Chapter XXII

JOEY FROZE AND HER chest tightened. She didn't want to agree, afraid of what Lucinda would do to her after seeing what she was capable of, but glancing down at David's shallow breathing, she knew she couldn't deny the request. Not after they had come this far. Her eyes met Michelle's and she nodded in agreement.

Lucinda's smile returned, and she smacked Michelle's arrow aside as she rolled herself up. She took Ella's seat next to David and straightened her position lifting herself to her knees. She pulled her curly, red hair back into a low ponytail, and bent forward; her hair fell over her shoulder and dangled inches above David's chest. She raised her hands to hip level and circled them over his chest until her hands glowed that same magenta they had when healing Evangeline. "What poisoned him?"

Someone snorted from behind, and Joey's head flung upwards to see Nathan's dirty look. "You are such a hypocrite." His hands were balled into fists.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" Michelle asked, lowly.

"Oh, come on, Michelle! Surely, you can see it!" His eyes drilled holes into the back of Lucinda's head. "Now she wants to help us? Just because? After she just let Timothy die? Where was his help?" He shook his head. "No, she wants something. And it isn't just a talk."

Lucinda shrugged as she sat back on her heels. "Well, I suppose I could just let him die—"

"No!" Ella cried. She crawled towards Lucinda, her arms shaking. Licking her cracked lips, she explained, "It was a Nokida." She pointed a trembling thumb behind her, gesturing towards her back. "It got off some slices on his back."

Lucinda straightened her back once again and lifted her chin. "At least there's one smart person in the group. Come on. Help me roll him over." Together, Joey, Ella, and Lucinda flipped David onto his stomach.

Joey gritted her teeth and averted her gaze at the sight of the bandages around his wound soaked in blood and tints of green, but she couldn't help eye Lucinda from the corner of her eye. Lucinda carefully pealed back the nonstick pads from each wound, and Joey's gaze slowly drifted to his back. She did her best not to puke at the gashes and discoloration.

Hovering a hand over David's back, Lucinda said, "A Nokida's poison is strong. It may take some time. I've never worked with it before."

Nathan shouted as he lunged forward, but Michelle and Brianna gripped his arms holding him back, or rather, Nathan ceased when they gripped him, knowing he could easily toss them across the room.

"He doesn't have any time left!" Alex spoke up from the back.

Lucinda rolled her eyes and let out a puff of air. "Then I will need complete silence to focus."

"What are you suggesting?" Brianna asked, skeptically. "You can't be telling us to wait outside?"

"What?" Kathleen interrupted with a shout. "With those brain-eating monsters? You seriously want to throw us out there with them?"

"For pity's sake!" Lucinda grunted before springing to her feet. "I've placed a protection spell on my lovely home—"

"Spell?" Chase interrupted.

Lucinda held up a hand, ignoring his comment. "If you give me the chance ... I'll extend it a few feet. At least then, you all can wait outside without being killed."

Joey eyed Michelle, and the two locked eyes. Joey didn't have to say anything to realize that Michelle understood. "Come on, guys." Michelle gently pushed people towards the door. "Let's give Lucinda what she needs. Then we can get David back on his feet and figure out where to go from there."

"What about Brutus?" Rufus asked, squeezing his unconscious brothers hand. Without a word, Nathan patted Rufus on the shoulder, and scooped Brutus up in his arms before exiting the house.

"You two also," Lucinda said, her words aimed at Jacob and Evangeline who had gotten themselves cozy on some rough looking blankets.

"What?" Evangeline asked, seeming offended.

"You can't be serious, Lucinda," Jacob argued, backing up his wife. "This is our home too! E needs to rest—"

"Go," was the only blank expression Lucinda gave.

Jacob huffed before he stood and helped Evangeline rise. He grabbed a brown bag full of apples from the corner of the hut, and slung the strap over his shoulder as he stepped through the threshold after Evangeline.

Joey watched as everyone left in a single file. Lucinda sat there quietly with her hands out at waist-length, palms facing the ceiling. Her eyes were closed and her hands were beaming their magenta color.

Joey's gaze met David's weak eyes and her pulse quickened. Leaving him at a time like this didn't seem right. She knew that if the roles were reversed, if something were to happen to her, then he would never leave her side. If he was to die ... Her throat tightened as the very thought brought tears to her eyes.

"Joey." Joey looked over at Michelle who held the door open. "That means you too."

"I get five minutes, remember?" Lucinda said, her eyes still shut.

"Now?" Michelle asked, confused.

"W-what about me?" Ella asked, placing a hand on her chest. "I'm his sister! Can't I stay?"

Lucinda peeped open one eye to find Ella, but quickly closed it back. "I'm sorry, but this conversation is between me and Joey only. When we're done, she too will leave."

Joey relaxed hearing that it was okay to stay, but she knew how shattered Ella must've felt and she almost pleaded for her to be allowed to remain.

Michelle waited for Ella to leave before shooting one final glance between Lucinda and Joey. The way her eyes darted told Joey the obvious. That she needed to have all eyes on Lucinda in case the witch—as Chase says—were to try something. Joey nodded, and Michelle slammed the door behind her.

From the cracks in the door, Joey could hear the others complaining from outside. She let out a sigh and slouched forward, but once Lucinda lowered her hands and stared at her, Joey's heart lurched. After seeing the power Lucinda possessed, being alone with her was unsettling.

Letting out a soft sigh through her nose, Lucinda hovered her hands over David's back and they once again shone with their radiant magenta. She closed her eyes one more time, only this time, she didn't stay silent. "I can tell there's something different about you," she said.

Joey felt her face flush as her eyes ventured from Lucinda's hands to her face, and Lucinda stared back at her; her green eyes shone a purple from the glow caused by her hands.

"You're not like the others,"Lucinda continued. "Most of them I can read, but you ..." She glanced down at her poorly bandaged arm before back up at Joey. "You are much harder."

Joey gulped as she listened to the tone in her Scottish voice and how menacing it sounded. "You'd be surprised how many times I've been told that," she joked.

Lucinda snickered and lowered her hands, folding them in her lap. "I suppose it'd be hard to read much into someone who's spent their whole life trying to hide who they really are ... Joey." She emphasized her name almost sarcastically.

Joey arched a brow, and her pulse quickened. "What ..." She shook her head and swallowed. "I don't know—"

"Save it," Lucinda waved off. "I would be a fool for not noticing. The look of not having slept in days. The way you get defensive when anyone gets remotely suspicious ... You act like if anyone found out the truth they'd burn you at the stake." She winked. "You're not a witch, dear."

"Unlike you," Joey jabbed, before regretting her decision to talk.

Thankfully, Lucinda laughed it off. "Don't worry, Joey. It won't last forever. You'll soon get used to your ability."

"How do you know that?" Joey asked with an eye roll.

A grin sprouted on each corner of Lucinda's mouth. "Because it's the same process I went through at your age."

Joey's eyes widened, and she felt an unexpected rush of excitement. "You're like me? You—" She cut herself off and glanced down at David. Acting as if somehow he could hear her in his unconscious state, she whispered, "You have the visions too?"

Lucinda nodded and her eyes scanned up and down Joey's body. "We are like each other in more ways than you know."

"I—" Joey's voice cracked as she tried speaking and she cleared her throat again.

Lucinda stared at her longingly. "You're her, aren't you?" Her voice was low, and Joey gave her a puzzled look. "The girl supposed to save humanity." She paused. "My husband ..." She chuckled. "That fool ... He wanted so badly to believe that it was me. That I was some ... savior. For a while, yes, a long while, I believed him too. Did everything in my power to help save our world, but ..." She let out a exhausted sigh. "I was never enough. I was too damaged to save anyone."

Joey couldn't think of anything to say. Nothing that would make Lucinda feel differently anyway. Hesitantly, she reached out and placed a hand on Lucinda's shoulder. "I'm sorry," was all she could think to mutter.

For a split second, she thought she saw Lucinda's face soften, but she quickly covered it up as she turned her gaze back to David. Clearing her throat, she said, "Well, I think our five minutes has long passed." Once more, she hovered her hands over David's back, and within seconds they became their magenta color. "You can go wait outside with the others."

Joey shook her head in bewilderment. "But ... I thought you said I could stay?"

"And now I'm telling you to leave." Lucinda shot her a glare. "If you want your friend to survive then I suggest you listen to me and wait outside with the others."

Joey clenched her jaw and let out a rough sigh through her nose. There was nothing else she could do. If Lucinda wanted her gone, she had to obey. Standing to her feet, she turned her back on Lucinda and marched to the door, leaving her best friends life in the hands of a killer.