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

reached his tiny hand to me, standing on his own.
I watched my son; waiting with my arms outstretched a few paces away. “Come to Mama, Andrew.” I whispered.
In front of my eyes, he took a step. Then another and another, until finally, he’d reached me, collapsing into my arms.
I hugged him, kissing his tiny cheeks. “I’m proud of you, my Andrew James.”
He smiled at me, nodding.
I looked up at his twin, who was frowning, and went to him.
“I think he’s jealous.” Shane joked. “Both his twin and cousin have already begun to walk while he still speed-crawls.”
I laughed. “I’m sure he has his reasons.” I replied then sent my youngest son a message.
Mark-Antony, don’t be jealous or mad. I love you.
I put Andrew down on the floor beside me, speaking aloud. “Come on, Mark-Antony Reading. Show us you can do it too.”
He sat, pouting, arms crossed. He stuck his tongue out at me, blowing raspberries.
“Now, now, be nice.” I warned him. “If I help you up, will you try?”
He stared at me, and then looked around the room, as if sizing the situation up. Luna, Shane, Caleb, Andrew, Derrick and I waited. We’d finally had all our attentions to him, so he nodded to make his move.
I took one of my son’s hands, which wrapped around my fingers. Mark-Antony stood, looking first around the room, then to the ground.
“You can do it, Mark-Antony.” I whispered. “Do it for Momma and Daddy.”
He lifted his foot and stepped forward. He let go of my hand slowly, his silver-blues watching my every move. Looking at his father Derrick straight ahead, Mark-Antony stepped again, only to fall flat on his face! Pausing, my son started to scream in pain.
Derrick ran to comfort him by picking him up. “Shhh.” I heard him whisper. “It’s okay. You’re okay now, son.”
That’s when Andrew and Caleb started to scream, too. “Great.” I picked up Andrew and led him to his brother. “See what you started, little man?” I smiled at Mark-Antony, whose tears had miraculously disappeared. Those silver-blue eyes glowed with happiness and contentment. The twins smiled at one another, full of mischief. Caleb clapped his hands, giggling happily.
Luna and I looked at each other, starting to laugh as we hugged our sons.
“They’re silly Momma.” Kelly announced, giggling. “They did that on purpose!”
“I know, Sweetie.” I winked at her brothers. “Believe me, I know.”
Once we’d calmed down and the boys were content again, Luna pulled Kelly and I aside.
“Now that everything’s back to normal,” She started.
“To some extent.” Shane smiled, interrupting her with a kiss on the cheek.
“How about if I help you make dinner for our boys?” Luna ignored her husband and suggested. She stood, handing Caleb to his father. “Derrick, take Andrew, and Kelly, follow me.”
“What’s up, Aunt Luna?” Kelly asked.
“We’re making dinner for our boys.” I grabbed one of my daughter’s hands, and Luna grabbed the other.
Hand in hand, we went into the kitchen, closing its door.
Kelly sat on a barstool and Luna had a mischievous look in her eyes and happy smile on her lips.
I couldn’t help but smile, myself.
“Alright, Aluna Star Morehouse, what’s on your mind?” I asked, folding my arms.
To my surprise, she hugged me. “Thanks, Ariana.”
I laughed. “For what?”
“For helping me the other night.”
I shrugged. “You’re my twin sister. Why wouldn’t I help you?” I grinned, winking at Kelly. “It’s not as if I had a choice in the matter.”
Kelly giggled, but Luna frowned, pulling away.
“I’m sorry, Lu.” I laughed. “It was only a joke. You know. Ha-ha? You got to laugh.”
Luna continued to pout. “It’s not a laughing matter.”
“I’m sorry.” I apologized. “I was trying to lighten your spirits.”
“Thanks, but I’m worried.”
“What about?” I asked.
“My dream.” Luna looked to Kelly. She sat next to her before continuing. “It’s more of a vision than a dream.”
I sensed something in the air. “Lu, tell me what’s up.”
Instead of answering, Luna hugged my daughter.
“What’s wrong, aunt Luna?” Kelly asked. “Why do you feel so afraid for me?”
Afraid? Whoa.
“Out with it little sister.” I demanded, not meaning to sound harsh.
Luna looked up at me. Her eyes were silver-blue, which usually meant trouble was to come. Luna’s eyes were usually sea-green. “I had a vision of someone kidnapping her, taking her away from all of us.”
Both Kelly and I gasped, exchanging glances. I took my daughter and held her tight. I could feel her anxiety.
“You’re not gonna let anyone take me away from you, are you, Momma?” Kelly asked, hugging me tighter.
“Never, my darling.” I told her. “I promise; we’ll never be apart from each other again.” I kissed her forehead. “I don’t want that kind of pain to ever fall on me again.” I grinned, hoping to lighten our moods. “It was hard enough to find you the first time.”
Kelly grinned.
I stood, looking at my sister. “Let’s just hope that’s all it is. A vision.” I told her.
She looked at me as if I were clueless. “What about the Clairvoyance? I mean, what I saw was so powerful.”
“You were under some trauma three days ago, and you’re still getting over that.” I said, trying to convince myself as much as I was convincing her. “Your sensors are still haywire from all the duress.”
I watched as my sister’s eyes changed again, back to normal. It told me she was feeling okay about what happened, and was calming down.
“Listen, though.” She said softly. “Even if you never believe a single vision of mine ever again, I want you to listen to me now.”
I stared at her. Sure enough, she was serious. I sighed.
“I give up.” I held my hands up in surrender, smiling at the two of them. “Now, what are we going to make for our boys?”
“I wanna help you make desert!” Kelly peeped.
Luna stared at me. “Since when do you know how to bake?”
“All my life. Remember, I grew up in an orphanage, so I had plenty of chores.” I told her. “One of them, twice a week I believe, was Aimee and I having kitchen duty. That’s where I learned everything I know about cooking.”
Kelly jumped off the stool to hug me. “You’re the best cook, Momma!”
I laughed.
“I think I rival your Momma, Kelly.” Luna was back to her old self in no time.
With that, we started dinner. I was glad things were getting back to normal, despite the Dark Magic in Aaron’s necklace. When we had finished dinner and called out for the boys to join us, I thought about that necklace. I also thought about Luna’s warning about Kelly.
Derrick’s eyes shifted to me numerous times at the table, then away when he saw the look on my face. My thoughts had put a frown on my lips, and my Earthly Protector didn’t like it one bit. I wouldn’t let his eyes meet mine, for I know what would happen if I had. He would try to read my mind and send me a message at the same time. That was the only bad part about the Pendant and Magics together.
“I’ll help you clean up, Love.” Derrick offered.
Who was I to refuse an offer like that? My mind and body were tired from the day and I always enjoyed both his help and company.
He and I quietly did the dishes by hand, until Derrick spoke.
“Your thoughts strayed. May I ask why?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess my mind is going through so many things.”
“Tell me about them.”
“First, I had a strange vision when I picked the kids up from school.”
His eyes perked. “Oh really?”
I nodded. “Second, before starting dinner, Luna told me about a vision she’d had. She saw someone kidnapping Kelly from us.”
He looked afraid, knowing how powerful my sister’s visions were. He swallowed. “Anything else, or shouldn’t I ask?”
I nodded. “Finally, when Aaron came over the other day with the necklace glowing, there was something in it I didn’t like. I handled it only to find the Dark Magic in it. Thing is: even though I gave it to him back in time, I don’t know how to conquer it.”
He was silent. I couldn’t tell if my husband believed me, or just didn’t know what to think.
“I meant what I said Ariana.” He replied, kissing my cheek. “Be careful. You don’t know much about the Dark Magic – neither of us does.”
I nodded, finishing in silence. He was worried about me, as always.
I never knew how much I’d been pulled away from my Magic studies. If I’d had more lessons, I would have known what to do when my twin’s vision came true.
Part Two:
New Challenges

Prologue:
Lady Katherine’s Crystal

I dreamed. It was torture, just thinking about it now.
I found Katherine, Marie, and Celine by the River of Regret where the old Dominion used to be. There was a girl with them. Half-cat, half-human. I recalled when the kit twins told me about her. Just as I suspected, the girl had violet eyes. Was she Destiny Grey?
I saw my friend and called to her. “Kat!”
All three looked up. Marie and the new Companion bowed to me. I smiled. “Rise, Marie.” I told her. “What have I told you about that?”
“My apologies, Young Guardian.” Marie announced as she stood. The new Companion girl stood as well. “I was merely showing my respect for you.”
Katherine still hadn’t met my eyes, so I asked. “Katherine, did you call me here?”
Sadly, she nodded. “Aye.”
“Why?”
My Companion friend couldn’t speak. Something was wrong.
“A warning of Dark Magic, my Young Guardian.” The new Companion girl replied. “I brought them together, to show you.”
I was interested. The girl wasn’t much older than Kelly or Celine. “What’s your name, Young Companion?”
The girl bowed, “I am Destiny Grey, daughter of Marie and Panther Grey. I am named for your own destiny, Young Guardian.”
Celine tugged at my blouse, purring. “Where is Kelly?”
I tried sensing my daughter, but found I couldn’t. I looked to Katherine. “Why can’t I sense her, Kat?”
Kat looked up at me with sad eyes. Her eyes were silver-blue as well. She played with her daughter’s mix-matched braid. “I—“
She bowed her eyes once again. I could sense she was apprehensive to tell me.
Katherine? I sent to her telepathically.
There was something terribly wrong in the Dream Realm, but what?
“I had a vision in my Crystal.”
That was a new one on me.
“You have a Crystal?” I asked, amazed.
“Come,” She announced, turning and heading home through the Canine Wood. Marie, Destiny and I followed Celine and her mother.
Halfway into the woods, it hit. I was frozen in my spot, unable to move. I put my fingers to my temples, hoping to grasp the feel of a horrifying vision. Something was happening to us, Kelly and I, only I couldn’t find my daughter to warn her.
“Ariana!” I heard Katherine’s voice cry as she ran to my side.
A shock was sent through my body, and I screamed. The vision became very clear, and I found out there was nowhere to run or hide. How could I hide from that which I felt so empathic?
Next, I felt a warm Magic going through my body, heating and healing my body and soul. It was Mystic, and it came from Katherine.
After a minute, when I could move again, I heard Katherine’s voice purring for me. “Are you alright?”
I sensed her compassion and secretive respect she had for