Competition •{Complete}•

Chapter Ten

My twin removes his hand from my mouth.

"You are not my twin brother. I don't have any siblings," I say out loud, trying to make myself believe this is a trick.

"See for yourself," he says as he forces me to face him. He still has a tight grip on my arm. I look up at his face. He wasn't lying. He looks just like me.

"What's your name?" I ask.

"Kaleb," he says plainly. I stare at him.

"Why aren't you in the castle? Why did Mom and Dad give you up?"

"Why I'm not in the castle is the same reason Mom and Dad gave me up, sister. They knew they were having twins, but the citizens didn't. I was born with some disease that nobody knows what it was called. I was given to the medical staff in the palace. They just gave me medicine for my symptoms that they saw. Somehow, all the medicines worked together to treat it. Father didn't want me, I was told. I was put into the foster care system. I had horrible foster parents. But when I turned 18 last year, I was sent on my own. Grandmother has been helping me," Kaleb explains.

"Whoa. Are they, Mom and Dad, going to take you back?"

"No I haven't talked to them. I was hoping you would help me with that."

"I guess I can try, but it's going to be hard getting past the guards." I pause. "Where's Connor?"

"Your little friend? He's tied up to a tree."

"Well can you let me go?"

"No, Alli. I am not going to let you go. You know why?" He puts his hand over my mouth again. I scream into his gloved hand. He laughs. "Because you are coming with me," Kaleb says in an angry tone. I try to kick him, but he stops them. With a Cast. So he is a Caster. "Yes, I am a Caster. I came from Mom and Dad, too. You're not the only offspring of true love, my dear sister. Now I am going to move my hand from your mouth. I am giving you one minute to speak and then I will cover your mouth again, also if you say something I don't want to hear." He removes his hand.

"How come that special object you have doesn't affect your powers? Why does it only affect me? Why are you holding me captive?" He slaps me after I ask the last question and puts a Cast on me so I can't speak. My throat tightens.

"My hand was beginning to get tired. Idiotic sister, the person who is controlling the object is not being affected by it. I am holding you captive because you have something I want. You said you would help me but I don't believe you. So I am going to put a Cast on you that will let me make sure you are doing as you promised. If you do not do as I say, lets just say the palace and the people you love won't be very pretty anymore.

"So if you wish to have everything as it is, -except me living in the palace- I would go and talk to Mom and Dad." I see Connor behind Kaleb. He must have taken one of Kaleb's knifes. Connor is shaking I can tell. He quickly, before Kaleb realizes what's happening, puts the knife in front of Kaleb's neck.

"Let her go, now," Connor says through gritted teeth. Kaleb lets go of me. My throat is free again. I can talk. "Do not move. If you do I will use this knife and kill you." I quickly go through Kaleb's pockets and find a bag of dust. I pull it out.

"Give that back!" Kaleb shouts and reaches at me for it. Connor presses the knife into Kaleb's neck. Blood drips a little. I Cast a spell on Kaleb that will make him unable to move unless I ask him a question and he answers.

I examine the velvet cloth small bag. I open it and see light blue, sparkling dust. There is also a sheet of paper.

'Rustication Dust: Use on a Caster in which you wish to temporarily remove their ability to Cast'"Connor, you can let him go. I Casted a spell on him," I say. I smirk at Kaleb. "You won't be moving for a while, brother." Connor come by my side.