Twisted Returns

"That's it."

"I know," Dean says.

"But that's not it!" I nearly scream. "That was the secret - the fact that you had to keep it a secret. But why?"

"Do you remember the same thing as I do?" he asks. "The day you gave me the necklace."

"I don't remember anything other than actually giving it to you."

"That's probably bad."

"No shit. Let me see that." He hands me the necklace and I cautiously hold the pendant in my palm, like it could explode at any minute.

"We should report this to someone."

I hesitate. "What if we get in trouble?" I ask, when my real question is what if I discover something about myself that I don't want to know?

"I think that would be better than the war going on."

"I guess you're right. Who do we report it to, then? Marigold? The whole Council?"

"I think the whole Council. At least someone might know something if Marigold doesn't."

"Should we call a meeting, then?" I ask. I'm not going to do anything if he thinks it's a bad idea.

"Well, do you know how to?"

"I'll contact Marigold," I tell him. "Let's go to the conference room."

----

Everyone files in, their expressions a mixture of fear, confusion, but most of all, curiosity.

"Everyone here?" Isabel says. She looks around the table and nods. "All right. The meeting will start now."

"Wait," Dean says. "Katie isn't here yet."

I look and see that he's right - she's not in her usual seat beside Dean. Have attacks gotten so bad that she's needed every second of the day?

"She's dead," Isabel says. Her tone holds no sadness, no emotion at all. "So why are we here today?"

I blink, just staring at her ashen features. Has she no feelings? And I get this weird feeling. It's not sadness, as I was not really close to Katie. It's more like a disbelief. I had seen her fight. How could she possibly lose?

I try not to dwell on this fact and focus my attention on the meeting.

"We found something," Dean says. "Underground. Right wing. We were in a bedroom."

I try to ignore the eyes on me when I realize what the situation sounds like. Alone... a bedroom. Alina saves me by speaking. "The place you died."

He nods. "When the disaster happened, I was down there for a reason."

"Well, get to it," Isabel says, impatient. This brings me back to another time, a happier time. Dean and his storytelling skills... the memory almost brings a smile to my face. Almost.

"I hid this." He reaches into his pocket, pulling out the pendant. It still glows, but not as brightly.

"What... what is it?"

He looks at me, his eyes wide and questioning. Asking for permission, despite all this. I nod and he speaks, breaking the promise at last. "The secret was that the necklace let me do magic. And the fact that I couldn't tell anyone."

"Magic?" Isabel asks. A low murmur goes around the room. Obviously, this means something.

"Yes."

"What kind? Do you mean simple, premade spells?"

"No. I could do whatever I wanted. No restrictions. That murmur gets louder.

"Let me see that," Alina says. Dean holds the necklace out and she magically pulls it to her.

"Is it a transfer?" Amber asks. I think she's talking about magic transfer, a topic that came up a while ago.

"I can't be sure, but I think it's definitely possible. It may be so. There is a magical force around it, but it's mostly locked away."

When she says this, everyone starts talking.

"What? If she did that, how would it be possible?"

"Why is her magic gone? It wouldn't have been a full transfer... would it?"

"How would we not notice"

"When did this all happen?"

"Let's figure this out logically," Isabel says, and everyone settles down. "First of all, we don't even know if it's a magic transfer. But let's say it was. How would this have been possible?"

"She's obviously not dead," Amber says. "And we know what happened the last time she... died. So it couldn't have been that. The 'rock' is still in Kriaklesh, and we know she's never been there."

"So what about splitting?" the bald man asks.

Everyone looks at me, silent. I avert my eyes, trying not to notice.

"It... it would make sense," Marigold says. "But wait. Dean, when was this necklace given to you?"

"I think it was my sixteenth birthday."

"So Diana would have been fifteen," Isabel says. "Marigold, did you notice anything? Loss of magic or something similar?"

"No, I never suspected anything. Her magic was perfectly normal."

"Partial transfer possible."

"Splitting would be logical. But I don't know if she could stand it."

"She's Diana Crystal," Amber points out. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Try to remember," Isabel says.

"I... I don't remember anything."

"Please remember," Dean says, his voice low. The voice I fell in love with. "You have to."

"I'll try..."

"Thank you." I focus on the sound of his voice. The sound I'd never get tired of hearing.

Of course, it's not long until I lose my hearing. And my senses completely.

----

Pain.

Pain like a burning, but a freezing. Pain consuming my body, if I still have one. Pain inside, outside, everywhere. Swallowing my mind, my soul, my body, me. Searing, aching, bleeding.

But it's not a physical pain, not even close. Nor is it an emotional pain. It is worse.

Yet it feels so good.