Chosen Chapter 6: The Gemini Factor
Part 6
Xxx
The following afternoon, Billie and the others were supposed to meet in the grand hall of Magic School to discuss their plans. As she walked through the door, Billie saw Arthur and Violet talking by the desk in front of the large and beautiful glass-in-lead windows. She noticed a smile on Violet's lips and smiled as well. Clearly things were going well between them and she was happy for them. At least some things were working out. When Violet saw Billie, she quickly came over and took her by the arm as she steered them the other way.
"So what happened last night?" Billie asked curiously.
"Nothing happened." Violet quickly replied. "He brought me back to my dorm and we said goodnight. He was a perfect gentleman."
"So did you kiss him goodnight?" Billie asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Could you perhaps stop acting like a school girl?" Violet replied. "No, we did not kiss, the whole twins trying to frame us killed the mood a little. We had other things to focus on."
"Violet!" Billie called out. "Never focus on other things while you're on a date. It was supposed to be your big night."
"It was, we talked and we had a great time." Violet said. "I really like him and I don't mind taking it slow, so stop bothering me about it."
"God, if you go any slower you'll head back in time." Billie remarked with an eye roll.
"That is it, I am never telling you another thing." Violet said annoyed.
"Oh come on, I was just joking." Billie called out. "Besides, I lost enough friends already."
"What do you mean?" Violet asked.
"It's Taylor." Billie said. "With all the stuff happening with the twins, I completely forgot I left her at the club. She was understandably pissed off about that, and I can't really blame her. I've been a horrible friend to her."
"No, Billie, don't say that." Violet replied. "You're not a bad friend. It is just a complicated situation. I don't see what else you could have done."
"I could have been honest." Billie said with a sigh.
"Well, yeah…" Violet said hesitantly. "That could have worked. But that could create all kinds of other problems. I know you feel bad, but you did the best you could. When all of this over, you just need to sit down with her and talk it out."
"Will it ever be over?" Billie asked, both to Violet and to herself. "Because I feel that it is just one magical emergency after the other."
"Didn't you just tell me to focus on the important things?" Violet asked with a smile.
"You're right." Billie admitted after pondering it. "I guess I am a really smart person to tell you that."
"Sure you are." Violet replied.
Billie hugged her and felt a little relieved, since she had been constantly telling herself that she was a bad friend. Perhaps she didn't always do the right thing, but she tried her best, and sooner or later, Taylor would realize that as well. When the doors of the hall opened, Billie let go of Violet and saw Mikelle and Duncan enter. She noticed Duncan looking miserable and knew she had another friend to take care off, even though he would never admit it.
"I think I should start." Billie said as they gathered around the desk to discuss their plans. "I got a call from agent Murphy last night. Apparently, the robberies have been happening across the state for the last six months, so he started looking for other unsolved crimes. Over the last year, there has been a wave of mysterious crimes across the country. It started simple, but the crimes got gradually bigger, ending in the robberies."
"That matches the information the Elders provided." Mikelle said. "Seems like the twins have quite the criminal past."
"Yes, well luckily they have never seemed to seriously harm or kill anyone." Billie added.
"Where did the crimes start?" Arthur asked.
"Boston, Massachusetts." Both Billie and Mikelle said.
"That is where they are from." Duncan said. "At least that is what Nathan told me. I think they were born there."
"I think you're right." Mikelle said.
"Did the Elders know more about them?" Violet asked.
"I think so." Mikelle said. "About twenty years ago, a young witch gave birth to twin boys in Boston. However, as the witch did not have a Whitelighter or familiar, the Elders lost track of them."
"How could that happen?" Billie asked.
"Well, she wasn't exactly your standard good witch." Mikelle said. "The Ross family was a powerful wiccan line, though their morals were questioned by the Elders. They lost loved ones during the Witch Trials and became bitter, so they discarded the Wiccan Rede. The witch herself fell in love with a warlock. The Elders think he is the father of the twins."
"What happened to her?" Violet asked sympathetically.
"We don't know, she disappeared around the same time as the warlock, when the twins were toddlers." Mikelle explained. "The Elders considered claiming the twins, but they believed they were too tainted by evil, so they decided not to intervene."
"What?" Duncan called out appalled. "They left them on their own? That is horrible."
"Not one of their best moments, I agree." Mikelle admitted. "I guess these twins never really had a chance. They ended up in the system and ran away as pre-teens."
"They still chose to commit crimes." Billie stated. "And we still don't know why they came after us. So let's hold off on the sympathy until we get some answers."
"So if they are the children of a witch and a warlock, what does that make them?" Violet asked curiously. "Are they witches or warlocks?"
"A little bit of both. I think I have a book about this." Arthur said. He walked to a bookcase, picked up a book called "Magical Parentage" and flipped through it. "Right, it states here that witches and warlocks are closely connected, almost like two sides of the same coin. When a child is born from this union, they will balance between good and evil. They will be trapped in the Window of Opportunity until they declare themselves."
"Wait, what is the Window of Opportunity?" Violet asked confused.
"It is a magical period of time in which a person much choose between good and evil." Billie explained. "When a witch gains her powers, she has 48 hours to decide. Guess it works different for half-breeds."
"I never chose anything, I think." Violet said doubtfully.
"In most cases, the choice is automatic." Mikelle replied. "You helped stop that Grimlock and joined the Chosen, so that means you chose good without even realizing."
"It was the same for me." Billie said. "I didn't know about the window, but I instantly realized I wanted to do the right thing."
"In most magical families, the window is not even discussed." Duncan said. "It is just taken for granted. It is a flawed concept to begin with, as you can always change your mind later in life and switches sides."
"Well, that does not seem to apply to the twins." Arthur said as he studied the book. "It states here that once they commit an act of true evil, they will become pure warlocks."
"An act of true evil?" Billie asked surprised. "They have been on a magical crime spree across the country. How does that not qualify as evil?"
"A true act of evil basically means murder or something equally bad." Mikelle explained. "Until they cross that line, they are still considered witches, which makes them human."
"So what are we supposed to do?" Violet asked. "We can't kill them, right?"
"You could strip their powers." Arthur suggested.
"And then what?" Billie asked. "Send them to jail? Turn them over to Murphy? The government will get them either way, and I still don't trust them with anything concerning magic."
"What if we manage to convince the twins to choose good?" Duncan suggested. "They will be bound by the rules of personal gain."
"What makes you think we can get them that far?" Billie asked.
"Because I don't think they truly want to be evil." Duncan replied. "I think they are just lost. And I saw Nathan could not kill me, even though he had the chance back at the bank."
"I know you want to believe that." Billie said. "But it is a huge risk. One that I am not willing to take. What about you guys?"
"I am not sure." Violet admitted. "I mean, I believe in thinking the best of people, but doesn't their track record speak for them? They don't seem that interested in being good."
"I agree." Mikelle said. "Even if they don't want to be evil, they are certainly not good either."
"Okay, so that brings us back to the original question, how do we stop them?" Billie said. "I think stripping their powers was a good suggestion, it will at least prevent them from exposing magic. We can figure out what to do with them later. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded, except for Duncan, who was staring at the floor with a distracted look. "Duncan?" Billie asked.
"Yeah, okay." Duncan said reluctantly. "Right now, it is the best solution."
"Okay, so how do we catch them?" Mikelle asked.
"We still have the blood, we could scry for them." Duncan replied. "I left it at the dorm last night. If you guys get it, I will start on a power stripping potion."
"I'll help you." Arthur said.
"Okay, then Violet and I will get the athame." Billie said. "Mikelle, what about you?"
"I think I should check back in with the Elders." Mikelle said. "They seemed concerned about something, I'm not sure what. They mentioned something about strange occurrences across town."
"What kind of strange occurrences?" Billie asked. "Related to the twins?"
"They did not think so, but they suspect something may be brewing." Mikelle replied. "However, right now, they consider the twins the biggest threat, with the risk of exposure, you should focus on stopping them."
"We'll get going then." Billie said.
"I will meet you in a few hours or so, that is how long the potion will take." Duncan replied. "It is quite a slow process."
"Okay, we'll meet up back at the dorm." Billie said.
After saying goodbye, Duncan and Arthur left for the potions classroom while Mikelle orbed back up to the Heavens. Along with Violet, Billie left the main hall and headed toward the portal that would lead them back to the mortal world. As she headed there, she could not help but feel like they were missing something important, like they were missing out on the bigger picture. However, she figured the Elders were probably right, the twins needed to be dealt with first.
Xxx
After getting a drink from the fridge, Nick walked across the kitchen and stared out of the window across the city. Bacarra's words still echoed in his mind and the message was clear, it was either the Chosen or them. It was a matter of survival now. Nathan was right, they never should have gotten involved with the warlock to begin with. Nick felt angry about the situation, he hated not being in control. He hated the warlock and the witches as well. Perhaps he should just kill them and be done with it. What was the point of humanity anyway if he always felt like crap?
In a fit of rage Nick threw his class across the kitchen and it shattered against the wall. He was not thinking straight. These demonic powers Bacarra had given them were corrupting him from the inside. He was never this hateful, right? Angry and short-tempered, sure, but not hateful.
"Are you okay?" Nathan asked as he entered the kitchen.
"What do you think?" Nick replied annoyed.
"I know." Nathan said with a sigh. "We need to decide what we're going to do."
"Do we have a choice?" Nick asked rhetorically.
"Of course we have a choice." Nathan replied. "We could run, get out of town."
"Bacarra is never going to let us leave." Nick said. "And even if we did manage to get away, we would be on the run for the rest of our lives. He doesn't strike me as the forgive and forget type."
"So what do you suggest?" Nathan asked. "Kill the witches, lose our souls? That is the one thing we promised we would never do, remember? We would not give in to evil."
"What choice do we have?!" Nick called out. "The evil is already inside us, it has always been there. We've just been suppressing it."
"I don't believe that." Nathan replied. "At least, not really."
"Did you forget everything we've done?" Nick asked. "We always claim we did what was needed to survive, but that is not the whole truth, is it? We became criminals because we liked it as well. Don't even try to deny it."
"Fine." Nathan admitted reluctantly. "I guess part of it was for fun as well."
"You see, we're not good. We can never be truly good." Nick said. "We don't just have the blood of a witch, but a warlock as well. Good will never accept us, but evil will."
Nathan remained silent and left the kitchen. Nick followed his younger twin and watched him pace around the room as he struggled with what was happening. Nick felt conflicted as well, but when times were hard, he was always the one to make the difficult decisions. Even though he was mere minutes older, Nick had always looked after the both of them.
"So what do you want to do?" Nathan eventually asked desperately.
"I think you know what we need to do." Nick replied. "You know it deep down, so just admit it."
"You're right." Nathan stated as he looked at his brother with a saddened but determined look. "I guess we don't have a choice. We have to kill them."
As his brother turned around and walked away, Nick felt his anger fade. He was not angry or sad, but he just felt nothing. He figured the decision to take a life would feel different somehow, but he guessed he should get used to the empty feeling. He could not help but wonder if it was always meant to go this way. After all, it was part of his heritage, being a warlock was in his blood.
Xxx
As the potion in the cauldron slowly turned from a dark green to a bright red, a depressed Duncan rested his head on the table as he leaned against it. The potion would still take about half an hour and he hated the waiting. The entire situation felt wrong and he wished he had never met Nathan to begin with. He had said that even though it started as a trick, he did like him. But was that part of the trick or the truth? As much as he wanted to be, he could not be sure.
"How is the potion coming along?" Arthur asked as he entered the classroom with some coffee.
"Slowly." Duncan replied. "Too slow."
"Right." Arthur replied as he put the coffee on the table and stood there impatiently. "Look, I know we don't really know each other that well, but I get that this is difficult for you."
"It is fine." Duncan said somewhat annoyed. "I have only known him for about a day, it is not like it means anything. It was just a stupid trick."
"So? You're allowed to feel bad." Arthur said. "It is a pretty cruel trick. It doesn't really matter how long you have known him."
"Thanks." Duncan replied. "I will get over it. So you and Violet, huh? How is that going?"
"It is going well, I think." Arthur said a little awkwardly. "I like her a lot and I get the feeling she does as well."
"She does." Duncan replied.
"Did she tell you that?" Arthur asked hopefully.
"No, but she doesn't have to. It is fairly obvious." Duncan said. "I think you make a great couple. And I am glad that what happened between her and me is not an issue. I was afraid that it would cause some trust issues."
"Yeah, she told me about that." Arthur said. "And don't worry, we're taking it slow. I mean, we haven't even kissed yet."
"What? Why not?" Duncan asked with a frown.
"I guess I am not the smoothest guy. I am a bit awkward when it comes to stuff like that." Arthur admitted a bit flushed.
"God, the two of you really are a match made in Heaven." Duncan said with an amused smile. "I do hope that you realize one of you has to make the first move, right?"
"Yes, of course. I… intend to." Arthur replied. "Soon."
"And I wouldn't worry about the smoothness." Duncan said. "Just go with it."
"Thanks, Duncan." Arthur said. "It is nice to be able to talk about this. I mean, I am usually so caught up in my work and research that I don't go out much. I don't have that many people I can talk to about stuff like this. Most of the teachers here are like old and dusty."
"Says the nutty professor." Duncan replied with a smirk. "Anyway, it is fine. That is what friends are for, right?"
"Right." Arthur replied with a smile.
Duncan smiled and shook his head as he grabbed his coffee. It was funny to think he was bad at romance, but that Arthur and Violet were even more clueless. However, he was happy to see they had found each other. He just hoped he would be as lucky as that someday. He just knew it was not happening any time soon.
xxx
Billie opened her dorm room and turned on the light. As Violet closed the door behind them, Billie picked up the athame from the desk and turned on her computer. She connected a magical crystal to her mouse and opened the map on the screen. Wherever the twins were hiding, their time was up. She wanted to get this all over with, so she could focus on making things better with Taylor. She needed to know the truth about magic, it was the only way to salvage what was left of their friendship.
As the computer bleeped, Billie took the athame in her hand and focused on it as she started to move her cursor across the screen. As she did, the crystal started to glow slightly.
"That is so cool." Violet said. "How did you come up with this?"
"I didn't have a map." Billie replied casually. "Besides, I thought magic could use some modern technology. Just because we're witches, it doesn't mean we have to stay trapped in the dark ages. I prefer a car over a flying broom any day."
"You do know that witches never actually flew on brooms, right?" Violet asked.
"I was only kidding." Billie replied.
Suddenly, the crystal started to glow more brightly and the computer beeped. A mark appeared on the screen and Billie put away the athame. She looked at the address and gasped.
"What is wrong?" Violet asked concerned.
"I found them." Billie replied. "Only problem is, they found us as well. They are right here on campus. Like right inside this building."
Billie quickly got up, though before she could move, the door burst open and flew across the room. It shattered as it hit the wall. Billie covered her head to shield herself from the shattered wood and heard Violet scream. When she looked up, she saw the twins entering her room with a cold determination on their faces, ready to kill. Billie froze in a panic as one of them raised his hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning.
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