Two months have gone by since the war started. The Enchantress’s army has been causing all kinds of problems. The zombie looking people have caused mass panic among the humans, although most of it is contained at the moment. The Warriors are still having trouble tracking all the videos and posts that have been made online. Not to mention some news channels have covered the zombie people attacking the humans.
Thankfully the humans think that the zombie people are real people pretending to be zombies. They don’t eat human flesh, so the humans are coming up with all kinds of crazy things. At least they haven’t figured out that zombies used to be dead people. I’m surprised they haven’t, but my dad says it's because most humans don’t want to admit they aren’t the only ones on the planet or universe.
The magical world is having just as much difficulty with the spirits. The Reapers have been doing over time trying to take care of the pale green spirits that are plaguing the magical world. They are showing up at covens, shopping centers, and even people's homes. It’s a real mess, but at least most of the witches and warlocks can defend themselves. The humans don’t have as much of an advantage.
The team and I have been all over trying to help where we can. Right now, we are in NYC helping to contain a zombie issue along with a spirit issue. The team is split up at the moment. I’m with Alice, Bex, and Carter dealing with the spirit issue while Calder, Ryan, Brie, and Avery are dealing with the zombies.
The spirits are hard to kill; fire is really the only thing that kills them. We did figure out that the spirits don’t like salt, so Carter made himself a special salt gun to weaken the spirits, which makes setting them on fire much easier. The zombie people are strong, and know how to use weapons, which makes taking them out that much harder.
Thankfully the Reapers and the Warriors are trying to figure out ways to take out the spirits and the zombies. They captured a few of each last week and are holding them in a special location. I know they are experimenting with what will hurt and kill them.
Carter fires off his gun, and hits a few of the spirits. I throw a fireball at them, and light them on fire. Bex uses fire that comes out of his long sword while he fights the spirits. Alice is on the other side of the street setting spirits on fire. Carter gets on top of a car to get better shots at the spirits.
There are dozens of them. I peer out from the car I’m hiding behind and blast several small fireballs at two spirits that are trying to get to Carter. I hear Alice scream and quickly look over at her to see her being attacked by three spirits. Alice is wounded. I run out from behind the car and blast the suckers with fire.
Bexton has his hands full with his own group of spirits. Carter is switching between firing his salt gun and the flame thrower. Once the spirits go up in flames, I’m at Alice’s side. Her arm is slashed open, and her shirt is cut open and I can see a bleeding gash. On top of it all, she hurt her ankle. I make quick work trying to heal Alice, but I’m having trouble because I have to fight off the spirits that are trying to kill us. I look over at Bex and Carter who are fighting off their own hoard of spirits. Crap!
Alice is too weak to help me fight, plus she is losing blood too quickly. There’s only one thing I can think of that will work and that’s to let the monster out to play. No one on the team has seen the dark side of me. They haven’t seen me transform either, but there is a first time for everything. I was hoping I would never have to show them this side of me, but I’m not about to let my best friend die.
I close my eyes and summon my inner monster. When I open my eyes, I know they are black and that my skin is pale with black spider veins. I stand up and face the street that is full of spirits. I take a huge breath, then with all my power, I blow out black fire on to all of the spirits. They all go up in flames.
Bex and Carter turn to face me to figure out what just happened to the spirits they were fighting. Carter jumps down from the car he is standing on and then walks towards me. Bex runs over to help Alice. The problem with letting the monster out is that once she’s out it’s hard to put her back under lock and key. I’m breathing heavy. I need to calm myself down, but the adrenaline is too much.
Carter wraps his arms around me. I can’t even believe he is touching me like this. Carter rubs my back.
“It’s okay, Emmy. You got them. It's over,” Carter whispers to me in a soft voice that is soothing.
I feel myself relax. I close my eyes and when I reopen them, I’m back to normal. Carter is the key to helping me calm down. He always knows what to say and do. I kiss Carter quick on the lips and thank him. I turn to face Bex and Alice. Alice has passed out, but Bex has managed to heal her wounds. I teleport everyone back to our base camp which is really just a townhouse that we are staying in till we head back to the manor.
Ivy runs to help Bex get Alice to a bed to rest. Alice hasn’t woken up yet, but she should in a bit. Avery and Brie go help Alice. I go to the kitchen to find Calder drinking a beer. Calder looks at me.
“Looks like you had someone get hurt too,” Calder comments. He is my second in command now.
“Who got hurt?” I ask, grabbing some water from the fridge.
“Ryan. He got stabbed, but he will be okay.” Calder finishes off his beer and tosses the can away.
Damn. It takes a lot to take Ryan out, I think to myself. Ryan is strong and he is built like a brick house. The fact that a zombie could hurt Ryan means trouble for the rest of us. If the zombies can take out our strongest physical member with just a stab, well that’s a big deal. We are going to have to get our defenses up in order to stay ahead.
“Is it just me or does the Enchantress’s army seem to be getting smarter and stronger?” I ask hoping that I’m just losing my mind, and there’s no truth to my thoughts.
“No, I was thinking the same thing. You had to let the monster out, didn’t you?” Calder asks, leaning against the counter looking much like our father.
“Yeah, I did. How did you know?”
“I can sense it. It’s weird, but I seem to know when you let the monster out to play.”
“How come you don’t transform like I do? We have the same blood running through our veins.”
“I don’t know. I always wondered why you transformed into something else when you tapped into your dark magic. Maybe it has something to do with you being the Chosen child. I don’t know, Em. All I know is that when I tap into my dark magic, I don’t transform like you do.”
I sigh. “Well, that’s not helpful. I hate how everything is a mystery, or a secret when it comes to our family. I feel like Fate must hate us, or something, because it feels like we are always left in the dark.”
Calder laughs. “You sound like dad.”
I laugh too. It’s true. I sound like our dad. Dad is always cursing fate for being against our family.
“Maybe dad isn’t so far off from the truth,” I state.
“Maybe. Who knows?” Calder shrugs his shoulders as he replies to me.
“Certainly not us, that’s for sure,” I comment. Calder laughs at me. “It’s not that funny.” I roll my eyes at how ridiculous Calder is being.
“Yeah, it is. I can’t believe how much you are like Dad sometimes.”
I roll my eyes at Calder again. I seem to always be rolling my eyes at Calder for one reason or another. I think it’s the little sister thing to do.
“Whatever.”
I notice a mark on Calder’s forearm. It’s a triangle with a black circle in the middle that has lines that connect the circle to the three points of the triangle. Strange, I’ve never seen that mark on him before.
“Calder what’s that mark? Did you get a tattoo?”
I point to Calder’s forearm.
“What. No.” Calder looks down at his forearm. “What the hell?” Calder tries to rub the mark off him, but it doesn’t work. Calder looks at me. “Did you do this?”
“No. Why would I put a mark on you? Calder, you didn’t have that mark this morning when I saw you. Did one of the zombies touch you?” I ask, trying to figure out the strange mark on Calder’s arm.
“No, but I did feel like my arm was on fire while I was fighting. I didn’t think too much of it. I thought maybe I was straining myself or something. I totally forgot to check it out when we got home.”
Just then Calder cries out in pain and holds the arm with the strange mark on it. I go over to him. Calder slides down the counters and sits on the floor crying out in pain. I bend to help him, but I don’t know how to help him. Calder stops screaming as he moves his hand from his right forearm where the mark is. Underneath the triangle is a skeleton key.
“What the hell is going on?” Calder asks.
“I…I don’t know.” I brush my hand over the markings.
Bex, Ivy, Brie, Carter, and Avery walk into the kitchen to see what Calder is screaming about. Calder shows them the marks. No one knows what to say. I was hoping maybe Bexton would know what it was since he is Mr. Smarty Pants, but even he doesn't know. Calder wants to head home to see if our parents, or anyone at the manor might know what the mark means. I agree that he needs to go.
Calder teleports out of the townhouse and I tell him to let me know if he finds anything out. In the meantime, I have to check with the leaders of the Warriors and Reaper organization to see if they need any more help here before we head back home.
I want to go home and be with Calder. I’m worried about him. I don’t like that a random mark just appeared on him. I fear it might have something to do with the Enchantress. Anything that involves the Enchantress is never good.
After I contact the Reapers and the Warriors, I find out that we can go home. I’m happy that we are going home. I’m worried about Calder. I haven’t heard anything from him yet. I can feel my anxiety increasing.
I go to tell the team we are good to head home. Everyone is pretty happy to be going home. I walk into the room I’m sharing with Carter. I find Carter is sitting on the bed, showered, and ready for bed. I take my shower, and then join him. I fall asleep still wondering about Calder.
Out of nowhere, I jolt upright in bed, screaming. My right arm feels like it’s on fire. Carter turns on the light, and tries to help me, but he can’t. I hold my right arm to my body crying out in pain. Finally, the pain subsides, and with fear I look at my arm through tear filled eyes. I have the same mark on my arm as Calder does, but instead of a key underneath the triangle there is a sword.
“What the hell?” I shout. “What is going on?”
“I’m going to get everyone. We are going back to the manor now,” Carter declares as he jumps from the bed.
After a few moments, everyone is in our room. I’m packed and ready to go. Ivy is holding Alice upright and Bex is helping Ryan stand. We all link hands, and I teleport everyone back to the manor. Alice and Ryan go straight to the healing wing. I find Calder with my parents and grandmother in the main living room. Carter has to help me walk because I’m weak from the mark and having to teleport so many people at once. Normally it wouldn't bother me, but the mark that is burned into my right forearm seems to have weakened me.
My dad looks at me.
“Not you too?” He asks, sounding frustrated.
“Yes, me too,” I reply as Carter helps me sit down on the couch next to Calder. I show everyone my mark.
“What the hell is going on?” Calder asks. “Why do you have a sword and I have a damn key?”
“I don’t know Calder,” I snap.
I’m tired and frustrated. Carter rubs my neck trying to get me to calm down. I don’t mean to snap at Calder, but I’m irritated. I hate when we don’t know what’s going on. I hate when strange things happen. It’s almost never good. I’m also sick of the endless surprises that keep getting thrown at us.
“This is insane! I don’t like this,” my father declares.
Well, he can join the club, I think to myself. Ivy, Brie, Avery, and Bex walk into the living room and join us.
“So, no one knows what’s going on?” Bex asks. I shake my head no. “Damn it. Well, someone needs to explain this.” Bex rolls up his right sleeve. On his right forearm is the same triangle, but underneath his there is a shield. “I got this just now.”
“Seriously what the hell?” Calder throws his hands in the air in frustration.
“You aren’t going to believe this, but Alice and Ryan have the same mark as Bex,” Brie states. They seem to have gotten theirs while we were still in NYC while they were resting.”
“That just leaves Brie, Avery, and Carter who don’t have marks,” my dad states.
Just then Brie, Avery, and Carter all cry out in pain holding their right arms. After a few moments they too are marked just like Bex.
“You spoke too soon, Dad,” Calder comments.
“How come Calder and mine are different?” I ask.
“I’ll tell you why.” Lynden walks into the room as if we summoned her for the answers ourselves. “I think you all need to sit and listen to what I have to tell you.”
Everyone sits down and stares at Lynden wondering what she is going to tell us. I don’t know how Lynden even knows anything that would be going on, but she says she has answers. At this point, I’ll take what I can get.
Lynden is a smart girl; she wouldn’t play a prank on us. I try to read Lynden's mind when I realize that I can’t. That’s strange. I should be able to read her mind. I read Carter and Mom's mind to make sure I haven’t lost my skill. I haven’t. I can hear their thoughts, but not Lynden’s. Something is very wrong right now. I have a feeling I’m not going to like what we are about to be told.