The Young and Gifted

45. traditions

So the girls did just that. They snuck off after curfew and walked into the library, making their way to the back. Kaura placed her hand on the magically closed doors to the other section of the library. She began to siphon Emma's magic off and in seconds, the door clicked open. She grinned and pushed through. Lizzie followed after her and Josie glanced behind them warily before stepping in as well.

"This is the last time we're working together," Lizzie stated with her hands on her hips.

Kaura rolled her eyes and picked up the first book. "Whatever. Let's just find what we're looking for and forget this ever happened."

"You read my mind," Lizzie spat back and sank into a couch, flipping through a large old book.

Kaura began to scan the shelves, reading the spines of the old books. Her fingers brushed through them until she paused at a familiar pulse. She narrowed her eyes and pulled out the aged brown book and stared at the cover. She held the book under her arm and planned to investigate it later in her room.

Soon, Kaura was propped in a chair with her legs over the small coffee table. She licked her thumb and flipped to the next page as she addressed Lizzie, "What's going on between you and Raf?"

"What are you talking about? Nothing is happening," Lizzie said with a snap. Josie glanced at her, wondering why Lizzie was getting defensive. She continued scanning the dusty shelves.

"You guys are looking at each other weird. And you usually fight with him but now you're silent," Kaura observed with her eyebrows up high in question, presenting Penelope's previous observations. "Do you like him?"

"Why would I ever like him?"

Kaura shrugged. "I don't know. But if you do, go for it. Raf needs a distraction." She returned to reading.

"I don't need your permission," Lizzie spat viciously. But for some unknown reason, she didn't want to be just a distraction. She couldn't explain it but ever since Raf had switched her morality switch back on, she saw him in a different light. As broken as it was, when he told her all those hateful things, she began to admire him for even having the effort. And after she was there for his first transformation, their dynamic had shifted as well. "Nothing is happening between Raf and I," she repeated.

Kaura shrugged and returned to the book. Her face scrunched when her gaze stopped at a sentence on the page she was reading from. "This is weird." They both turned to her with curiosity.

"Did you find something?" Josie asked.

"I don't know. But it's talking about something called the Merge?"

"What the hell is that?" Lizzie demanded and got up to read over Kaura's shoulder. Josie appeared too and then looked down at the page.

"It says 'The Merge is a powerful ritual performed as a practiced tradition by the Gemini Coven that determined who will be their next leader. It takes place in the Gemini Coven when two twins reach their 22nd birthday. Due to the twins being the first in line for the leadership of the coven, they are required to perform the Merge, through which their consciousness and strength would be merged together. The stronger twin survives the spell and is empowered by their magic as well as the magic of their twin. The weaker twin's consciousness and magic, however, is drained away and dies...'" Kaura read out loud.

Lizzie laughed once. And then twice. "There's no way. This must be some sort of joke or an old, banned tradition."

"Mom and dad would have said something if this is true...right?" Josie asked slowly. "I mean this is serious. They would have told us if we're meant to kill each other when we reach 22."

"Unless they're thinking they have 6 more years to tell you," Kaura suggested.

Lizzie grabbed the book and threw it against the wall. "Good thing it's not true. You know what? I'm done here. My pores are clogging up, I need my night routine."

They both watched as she stormed out and Josie turned pale. "Emma once said that Gemini traditions are gruesome."

"You think it was talking about this?"

"It would explain why we weren't allowed to be here."

*

Caroline returned to her office with an exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples. "I am so stressed about this Legendarium problem. I'm convinced that we should send emails to guardians because I'm not sure if it's safe here anymore. I mean, Landon died."

Clarke shut the door behind them and stood in the centre of the room, holding his hands behind his back. "Technically, it just exploited his supernatural heritage. And it helped us have a better understanding of the threat posing against us."

Caroline sighed. "I just feel guilty. I lied to Freya and told her that she has nothing to worry about. What if Hope dies?"

"Then she'll come back as a vampire and a werewolf," he reminded. "You have nothing to worry about."

Caroline glanced up at him and noted his expression. "What? Why do you have that look?"

Clarke grinned and shrugged. "I might have booked us a table down town to eat. I know you're worn out so I thought a little dinner would wash away the worries."

Caroline's mouth started to water. "I am actually famished," she groaned. She couldn't remember the last time she ate real food. She searched her desk for her keys.

Clarke drove them to the mini restaurant down town after Caroline had a mini wardrobe change. She wore a flimsy dark turquoise dress and when they entered the exquisite building, she couldn't help but realize that this was a date. Something far from their usual just sex policy.

The hostess led them to a table and Clarke pulled out the chair for her. Caroline picked up her glass of red wine and muttered, "This is fancy."

"You don't like it?" He glanced up from the menu.

Caroline set her cup down, swallowing the bitter alcohol. "No, no. When you said you booked us a table, I just thought you meant at the Mystic Grill."

He chuckled and his gaze dropped back to the laminated sheet. "Right. I'm not a big fan of burgers."

"What? How could you commit such a crime?" Caroline gasped with her eyes wide.

"It's too oily and messy for me. Anything that doesn't require a fork and knife is not it in my books."

"Not even pizza?" Clarke shook his head. "What type of man are you?"

He laughed as the waiter returned. "Another glass of wine, please. We haven't decided what to eat yet." The waiter nodded and grabbed his empty goblet.

Caroline propped her elbows on the table and glared at him. "So. Ryan Clarke. Tell me about yourself."

"I've been a mentor for supernatural children, teenagers and adults. I have an art to connect with people on an emotional and mental--"

"That's professional. Tell me something personal."

Clarke looked genuinely shocked that she was interested and he managed to say, "I'm an only child. Uh, the only childhood memory is when I was stupid enough to climb a high tree and fell, breaking my knee. Told my mom a girl pushed me off the swing and she sued the family."

Caroline laughed at the story and she would occasionally ask questions when he offered more about himself. Overall, the night was lovely and she discovered a new side of the man she brought to bed so frequently. She wondered if it could be more than just warm sheets.

~

"You should've absorbed her in the womb."

try to guess who said it and don't forget to vote ;)

*keep in mind that the section that explains the merge is not in my words, i found a better explanation on wiki fandom.*