Chapter Twenty

Her tear-stained face looks over her shoulder. Fear is etched on every inch of her body. She only makes it a few more steps before her eyes dart back again to make sure she isn’t being followed. A sound from somewhere nearby sends her heart into overdrive and her feet scurrying away. She is breathless and terrified by the time she reaches a nondescript door. Her pale, trembling hand reaches up and raps on the weathered wood.

When she hears no sound of movement from inside, she knocks harder. Panic is forming in her eyes. Again, she knocks even louder. Her eyes flit from the door to the street a dozen times in a matter of a second. Her fist rises again, but the sound of a bolt being slid away makes her gasp and pause. She stumbles back a step. Her wide eyes latch onto the door. Her hands tighten on each other as she holds them under her chin in fear.

Finally, the door cracks open. A weary looking woman pokes her head out. Surprise blossoms on her face at the sight of the pale girl quivering on her doorstep. “Sibeal?” she whispers. “What are you doing here?”

“I need your help. I have to stop her. I have to make her pay for what she’s done.” Tears stream down Sibeal’s cheeks. Her hands come up to press against her face, as if they will stop the downpour.

“Does anyone know you’re here?” the woman asks.

Sibeal shakes her head. “No, I had to sneak out so no one would know.”

“And no one followed you?” the woman pressures.

“No. I made sure of it.”

The woman’s eyes dart around the street. A moment, later, she ushers Sibeal into the house and locks the door behind them. Once they are safely inside, she whirls on Sibeal angrily. “It isn’t safe for you to come here!”

“I know,” Sibeal cries, “but you have to help me, please! I can’t stand by and watch her ruin my life, steal everything I love. She has to be stopped. Please, you have to help me.”

Sibeal’s pleas soften the woman’s stance. “What has Darcy done this time?”

“She took Colin from me.” Sibeal tries to maintain some semblance of control, but her chin starts to tremble, and soon, the rest of her body follows suit. She collapses into a nearby chair and sobs uncontrollably.

The last of the woman’s hostility falls away. She walks over to Sibeal and holds her gently. Her patience doesn’t waver as Sibeal cries. Only when her tears have dried does the woman push her back and force her to meet her eyes.

“What have you come here to ask of me?” the woman questions.

Sibeal swallows and firms her posture. “I want Darcy out of my life, for good. I have tried to love her and help her, but all she does is hurt me. She is determined to take everything. She’s already taken Colin. I know my power will be next. She can’t hold both of our power. No one would be able to control her then.”

The woman nods thoughtfully. “What are you willing to give up to see this done?”

“What do you mean?” Sibeal asks.

“I know of a way to stop Darcy and lock her power away, but you know that the power she possesses is a part of you also. I cannot lock away one half without the other.” The woman turns to meet Sibeal’s eyes and finds her pale and trembling.

The fear her words have inspired show clearly in Sibeal’s eyes, yet her head nods slowly. “I’ll give up my power if it means Darcy won’t be able to hurt me or anyone else again.”

“That is very brave of you, Sibeal, but it is not so simple.” The woman watches Sibeal carefully as she moves in a slow circle around her. “I can give you what you need, but it will not be permanent unless you make it so.”

“How long will it last?” Sibeal asks. The panic is returning quickly.

The woman’s eyes narrow. “You will have one year to either make it permanent or prepare to face Darcy again.”

Sibeal’s eyes double in size at the thought of having to face her sister after being the one to imprison her. “How do I make it permanent?”

“That, my dear, is something only you can determine.”

“What?” Sibeal shrieks.

The woman nods slowly. “I can tell you no more than that.” She pierces Sibeal with her gaze. “Do you want what I am offering?”

There is a moment of hesitation before Sibeal stands. Every ounce of strength she has is poured into her answer. “Yes.”

“Very well,” the woman says. She walks past Sibeal to another room, and when she returns, she is carrying a small wooden box. “I prepared this for you, knowing you would one day come to me and ask for my help.”

Sibeal approaches the woman cautiously. When they are face to face, the woman opens the lid of the box and tips it just enough that Sibeal can see its contents. The plain gray stone could have been picked up anywhere, but the delicate symbol etched deep into it was not forged by tools, but by power. Sibeal feels the energy within resonating from its depths. Her hands reach out for the box, closing the lid and slipping it inside her jacket.

Not another word is exchanged between Sibeal and the woman. They part ways, the woman back to her bed and Sibeal out the front door on a mission to derail fate and take her future into her own hands.

***

The sound of Bas’s voice breaks through the haze of my dream. The words are meaningless to my ears. It is the sound that comforts me. My grip tightens, my body nestling closer.

“Arra,” Bas says sharply, “Tanner is about to die.”

That snaps my eyes open. I look up at Bas in a panic. “What?”

“In the game,” he says, gesturing at the TV.

I glance toward Tanner and breathe as I sort out my confusion. “Why did you have to wake me up?”

For some reason, Bas blushes. It’s faint, but not faint enough to escape my notice. I’m not sure for the reason until he glances down at my arm draped around his middle. “Sorry,” he says, “I should have pushed you off, but ….”

Now I’m the one blushing. I sit up quickly and glance nervously around the room. Luckily, everyone seems to be more interested in the game than me. “It’s okay. Sorry for laying all over you.” I brush my tangled hair out of my face. “You could have moved me. I would’ve understood.”

“I know,” Bas says low enough that only I can hear him.

When I look over at him, not sure I heard him right, he looks away guiltily. He turns back a moment later, though, his expression bare and vulnerable. It’s not the kind of look I usually see on his face, and it leaves me breathless.

The weight of another body flopping onto the couch bounces me forward and almost pitches me into the coffee table. My head swings over to Tanner, who is wallowing in his defeat.

“I was so close!” he grumbles.

Bas chuckles, but it seems strained. “Three wins in a row, you had a good run. The skills of a twelve year old were just too much to handle.”

Curious, I look back toward the TV and see Bas’s little brother, Charlie, parked in front with his eyes glued to the screen. I can’t help laughing. “Charlie beat you?”

“Thanks, rub it in,” Tanner whines. “Were you even watching? I almost had him.”

“Oh, sure. Of course I was watching.”

Tanner’s eyes narrow at me playfully. “You fell asleep, didn’t you?”

“Sorry.”

Given how little I usually get into video games, Tanner just laughs. I get passed by then as Tanner leans forward to argue with Bas about the reason for his ultimate failure. I check out of the conversation entirely at that point, my mind going back to the dream. I want to tell them both about what I saw, but this isn’t the time or place.

I take advantage of the fact that I seem to have become invisible and try to figure out what I really saw happening. As I consider the events I witnessed, I begin to realize that this dream changes everything. The more I think about it, the colder the room seems to get.

Darcy, from what I can tell, is one sick chick. I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but there is definitely something that isn’t right. What I saw tonight, though, showed Sibeal as the one to seek out something dangerous. I have no idea what the rock was for, or what it was meant to do, but it wasn’t good. It was going to hurt Darcy in some way.

It’s hard to feel too bad for Darcy after what she did to Sibeal, but I’m beginning to think that Sibeal really is the one being punished, not Darcy. I still have no idea what happened to Darcy. The woman said it would lock her away, but it would only be temporary. Sibeal had to find a way to make it permanent. Did that mean killing Darcy?

Even as horrible as Darcy is, I can’t stand by and let Sibeal kill her. I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do now. Will saving Sibeal save my life, or am I supposed to be protecting Darcy?

“Hey, what time is it?” Tanner asks. “I told Arra’s dad I’d have her back by midnight and I do not want to be late.”

“It’s eleven-forty-five,” Bas says. “Before you go, though, my dad wanted to talk to you about your fence.” Bas shrugs. “He said your mom asked him if he could fix part of it, but she was a little sketchy on the details.”

“That’s because my mom doesn’t know the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver.” Tanner rolls his eyes. He pats my knee and says, “I’ll be right back. Promise.”

I watch as he dashes away from the living room in search of Bas’s dad. The couch is very comfortable, but I suppose I should get up and get ready to go so I’m not late getting home. If Tanner doesn’t hurry, I’ll have to head back without him. I’m not likely to get a pass on breaking curfew tonight.

As I push off the couch and stand, Bas comes with me. We walk to the door and Bas opens it for me, but before stepping out, he turns to one of our classmates standing next to him. “Tell Tanner Arra’s on the porch waiting for him when he comes back, okay?”

He doesn’t wait for a response because he knows his request will be granted. The door is pulled shut behind him as he steps out onto the porch with me. Thoughts of how safe and comfortable I felt waking up next to him creep into my mind. I panic, trying to push them out by talking.

“So, you and Tanner seemed to be doing better tonight,” I say, “once the video games got involved, anyway.”

Bas shrugs. “Yeah, but I don’t know how long it will last.”

“Why wouldn’t it last?” I ask, half afraid to hear the answer.

“Are you doing okay?” he asks. It’s a total dodge, but for my own sake I let him get away with it.

I shrug and wrap my arms around myself. “I’m fine, just confused I guess.”

“Confused?” Bas asks, suddenly only a foot away from me. “About what?”

With him this close to me, about a lot of things. The scent of his aftershave invades my personal space. It’s hard not to breathe it in and relish the scent. It’s something I could recognize instantly, just like the sound of Bas’s voice. I try to stop myself from looking up at him, but my will isn’t strong enough. Our eyes meet and my mind goes completely blank.

“Something is bothering you,” Bas says softly. “What is it?”

My lips part, but I can’t seem to form any words.

“Is it something I did?”

I shake my head slowly. I blink, unsure about my answer now. Was it something Bas did? Was it his arm around my shoulders? Was it how he made me feel? What about the fact that he admitted he could have pushed me aside so as not to risk hurting Tanner, but chose not to? Is it Bas’s fault that I can’t seem to think properly?

I want to blame it on him, but I know I’m as much of the problem as he is. “Bas …”

His eyes widen slightly as he takes a step closer. I would barely have to move at all to touch him, to feel the peace he brings me. My fingers twitch.

The crack of the door pulling away from the frame sends a shot of panic straight through me. Bas and I both jump back and turn away from each other looking flustered and guilt-ridden. I don’t know what just happened, or what almost happened, but my head is spinning. I can hear Tanner’s first few steps, quick and eager, but they slow to something more cautious and on edge.

“What’s going on?” he barks.

His voice draws me back, and as I turn around I can see the jumble of emotions running through Bas’s mind. Feeling guilty and responsible, I face Tanner and scramble to get out of this without hurting Bas.

“I had another dream,” I blurt out. “I wanted to tell you both about it on the way home.”

Tanner looks both relieved and concerned at this news. Bas just looks shocked.

“Well,” Tanner says, “we better get going or we’re going to be late.”

The three of us hurry down the street, Bas and Tanner listening attentively as I talk. The details pour out just as I remember them. The dream was really quite brief, so it doesn’t take me long. The questions the dream sprouts will take much longer to answer.

When we reach my front door, I open it quickly and poke my head in to see my dad sitting on the couch just as I expected. He looks up from his laptop and smiles. “You made it,” he says. “I was beginning to worry.”

“I’m here, but do you mind if I stay on the porch for just a few minutes. I was talking with Bas and Tanner about some plans for tomorrow.”

“Bas is out there, too?” my dad asks.

Bas must have heard him, because he steps over to the door and gives a quick wave. “Hey, Dr. Malo.”

My dad waves back, obviously pleased it isn’t just Tanner out here with me. He turns back to me and says, “Just a few minutes, okay?”

“Thanks, Dad.”

I pull the door closed and walk over to the railing furthest from the door. My two shadows follow. Tanner is the first to speak.

“So, Sibeal started the curse, or whatever it is?”

“Looks that way.”

Bas shakes his head. “Wow, that seems so unlike her.”

“Her sister tricked her boyfriend into sleeping with her. That’ll do things to a girl,” I say. My fingers rub my temples. Between Sibeal’s guy problems and mine, my head is about to explode.

“Yeah,” Bas says, “I suppose it would.”

Tanner leans against the railing. “I’m confused. You said the banishing, or whatever, would only last a year. Sibeal had to figure out how to make it permanent if she wanted to keep Darcy locked up. Are we supposed to help Sibeal keep her sister locked up or stop her?”

The throbbing in my head is getting worse. “I have no idea. They both sound pretty bad.”

“What about the stone?” Bas asks. “Do you remember what it looked like?”

With this headache? Not a chance. “I don’t know, maybe. I can try to sketch it out in the morning,” I say. “There wasn’t anything special about the actual rock. It looked like something from my backyard. There was this symbol on the top of it, though.”

Bas curses, surprising me enough to look up. I’ve never actually heard him swear before. He must have recognized something, and I doubt it was good. “What? Do you know what it is?”

“I think it’s a curse stone.” Bas’s hands tighten around the railing. “Without knowing what the symbol looks like, there’s no telling what it does. Even with the symbol, I doubt I’d be able to guess. But maybe someone in my family would know. They all believe in this stuff like it’s as common as potatoes.”

“I’ll try to draw it,” I say. I just hope I can remember it well enough to be helpful. The woman only opened the box for a few seconds.

“Don’t worry about it tonight,” Bas says. “Just try to get some sleep for now.”

Tanner nods in agreement. “We’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure. I’ll call you guys in the morning. I better get inside before my dad comes out.”

“Good call,” Tanner says.

He looks anxious to leave suddenly. Not too eager to leave without a hug, though. I half expect him to kiss me as well, but he opts for a quick peck on the cheek before stepping back. I’m not sure whether to be glad that he’s giving me space, or wonder why he doesn’t try anything more. I don’t have long to think about it because Bas distracts me when he steps toward me, closer than he should. I’m surprised he would do something so forward in front of Tanner, but the movement is only cover for something even bolder.

“Can I call you later?” he whispers quickly before pulling back.

No. My answer should be no. I give a quick nod before turning and stepping toward my front door. After taking a deep breath, I turn back around and tell them both goodnight. Tanner’s expression is rigid, but Bas claps him on the shoulder and pushes him toward the sidewalk before he can say anything. I flinch, hurrying inside as guilt squeezes my chest. As I drag myself into my room to get ready for bed, I am a confused mess.