(6 Years Later)

Lizzie and Josie were sitting side-by-side on Lizzie's bed when Kai burst in. He closed the door behind him, as he turned to look at the twins.

"Kai?" Lizzie said, looking surprised to see him. "Why didn't we know you were back?"

"Daddy dearest most likely forgot to tell you," Kai replied, walking around Josie's bed in order to get over to the bed they were on.

"Scootch," He said, and he squeezed in between the twins, not at all caring about personal space.

He laid down putting his head on Josie's leg and threw his legs over Lizzie's lap. Once he was comfortable, he sighed loudly.

Josie looked down at him, amused. "What's up?" She asked, putting her book down.

"The twins are being pests like usual," Kai said, looking annoyed.

"They're always annoying, that's nothing new," Lizzie muttered, maneuvering her sketch pad on Kai's leg so that she could still sketch.

Kai paused, "That's true...but somehow they've gotten worse."

Lizzie looked over at him in disbelief. "How?"

"I..I don't know, they just are," Kai said, glancing at her.

"Maybe it's because they've started doing magic?" Josie suggested, looking contemplative.

Kai's eyes darkened. "Dad is soo proud, his precious twins are shaping up to be great witches." He said, mockingly.

"Please, as if they could be better than us," Lizzie commented, continuing her sketch of an object she had been dreaming about.

It wasn't that large and had these gear-like things a part of it, but she didn't know what it was.

Lizzie looked up as she noticed Josie had a confused look on her face.

"Josie?" Lizzie said, raising an eyebrow but Josie didn't respond.

Kai looked up at Josie as well, also noting the weird expression.

"Something wrong, sister dearest?" Kai asked, poking her in the stomach.

"Kai!" Josie exclaimed with a grin, "Don't do that."

Kai smirked, "Do what?"

Josie rolled her eyes and sent a glare at her laughing sister.

"Josie, why'd you space out?" Lizzie wondered, and the frown reappeared on Josie's face.

"It's just...I don't know..I'm probably just imagining things..." Josie trailed off, and Lizzie looked down at Kai, who was looking right back at her with his eyebrows raised in question.

Lizzie shrugged in response.

"What is it, Jojo?" Kai prodded, looking up at her through narrowed eyes.

"Does no one else find it weird that he kept having kids, but then, when he had another set of twins, he stopped?" Josie said, looking puzzled.

Lizzie and Kai both stilled.

"That...is weird," Lizzie admitted.

Kai was silent, "Do you think there's a specific reason?" Kai wondered, aloud.

"I don't know, it just feels off," Josie muttered, glancing between them.

"Yeah," Lizzie nodded in agreement.

"But it's probably nothing, so let's move on," Josie said, wanting to redirect the conversation. "So, Kai, we need a plan for your 22nd birthday."

"Yes!" Lizzie shouted, looking excited, and the other two looked over at her in surprise. "We have to do something awesome. I mean, this is the merging year for you. That's big."

"You guys realize my birthday already passed?" Kai said, looking amused.

"Yes, but you had it when you were gone. You need to have one with us, your favorite sisters. We have to celebrate that you're one year closer to death, and we have to celebrate the merge." Lizzie said, with a grin on her face.

Kai smirked, but Lizzie spotted a flicker of excitement and nervousness in his eyes.
"You guys do realize I might not win, right?" Kai pointed it out.

Lizzie and Josie looked at each other and started laughing.

"Yeah, right," Josie said, looking amused at the idea. "There's no way you can't win."

"Josie's right. I mean, let's be real here, you are a far more powerful witch than Josette is. So you'll win hands down." Lizzie declared, without hesitating.

Kai looked between the twins and a look of fondness appeared on his face.

"Besides, you have to live. We need you alive. First of all, you're our brother and the only one we like. Second of all, we would leave if Josette won, she is so needy and extra," Lizzie's face scrunched up with disgust, causing the other two to laugh. "Ugh, can you imagine if she was the coven leader? Honestly, Josie and I would probably do the merge just to get rid of her."

"I agree. If you somehow lose, we're merging, which tells you something because we don't want to merge," Josie said, completely on Lizzie's side.

"Fine, I won't lose, so that way, you two don't have to merge in order to dethrone my dear twin," Kai said, jokingly.

"Good," The twins said, in unison.

Kai rolled his eyes at them.

"How's college going?" Josie asked, looking curious.

Lizzie's face lit up. "Yes, you have to tell us everything. Favorite classes this semester, have your favorite teachers changed, have you found any new places to go to get drunk and party," She said, putting her sketch pad to the side.

Kai blinked in surprise. "Huh..."

"What?" Lizzie asked, wondering what was wrong.

"That's the first time anyone's asked since I've gotten home..." Kai said in realization, glancing at them.

"They're a bunch of assholes, who cares what they think. We're who matter, and we want to know, so spill." Josie said, bluntly.

Lizzie grinned and nodded in agreement with her twin.

Kai considered the twins with something unreadable in his gaze, but then it cleared, and he nodded as he started explaining his second semester.

By the time he was done, the three of them were laying down sprawled out across each other. Josie had her head on one of Lizzie's pillows, while Kai continued using Josie's leg as his pillows. And Lizzie was laying down with her head on Kai's stomach.

"I can't wait for college, we're going to have so much more freedom," Josie said, with a longing sigh.

"You guys are only 15, you still have some time to wait but it's getting closer, soon you'll be free of dad," Kai said, sounding sympathetic.

"I wish it was sooner," Lizzie mumbled. "The toxicity in this house makes me want to commit murder. And I mean that literally. If someone calls me an abomination one more time or implies that I can't do magic because I don't have any of my own, I will either throw myself off a cliff or snap a fool's neck."

Kai sat up abruptly, making Lizzie head shift from his stomach to his lap. "Who called you that?" He asked, tensely.

Lizzie felt the airs of her arms rise from the look of rage on his face, but she also felt pleased. Sure, her instinct was telling her, he was dangerous right now but it wasn't directed at her.

No...

Instead, it was for her.

There was just something about having someone acting protectively over you. Especially, when there had been multiple times she felt like she wasn't safe in her own home because of Josh. And she knew Josie felt the same.

"It was just the usual," Lizzie answered Kai, sitting up as well.

"Kai, it's okay. We can handle it, it's nothing new," Josie said, resting her hand on his arm.

Kai glanced between them.

"Things will be different when I'm coven leader," He promised, meeting their eyes. "The ones who treated us like we were nothing will get what they deserve and they will regret ever being cruel to us. And we'll show them who's more powerful than who."

His expression, his eyes, and his entire demeanor was menacing and yet, a playful smile sat upon his face.

The twins exchanged a look.

"We got your back," The twins promised in unison.

Knock Knock

They all look over at the door, and Kai's whole demeanor relaxed as if he hadn't been hinting that he was going to get 'revenge' on his family and coven.

"Who is it?" Josie called, shifting so that she was facing Kai and Lizzie.

The door opened and Josette walked in.

"Hey, girls-" She blinked in surprise as she noticed Kai but carried on because it was more unusual for Kai to be away from the twins when he was home. "Just wanted to let you know, we're having left-over pasta tonight, since dad has a meeting with the coven today."

Kai just laid back down, ignoring her.

"Got it," Josie replied, with a nod.

"Buh bye now," Lizzie said, without blinking.

However, she didn't leave, instead, she lingered by the door, glancing at Kai.

The twins exchanged a look.

"Is something wrong, Josette?" Josie asked, narrowing her eyes.

Josette glanced at Josie, then Lizzie.

"Um..."

"Use words, we're not mind readers," Lizzie said, sarcastically as she stared at Josette, annoyed. Lizzie smirked when she felt Kai's silent laughter.

"I-uh...just wanted to say, I'm sorry about the merge," Josette said, looking very sympathetic.

"What?" The twins asked in unison as Kai sat up and stared at Josette with something dangerous in his eyes, which Josette stupidly didn't notice.

"Wait, you didn't know? Kai and I aren't doing the merge. The covens waiting until Luke and Liv are of age," Josette said, looking confused by the anger that appeared on their faces. "Dad was supposed to tell you."

"He didn't," Kai said, voice carefully controlled but the twins could feel the rage swirling underneath his skin.

Josette frowned. "Oh...I guess now you know-"

There was a crash downstairs and Josette looked behind her in alarm.

"I'll talk to you later," She said, shutting the door as she hurried towards the crash.

"What the fuck?" Lizzie whispered in disbelief.

Josie shook her head. "She has to be lying, right? They can't do that..."

Lizzie looked over at Kai, whose face was completely blank, as he stared at the closed door.

"The signs were all there...having so many kids. The secretive meetings that stopped once the twins had magical capabilities...I was never going to be coven leader. They would never let an abomination lead," Kai's voice grew more and more enraged with each syllable. He shot off the bed, and started pacing, looking like he wanted to punch something.

"They can't do that...it's your birthright," Josie said, running a hand through her hair.

Lizzie watched a torrent of emotion flash across Kai's face before it settled on something dark and unforgiving. It was like a flip had been switched.

And Lizzie could sense this was different from all the other times.

Before Kai could be dark and dangerous but there was always some type of emotion within his expression, whether it was obvious or not.

But right now...he was completely devoid of emotion.

It was almost monstrous,

And yet, Lizzie wasn't afraid...not for herself.

But something told her, Josette should be afraid...very afraid.

"What are you going to do?" Lizzie asked, no judgment in her voice. Kai turned to look at them, observing them both through eerie eyes.

"You two should leave the house..." He said, warningly. His eyes dared them to argue. "Pack a few things, and head to that hotel up on George Street. I'll meet you later, understand?"

"Ok," Josie nodded, getting up, sensing that arguing would be a mistake. She went to the corner of the room and grabbed both of their backpacks. Lizzie got up as well, grabbing her backpack from Josie.

They put a few necessities in their bags as well as a few other things.

Lizzie looked at Kai who was watching them carefully and approached him.

"Be careful, brother," Lizzie said, softly as she cocked her head slightly. "If you don't meet up with us in 5 hours, we'll come looking."

Kai nodded, slowly.

"Be wary of any one of the Gemini coven..." Kai said, glancing at her, then at Josie as she approached.

"We will," Josie promised. "Kai?"

His eyes narrowed on Josie. "Yes?"

"Please, be careful...we don't want to lose you, so please, stay safe," Josie said, the worry was obvious in her voice.

Something changed in Kai's eyes but only for a split moment.

"I'll be fine...go," He ordered and the twins left the room and quickly made their way downstairs, then they snuck out through the back entrance.

When they made it to the treeline, they looked back and spotted Kai watching them through the window of their room.

He motioned for them to keep going, and so they did.