48. Owen

Chapter forty-eight

Owen

I woke as a hum began to echo around me. I almost got up, but I heard Shadow in my head. " Don't move, not until I tell you to. You and I must join to stop this ."

I knew, somehow, she told the truth. Shadow was my only salvation. I almost lost my shit, though, when I looked up and saw all four of my witch friends encased in bubbles and Damian somehow locked into a spell I sensed he couldn't get out of.

"Stay calm. They're okay. Trust me, Owen!" Shadow said in my mind.

"Okay, but hurry."

"They all must sing. I have to wait, patience. Trust me," she said again.

I watched as she moved slowly toward me, glancing from her to my friends, and I managed to keep myself from moving, from giving away any plans to the statue creep, who was now somehow glowing darkly .

When the sound reached a horrifying pitch, Shadow, in her weird, whatever she was, form, lifted on her hind legs. Fear gripped me before she screamed, "Now!"

Instinct took over, and I jumped from the slab and turned toward her just as her horn came down. My horn and hers collided, and a strange rainbow-colored supernova burst from where our two horns met.

Power soared through me, and strength like I'd never known settled firmly into my being. The horrific hum ceased, and moments later, the light slowly ebbed, and Shadow pulled back. The second after she did, we both turned back into what I now knew were human avatars—the human equivalent of our bodies.

"We did it, brother."

"Brother?" I asked, and I knew what she was saying was true. Shadow was my sister.

I looked over at where the dark entities had been, but only ashes wafted through the air now. "Incinerated?" I asked, and Shadow nodded.

"Destroyed themselves by linking to my horn when you and I joined. Not a smart move."

"Wait!" I yelled. "Damian, Cary!"

"They're fine. Come on. They're over here."

I followed her as we rushed to where all five lay crumpled on the ground. I could feel that Mrs. Patterson was injured, but the moment Shadow saw her, she turned back into the Karkadann and touched her with her horn. Mrs. Patterson's injuries were immediately healed.

She swallowed hard as she gazed up at Shadow and whispered, "Thanks."

Shadow transformed back into her human avatar and smiled, then reached down and pulled Mrs. Patterson to her feet.

I rushed over to Damian and pulled him up. Seeing he was okay and smiling at me, I thrust myself into his arms. "Oh my God, Damian, I was so worried," I cried, tears pouring down my face.

"Shh, my powerful unicorn, you were magnificent, as was Shadow. Thank you," he said over my shoulder.

"Ah, nothing to it," she said.

I didn't have the energy to unpack how it was nothing.

Damian held me tight, whispering it was okay and that it was over. Finally, after a very long time, I let him go. The tears finally spent.

"You're fine, and I dare say, nothing in its right mind will ever take you on again. You are a fully powered unicorn, after all."

I shook my head. "I have no idea what that means, but if I don't have to worry about being abducted again or bitten by a stupid vampire, I am fully behind it."

"Yeah, we'll still need to check on the bites. "

"No, you don't," Shadow said. "He's pure light, remember. Nothing can infect him now, not when he and I have completed our joining."

"About that," Damian said, but Shadow laughed.

"About that, you can never say what you saw here today. In fact, I either get your commitment in blood, or I will erase all your memories, and I do mean all of them," she said.

Somehow, I knew she…we…actually could do just that. Even a Legacy Wizard couldn't resist the combined powers of Re'em and Karkadann unicorns.

Damian smiled at me. "I would never do anything to hurt Owen or the future reincarnations of him either," he said, and I couldn't help but smile even though the thought of being reincarnated opened up so many questions.

Shadow looked around the group, and when they all agreed, she transformed and touched each of their hands with her horn, releasing a small amount of blood.

"Swear," she said as she returned to her avatar form, "that you will never speak of what you saw here tonight. No one must ever know the unified power of the Re'em or Karkadann unicorns."

They all swore simultaneously, and dark rainbow light glowed in their hands, sealing their promises.

Satisfied, Shadow sighed. "Now, if you give Owen and me a moment, we need to speak, and since I've claimed this as my territory, there is no place safer for us to do so. "

I could tell Damian didn't want to leave me, not again, and not so soon after my life had been in jeopardy, but when I nodded in his direction, he went with the others.

"So," I said as soon as they were gone, "want to explain what happened?"

"Yes, but only in our natural form. You will understand it much better that way."

I didn't need to think. I transformed just as Shadow did. The sun crested the horizon as Shadow sent images of her life as a young child.

Our father, the son of a bitch, had fathered her with another woman while married to my mother. I had been conceived one day later. Shadow and I were born on the same night, just seconds apart. Of course, Shadow had been born first.

"In most of our past lives, we've been twins, but you were destroyed in the last three reincarnations, so I assume that's why the gods must've given us two different mothers."

"And our dad?" I asked in my head, using words instead of images.

"Total asshole. Best to avoid him, but our grandmother is pretty awesome," she responded.

She showed me images of our father's parents and how they had loved her. They were from a long line of magical beings, not quite witches, although that's who they usually married or hung out with.

Our father's mother had suspected Shadow was different, and when our grandfather passed, she began to test Shadow's gifts, pulling the Karkadann to the forefront earlier than it might've occurred naturally.

Luckily for me, that's what'd happened, otherwise, she wouldn't have been knowledgeable enough to save us from Balthazar.

We galloped along the prairie through empty corn fields and over a multitude of fences when, finally, I transformed into my human avatar and sat down on the porch at a vacant house. Shadow transformed as well and sat next to me.

"Can I visit her?" I asked, meaning our grandmother. I hadn't known my mother's mom. But I'd loved my grandfather with everything I had in me. He was more of a dad if I was being honest. Mom was annoying, but I knew she'd always loved me, unlike my dad, who had disappeared long ago.

"She's very frail, but she'd love to meet you. I-I think she always wondered about you. Re'em are always male, and Karkadann always female. Grandma would've known you existed."

"Why didn't she try to find me?" I asked, feeling a bit put out by that new information.

Shadow leaned back against the old rotted post and sighed. "Listen, the dark never attacks Karkadann. For one thing, even the legends tell of how territorial we are." She chuckled, but I think even I knew how powerful she was.

"When the Re'em is young, they are completely without powers. Even with my protection, you would've been in jeopardy. Grandma couldn't risk the forces that attacked you tonight finding you until you were ready."

"Ready? How is it I was ready? I mean, I still don't believe it, and I literally just changed back into a human."

Shadow laughed. "Yeah, it's going to take time. I've had an entire lifetime, and it still sometimes shocks me."

I shook my head as Shadow continued.

"Listen, I have no idea how it works for the Re'em. I had my powers from the moment I was born. They've just become more powerful as I've grown older. I suspect when you moved to Seattle, and yes, before you ask, I've done a lot of research on you since we met that night in my bar."

"Your bar?" I asked, causing her to chuckle.

"My bar. I own it, and several other establishments in Seattle."

"Wait. There's some bad juju there, Damian told me…"

"Yeah, and they are all dead now. Listen, there's so much to unpack about what happened tonight, what's been happening. Balthazar confronted me after I went out with the leader of the stupid vipers. He threatened Molly if I didn't help him find my light equivalent, in other words, you. At first, he didn't believe me when I told him I didn't know you. I wasn't powerful enough, not until we were joined, to defeat him, but I bided my time. Unfortunately, the son of a bitch was there that night you came in. He recognized you before I did. I thought maybe I could hire you as my attorney, then… it didn't work out as I'd hoped. When I refused to help him kill you, he kidnapped Molly, and I had to come up with a strategy to defeat him. All I can say is, luckily, Damian stepped in when he did with that ridiculous golem and got her released from Balthazar's grip."

"Wait—the golem. That's what got him in so much trouble?"

Shadow smiled sadly. "Yeah, it's a Hebrew thing. It's a clay figure you can bring to life. Unfortunately, I didn't even think about him using his own blood." She shook her head. "If Balthazar wasn't the exhibitionist he was, he could've done a lot more damage with that than just holding him and your witch friends captive."

Images rolled through my mind of how Damian's blood could've been honed into a weapon to use against the light. "Yeah," I said as the images began to subside. "He'd best keep his blood to himself from now on."

Shadow chuckled beside me.

I thought about Molly, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. "Wait, you…you and Molly?" I asked.

Shadow sighed. "You're coming into your powers. That's going to be a bit disconcerting, especially since they'll be coming on you fast now. You'll want to find somewhere you can lie low. Of course, you're welcome to stay here. Nothing would dare come into the Karkadann territory, not even humans, although they wouldn't understand why not."

I chuckled. "I have a feeling I'll be safe with Damian. "

"For sure, but if you ever need a place, as my brother and my opposite, you are welcome here anytime."

"Back to Molly," I said, causing Shadow to laugh.

"Yes, I've been in love with her for a while, but that's probably done now. She thinks I set her up with Balthazar. I had to play along with him, or he would've killed her. I couldn't let him do that, even if she hates me forever."

The sun was shining now. I felt my internal power rise and couldn't help but chuckle. "I am some sort of love charm, aren't I?" I asked, knowing the answer was yes.

Shadow laughed. "Love is a pure light emotion, and even when it comes from a dark source, you'll sense it."

"Molly doesn't hate you. She's confused. I can feel her emotions even here. You would be wise to talk to her sooner rather than later though. Wow, eew, I shouldn't be able to feel all those emotions, especially if you're my sister, yuck!"

Shadow burst into laughter as I shut down all the insight regarding how much the two women liked and, well, loved each other. They had a pretty good sex life. Yuck! I chuckled, this time at my own reaction.

"Let's get back to Seattle. I'll talk to her."

"Wait, can you… I, um, this is your territory, right? I feel like that's a big deal."

Shadow nodded. "Let your intuition guide you, look deeper," she suggested, and when I did, I could see it. The Karkadann territory was significant for a variety of reasons. Eventually, she would raise her children here, children who would be the forebearers of our reincarnated selves. Until then, she could travel anywhere there was dark.

I could travel anywhere there is light. Together, we could travel anywhere, period. That included a lot of outer space options, although I couldn't quite make out what that meant yet. I certainly would, though, as time went on.

"Come on. Your wizard is about to crack. You know, I might not have your abilities to sense love, but I can certainly feel how much he loves you."

"Please, we just met; we barely know each other."

Shadow stopped me right before I transformed, which was required if we were going to travel. "You've known him many lifetimes. He's a reincarnated wizard, just as you are a reincarnated Re'em. You may have never been lovers, although I suspect you were, but your bond is deeper than one incarnation. Don't resist how you feel for him. Time in each life is short and precious. It will be gone quickly enough, and you must hold onto it while you can."

I nodded, her words striking true even as she spoke.

"Okay, and the same goes for you and Molly. I sense something deep. Much deeper than this lifetime, as well."

Shadow smiled and hugged me. "Okay, I am ready to go home. Shall we?"

I stopped. "Ugh, no. Damn, I forgot my mom's dog. I have to take her out."

"Okay, we'll stop there first and then home!" she said .

I realized with the sun up, she depended on me to initiate the travel, but I didn't laugh. I felt her need to see Molly and wanted to see my own man.

Luckily, as we arrived outside my mom's place, she came out of the house and asked where I'd been, then turned to Shadow, her eyebrow arched.

"Mom," I said with a sigh. "Shit, I might as well tell you what I know."

We spent the next hour talking to Mom about how Dad had another kid, and Shadow was my half-sister.

Mom cried a little, and both of us consoled her. "I knew," Mom said. "I don't know how I knew, but I did. Anyway, I'm glad you found each other. Maybe now I can let that man go. Oh, Eric, I need to fix that."

I opened my mouth to tell her Eric was gone, but Shadow shook her head, reached over, and laid her hand on my mother's back. Dark light flowed into Mom, and I knew all memory of Eric was disappearing.

I joined my hand over hers and replaced the memories of Eric with positive ones, and together, Shadow and I called upon someone who could take Eric's place as Mom's law partner. Someone who would be a good replacement.

Dark replaces dark, though, and I knew Shadow was calling on a dark witch to take his place. If he was under Shadow's influence, he'd be a good guy or woman…yes, that felt more right. Eric's replacement would be a woman. Mom would like that .

When the power subsided, Mom seemed tired. "Well, kids, it's been so nice to see you, but all this traveling has made me tired," she said and walked upstairs to her bedroom.

"She won't even remember we came, will she?" I asked.

Shadow smiled but shook her head. "Nope, so you better grab your things so as not to confuse her."

"Cool," I said, and after collecting all my luggage, which was luckily still packed, we transformed, touched horns, and just like that, we were in Damian's front yard, my luggage sitting next to us. Correction, our front yard, I was home, and Damian was my beloved partner. It was time for me to accept that and stop running away.