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

She was crying, rushing to my open arms before breaking down. Her silver-blue eyes were pained and hurt, red from crying. Her clothes were torn, and I had to fix her sleeve to go back on her shoulder before I said anything.
“Lu, what happened to you?” I dared to ask such a question.
What happened to her also happened to me in my own mind. It had to do with the special bond a Mystic Twin had with another.
She sniffed, looking up into my eyes. “I – don’t know --- how to explain it.”
I caught the concerned eye of my husband across the room. I led Luna to the couch, sitting her down.
I held my twin for dear life, letting her cry on my shoulder.
“He hurt me Ariana, and I don’t even know why – or how.” Luna managed to whisper.
My heart pounded, afraid for her. I took a breath and swallowed before saying a word. “Who hurt you, Lu?” I asked her, trying to get her to look in my eyes.
It was too late, for I already knew the answer.
Both Luna and I chorused. “Aaron.”
Luna nodded. Derrick and I shared another horrified look. He sat beside me, holding both Luna’s and my hands.
“Tell us what happened.” Derrick whispered, himself hurt.
“Whenever you’re ready.” I whispered in her ear.
She took a deep breath before starting her story.
“Shane had taken Caleb out, since I hadn’t been feeling well all day. I went to the bedroom to take a nap. No sooner had I fallen asleep, then I heard the door creak open.
“’Shane?’ I called out softly, turning in bed to meet his face.
“My sensors were tired, so I couldn’t tell who it was. When I blinked my eyes open, trying to focus, I saw a white, glowing ball coming toward me. I found I couldn’t move as the ball came closer and closer. I recognized it as being part of the necklace you gave Aaron back in time.
“’Aaron?’ I called out to him, but got no answer. I tried again. ‘What are you doing here?’”
She stopped in the story, gasping for breath.
I could tell this was getting harder and harder for Luna to tell me. I held her hand and listened patiently. My sister took a deep breath. I looked at my husband, who was waiting for her to continue. His eyes showed a deep concern for her well-being. I turned back to Luna.
“Go on, if you can.”
She looked at me. Her silver-blue eyes, which were usually so vibrant and happy, were distressed and angry. I didn’t like to see anyone like this, especially her. It was as if I were looking into the mirror at my younger self again. Whatever she felt, I did too.
Luna opened her mouth to tell the rest of her story.
“Before I knew it, Aaron was on top of me, and I couldn’t move. He ”
Just as in my own horrible vision. She began to cry in my arms again, unable to get the rest of her words out clearly.
I took a deep breath, thinking to myself. I knew what Aaron had done.
My best friend had raped my twin sister.
“Shhh.” I whispered into her ear. “It’s over now, Lu. It’s okay.”
Derrick stood and pounded his fist into his hand. “When I see him again, I’m gonna kill him!”
I glared at him. “No! Let me handle this. There’s no need for the Crusaders to be fighting each other.”
“Like hell!” Derrick yelled at me, making Luna and I both cringe. He noticed this and calmed right away. He whispered, “You do understand where I’m coming from, right?”
I nodded. “That still gives you no reason for violence. Especially toward someone who has been part of the Crusaders since the beginning.” I hugged my sister. “What’s important now is helping Luna, not fighting Aaron. Got that?”
Derrick stared at me, sighing. He sat down, looking defeated. His fists relaxed, as did his demeanor.
There was a silent lull in the conversation until Luna spoke up.
“Something just came over him.” She sniffed, drying her tears. She thought for a moment, and then replied softly. “I don’t know what, though. It was like he didn’t know what he was doing, yet he called your name, knowingly.”
I knew exactly what she meant. Not to know what evil you were doing, yet you were awake enough to do it. I felt something terrible then. I didn’t know what either, but I bet it had something to do with the Dark Magic.
I consoled my twin the best I could, hugging her close while she cried. I began to think of what the Dark Magic might be doing to Aaron.
That’s when I sensed him coming our way. I felt the confusion from both Aaron and Luna’s sides, even if he wasn’t there in front of me.
“He’s coming, Lu.” I whispered, holding her. “Please, be calm.”
“I can’t be calm.” Luna whispered, horrified I’d even think of such a thing. “He hurt me.”
We met eyes, and the desperation in my own was enough for her to agree. I sat until he came in, fresh pain in his heart. I’d never felt this before, and I didn’t want to, either.
Derrick noticed Aaron was standing behind us at the front door. He stood and took a deep breath, not saying a word to Aaron. All he said was, “Be careful, both of you.” He pecked us each on the cheek before disappearing up the stairs.
We both knew it would be best if I talked to them alone.
I stood and turned to face a very hurt Aaron Theodore Schmidt. He stood hugging himself, unable to move. It was as if he were afraid to.
“Ariana ” Aaron began, a genuine tear running down his cheek. I noticed the necklace’s dark glow was fading. “I’m sorry.”
“I know, but it’s not me you should be apologizing to, my Aaron Theodore.” I told him, using the special name he’d had in the orphanage, when he was nobody. I defended my sister.
He dared to step closer. “I didn’t mean to hurt her.” He tried to convince me. “I swear it.”
I believed him. Something in my intuition told me to believe him. “I know ” My voice carried off, looking at my twin.
Aaron took a seat at the kitchen table, thinking. After a minute, he spoke. “I don’t know what happened. I mean, I do, but I don’t know how. The thought just came into my head, and I went through with it.”
“Thought?” I asked, listening. “What thought?”
“I don’t know what to call it, but I know I didn’t like it.” He paused, looking at my sister with tears in his eyes. “I don’t know how many times I can apologize to you, Luna.” He shook his head. “Blessed be, I don’t know what came over me.”
“You hurt me, Aaron!” Luna jumped up and yelled, fresh tears made their way to her eyes.
I put a hand on my sister’s shoulder before she said anything she might regret later. Each were in their separate corners: Luna on the couch and Aaron across the room at the kitchen table. I walked over to my best friend, trying to grasp all of whatever the Dark Magic had done to the three of us.
I took a seat across from him at the table. I grasped the necklace with one hand, wary but curious. My other hand was on my own Jewels Amulet.
I saw something I hadn’t seen since my youth. A faceless demon with yellow eyes came into view and I gasped. For years, it had been the main visionary symbol of evil, now known as the Dark Magic. There was something deeply evil about his necklace right now, and I had no clue how to handle it.
He was staring at me when I opened my eyes again. “What did you see?”
“You weren’t to blame for what happened, Aaron.” I told him.
“He attacked me!” I heard Luna from behind me.
I turned my head. “Luna, please.”
I heard her take a deep breath. I continued my conversation with Aaron. “Some kind of Dark Magic is. Only, I don’t know much about it.”
“How could you not?” He asked. “You were the one to conjure this thing up for me. During the last Crusade through time. Don’t you remember? It helped me remember what was real and what wasn’t.”
He was right, but even I didn’t know what to do. Even back then, I didn’t.
Thoughts were ringing through my head, randomly. I could recall what this Dark Magic had made him do, which took my thoughts back to the orphanage.
“Remember when we were growing up, my Aaron Theodore?”
He looked at me strangely. “Yes, but what –?”
I held my hand up. I wasn’t finished yet. “When I could feel the other children hurting, including you and Aimee?”
His eyes fell to his lap. “Yeah, but.” He began, unknowing of what to say next.
I touched his chin, meeting eyes. I saw some of the darkness was still there. I wished there were a way to get rid of it.
I had to tell him.
“I felt it, Aaron.” I told him. “I felt it to the exact moment you were attacking her.” My anger and disappointment was bubbling. “Is that what you wanted? To hurt both of us at the same time?”
He didn’t say anything, looking away.
Aaron only opened his mouth to shut it again. “I -- don’t know.”
Crossed arms on the table, I watched as he buried his head so I couldn’t see his hurt eyes. “I’m so sorry. Please, don’t desert me now.”
I would never think of doing such a thing, and he knew it! We’ve had so many things happen to us in our lives, and we’d stuck through it.
I heard him begin to sob and stood to comfort him. There was something tugging at his heart, I knew it. He wanted to tell me, but didn’t know how.
“Aaron.” I whispered in his ear. “Tell me.”
“You hate me now, don’t you?” He asked, lifting his head to reveal the tears in his eyes. “We’ll never be best friends again, I know it.”
“Stop talking like that.” I chided him. “Of course we will.”
He didn’t say anything, and we stared at each other for a minute.
“Just because some obstacle decides to challenge us, doesn’t mean I’m going to throw away nearly eighteen years of friendship.”
“How can you like him now?” Luna spoke up. I hadn’t even heard her come up behind me. “He’s hurt me, Ariana, and you just said he hurt you, too. Don’t deny it.”
Her tears were gone, but not her anger.
This was hard on all three of us, not to mention both Luna’s and my Earthly Protectors. I took a deep breath.
“Look, we can’t let something like this break us apart. We’re a team of Crusaders, chosen by O’Dell and the Sisters.”
They didn’t say anything, so I continued.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to let them down now.” I replied.
Luna and Aaron looked at me, then each other before back at the floor.
I sighed. “Forgive, forget, and move on.” I told them, looking at my sister. “Luna, I know he hurt you. Badly. I felt it, too, remember?” I turned to him. “He said he was sorry, and I believe him.”
“You always stick up for him, Ariana!” Luna spat angrily. “What about me – your own twin sister? Aren’t I important to you anymore?”
“Lu, yes, you are important to me.” I stood and hugged her. “We’re identical twins;