Chapter 56: Winter Solstice

A couple of days went by without a word on Flamel or the stone. The twins were in bed, sound asleep, when the door flew open and closed. A small brunette girl around six rushed in, jumped on the closest bed, and then jumped while levitating over to the farthest one.

"Wake up! It's your birthday, that means only three days till Christmas!"

Phoenix and Katie peeked over the covers. Katie giggled as she saw the annoyed look on Phoenix's face.

"It's four days Cassie." Katie corrected her cousin.

"That's what I said!" The young girl said, placing her hands on her hips. She twisted around to give her favorite cousin a stern look.

"Well, we knew what you meant, Cassandra." Phoenix said irritably. "Now get off of me!" she grunted, while trying unsuccessfully to push her cousin off the bed. The six-year-old would levitate a little, then placed herself back on top of Phoenix.

"No!" She shook her head and crossed her small arms. "Not until you say please."

"Please."

Cassandra shook her head, pigtails flying. "Nope."

"But I said pleeeeease!" Phoenix looked over at her sister, who was laughing at the scene.

"You didn't mean it! And now you not only have to say please, but you also have to say happy birthday to Katie!"

Phoenix let out an annoying sigh while putting on a fake smile. She was about to say it until three green figures shimmered in front of the girls.

"Happy Birthday!" the one in the middle said, and the three lit an energy ball, throwing them at their targets.

Cassandra's eyes went wide. "Mommy!" she yelled and tempted to jump off the bed. Phoenix jumped, quickly grabbing her in time as an energy ball whizzed by, replacing the spot where Cassandra would end up.

"Cassie, I'm going to orb you in the closet. Stay there and DO NOT come out!" Phoenix whispered in her cousin's ear.

She didn't wait for a response. Phoenix orbed her cousin to the closet and jumped quickly out of bed as an energy ball blew it up.

"Phoenix, quit playing and help me!" yelled Katie.

Katie was throwing lower voltage of energy balls to the demons. She was successful, but Phoenix noticed a terrible problem. There were over three demons in the room now. She watched as her sister threw another energy ball. The ball hit its target, but instead of the demon permanently disappearing, the demon materialized, into not one, but two.

'Well, this is a problem.'

Phoenix raised her hands and blew up all the demons that were closest to her. They completely forgot she was there until they materialized. Each one turned around to face her, their devilish smirk on their faces. They marched up towards her, throwing energy balls along the way. Phoenix dodged each one while blowing them up, but again the demons materialized, into not one, but two.

'There has got to be a way to vanquish them permanently!'

Phoenix kept dodging the energy balls while thinking. Her sister, she noticed, was not doing so well either. She turned her attention back towards the set of demons and watched some shimmer out.

'Where are they going?'

"Phoenix, I don't think we need to keep blowing them up like this!" Katie yelled as she kicked a demon in the stomach. She was trying not to vanquish them.

"You think?!" Phoenix responded as she did a roundhouse kick towards her demon. Many demons were shimmering out, leaving more room than what they started with.

'Why isn't anyone helping?'

Phoenix quickly orbed next to her sister and began helping her fight what demons were left.

"I have an idea Phoenix."

"It's about time!"

"Oh, you know you can come up with one as well!"

"What is it!"

"Notice how they keep materializing?"

"No, I have not!" Phoenix replied sarcastically.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Try blowing them up. Then, while they are at the blown up stage, freeze them. I will then throw an energy ball at them. Maybe that will work."

"That was what I was kind of thinking. How is Cassie doing?"

Katie closed her eyes while her sister fought off the demons. "Scared but hanging in there."

"Good."

"I wonder why nobody is coming up. Can't they hear the commotion?"

"I was wondering the same thing."

"Okay, enough chit chatting; let's see if this plan will work!" Katie yelled as they both ducked.

Phoenix nodded in response. She raised her hands, flicked her right hand, blowing up several demons, and then flicked her left hand, freezing each demon that was blown up.

"Now Katie!"

Katie looked over at Phoenix and nodded in response. She formed the biggest energy ball she could and threw it at the frozen demon pieces. The twins looked at each other, while the remaining demons watched, terrified. The demon pieces were never replaced.

"We did it!" Phoenix yelled and continued the process until only three remained. It turned out they were the original three.

The twins stopped, sensing something was wrong. They looked at each other and back at the demons.

The one who spoke first gave a huge grin. "Thank you. Test one is complete." He said before the three of them shimmered out.

"What did he mean by that?" Katie asked, distinguishing her energy ball.

"I don't know, but if that was just a test then we are screwed."

"I was wondering why three of them weren't really doing anything."

"They were observing us. But why?"

"I don't know, Phoenix, but I don't like it. And why did mom or anyone else not show up?"

"I don't know."

"Oh, my gosh! Cassie!" Katie yelled.

She ran over to the closet and slammed opened the door. Cassandra was holding her knees to her small form, crying. Her eyes were closed, and she was trying to be as quiet as she could.

"Cassie sweetie, it's me you are okay." Katie said as she slowly kneeled down to not scare her.

Cassandra sniffed and looked up, seeing the eyes of her favorite cousin. "Katie!" She yelled, throwing her tiny arms around Katie's neck. "I want my mommy. Why didn't she come and get me?" Katie heard the girl muffle in her neck.

"I don't know honey." Katie said. At the same moment, the bedroom door slammed opened, while they heard orbing and pink fading around them.