Cursed

Chapter 6

"What are we going to do?" Summer asked, panic rising in her voice.

"Quick, think of something!" Winter said. They sat there for a moment before Winter said, "Melt it!"

"Are you crazy?" Summer whisper-yelled. "I am not going to use my powers in front of everyone!"

"You have to!" Winter said, glancing at the door to make sure no one overheard. "Summer, no one is watching. This is the only way to conceal our powers."

Summer took a deep breath. "Fine," she said, giving up. She lifted her hand up to the block of ice. She concentrated hard, and slowly the ice began to melt, leaving a puddle of water in its trace. Summer sighed and turned back to her sister. "You owe me."

"I do," Winter laughed. "We'll just say that I spilled my drink on the rug."

"Okay," Summer said. "Now let's get out of here!" The twins ran out of the room and back into the party.

***

When the twins arrived home that night, Julian and Michael were waiting for them.

"Where have you been?" Michael asked angrily.

"We went to a party with some friends," Winter explained.

"A party?!" Michael exclaimed. "Your powers are still out of control. Do you know what could've happened?" The girls stood there silently. In unspoken agreement, they knew they couldn't mention the ice incident. "Go to your rooms," Michael ordered. "And don't come out until I tell you to."

***

"What do you think he's going to do?" Summer asked.

"Probably torture us with more training," Winter said bitterly.

"Be serious," Summer pleaded. "We've never gotten in trouble with Grandpa before. I don't know what's gonna happen."

"I don't know either," Winter replied.

"Girls!" Michael called from downstairs. "Come down!"

The girls raced down the stairs to the main level. In the living room stood Michael, Julian, and a teenage boy that neither Summer nor Winter had ever seen. He had dirty blonde hair that wasn't close cut, but wasn't long either. He had ocean blue eyes that sparkled in the light of the room. Winter admired the stranger standing in the living room.

"Girls," Julian said, "this is my grandson, Lucas. Lucas, this is Summer and Winter."

"Hey," Lucas said, waving to the two girls.

"Lucas is going to be following you girls around school," Julian explained.

"Oh, great. We get our own personal stalker," Winter said sarcastically.

"It's not like that," Julian said. "Follow me." Julian led the girls to the training room. He closed the door behind him. Lucas stood in the corner of the room and the twins stood in the center. Julian waved his hand and a book appeared. Winter peered at the cover. It was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. "Freeze it, Winter," Julian commanded.

Winter concetrated on freezing the book. She raised her hand up to the book and focused on making the book turn to ice. She closed her eyes and tried to shoot ice out of her hand. When she opened her eyes, the book was still in perfect shape, without a hint of cold in it. Confused, Winter stepped away from the book.

"Summer, why don't you burn the book?" Julian suggested.

Summer stepped up to the table where the book rested. She focused on turning the book into a raging inferno, but nothing happened. Both Winter and Summer stared in confusion at the book.

"Did you do something to it?" Winter asked.

"No," Julian said. "It's Lucas."

"Lucas did something to it?"

"No," Julian repeated. "Lucas did something to you."

"What did he do?" Summer asked, still not putting two and two together.

"Basically, I silenced your powers," Lucas explained. "That's my power. I'm able to take away the magic of others. But only while I'm in close proximity. I'm still in training, just like you two."

"That's why Lucas is going to be following you around at school," Julian explained. "He'll make sure that your powers can't act up at school."

Winter's stomach flip flopped. We're going to be around Lucas twenty-four seven? she thought. The idea scared and excited her. She liked him, no doubt. But what about Christopher? Winter didn't know what she would do. What if I fall in love with two people at once?