9. More Surprises?

Elentari

“Lunar Guardian? Me? I’m just a normal teenager with nothing special about me. I didn't even know this existed until today. I don’t understand, Selene is real?” As I spoke the twins looked at each other, as if having a mental conversation. Little to my knowledge they were doing just that.

They spoke at the same time. “We want to go with you.” Turning towards my parents. My sister pushed the book towards my mother. “If we are magical we need training. Even though that book is my birthright, I don't want to learn from it. I’d rather it was destroyed.” At this point, I saw my sister in a new light. Almost a light of admiration.

“It is not yours yet!” Lyssandra screeched. “I am still alive. As long as I live it is mine!” She reached for the Grimoire as if her life depended on getting the old book back in her hands. Before she could get to it, despite the pain it caused him, my brother grabbed it and kept it from her reach.

“The book is evidence. It cannot be destroyed.” My father held out a velvet bag that was just big enough to put the Grimoire in it. “Put the book in there. No need to suffer more.” Once the book was contained he looked at both of Lyssandra’s children, “Once we destroy this book, every spell she’s cast will be known, and undone.” He then turned to my dad. “Scott, do you want to come with us?” He asked directly.

My dad was still in a daze and I looked up at him, exploring him with my eyes to come with. Tears were lacing both of our eyes. “I know she’s not by blood, but I raised her, I would like to stay with my daughter and fix our relationship. I failed her and I want to make it up to her.” His head hung low with shame.

“You did just fine.” My mom tried to comfort him. “None of this was your fault. Now for you, Lyssandra.” Mom had noticed she was starting to open a portal to leave. “You won’t be doing that.” Her hands waved and magical cuffs appeared clamped around the step-witches wrists, ankles, and neck. The wretched woman cried out in pain from the contact as if she were being murdered. “You must face trial for your crimes. Your Grimoire will remain in our custody as requested by your heir. It will be entered into evidence as well as memory extraction of today’s events and past events. Until your trial you will be held in the Kingdom prison without visitors of any kind. Your fate will be determined once we return. The bindings will not, under any circumstances, be removed. You will pay for your transgressions.” Mom’s voice thundered through the kitchen as she held her hands up and summoned a portal to the prison.

The twins' eyes couldn’t hold their tears any longer as their mother was sucked through the portal that would carry her to her fate. Even I felt a tinge of sadness for her for a moment in time, but only a fleeting moment. I looked at the duo as they helplessly stared at the spot she disappeared from.

“Scottie? Stacie?” I called out their names gently. I realized this was the first time in years I used their names. “I’m sorry for your loss. I had no idea about any of this before this morning, I swear. I heard her talking on the phone with someone and saw her making weird concoctions to poison dad and I. That’s why I made sure to make breakfast and replace the drinks.” I was feeling their pain now. It was overwhelming. “None of us really know who we are. Maybe we can start over and do this as a real family?” I asked them, wanting to help ease their loss by gaining a new connection.

They looked at me shocked, “I didn’t think you knew our names any more.” Stacie admitted. I took a good look at her. We had similar mannerisms despite not being blood related. Unlike my brown, mousey hair hers was blonde and down past the middle of her back with gentle rolling curls. Her eyes were blue grey, just like dads. Her makeup was a mess from all the tears.

I handed her a tissue, “I’ve always known your names. I just never felt accepted. I was the child of the other woman. I only got backhanded compliments from you,” then looking at Scottie, “and you try to trip me up and bully me all the time. Like in the hallway at school yesterday.” His face held a trace of shame. “So I stopped humanizing you both. I’m remorseful we all lost our chance to grow together as siblings, real siblings, because of that woman. And now…” I look up over my shoulder, “I find out the house I grew up in wasn’t what I thought it was.” I started to choke up, but made myself swallow the lump in my throat, blink back the tears, and take a deep breath.

“You always seemed like you were against us. Like you thought you were better than us. It drove me crazy. I get straight A’s. I am a starting player on the varsity football team. Have been since freshman year. I just wanted mom to notice me but she only ever saw you. Silk this, Silk that, Silk come with me and spend time. It was always about you. Even though you made it clear you couldn’t stand her. While here I am, her son, completely ignored.” His voice held a thick layer of bitterness. “I took it out on the wrong person. I should have directed it at her, not you.” I watched his wave of varying emotions crashing over his face like tidal waves. His hair matched his sisters but was cut in a military fade. Their eyes matched too. Seems the only thing they got from the step-witch was her skin tone.

“I’m sorry.” I whisper softly.

“We need to leave.” My father states, a gentleness in his voice conveying his understanding of the moment that was happening, but imparting to us the need to leave this space. “We will have plenty of time once we get you to your new home away from home. We need to get you a new house in the mundane world not tainted with black magic that we can ward to protect you when you’re here.”

My eyes got wide all of a sudden, “Shit!” I exclaim, and I get odd looks from my siblings. Swearing wasn’t normally in my vocabulary. “Graduation is Wednesday. I’m getting my diploma and degrees. I was looking forward to walking…” my voice faded at the end of the sentence.

“The four of you will make the event, and you two,” Mom spoke up, looking towards the twins, “you will be able to come back and finish your high school career for your senior year. You’ll find not much has changed at your school and you won’t have to hide who you are. Now,” she waved her hands and silently spoke to herself. Scottie’s watch, Stacie’s bracelet, and dad’s wedding ring all flew from their bodies into a black velvet satchel much like the one that held the Grimoire. The tan line and impression from dad’s wedding band was strange to see. He never took it off. Come to think of it, none of them took those items off and had tan lines and depressions in their skin from them. A closer look and those weren’t tan lines. It was red, like a burn or a rash. Mentally it was as if a veil had been lifted for them. Each had very conflicting expressions.

“Her hold on you is broken now. You will feel it less and less each day. You cannot be in her presence during this time. You are very impressionable, and it will be easy for her to influence you right now, even without her bindings since you’ve been wearing them for years.” Mom held out her hands, palms open, moving them in a circular motion and opened a portal. I paid attention to the process this time. It was like time and space tore in a brilliant purple light leading to an old stone building out of a fairy tale. “After you.” She motioned for the four of us to go first.

I looked up at my dad, almost like asking him for permission. “It’ll be okay, Starlight. Let’s go.” His eyes shine with love and care, making me feel reassured that not everything had changed. Mom smiles hearing my nickname being used.

They weren’t kidding. 18 turned my world upside down. Audra and Manic owe me an explanation for holding out on me.