Chapter 22 Hatching A Plan

"Marcus you need to calm down before you hurt yourself even more! Now just tell me what happened back there." Julianna demanded, growing tired of all the drama.

"I told my mum what happened with Layla okay." He stated, with a hefty sigh.

"Okay.... but since when does that mean that you have to go off like a crazy person?" She questioned, wanting to step closer to him, yet afraid after seeing him so enraged.

"Because she hit me. Threw me out of the house telling me she hates me and that if she ever sees me again she'll kill me." He said, finally coming to terms with all that he had lost after going over what his mum had said to him a thousand times in his head.

"Oh." Was the only word she could manage to say. Suddenly, she felt guilty for almost losing her temper with him.

"Yeah oh." He repeated coldly.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." She muttered, trying so hard to avoid eye contact with him.

"Because you never bothered to ask or try piecing it together!" He snapped.

"No! Don't you dare try and turn this around on me again. One more moment like that one in the woods and we are through. For real this time." She warned him, unimpressed by his attitude.

"I'm not turning it around on you. At least... that isn't my intentions. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Whatever. Let's just get back to the others so we can get this nightmare over with." She concluded, completely dodging the conversation she knew they needed to have at some point.

With nothing left to say, Marcus screwed his face up as he snapped his wrist back into place, leaving nothing but a huge purple bruise on the surface, he picked up his bag and began walking again. Julianna followed, struggling to keep up. He did not offer his hand out to her, nor did he stop a few times to allow her to catch up, like he usually did. They really needed to have that conversation, she knew that for certain. But with everything going on, they just couldn't waste time. What she needed to say, and whatever it was that he wanted to say, would have to wait.

Heading back into the woods, Julianna really wished that he would wait up for her, especially in place as dangerous as this. She couldn't help but feel a little bit lonely. She missed the way Marcus made her feel. The way he would chase away all her fears without even trying. She could only hope that those days wouldn't become nothing but a memory.

Unable to hold back any longer, she decided there was no time like the present to have the much needed conversation with him, right there and then while they were heading back to Eric's place.

"Baby... I don't wanna be like this with each other." She began, finally able to walk alongside him as he slowed down. This meant that he was much more calmer now than he had been back when they left the house.

"Oh Julie.... I know. I don't know what's happening to me and I know I keep saying this but I am so sorry. You are the only person who can help me, you keep me grounded, keep me in check and I love you so damn much. Yet since the shadow realm, my behaviour had been so out of order, especially towards you. It has been unacceptable. I don't know what to do though... I don't wanna let you go, it would hurt like hell for both of us, but if I keep you, I'm not only being selfish, but I'll probably just end up hurting you and I don't wanna do that." He explained, getting all of his thoughts and feelings out in the open at last.

"I know that you never want to intentionally hurt me, and I know u said that I am willing to give you a chance and I meant that but what you said to me, back in that moment right here in these woods, I haven't been able to get your words out of my head and each time I hear them in my mind, it's like being stabbed with the same dagger all over again. You don't want to let me go because it would hurt, and I don't wanna let you go for the exact same reason, and I know how much pain you've been in, that you're still in, after everything that has happened but the the truth is.... I'm scared that it's gonna happen again." She admitted, not wanting to hurt him, but wanting him to understand.

"So... where does that leave us?" He asked, afraid of what her answer was going to be.

"I think that you need time to heal Marcus, to get through your grief, to sort yourself out and get your emotions in check and I need time to let your hurtful words leave my head, and to learn to handle myself. I'm not saying that we should break up, I'm saying that I think we should give each other time." She concluded, feeling saddened but relieved.

"You're right." He replied simply just as they reached the cabin.

Inside Joshua, Eric and the pregnant witch, Maria, were already sat waiting for the two of them.

"Nice of you to join us." Eric commented as Marcus closed the door behind them. Julianna was already sat next to her twin brother on the sofa, and so he decided to sit on the floor down by Joshua's feet.

"Right. Now that everyone is here. I think it's time we hatch a plan." Maria stated.

"But first off, Joshua, why don't you come clean with everyone about your little secret that you confessed to me this morning." Eric suggested, giving the younger blonde a half friendly look.

Taking a deep breath, Joshua wasn't quite sure that he was prepared for everyone to know. Obviously he had already said something to them back in the hospital but things were different now that both Marcus and Julianna had seen his fox side. Standing up, he mentally prepared himself for any and all possible reactions from the two people closest to him, then finally he spoke.

"I'm a kitsune." He began, then quickly added, "Back in the shadow world, what you saw me like, that is what I look like in a realm where only supernatural beings exist. That is my true form, and soon it will be Julianna's too. In the human world, it will only appear when fighting off enemies of any kind, or when we want to reveal our true selves." He explained, and focused his energy into one thing. Revealing himself.

Within seconds the demonic red eyes and the seven fox-like tails were back. He had to do this to show them all, but mostly Marcus, that they had nothing to fear from him. He wanted his friend to see that he was still the same goofball that he had known since that first day. Much to his relief, it worked.

At first Marcus sat there, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight of his best friend. But after processing the what Joshua looked like on the outside, he jumped to his feet and cautiously got close to him. Once he looked into those red eyes, and adjusted to the sight, his shoulders slumped as he began to relax. Without a word, he pulled the boy into a tight, brotherly hug.

Joshua felt a huge wave of relief and appreciation for Marcus's reaction. Now that both of their minds were at ease, they could move forward and start working on a plan to take down the evil that lurked beneath the surface.

"Right so, where do we go from here?" Marcus asked, releasing Joshua and taking back his place on the floor.

"To take down the creatures of the shadow realm, and to seal off the doorway that they opened when Joshua fell ill, we first have take away their power source." Eric explained, hovering over each important word.

"But what exactly is their power source?" Joshua asked, hating how vague Eric's answers were. He just wanted this crisis to be over.

"Trauma. Any exposed emotions, anything that hurts you is what they feed on, once they do that they tie themselves to you. Like they already have with you blondie, and like they will begin to do with my little brother if he isn't careful with handling his emotions in a healthy way." Eric answered, coming across to Marcus, as though he had already dealt with the shadow realm in the past.

"Well that explains a lot." Julianna remarked. Speaking for the first time since they had arrived there.

"And where exactly could this doorway have been opened?" Marcus added, hoping that with all the information to piece together that they would stand a chance.

"Back where Joshua fell ill. His bedroom." Eric answered.

"Oh crap. Why me? And why there?" Joshua grumbled.

"You were pretty upset the night you fell ill. They were probably feeding off your emotions." Julianna reminded him.

"I remember. I fell asleep and was dreaming about all of the... the abuse. I woke up unable to take my mind off it. I got up ready to play some video games but as soon as I stood up, the pain struck me." He replied, going into detail about that night for the first time.

"Then that's where we need to go. Back to where the doorway opened." Marcus stated.

"Yes. From there we can fight. However you should know that once we are in the fight it is a battle to the death." Eric concluded, not wanting to mislead them all.

"I can do a spell that will give you all an invisible shield. It will help but, the more damage it takes, the more it wears away." Maria offered, explaining carefully so they wouldn't misunderstand.

"That would be great. Thank you honey. Now it is settled. The four of us will go into this fight, while Maria will stay here where she is safe and perform the spell that is necessary." Eric decided.

Everyone in the room agreed. Marcus, Julianna, Joshua and Eric all prepared themselves for battle, each receiving a blessing from Maria, before the four of them headed off for the Warwick household.