Hooked [Complete]

56. Beltane Part 4: The Twin's Determination

Author's Note: The Wonder Twins make their own plans...

Song for this Chapter: When I See You Again by Wiz Kalifa feat. Charlie Puth

Sean's POV

It's near dawn. Lana is sleeping in her cage, but she's only had about an hour's sleep. Trivia made us practice the cutting spell all night. First just Lana and I. Once we perfected it, she made us press it against Apollo and Diana's cutting spell. She made us do...terrible things.

She forced us to practice on the ghosts. She told us, we would only be cutting the tethers that bound their souls to this graveyard. She told us we would be freeing them to move on.

She lied. Remember being a kid and learning to use a pair of scissors? Clean cuts didn't happen on the first try.

Fuck, we mutilated those poor souls. I'm pretty sure, the first one we hacked to oblivion. I thought their ghostly cries of confusion were bad. The sound of a ghost being obliterated is something that will haunt my dreams for the rest of my existence.

It wasn't just one we destroyed. I'm not sure about the next few, whether we made the proper cuts before they were hacked to oblivion by our magic. But eventually, the four of us learned how to work together, how to sense proper threads to cut, and how to cut cleanly. We severed the mortal tethers of a half-dozen ghosts before Trivia let us rest. Lana, already exhausted from her torture, fell asleep at once, the food and drink in her cage untouched.

I should wake her soon. She should eat and drink before the spell. But I don't wake her, because deep down, I know there is no point. I can not do this. I can not hurt Cerridwen. There's no way.

That's not some moral line I'm drawing in the sand. I just know, with my witch's intuition, that I'm not capable of performing a spell against my goddess. I am her dedicated supplicant. I belong to her. There is no way my magic can betray her. I've tried to explain this to Mercury, but he assures me I'm wrong.

"Finn has betrayed me over and over, and he's my spawn, and dedicated to me. Treachery is simple, the path of least resistance. You can do it."

Fucking Roman doesn't understand loyalty or love. I gave myself willing to Cerridwen. She has accepted me, protected me, healed me, loved me. My soul belongs to her. I cannot work magic that my soul will not allow. And it's not just me. Lana is also dedicated to Cerridwen. But she's not bound as tightly, and she makes the Greenspark with Finn. If Mercury threatens Finn, I have a feeling that her love and loyalty to Finn might get her farther at working magic against Cerridwen, but I'm worried that ultimately, Lana will tear her own soul apart with this spell.

I watch Lana sleep. She doesn't stir or open her eyes, but I know the moment she wakes. The first thing she does is reach out to me, with her mind.

It's okay, Sean. It will all be okay.

It won't, Lana. I can't perform the spell against Cerridwen. I think maybe you can't either.

I know. That's not what I'm talking about. You know what we have to do.

I shake my head, even though she's not looking at me.

No. Fuck no.

Sean listen to me. If we control the situation, it can save other lives. We can pretend to work the spell. We can feed Cerridwen our power. We can strengthen her, instead of hurting her. She may be able to escape, or at least we can buy her time. You know Cernunnos will come for her.

And what will Mercury do to you, when we betray him?

He'll do nothing, because we'll go out on our terms.

Suddenly, I feel a horrible pain inside my head. It worms its way around, like its searching for something. Then, the powerful pain in my head finds the weakest spot, and the pain intensifies.

"Lana, stop!" I gasp the words for real.

The pain stops at once.

Lana is still lying on the floor of her cage, covered in blood, but her eyes are open and they leak tears as she stares at me.

That's how you cause an aneurysm with magic, Sean. Maeve taught me. She used to make me practice on frogs, then squirrels. It's how witches kill men that might hurt us. Abusers, rapists, whatever. She never taught you, because you were a boy. I guess she thought you could defend yourself in ways that don't blacken the soul.

Lana, no.

You listen to me, Sean Faraday. We can't kill our goddess. We are dead either way. We might as well help her, and go out on our own terms. So you will practice this right now, do you understand?

I shake my head. Lana begs and cries inside my head until I give in. I search her brain with my magic, learning to feel her veins. I realize, this is the same way Carrie reads my heart. I feel the blood pulsing at the most tender spot, and I get inside the vein, and push ever so slightly. Lana cries out in pain as she grips her head and I stop at once.

Trivia shuffles in between our cages and looks at us suspiciously. "What are you two doing?"

Lana pretends to be asleep. I turn my back on the freaky triplet goddess. She shuffles away. Lana pushes into my head again.

Yes. That was perfect. When the time comes, we do it together. Twin timing, okay?

Okay? She repeats.

With my back still turned, I nod.

Your vision was wrong, Sean. You aren't going to murder me today. We are going to save our goddess and give each other peace.

I nod. Tears fall down my face and I dash them away. There is no point in spending our last hours arguing, so I tell her, You're right, Alanna. It will be okay.

I know you don't mean what you are saying. You're a terrible liar, even in your head. You're still trying to find a way out of this. But I need you to promise me, when the time comes, we will do this. Think about Dru. When we betray Mercury, he will try to capture her too.

My sister is a very wise witch. She's right. That's exactly what Mercury will do. Maximum pain for all Celts. But if we die quickly, he may not have time to torture me in front of Dru, or vice versa.

Promise me, she insists.

I promise.

She's my twin sister, she knows I'm not lying anymore. She's convinced me. I will do this for her, for Dru, for Cerridwen. She starts to cry then. Not on the outside, but I can hear the silent sobs in her head.

I want to scream obscenities and bash my head against the bars, but I don't. I have to be strong for my sister. So instead, I say, We will leave like we came into this life. Together. I'll be right there with you, whatever comes next. Okay?

Okay, she sobs. Together. We repeat the word to each other over and over. Eventually her internal sobs subside.

I only wish I could hold her hand, when the end comes, but I try not to think about that. Instead, I push her memories of our childhood, and she returns others. We did so much naughty shit as kids; I had forgotten half of it. We really were the worst hellions. When the sun comes up, we are both laughing through our tears at our memories.