Palindrome

Samuel closed his eyes in terror, letting out a strangled sigh. I kept my eyes on William, trying to see if he had been honest when he said he didn’t know about any prisoner. He was staring into the distance, the expression unreadable, his eyes back to the pale blue. Belinda stood with her mouth open, shocked.

“I`m so sorry, I had no idea. I knew he was a witch because of the smell, but I knew nothing else. He wouldn’t even say his name, although he opened up to me more and more over the weeks.” She looked at William, “I don’t know what he went through when Father was down there with him, but it can`t be anything good.”

William turned back to us, a grim look on his face.

“We will get him back. We just have to tweak the plan a bit and split up. We should have been more, but we have to make do with just the five of us.”

I was still shaky, his whole body emitting some sort of signal which went straight to my core. It was like he`d thrown a lasso around me and was trying to tow me in against my will. It was just that the better part of me wanted to be reigned in, I wanted to throw myself into his arms and leave it all to him, surrender myself. I couldn’t though. He noticed my struggle and seemed to find it a bit humorous by the look of him. Benjamin was berating Belinda for not telling him about Natan and Samuel had his cell in his hands. No one cared that William had me cornered as he walked slowly to me, blue eyes locked on me.

“You know I belong with you. I can see the love pulsating in your veins, just let it enter your heart as well, Hannah.”

Why did he have to have such control over me? How could he be so sure of this?

“How can I love you? You`re everything I despise!”

I tried to keep my voice cold, but it burned with emotions, I was hurt and tired, afraid and eager.

His finger touched my naked shoulder and travelled down my arm – I opened my mouth to let out a silent sigh. With his enhanced senses he knew damn fine what he was doing to me, the frantic heartbeat and erratic breathing told him everything he needed to know.

“Am I, Hannah? Am I everything you despise? Even when you`re in my arms, trembling as I find every hidden spot you have, making you gasp out my name? Even when you make me do silly little things with your spells, and your eyes light up with mischief when I realise you have me spellbound?”

William`s voice poured over me, into me, painting the images he was talking about clearly in my mind. He was right, I hadn`t despised him then, was he another person now? I was so confused.

“We are here, trying to make up some of the evil our family has done over the millenniums. We can`t make it right, or undone, but maybe we can help the times to come. Don’t that count for something?”

I bit my tongue to stop my tears, “Why are we having this conversation now? Don’t we have more important things to discuss?”

He gave me his half smile, “I know how long Eve and Adam were in Eden for, who knows what the night will bring? Hannah, I love you. All my heritage tells me I should hate you, but I knew from the second I heard your bones sing to me that you belonged with me, and I belonged with you.”

He gave a short chuckle, “And then the angel come up to me at the party and told me we were destined to be, that we NEEDED to be together. I already knew that, but it was nice to get celestial confirmation.”

I shook my head tiredly but took William`s hand anyway. “I`m not so sure that`s a good thing.”

Samuel took a step towards us, “Bridget is on her way, Sarah will be backing us up from home.” Fear filled me; little fragile Bridget couldn’t be involved in this. Samuel saw my fear and shook his head, “No good in stopping her, she wanted to come.”

Benjamin smiled, “Three witches and three beasts, it`s something poetic about it, don’t you think?”

William raised his eyebrow, “How would you know, you wouldn’t know a poem if it flew up your arse.” Ben puffed up his chest, “Hey, I went to school with Oscar Wilde, I bet I taught him a thing or two.” Belinda smacked him on the side of his head, “If you taught him anything, it wasn’t poetry, that`s for sure.” Her twin smiled angelically and held his hand over his heart while he recited something with a flowering voice;

“Well, if my heart must break. Dear love, for your sake. It will break in music, I know. Poets` hearts break so. But strange that I was not told. That the brain can hold In a tiny ivory cell God`s heaven and hell.”

He met Belinda`s annoyed glare with a secret smile, “Who do you think he wrote that about?”

I listened to them bicker, siblings will be siblings even when they`re over 300 years old it seemed.

I held up my hands and made a gust of air rattle their hair to get their attention, realising afterwards I had done it without words, without a spell. Hmm, I had to ponder that one later.

“Could someone please walk me through the plan?”

William took off his hoodie, revealing a mouth-watering glimpse of his abs when he dragged the sweater over his head.

“Can you please put this on, I can see right through your dress.”

I glared at him while putting the sweater on, secretly inhaling his scent which followed the fabric.

“You could have told me sooner, you idiot!”

William smiled, a flash of purple revealing his thoughts before he spoke softly so only I heard,” Then I wouldn’t have the pleasure of seeing your nipples try to break through by the sight of me.”

“Right, if you two are done?” Samuel didn’t wait for an answer, “The PLAN goes like this: When Bridget comes, she will join Belinda and Benjamin, they will get Natan out.” He frowned and looked at Belinda, “You have a way in?” She nodded fiercely, the blond hair moved up and down. “Yes, but we will need a distraction, one that lasts some time.”

“We will give you one. Hannah, William and I will guard you while you invoke Lil, in front of the Patriarchs. William, you will need to be the messenger, say you have convinced Hannah to tell the secret. If it is true as you say – that the Palindromes can`t be killed, you should be somewhat safe. I will back up the spell in a safe distance, hidden from the Beasts. Hopefully they will think the vibrations are coming from Hannah. While you keep them occupied, and gets some answers at the same time, you guys must get Natan safe. Bridget will work on the house, making the shield stronger.”

Easy-peasy. Just wander into a house full of beasts, do an impromptu invocation, save my brother and the rest of the witch-community. I dragged the hood over my head, “Right, lets go then.”

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