Keiron and Isobelle

Isobelle sighed once more; her son was still ignoring her calls. She just wanted to make sure Alex was safe.

Keiron watched his sister pacing, “You are making me dizzy. Sit, help me finish this.”

Begrudgingly, Isobelle sat beside Keiron and held onto the bowl he struggled to manipulate. Keiron dragged the paper into the strange red water and slowly spun it into a vortex.

The black ink seeped out, colouring the water into a green, and as the liquid calmed to a stop, the paper rose to the surface, showing the hidden symbol that Lexi had sent to him.

Keiron flipped open the ‘Death and Beyond’ book. He flicked through, trying to match the symbol on the now drying paper.

Isobelle was distracted by her mind. She and Nick agreed to tell them both together when the time came. She knew both her children would have questions which would be difficult to answer, especially alone.

Another story was how she could get Alex to calm down and come home.

“Here,” Keiron pushed the book to his sister and pointed to the page.

It took her out of her mind and back to reality.

Confused, she gazed at the book and read aloud, “Hecate’s symbol?”

Keiron nodded, “It’s a perfect match… It also means I’ve been looking in the wrong pantheon.”

Isobelle hummed and read further, but the small passage gave no further information other than more details about the Greek goddess of witchcraft.

The mother's eyebrows furrowed; why would someone be trying to cover this? It must have been something of significance for it to be blacked out.

“Do you think Bristlecast has anything to do with this?” she whispered.

Keiron shook his head, “I don’t know, but if Leo’s mother and Bristlecast are the same person, then Leo isn’t in a safe place.”

Isobelle took a deep breath. She had to tell Cynthia and Noel.

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Jack and Victoria

Victoria grumbled on the phone, “He still hasn’t contacted you?”

They were going to Pendle, but their trail had gone cold. Victoria's family had not seen or heard from Cornelius, and the tapped radio was silent.

Jack had a bad feeling. Something was coming.

He had to return to the pack; surely, they were feeling this, too.

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Lexi

I was being squished on all sides, and heat radiated. It was too warm.

Groaning, I opened my eyes to see Seri’s face a few inches from mine. She was sleeping soundly. Behind me, I could hear the grumbling of Quinn trying to stay asleep as I moved onto my back.

I stared at the ceiling, Remembering everything from the night before.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I needed to check on my brother.

‘Would he even pick up my calls? Would he even speak to me? Does he hate me?’

“Mornin’,” Lathen said softly, his face popping into my view.

I gave a small, tired smile back, not wanting to disturb the two sleeping beauties.

Mew?

I felt the pressure on my tummy shifts onto my chest; Sooty’s purr rattled my chest soothingly. I smiled a little more and petted him.

Wait…

“How did he get here?” I asked softly, looking up at Lathen standing over me.

“I got him. I thought you needed another friend,” he replied with a shrug, “Breakfast?”

“Sounds good,” I said softly, still petting the black fluff.

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“Devan?” I asked, leaning against the living room doorframe, “Have you heard anything about Alex?”

After pausing the game on the screen, he turned his head and checked his phone, “Nothing from my brother.”

“Can I try to call him? I left my phone at home…” I asked sheepishly.

“Course! Here…” Devan passed me his phone. Brandt’s number was already pulled up. All I had to do was hit ‘Call’.

Yet why did I feel anxious?

“Hey bro, what’s up?” Brandt’s voice chirped through the speaker.

“Um, Hey, Sorry, Brandt,” I replied awkwardly, “It’s Lexi. Can I speak to Alex?”

“Er, one sec…”

I could hear hushed voices as Brandt spoke to Alex. I worried my lip, anxiously waiting. I felt breathless.

“Hello?”

A big breath escaped my lips at his voice, “Hey Alex…” I moved into the tiny kitchen before continuing, “How are you?”

I heard him laugh coldly, “Kind of a stupid question,” he replied.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, “I just-”

“I am not coming home.”

My eyebrows furrowed at his exclamation, “I wasn’t going-”

“I bet mum put you up to this.”

His bitter attitude took me aback, “Alex,” I cautiously started, “I haven’t spoken to Mum since you left yesterday. I’m at Lathen’s and wanted to check how you were doing.”

“As if you care.”

His words momentarily left me speechless as they cut deep. I took a breath before calmly replying.

“You are still my brother-”

“Half-brother,” he corrected.

“Stop it!” I shouted down the phone, “I am your sister. You are still my little brother, and I still care about you! What the fuck has gotten into you?”

The call abruptly ended; he hung up the phone. It took all my strength not to throw the phone against the wall.

I placed the phone on the table and leaned onto it, biting my cheek and taking deep breaths. Alex’s words got to me; he was taking his anger out of on people.

I felt a hand rub my shoulder, “That didn’t go as planned, huh?” Lathen stated.

I sighed and shook my head in response, “I don’t know what to do.”

“All you can do is wait. Let him come around.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“He will.” Lathen sounded sure and pulled me into a side hug, “We all did after the rites, remember? He will, too.”

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I pulled the blanket closer around me and stared out of the large bay window. Devan, Seri and Quinn left in the morning for school. After the anger this morning, I was in a… meh mood. A mood that was neither good nor bad, just existing.

My mind was quiet for once.

“Here,” Lathen held out a cup filled with green tea.

I gratefully accepted it with a small smile as he sat beside me. I sighed quietly as memories of Leo began to surface.

I miss him.

And the new moon was around the corner…

“Lathen? I need your help.”

“Anything,” he confirmed.

“I need help preparing for the new moon…”

“You’re doing what?” he asked, shocked.

I gazed into the half-empty cup, wincing, “We talked about it. It’s the only way we can break this… Whatever twisted star-crossed lover Shakespearean shit is.”

“The only way?” he doubted.

I sighed, “Even with help, we weren’t close to figuring it out. Whatever this is… it’s old, powerful and tricky.”

Lathen sighed heavily and mumbled, “When the going gets tough…”

“What was that?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Nothing,” he feigned innocents, “I would call it drastic. Are you sure this will work?”

“If we break the bond, we technically break the cycle. There would be no reason for us to seek each other out, but we have no idea. Only the next life will tell…”

Lathen was silent for a few minutes, looking out the same window.

“When you do this. Will you go back to him?” Lathen looked at me, his face stoic.

“…I don’t know… I didn’t think about that… It would be interesting to see if we still have a connection, even if it isn’t a bond.”

I picked at the spraying fibres of the blanket, “That’s if he comes back… I’m sure he will be happy with Maddie…” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat.

“So, will you help me?” I asked.

“Of course, but you’re crazy,” he stated. It made me giggle lightly.

Buzz buzz.

Lathen's phone rang to life, and he swiftly picked it up, “Yo.”

I could hear a commotion in the phone's background; Lathen had to hold his ear away slightly.

“Grab Lexi and get here now.” Devan's voice rang clear, shouting down the phone.

“What’s going on?” Lathen asked, concerned.

“It’s Alex…”