I SPUN AROUND watching as the witch flew towards us. Wind whipped through her dark hair and her loose black clothing. Her eyes were pure white like Peter’s had been. With her pasty skin and eyes smudged with black, she looked like a bad effect from a cheesy horror movie. Only it was a little too real for comfort. I backed away, feeling Nate stumble as I pressed into him. He flung lightning at her, but it wasn’t even slowing her down. I knew our only hope was to make it to the top of the hill.
I sent the vines that snagged me flying at her as I continued to back away. One by one they wrapped around her, pinning her arms at her side. It wouldn’t be long until she freed herself, but it would be long enough to give us a much-needed head start. Grabbing Nate’s hand, I turned and ran the rest of the way up the hill and across the road to the greenhouse. He shambled along, exhaustion plain in his lurching step. I flung myself against the building, tugging at the doors before the flaw in our plans became painfully obvious. The doors were secured with a solid chain and the heavy kind of lock they claimed cannot be picked. I tugged on it, hoping for some miracle, but no weak links gave and the lock didn’t mysteriously come open in my hand. Nate grabbed the chain, and I felt that peculiar tugging sensation deep inside as he drew power from me. I watched in silent awe as the chain rusted through and gave way like it was time elapsed photography. I wondered if I would ever become accustomed to watching others do things that my mind still insisted were impossible.
Not looking over my shoulder to see how much time we had, I tore the doors open and ran inside. I shoved a broom through the handles of the door to prevent them from opening before running through the small gift shop into the garden beyond. Nate was leaning heavily on me nearly spent. My mother’s words about burying myself in the ground for strength echoed through my mind. I needed to get him into the ground. He was of no use to me if he was drained.
I had no time for the awe I had felt earlier as we ran down the ramp. I grew the bamboo plants until their branches twined together, blocking the door. We ran around the island to a hidden corner, and I helped Nate climb into one of the flowerbeds. He threw off his shirt and used the last of his power to clear a small hole for him to lie in. Praying the soil had enough energy to recharge him, I scooped it back over his legs. I held his hand and placed my other hand on his cheek for a prolonged moment. His beautiful eyes full of emotion. I kissed his forehead, buried the rest of him and stepped back. I grew the foliage around him until I could only see his resting place when I squinted.
Nodding in satisfaction, I ran around the island to the opposite end of the cement path through the garden. Standing opposite the entrance ramp, I heard the outer doors bang against the wall. An unnatural wind blew through the greenhouse as Mrs. Matthews entered the gift shop and drifted closer. Fire bloomed in the bushes. Despite my every effort to reinforce them, the plants were eventually consumed and the path unbarred. I sent vines and hanging plants towards her, but with a slash of her hand they fell away in pieces before they even got close.
I was screwed and I knew it. My gifts lay in life and nurturing. Nothing short of death, mine or hers, was going to stop her. I’d never felt so useless in my life! I fell to my knees defeated and waited for the inevitable. An evil smile spread across her face as she realized her victory was assured, and I felt like weeping. Was this the same woman who had always put nasty medicines in snow cone syrup? Who tucked me in when I spent the night with Evelyn? I couldn’t wrap my mind around the two conflicting images.
A wall of flames shot across the walkway in front of me, and I threw my arm up to shield my face. A stony hand gripped my wrist, and I was dragged to my feet by nothing. I tried not to let my fear show. I was tugged around the corner and into the plants until my back was pressed against the wall of the greenhouse. What looked like the wavering heat in the air was shaped like a man—Xander had come to my rescue. He put a finger to his lips and pressed down on my shoulder until I knelt. A slight movement to my right made me turn my head and I saw—well, me.
My doppelganger came over and tugged my shirt over my head tossing a different one at me. She gave me a crooked smile before putting mine on and disappearing into the plants once more. The ghostly figure in front turned back towards me, and I was just able to make out Xander’s glowing blue eyes before he disappeared entirely.
My twin, who had to be Sariah, ran down the path and hid fairly obviously behind a bench. Monica came around the corner and that self-assured grin reappeared. Sariah was pulled out of her hiding spot, so she cowered in the center of the sidewalk as Monica got closer. Mrs. Mathews pulled a long wooden stake from her sleeve as she approached, but movement behind Sariah caught everyone off guard. Nate charged up the aisle and put himself between “me” and the witch. He reached back and grabbed Sariah’s hand, and I could see the shock register on his face as he realized what was happening.
Suddenly everything happened at once. I screamed and ran forward, trying to warn him. Sariah grabbed for his shoulder but wasn’t able to get there before Monica drove the wooden stake straight through Nathanial’s heart. A fist to the chin with all my sister’s demonic strength sent the witch flying across the greenhouse, crumpling in a heap near the back entrance. I ran as fast as I could and caught Nate just as he slumped to the ground. Tears blinded me as I saw the blood slowly spreading on his bare skin. I ran my hand through his shaggy hair. There was a sensation of tearing in my chest, and I didn’t know how much was physical or how much was emotional. Sariah, in her own face now, tried to pull me away from him, but I looked at her and knew the fear had to be clear on my face.
“If he dies, I’m as good as dead. We’re bonded.” My voice was little more than a whisper, but she heard me. She searched my face for a long time, unsure what to do. Then she turned back to where the witch was getting unsteadily to her feet. I watched my sister stand up, roll her shoulders, and kink her head to the left and right.
“Is that all you got bitch?” she said as she walked menacingly forward. “Hope you got more stakes or else you’re in for a world of hurt.”
Monica gave her a cocky smirk before producing another stake. Sariah's step didn't even hitch. She and the witch walked towards each other. They feinted, but the witch wouldn’t let the succubus lay a hand on her, knowing she would be helpless against the demon’s strength. Sariah tried to punch her in the nose, but the older woman dodged. Sariah grazed her ear before staggering slightly. Taking advantage while the blond was off balance, Monica thrust the second stake through Sariah’s heart. I gasped as my body went cold in shock, but Sariah simply looked down at the stake then back up at the witch. The sickening grin slid off the psycho witch’s face as my sister raised an eyebrow.
“Really? Don’t you know your lore? I’m a demon, bitch!” With that Sariah’s fist connected solidly with the smug face and the witch crumpled. Monica attempted to stand up, fire flaring in her eyes. Not figuratively, real fire shot out of her eyes. I watched in horror as she was consumed by fire from the inside out as Xander materialized walking away from her. She screamed in agony and flames shot out of her mouth. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
Nate moved in my arms, and I turned my attention to him. His face was pale and clammy, and his eyes seemed dim. He opened his mouth to speak, and I smoothed his hair back from his face, shushing him. “Save your strength.” I said, tears spilling down my cheeks. I felt Xander’s arm go around my shoulders as Sariah knelt beside me and placed her hand on my knee. I couldn’t stand the sight of the damn stake anymore. Despite everything you learn in school, I pulled it out and threw it as hard as I could. I placed my hand over the wound as blood gushed out and fed him strength. “Call 9-1-1. We have to try.” I sobbed.
Sariah rubbed my knee, and I saw the pain in her face. “You know we can’t Lia. How would we even begin to explain what happened?”
“If he dies, I won’t survive!” I wailed. I prayed for a miracle. I wasn’t sure which scared me more—dying or living without him. I pulled on the
energy I could feel all around me and fed it into him, trying to imagine his skin knitting together. Maybe there was a chance she missed the heart. There had to be a chance.
Nate stirred in my arms and I glanced down at him. The color had returned to his face, though he was still damp with perspiration. “You need to stop Lia,” he croaked in a hoarse voice. I didn’t listen, just kept pulling all the energy around me and feeding it into him. I felt movement under my hand. I pulled it away watching in amazement as the gaping wound in his chest slowly got smaller and smaller. Nate sat up and grabbed my shoulders. Shock made me stop pulling energy more than anything else. I took him in my arms and cried in relief. I couldn’t stop touching him, my hands running through his hair, down his face, his chest. I noticed a small puckered scar that looked like it was years old where his gaping wound had been. Only then did I notice Sariah getting weakly to her feet, leaning on Xander.
“You have to be careful when you do that, Lia. You could have killed them.” Nate said, holding my shoulder and meeting my eyes with a very serious expression.
All around me the once vibrant greenhouse was a wilted ruin, every single plant dead. Worse, I had nearly killed my brother and sister trying to save Nate. The idea of living with myself after that left my belly feeling a bit oily. I glanced at Sariah, then Xander, my eyes as wide as they would go. Not knowing what I was doing was no excuse. Who was I to choose one life over another? Xander took my hand and squeezed it, shaking his head and Sariah gave me a weak smile. I knew in that moment what my parents had truly done by picking them to be my brother and sister, and I thanked them silently. They had given me a rock I could always lean on, and I had no doubts how much they truly loved me. We might not be a conventional family, but we were still a family. As we walked out of that greenhouse I knew that whatever the future held for us, we would face it together.
No one really noticed the dirt and blood on us as we wondered across the lobby of the Holiday Inn. There was a new spring in our step, a lightness that belied the truth of what we had just come through. Nathanial wrapped his arm around my shoulders, I clutched Xander’s hand in mine while Sariah threaded her arm through his. We went up to our room and one by one we showered, changed, and crawled into bed. As I lay contentedly wrapped in Nathanial’s arms, I wondered what we would do now. Our home was gone, and we could never go back. Even if I didn’t look like I’d aged ten years in the last few months, I didn’t think our old lives would fit us any longer. So much had happened I felt like a different person, but I was ok with who I was becoming. As looked at my mate I embraced the new me ready for whatever was to come.