The Brink of Eternity

Chapter Twenty Six: We Host A Party To Raise The Dead (2)

Jude p.o.v:

There were a lot of things about the world that I did not understand. How we were born and how we die, what decided the things we'd be interested in and the things that were too bland for us to like, and how people judged pineapple on pizza.

The feelings of utter and complete confusion were not foreign to me, unlike the instinct to run when things seemed shady.

An almost complete stranger telling me I was celebrating my own death like some sort of corny movie definitely identified as shady to me, so I didn't blame myself for the spark of magic lighting at the tips of my fingers nor for retreating the five foot distance to the door leading to the room containing the exit.

But I never ran before I understood what was happening around me, so I heard Alex out.

"Alex what the heck are you even talking about?"

I genuinely feared that she was going to leave marks on the floor if she paced any more.

"Okay so, I need you to focus on me for a sec. We're gonna go into another room to talk about this. I've been here before so I know where to go, follow my lead and I promise I'll explain." I was glad my ears were used to hearing people speak fast because this girl spoke quickly.

I nodded at her to tell her I was okay with that; I needed to know what the hell this was all about.

Alex led us back to the main room, then through another hallway I'd noticed before.

"Hey Jude! Come back and join us." That was most definitely my brother's voice. If he caught us sneaking he was going to do things worse than death to us. Probably skin me-

There were lips on mine.

This wasn't Kai, the lips were softer but the kiss was most definitely not.

My mind did not register that it was Alex until her hand tugged roughly at my hair. I got what she was doing and played along.

I'd honestly do anything to get my brother off me right now.

Judging by the absence of his voice, I figured he'd seen us kiss and let us be.

Alex pulled away from me and immediately took my hand to drag me behind her. My fingers felt numb and tingly, but I said nothing.

We passed a room then stopped at the next one.

I assumed the door was locked before Alex was on her knees with a bobby pin in hand, working at the door.

It was only a few seconds before the brown door swung open. Then shut behind us again.

Alex rummaged through the columns of books that coated the beige walls as she spoke. "Before you ask, I know Nathan from school. We went together and were friends for a while. And yes, I am aware I'm not from around here, but my parents met on their plane here and decided it was a nice place to stay."

I was secretly glad she'd said that because I had been wondering. My smile and nod told Alex she could continue both rummaging and speaking.

"Twin witches are really special Jude, there are numerous stories about the power that comes with them. The type of magic you're born with really affects how that power will be harnessed. Which do you practice?"

The furrow of my brows and the way my head shifted to one side sort of told Alex I was a legitimate idiot.

There were types of magic?

I didn't realise I'd asked the question out loud till she energetically begins to explain. 

"Yess! Of course there are. I practice herbal magic which relies on the herbs and plants the earth provides. I'm gonna assume you practice the same type as Nathan," she turns and sets the book she was looking for on the study desk next to me. "Elemental magic, meaning you draw your power from one of the elements. Typically one element dominates the source of your power; a dominant one."

"How do I know which is mine?"

"Aside from the colour that you spark when you do spells and the belonging you feel when you're surrounded by your element, there's a special way that works for twins; you guys would get elements that typically oppose each other. I remember from school days that Nathan was a fire dom, so I figure you're either water or air."

I thought of all the times I've lived on the streets in the biting winter cold but still somehow felt an energy in me, the garden at Heal House, the way I just needed to go for a run when things got too much.

They calmed my anxious heart.

One thing was in common between all of those; the air surrounded me in each.

"I think it's air, I've always loved being out in the open."

"Omg that's great, you can help my plants grow better now." Her laugh was almost carefree, though she still glanced around the room nervously. "You also inherited powers from your dad actually, both you and Nathan did."

She explained when she noticed how confused I was and the world suddenly made a bit more sense.

"Is that how I got into Heal House..? Omg.."

"Yeah. It was Kai that sensed your magic actually, though he was not assigned to you till years after that. But he use his abilities and sensed your magic and your feelings, which in turn led to the magic-suppressing pills they gave you instead of the actual medicine. Did you never wonder why you didn't go through withdrawal?"

Right now Alex was like that feature on Kai's smartphone that made any image's quality enhance and clear. The world around me began to make more sense.

But then someone pressed undo and the walls around me were blurry once again. 

"The not-so-fun part; when you turn 25 your powers are.. enhanced. But that means they're stronger now, the downside is that.." Alex must have memorized the corners of the room by now. Her eyes jumped between the corners like a tennis ball on the field. "Well.. You're meant to unite the powers into the same body so they tune each other down, and that can only be done by uhh.. killing the other person."

The room spun like a carousel, but I kept my ground when I felt my feet taking a step back towards the door.

"Wait, why do you need to combine them in one body? I don't get it."

"The power of twins is too much for a body to fully contain it, so nature gifts them with elements that're capable of tuning the other's power down. So basically, instead of 100% of one element in a body, you get 50% of one element and 50% of another which prevents you from ripping at the seams. It's power witches dream of, but it only comes through twins."

I concluded a few things; Twins were important in voodoo, the full power of element was too much for one body, and if I didn't somehow kill my brother soon this would be my last year of life.

When you've spent your entire time surviving you fight tooth and nail for the taste of life. I did not want to die at 25.

Everything Alex had just told me made me feel out of breath, like someone punched my lungs and taped them with scotch tape.

I let my feet take the first step to the door, then the second, third, till I realise I'm running straight back outside.

My head fills with cotton when I collide.

Someone had bumped into me on my way out.

Warm arms held me softly and I noticed it had been Kai that bumped into me.

My feet shuffled awkwardly, begging me to let them take control, but Kai's arms held me steady and swayed my body in sync with his as the song played.

"So sing while we're falling apart
I'll take you dancing
We lived through the wreck of our hearts."

The buzz in my head faded away with the lyrics, my feet were rooted to the floor, all I could do was bury my face into his chest and sway with him.