Curse of Shadows and Light (2 page)

I chuckle at Corrine’s amusement and give Kieron a pleading glance. “Help us, Obi-Wan Kenobi… You’re our only hope.”

Kieron makes a face at us. “Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. Wonder why our hostess didn’t put us on the list?” He glances down at the paper and makes another left turn.

“
Hopefully it was just a misunderstanding. Maybe she thinks we’re coming tomorrow, not tonight. Or maybe Tattie just didn’t have a chance to call her yet.”

Still, I can’t help but feel uneasy about this whole situation.

“
Okay, this is it,” Kieron says a few minutes later as the car comes to a stop at the end of the street. He isn’t smiling. “Don’t exactly see myself Jedi mind-tricking our way through
that
.”

The narrow drive is blocked by a high, black gate, and a fence that seems to go on forever. There are no handles, no call box, no guard, no nothing.

“
What do we do now?” Corrine whispers.

We sit there in silence for several long moments, while Corrine fidgets nervously in the back seat. I can feel Kieron silently questioning me as he glances around us, but I don’t say anything. I just sit there, perfectly still.

She is watching us.

I felt her eyes on us from the moment we pulled up to the guard shack. She is watching, and feeling. And I’m pretty sure she can even hear us right now. If I’ve learned anything from being raised by Tatiana it is never to underestimate the extraordinary, and often unexpected, powers of a witch.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. “
Please… we come in peace and we mean you no harm. We are your friends… your family. We’ve come a long way and you are the only one who can help us. We need your protection. Please, please let us in
,” I silently beg. “
You know we’re not evil. I know you can feel our intentions… our humanity
…”

“
Look!” Corrine gasps. “The gates are opening!”

I open my eyes and see that indeed the mammoth iron bars have slowly begun to part. When there is enough space, Kieron eases the car through. At first it seems almost like driving through a golf course, with gentle hills of perfectly manicured grass as far as the eye can see. The winding driveway is lined with more palm trees and cherry bushes, and after another few moments a majestic, brightly-lit mansion rises into view, set against the cerulean backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.

This time I’m the one gasping. It’s a breathtaking sight, and I’m having a hard time imagining someone related to Tatiana living in such unbridled luxury. I guess deep down I’d been hoping her sister would be exactly like her. But so far she couldn’t be more different.

“
Wow,” Kieron mutters. “What are we in for?”

As we continue our slow descent down the long driveway, a voice in my head whispers, “
Tread lightly. Or I will end you
.”

I suck in my breath. I don’t hear the words so much as I
feel
them, and the power behind them. I know that whatever we’re about to face is very formidable… maybe more so even than my dear guardian.

“
Holy cannoli, are you kidding me?” Corrine squeaks. “Who lives like this? I mean, this isn’t even a mansion. This is like a castle!”

I don’t answer her. Truth is, I have no idea
who
this woman is.

And I’m suddenly terrified.

Chapter 2. Liora

We pull around the circular driveway and stop in front of the house. Standing on the front porch is a woman I immediately recognize as Tatiana’s twin sister, only because they have the exact same diminutive build, as if a strong breeze could pick them up and carry them away. But I know all too well how deceptive that frail appearance is, and the warning to ‘tread lightly’ still rings in my head.

“
Is that her?” Corrine whispers, leaning forward again.

I nod with a gulp and turn to her and Kieron. “You two stay here. Let me go first.”

Kieron peeks around me to look at her again. “Are you sure? Maybe I should go with you just in case—”

“
No, you stay here. I’ll be fine.” I give his hand a squeeze and force a small smile. “If she didn’t want us here she wouldn’t have opened the gates.”

He lets out a deep breath and shakes his head slightly, then casts another wary gaze across the grounds. “I dunno. Something feels really off about this place.” I can’t blame him for his concern. This whole area is beyond surreal. Even I can feel its intense mystical energy, and I can only imagine what he’s picking up.

“
It’s Tatiana’s sister. I’ll be fine.” I take a deep breath and try to steady my shaky hand as I open the car door. So much is riding on this woman. If she refuses to help, I truly have no idea what will become of us.

She’s wearing a long white dress, and standing next to an enormous marble statue of a lion that looks like it could turn its head and swallow her whole in one gulp. Her long, silvery-white hair is pulled off to the side and fastened with a lilac flower. She makes no move to greet me as I approach, and remains as still as the statue beside her.

I feel myself staring… she looks
so much
like Tatiana it’s shocking. But at the same time, she looks like her
complete opposite
. Totally blind, Tatiana’s eyes were a solid milky white, and while it was impossible to judge her age, she always had a haunted, wizened countenance.

But the woman standing here has brilliant, unnaturally sparkling turquoise eyes that are almost hypnotizing, and she radiates a youthful energy and vibrancy that is making me seriously question how old Tatiana really is.

I clear my throat and step closer, but not too close. “Hello, Mrs. Havish. I’m Liora…Liora Greyson.” I hold out my hand, but she still doesn’t move, and just looks at me. I gulp, and my stomach clenches even tighter.

“
Tatiana sent me… us.” I turn and motion to the car where Kieron and Corrine are staring at us through the window. “I’m her… um, daughter—”

“
You are not her daughter, you are a
demon bastard
she
found in the forest
one day
,
” she snaps, her face still passive.

I’m taken aback. “Oh. Um. I—well, yes, sort of technically, I suppose. But I’m not really a demon… not now anyways. It’s this whole long story—”

She holds up her hand. “Save it. I’m not interested. Tatiana took you in because of some misguided loyalty and obligation, and she was an utter fool to do so. Demons are dangerous and unpredictable and
cannot
be trusted. I’m not making the same mistake she did.”

Her eyes flash brightly, and suddenly a violent wave of nausea washes over me. I take several deep breaths and put my hands on the lion statue to steady myself.

She shakes her head in exasperation and takes me by the arm. “Here, come with me. There is a bench around the corner you may rest on. I may not want you here, but I don’t want you passing out on my front porch either.”

“
I’m fine, I can stand.” My voice sounds hollow even to me. Another wave of dizziness nearly knocks me over, and she grips me tighter. “Okay. I’ll sit for a minute. But only until I don’t feel like I just flew off a roller coaster.”

Anastasia guides me down a stone path, around the side of the house and toward a rose garden. There a trio of ornately carved marble benches surround a birdbath, and she sits me down on one of them.

“
Do you need something to drink? Some water perhaps?” Her voice is tight, as if she’d really prefer not to have to give me anything.

I shake my head again and focus on the pretty flowers. Anything to stop the world from spinning. “I’m fine. Just tired. We’ve been in the car a long time. It was an exhausting trip.” And one we apparently made for nothing.

She’s quiet for a while, and it’s obvious she doesn’t want me here. I know I should say something… beg, cry, plead for her help. But I can’t bring myself to do it. I feel her disgust, her disdain. I’d rather take my chances with the Light-angels than be at the mercy of someone who thinks I’m such trash.

The dizziness begins to ease, so I stand up. “Sorry we bothered you. It wasn’t our intention.”

Anastasia focuses on me intently. “The other one arrives at sundown, correct?”

“
Lucky? Yeah, she’ll be here soon. Don’t worry, we’ll be gone before she shows. Have a nice evening.” I turn to leave.

“
Wait. Stay a moment more. I want you to tell me why you came. What you want.”

I shrug. “Does it matter? Obviously we don’t belong here. This is like a fantasy world. People like us… me, Lucky, Kieron, even Corrine… we belong in the shadows.”

She narrows her eyes even more. “Is that what you really believe? That you must live in darkness forever?”

I turn back and sit down again. I wasn’t kidding when I told her I was exhausted. Or maybe it’s because when I look at her out of the corner of my eye she looks just like Tattie.

“
It’s a long story. We need help. We need a sanctuary. A powerful, enchanted place that can hide us from Light-angels. And Tatiana also thought that maybe you could help Lucky and me reunify. Somehow magically put us back to how we were before our curse split us.”

Anastasia keeps staring at me, and I squirm under her penetrating gaze. “Look, I’m sorry we bothered you by coming here. It was Tattie’s idea. But I know when I’m not wanted, and Lucky will be here any moment so I really should go before things get worse—”

“
You genuinely cared for Tatiana?” she asks, her voice soft.

I frown. “Well, of course. I love her more than anything. She’s the only mother I’ve ever known, and the one friend I’ve had my whole life. She means everything to me.”

Anastasia nods slowly. Her mouth pulls down at the corners, and her eyes suddenly dim. She looks away and takes a deep breath.

“
So it would sadden you then to learn that she died last night?”

Everything goes eerily quiet. As if time has stopped and the air has frozen.

“
What
?”

She turns back and fixates her hard gaze on me. “Last night. She was attacked and killed by Light-angels who were looking for
you
. I felt everything as it happened to her, as we have a very powerful connection. Or rather we did. It has now been permanently severed, thanks to you!”

My head spins as the dizziness crashes over me.

“
No. No. It’s
not true
… she
can’t
be…!”

“
They tortured her. They hurt her. Her dying act was to protect
you
,” Anastasia says hotly, her eyes blazing now.

“
No! I don’t believe you!” I can’t catch my breath, and my heart is pounding.

“
You got my sister killed! Her blood is on your hands. And now you come here asking for my help? For sanctuary? I should send your body out to the middle of the ocean right now and let the sharks fight over you!”

I grip the edge of the bench, but my arms give out, and I collapse in sobs and tumble to the grass below. “No… no… it can’t be! Please don’t let it be true. Please let Tattie be okay! Please,
no
—”

“
Oh, it’s true. And you will suffer the consequences.”

The familiar fire pricks at my skin, a welcome escape from the agony seizing my chest, stealing my breath and shredding my soul.