that possible? I stood only two feet away from her, but she managed to capture air into her lungs, whereas each attempt I made at breathing left me unable to do just that. The lack of oxygen to my brain forced stars to flash behind my eyes. Weakened now that my bodily functions strained for oxygen, I felt weak, lifeless. My body hunched over and I fell beside Celestina’s pink Converse sneakers. I reached out and grasped her leg, pulling myself toward her in hopes that she could help me.
Was she also suffering? I managed to lift my head and, for whatever reason, the white stars darkened and sizzled across my field of vision. I watched Celestina breathe easy and meet my gaze with an angry scowl.
“I told you, Aunt Serena!” She shook her head in disappointment. “You shouldn’t hurt Mom.” She paused as puzzlement crossed her features. “I told you, but you didn’t listen.” She winced as though the words she spoke caused her physical pain. “Why didn’t you listen? All you had to do was listen!”
With the lack of oxygen going to my brain, it took me a few moments to piece together the meaning behind those words. When I’d finally comprehended that she had somehow removed the oxygen around my body, I looked at her in horror, shocked that she would deny me what every human since the beginning of time had equal access to.
“Mom said you’re using black magic,” Celestina continued. “Your eyes just turned black. Did you know that? Huh? Did you know that, Aunt Serena?”
How could they have gone black? Only the eyes of demons flashed black. Wait, Celestina said something about black magic, hadn’t she? Had I inadvertently called upon black magic in my attempt to squeeze the life out of Alexis? If so, I’d weakened the fissure between this dimension and the one on the other side.
The force blocking air from entering my throat ended, and I finally inhaled, even though it made me cough as though I’d taken in too much oxygen after having been denied it for too long.
“Why do you have to fight each other?” Celestina shouted. “You’re sisters! Doesn’t that mean you have to love each other? Why can’t you just be happy to be sisters?”
Now that I’d pushed some air into my body, I noticed Alexis’s shoes planted a foot away from me. It meant she now stood and looked down at me.
“Don’t hurt her, Mom.” Celestina paused. “I’m warning you.”
At least her anger went both ways. As much as I hated kneeling on the floor, struggling to snatch air with every breath, I didn’t want to look up to find Alexis and Zephora smiling down at me. But this situation taught me something valuable. Celestina now knew her abilities and powers transcended those of both Alexis’s and mine combined, not to mention Zephora, although since the sorceress had yet to fully recover from the affects of substance abuse, I couldn’t determine whether she could match or exceed the powers Celestina wielded.
Alexis didn’t respond to her daughter, so I assumed she wouldn’t retaliate against me.
“Aunt Serena, why did you come here?”
“To see,” I said, still panting, “if you were okay. To see…if Zephora or your mother hurt you.” Silence stretched for a few seconds, so I pushed off the ground and met my niece’s stare. I didn’t want to acknowledge Alexis or Zephora. Doing so would put me on edge, and Celestina had already proven she wouldn’t think twice about hurting me, so I focused on her instead.
“They won’t hurt me,” Celestina said with certainty. “Will you?” She turned to her mother and Zephora.
Hearing no response, I said, “I don’t trust them.”
“Do you trust me?” Celestina asked me.
“Yes.”
“Then don’t worry about anything.”
Celestina might be more powerful than both of them now, but she was young and inexperienced when it came to battle strategy, something Zephora excelled at or she wouldn’t have returned to Earth so many times. Then again, considering she
Was she also suffering? I managed to lift my head and, for whatever reason, the white stars darkened and sizzled across my field of vision. I watched Celestina breathe easy and meet my gaze with an angry scowl.
“I told you, Aunt Serena!” She shook her head in disappointment. “You shouldn’t hurt Mom.” She paused as puzzlement crossed her features. “I told you, but you didn’t listen.” She winced as though the words she spoke caused her physical pain. “Why didn’t you listen? All you had to do was listen!”
With the lack of oxygen going to my brain, it took me a few moments to piece together the meaning behind those words. When I’d finally comprehended that she had somehow removed the oxygen around my body, I looked at her in horror, shocked that she would deny me what every human since the beginning of time had equal access to.
“Mom said you’re using black magic,” Celestina continued. “Your eyes just turned black. Did you know that? Huh? Did you know that, Aunt Serena?”
How could they have gone black? Only the eyes of demons flashed black. Wait, Celestina said something about black magic, hadn’t she? Had I inadvertently called upon black magic in my attempt to squeeze the life out of Alexis? If so, I’d weakened the fissure between this dimension and the one on the other side.
The force blocking air from entering my throat ended, and I finally inhaled, even though it made me cough as though I’d taken in too much oxygen after having been denied it for too long.
“Why do you have to fight each other?” Celestina shouted. “You’re sisters! Doesn’t that mean you have to love each other? Why can’t you just be happy to be sisters?”
Now that I’d pushed some air into my body, I noticed Alexis’s shoes planted a foot away from me. It meant she now stood and looked down at me.
“Don’t hurt her, Mom.” Celestina paused. “I’m warning you.”
At least her anger went both ways. As much as I hated kneeling on the floor, struggling to snatch air with every breath, I didn’t want to look up to find Alexis and Zephora smiling down at me. But this situation taught me something valuable. Celestina now knew her abilities and powers transcended those of both Alexis’s and mine combined, not to mention Zephora, although since the sorceress had yet to fully recover from the affects of substance abuse, I couldn’t determine whether she could match or exceed the powers Celestina wielded.
Alexis didn’t respond to her daughter, so I assumed she wouldn’t retaliate against me.
“Aunt Serena, why did you come here?”
“To see,” I said, still panting, “if you were okay. To see…if Zephora or your mother hurt you.” Silence stretched for a few seconds, so I pushed off the ground and met my niece’s stare. I didn’t want to acknowledge Alexis or Zephora. Doing so would put me on edge, and Celestina had already proven she wouldn’t think twice about hurting me, so I focused on her instead.
“They won’t hurt me,” Celestina said with certainty. “Will you?” She turned to her mother and Zephora.
Hearing no response, I said, “I don’t trust them.”
“Do you trust me?” Celestina asked me.
“Yes.”
“Then don’t worry about anything.”
Celestina might be more powerful than both of them now, but she was young and inexperienced when it came to battle strategy, something Zephora excelled at or she wouldn’t have returned to Earth so many times. Then again, considering she
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