Young Guardian Trilogy by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (the lemonade war series .TXT) 📖

too?” Aimee asked, horrified.
“Me too, what?” Luna cried, “What’s going on?”
“Look at your eyes in the mirror.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.” Aimee commanded.
She obeyed, and glanced at her reflection. “What about it....”
Her words were cut off by the eerie silence as she stared into her own eyes. She gasped, stepping back.
“That’s it. I’m taking all three of my nephews next door with me.” Aimee said. “You two are in no condition to take care of them right now.”
I dried my eyes. “What about the banquet?”
“Let’s just hope you find out whatever’s going on before tonight.” Aimee replied, taking charge. My twin was still in a daze, staring at her own reflection. Aimee had to tap her out of it.
“Lu.” She called. When my sister turned to her, she asked. “What did you see?”
She opened her mouth, looked at me, but said nothing.
I heard Derrick’s voice from the other room, calling my name.
“I’ll go tell him what’s up. That way, he and Shane can help me with the babies.” Aimee said.
Luna looked at her, and smiled. “You really are like a sister, aren’t you?”
Aimee grinned. “I guess so. Don’t forget Ariana and I grew up together.”
Luna nodded. “Thanks for caring so much.” She sniffed, hugging her once the two of them stood.
“You’re welcome.” Aimee told her. She reached over to get Caleb. “For now, find out what’s going on between you. I’ll explain to the guys what you’re doing.”
I sniffed, rising as well. I hugged her, too. “Thanks, Aim.”
“No problem. What are sisters for anyway?” She grinned, winking. Aimee left the bathroom and we stared at each other.
My curiosity was triggering. “What did you see, Lu?”
She put her hands in her pockets. “Something I didn’t want to.”
“You couldn’t have had a dark past.” I replied, washing my face. “You grew up in the perfect place.”
“I may not have, but I saw you did.”
I was confused. “Huh?”
“Ariana, I’m a clairvoyant, right?” Luna asked me.
“Yeah, why?”
“I had visions of many things growing up. Most of all, I had images of you, being beaten by Mrs. Gertrude as you grew up.” Luna said. “I felt your pain, at least half of it. If I felt half of it, I figured what hell you went through. I wanted so much to meet you, so I could help you. It hurt me so much to watch as you went through it.”
I looked down. “Is that all you saw? Visions of me?”
“What I saw when I stared into my own eyes was evil. Dark, shadowing evil.” Luna told me. “There aren’t words to describe it, but the feeling is something I don’t want with me.”
“With you?” I asked. “What do you mean?”
“It’s something in our souls.” Luna whispered. “Something so deep, whatever our anger, frustrations, pain, and hells may be, it builds up, threatening to overcome us.”
“Do you know what it is?” I asked her, interested and horrified at the same time.
Luna shook her head and shrugged. “Not a clue.”
She left the bathroom and I followed her.
“I’ve already tried to ask Mother, but she won’t budge.” I told my sister.
Luna stared at me, determined. “Time for us to ask again. We’ve got to know what’s going on, so this evil in our souls doesn’t overcome us.”
I nodded. “I know right where to find her, too.” I said. “Follow me.”
We found Mother in the yard, raking up the autumn leaves with Father, our older brother Kevin, and oldest sister Anna.
“Mother, we’ve got to talk.” I said straight-out. Luna and I marched up to her.
Once she looked up, and saw the drying tears on my face, she stopped what she was doing. “I knew this day would come.”
Luna and I looked at each other, then back at her.
I saw Anna and Kevin looking on from the corner of my eye.
“The day we found some unknown evil in our souls?” Luna whispered, holding my hand.
Mother set her rake against a tree and took us aside. “Girls, I didn’t want to tell you this, but it looks like now I have no choice.”
“Mother?” I whispered.
She continued. “The unknown evil you saw in your souls as you looked into your reflections was the Dark Magic.”
“Dark Magic?” Luna asked.
“Where did it come from?”
“Jezebel.” Mother sighed. “This has happened to both me and your aunt Sharon, too, so don’t feel you’re alone in this. You’re not.”
What a relief.
“Where did she get it from, if all Mystics are for good?” I asked her.
“Back in the Wars, before she killed her own sister, she vowed to place a curse of Dark Magic on every Earthbound Mystic.” Mother explained. “So far, we’d been able to control the deep urges, but lately, I see you haven’t.”
She was talking to me.
“Don’t let the Dark Magic harbor in your souls, girls. I beg of you.” Mother began to cry. “I don’t want to lose you to the same fate Jezebel had.”
“Which was that?”
“I thought she’d changed her mind, and heart?” I asked. “She and Lord Maximaniac are happy together.”
“They were before the Wars, too.” Mother replied. “That was all long ago, and now, Jezebel has to prove herself worthy of being back as a Mystic Sister once again.”
She sighed. “For now, tend to your children next door. Tell your husbands what’s going on so they won’t worry.”
“How long will the Dark Magic last?”
“As long as you live. The one way to keep it away from your heart is not to wish evil on others.” Mother explained. “Give me your word.”
“I swear,” Luna nodded.
“I promise, Mother.” I hugged her after Luna did.
With that, we were off to Aimee and Aaron’s.
Something big was going to happen; I could feel it in my bones.
It would test that Dark Magic Mother was talking about. I just had to be aware and stay cheerful and on the bright side.
Little did I know just how much I would be tested on that fact?
Story: #2:
Dark Secrets

More sleepless nights brought me more terrifying dreams. My sordid past came back once again, and I tried my best to remember how I handled the situation. Most of the time, the images had a heart-wrenching ending. As the Young Guardian, I would be able to control my dreams, so the evils of the Dream Realm and Dominion wouldn’t get a chance to hurt me, or Young Dreamers.
I tried my best now to control my dreams, but nothing happened. Nothing, that is, except the anger in my system bubbling. The Dark Magic was growing. I could feel it.
I’ve conquered so many nightmares in my life so far.
This was one nightmare, one presence in my soul, which I couldn’t touch. I didn’t dare.
All through the next week, while Derrick was away at Police Cadet Camp, and Kelly was in school, Aimee would take the twins. She stayed with us while she would play nanny to them. I loved her help, and her concern for me was true. I didn’t doubt that. Once I told her what Mother explained, she relaxed some.
The rest of my siblings were working and going to school. Mother and Father were on a business trip, though Mother didn’t feel right leaving us. Aimee and Aaron both assure her Luna and I were in good hands – theirs.
I wasn’t as easily convinced. Luna loved the idea of learning something else about our mysterious Magic, but I had to keep telling her the same thing. We were still Earthbound.
It was the last month of the test, but I couldn’t wait until it ended. I could learn and Crusade freely, not having to worry about the Dark Magic in my system nearly overflowing my heart with hate and evil.
The week before school started for the children, Aaron and Aimee drove with Derrick and me to the PTA meeting. It was being held in the old Academy Auditorium. The children were being watched by their loving aunts Claudia and Anna. When we arrived, we walked in the middle of a man talking up on the front podium.
As his eyes spied us, all was silent. Then, the chatter started.
“Isn’t that...”
“Yeah. Have you heard...?”
“Oh, no. Really? I bet...”
I felt so uncomfortable.
A woman with long brown hair stood up. I recognized her as Andrea Richardson, Derrick’s best friend Craig’s older sister.
“You can sit by us, guys.” She announced. I smiled, but frowned as we heard the crowd gasp.
“You make it seem as if it was a sin for us to be here, the way you talk behind our backs.” Derrick spoke up. “Yes, I am Derrick Reading, of the Hill View Readings. My father owns Reading Industries across town, and we live in a nice big house in the Rich District. I have learned to put aside all feelings of doubt and anger I grew up with once I met Ariana Woods. Now that we’re married, I recommend you treat her with the same respect you would treat any other member of the Hill View community.”
No one said a word, but returned to their discussion.
“Thank you for that pleasant speech, Mr. Reading. Now, take your seats. We were just going over the new plan for our three new schools.” The man at the podium wasn’t enthused.
Aimee, Aaron, Derrick, and I looked at one another before sitting next to Andrea and Craig.
“We’re here for Cara, mostly.” Andrea explained.
Cara was their youngest sister, and the story was about as sad as mine was. Andrea graduated from college with honors, and her parents were on their way to the party when they were hit by a car. They were killed instantly, and both Andrea and Craig had to take over their baby sister. Cara’s now the same age as Kelly, and the only one of Kelly’s friends besides Bradley, that could be trusted with the Mystic secret.
“Don’t listen to a word they say.” Craig replied. “Most of them are just like the Whiteheads.”
“Whiteheads? Who are they?” I asked.
“Derrick used to go out with one of them, long before he met you. The Whiteheads are the richest in Hill View, and their daughter, Adrienne, is the worst snob ever.” Andrea whispered.
I stared at my new husband, who didn’t dare to look in my eyes.
I ignored this for the moment. Especially when I heard someone shouting.
“Lousy Woods’!”
I perked up right away, and shot up like a cannon. “What about my family?”
“You and your devil-worshiping are making Hill View a bad place to live.” One parent replied.
“We’re not devil-worshipers.” I tried to convince him.
“Now, now, people. Calm yourselves before you start a riot.” The man at the podium, who had introduced himself as being Mr. Ellersby, the Superintendent of Schools, remarked. He was trying to get some order back into the meeting.
“Liar!” I heard someone else shout.
How dare they call me a liar! They didn’t even know me!
“I can assure you we don’t worship the devil!” I cried, my anger rising. “We’re not evil, we’re not witches, and most of all, we’re not anything bad. I bet you don’t even know who we Woods really are.”
They looked at each other, murmuring their thoughts.
“Ever since Old Lady Jacobs came here, there’s been nothing but trouble.”
“What does Old Lady Jacobs have to do with anything?” I asked, not even knowing who she was either. “I’m willing to bet you don’t even know her that well.”
“Yeah, and we don’t want to!”
“Here, here!” The crowd shouted.
“We’re getting off