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“Shade told me that my dad trapped him inside the body of one of my friends,” Marley briefly winced. “Is that true?”
“Careful,” Mitchell rubbed his temples. “My healing potion only speeds up the process. It’ll take twenty-four hours for you to make a full recovery. Your body was running completely on mystically fueled adrenaline. You need to sit still.”
“Don’t avoid the question,” Marley glared.
“Now’s not the time.”
“I’ve waited long enough,” Marley replied. “Even until we were alone in this crypt of a manor.”
“Technically, it’s a guest room inside an antique home,” Mitchell’s voice remained indifferent as he added, “one that Jeb and I are allowing you as well as your... endearing sister to stay in.”
“...Mitchell, I need to know. Everything.”
“...I can’t tell you everything,” Mitchell sighed.
“Mitchell... please?”
Once again, his eyes glinted with the now familiar glow of magic before crossing his arms and staring down at his shoes. The eldest Watkins brother almost looked like a scared child for a fleeting moment. “...He did.”
“How long have you known?” Marley asked, her voice somber. She was furious, but her anger wasn’t because of Mitchell’s secrets. He made the same mistake she did... trusting him. Her father. At least Mitchell felt remorse. Did Patterson... would Patterson ever regret his decisions?
“A few weeks.”
“And you were going to tell me when, exactly?”
“After I figured out who it was.”
“...Did you?”
“Figure it out?”
“No. Ask Principal Erica out on a date. What else would I care about?”
“...Leave the sarcastic quips to the professionals, kid. But, yes, I believe it’s Anna Wallace,” Mitchell said after a moment’s silence. “It was her voice that called out your name before Shade captured you, correct?”
“...Yeah,” Marley sighed. “But I don’t think Anna would ever... how can you be sure?”
“I tested Armie in the Potions Classroom yesterday, and he came up negative,” said Mitchell plainly. “Don’t worry, he didn’t know what I was doing. So, that leaves Anna by default. I’m sorry, Marley.”
“My best friend tried to kill me,” Marley muttered, trying to hold back her tears.
“There’s only one flaw with that theory,” Mitchell sighed deeply. “Shade isn’t the type to lay all his cards on the table. Especially if it meant endangering his plans. He’s waited centuries to do this whole mustache twirling evil scheme of his. And wouldn’t risk his proverbial ace in the hole, just to play mind games with us... Unless it was a puzzle he thought we could never solve.”
“...What are you saying?”
“Prepare for and always expect the worst, but never close your mind to every possibility.”
“Y’know, that sounds hypocritical.”
“I’m a walking contradiction, but never a hypocrite. There’s a difference.”
“Not really.”
“Just think about it. It’ll make sense one day.”
“I’ll consider it. But the year-long wait list of everyone else’s bullshit I have to put up with is already a mile-long.”
“Thats alright, I can be patient,” Mitchell let out a small chuckle, before his expression turned grim. “But no one else can know the truth. Jeb’s the only other person who knows about Shade’s body snatching fetish. But even he doesn’t need to know everything. At least, not until we gain enough proof and form a decent plan to defeat Shade.”
“And if Anna is Shade?”
“She’s not, even if she is,” Mitchell replied. “They’re two separate souls, entities, or whatever your preferred idiom would be. Where one loves to listen to Taylor Swift songs on repeat, the other prefers the screams of their victims. Unless...”
“...What?” Marley’s face paled.
“You didn’t see Shade lip syncing to ‘Shake It Off’, did you?”
Marley grinned despite herself. “No. Probably would’ve remembered that.”
“That’s a relief. You’ve already been through enough torture for one night. I know of a way we could separate them... it’s tricky and will be time-consuming. But I’ll take care of it.”
“And my dad? Is what Shade said about him true, too? That he’s trapped in between realms?”
“It could be. If it is, don’t worry, we’ll free him.”
Mitchell walked towards the door, as Marley asked him a question that had plagued her thoughts for hours.
“...When you were giving me the whole use your Brick Yard Blues vibes to get off your ass speech,” said Marley, “you were talking from experience, weren’t you?”
“Oh, which failed relationship with a mentor could I have been referring to?” Mitchell shook his head with a sarcastic smirk. “Its such an astounding mystery.”
“The relationship you had with your dad,” Marley replied. “He did some messed up things too, didn’t he?”
“...Nothing important.”
“I saw your eyes glow with magic while we were talking,” said Marley, “and it wasn’t the only time. If negative emotions can cause control issues...”
“...How do you know I wasn’t merely casting a spell to make you believe me?”
“Because you might be an asshole,” said Marley, “no, scratch that, you’re definitely an asshole... but at least you’re upfront about it. And after working with you and Jeb for these past few weeks... it feels... natural. Too natural. Like I’ve known both of you all my life, even if I can’t remember it. ...We knew each other, didn’t we? Before my dad... changed everything?”
Mitchell refused to say a word, instead heaving a great sigh as he leaned his back against the frame of the door, staring at his feet.
“Were we all friends? I know that sounds weird since you’re older than me, but look at all the magical crap we’re dealing with. I mean —”
“I will never lie to you,” Mitchell frowned. “But that doesn’t mean I can always tell you the truth.”
“Yeah,” Marley rolled her eyes, the frustration clear in her voice. “I forgot if you mix an asshole with a living contradiction — all that’s left is an annoying dude with cryptic answers.”
“And that ‘annoying dude’ desperately needs a drink,” Mitchell sighed as he took his leave. “But he also knows... you have great instincts.”
Marley raised an eyebrow as a small smile escaped her lips.
*****
AN HOUR LATER, AS MARLEY laid on a queen-sized bed in one of the largest bedrooms in Watkins Manor, she couldn’t shake the guilt plaguing her mind. I should have known it wasn’t Mom, Marley thought silently. They could have killed us at any moment... if Shade hadn’t wanted to screw around with us first. Shade’s a lunatic, but he’s also a genius. If he really was stuck in Mercynville all these years, it would make sense to study both Marley and Reyna by infiltrating their lives. And he still was.
A soft knock at the bedroom door brought her back to reality.
“Who is it?”
“The OG smartass.”
Marley grinned despite herself.
“Oh, is that so? Come in.”
Jeb opened the door and walked inside, carrying a tray of food.
Marley mocked a frown. “Damn. It’s you. I thought it was Mitchell.”
“Well, if you would rather,” Jeb smirked, “I can always let him be the one to wait on you hand and foot. Be nice to have a break for once.”
“I’ll pass on that,” Marley grinned. “As much fun as it would be to keep drilling the Drill Sargent, why drive him crazy, when I can do that to you?”
“Aren’t you kind?” Jeb yawned.
“What’s the matter?” Marley asked. “Being the Sleepwalker and being one of the Chosen, getting to be too much work for you?”
“In a way,” Jeb smiled as he handed Marley the tray. “Just like when girls say either ‘be’ or ‘being’ too much in one sentence.”
“Oh, really?” Marley replied as she lifted the lid off one plate of food on the tray. Pepperoni, sausage, and mushroom pizza! Her favorite! “Tell me more.”
“Do you really care?” Jeb asked.
“Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” said Marley as she lifted a slice of pizza and took a large bite. “So, don’t go all moody on me.”
“Heh. I’m sorry, it’s just so many people ask, but they don’t actually want to know,” Jeb replied, his expression turning dark. “All they want to hear is that I’m doing great and then go about their day.”
“Sounds like you need to hang out with better people,” said Marley, finishing her slice and starting on another.
“...I don’t really hang out with anyone,” Jeb replied.
“It’s because of your winning personality, isn’t it?” Marley smirked playfully.
“Partially,” Jeb smiled.
“What else has you going down the only road you’ve ever known?” Marley licked the pizza sauce off her fingers.
“Well, it’s definitely not my table manners,” Jeb laughed. “And please don’t quote that White Snakes song again. I had to listen to it every time I visited your dreams.”
“Huh,” said Marley. “I think I’m seeing the reason no one wants to hang out with you. You’re not just a smartass, you’re an asshole.”
“Takes one to know one,” Jeb chuckled.
“Real smooth, Romeo.” Marley raised her eyebrow. “You say that to all the girls you think are cute?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“But you implied it.”
“Haven’t we done this before?”
“Yes, but this time it’s different?”
“How so?”
“This time I have the advantage. Because you think I’m cute.”
“Still didn’t say it. So, give it a rest.”
“Fine,” said Marley thoughtfully. “Can I ask a different question, then?”
“I thought we were talking about what was bothering me? How we’d get this far off track?” Jeb asked, with a grin.
“I’m a master of redirection, didn’t you know?” Marley smiled.
“Nope,” Jeb laughed, “never occurred to me.”
“Well, that’s your fault then, isn’t it?” Marley chuckled.
“Guess so,” Jeb grinned, shaking his head.
“So, you’ll have to suffer through my question as punishment,” said Marley.
“Oh, the horror,” Jeb replied, sarcastically.
“You’ll think so in a minute,” Marley smirked.
“Give it your best shot,” Jeb replied.
“Did you really kiss me in the Underground?”
Jeb’s face flushed a darker tint of red than ever before. “...Yes, I did.”
“So, that confirms it!” Marley smiled in triumph. “I knew it! You do think I’m cute!”
“...How do you feel...?”
“Pretty good at the moment,” Marley laughed, wincing only once. “If the healing potion Mitchell made would work faster, I’d be great.”
“...I meant... about our... the kiss?”
“Oh?” Marley raised her eyebrow. “Well, there’s more to consider than just that.”
“Like what?”
“Like how much you irritate me,” said Marley, counting off on her fingers. “How much of a snob you can be at times. Or how it takes so, and I do mean, so much effort to get you to open up about anything.”
“Fine, I get it.” Jeb turned his face away from Marley.
“Actually, I don’t think you do,” said Marley. “Because... when you let people know the real you...” Marley pulled Jeb’s face gently back towards hers, and kissed him softly. Like when they had kissed before, Marley felt a rush of energy throughout her body that had nothing, but yet everything, to do with magic. In fact, it felt better than anything else she had ever experienced. When their lips finally parted, Marley grinned, “...it’s easy to figure out he’s pretty amazing.”
“So, does this mean...”
“You can ask me out on a date and I might say yes? I don’t know. Try it and we’ll see what happens.”
Marley smiled, gazing deeply into Jeb’s dark blue eyes. She needed this. How his affection thrilled her more than anything else. The way he believed in her. His subtle touch of making her forget about all of her worries. The pure euphoria his presence gave her. She could be herself around him. Jeb didn’t expect or need her to be strong every second of every day, but never became intimidated when she was. How he knew her in ways no one else did and probably never would. The strange familiarity her skin felt when it touched his, as if her body remembered things she couldn’t. She needed Jeb. It was that simple.
*****
REYNA LAUGHED, SHAKING her head. She and Armie were walking through the large, second-floor corridor of Watkins Manor.
“Can you believe we’re already trending on Reflect?” She asked. “Which is a pretty lame handle for a social media site, if you ask me. But it’s only been four hours and almost all of Mirrorville is calling us the Chosen. Whatever that is.”
“Well, you, Marley, and Jeb each have a God Relic,” Armie shrugged, “so it’s not that hard to believe. You guys kicked ass today.”
“We did, didn’t we?” asked Reyna thoughtfully. “Though I wouldn’t have had the chance to do it if you hadn’t saved my life earlier. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“You’re welcome,” Armie smiled.
She smiled back with a blush, noticing for the first time in years just how having him around made her light up inside. All the times Armie and her would get into trouble along with...
*****
“WE REALLY SHOULDN’T be drinking...”
“Oh, relax, Armie! It’s the last party of the year. We kicked our final exam’s ass!”
“But we still have to drive home and it’s too late to call an —!”
“Are you two already having a lover’s spat?”
“Oh, shut up, Natalie! Armie and I are just friends.”
“Yeah... friends! Just friends!”
“Could’ve fooled me...”
*****
“REYNA — WATCH OUT!”
A thundering crash... glass piercing their bodies... the sensation of blood dripping down her face... her body mangled in the wreckage...
*****
“...GOD!” REYNA SIGHED. “What’s wrong with me? We just fought demons from hell over a mound of dead bodies! Innocent people who didn’t deserve it. My baby sister had a meltdown, and I’m the only one who ever used to freak like that — but I couldn’t — because she was — and — especially all of them... just mutilated and thrown away like a mound of garbage!”
“You don’t need to copy something out of the Marley handbook,” said Armie, his voice soothing. “Everyone deals with stuff like this in their own way.”
“...I wasn’t trying to be just like Marley,” Reyna nearly shuddered. “I was trying to be like me... the other me.”
“...Oh.”
“She could do Marley better than the real Marley,” said Reyna with a mirthless laugh, “including how tough and selfless she was. Everything great about her was Marley times ten... everything I wanted to be... reminding me how much I envied Marley. Mirror-Reyna was pretty close to perfect, and it wasn’t even really me. Just some fake, cursed version of myself that should never have happened. Because I know she could forget that night — but I can’t!”
“I never could forget about it, either.” Armie frowned, looking down at his feet. “I wanted to die myself, after seeing it all over again today... and having to hide the fact I was even feeling like that at all, made it...”
“Worse?”
“...Yeah,” said Armie, “pretty much. With everything we’ve been through, it’s enough to drive anyone crazy. A lot of terrifying crap happened, but today we took the first step in fixing that. And we need to keep it going... by being honest with Marley and the others about what we saw the night of the storm. We can’t keep lying. What if Shade had something to do with —?”
“No!” said Reyna, firmly. “Today proved that my mother was right... Marley can never know the truth about the night my dad went missing in Mercynville.”
“But what if it had something to do with why he had to leave and come back here?” asked Armie in a whisper. “I mean, you heard everything Marley and Mitchell said about this Shade guy... what went down between him and your dad... if we at least told Mitchell... even if it just gave him an idea of where your dad is...”
“We can’t,” Reyna whispered firmly. “If today nearly broke Marley... than this would destroy her. Promise me — you won’t tell anyone about it!”
“Reyna...”
“Please, Armie...?”
Armie gave a tremendous sigh and nodded. “Alright.”
“Thank you,” Reyna replied. “I’ll find another way to stop that bastard, even if it kills me. He’ll pay for what he did. For all of it.”
“I know.”
“...What?”
“I know we’re going to avenge every single Dweller that died and we’ll prove who covered it up. ...We won’t let history repeat itself.”
“How can you be sure?” Reyna asked.
“Because it’s you,” said Armie. “I’ve known you my whole life and if anyone can save a world corrupted by dark magic — it’s Reyna Freaking Timmons.”
“You really mean that... don’t you?” Reyna stared at him thoughtfully.
“Well, yeah,” said Armie, his cheeks flushing red. “...Sorry, I didn’t mean to go all Mirror-Armie on you. I know how you feel about him.”
Reyna let out a small, anxious giggle.
“Well, maybe it, uh, is better to laugh than cry after all,” Armie grinned.
They both awkwardly stared at each other for a few seconds, neither knowing quite what to say.
“Well, uh, I’d better get going,” said Armie sheepishly. “My uncle will freak if I don’t get home by curfew. He’s already called me fifteen times since he saw the fight online.”
“Are you sure it’s really him and not...”
“A demon?” Armie raised his eyebrow and chuckled. “Nah. I’m pretty sure it’s him. If not, you’ll be the first one I call.”
Armie turned to walk away as Reyna hesitantly called out for him.
“Armie, wait!”
Armie turned around curiously. “Yeah?”
“Do you mean it?”
Armie blinked in shock. “What?”
Reyna took a deep breath. “Was it just Mirror-Armie talking at SkyFly practice earlier? And even now? Or have you always felt that way... even back home? Because, you’re right, I don’t like Mirror-Armie... he isn’t real. Just like Mirror-Reyna isn’t. So, I need to know who and what they’re feeling about the actual me is.”
“...I’ve felt that way since we were twelve,” he replied, his expression reminded Reyna of a wounded puppy. “When we went to the beach with our parents. We were goofing off by the shore and that asshat Harry came over to dump a gallon of seaweed on your head. You were crying up a storm and I couldn’t stand to see you so upset.”
“And you marched up to Harry and punched him in the face,” Reyna grinned. “I remember that. I also remember him beating the crap out of you afterwards.”
“Until you stepped in,” Armie smiled. “He looked worse than I did by the time your mom pried you off him.”
“Well, I couldn’t let him think he could mess with us, could I?”
“No,” Armie chuckled happily. “It’s just during that moment, I remember thinking — ‘What a woman One day, she’s going to be my girlfriend!’”
“Didn’t really work out that way,” Reyna sighed.
“Especially after...” Armie sighed too.
A shiver ran down Reyna’s spine. Just hearing Armie recall the worst year of her life, even in passing, disturbed her more than she wanted to admit.
“That... car wreck changed everything for me,” she replied, with a notable catch in her throat. “I feel like all the stuff I’ve done since then was just trying to move past who I was... what it caused to happen next... what I caused.”
“Natalie wasn’t your fault,” said Armie. “We were all three drunk that night.”
“It wasn’t you who was behind the driver’s seat, though, was it?” Reyna said quietly. “You were the one who kept saying we shouldn’t do it. But I insisted and look at what happened. Natalie died, then what we did on the night of the storm... my dad... and I got put through years of therapy that really accomplished nothing, while trying to win every single award or honor I could to make it up to my mom. Because she was the one who covered all of it up. Marley doesn’t even know the full story. That’s why... I couldn’t see you anymore after... why I acted like I never...”
“Knew I existed?” Armie said quietly. “I figured.”
“But you never stopped... loving me?” Reyna said, a slight catch in her throat.
“No,” said Armie. “If it’s one thing I’ve learned in both realities is that it’s almost impossible to fall out of love with someone.”
Reyna’s eyes widened as she ran to him, kissing his lips passionately.
Armie froze in shock for a brief second, before returning the kiss with a fire all his own. Reyna rubbed her hands on his chest, soon pulling his shirt off. She backed up to her new bedroom door, opening it without even looking. Armie pulled away, breathless.
“What’s wrong?” Reyna asked.
“It’s just — are you sure?”
“Haven’t we wasted enough time?” Reyna grinned.
Armie smiled sweetly.
“Good,” Reyna replied with another kiss. “Lets... get reacquainted.”
She pulled Armie inside the bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.
*****
MITCHELL POURED HIMSELF a glass of brandy, shaking the ice inside it as he did. He took a small sip, savoring the taste on his lips, before laying glass down and removing his tattered shirt. His hands were completely raw, as blood seeped from the various ripped scales. The glamour potion, as usual, only lasted so long. It was difficult not to scream as he bent his fingers, but the alcohol made the pain somewhat tolerable. He’d used magic one time too many during the battle, and the physical toll it took on his body was finally showing. He gave a heavy sigh as he staggered towards the potion cabinet above the bookcase. The one his parents had paid for with blood money.
“God... I hate... being back here...”
*****
JEB SMILED, HIS ARM gently wrapped around the fast asleep Marley. The first person he’d ever known, who truly was a good person. Something Jeb had always thought to be a mere fantasy. A girl who was beautiful inside and out. Seeing her endure the torture Anastasia’s visions had prophesied, nearly destroyed him. Leaving a feeling of pure dread. What would be the next vision to become a reality? Who would be the next person to suffer?
The only condolence was Marley survived it all. Ever since he started watching over her dreams he could tell who she really was — someone who was never afraid to call others out when they were wrong and oppose them, no matter the cost... including him.
So far, Marley had barely witnessed who he used to be. If she ever discovered what all he allowed to happen after Patterson disappeared, just to keep his title... the real reason he caused the explosion that trapped the deceased spirit of Morrison Fry in dimensional limbo... Which was partly why her kiss, her touch, felt like a dream itself... he knew his past would force her to wake up and realize the truth. He didn’t deserve someone like her.
A small blue flare erupted from his phone on the nightstand.
“Shit,” Jeb muttered quietly.
*****
“I DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT this — I swear!”
“This happened because of you!”
“Mr. Wallace — I —!”
“The Sleepwalker burned Erica! Your master assaulted my daughter!”
“I never thought he would go this far!”
“Since when have the Watkins ever given a damn about anyone other than themselves, Mitchell? Why should you be any different?”
*****
“MITCHELL?”
“...Jeb? I thought I told you never to bother me in the study,” Mitchell groaned.
“Sorry to interrupt your happy hour,” Jeb frowned. “But the King summoned us. If we don’t show up at his ‘Throne Room’ right now...”
“Let me guess, he’ll send the entire Shard to swarm the manor?” Mitchell sighed.
“What do... what’s that on your arm?”
Mitchell quickly glanced down. At first he wasn’t sure what Jeb was referring to. His hands were already somewhat healed, but then —
“You know what a Shard Mark is.” Mitchell rose from his recliner and stretched sleepily.
“A curse magically seared into the arm of a Wizard who must never reveal another’s secret,” Jeb looked horror-struck. “Barely anyone in history has survived the ritual. Is that why your hands are —?”
“Careful there, Jeb,” Mitchell glared as he teleported a fresh shirt over his chest, “you almost sound as if you give a damn. And we both know just how impossible that is. Come on, I can’t wait to see why the royal prick himself wants to meet at three o’clock in the freaking morning.”