T*Witches: Destiny's Twins (7 page)

“Hello. Excuse me,” Alex imitated Cam. “Her face isn’t the issue!”

“It was just a thought,” Cam snapped back. “Which is more than you had to offer.”

“Still at it, I see,” Amaryllis observed snidely. “Do you two ever stop? I mean, you can hardly stand to be in the same room —”

Alex and Cam exchanged glances. “That’ll work,” Alex announced.

Cam agreed. “Okay, you be me,” she told Amaryllis, “and if Beth or anyone else asks where Alex is, tell them she’s ticked off at you and sulking in her room or whatever —”

“Then you can say you’re going to get her. Disappear and come back as me,” Alex instructed. “Think she can pull it off for two whole days?” she asked her sister.

“She’s got to. What’s our option?”

“Hello. Still here!” Amaryllis waved at them indignantly. “Of course I can pull it off. I got you two going, didn’t I? Just remember, I only get to be in your skin for two more days,” she warned them. “If you’re not back by then, your pals, your ’rents, your entire world, will know you for what you are — witches.”

*        *        *

Cam and Alex raced back to where they’d left Ileana and Beth. They were sitting on a bench together, Ileana looking kicked back and comfortable, Beth stroking Boris, who was curled up in her lap.

“Ready to roll?” their guardian asked, not stirring from her languid position.

Excuse me, could you be any less discreet?
Cam telegraphed, glancing over at Beth. But her friend didn’t look up, didn’t pause in her rhythmic caressing of the purring orange cat.

Ileana followed Cam’s gaze. “Her? Not to worry. Boris is on top of the situation.”

Alex studied Beth. “You put a spell on her.” She grinned at Ileana. “I thought you weren’t allowed to help us.”

“Do you see
me
helping you?” the laid-back witch asked.

It took them a minute. “Boris!” they guessed.

“He’s a very talented little beast,” Ileana affirmed, reaching over to rumple her pet’s silky fur. “Where most cats produce only allergies, Boris reeks spells. Lethe, forgetfulness, is one of his favorites. Beth will remember meeting me, but she won’t recall this conversation. Boris will keep your friend company until Thantos’s fledgling arrives.”

CHAPTER TEN

RETURN TO COVENTRY

Before their eyes were fully opened, Cam and Alex knew they were on Coventry Island. The air was crisp. They could hear waves splashing against the rocky shoreline. The scent of herbs from hundreds of lovingly tended gardens rode the breeze.

And there was another fragrance — a mingling of savory pine, sweet lavender, and spicy rosemary — that told them they were in the presence of their mother.

Miranda rushed to them, sweeping them together in her embrace — and startling them with an unexpected apology. “I’m not ready,” she said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you this early.”

When she released them they saw what she’d meant. They were standing in the great room of Luna Soleil. The once-majestic cottage where they’d been born had fallen into ruin during their mother’s long absence. She’d been hidden away, hospitalized for more than a decade by their treacherous uncle. And for all that time, Miranda had grieved for her twin daughters, who, Thantos had convinced her, were dead.

But now … the skylight above them was repaired. The debris of broken glass, splintered boards, and crumbling walls had been cleaned up. Someone was restoring the house.

“I’d hoped to have at least two rooms ready for you,” their mother said, clearly delighting in their surprise. “Do you mind sharing one for now?”

“It’s amazing,” Alex said, turning slowly to take in the changes.

“You did this?” Cam could scarcely believe her eyes.

“For you,” Miranda told them. “After your Initiation, this will be your home.”

The Traveler’s spell had left them woozy. But their mother’s words pierced through the haze.

“Do you mean we have to stay?” Cam blurted.

“We can’t,” Alex said decisively. “We’ve got to go back. Why didn’t anyone tell us —”

“I … I can’t answer your questions. You know that.
I’m not permitted,” Miranda said with a sigh. “Only your Initiation Master can do that. Wait here. Rest. Explore the room I’ve readied for you. I’ll tell Rhianna you’re here.”

“Right after Initiation, I am so out of here,” Cam told Alex the minute their mother had gone. “And since everyone around here is always talking about ‘choices,’ no one can make me stay.”

“Ditto,” her twin said, walking slowly around the room, trying to remember how it had looked when they’d been there last. She hadn’t even realized there was a fireplace. Moldy old furniture had been piled in front of it. Now there it was, with logs stacked on the grate, ready for a cozy fire this chilly Coventry night.

The mahogany divan was gone, as was the bent-willow cradle they’d discovered on their last visit to Luna Soleil. A large new sofa with feathery soft cushions had taken their place. And the dangerously decrepit floorboards had been restored and now sported bright, beautifully woven rugs.

The door to the cellar, to the underground cave, had been replaced, too, Alex saw as Cam joined her. They stared at it together. The old weathered door was gone and so were the two-by-fours that had nailed it shut after Cam and Alex’s first hair-raising episode underground — with Sersee.

The first time they’d met the devious young witch
she’d been jealous of them. She’d especially had it in for Cam — who, without knowing he “belonged” to Sersee, had fallen for Shane. And had been dumb enough to believe, for a little while, that the treacherous warlock loved her, too.

And, of course, he’d led her into Sersee’s trap.

“Ugh!” Cam shuddered. “I don’t even want to think about Sersee.”

“And Shane?”

“I guess.” Ha, she guessed? Like Alex or practically anyone else on this mind-reading, no-secrets island couldn’t have picked up the thought in a nano.

But Alex had moved on. “Let’s check out our room.”

They’d expected some haphazard, half-finished space, but their mother had created a warm, wonderful place for them. The walls were of palest lilac, as was the shimmering fabric now covering the old divan that had been moved from the great room. Clearly selected with loving care, the rest of the furniture was carved of Coventry cedar. Cam and Alex could smell the clean woodsy fragrance that still clung to it.

The bed they were to share that night was huge, covered with a plump comforter and piles of pillows. And draped over the foot of the bed was their baby quilt.

Alex had thought it was lost! Yet here it was again, found by Miranda.

Alex picked it up and breathed in the fragrance of the protective herbs that long ago their mother had sewn into each patchwork panel. Cam took an end of the quilt, too, and softly stroked her cheek with it.

Artemis, Apolla, I am with you always.

The tender voice of Aron, their murdered father, seemed to rise out of the little blanket just as it had the first time they’d touched it. And as before, they reached for the amulets he’d made for them and felt them grow warm.

They sat together on the bed for a moment, each holding a corner of the quilt, listening, waiting for more.

Finally, Cam stood up. And as she did, the saying she’d found in her father’s childhood room at Crailmore came to her.
An’ it harm none.
The words were so strong and clear that they might have been spoken aloud. She glanced at Alex and knew instantly that her sister hadn’t heard the adage, that it was meant for Cam alone.

Alex sat staring into the fading light of the autumn day, which streamed through sheer lilac curtains. It was two hours earlier here than in Marble Bay, she realized. She was about to remind Cam of that when her sister stiffened abruptly and her eyes drifted shut.

“Cam, are you all right? Are you having a vision?” Alex asked, standing quickly.

“In the caves,” Cam whispered, her closed eyes seeing what Alex couldn’t. “Still here —”

“Who?” Alex asked, trying to pick up a sound, a movement nearby. Cam might have meant anyone or anything. The cave beneath Luna Soleil connected to dozens of other caverns that ran beneath the north end of the island to Crailmore, the estate where their dangerous uncle lived. They’d heard stories of witches and warlocks gone mad who hid in some of the caves and of ancestral spirits who haunted others.

“I will not!” Cam said, speaking to whoever she saw in her vision. “Not even for you! I will not stoop —”

Then Alex heard it. A door banging open. The swish of a robe across the floor. The slow stealthy scuff of sandals.

Cam’s eyes flew open. “Sersee,” she said at the same moment Alex called out the name. “She’s here. She never left.”

“Aren’t you the clever ones?” The violet-eyed vixen planted herself in the bedroom doorway. She was slender again, no longer the bloated balloon Cam had turned her into. Leaning back, with her arms crossed and her lips set in a taunting smile, she glared at them. “Welcome home, T’Witches. Your house is my house.” She laughed.

“Your house? You don’t have a house, Sersee. You scuttle like an insect under the earth; your home is a hole in the ground, a dark, wet, creepy cave,” Cam blurted angrily.

“She’s baiting you,” Alex warned her twin. “Don’t bite.”
Remember,
she added telepathically,
kindness, compassion, justice, and love!

But the sight of the beautiful, cruel witch had called up a swarm of bitter memories for Cam. Sersee gloating as she cast the painful spell that turned Cam into a helpless hamster. Sersee desperate for their powerful uncle’s attention, willing to do anything for Thantos’s approval and acceptance. Sersee jealous, scheming, deadly …

Ignoring Cam’s outburst, Sersee crooned, “Your mother, that poor insane soul —”

“She was not insane!” Cam interrupted fiercely. “She was brokenhearted. And your pal Thantos lied to her and fed that grief every chance he got!”

“I am so sorry.” The black-haired girl fluttered her dark lashes innocently. “But really, Apolla, I’m only repeating what everyone on the island says: that Miranda lost it, went mental, was off her rocker, out of her tree —”

Alex grabbed Cam to keep her from leaping at the malicious witch.

“But just look at this place.” Sersee spun out of the doorway into the great room. “I’d say she’s making a marvelous recovery.” She looked up at the ceiling, squinting purposefully. “Personally, I preferred the roof… airier, more open,” she said, focusing hard on the glass skylight.

“Don’t!” Cam hollered, realizing what Sersee was doing.

The skylight shattered. Glass rained down onto the polished floor and handsome new rugs. A shard gashed the sofa. Another lodged in a freshly painted wall.

“Whoops, my bad.” Sersee laughed.

This time Alex couldn’t hold her twin back. Cam pulled free, sending her sister sprawling. With the speed and strength of the star athlete she was, she ran at the heartless witch, tackling her hard.

Sersee went down. Cam leaned over the girl, her fist drawing back automatically.

“What will it be this time?” Sersee hissed, grinning up at her captor. “What spell will you abuse? What violence will you resort to? Honestly, Apolla, I’m eager — or should I say ‘dying’ — to know.”

“Cam, stop! Don’t you see what she’s doing?” Alex scrambled to her feet. “She wants you to hurt her, to hate her — because your rage will damage
you
! She wants you to do something wrong and evil —”

“Of course I do,” the prone witch hissed at Cam. “Don’t you? Don’t you want to hurt me? Go on, I dare you.”

Alex tried to grab her sister’s arm, to yank her away from Sersee.

“Stay out of it,” Cam shouted, pulling free of her.

“She’s right, you know,” Sersee whispered with contempt.
“Your anger and outrage
will
hurt you.” Her eyes, intense, violet, squinting deliberately, zeroed in on Cam’s.

Instantly, Cam’s vision blurred. Though hot tears stung and scalded them, she couldn’t close her eyes; she couldn’t look away. “Stop it,” she commanded, dizzy with pain.

“Or what?” Sersee challenged. “As long as I live, Apolla, I will be your enemy. I will never forget the filthy trick you and that vengeful fool Shane pulled on me. So just hurt me however you want — before I hurt you!”

Cam could feel her cocked fist straining to connect with Sersee’s twisted smile. Blinded by boiling tears, it took every ounce of her willpower to hold back. “I will not!” she said, as she had in her vision. “Not even for you! I will not stoop —”

All at once a wave of icy regret washed over her. Not so long ago, she
had
hurt and humiliated the vicious witch squirming beneath her. She knew now that she didn’t want to do it again. Ever.

An’ it harm none,
her father’s words rang in her ears again.
Harm none,
she repeated to herself as Sersee’s evil glare stung her eyes.
I will harm none.

Slowly, the anger began to drain from her. Her fist unknotted. Her hand fell to her side. With effort, Cam managed to pull away from Sersee, breaking the hate-filled stare that had connected them.

“You can get up now,” Cam said. “It’s over.”

“No!” Sersee shouted. “Never! You can’t just walk away!”

“You’re right. I can’t.” Cam reached out her hand to help the seething witch up. “Not until I apologize. I’m sorry, Sersee, that I hurt you. The spell Shane taught me was evil, but I’m the one who chose to use it. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Wimp!” Sersee slapped Cam’s hand aside.

Alex raced to her sister, grabbing and hugging her. “That was awesome. You did it,” Alex exulted. “You won. She’s nothing but one of Thantos’s flunkies — like Amaryllis and Shane —”

Sersee had gotten up and was brushing debris from her purple robe. She looked up at the sound of Shane’s name. “You’re idiots. You know nothing,” she said. “Shane Wright is not Lord Thantos’s flunky. He’s his sworn enemy. He was reared to destroy your uncle! And you’re too dumb to know it!”

By the time their mother returned, followed by a huffing, puffing Rhianna, the house was in better shape. Although the skylight was still broken and the new sofa torn, Cam and Alex had used the Restorer spell to repair much of the damage Sersee had done.

The girl herself had slunk away after failing to taunt
Cam — and then Alex — to new anger and vengefulness. It became clear that only by getting them to sink low could Sersee hold her head high. So it was with her head bowed that the once-haughty witch left — and took what she knew about Shane and their uncle with her.

“Precisely what time did you girls arrive?” Rhianna asked, surveying the room, noting every trace of damage with knowing eyes.

“It was shortly before five,” Miranda said.

“Your daughters are about to be initiated.” Rhianna’s gold-flecked brown eyes glinted a warning. From a pocket in her ample robe she pulled out a plumed pen and a notebook bound in gold. “They ought to be able to speak for themselves.”

“Of course,” their mother said, taking no offense. “Would anyone care for tea?”

“Essence of rose hips, if you please,” Rhianna ordered. “No milk, no honey.” As Miranda left the room, the buxom Elder turned to Cam and Alex again. “Five o’clock. Seven hours before you were due!” She licked the tip of the pen and began to write feverishly in her book.

“Um, it was around seven o’clock where we came from,” Alex ventured.

“That’s only five hours early,” Cam pointed out.

“Five or seven — it doesn’t matter. What does is that you’ve upset the order of things. And by the looks of
it —” she gestured with her pen at what damage was left in the room — “your Initiation challenges have already begun.”

She was talking, of course, about their encounter with Sersee. “That part wasn’t our fault,” Alex tried to explain.

“We were totally minding our own business when —” Cam began.

“Do you think I don’t know what happened?!” Rhianna pulled herself up to her full imposing height. “Have you never heard of the Situator?” She was speaking of the spell that allowed her to see them, to clock their every move if she chose, in a purified crystal of rose quartz.

“Of course we have,” Alex said, annoyance creeping into her tone.

Suddenly, there was a noisy ruffling behind Rhianna. Cam and Alex jumped back as the wiry-haired witch’s wings unfurled menacingly. “Enough!” she decreed. “If you wish to be initiated, you are not to leave this house until first light tomorrow. Is that understood?”