Eliza's eyes grew heavy, her heart racing in frantic thuds against her chest. Stepping back, she snatched her broomstick off the bed. She darted across the room, bumping into her dresser, and pressed the button on her broomstick. The broomstick resized and emitted a soft glow as she aimed it at the cat before her.
She wasn't entirely certain what this supposed cat was. It could be a shifter mystic of some sort. The feline stared back at her, a mix of puzzlement and fear in its eyes. As it stepped back, it bumped against the wall.
"What are you? Are you corrupt?" Eliza's voice wavered as she screamed the question.
The creature moved toward her, slow and cautious, paw in front of paw.
"Eliza, I won't harm you," it murmured, its ears flattening against its head.
"Stay back! I mean it!"
Eliza stabbed the air with her weapon, her voice quaking with fear. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sniffled, watching as the being continued its careful approach. Her grip on the broomstick loosened as she shook nervously, readying herself to defend. She couldn't understand why the broomstick hadn't transformed into a sword or sprouted daggers on its ends.
"Please, let me explain," Jared's voice broke the tense silence.
"I said stop!" Eliza's voice wavered, a mix of fear and determination. She snatched items off the counter, hurling them at the mysterious entity. It effortlessly dodged her makeshift projectiles, dancing around the room with a fluid grace. Not giving up, Eliza grabbed a book and flung it, the impact causing the thing to collide with it.
The creature hobbled, spinning around with an agility that defied its injury. It leaped, missing the window's shelf and crashing to the floor with a muffled grunt. Struggling to regain its footing, it managed to leap again, this time landing on the window's shelf, albeit not without an accidental bump into the wall. Steadying itself, it stood firm.
"So be it," Jared muttered under his breath.
Jared's gaze shifted back to Eliza, who stood her ground with her broomstick aimed directly at him. He made his way to the window, leaping into thin air and vanishing from sight.
Jared, her cat... or was it her brother...disappeared without a trace.
☆☆☆
It had been a month since Eliza had last laid eyes on Jared. Uncertainty shrouded his true nature. He might very well be some kind of mystic, a thought that lingered in her mind. One thing was clear: he was wise not to venture back into her home. If he had, she'd have reached for a knife rather than relying on her seemingly ineffective broomstick. The weapon stubbornly refused to morph into a sword, unlike the one her great grandmother once wielded.
If Jared was out there causing chaos, Eliza silently hoped that other witches, assuming there were any left besides her, would manage to apprehend him. Meanwhile, her school days had become an exercise in awkwardness.
She'd distanced herself from Eric, noticing that he now had a girlfriend. Strangely, she found herself indifferent, almost wishing them luck as they embarked on what she cynically labeled a potential "abusive relationship."
Her hair, at long last, brushed against the tips of her ribs. It was still a wild mess of untamed curls, but she'd somehow managed to make it work for her. The once bustling home had grown eerily quiet, the absence of Jared's presence amplifying the stillness.
Secretly, she'd embarked on a quest to uncover the hiding place of the grimoire Jared had mentioned. Dawn might have grown suspicious of her singular determination, but Eliza couldn't afford to let her friend think something was amiss. Their conversations had dwindled, a palpable distance wedging itself between them.
Walking home, Eliza aimed to outpace the looming storm that threatened to unleash its fury. While she didn't particularly buy into the whole "April Showers" notion, the last three days had seen a constant downpour, leaving her skeptical of any springtime charm the month might bring.
Eliza opened the door to her house and stepped inside.
"Oh, hey Liz!" Dawn's voice echoed from the living room.
Dawn was cozied up with a new guy, making Eliza wish he was another mystic. Maybe then, her darn broomstick would finally cooperate. She held onto the hope that he might be the missing piece to complete her transformation. No one else in the house seemed interested in helping her. It could be a test, a way to determine if she could handle a mystic on her own.
Thunder rumbled above, its echoes bouncing within the house. Kicking off her shoes and setting her purse on a nearby table, Eliza gazed out of the window at the raindrops forming on the gravel, creating small circular puddles. She pulled the hood of her grey jacket off her head.
"Oh right, we're still not talking to each other." Dawn's voice followed as she entered the kitchen. "Eliza, honey, how am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me what's wrong?" A sigh escaped her. "Is it Eric? Did something happen?"
Today, in the bustling hallway, Stacy Meyer leaned against a wall. Her eyes trailed after Eliza, her blonde hair cascading messily over her shoulders. Gradually, she shifted her gaze to something else, and a glint of yellow caught Eliza's attention in Stacy's eyes. Blinking, Eliza tried to comprehend it, but Stacy disappeared into the swarm of students.
Eliza shrugged off the earlier memory.
Perhaps Stacy was simply upset about her boyfriend's disappearance. The school gossip had surged to a boiling point. Everyone knew he was gone, and even the police were involved.
"Stacy's been acting really strange," Eliza pondered aloud, absently thumbing her bottom lip as she thought about her.
"Are you and her, like, besties now? All you've talked about for the past month is her," Dawn's voice teased. Eliza turned to give her a pointed look. "I'm just saying. What's it to you? So what if her boyfriend ditched her and the school?" Dawn's tone lightened as she noticed Eliza's seriousness.
"It's just odd. I think she's a mystic," Eliza said.
Dawn fell silent and glanced over at her guest. She tugged Eliza aside, moving behind a counter where they were hidden from his view. "Dude, I'm so in if you need to take her out. I've got knives and everything," she quipped, reaching into her purse and pulling out pepper spray. "This stuff is super lethal... you have no idea, girl." She rolled her neck and playfully waved her fingers.
Eliza stifled a laugh. "I'm not planning to off an innocent person. What if she's not a mystic? I'd be branded a murderer."
"You kinda already are..." Dawn interjected.
Eliza sighed. "You're right."
"Are you two whispering about Stacy Meyer?" Dawn's boyfriend chimed in, entering the kitchen and nonchalantly opening their fridge. Eliza had no clue who he was or why he was raiding their food. She shot Dawn a disapproving look. Dawn just grinned, clutching onto her Hot Topic bag.
Eliza positioned herself beside the guy and promptly shut the fridge door. "I think it's time for you to hit the road, buddy."
"But it's raining! Come on."
"Nope, time to go." Eliza handed him his jacket and the rest of his belongings that had found their way into her house. With a gentle push, she guided him out the door, then locked it behind him.
"Really, Liz? Do you have to chase my bait away so easily?" Dawn pouted.
"You and these guys..."
A fake smile flitted across her face, and she tilted her head to the side. "Yeah, right. And what's the deal with you and Eric? Why the sudden disappearance act?" Dawn pursed her lips.
"I'm not pulling a vanishing act! I've just been doing my own thing and, you know, avoiding your radar."
"When have I ever been in your way? And where's Jared?" Dawn raised her phone and scrolled through it swiftly. "Wait a sec." She raised a finger. "You're saying you're not MIA?" She flashed her phone at me. "Let's see if Eliza Rose has bothered to answer any of my texts or calls." She let out a little giggle. "I've been waiting with bated breath." She playfully waved her hands in front of my face, fluttering her eyelashes and grinning. Using her index finger, she swiped through her call history. "Zilch, nada!" She snapped her fingers and placed her phone on the counter.
"Sorry," Eliza offered, "but we're roommates. You could just ask me in person, you know?"
"Seriously? I can't even get close to you. Your schedule's like a mystery, and it feels like I'm sharing a place with a phantom. Jared's gone missing too. What's the big secret that Dawn's missing out on?" Dawn planted her hands on her hips.
"Dawn, come on... I'm dealing with things. I'm sorry, alright." Eliza picked up her purse, preparing to head upstairs while avoiding eye contact.
"Yeah, clearly. Enough to ditch your 'best friend,'" Dawn whined. "Seriously, give me a break. I'm always here for you. I didn't bail when you spilled the witch secret or when you offed that mystic in our place!" She pulled Eliza back. "I'm your rock. That's what friends do."
Eliza smoothed her hair and glanced at her buzzing phone. Eric's name lit up the screen. She took a deep breath and ignored the call. Dawn's shock was palpable as she saw Eliza not answering. She snatched the phone, scanning the recent calls to confirm her suspicion.
"Eliza!" Dawn let out a sharp cry. "You better call him back right now, missy. What's going on with you?"
Eliza swiftly reclaimed her phone from Dawn's grip, observing the roller coaster of emotions playing across her friend's face. Dawn had a knack for going off the deep end over guys. Someone seriously needed to put a leash on her in relationships.
Eliza's phone rang again, and she met Dawn's gaze. The truth was, she wasn't really in the mood to talk to Eric at this point in her life. Jared was her brother, and that was something she was grappling with. She couldn't fathom why her mom would lie about him being turned by the Verel.
The truth gnawed at Eliza—the fragments of Jared's memory, the shadowy coven of witches, and the voids in his recollections. How could he remember being ensnared by malevolent witches yet remain oblivious to the details of our father's demise? Was it all a web of lies? Eliza had her dramatic moments, no doubt. To her, Jared's absence wasn't just an absence; it was a void, a space where he used to be.
But running from the truth was a futile endeavor. Somehow, Jared had slipped, revealing cracks in the walls he'd built to keep Eliza in the dark. Dawn had sensed something off about Eliza, and when things got this strange, Eliza's interactions with guys turned even more awkward. Not like Dawn, who could charm anyone in a five-mile radius.
"Jared is my brother," Eliza burst out.
Eliza scratched her ear, a nervous habit, waiting for Dawn's reaction. There was a beat of silence, then Dawn's gaze landed on Eliza. At first, her expression was a blank canvas. Then, realization dawned and her eyes widened, like she was about to burst with the news. Eliza swiftly covered Dawn's mouth to stifle any outburst, nodding in warning.
"I get it, I get it. I'll let you process, but zip it," Eliza warned Dawn, her eyes narrowing. "Okay, I'm taking my hand off now, alright?" She withdrew her hand carefully. Dawn continued staring at Eliza, then opened her mouth, looking like she couldn't hold in her excitement any longer.
"Oh my God! Wait...wait, what? Your brother's a cat?"
"Some wicked witches did it," Eliza said, her lips thinning.
"How...?" Dawn's eyebrow arched in curiosity.
"No idea. Don't even bother asking."
"This is seriously out of a movie..."
"Tell me about it," Eliza replied, starting to make her way toward the stairs to her room.
"Is that why he's barely home anymore?" Dawn's voice trailed after her.
Eliza's gaze shifted from Dawn to the cat bed where Jared used to curl up. "I'm not sure where he disappeared to, but I'm sorting it out on my own. So, if I seem distant, I apologize."
Dawn waved a dismissive hand. "Don't sweat it. Take all the time you need to sort things out."
Eliza nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Thanks, Dawn. I appreciate that."
Dawn wandered back into the living room, picking up the remote and flicking the TV back on. "No problem. Just remember, I'm here whenever you're ready to talk."
Eliza's shoulders relaxed as she headed up the stairs to her room. She knew she had a friend who understood the need for space and time.
☆☆☆
7:00 p.m. No wonder Eliza woke up feeling groggy and utterly disheveled. It seemed like she had dozed off the moment she entered her room. She made her way downstairs, her steps slightly unsteady as she fought off the remnants of sleep. A glance to the side revealed an empty living room. Dawn must have left or turned off the TV.
Sliding into the kitchen, Eliza retrieved her Deer Park water bottle from the fridge. She ventured back into the living room, her eyes scanning for any sign of the grimoire Jared had hidden from her. Checking under his bed yielded nothing. Her fingers swept through the crevices of the couches and across the surfaces of the tall counters. Sneaking around her own home felt oddly clandestine.
Where had he hidden it? Eliza wondered, frustration edging her thoughts.
She combed every inch of the living room, but her instincts seemed to falter. A desperate attempt to summon the book using her newfound powers proved fruitless.
A creak on the wooden floor beneath her drew her attention, causing her to whirl around. Yet, there was no one there. Scratching sounds echoed from the kitchen. Eliza brushed a few strands of hair from her face and cautiously made her way into the darkened kitchen. Gleaming eyes met hers. With a quick flip of the switch, the room was illuminated, revealing none other than Jared.
The sight nearly prompted a scream from Eliza. Her nerves tingled, and her legs threatened to give way beneath her. Her heart pounded as though it had taken a leap. A hand instinctively moved to her chest, and she released a shaky breath.
"You scared me," she whispered, her hand muffling her words.
Jared shifted his gaze away from her and toward a shelf. In a graceful motion, he leaped onto the counter and snatched a muffin, clamping it in his jaws. With the prize secured, he carried it to the nearest window. There, he raised his paw, seemingly poised to make his escape.
But before he could, Eliza's voice found its way. "I want to apologize."
"It's fine." Jared's voice came through, muffled by his chewing. Crumbs clung to his whiskers, a rather undignified sight. "You were going through a lot. It was wrong of me to bring it up," he muttered, keeping his gaze low.
Eliza could sense a weight in his words, something she hadn't quite heard from him before. He seemed hurt, vulnerable. The revelation that the Verel had tampered with both him and their mother was unsettling, to say the least.
"They're not to be trusted, according to my grimoire," she mused aloud. "The Verel work with corrupt mystics. The one I defeated must have been corrupt, just like the fairy our mom killed and the mermaids I encountered. It seems corruption is pervasive."
Jared's eyes met hers, holding a mix of emotions she couldn't fully decipher. She wondered if pure mystics even existed.
"So, that means you're a—" Eliza began.
"Yes, I am," he interrupted. "I can't bring myself to harm another mystic, for reasons I can't explain. And as for changing back, I'm still in the dark."
Eliza nodded, processing this new layer to her brother's predicament. "And you're, like, my little brother," she teased, playfully nudging his furry head.
"Don't even start," he responded with a hiss, though a hint of amusement danced in his eyes. "I'm technically older than you," he added, his laughter blending with his words.
"Sure thing," she chuckled.
"What are you doing up so late anyway?" Jared asked.
"I was looking for the grimoire myself. I was hoping you'd come looking for it," Eliza admitted. Weariness seemed to color her tone.
"Alright, but I have to be there when you read it. I know I can't protect you from everything inside, but you're right—you need to learn how to navigate your own destiny." He blinked. "Did you check inside the couch?"
"I already checked the couch."
"Have you checked underneath the couch?" Jared asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
"No... no, I didn't."
Eliza looked at him and got up from the table to walk over to the couch. Getting down on her knees, she slid her hands underneath the couch and felt a rough and slick texture. She dragged it out from underneath. It was the grimoire. She held it tightly against her chest in relief.
Opening it up, she found the page about shifters. It mentioned their distinct yellow or red eyes that faded in and out. They were a type of mystic who struggled to conceal their attributes well when in human form. She closed the book. It made sense now – Stacy's eyes had glowed yellow before she vanished. Eliza pressed her lips together and closed the book.
"You're a lifesaver," she whispered, smiling.
"You have no idea," he responded, waving his paw nonchalantly.
A/N: Here's a cookie 🤓 make sure to like, comment and follow if you enjoyed this chapter 💗