Page 2 of Lucy

“Humans and animals are not that far apart. Most of the animals in the wild you can drink from. Here, I have removed the lids, drink and then we will talk.”

It was odd watching as the color began inching its way back into their complexions. The looks of shock were still there, but at least they didn’t appear to be on death’s door—again.

“How did you find us?”

I think that Veti meant it as a question, but it sounded more like a threat.

The girls blinked simultaneously.

But it was Viv who answered, “We found a spell book and were trying to locate Joanie’s adoptive parents. Something must have gone wrong because we ended up here. Where are we again?”

“Vietnam,” Veti snapped. “We obviously don’t have any parents here. So, go back from wherever you came. We don’t need any more witches!”

I cast her a scowl. “That was mean, Veti.”

She shrugged her shoulder as if to tell me that she didn’t care in the slightest bit how mean it was. But I could tell by the twitching of her fingers that she was sorry. Veti and I had been a team for as long as I could remember. She helped raise me here in these caves.

We lived simply but had enough from the Master to survive. Marcus is the master. I have loved him for as long as I can remember. He protected us, brought us whatever we needed and most of what I wanted as well. I adore his laugh, his bad jokes, and even his stern rebukes. Maybe, I especially like those. I couldn’t help the little sigh that escaped. He’s rather wonderful, my Master.

Veti never really believed me, that I was in love, that is. I would always have to say, “Stop with the face.”

She would put her hand on her hip and pretend to look at her nails. “I don’t have a clue as to what you are talking about.”

I would retort, “I am a witch, remember? I know that you are thinking this is all kid’s stuff, and that I have Stockholm syndrome. Well, you are wrong.”

She was wrong, I was positive that I knew what it meant to be in love. Despite the fact that I have been raised with only two other human beings.

This would invariably lead into me saying, “Now you really have the face, and the raised brow, yeah—it’s snarky.”

I wish I could say that we hadn’t been over this a hundred times or more. But that would be lying, and I have given up lying, at least I am thinking about it.

Marcus came infrequently. We sometimes went months without a visit. I missed him when he was away, which always infuriated Veti.

She said we should be grateful, but impartial.

To hell with impartial, I loved him.

In a fit of anger one day, Veti spilled that she sometimes hated him. She blamed Marcus for keeping us as prisoners in these caves.

This cave, my life, was all I knew. How could she not understand that he was simply trying to save my life?

I looked forward to each and every time he came. Butterflies would erupt in my stomach and I found myself stumbling over my words, trying to tell him about anything and everything.

“You are wrong, you know.”

I opened my mouth to argue, and then realized that it had been Joanie who was speaking, not the Veti from my thoughts.

“We aren’t really witches,” she said frowning. “Or we could be, honestly I am not sure. We have a little magic, but nothing compared to what you just did.”

Viv, the one who shared my face, was staring at me without paying any sort of attention to Joanie.

“What?” I said, looking from Viv to Veti and then back again.

“It’s like looking in a mirror,” Viv said softly. “If you had dark hair, we would be identical.”

“Twins,” Joanie said softly, taking Viv’s hand.

I shook my head. “No, that can’t be right. The Master never said anything about me having a sister, much less a twin. In all the years he has kept me hidden away, I am sure it would have come up.”

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