"Why'd you stop?" Hope questions as Jo doubles over in pain.
"Not the time for that question, H," I scold, going to help my friend.
"This is twin pain," She grunts, Hope and I sharing a look. We are very familiar with twin pain. "Something's wrong. I think Lizzie's in trouble," She says, the three of us spotting Mr.Williams and running to where he sits at the Mystic Grill.
"We need to go, like now," I state, concern lacing my voice.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you leave," He responds simply.
"No, I need to go home to see my sister," Josie argues.
"Your dad's with your sister. And I'm under strict orders to keep you here," Mr.W replies.
"What? Why?" Josie asks, annoyed.
"And why are you researching that?" Hope questions, my eyes drifting to the book open on his table before he quickly closes it and sighs.
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Josie, Hope, and I storm inside the school, Josie's twin pain getting worse as we made our way here. The first thing I notice though is that the typically busy school is silent. This can't be good.
"Lizzie?" Josie yells out.
"We'll check the library," I say to Jo, Hope nodding as we make our way there.
"What are you doing here?" Alaric's voice questions, making Hope and I jump.
"Oh, my God!" Hope and I exclaim simultaneously. "You scared us!"
"Dorian was supposed to keep you away," Alaric states, entirely skipping over our complaints.
"He tried. He lost. But here," I explain, handing him the book Mr.W sent with us. "Killing Gargoyles 101. He thought you could translate it."
"Gaulish. Son of a..." He grumbles, looking up to H and I as we stare at him expectantly.
"So are we on our own, or did the Gauls provide clear instructions?" Hope asks impatiently.
"In a nutshell, it says hit it hard, repeat as needed," Alaric answers as a roar rips through the school.
"Is that...?" I start to ask, Hope and I sharing a wide-eyed look.
"Yeah," Alaric answers simply, his panic clear in his eyes. "Listen, it poisoned Lizzie-"
"It what?" I ask in shock and concern.
"I'm guessing, to get my attention," Alaric continues. "Then it attacked me and took the knife."
"The knife? The dragon knife?" Hope asks in a panic. "And you're still breathing?"
"Oh, I have a theory about that," Alaric assures.
"Well, save it, because we had to take down that containment spell to get inside the school, meaning our monster can get out," I explain quickly.
"A containment spell? Lizzie wanted to make sure whatever attacked her didn't escape into the world. Good girl," Alaric mumbles, walking over to a shield on the wall and taking the weapons from it. "All right, well, guess we better find it, before it makes the evening news. So how'd you take down the containment spell?" He asks as he reapproaches us.
"They didn't," Josie states, meeting up with us and taking the weapon from her dad. "I did. And I have questions."
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We walk down the hallway, following the gargoyle's scratches in the wall, Hope and in the front of Alaric and Josie. Making it to the library, I open the door, it opening with a loud creak.
"Emma?" Alaric calls out, searching for Emma and the younger kids who have Lizzie. "Emma?"
The doors at the end of the library open quickly, Emma standing there with her finger to her mouth in an attempt to keep us quiet as growling and large thuds are heard behind us. Emma quickly closes the door, the four of us turning around quickly and Hope and I step forward as the Gargoyle swings for me but I drop to the floor. I get up quickly, Hope trying to pull me back but I stumble, the Gargoyle lifting his arm to stab me in the heart.
"No!" Alaric yells, running in front of me as Josie yells, "Dad!" The Gargoyle stops, the knife only a few inches from Alaric's chest as he stares down the monster. While it's distracted, Josie comes up behind it, breaking off its wing with a grunt before it turns and goes to stab her, Alaric quickly severing its other wing. Immediately as it turns to hit Alaric, Hope yells,
"Fluctus inpulsa!" Disarming the stone monster.
"Josie, Hope! Help me!" I exclaim, holding my hands out for them to grasp.
"How?" Josie asks, both of them coming to my sides.
"Just repeat after me," I explain quickly before the three of us hold hands, turning to the monster. "Fluctus inpulsa. Fluctus inpulsa. Fluctus inpulsa. Fluctus inpulsa," We chant, wind howling around us as our spell does damage to the gargoyle, him exploding after multiple chants as Hope turns to Jo and I.
"Nice job," She says with a sigh.
"How could you jump in front of her like that?" Josie asks, tears in her eyes as she ignores Hope and wheels around to face her father. "You could have died, Dad."
"Honey, I knew it wouldn't kill me because my research said so," He tries to explain, her walking around him as he turns to Hope and me.
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"How's Liz?" I ask Alaric, leaning against the bookshelf of his office.
"Recovering quickly, thanks to her sister."
"So, how'd you know the gargoyle wouldn't kill you?" I question, asking what's been on my mind.
"Gargoyles are protectors. And folklore tells a tale of a gargoyle who once protected a small settlement in France whose villagers revered a powerful relic. A knife," He explains, walking the shelf next to me and putting away a book.
"Our knife?" I ask quickly.
"As the story goes, the gargoyle loved the humans he protected so much, he vowed never to harm humanity. Instead, he chose to fight evil on their behalf."
"Me being the evil one in this scenario," I ask with a skeptical grin, "Josie, Lizzie, Hope..."
"In its mind, yes. I realized when it didn't hurt me before, it saw me as the one who needed protection."
"I'm not sure that knowing that will make the girls feel any better," I say slowly, him nodding.
"I should get back to the girls," He says after a moment.
"Wait, Alaric!" I call out, him turning to me as he reaches the door. "One more thing," I promise, his tired eyes falling on me. "You're always telling us that we need to work together, to put our own feelings aside for the school, for the community. I know Hope and I haven't always listened to you with that kind of stuff, but I'm starting to think that it's actually pretty good advice, so... maybe you should take it." I suggest. "Because if you want Hope and the twins to get along, for them to be happy, for the school to be safe... these secrets are going to tear us all apart," I explain, him nodding slowly.
YOU ARE READING
Forever & Always
Fanfiction"So, you told me about your family but... what are you?" Raf asks, gently clasping my smaller hand in his much larger one. "I'm a tribrid. Because my dad was a vampire and werewolf hybrid, my mom was a werewolf, and my grandmother was a witch, it ma...
