Twilight Storm: An Urban Fantasy Supernatural Mystery Thriller (The Keri Chronicles Book 3) by A.C. Arquin

Author:A.C. Arquin [Arquin, A.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Words on the Wind LLC
Published: 2023-03-09T16:00:00+00:00

29

Sandra was dusting the living room when she heard Val stumble out of bed. She’d been awake for hours and had gotten bored sitting in the basement alone. Also, she wanted to earn her keep somehow, so she'd come upstairs and done all the dishes. Then she'd cleaned the bathroom, swept and mopped the kitchen before moving on to the living room.

It had taken some serious willpower to not get out the vacuum—the hall carpet was filthy—but Sandra had learned her lesson on that one. She knew Val's idea of morning was radically different from her own, and she didn't want to get kicked out of the apartment again.

Sandra followed Val into the kitchen in her fox onesie, chattering while the witch poured herself coffee. Val responded to her queries with monosyllabic grunts while she stirred butterscotch and cream into her cup.

"Do you feel anything when your power activates?" Val surprised them both by asking a coherent question.

"My power?"

"You know, the stone gaze. When you make eye contact with someone, does something change inside you? Can you feel the power kick in?"

Sandra frowned, her mouth barely visible beneath the drooping edge of her fox hood.

"Now that you mention it, there is something. It's like... butterflies in my stomach. Not exactly like that, but something inside me goes all twisty."

"Do you think you could control it?"

"You mean, stop it?"

"Yeah. Or even reverse it."

Sandra tapped her lips as she thought, her gaze drifting to Val's petrified fingers. She gasped.

"You've got three frozen fingers now! Is it spreading?"

"It looks like it. Woke me up in the middle of the night last night. Hurt like hell." She held up her right hand for examination. Her middle, ring, and pinky fingers were all gray and unmoving.

Sandra's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Val. I wish I could fix them. But I don't know how. I don't know anything about this curse. If I could take it back, I would. But I can't control it."

"It's OK; I didn't think you could. But if you can feel the power activate, that's a good sign. It means it's not a permanent thing. It turns on and off when you make eye contact with someone. That makes me think it might be an ability you can control with enough practice."

Sandra laughed bitterly. "Practice? Did you forget that it only activates when I make eye contact with someone? How do I practice without turning people into statues?"

"Valid point." Val sipped her coffee. "Hey, I want to try something. Wait here a minute."

She went into the bathroom and returned with a small hand mirror. She turned her back to Sandra and held up the mirror.

"I want you to lift your hood and look at my reflection in the mirror."

Sandra hesitated. "Do you think that's a good idea? What if my power still works?"

"I don't think it will. Do you remember the story of Perseus and Medusa? He looked at her reflection in a polished shield or something so her power wouldn't affect him.

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