Cora's Kismet (The Twin Destinies Saga Book 1) Read online

  Cora yawned and stretched her muscles. She stretched out on her side of the bed and rolled onto her side so she was facing Viola.

  “I’m so glad we got to you before it was too late. I am so very sorry it took me so long to find you,” she said, pouring everything that she felt into her words.

  Viola stretched out next to her but didn’t turn to face her right away. “No problem, it’s not like you didn’t have your own crap going on. Patrick showing up, that’s deep, serious crap.”

  “Yeah I know. I’m just glad he wasn’t able to hurt any of us,” Cora said, rolling over onto her back.

  “Me too. I wonder where Anna’s disappeared to. Have you ever known her to be this quiet?” Viola asked, worry in her voice.

  “No, but I haven’t thought about her too much, with everything else going on. I guess we should watch our backs, because she is, without a doubt, planning something, and whatever it is, it won’t be good,” Cora said, making them both somber.

  “You’re right. It’ll be big, and it’ll be bad for everyone,” Viola said, as though it was some kind of premonition, which sent a chill down Cora’s spine. Neither girl spoke again as they each contemplated what dangers lay ahead in their future. Cora wasn’t sure when it was they both fell asleep, but she didn’t open her eyes again until morning.

  *****

  They were still sleeping when Angelica knocked on the door and came in. Cora sat up rubbing her eyes, while Viola remained on her side, sound asleep.

  “I’m sorry to wake you but your father and I need you downstairs,” Angelica said, the regret she felt showing on her face. “I’d prefer to let you sleep a bit longer.”

  “It’s ok. I’ll get Viola up and we’ll be down soon,” Cora said with sleep still thickening her voice.

  “Is there anything you need? We can get you clothes, shoes or anything else,” Angelica asked, but Cora shook her head.

  “Not right now. I’ll talk to Viola and we’ll let you know if we need anything later,” she said, as she slid her legs over the side of the bed and stood. “I think I’m going to grab a shower before waking Viola up though. She’ll hog all of the hot water if I don’t.”

  Angelica smiled and nodded her head. “Ok, I’ll leave her be and let you wake her then. Enjoy your shower and breakfast will be waiting for you.”

  As she turned to leave, Cora took a few steps, reached out and placed her hand on Angelica’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”

  “You’re welcome. It is our pleasure to have you here with us again.” Angelica turned and gave Cora a tight hug.

  “Is Liam awake yet?” Cora asked. It was the question she’d been dying to ask since her eyes opened.

  “Yes, he’s downstairs with your father,” Angelica said with a knowing smile.

  Cora nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll see you downstairs soon.”

  She turned and headed into the enormous bathroom, grabbing her stuff as she went, and Angelica let herself out of the room.

  The shower itself was a little bit of heaven, but Cora rushed through it anyway. She couldn’t wait to get downstairs to see Liam. Her heart leapt in her chest when she thought of him and she hurried even more. After ten minutes, she stepped out and wrapped the towel around herself as Viola stumbled into the room, her grogginess evident.

  “What is going on and why are you up at this insane hour?” Viola grumbled at her.

  “Angelica woke me up. I guess we’re needed downstairs, but I figured I’d let you sleep just a few minutes more while I showered. It’s your turn sleepyhead,” Cora said and bounced back into their bedroom. “And hurry up! I want to get some breakfast,” she called back over her shoulder.

  “Breakfast?” Viola called back, moving into the doorway.

  “Yep. Angelica said breakfast would be ready for us downstairs. I don’t know about you, but it sounds really good to me,” she said, as she sorted through what few clothes she’d stuffed in her duffle bag before leaving the Kilpatrick’s yesterday.

  “It’s been forever since we’ve had breakfast in the morning. At least a hot breakfast that is,” Viola responded with longing.

  “Yeah it has, so get your butt through with that shower so we can go eat some, before it gets cold.” Cora nudged with her words, while holding up the perfect outfit.

  “Breakfast isn’t the only thing you want to get downstairs for,” Viola said with a knowing smirk, and turned to go back into the bathroom with a huff.

  “Aw come on. You’re the one who talked dear old dad into letting him stay here for me.” Cora said, her voice full of gratitude that she knew Viola could hear.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure if I regret that now or not. I don’t know if I like this cheerful in the morning Cora or not. I’m thinking before coffee, not,” she said, and slammed the bathroom door closed before Cora could respond.

  Thinking about Liam, Cora’s heartbeat sped up. She threw her clothes on and started arranging her hair. He’d only seen her at her worst so far, and she wanted him to see her at her best. She arranged the front of her dark hair up on the top and left the back flowing around her shoulders and down her back. She was putting the finishing touches on her hair when Viola exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

  “Wow Sis! You’d think you guys were going on a date instead of just going downstairs to breakfast with the parents we’ve just met! I gotta say though, you look hot. If he wasn’t already hooked, he would be now.” Viola teased with a low whistle, and pulled out her own clothes. Viola dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt and pulled her long hair up into a pony tail. She turned around to see Cora examining herself in the mirror.

  “Are you sure I look okay?” Cora asked, doubting her clothing choice. “It’s not too much?”

  “You look fine. I love that top on you and those jeans go perfect with it. Quit worrying so much. It’s about time you started caring about what you look like,” Viola said, while rolling her eyes. Viola had helped Cora pick out her current outfit, while her sister argued against it in the store. The baby doll top flowed down to an A-line bottom which flared out around her hips in a beautiful coral color that accented her eyes. The jeans hugged her in all of the right places then flared out in a boot cut around her ankles.

  Cora took one last look in the mirror, nodded her head and turned back to Viola before changing her mind. “So, are we ready?”

  “Yup. I’m hungry, and I need coffee, so let’s go,” Viola responded, and opened the door just as Liam was raising his hand to knock.

  “Hi,” he said, his voice breathless when he saw Cora.

  “Hey,” Viola said, and stepped past him out of the room.

  Cora rushed to the door. She stopped short when she saw him standing there. “Morning Sunshine. You look amazing.”

  “Morning. You think so?” she asked, blushing.

  Viola rolled her eyes behind Liam and sighed, exasperated. “Come on you two, I’m starving.”

  Cora laughed and Liam reached out wrapping an arm around her waist as she moved into the hallway. He leaned over and kissed her and she thought she was going to melt right there.

  Viola cleared her throat in impatience and Liam pulled back with reluctance. “I guess we’d better get some food into the two of you. It’s going to be a long and busy day,” he said, while gazing in her eyes.

  “Sounds good to me,” she breathed back. They turned and headed down the stairs. “So, do you know why our parents need to see us so early?”

  “That’s for them to tell you,” Liam responded, with a mysterious smile.

  “What? No hint?”

  “Nope.” Liam winked at her.

  Cora swatted at his arm. “Aw come on. I hate surprises. Just a little hint.”

  “Not a chance.”

  They entered the dining room and the twins stopped dead in their tracks. The dining table was covered in food from end to end. Everything they could think of was there.

  “Please come in and join us,” Angelica invited them with
a smile.

  They walked to the table almost drooling.

  “Help yourselves to whatever you want,” Thomas told them also smiling. Seeing the smile was unusual to them, since he hadn’t done it much in the short time they had known him.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The girls were so hungry they didn’t wait to be asked twice. They headed over to the table and loaded their plates high before taking their seats. As they stuffed their faces, without any regard to etiquette or manners, Liam chuckled a little bit. He was so happy to see Cora eating and that she had a healthy appetite.

  After they were finished and sitting back in their chairs resting, while sipping coffee that tasted like it must have come straight from heaven, Thomas cleared his throat gaining their attention.

  Cora sat up remembering that Angelica had said there was something important Thomas had wanted to talk to them about.

  “As much as we’d like to relax and enjoy our time getting to know you both, we need to get down to business. We have six months to get you trained in controlling your powers, but first, we need to unbind them,” Thomas said. Cora could see a hint of regret flash in his eyes before it was gone, and she wondered if she’d even seen it in the first place.

  “How do we unbind them?” Viola asked, interested, all of a sudden, in what Thomas had to say. Cora was getting irritated with her sister’s ambivalence to their current situation. She didn’t understand how none of the seriousness of their current situation seemed to matter to her, while the prospect of having cool powers did, when every detail meant the world to her.

  “We will do it this evening at dusk. We need the sky that has partial sun as well as the rising moon for the ritual to work,” Angelica replied.

  “So why did we have to get up at the crack of dawn if we’re not doing anything until this evening?” Viola asked, with an edge to her voice. Cora glanced at her sister out of the corner of her eye.

  “Because, there is a lot you need to learn before we unbind you, so you are prepared for your powers to be returned to you. It will be overwhelming for you to have so much power running through your bodies when they’re not used to it. You will need a basic understanding of how to control it otherwise it could be dangerous, for yourselves, as well as those around you. Considering Cora somehow managed to tap into her powers while bound, we need to make sure you are ready to be unbound before we perform the ritual,” Thomas explained, with a small degree of patience.

  Cora nodded her head in understanding. She felt more than a little bit relieved when Liam reached for her hand under the table and squeezed it tightly in his own. Viola just leaned back in her chair with a stubborn set to her jaw.

  “What if we want nothing to do with any of this? Has anyone considered that at all?” Viola pushed. Cora snapped her head to the side to stare in disbelief at her twin. A minute ago she was all over Thomas, eager to learn about their new powers, and now she was refusing anything to do with them? Cora was becoming lost with the drastic switches in Viola’s attitude.

  “You don’t have much of a choice Viola. This is your destiny.” Thomas’ gaze hardened as he spoke with a dangerous edge to his voice.

  “Viola, what’s wrong?” Cora asked her sister, concerned.

  “I just think all of this is such a load of crap. They couldn’t be bothered with us for the last 17 years, but now all of a sudden, we’re the most important things in their world because of some stupid prophecy. If this prophecy is the only reason they want anything to do with us then I want no part of it. We suffered for years Cora! We endured more than they’ll ever know, because they threw us away to Patrick and Anna. So yes, I think there’s something very wrong with everything right now,” Viola said, her voice heavy with the pain and anger that had built over the years. She’d always tried her best to hide it, but Cora had always known it was there, simmering under the surface.

  “I am so sorry darling. Things were never supposed to be like that. You were supposed to be cherished always. The Kilpatricks will pay for everything they have put your through, we promise you that. You both have always meant the world to us.” Angelica tried to soothe Viola but could see it wasn’t making a difference at all. She looked over at Cora for help.

  “Vi, calm down,” Cora started, and reached for her sister’s hand.

  “No, I won’t calm down. Where were they when Anna beat us or locked us in closets, tied up and unable to even go to the bathroom, except on ourselves? Where were they when Patrick was trying to pimp us out to all of those sleazy douche bags he’d bring home? How about when there was no food in the house for us to eat for days and we were starving? Why didn’t they come and protect us when Patrick and Anna were trying to separate us or using us as slaves, Cora? Oh wait, I just loved it when Anna was in that one very special cruel mood of hers and forced us to go around with no clothes on, down on our hands and knees, like dogs. Then as a leash, pulled us by our hair while Patrick watched with that look in his eyes. Where were they then? Can you answer that Cora, because I sure as hell can’t!” Viola exclaimed, breathing heavy, with tears streaming down her face.

  Cora couldn’t look at Liam after everything Viola had just revealed. She hadn’t wanted him to know any of it. She didn’t want to see the look of pity in his eyes when he looked at her. Cora felt him reach for her and recoiled from his touch. Everyone was silent from the shock of Viola’s harsh words, the only sound being Viola’s heavy breathing. Cora felt as if her heart stopped in her chest and she couldn’t breathe as the memories Viola had described assaulted her.

  “Cora…” Liam started, as he tried to reach for her again and she brushed his hand aside.

  “Is all of this true?” Thomas demanded, his fury vibrating the air around them.

  “Do you think I’d make any of that up?” Viola asked her voice harsh and ragged from her high running emotions. Cora could sense the pain and fury raging inside her sister, because it was the same as what was raging inside of her.

  “Cora?” Thomas demanded.

  “Please…” Cora whispered. She didn’t want these memories being brought to the surface. The nightmares were bad enough.

  “Is it true?” Thomas’ voice raised an octave with pure rage.

  “Yes.” Was all Cora could say in response. Inside she was cursing Viola for revealing everything. She thought they had a silent agreement that they wouldn’t tell anyone about the horrid abuse they had endured most of their lives, until both of them were ready for the information to be divulged, but now Viola had just gone and dumped it all out in the open. Cora hadn’t even had a chance to prepare her mental barriers for the barrage of painful images that were now bombarding her mind in a relentless attack. Viola’s total disregard for her wishes felt like betrayal to her, and stabbed her like a knife in her heart.

  “I will kill them. You will not have to fear them anymore, I swear that to you both,” Thomas vowed, in a voice low enough to send shivers down Cora’s spine.

  “I am here Cora, no one will ever hurt you again as long as I live.” Liam vowed solemnly and pulled her into his arms, refusing to let her push him away any longer. The tears flowed from her eyes, but she held her body stiff, refusing to show weakness and melt into his arms, even though that was exactly what she wanted to do in that moment.

  Angelica pulled a shaking Viola into her arms and crooned soft words to try to calm her raging daughter. She met her husband’s eyes over Viola’s shoulder and a silent agreement was reached, there would be no mercy for Patrick or Anna.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hours later Cora was holed up in her room, angry at Viola for revealing everything she had wanted to keep hidden. She was glad Viola had stayed downstairs and left her alone to deal with her pain and anger. Liam had wanted to come with her, but she’d refused. She could feel him sitting outside her bedroom door, waiting for her to let him come to her and try to make her feel better. What he didn’t understand was there wasn’t any feeling better from the horrors she’d endured at
the hands of those sadistic psychos. There was only pain, pain and more pain.

  She curled up into a ball and cried at the memories that just wouldn’t go back into the box she’d kept them locked tightly inside of, until this morning. She’d felt disgusted as Viola went on her rant and kept praying her sister would shut up or that she was dreaming the entire horrifying scene, but of course, she was never that lucky.

  “Cora, please talk to me,” Liam pleaded with her in her head.

  “I can’t,” she responded with a sob.

  “Why? Did I do something wrong?” Liam asked her, sounding frantic.

  “No. You did nothing wrong. I never wanted you knowing any of that. I don’t want to see the look of pity or disgust in your eyes when you look at me,” Cora told him.

  “I do not pity you Cora, and you will never disgust me. You are my world. I cherish you with all of my heart. All I want is to comfort and protect you. Please let me in so I can do that,” Liam pleaded with her. She could hear the truth of his words in his voice, both in her heart and in her head.

  “I can’t Liam. I need you to understand that I need a little while to sort through this,” she pleaded with him.

  “I am not leaving you to deal with this alone, Cora. You’ve done that too much already. Let me help you. Your pain is my pain, you are my mate.”

  “How can you even want anything to do with me after everything you heard this morning?” Cora wailed with humiliation.

  “None of that was your fault! None of it. I can’t fault you for things others inflicted upon you. You need to understand that. You are a beautiful person with a heart of gold. Even after everything you’ve been through, you can still love and see the beauty in the world. You are a miracle. My miracle,” Liam said, his passion flowing into her mind while the words made her melt inside because she had no doubt he meant what he told her.

  “You weren’t there.” Was all she could say.