A/N- Aaaah! I couldn't resist! I was so pumped to write the next chapter, even though I wanted to work on another fanfic of mine! Damn, though, this is the first time I've even written a 10k chapter within a week or less! I guess the writer's high really is still with me XD
Also, after you read this chapter, you'll find a part one summary below. I feel this'll be a very long fanfic, so I decided to do part summaries so you all know what you'll be getting into soon enough. I'm not the best at making lengthy summaries about what something will be about in a story, but I hope you'll find part one summary to be interesting ^^;
I hope you enjoy this chapter—hopefully, it doesn't feel rushed as you read near the end—and I will see you all soon!
~ PART I ~
Chapter 1
Waiting in the Wings
One Week Later
It was beautiful and peaceful here. Holden was standing in a field that stretched with cherry blossom trees and rosebushes, almost like a whimsical scene from a Miyazaki film. Petals danced in the sky with blissful grace and scattered the ground, making it look like wilted compost confetti as sunlight dappled through the canopies. A stream flowed nearby, glittering like facets on a disco ball and feeding into a pond, gently rippling from the petals that came into landing.
Holden shook his head to remove the unwanted petals from his brown hair, but he suddenly noticed something, or rather someone, in the distance, standing on a small hill by a lone cherry blossom tree that towered over all the other ones. The sunlight framed her figure, her hair billowing out like shiny red silk, and her eyes could've passed for two oceans.
Holden's eyes widened when he saw who it was, and she was staring directly at him, her face as still as marble. "Kass?" Holden called out to her. "Kass, is that you?"
She did not answer, but there was no denying it was her. Hope, relief, and happiness filled Holden's chest, stronger than booze served at a party, and he took flight, racing toward her. Kassidy stayed rooted in her spot, her eyes never once tearing away from him, but as strange as that was, Holden didn't heed it and only wanted to reach her. As he drew close, though, his surroundings suddenly began to shift. What once was the tranquil air he was flying in was now water.
Terror gripped his throat when he saw Kassidy unconscious and slipping deep down the depths of the icy-cold water, and he desperately tried to cut through it to get to her, swerving around clumps of ice trying to barricade his way. He was so close to gripping her hand to—
A chunk of ice knocked into him and drove him away from Kassidy. The only thing he could touch were the tips of her claws. Holden was too late. The darkness's clutches pulled Kassidy down under until nothing was left of her.
"KASS!" Holden gurgled, bubbles taking shape, and wreathed his face.
Holden gasped awake as if he'd almost drowned and breathed heavily. Drenched in sweat and reeking of it, it felt like he was sweating out Niagra Falls, and he became aware that noise was fracturing the silence. After his senses came rushing back, it instantly hit him what it was. Half awake and groaning, Holden reached over to his nightstand to tap the screen on his phone to cease the alarm he set for school.
He buried his face in his hands and tried to take a deep and steadying breath. Since Kassidy's disappearance, Holden kept having nightmares of that one night that occurred, and they usually started differently before… He tried to blot it out, not even wanting to think about it.
Deciding it was best he got ready for the day, Holden stood up and smacked his lips as his brown eyes were still droopy. He threw his arms out and went to take off but yelped when he found himself falling off his bed and smacked face-first on the floor. He cursed, feeling his cheek start to bruise.
Right… I almost forgot, Holden said, tired as he messaged his cheek. I'm not a bat anymore…
"I think that's three times now you've done that," a familiar voice spoke from the dark.
Holden let out an irritated sigh and found his gaze on Sylvester, and while it was still pitch black, he could still see the feline—due to his adjusted eyesight from when he was a bat—laying on top of his dresser, tail flicking back and forth. "Screw you, man," Holden spoke in a cranky mood and then rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
"Don't get mad at me just because your muscle memory's not cooperating."
"Yeah, whatever."
Ever since Holden had to go home, Raymond hadn't been joking when he said he'd be placed in the Witness Protection Program (WPP). Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella were assigned to protect him. While Holden did get a new phone since his other one had disappeared—he wouldn't have been surprised if Martin and Dianna had something to do with it—ever since the Jeep incident, he also had to get himself a burner phone so any private conversations could be discussed without the risk of him being put in danger. He still thought this was all pointless as nothing happened these past few days, which made him all the more annoyed as he was constantly being watched over almost 24/7.
A sigh escaped Sylvester's lips. "I'm guessing you had another nightmare?" He stated rather than questioned.
"Not every detail of what goes on with me needs to concern you, Raymond, or Stella," Holden said in a peevish tone. "I'm gonna take a shower."
Holden went to produce his outfit for the day from his dresser, Sylvester not saying a word more, then retreated into his bathroom. He went to run the water from the shower head and then began to throw off his sleepwear before hopping in for a cold shower. The water began to sprinkle all over him, making him shiver some as his brown hair began to take a darker shade and flatten on his head. His hands were pressed against the paneled wall, his eyes squeezed shut, and he barely took heed of the cold water as he drifted into his thoughts.
There was still no news of Kassidy, which didn't make things any easier for him, nor did it quell his nightmares. Trying to go on with his life as a human felt like a chore, and it wasn't easy trying to conceal so many things like his true emotions, journey, and lightning-wielding ability. Things hadn't felt the same lately and didn't feel right. Holden probably should've been happy that he had his human life back… but he really wasn't. He was just living in a web of façade.
Holden sighed and tunneled his fingers through his soaked hair. Just try and get through the day, he said to himself, trying to ease his mind. That's all you need to do… As the shower droplets rained on him, he found his hand around the scar on his back he had received from an owl that one day when he, Kassidy, and Shade had been being chased by it after they had broken the law by glimpsing the sun. Fun times…
While the law-breaking wasn't particularly something he'd like to reminisce about, it didn't take away the other good memories he had with Kassidy, Shade, Marina, and the others. Holden would only be lying that he didn't miss them… especially Kassidy. Even though there were moments he wished not to remember, like almost getting killed, his journey as a bat was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he longed to taste the skies again and see everyone again… It was likely that it wouldn't be happening anytime soon, though.
All he could do was try to live his life, even if it would kill him on the inside.
"I keep telling you you don't need to follow me everywhere around the house, Sylvester," Holden said over his shoulder as he strode into the kitchen with stainless steel appliances to get breakfast, gripping the backpack strap hanging off his shoulder and his winter jacket.
"And I keep telling you you can never be too careful," the black cat quipped before leaping onto the top of the kitchen counter that was of marble.
Holden tossed his backpack and jacket onto a nearby highchair that was the color of white. "Don't you got anything else better to do besides 'watching me?' Like scratching random objects, napping, chasing red dots, or coughing up a hairball?" He went to open a pantry.
"First of all, I'm just doing my job. Secondly, I have a life, and you and I both know I'm not an ordinary cat."
Holden waved him off as he snatched a Pop-Tart box from the pantry. "Yeah, yeah." He opened the box, pulled out the last strawberry-flavored Pop-Tart from the foil wrapper, popped it in the toaster, and disposed of the box in the garbage can.
"Wasn't your brother going to have it?" Sylvester queried.
"He snoozes, he loses," Holden casually said with a shrug of his shoulders.
Sylvester shook his head.
"It's not going to be the end of the world if he doesn't get it."
Holden's phone suddenly pinged, and he dug it out of his pocket to see that he got a text message.
Dick: Holden, you need to do the dishes. I don't care when you do them, but they need to be cleaned by the time I return from work today.
Annoyance lined his face. Dick was what Holden called his dad on his phone since they didn't have the best father-and-son relationship. He typed out his reply and sent it.
Holden: Can't promise that.
Dick: I mean it, Holden. You were supposed to do them last night, so get it done today. I'll see you and Lewis soon.
Holden rolled his eyes and tucked his phone back into his pocket as the Pop-Tart surfaced the toaster. He went over to the paper towel holder and tore a paper towel from the roll. "Have you gotten an update on the search?" He then inquired Sylvester with a bit of hope as he was grabbing his Pop-Tart with the paper towel.
"'Fraid not," Sylvester replied somberly. "I haven't heard anything back from Raymond, but I'm sure he'll give us the update when we meet up with him later with Stella after school."
Without the feline seeing, Holden pressed his lips into a thin line, a knot forming in his throat. Raymond was among the search party, and so far, he and a few other magic users were coming out empty-handed. Even so, Holden kept trying to reassure himself that things would be okay and that Kassidy was out there somewhere. He felt that something good would surely turn up if he kept doing that.
"Hopefully, a good one," Holden said before taking a bite of his Pop-Tart, but even the sweetness of it did not make him feel any better about the situation.
A beat later, Holden and Sylvester heard footsteps thumping down the stairs, and it wasn't long until Lewis entered the kitchen, his backpack slung over his shoulder with his school jacket in hand. "Oh, what the hell, Holden?" He heatedly spoke upon seeing his brother eating the last Pop-Tart.
"Morning to you, too." Holden took another bite out of the Pop-Tart.
"I told you that I was going to have it!"
"Should've put your name on it then."
Lewis grumbled, but when he saw Sylvester, a smile tugged at his lips. "Hey, Sylvester." He then stroked the feline's back. "You're looking swell as ever."
Sylvester purred and then gazed back at Holden, "Well, at least someone here has respect for me," he commented, but all Lewis could hear was, "Mew."
Holden gifted him the middle finger.
Lewis furrowed his brow at his older brother. "Why the hell are you flipping him off? What's he ever done to you?"
"Even if I told you you'd still take his side," Holden did not hesitate to say.
"Aunt Elisabeth left him to us in her will, and the least you could do is give him some love and attention. Our aunt would want us to do that anyway, and besides, Sylvester's probably still heartbroken after she passed away."
Not true, Holden wanted to say but held his tongue and ate more of his Pop-Tart.
After Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella returned him home, they and many other magic users from The Spell Organization wiped out the memories of him going missing and such from his dad and brother and replaced them with different ones that weren't real. The same thing was said to anyone else who knew him or knew of his and Kassidy's sudden disappearance. His dad, brother, and some other close people believed that there was a 'relative' named Elisabeth Brooks who was dying of old age and that the reason Holden had been gone and hadn't been in contact was that he went to take care of Aunt Elisabeth who lived very far out and that where she lived had no reception. In other words, she was a Luddite, and after she passed on, she wanted Holden, Lewis, and their dad to take good care of Sylvester and treat him with lots and lots of care. There was also an inheritance, which the magic users from The Spell Organization managed to work in the glamour. As far as Kassidy and her family went… well, to everyone that once knew them or came across them, they didn't exist to them. The Spell Organization thought it would be the best choice for now, but that rubbed Holden the wrong way like they were trying to erase their existence for good. He just didn't like any of this, if he was being honest, even if it was for safety reasons.
Lewis's brow creased as his eyes landed on something. "Didn't Dad say you needed to do the dishes?" He asked.
"Yeah, and?" Holden said, his response chill.
"He's not gonna be happy when he comes home to see that."
"It doesn't look that bad."
Lewis crossed his arms across his chest, eyebrow cocked. "Not that bad?"
Holden looked over his shoulder to the sink. It was overstuffed with dirty dishes, flies buzzing around them and rejoicing in what there was. If I had my bat body back, I'd be eating them for breakfast and not this Pop-Tart, he admitted in his mind.
He shrugged, and his gaze trailed back to Lewis's. "Yeah. If you're so worried about it, why don't you do it?"
"Because it's your task," Lewis commented flatly. "Besides, I do all my chores, even when I have school-related things to work on and have baseball or basket—"
"I get it." Holden's voice got more bitter. "You have stuff going on, and you're Dad's perfect son, so don't start that shit up again."
"Hey, I wasn't saying that just to piss you off; I'm just saying it how it is." Lewis's face grew a little concerned for his older brother. "Did you and Dad argue about something again?"
"When don't we ever argue?"
Lewis pinched his lips into a flat line, having no argument on that.
Holden knew right from the get-go that his relationship with his father wouldn't get any better once he returned home from Hibernaculum. There were just walls between them, and it didn't help that they barely had common ground, which ended up with heated arguments being shot at one another like guns. Holden would be glad once he had the chance to move out one day; that way, he wouldn't have to deal with his dad anymore.
Finishing the rest of the Pop-Tart, Holden seized his backpack and jacket from the highchair and lunch bag from the fridge and left the kitchen, "See you around school, Lewis!" He called over his shoulder before retrieving his keys from the key rack and exiting the front door to the Iron Throne, aka his gray convertible.
Holden hated first period calculus class with a passion. He just couldn't understand the concept, and it was a miracle that he even finished most of the assignments, tests, and quizzes he owed for it. In fact, he somehow managed to complete most of his other assignments, tests, and quizzes, with some help, of course, from mostly Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella, for his other classes as well—much to his teachers' surprise since back then, he barely cared for his classes—and was getting better grades than before since he made a promise to God that he'd do better in school if he helped him, Kassidy, Shade, and Marina in some way after the whole towers of fire incident. Holden was doing this for Kassidy as well.
His elbow was propped on his desk, cheek resting on his fist as he listened to his teacher, Mr. Cowgill, with a bored expression. His teacher was teaching him and the rest of the class a few new calculus formulas, but no matter how hard Holden tried to listen, he just couldn't get into it. All he could hear was, "Blah–blah–blah–blah–blah–blah."
Kill me now… Holden said, a groan building behind his throat, but he swallowed it. His eyes wandered the classroom until they were set on one of the windows. Snow dusted the outside, the sky taking on blue, orange, and yellow colors as the sun began to display and clouds drifted. Would be nice to go outside and… fly.
His daydreaming suddenly ended when his phone buzzed—thankfully, he had silenced it before class had even started—and he fished it out of his pocket to see his friends texting in the group chat he was in.
West: Bros, it's Friday, and Mrs. Fig is assigning us a history essay to work on over the weekend.
Eli: Dude, your teacher sucks.
West: No shit, it's like she enjoys taking out the fun from the weekends.
Jason: Just get it all done today. It doesn't need to look good. Just get that shit done and over with.
West: Easy for you to say. You get better grades than us and barely even listen in any class.
Jason: That's because I got the good genes, man.
Holden joined in on the conversation to try and give his eyes and ears a break from today's lesson, even though he knew he should be focussing.
Holden: Any chance you could transfer some of your genes to me? I could use it right now.
Jason: Ha! If only that were possible. Is Mr. Cowgill rambling random calculus nonsense again?
Holden: I'm amazed I'm even managing to get through his class since I got back.
West: Bruh, same. So many of his cat photos hanging on the wall near his desk make it hard to concentrate, too, especially with that one photo of his sphynx cat.
Eli: Eesh, don't even remind us. That thing's so ugly. At least Holden's cat got fur.
Holden: One that won't stop following me around.
Jason: Probably because he still smells your Aunt Elisabeth on you. Still sorry to hear about her passing.
Holden, pay attention, a voice echoed through Holden's mind, making him jump a little.
He sighed quietly and gazed at Stella behind him from the corner of his vision with a peeved look. While she wasn't staring at him, it didn't stop her from communicating with him in her mind. Stella was in all of his classes, pretending to be an exchange student from Alaska, and Holden felt like she was robbing Kassidy of her identity somewhat, even though he realized she was only here to do her job by being his bodyguard in a way.
Ignoring her, Holden went back to texting his friends.
Holden: Nah, it's fine. Like I said before, I barely knew her anyway, so we didn't have much of a relationship.
West: At least you had a good excuse as to why you haven't been able to come to school for a while. I would say you were lucky, but that might be a bit of a stretch since you didn't have any reception.
Holden: Wasn't that bad.
Jason: Somehow, I find that hard to believe since you're often on your phone.
If only you knew, Holden wanted to type out and send but restrained himself from doing that.
Holden, I know you can hear me, Stella spoke in Holden's mind once more. Get off your phone and listen.
A muscle ticked against Holden's jaw, and he spun in his seat to face Stella—which got her attention—and whispered in a cross manner, "Would you stop that? It's starting to piss me off. Maybe what you're doing is the reason why I can't—"
"Is there something you'd like to add, Holden?"
Holden turned back around toward Mr. Cowgill, who was glaring at him, displeased. Yeah, your class sucks, and it's hard to take you seriously when you got too many cat pictures, he'd of liked to say with sarcasm dripping from his voice, but instead, he forced on a humorless smile and cooly said, "None whatsoever, teach."
Mr. Cowgill gave him a stern look before going back to teaching, and an awkward feeling spread through the room as Holden's classmates shared glances at one another and then looked back at him. He paid them no heed, and with his teacher's back to him, Holden rolled his eyes. Mr. Cowgill had it in for him since day one because he usually chatted the most and caused a lot of trouble in the classroom. The past week, though, hadn't really been the case, and all because of one batty adventure and survival that changed him a lot.
Holden glanced over his shoulder at Stella, eyes narrowed, but all she responded with was a shrug. Not saying a word, he forced himself to try and pay attention to Mr. Cowgill, trying to keep his nerves under control for the rest of first period.
"This food sucks, man," Eli, with hair blonde as straw with a white backward cap, said as he was typing something on his phone.
"Why the hell are you even eating it then if you don't like it?" Jason—who was Chinese—questioned.
Holden was sitting with his friends at their usual lunch table. The cafeteria was packed with students, conversations flowing from one table to another as the not-so-pleasant smell of school food lingered in the air.
"Hey, someone's gotta warn these poor bastards of what our school is poisoning us with." Eli tapped something on his phone before his gaze fell on Holden, Jason, and West. "Check it."
The boys whipped out their phones and did just that to see what their friend posted on social media, and the first thing they saw was a pic of his lunch: lasagna, some mushy vegetables, a bowl of fruit, and white milk. Eli had an account where he posted reviews of the food the school made, and he never held back from expressing his thoughts on the matter.
Today's Lunch Review:
Lasagna- 2/10 If you can even call it that, with its strange color and texture. Tasted stale and wet, like it was put in a dishwasher rather than an oven.
Vegetables- 2/10 Lacks flavor, and most of it was cold.
Fruit- 3/10 Literally all fruits mixed. It was too sweet.
Milk- 6/10 The only good thing that came out of this lunch, but even that alone still doesn't top the milk I usually drink.
By far the worst lunch I've had this week. Never getting this hunk of crap again.
"If I get food poisoning, that'll be why," Eli added.
"Should've put that in your review," Holden commented, inputting his thoughts before biting into his sandwich.
"I think the post will speak for itself."
Holden only shrugged but was secretly glad that he had never eaten the school's lunch in a long time. He only ate it once in middle school when he forgot his lunch at home, and it was the worst thing he had ever had, which was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas. It was so bad that he even almost puked it all up.
"Yo, you guys are going to that party tomorrow, right?" Jason said with a smug smile, changing the topic. "I hear that different alcoholic beverages are going to be served. It's going to be sick."
"Hell yeah, I'm going," West confirmed. He was an African American with dreadlocks. "Wouldn't miss it for nothing, even though I still got that stupid essay to work on."
"That goes double for me," Eli chimed in.
"Gonna pass on this one," Holden told the guys.
His friends looked at him as if he had lost his marbles. "Holden Brooks, the guy who is always down for a party, is going to pass on this one?" Jason said, making sure he heard correctly.
Holden didn't say a word, but his expression said it all.
"Bruh, why?"
Sighing, Holden pinched the bridge of his nose. "Couple reasons. I don't feel like it, and it's Molly's party."
When Holden went back to school, he did not hesitate to end his relationship with Molly—since he was now in a way together with Kassidy—and she did not take that very well and made a bit of a scene in the hallway, but he did not regret his decision at all. A couple of days later, he and most of the school got an invite to Molly's party at her place since her parents would be out of town for a few days, which was a weird coincidence since the breakup happened. Holden loved a good party but did not want to go to one that was being hosted by his ex. Plus, he made a promise that he'd do better in school and was also trying to better himself.
"Man, I still can't believe you dumped her," Eli truthfully spoke. "You still haven't told us why you did."
Holden just shrugged. "Things just didn't work out between us, is all," he nonchalantly said.
Jason folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. "There's someone else, isn't there?"
"Don't know what you're talking about."
"Admit it, dude, you've got yourself a secret girlfriend." Jason then did a beckoning sign. "Come on, out with it. Who is it?"
Holden couldn't tell them about Kassidy. The Spell Organization took away their memories of her, and if he said anything about her, they wouldn't understand who she was—back then, though, she was pretty much nonexistent to them and even himself. He couldn't just say he was with a witch who'd been going to school here and had been missing for days. No. He'd only look crazy. Holden had to continue trying to play it cool.
"Your mom," Holden said, messing with Jason.
"Haha, very funny," Jason responded. "But in all seriousness, who is it?"
"Wait, wait," West began with a smile that said he thinks he may know the answer, "is it that exchange student, Stella? There's been rumors that you two are now a thing."
Holden scoffed, finding it laughable that anyone would think he and Stella were together. "You kidding me? No. She's not my type; we just so happen to have the same classes together. That's it, nothing more. She just bugs me a lot, is all."
Eli brought his head over his shoulder. "I'll admit, she's kind of hot for someone that's from Alaska. You might be missing out on something good if you two really aren't together if you get my drift." He then winked at Holden.
Holden almost rolled his eyes at his friend's hint because that would never happen. "Tch. Trust me, I'm not. She's nothing but a pain in my ass, just trying to get my attention at any opportunity."
"Whatever you say, man," Jason collectedly said. "But whether you admit it or not, I think you do have yourself a secret girlfriend."
He was not entirely wrong, but Holden would not admit that—no way in hell. This was a secret that was not for their ears to hear.
Holden then noticed someone slightly glancing at him before looking away, and it didn't take him long to perceive Stella a few tables over—who was sitting with a few other girls. Had she heard their conversation? It was hard to say, but Holden proceeded to eat his lunch, not thinking much of it, even as the day wore on.
School was finally over for the day, and when Holden got outside, a blast of freezing air stung his face, and he welcomed the shiver that crawled down his spine. It was a nice distraction from his thoughts, but soon enough, it was gone, and he was sitting in the driver's seat of the Iron Throne, hot air blasting through the vents. Students poured out of the school, pelting down the staircase connected to it, and into the parking lot to either the buses or their vehicles, happily going home after a long, dull day of lectures, getting hw, and tests. Holden would not be going home, though.
Holden breathed out, then pressed his forehead against the steering wheel. What a day, he said, finally having some alone time.
The past week had been difficult for him—mainly concealing his true colors and secrets. Before the whole survival ordeal happened, it was easy being the popular troublemaker everyone knew him to be, but now the pressure was on, mainly because of his classmates. He realized it shouldn't matter to him and that he should continue his progressions, like his studies and somewhat good behavior, but what if he lost his popularity? What then? Holden tried to bat these thoughts away like flies, trying not to worry too much about it, but they'd still somehow find their way back into his mind every now and then.
One of the doors opened, and Holden launched his head up to see Stella ducking into the Iron Throne and settling herself in the passenger seat, some of the cold air attempting to sneak in and sap any heat before she shut the door. "Hey, ready to go?" she asked as she deposited her backpack in the back seat.
"'Bout time," the former said, not bothering to hide his irritation as he inserted his key into the ignition. The Iron Throne roared to life, and Holden shifted it into drive, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road.
"Do I even wanna ask what's up with you today?"
"I think you know the answer to that."
A sigh rushed past Stella's lips. "I'm only trying to help you, is all."
Holden scoffed. "Oh yeah, seeing you everywhere I go in school and bothering me is certainly helpful."
"You don't gotta be a jerk about it, especially when you try to talk about me behind my back to your friends."
There was a pause, but Holden finally spoke. "You heard what I said at lunchtime?"
Stella didn't reply, but it was enough for him to know what the answer was.
He slowly exhaled through his nose, a bit of guilt dropping in his stomach. Holden understood that she was trying to help, as were Raymond and Sylvester, but he was growing sick and tired of constant surveillance like he was a valuable someone was trying to steal. He wasn't intentionally trying to be an asshole to them, but could anyone blame him?
Deciding to change the subject, Holden lobbed the same question he had for Sylvester that morning. "Have you gotten an update on the search?"
Stella shook her head. "Haven't heard anything about it all day," she spoke with truth laced in her voice. "But I'm sure Raymond will fill us in on it once we get to the cabin."
Holden turned on the turn signal before taking a right at an intersection. "That's kind of what Sylvester said this morning."
In the past few days, Stella, Sylvester, and Raymond were teaching him how to use his lightning powers at a cabin Stella and Raymond were staying at—located in the middle of the woods so no one would spot them using any type of magic. Holden had to admit it was kind of cool that he now had lightning powers, but when it came to trying to hide it from the public eye, it was not an easy task. He was given a potion to drink daily to keep his power under control, which sort of helped him, but not very much. What also didn't help at all was that neither Raymond, Sylvester, nor Stella could figure out how and why the dream he told them about he had at Morgana's place gave him a lightning ability—since it's not a common thing to occur when it came to magic—but they were determined to try and figure it out no matter what, which Holden honestly appreciated as he was on the same page as them.
When Stella didn't respond to what he said, Holden shot her a look to see her distracted by something in the side mirror. A second later, he heard the blasting of a horn.
"Oh my gosh," Stella said, taken aback by what she saw, "did you see that?" She flipped around in her seat to look behind the car.
"See what?" Holden inquired, startled. His gaze jumped to the rearview mirror as the sound of tires screeching filled the air, but all he could see was the shiny front grill of a black Suburban following too closely behind.
"That Suburban just cut off the red car that was behind you. I thought they were going to collide."
"Seriously?" Holden glanced at the Suburban again. The front windows were tinted, so he couldn't see who was driving the car.
"Now he's tailgating you."
"Should I slam on my brakes so he'll hit me and collect some insurance money?" Holden joked, but Stella shook her head, serious.
"I don't have a good feeling about this."
"Relax, I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
Stella crossed her arms. "Being held at gunpoint?"
Holden did everything within him not to roll his eyes. "That could just be a reckless driver. It's not uncommon here anyway."
At the next light, when Holden makes a right turn, the Suburban does as well.
"Still think that's just a reckless driver?" Stella dared to question.
Holden tried to shrug off the twitch of unease running through him, hoping it was just a weird coincidence, but when he turned left onto the main road, the Suburban did as well. "Maybe he's just taking some of the same routes we are," he guessed, trying to act unconcerned.
"Or he's following us."
Holden exhaled, getting a little irked. "You're overthinking it."
Stella wrinkled her brow a little. "Okay, if you're so sure, turn on that street."
Holden furrowed his brow when she pointed to a road they never went on to get to the cabin. "But this is not one of the roads we take to get to the cabin."
Stella pursed her lips. "I know."
Seeing the challenge in her eyes, Holden was willing to take it on if it meant proving her wrong and ceasing her worries. "Alright, fine, I will."
With that, Holden turned off onto that street, keeping a tight watch on the rearview mirror, and followed the movements of the Suburban. He expected it would keep going straight, but a few seconds later, it turned down the road. His heart rate quickened, and he kept an eye on the car while driving, but when Holden looked back forward, he caught a glimpse of a "Dead End" sign right as he passed it.
Holden swore under his breath.
"Quick, pull into one of the driveways," Stella advised.
Not needing to be told twice, Holden pulled into a random driveway next to an old rusty pickup truck just after rounding a curve, hoping the house's occupants wouldn't come out to question them. He turned off the Iron Throne, and Stella tugged on the front of his winter jacket as soon as he did, forcing him to slouch down next to her in their seats. Seconds later, the sound of the Suburban's engine reaches earshot. They waited in dead silence as the Suburban went to the end of the street and made a U-turn. When it came back, it slowed down for a moment behind the Iron Throne, the brakes squealing as it rolled to a complete stop.
Stella and even Holden held their breaths. Silence holds the air captive, but after the longest seconds of Holden's life, the driver finally hit the gas, and the Suburban sped off into the distance.
They waited for several minutes before finally finding the courage to sit up. They slowly gazed at each other, and while they didn't know who it was in that Suburban, Stella proved Holden wrong in the end. That Suburban had been following them.
Disturbed by what just happened, Holden quickly started the Iron Throne back up and pulled it out of the stranger's driveway, wanting to get the hell out of there, and neither he nor Stella spoke a word for most of the drive.
A million scenarios were blazing through Holden's head as they were getting close to reaching their destination. None of them were good. Stella had to call Raymond on her burner phone and explain what happened and why they were going to be at the cabin a little late, and while Holden couldn't comprehend what Raymond was saying, he could only imagine what was going through his mind at that moment. Holden kept trying to tell himself that it was probably nothing and that it was all just their imaginations… but after what happened, he started to doubt his own words.
Who the hell was that? Holden wondered. Who'd wanna be following us—or rather me? Somewhere inside him, a black worm of dread stirred at the thought of something—someone for the matter—but he smothered it as quickly as it came. No, that's stupid! There's no way! I refuse to believe it!
If they were going to hurt him and Stella, wouldn't they have done it? But all they did was follow, then drive off. Maybe they were going to spy on them? But how would they know that it was them? They aggressively pulled out behind the Iron Throne earlier, so did they know Holden's car? If so, would they find out where he and Stella actually lived eventually? What would happen when they did?
Maybe whoever was following us thought we were someone else, Holden said, trying to assure himself. Yeah, that's it. They'll realize it sooner or later. Plus, what real evidence do I have? I didn't get a license plate number or even a description of the person. Even if the police got involved, it would be impossible for them to do anything about it, especially with my situation. And it's not like my dad and brother would believe me if I told them. They'd probably think I was messing with them or something like that.
Eventually, the Iron Throne was steered onto a dirt road that was powdered in snow and veined with ice, and within a couple of minutes of driving through a pristine winter forest, a log cabin came into view, the roof, porch, and staircase of it blanketed in snow. It reminded Holden of the cabin back in the mountains, only this one was a little bigger, had more architecture, and wasn't housing banded bats. It could've been a nice place to spend the holidays if not for the fact that it was being used as a secret base.
Raymond and Sylvester were outside waiting for them, and as soon as Holden parked the Iron Throne and turned off the engine, he and Stella opened their doors and slid out of their seats. "You two alright?" Raymond queried, concern etching lines into his forehead as he and Sylvester approached them.
"Yeah, we're fine," Stella reassured him as he and Holden shut their doors. "Don't worry, we didn't get hurt."
"It wasn't as bad as what I went through as a bat," Holden said as he pressed his remote, and the Iron Throne chirped, letting him know that the doors were locked successfully.
"Even if you think so, a Suburban following you is a red flag," Sylvester spoke in a stern tone, pointing his front toe at him. "You got lucky that the worst didn't happen."
"What's important, though, is that you're both okay," Raymond calmly said. "We'll try to look into this matter and see if we can figure out who it was and track them down, and until then, I strongly advise you to be extra careful, Holden. Which means you'll have to take the rules much more—"
"I know, I know," Holden said, cutting him off, "no missing my curfew, keep my burner phone on me, blah–blah–blah. Yeah, I get it. We've been over it many times now; no need to remind me."
"Son, you need to take this seriously."
"Can we stop talking about this? Other things are much more important to me, like the updates of what's going on." Holden folded his arms across his chest. "So, can we please get on with it?"
Raymond opened his mouth but closed it. He sighed, cold air swirling through his lips as if knowing what was going through Holden's head. "Very well. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"The search for Kass. Have you found anything?"
Raymond shook his head. "Still nothing. We've tried to see through her eyes again and follow her past self, but we're still coming across a wall or can't find her past self." He rubbed his head, a little stressed and exhausted. "We're still hitting dead end after dead end."
A lump closed Holden's throat. Each time Raymond gave him the news on Kassidy, his silver lining of hope would snip little by little, but he couldn't give it up. It would be like he was trying to forget about her.
She has to be okay, Holden said in his mind, almost like a chant. She just has to be…
"What about her family?" He then inquired. "How are they doing?"
Raymond breathed through his nose, cold air gushing out. "Not doing very well, they still act like savage predators whenever the doctors wake them up to see if what they've given them has reverted them to their normal selves. They're also still trying to figure out what they've been injected with and are doing more tests. It may take a while until the doctors can develop an antidote for them."
There was a question that Holden had been pondering concerning this topic, and he kept forgetting to ask them, but was finally able to as he commented, "Can't they just do the healing spell? Wouldn't that make things easier?"
"If only that were easy," Sylvester wished. "It doesn't work that way. The healing spell only works on injuries. If used on a sickness, an unknown deadly virus, and so forth, it can eat away at the magic very fast and become stronger when they were 'healed away'. It's like weeds; you can pull them out, but they'll eventually grow back."
Holden hummed to himself, never thinking of it that way, but it made sense to him. Magic really does have its pros and cons, and I should know since I have the power of lightning, like I could be a freaking god… He thought, starting to understand the concept of magic more.
"And my friends and the colony?" Holden then wanted to know.
Raymond nodded. "They're doing fine; no harm has befallen them, and they are still at Morgana's place. And before you ask, we also gave your friends the same updates."
Holden's shoulders wilted in relief as he sighed. Well, at least there's one good update… Man, I miss those guys…
"If you're ready, we can get on with training your lightning power. Just give us the signal when you are."
Holden took a deep breath, and while his thoughts felt like a mess of tangled yarn, he needed a distraction, and this training would certainly do the trick as it always had for the past week. It was hard work, but it was worth it in the end.
After needing a few seconds, Holden then nodded. "I'm ready," he finally said.
Raymond returned the gesture before speaking once more. "Alright, now remember what we taught you. Make sure to ground in your power and try to feel for what activates it."
After breathing in and out once with cold white vapors crawling out of his mouth, Holden ground his feet in the cold snow and sealed his eyes shut as the wind whistled in the air. He imagined himself back near the demolished abandoned windmill as he and his friends tried to take down Martin. Then things went haywire when one of those black limbs that had been in control of that monster pierced through Kassidy's abdomen and started to slowly morph into a shell around her like she was about to go through the stages of a chrysalis. Holden remembered it all: the adrenaline, the anger, the—
Power flooded his entire system, crackling along his skin, and sapphire blue light flashed behind his closed eyes.
Holden stopped thinking about those past events, and his feelings returned to what they were before.
"Good job, Holden!" Stella praised him. "You're getting so much better each day!"
She was not wrong on that. Holden was slowly getting the hang of his power, but he was not a natural at it. He still had some things to improve, and while it may take some time, the practice was at least doing him good. What he was being taught may one day come in handy.
"Good," Raymond said with approval. "Now, do it again and try shooting some lightning bolts in the sky."
Holden nodded and got back into position. This time, he focussed on the feeling of the power rush, opening every sense and letting blue energy course through him, gathering to a breaking point. Then, he accidentally released it at the wrong time, and lightning struck a hole in a nearby tree, setting it aflame.
Holden's eyes bulged like a frog's, and so did Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella's. "Whoops…" Holden awkwardly said.
"Aim, Holden," Sylvester reminded him. "Aim."
"Right, right."
"You need to be careful. Otherwise—"
"I know, I know, I'm trying, man."
"Just take a deep breath, son," Raymond said in a tranquil tone after he put the fire out on the tree with his magic, "and then start again. You'll get the hang of it soon enough."
Holden did just that and then tried again. Lightning struck five more times, but none were hitting where he was aiming, which frustrated him. He seemed to have aimed perfectly fine when fighting Martin with the others nights ago, so why now couldn't he do that?
It doesn't matter, Holden tried to tell himself. All I can do is try and get better… and hopefully not set the whole forest aflame.
With that, Holden kept trying, sweat beading his brow and never called it quits. If this would be what it'd take for him to be a natural lightning wielder, then so be it. No one would stop him from that, anyway.
Come on, come on…
Shade concentrated with all his might to move the green leaf around his size. Over the past few nights, he'd discovered—by pure coincidence—that he could not only see things with sound and echo project, but he could also move things with sound, almost like something a magic user would do (telekinesis, to be precise, as Lightning and Morgana had said it was called). He'd been practicing on leaves but wasn't very good at it yet. He could only shift light things a little.
He launched a few waves of sonar at the leaf, getting a little exhausted from practicing all day, but his efforts weren't entirely in vain as the leaf skittered across the ground a little. Good as it'll get, I guess, he said unenthusiastically.
"Hey, Shade!" Shade heard the voice of Orestes call out to him, and he drew his head over his shoulder in time to see Orestes and Helen dropping down next to him. "How's practicing going?"
Shade blew out a long breath. "Not well," he admitted. "I just can't seem to move this leaf even a foot from me. All I'm managing to do is shift it slightly."
"Well, it's not like you can be a master at it so soon," Helen pointed out. "With more practice, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time, like with your echo projecting skills."
Shade's eyes were downcast, and he pivoted away from them. "Yeah, I guess…"
Seeming to have noticed his expression, Orestes asked, "You okay, Shade?"
All the two owls were met with was silence.
"Does this have something to do with… you know…" Helen gently alluded to him, and it didn't take Shade long to grasp it.
His ears pinned against his head. It had been nights since he last saw Kassidy and Holden, and he missed having them around. They were his first-ever friends who never made him feel insignificant because of his size, and now, with them gone, he felt pretty lonely at times. He still had his mother and other friends, but it somehow didn't feel the same without them. Kassidy was still missing, and Holden was back home, and he wished that he could see them again.
"Why did it have to be this way?" Shade said in a dejected tone. "It feels so wrong… It doesn't help that most of the updates we've been given haven't been anything good either."
Ever since Shade and his friends made it to the safety of Morgana's place with the colony, Raymond had been coming by every day to check on them and give them the news of what's been happening with the search for Kassidy, her family's treatment, and Holden. There was still nothing on Kassidy, and her family wasn't getting any better, but the only good thing that seemed to come out of the updates was that Holden was doing just fine. To say that Shade was unconcerned and content was far from it. He couldn't even find it in himself to sleep most of the time because of it and all his spiraling thoughts. Hibernating was especially the last thing on his mind (some of the Silverwings were now doing that or decided not to since Morgana's place was somehow magically placed in the weather of spring).
"There are things we can control," Helen began to say, "and what we cannot. That's the way life works, but sometimes there are blessings in disguise in the end. Perhaps that'll come our way sooner or later."
Those words perked Shade's head, and he threw his gaze to the snowy owl. "You think so?"
"Anything's possible. Take me and Orestes for an example; we're owls, but we turned out to be your allies." A slight smirk pulled at Helen's beak. "You certainly hadn't seen that coming back then now, did you?"
That actually made Shade smile a little. "Heh, that I did not."
"I just wish that other owls could open their eyes to the truth, especially our fathers," Orestes expressed his words with disappointment to mostly Helen. "That seems to be the problem with our kind: we jump to conclusions so soon without looking more into it. And falsely accusing Kass and the Silverwings as murderers and bringing reign of terror and destruction on the animal kingdom is a perfect example of that."
"At least you guys aren't like the other owls. It makes me feel better knowing we have allies like you."
Shade wasn't a fan of the owls, but he'd grown to like Orestes and Helen as friends. They had every opportunity to report him and the Silverwings' new hideout and such, but they didn't, and as the nights passed, he had no reason not to trust them. Saving Orestes from that human trap had undoubtedly been the right call.
Two shadows passed over the trio, and they veered their gazes to see two familiar bats: Marina and Chinook. A pinprick of jealousy stabbed at Shade upon the sight of them together, a slight bitterness warping his mouth. Marina had been hanging out with Chinook a lot recently, which didn't settle well with him. He knew he shouldn't feel that way, but come on. Really? Out of everyone, and it had to be Chinook?
She didn't even acknowledge me… Shade noticed.
"Go talk to her," Helen suggested, seeming to have noticed his reaction.
Shade whipped his head over his shoulder to the snowy owl. "Talk to her?" He said it in less of a question. "While Chinook's watching?"
"What, are you afraid?"
Shade scoffed. "No!"
"Then don't let him bother you. You have every right to talk to Marina as much as he does."
He wanted to lob a protest at Helen, but nothing came out, knowing that she made a fair point.
"Besides, you need to stretch your wings after all that practicing you've been doing. Now hurry up to Marina before she and Chinook are out of sight."
Shade sighed with a hefty dose of exasperation. "Alright, alright," he said, giving in. "I'll go talk to her."
Without another word, Shade was airborne and went to catch up with Marina and Chinook. He passed by a few other Silverwings who were out hunting, chatting, etc. He kept his gaze pinned on Marina and Chinook, trying not to lose sight of them, but thankfully, his wings weren't holding him back from doing that. In fact, his wings had been going easier on him, especially with the few inches he's grown.
Before the Silverwings had abandoned Hibernaculum nights ago, his mother noticed he'd changed. In other words, he'd grown. Shade had been astonished when he saw that his mother was right. He did look bigger. And with Marina standing next to him, he was about the same size as her and Kassidy, maybe even a little larger. He was still nowhere near as big as Holden or Chinook, but that really didn't matter to him. Shade was just glad he finally wasn't so small anymore.
In a few more wingbeats, he finally managed to reach Marina and Chinook, a little out of breath, and went to get Marina's attention. "Marina, hey," he said, making his presence known.
Marina and Chinook's gazes trailed to him. "Hey, Shade," Marina greeted him.
"Oh, hey ru–Shade," Chinook said, quickly correcting himself from saying that one name.
Two lines appeared between Shade's eyebrows. Chinook had barely changed, but the sky-blue Silverwing quickly smoothed out his face, remembering what Helen said. "So… what's new?" He said the first thing that came to mind.
"Nothing much," Marina answered. "Chinook was going to show me a new trick he picked up on while hunting."
Why doesn't that surprise me? Shade dryly wanted to say out loud, but all that slipped off his tongue was, "Oh…"
"I managed to catch two tiger moths simultaneously when I did it," Chinook proudly said. "I knew I could do it, though; I'm a pretty good hunter and flyer anyway."
Liar liar, wings on fire, Shade thought, knowing Chinook well enough to know that was a lie. He's just trying to impress Marina. That made his fur bristle a little, even when he wondered what those two had been doing together.
"How's your practice been going?" Marina then said, changing the topic, knowing what the sky-blue Silverwing had been doing lately.
Shade's insides began warming up. Not just because the question was directed at him, it was mainly because of her presence. When she was in sight, his knees would suddenly grow weak, like he was trying to balance a stone on his back—which was strange since that had never happened to him before when they had been traveling together with their other friends—and he would feel a certain content weave through his body. Boy, how he missed having her around a lot…
"Not bad, I suppose," Shade spoke with honesty, refusing to do any bragging like Chinook would. "I'm still trying to work out the details, but I think I might get the hang of it soon enough."
"Well, I know you can do it, Shade," Marina encouraged him. "If you can echo project, then I see no reason you can't move things with sound either."
A weak smile hovered at Shade's lips. "Thanks, Marina."
"Hey, I think I see some beetles," Chinook suddenly said. "Can't wait for you to see the trick, Marina. It'll blow you away." Without waiting for a response, he flew on ahead.
"You wanna join us, Shade?" Marina said, inviting him. "You're welcome to."
The last thing Shade wanted was to deal with Chinook, his constant boasting, and such. And besides, he didn't want to kill off any of the enjoyment Marina seemed to have been having, especially when they were still trying to heal from the trauma they'd been through, like when Marina's band had been torn off. He found his gaze on her scarred arm, but he quickly looked away before she noticed, his lips pressing down so hard as he remembered the night she saved him… the same night that was the last they saw Kassidy and Holden.
"I-It's okay," Shade gently declined. "You guys have fun. I got some more practicing to do, anyway."
Marina looked like she wanted to say something, but she then nodded. "Okay. I guess I'll see you later then?"
"Yeah, see you later…"
Shade thought he saw a hint of sadness reaching Marina's eyes before she went over to Chinook, the space between them going cold. He angled his wings toward a branch limb and planted his feet on it, sighing heavily as his ears flattened on his head. Maybe he should've accepted the offer, but he didn't want to feel like a fly ruining all the fun.
I can't do that to her, Shade thought, depressed. She deserves to have some peace of mind… especially with Kassidy still missing and Holden back at home…
Orestes and Helen perched next to him. "You heard what we said, didn't you?" Shade commented, not needing to guess since he knew how good of hearing owls were.
"We heard most of it, yes," Helen confirmed.
"Well… at least you guys were talking," Orestes said, trying to make light of the situation.
Silence enveloped Shade, but he finally broke out of it and complained a little. "It barely felt like a conversation, though. Chinook gets to hang out with her most of the time, and meanwhile, I'm mostly hanging out with owls." He suddenly cringed, feeling like he offended his friends, and quickly tried to redeem himself. "Eh, no offense."
The two did not seem bothered, and Helen even shrugged her shoulders and serenely said, "None taken, and while we still have you, we need to ask you something—even though it might not be the best time right now."
"No, no, it's okay," Shade assured the snowy owl. "I honestly need to take my mind off of this, anyway. What's up?"
The two owls glanced at each other before Helen spoke again. "Have you talked to your mother about your father yet?"
At that question, Shade scrunched his eyes shut. His thoughts were so jumbled up that he once more forgot to bring up that subject to his mom, not that he was afraid to. There was just a lot going on with him at that moment.
"No, I haven't," he avowed.
"Shade—"
"I know, I know, I just keep forgetting."
"But we keep reminding you, though," Orestes said in a certain manner. "Don't you wanna know what your mother was going to tell you?"
"I do. I just got a lot on my mind, is all…"
"Then make that the first thing on your mind," Helen firmly said. "Besides, nights ago, it truly did look like she had something to tell you about your father. It's better to learn the truth than have it remain in the dark."
Shade digested those words. She was right, and quite frankly, he wanted to know what his mother was going to say about his father that one night. He wasn't sure what, but deep down, he felt she hadn't been entirely honest with him. There seemed to have been much more to his father's disappearance. But what, exactly? Then, a thought struck him like a claw.
Was it possible that… Cassiel was alive? But the owls took him, didn't they? Shade had to know the truth, and this time, there was no room left for forgetting to bring up that topic to his mom. Today was the day to bring it up.
PART I (Summary):
Kassidy should've been dead this time… but she wasn't. It shouldn't have been possible, yet she was alive and somewhat well. As if things weren't shocking enough, Goth and Throbb were alive. Kassidy finds herself working together with those two—much to her dismay—the same bats who once partnered with Martin and Dianna. Yet, perhaps some good would come out of it, even as she does everything within her to conceal and bottle up her emotions around Goth and Throbb.
Holden finds it hard to go on with his old life as a human, especially as he craves to take to the skies once more, is under the Witness Protection Program (WPP), with Kassidy still missing, etc. While taking his leave from school one day, a mysterious black Suburban begins following him. Holden tried not to think much of it, yet he couldn't brush off the tiniest feeling that he was in danger again. Surely it's nothing, though… right?
Shade misses Kassidy and Holden, the first who had ever become his friends, and he finds himself lonely at times, even though he still has his mother and other friends. It somehow didn't feel the same without Kassidy and Holden, mostly as Marina was hanging out with Chinook, the bat who never missed an opportunity to poke fun at his size. However, Shade had another thing on his mind: his father. He felt there was more to his disappearance and wanted the truth, even if he must seek it out.
Kassidy, Holden, Shade, and the others' test for survival was not over yet, as more challenges awaited them. Would they overcome it, or were they destined for something much worse?