle this.”

“She already got Lilly.” -I whispered through the phone trying not to be heard by Evo. -“And she almost kil
l
e
d
Mamma. She set my house on fire. You’re sick and cannot protect yourself in that state.”

I could swear Sam choke with the information.

“They are safe for now. I’ll do whatever it takes, tell me where you are.” -I begged again.

Suddenly, noises were heard and I distinguished other voices, besides Sam’s. He argued with someone before I heard a thump.

“Go to my house, chicken limp. If you tell the doughnut eater in front of you, I’ll kill Sam and his lovely family before you get into your van.”

The line went dead after a nasty laugh was heard. It wasn’t Sam talking. It was someone else.
Go to my house
, he had said. His house? He? Sam had said Jerome was there.
I’m going to kill you this time, Jerome Greenline.

“Well, then. Where’s he?” -Evo asked me while he took his phone from my cramped hand.

His house?
If you tell the doughnut eater in front of you, I’ll kill Sam and his lovely family before you get into your van.

I was so alone in this. No back-up.

“Baker?” -Evo asked again. I looked at him in the eyes. Officer Evo was an impatient man, worse and best attribute to a cop. But he had the villager’s same bad habit.

“My name is Morgan, Officer. Morgan. Or Miss Caprice. You shouldn’t forget it.” -Soon I felt courageous and daring. -“And no, Sam didn’
t
tel
l
me where he was, though I heard noises in the background. Like if he was close to a train or a marina or something with transports.”

Lying didn’t make me any better, but neither did telling Evo the truth. It was better to mislead the cops as they’ll go in bunches like silly birds and I preferred to work alone like a wild predator. A few seconds passed by and Officer Evo was, at last, behind the patrol’s driving wheel.

Without time to explain, I climbed in my van, leaving Elizabeth all by herself in the hospital. Where I was heading she wasn’t allowed. Her presence there would be only considered as an additional threat- if she really was the hunter Edora said- and I was enough of both prey and menace this time.