Page 332 of Castings & Curses

“Your boyfriend?” Sam teased. “Did you know you are blushing right now? Dead giveaway! I assume you two are serious?”

“Allof us are serious, about each other!” she told him. “It’s like having the best and most loving family in the universe… Look, Iknowyou believe you are happy here, but youhaveto see Pitchfork Prep Academy. I know if you see it, you wouldn’t want to come back!” she finished in a plaintive voice.

Sam looked around and leaned more closely toward her.

“I don’t think the Elders would like it, Moni. They have waited a very long time to reunite us. I think, because we are twins and also Magicals, that we are the new definition of apower couple!”

“Wow you really keep up on language!” she told him. “Streaming media much?

But listen,” she said seriously. “I have some new skills that my best friend, Shady Watkins, taught me, some really deep magic that Iknowcan get us out of here and back to Pitchfork Prep Academy… I am literallybeggingyou to help me by lending your energy to help make an escape for us. And I alsoswearthat if you don’t like it, you can return as soon as you want… Though, I would hate to lose you for asecondtime, ithasto be your choice, Sam!”

Sam looked into her eyes for a very long time. After what seemed to be an eternity, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, the same way he had always done when they were kids, because he had always been taller than she was.

“Only for you, Moni,” he sighed.

* * *

Neither one ofthe twins were much for hanging around after the decision was made. By the time they reentered the study or whatever the huge room had been—later, Sam told her it was his own private library—they had a solid plan and the determination to stick to it.

Step one was to create a portal, a manageable one that would get them straight back to campus and leave no trace.

Moni had told him that she was able to create a portal and wasted no time in using her magical skills to do so. As both of them stood back, she created a belly button sized dimple in the air before them that, as it whirled in a counter clockwise direction, became larger and larger until it was about the size of a… pet door!

Moni knew she couldn’t say anything, but she was getting red in the face, because the portal refused to get larger even though she knew was repeating the spell correctly.

Sam chuckled, and then mouthedsorrybefore stepping up and whispering in her ear, “There must be wardings in here. I can do a quick counter-casting!” And then he proceeded to manipulate the air around the undersized portal opening until it suddenly expanded to regulation size.

There was no time to even congratulate him. He stepped aside to let her go first and then plunged in himself.

Time was odd within portals. It seemed to both of them as they navigated down the tunnel-like structure—which had the same feel under their feet as very firm jello—that time was passing quickly and slowly all at once. One minute it felt as if a thousand years had passed, and the next like only a few seconds had gone by.

It spit them out in the back gardens of Pitchfork Prep Academy, where it was deserted, most of the gardens having withered during the previous frosty nights, and no one but a curious squirrel seemed to take any notice of their being there at all.

Moni grabbed Sam’s hand, just as the portal winked closed behind them. Sam looked up at the huge building, and then back at Moni.

“I like it already,” he told her nodding, “It has great ambiance!”

They hurried to Mars Hall and took the back stairs up to the dorm room that Moni had shared with Broody and Shady. As soon as Broody opened the door, he looked to see if anyone else was in the corridor and hauled both of them inside.

“Oh my gawd, we’ve been frantic!” he said. “Did you know that it’s all over campus your brother is a murder suspect? We’ve been looking for you for hours, Moni!”

“I know, I know,” Moni said, hugging each of them in turn. “Lots to catch up on and wewillbe going to meet with Security to get things straightened out because, well, because… You were right, all of you, about my brother. Thisismyactualbrother, Sam.Very longstory, but the imposter you met earlier was just what you suspected he was—an imposter, a poser sent to lure me into joining the Rebel Clave in Bavaria. Anyway, everyone please meet thereal Sam!”

“Pleased to meet you, Sam!” Broody said, giving Sam a one armed hug and adding, “I want you to know I took one for the team. Moni was so pissed off when I told her I thought the other Sam was a fake that shehitme!”

Moni had the good grace to look guilty. “Hey, I apologize to you all. I guess I was just blinded by the joy of thinking I had been reunited with my brother at last! I hope,” she added, looking pointedly at Luca. “I hope you won’t hold it against me!”

Luca just winked, and Moni knew what he was thinking.

“Anyway, we need to tell Security what happened, and make sure the wardings are in place here, because there is a good chance they might come after us!”

“Yeah, do that,” Shady told her looking worried. “Moni, I know enough Vantablack Spells to keep you both safe and virtually invisible to the Rebels, but the ones I have learned so far only last up to a year, and I am not sure they will ever give up on their plan to have both of you working for them… And Sam, Sebastian, are you here to stay?” she asked, turning to Sam and looking up at him hopefully.

As Moni watched the two of them connect for the first time, she realized that somehow Shady and Sam had some kind of instantaneous and mutual attraction going.

“If I wasn’t sure before, I am now,” Sam said, still gazing down into Shady’s dark eyes. “I’m pleased to meet all of you, but especiallyyou, Shady… I hope you don’t mind showing me around after we check in with the Officials!”

“Not at all,” Shady assured him, “I’d doanythingfor Moni’s twin brother!”

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