Enchanted Secrets (14 page)

“Mark?” I whispered in horror. “Mark is our brother?”

She smirked. “He’s your
half
-brother, but only in blood.” She smiled and lowered her voice. “He hates you both as much as I hate Adrianne.”

Before I could respond, she clutched the
spell book against her chest and disappeared with the only means we had to save our mother.

“What are we going to do?” cried Kala.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, horrified. “She has the book, obviously. I just don’t know.”

She grabbed my arm. “Let’s go find Rebecca.”

“Okay,” I said, bending down into the trunk again. “Let’s take mom’s wand with us. It might be of some help.”

“
Good idea…oh, my God, what’s happening?” gasped Kala, as the wand began to radiate in my hand.

“I don’t know, but my fingers feel
funny,” I said, staring at my hand, which was beginning to glow and tingle.

“Maybe you should put th
at wand down.”

“No,”
replied woman’s voice.

It was coming from the wand!

Kala and I stared at each other in shock.

“Don’t be afraid, dear,” said the wand. “
It’s just part of the bonding process.”

“Bonding process?” I squeaked.

“Yes,” answered the wand, sounding amused. “I have to make sure we are compatible.”

“Uh, what would happen if we weren’t?”

“If you tried casting a spell and we weren’t compatible, one of us would more than likely… perish.”

“What?” I gasped
, wanting to get rid of it.

“Don’t let go
of me, dear! You’ve passed the test and we are indeed compatible.”

I breathed a sigh of relief
as my hand stopped glowing and the tingling receded. “Wow, you frightened me there for a minute.”

“Are all wands like you?” asked Kala.

“No. It just so happens that I was manifested in 1956 by Isadora Jenkins, a very powerful sorceress.”

“Was she a good witch or a bad witch?” I asked.

“She didn’t consider herself evil, but she did indeed practice the art of Black magic. Her sister, Fedora, on the other hand, practiced only White, and I was created as a gift for her.”

“
Oh… so, you are a supposed to be used for White magic only?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“If I dabbled in Black magic, we wouldn’t be compatible, then?”

The wand hesitated and then spoke again. “It’s a bit more complicated than that. I am
only compatible with those who would not use magic specifically for their own personal gain. Some witches who practice White magic are still… not so pure of heart.”

“Oh.”

Kala smiled. “That must mean you’re pure of heart.”

“I didn’t feel so pure yesterday when I was getting teased at school,” I said. “If I would have had a wand and a chance to get rid of Mark or Hailey Bates, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it.”

“May I say something?” asked the wand.

“
Uh, certainly,” I said.

“Don’t confuse
your temporary emotions, like humiliation or sadness, with hate, greed, or malevolence. Even those pure of heart fall victim to the emotions caused by others. Obviously, you are not capable of intentionally hurting others for personal gain. If you were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

I didn’t miss the meaning behind those words. If I was more like my aunt, I’d be dead.

“That’s it!” I cried. “We have to find Rebecca!”

“What
?” asked Kala.

“I know how to stop her,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest as
I raced out of the attic and flew downstairs.

“Seriously?”
asked Kala, following me.

“
Yes, I just hope it works. Rebecca!”

Just then,
Rebecca materialized, her face stricken with grief.

“What…
what’s happened? Where’s Tyler?” I asked, afraid of her answer.

“I don’t know. I can’t find him anywhere,” she answered, tears in her eyes. “I think Vivian might have done something to him.”

My stomach clenched.

Not Tyler, too!

“Vivian was just
here,” said Kala. “She has the spell book.”

“We have to find her,” said Rebecca. “Before she
hurts Tyler and your mother…” She closed her eyes. “Before things get worse.”

“Do you know where she’d be?” I asked.

She waved her wand and her purse appeared, floating next to her waist. “I have something that might lead us to her,” she said, opening it up.

“What, a magical crystal ball?” asked Kala, looking hopeful.

She shook her head and pulled out a book. “No,” she said, showing us the cover. “Your school’s address book.”

I snorted. “What?”

“When I registered Tyler for school during the summer, they gave me one.”

Kala’s eyes widened.
“Do you really seriously think Vivian would list theirs when she registered Mark last year?”

“That’s what I’m hoping,” she said, looking through the pages.
“It’s a longshot, but I don’t know what else to do.”

“I know how to stop Vivian,” I said.

Rebecca looked at me in surprise. “What do you mean? How?”

I held up my mother’s wand.
“Do you know about this wand?”

“
I know it’s your mom’s,” she said. “And that it’s a very dangerous wand, one that you don’t want to mess around with.”

“Well, Kendra
has bonded with the wand,” blurted my sister. “Or it bonded with her, whatever the case may be.”

“You have to be very careful with that thing,” warned Rebecca. “Your mother told me years ago that she didn’t even feel comfortable handling it. That
’s why she used a different one most of the time.”

Kala’s eyes widened. “Why? She was pure of heart, obviously.”

“So, you know about that?” smiled Rebecca.

“The wand told us,” I said.

She stared at the wand in amusement. “Ah… interesting. Your mother was never able to make it talk.”

“Another finicky wand?” I asked, thinking of Clarice’s.

She nodded. “I guess. Anyway, what did it say to you?”

I
relayed my conversation with the wand and Rebecca’s eyes lit up. “I’m not even sure if Adrianne was aware of how dangerous the wand could be to a malevolent witch. You know, this might just work.”

“What?” asked Ka
la.

I turned to my sister, who obviously hadn’t gotten it yet. “If we can get
Vivian to use the wand, it just might destroy her.”

“
Might
destroy her,” said Rebecca. “She’s already so powerful that the chances are pretty slim.”

“
Well, I say we go for it anyway,” I said. “I mean, she has the spell book and you’ve pretty much stated that you can’t stop her yourself. Kala and I are new to all of this and don’t know the first thing about witchcraft. What other choice do we have?”

“Right now, none,” agreed Rebecca.

“Did you hear that?” whispered Kala. “I think someone’s outside.”

“Don’t worry, I think I know who this is,” said
Rebecca as she walked over to the front door opened it. Standing on the other side was Trixie and a guy whose features were similar. Both of them had a soft glow about them that could only be described as… mystical.

“
Trixie and Bailey,” beamed Rebecca, stepping back. “Come in, please.”

“We’ve come to help,” said Trixie, who looked just as breathtaking and ethereal as
earlier.

Rebecca’s eyes lit up.
“Do you know where Vivian has taken Tyler? Did you see anything?”

“
I did,” replied Bailey. He was tall, with broad shoulders and longish blond hair. “I followed them. Vivian cast a spell on Tyler and he was knocked unconscious. I believe he’s still alive, though.”

Rebecca put her hand on her chest and
sighed in relief. “Oh, thank God, I was so worried.”

“We’ll find them,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry
, Rebecca.”

“With Vivian,
it’s hard not to,” she said.

He nodded and turned toward us. “Y
ou must be Adrianne’s daughters?”

“Oh,
God, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce you,” said Trixie, raising her hand. “This is my brother, Bailey.”

“Hi,” I said shyly.
I had to admit, he
was
gorgeous, with his silvery blue eyes and perfectly sculpted features, but truthfully, all I could think about was Tyler and my mother. “I’m Kendra.”

We shook hands and then he turned to Kala
whose own eyes were glazed over with adoration.

“You are
clearly Kendra’s sister,” he said, smiling in amusement. Obviously, being fawned over was nothing new to him.

“Yes, I’m Kala,” she answered, her cheeks turning pink.
“So… um, are you a witch or some kind of warlock?”

“No. I’m a
Shape-shifter,” he answered, puffing his chest out a little.

“Oh, how…
wonderful,” she gushed, fluttering her eyelashes. “That must be so exciting.”

He crossed his arms under his chest and nodded.
“Well, yes, it certainly has its moments.”

I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

“We don’t have much time,” interrupted Rebecca. “We need to find Tyler and stop the curse. Lead the way, Bailey.”

He dropped his arms. “We’ll need to teleport. They’re in New York.”

I raised my eyebrows. “New York?”

“
Well, to tell you the truth… it makes perfect sense,” said Rebecca. “With her interest in the theater and her music. I guess I should have figured that out before.”

“Don’t be
so hard on yourself, Rebecca. She covers her tracks well,” said Trixie. “It wasn’t easy to follow either of them. It took Bailey a while before he actually found her real home in New York.”

“So, they don’t
even live in Bayport?” I asked.

“
They don’t have to,” said Bailey. “Vivan and Mark can teleport anywhere in the world.”

I rubbed the bridge of my nose, feeling so vulnerable. How in the world was I going to help stop someone as powerful as Vivian? And right now our mother was dying and poor Tyler was at her mercy. My stomach tightened
into a knot. “What do you think she wants with Tyler?”

Rebecca’s eyes darkened. “Revenge, for what his father did. I have a feeling she’ll torture him if we don’t get moving. Bailey?”

“Let’s move,” he said. “Join hands and we’ll teleport together.”

“You know how to teleport?” asked Kala
, reaching quickly for his hand.

He nodded. “
There are many things us Shape-shifters have learned throughout the years.”

“It also helps to have a mother and an aunt who are witches,” smirked Rebecca. “Right, nephew?”

He grinned.

I joined ha
nds with Trixie and Rebecca.

“Now, she lives in Long Beach, right near the ocean. There’s a small wooded area behind her home and I’m going to aim for that,” said Bailey.

“Let’s go,” said Rebecca.

I closed my eyes
, and within seconds, felt myself being sucked into the vortex. This time I kept my eyes closed and pictured Tyler’s face, praying we’d find him alive.

“Get down,” whispered Bailey
when we landed in the darkness next to a swimming pool behind a white colonial mansion.

“I think we missed the woods
but found the party,” I said, staring at the impressive house in surprise. It was almost midnight, the place was lit up like a Christmas tree, and music flowed from somewhere inside.

“Definitely looks like a party,” whispered Trixie
, as dozens of shadows moved behind the curtained windows of the house. “This could be very bad.”

“Or it might just make it easier for us to sneak inside,” said Bailey.

“Who has a swimming pool when your house faces the ocean?” whispered Kala, as we crouched down and moved towards a light blue cabana for cover.

“Vivian,”
answered Rebecca. “The woman has an insatiable appetite for luxury when she isn’t trying to destroy those she hates.”

“It’s amazi
ng how totally different two twin sisters could be,” said Kala. “Mom’s not a spender and would never treat herself to anything. She won’t even spend the money to get her hair cut.”

“But it always looks good,”
I winked. “I think we now know why.”

“Oh…” smiled Kala,
“that makes sense.”

“
Okay, so here’s the plan,” interrupted Bailey. “Trixie and I will slip inside and look around.”

“
I don’t know if it’s going to be that easy. Vivian is probably having some kind of celebration,” said Rebecca with a grim smile, “and I’m sure her guests aren’t the kind you’d want to mess around with. They’re probably part of her coven.”

“Oh crap,” I said
, biting my lower lip. Dealing with Vivian was bad enough, but an entire coven of witches? It was too scary to imagine but too real to ignore. As far as I was concerned, things weren’t looking very good for the White-witch team.

“Don’t worry
, Kendra,” said Bailey, with a reassuring smile. “Danger isn’t new to our world.”

Could he also read minds?

He took a step back and seconds later, appeared before us as a sleek, white cat.

“Oh
!” gasped Kala, her eyes round.

“Splendid idea,” smiled Trixie.
Then, in the blink of an eye, she changed into the form of a small gray mouse.

“Be careful,” whispered Rebecca, as they took off towards the house
, both on four legs.

“What should we do now?” I whispered
, shivering. The wind was cool and I was kicking myself for not wearing any kind of jacket.

She rubbed her forehead. “We’ll wait a bit for them to report back. If it takes too long,
however, I’m going to try and find a way to get inside of the house.”

“You said that Vivian
could sense if we were close or if someone was using magic. How come she doesn’t know we’re here right now?” I asked. “Especially after teleporting?”

“Fortunately for us, she lives by the ocean
, which sometimes blocks a witch’s radar. If she knew we were here, I’m sure we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“
Speaking of magic, can’t you just use yours now to get us inside?” asked Kala.

“
Unfortunately, no. She has a spell around her house, blocking any unwanted… guests,” she said, closing her eyes. She raised her hands in the air and exhaled, slowly. “Try and see if you can feel it, too.”

I closed my eyes and raised my hands. “Uh, sorry, I’
m not feeling anything.”

“I do,” whispered Kala
.

I turned to her in surprise.
“What does it feel like?”

Her forehead wrinkled in concentration. “Um, it just kind of makes my skin tingle. Almost
feels like pin-prickles, I guess.”

“Yes,” said Rebecca. “Very good.”

“Why can’t I feel it?” I asked, closing my eyes to try again.

“Because of me,”
stated my new wand, apparently in the chatting mood again.

I opened my eyes and stared at it in surprise.
“You?”

“
Yes. That menial spell of hers isn’t strong enough to keep you out, as long as you have
me
in your possession,” said the wand, in a smug tone.

“Awesome,” I grinned.

“Just thought I’d put my two cents in. Now, carry on,” said the wand.

“Wands aren’t much for small talk, are they?” I asked
after a few minutes of silence.

“No
” replied Rebecca. “Some never even speak at all; which can sometimes be a good thing.”

“I heard that, madam,” snapped the wand.
“Not amusing.”

“I didn’t mean you, personally. What is your name, by the way?” she asked the wand.

The wand didn’t answer.

“See, they can be very stubborn,” whispered Rebecca.

“I’m not daft,” snapped the wand. “My name is Chloe. Now, if you’d like my advice, I would stop wasting precious time and send us into that house.”

Surprisingly, I agreed. “I’m with Chloe. Something tells me that Tyler’s time is running out
, as well as our mother’s.”

Rebecca paled. “Okay, um…I just hate to send you in there alone…”

“She has me,” said Chloe. “Now, prepare for our ascent, child.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

The next thing I knew, the wand began to glow and I soon found myself in a dark library.

“Stay still,” whispered Chloe.

Before I could ask her why, a dog began to growl.

I whipped my head around towards the sound and found myself staring into the eyes of a large Doberman Pincher.