Chapter 5

    Suddenly, the wind died down. The strange, inexplicable pain they felt, eased. The soft music stopped. All of this, so they could hear her words.

    - My children, my blood, my strength. – She said calmly.

    None of them was able to utter even a word, and there was still so much to say. They wanted to ask so many questions, they still had no answers to. They could only look up at her.

    - I have gone too soon, and I couldn’t give you the necessary knowledge. – She continued, and they could hear sadness in her voice. – A great responsibility rests on you. But together you are strong enough to cope with what you were born for. – This time, they clearly heard pride in her voice. – This is the beginning. You wake up, to embark on a difficult and painful path. You have power, so as the burden will not be too heavy. You have each other, so as none of you will have to walk alone. – She paused for a moment, as if weighting next words. – The time to wake up from a sleep has come.

    Her voice was getting louder. The wind picked up, and it struggled more. Finally, a powerful blast threw them back. Complete darkness reigned around and they couldn’t saw the lake anymore, nor the surrounding forest or each other. They had impression, that the wind was reaching hurricane strength and inexorably was drawing them in the eye of the storm. The whole world spun.

    They felt sharp, incapacitating pain in the heart area. As if someone stubbed a blade into it. This pain was slowly moving towards the spine, from which it was radiating in all directions. Like paralysis, it seized the whole body. It overpowered them. It was breathtaking. It was taking control over the mind, so as to ease slowly and concentrate on the head. Thousands of tiny, sharp needles were sticking into the brain, making it impossible to concentrate.

    Jay felt not only her own pain. Every single nerve of her body said, that her brothers suffered the same anguish. She was almost able to read their chaotic thoughts. Dramatic attempts to break out of that hypnotic trance and release from excruciating pain. In vain. A small heated up chisel was tirelessly engraving mysterious signs in their heads. They could see their fiery outline just under their eyelids.

    In this June morning, their screams and moans mingled together in the woods. Lungs burned, and throats were like open wounds. Their fingers were torn off to blood. The fiercely they fought, the more they suffered. But in the end, they didn’t have strength to resist.

    When they gave up, the headache began to wane. However, they had no time to catch a breath as they felt hot blast on their necks. Burning fire, like a glowing needle, was engraving some magic formula on their skin, flooding them with pain, wave after wave.

    They closed their eyes tighter and darkness, which they had under eyelids turned into blood-red. The pain intensified. They could see more and more white spots under eyelids, and finally the scarlet was swallowed up by the glare.

    Then the pain stopped. It vanished as if by magic. But they didn’t feel anything, sinking lower and lower into nothingness. 

Of her mouth she drew a melodious voice, similar to the one, they had heard newly. They didn’t understand the words spoken in ancient language, but they were sure, that they had completely different meaning, than those from the previous song. They understood only, that it had to be some kind of spell. They heard beating of drums from afar – slow and rhythmical at first, increasing and accelerating with her every single word.

    She felt her consciousness return. It was like awakening from a long, deep sleep. She was soaring in empty space, wrapped in a soft haze of air. Descending slowly to the fluffy, moist bed. She felt cold, and her wet clothes didn’t give any protection against it.

    ‘Where am I?’ It crossed her mind. She could smell the undergrowth and hear bird trills. Her head was heavy like lead and she had troubles to concentrate. Images from last night begun to fly before her eyes, like a movie in fast preview. In her mind, again she heard melodious spells spoken in mother’s voice. She realized that she’s not able to control this chaos. She was too closely connected with her brothers.

    She took a deep breath and started to release it slowly. She breathed slower and slower, until her heart and pulse gradually calmed down and came to normal rhythm. She slowly pushed visions, thoughts, and voices away from her. Jay decided to concentrate on more mundane matters. ‘First, I have to stand up,’ she thought.

    She tried to move her hand – all muscles were sore, but with intense daily trainings she got used to it. ‘It’s time to open the eyes,’ she suggested herself. As soon as she had done it, soft pain turned rapidly into sharp stinging behind her eyes. She heard muffled groans of her brothers. Jay was astonished by the fact, that actually she could sense them more than heard. She rolled slowly on her abdomen. The clothes on her back were wet from the morning dew. She rose to her knees and carefully looked around. The forest was calm and quiet. Delicate ethereal mist was floating between trees and above the lake.

    - What the fuck was that? – Despite the pain, Mark’s voice was full of annoyance.

    - I have no idea. – Jay groaned and stood up.

    Immediately the world spun in front of her eyes and by no means was it a sign of a hangover. She leaned on the nearby tree. Touch of rough bark brought her relief.

    - Stop it! – Jess was sitting under an oak with his head between his knees.

    - What?! – They chorused.

    - Thinking, that you’re feeling sick! – He growled in response.

    - I don’t know what’s going on, but I think that our thoughts, and not only, are connected. – Carter summed up. – Everything hurts me, but I can feel your pain as well. Maybe not literally, but still as something physical.

    - Okay. – Michael said calmly. – But what does it means? What are we going to do about it?

    - We can’t be joined like this forever! – Daniel was gripped by panic. He was fifteen and everyone understood him very well. At this age we care about privacy a lot. 

    - No, we can’t. – Christian said quietly. -  I don’t feel dizzy anymore I’m pretty fine. Try to focus on my thoughts, maybe it’ll help a bit?

    He began to think about strong stable ground. He imagined the house standing on a solid rock. House that cannot be shaken by anything.

       It really helped.

    - Do you have any idea, what it could be? – Mark asked again.

    - No. – Jay tried to think rationally. – But I think I know who can enlighten us on this issue. But first, let’s focus on reaching home. - She suggested.

    Slowly, to control dizziness and nausea relapses, they took all their stuff, which strangely lay untouched where they had put them. As if nothing unusual had happened here. They glanced at the lake for the last time, but didn’t see anything disturbing there. They got into the cars and drove away with thoughts crowded with thousands of questions, on which they were more than eager to get the answers to.

***

    When they reached home it was almost noon. They were unconscious for few hours. They brought everything inside and went straight to the kitchen whence the sound of bustle and absolutely wonderful smells came.

    - Where have you been?! – They could hear rebuke and anxiety in Maria’s voice, mixed with Spanish accent. – Melanie was looking for you! – She glanced at Jay, and then she looked at elder twins. – And they called you from the club and from the college. Apparently you didn’t pick the phone. – She ended with reprimand.

    - We had poor signal, and consequently, batteries died. – ‘Good excuse half the battle,’ Jay added in mind. – Where’s Sean?

    - In the garage. He’s tinkering with his motorcycle again! – She rolled her eyes. - You look like you were rolling around in the mud. Take a shower, lunch in one hour! – She ordered.

   As the tone of her voice couldn’t stand any objections, and the shower sounded like the sweetest music in their ears, they went obediently to their bedrooms. Jay carefully examined her body in the mirror without finding even the smallest scratch or bruise. ‘That’s weird,’ she thought. ‘I was hit by at least dozen branches!’ She watched carefully her hands, but besides a large amount of ground under the fingernails, they were fine. ‘Maybe it was just an illusion?’ She mused. ‘And everything hurts us, because we strained on muscles too much?’

   Hot shower brought relief to her nerves and eased the aching body. Wrapped in a towel she went to the bedroom, where she used another towel to wrap her hair. She took fresh underwear, faded shorts and stretched T-shirt. She sat in front of the mirror to moisten her body with her favorite balm. Because right behind she had mirrored closet doors, she could see her back quite clearly now. High on her neck there was a small tattoo?!

    - What the fuck?! – She wouldn’t be more surprised if a troll had jumped out of the closet.

    She tried to see precisely what the mysterious sign presents, but it was very difficult. Without wasting more time she put on clean clothes, she fell out of her room and entered the opposite bedroom without knocking.

    - Some privacy! I could’ve been naked! – Jess was outraged.

    - Don’t be so shy! – Jay snorted at her twin reaction. - Besides, I already saw you naked and, as my brother, you don’t throw me on my knees! Come with me! – She said bluntly. – And call the rest!

   She crossed the corridor briskly and entered the youngest brother’s room. At the same time Daniel, girded with a towel on his hips, came out of the bathroom. She walked confidently to him.

    - I’ll skip the fact, that I was just taking shower and I couldn’t get rid of the impression, that you’re standing right next to me, and it was embarrassing enough. – She added, when Jess came in after her. – Are you blushing? – She asked her twin. – Seriously?! – She sighed.

    Jay turned surprised Daniel around rapidly and raised still dripping hair of her brother. She wasn’t surprised that Daniel had an identical mark, but she wanted to take a good look on it.

    - It looks like the Moon, I guess. – She murmured. - And some strange symbols.

    Jess, intrigued, came closer to them and studied signs on brother’s neck. Jay’s thoughts were too chaotic to read them, and because it was his new ability, he didn’t try to pretend to be a dodger, who knows everything.

    - Dude, when did you get a tattoo?! – He exclaimed.

    - That’s it! – Jay answered for their brother. – He didn’t. Just as the rest of us.

    - It means that I have that too? – He came to the mirror and started to twist his neck in order to see his mark.

    - We need to get to know what’s that! – The other four, with Carter at the head, crowded in the doorway. Serious tone of his voice softened somewhat Jess’s enthusiastic zeal.

    - Remember that heat on the neck? – Jay suggested. – You think it was then? That something burned out this sign on our skin? – She asked.

    - Everything indicates that. – Christian summed up. – We have to speak with Sean as soon as possible. Maybe he’ll be able to explain it to us. - That sounded like a plan.

    - For a moment I had hope, that it was only a strange dream in which we all participated. – Jay sat down on the bed. – We didn’t have any injuries, although, all of us felt terrible pain. – She pointed out.

    - And when we woke up, the forest looked like the day before. – Mark noticed. – But still, we were seriously battered.

    - There’s no need to put it aside. – Said Michael. – Let’s go to talk with Sean.

    - I’ll catch up with you. – Daniel said, as he still needed to put some clothes on.

    They all nodded and headed downstairs.

***

    Unfortunately, Maria didn’t give them a chance to talk with Sean privately before the meal. Although it cost them a lot of nerves and patience supplies, they waded through the meal answering hail of questions, which they were constantly bombed with. They cleaned up the table and washed the dishes – Maria was good and soft hearted, but kept the house with an iron fist. She didn’t allowed compassion or pity, which people showed after their mother’s tragic death, made them antisocial egoists. Beside, housework gave them a sense of normal life, taught patience and self-control.

    ‘Yeah, first of all self-control,’ she sighed inwardly. The look her brothers gave her was quite meaningful. Suddenly she realized that for a long time she hadn’t felt their thoughts.

    - You’re eavesdropping! – She was outraged.

    - We just can’t help it. – Mark leaned against the table quietly.

    - Don’t you have your own thoughts to take care of?! – She was mad. – Maybe, if we’ll concentrate on our own minds, everything well be back to normal? – She suggested.

    - I doubt it works like this. – Carter was calm. – Let’s talk with Sean. Maybe we’ll find out what’s going on?

    They agreed.

    However, they had to be extremely patient. They didn’t want to worry Maria, so they waited for the opportune moment.

***

    Finally Maria went to their neighbor for an afternoon coffee and they could talk freely with Sean. They found him at the garage, where he was putting tools on the right place after finished work. He appeared in their life shortly before Isabo’s death and he never even said a word about leaving. Together with Maria, he took up their upbringing, although no one expected him to do so.

    He was the only one who believed Jay, then twelve-year old girl, that what she saw in the woods wasn’t an ordinary wolf. As a proof of trust, he told them that he’s a werewolf. From his mouth they’ve learned truth about their mother. Isabo was a hunter. She was able to track down a vampire and a shape-shifter. Kill or bring to court (especially after the entry into force of statues which gave supernatural beings status of full-fledged citizens). However, all of it was too fresh and people still perceived supernatural beings as monsters, before which we have to defend. Vampires and shape-shifters weren’t too helpful in cooperation – they were hiding and committing crimes, hoping to escape justice.

    Isabo worked with Sean for last few years, and he decided, that his duty is to train them, so they could follow their mother and administer justice where all available legal and legitimate means failed. He was a great man and even better father, although, he was more like an elder brother for them. Their biological father was in New York City, carrying about his business. He hasn’t forgotten about kids – they were secured financially; but he didn’t miss them. Such deal didn’t bother them. He called regularly, sent birthday cards, visited them occasionally. This was enough for them.

    - Can we talk? – Carter preferred to go to the point straight away.

    - Sure! – Sean was always eager to listen to them.

    Together they told him about the events of previous night, focusing mainly on the very morning. Their finished their story showing the marks, which appeared on each one’s neck.

    - You’re right Jay, it’s the Moon. – Sean leaned over the tattoo on Daniel’s neck. – With the Pentagram inscribed in it. A very powerful witches' birthmark.  – They came closer to look better.

    - And these? – Christian pointed to the strange signs. – I guess they don’t mean geographical directions. – He snorted.

    - You don’t need sarcasm now. – Sean, as usually, took the comment calmly. – Those are runes. – He explained. – Every rune has its own meaning. This one here, it’s Wyrd. – He pointed to the highest rune. – It means fate. On the right there are Algiz, which represents instinct, natural protection and safety, and Hagalaz below, which means release, violent change, crisis and rebirth. They may bring fortitude and uncompromising nature. On the left we can see Uruz and Teiwaz. Their meaning is respectively: power, health, unlimited potential and abilities, strength of survival and decisiveness, courage, fairness. They may help you to develop strength and honesty. 

    - Okay! Each one can be very useful. – Jay summed up. – And the one in the middle?

    - You come from a family of witches, so it’s important, that this rune was placed here. It’s Eihwaz. Just as the rest of runes it may have few meanings, like persistence in striving for a goal, but also contact with spirituality and transformation. However, the most important thing is that it can bring you faith. – He explained. 

    - Where do you know all this? – Asked Carter. – What else should we know?

    - I don’t know the answer for every question. You have to find them on your own. What I’ve told you, it’s only generally available information, which you could find on the Internet. But the mark appeared after you met your mother’s ghost, so for sure it’s very important. No doubt, that it will give you strength and help to evolve your hidden talents and power. But decision belongs to you. Everything depends on your free will. Apparently, Isabo had some plan for you and has just decided to implement it. However, the choice is yours – it’s your life. – He moved away from the workshop, on which he was leaning so far, and went towards the door leading to the kitchen. – Certainly, you have to talk to someone else. – He sent them a mysterious smile. – Think about it.  - He left, leaving them with their thoughts.