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

  “Let me talk to him,” Cora said in a soft voice. She didn’t want to see the monster that raised her, but she knew Anna was much, much worse, so if she could get him to talk, then she would do what she had to.

  “No. That is out of the question,” Thomas said with authority.

  “I don’t think we have much of a choice here. We need to know what he knows. Anna is planning something, I know she is. You think Patrick’s bad, but she makes him look like a soft and cuddly puppy! You need me to try,” Cora stated while glaring into Thomas’ eyes.

  “She’s not kidding about Anna. That’s one evil, sadistic bitch,” Viola said with a shiver.

  “We cannot risk either of you. We have our best working on him, he will break at some point,” Thomas insisted.

  “I doubt that will ever happen,” Cora snorted.

  Angelica laid her hand on his arm, “Maybe we should listen to them. They lived with those two all of their lives. He is not the man we knew, at least not anymore. Let Cora try. After her display in the cabin, he would already be scared of her, and just might give us something useful.”

  Thomas sat silent, with his lips pursed, hating to be overruled by his wife, daughter or anyone else. All he wanted to do was protect everyone and do the right thing. Cora could almost see him seething in anger.

  “I will think about it, but right now, I want to make sure you understand just how critical you both are to the future of our race. Without you, we will fight to extinction and die off, because those who believe otherwise are wrong,” Thomas said, the graveness of his voice sending chills down her spine.

  “Yeah, I think we got that,” Viola snapped. “So, what aren’t you telling us?”

  Cora’s eyes widened, just a bit. She didn’t know how, maybe it was the twin thing, but Viola had picked up on what Cora hadn’t said in the room before they came down here for this meeting.

  “I don’t think I understand what you are asking,” Thomas skirted.

  “I’m sure you know what I’m talking about,” Viola pushed.

  The twins and Liam watched as Thomas and Angelica exchanged a look and didn’t miss when she gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Thomas seemed to think for a minute before turning back to them and taking a deep breath.

  “I wasn’t sure whether to tell you this or not, but your mother seems to think you can handle the information and will make the right choice anyway,” Thomas began, but seemed nervous. “A long time ago, at the beginning of the civil war between Solarians and Lunarians, there was a major driving force pushing the two sides of our culture apart. There was a set of twins, one Lunarian and one Solarian, who divided us. They had been destined to rule our kind together but found themselves fighting over a woman, whom they both swore was destined to be their mate. There is only one true mate for each of us, so no one could understand their argument. This woman was said to have both Lunarian and Solarian powers at the same time, but it was never proven whether she did or didn’t.”

  Thomas paused, watching the girls for their reactions, before continuing. He was disappointed when they didn’t seem to start picking up on where the story was heading. Even though he knew they believed themselves to only be Lunarian, they possessed the powers of both. It was proven by Cora, at the cabin, when she used Solarian powers while her Lunarian powers were bound.

  “This woman had her own agenda however. She wanted to pit the brothers against each other. She worked very hard to turn brother against brother, start her war and almost demolish our race. It was almost too late for us when the brothers came to their senses and realized what she’d been up to. They banded together and turned on her, driving her far away. They’d wanted to kill her, to end the evil that she represented to us, but she’d managed to escape instead.” Thomas paused to take a drink of coffee that Cora hadn’t even realized he’d poured. Clearing his throat, he continued the story. “The reason we are at the brink of war right now is because that woman was never killed.”

  “What do you mean?” Cora asked confused. “You said the civil war was a long time ago, there’s no possible way she’s still alive, much less causing one now.”

  “No, but she found a man to impregnate her and she continued her line of Solarian/Lunarian mixed women. No woman in that line ever gave birth to a male. Every female in her line, except one, has been poisoned into believing this woman was wronged by the brothers, and that they need to seek revenge by dividing the sides to give her justice.” Angelica took up the story for Thomas.

  “So there’s a living descendant out there who doesn’t believe this woman’s hype?” Viola asked.

  “Yes. Well, now there are three, including the two of you if I’m reading your reactions right,” Angelica revealed.

  “Wait, you?” Cora asked astonished. She stared disbelieving at her mother.

  “Yes, I am descended from this woman,” Angelica said in an ashamed voice.

  “So, are you the one who’s trying to divide our race?” Cora asked confused.

  “No my darlings, I am trying to save it. The prophecy states that the twin daughters, born on the winter solstice full moon, of the woman descended from Camilla, who disbelieved her version of the truth, who did not bear the powers of both Solarian and Lunarian inside of herself, and was mated with one of her own kind, would be the ones to make her wrongs right by sealing the two sides together again forever, erasing her taint from our race and ending the joined bloodline of women who carried both powers inside of herself. My dears, that is you,” Angelica said and looked up at them both, with hope and despair in her eyes.

  “Wow, um, give us a minute on that one. So what you’re saying is, our bloodline almost destroyed our race and now it’s up to Cora and I to fix what this woman, Camilla broke?” Viola asked in disbelief.

  “Yes. That is exactly what we are saying. You two are meant to be the last of those women of our bloodline who will carry both the Solarian and Lunarian powers of our people and bring us to peace once and for all. If you do not do that, we will continue to fight and not only will we decimate our own race, we will decimate all life on this planet, because our powers will kill, not only each other while we are fighting, but it will get to the point where we don’t care who we are hurting.” She looked back and forth between the girls and held her breath as she watched them take in the new information. This was a moment of truth she prayed worked out in everyone’s favor.

  “Ok, so this story doesn’t exactly match what Thomas told us before,” Cora brought up a bit hesitant at calling her father out.

  “Well, it was not my place to tell you your mother’s family history, therefore, I had to adjust the prophecy I told you, so it was a version of the truth. I did not lie to you. Also, at that time, I was not sure you could handle all of the information. To be honest, I’m still not sure you are ready, but that is out of my hands now and placed into yours.” Thomas spoke in a tone that made Cora believe he was praying they made the right decision.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Liam held tight to Cora as she absorbed the information she’d just been given. He was also shocked, because he had never known the full prophecy and Angelica’s part in it. He sat back and watched to see how things would play out. He also prayed Cora and Viola would make the right decision.

  “Well, that kind of explains a lot then,” Viola said, as she sat there thinking.

  “What do you mean my dear?” Angelica asked.

  “Well, when Anna and her thugs had me locked up, they kept trying to convince me we would all be better off if we divided. She kept saying something about someone being wronged and justice being served, but I couldn’t keep up with her craziness. I swear that woman is psycho,” Viola said, trying her hardest to make sense of everything.

  “Yes, well, I have a lot of issues with Anna at the moment,” Angelica said, anger seeping out through her pores.

  “How do you know Anna and Patrick? Why did you leave us with them?” Cora asked, picking up on something that seemed to t
ickle the back of her brain. It felt like she should already know the answer to this, but couldn’t quite figure it out.

  “Anna is my older sister. I thought she was completely Solarian, because she hid the mixed powers very well, and I trusted her with my beautiful baby girls. Wouldn’t you trust your children with each other? I am so very sorry I made that mistake,” Angelica said with tears welling up in her eyes. “Because of my mistake, you both suffered horrors I don’t even want to imagine.”

  “Our mistake darling, I trusted her too,” Thomas said, and rubbed his hand along his wife’s back trying to soothe her. The moments when Thomas let down his guard, and let them see the softer sides of him, were few and far between, but Cora was starting to see that maybe he wasn’t as bad as she’d made him out to be in her mind.

  “So you’re saying Anna is a descendant of Camilla who believes her version of events, and is destined to carry on the family mission of trying to tear apart our race, and we’re the ones who are destined to stop her?” Cora wanted to make sure she understood everything.

  “Yes,” was all Thomas said.

  “You’re also saying she possesses both Solarian and Lunarian powers, and that Viola and I do as well?” Cora continued her questioning.

  “Yes.”

  “So that was why I was able to use powers to stop Patrick at the cabin right? Because you only bound our Lunarian powers, without thinking of binding the Solarian powers as well,” Cora continued, seeing the different pieces of the puzzle fitting together in her mind, one by one.

  “That is the exact reason you were able to stop Patrick so quickly,” Thomas stated.

  “So why didn’t Anna raise us to believe in Camilla and her lies?” Cora asked, missing that piece to the puzzle. “Why did she put us through such hell, when she could have been trying to gain us as her allies?”

  “I can’t speak for my sister, but I believe she was trying to break you long before you grew up into strong women who could stop her in her mission. She didn’t want it to fall to the next in line. She wanted to be the one to destroy our race herself, so if she broke you, you wouldn’t be able to stop her from getting what she wanted,” Angelica said with pursed lips.

  “Yeah, I get that from her,” Viola said with a sneer.

  “So, how do our mates fit in?” Cora asked, still trying to get the complete picture. “Before, you said the prophecy pertained to our mates, as well, and we both had to find them before our birthday.”

  “Ah, your mates will ground you and help you to see the true path you are meant to follow, if you start to lose your way. If you have not completed the mating ceremony, each of you, by your birthday, Anna has the opening she needs to divide you and achieve her goal, by luring one of you away from your destiny. I know the prophecy does not mention them per se, but my father taught me about the importance of our mates when I was very young, and we won’t take the chance of you not having your balance when it’s time to face your destiny. Having both sets of powers inside of you already places you off balance because, we are not meant to have both,” Angelica explained, clearing up Cora’s confusion. “Cora, it is quite obvious that you and Liam are destined to be mated, but Viola, we need to help you find yours soon.”

  Viola looked up at Angelica and looked like she wanted to argue, but Cora placed her hand on her sister’s arm and smiled. “I am new to all of this Vi, but believe me, finding your mate is pretty awesome! I’m still getting to know Liam, but I feel like I’ve known him forever in some ways. He makes me feel whole.”

  “So, what about Charlie?” Viola asked, raising her eyebrows at Cora. In the madness of everything going on, she’d forgotten about the boy who wanted to be her boyfriend.

  “Oh crap!” Cora shouted, shooting up from the couch. “Is there a phone around here?”

  “Are you serious? You’re gonna break up with him over the phone? Classy Cora,” Viola said with a smirk at her sister. She’d never liked the guy her sister was dating, and had waited until she was without a doubt sure that Cora and Liam were a thing before bringing him up to her sister.

  “Yeah, that would be pretty bad right?” Cora asked, and slumped back down on the couch, putting space between her and Liam.

  “Uh, who’s Charlie?” Liam asked, trying to reach for Cora again, and getting aggravated when she kept putting distance between them, to the point of standing and walking across the room.

  “This guy that I’ve kind of been dating, off and on, for a while,” Cora said with a blush rising on her cheeks. She hated blushing, and was glad she didn’t do it often, but now was not a time she wanted a red face.

  “He’s a royal jerk and doesn’t deserve her,” Viola said with a smug grin on her face. She knew good old Charlie was toast, and that made all of this worth it in her book.

  “He’s gotta be freaking out by now though,” Cora worried.

  “Oh, I’m sure he’s blown your cell phone up by now and, well if it was still in one piece, you’d be ready to break the thing yourself,” Viola agreed. She hated his possessive nature that made him keep constant tabs on where Cora was, and who she was with, at all times.

  “Yeah well, I would have had my phone but thanks to Patrick using the GPS in it to track and follow us, I don’t,” Cora snapped back.

  “Wait, you have a boyfriend?” Liam asked, hurt lacing his voice.

  “Come on Thomas, we can talk to them more later. They need to work this out alone,” Angelica whispered to her mate, and took his hand to lead him out of the room. Thomas looked up at his mate and nodded his head as he followed her out of the room and shut the door behind them, giving them privacy.

  “It’s not like that Liam. I never even said I’d be his girlfriend. We dated a few times, that was all. To be honest, I had no feelings for him, I just knew he got under Patrick’s skin,” Cora told him, hoping he’d see and hear the truth of her words. She walked over to Liam and sat down beside him and took his hands in hers. She hated to see the look of pure heartache in his eyes and that she’d been the one to cause it.

  “You sure? It didn’t seem like that’s all it was when Viola brought him up and you wouldn’t let me touch you.” Liam pointed out with a sharpness in his voice she’d never heard before. It scared her.

  “Liam, I’m sorry I did that. You are the one that makes me happy. It says a lot that since I met you, not once have I thought about him. Viola had to remind me of him for me to even remember. You are the one I think about every moment I am awake. I dream about you. When we’re apart I feel like a part of me is missing. You do that for me. Charlie never could,” Cora told him, and reached for his face. It hurt when he pulled back from her reach.

  “Well, let me know when you break up with your boyfriend and have time for me,” Liam snapped, stood and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him with a thunderous crash. Cora flinched when the door banged shut.

  “Was that necessary?” Cora turned on Viola, wanting to punch the satisfied look off her sister’s face.

  “Yeah, I think it was. I’ve been telling you for forever that Charlie was a jerk and you wouldn’t listen. Now you have a great guy and you need to get rid of the jerk,” Viola stated with satisfaction.

  “Did you have to do it in front of our parents and Liam though?” Cora sobbed. Her heart was aching for Liam, for his pain, his anger. The look she’d seen in his eyes was shredding her, from the inside out.

  “Yeah, I think I did. Without seeing Liam’s reaction, you would’ve made excuses. That’s who you are, Cora. You never want to hurt anyone. Believe me, Charlie’s going to be more pissed, because he doesn’t have you as his trophy and can’t keep trying to talk you into giving up your virginity to him, than be hurt. That’s the trophy he ultimately wants to claim. He doesn’t give a crap about you and you know it.” Viola was harsh with her truths, but she spoke with honesty. Cora knew Viola was right, but was still torn up about Liam’s pain.

  “So what should I do? Breaking up with him over the phone
would be the easiest way to handle it, but like you said, it’s crappy,” Cora asked her sister for advice.

  “I say take Liam and I with you and go end it. Liam needs to see you end it or he will always wonder,” Viola said with a shrug.

  “We can’t leave here while Anna’s out there Vi. You know, as well as I do, she knows about Charlie and will be having him watched to see if we make contact with him,” Cora said, thinking of possible ways to meet with him and end it once and for all.

  “Well if that’s the case then I guess inviting him here is out of the question too,” Viola said with a smirk.

  “Just how bad do you think Thomas wants me mated to Liam?” Cora asked with a devious smile.

  “What are you thinking?” Viola asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

  “I’m thinking he could have Charlie picked up and a secure meeting arranged so I can break up with him face to face. If he wants me mated to Liam so bad, I think he’ll agree, don’t you?” Cora asked, as a smile spread from ear to ear.

  Viola looked up at Cora and grinned with her. “Now that’s a plan that could work,” she said and nodded.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  After storming out of the study, Liam headed straight out of the house. He didn’t want to talk to anyone, and he didn’t want Cora to find him, as much as that pained him to admit. He knew he was falling deeper and deeper in love with her much too quickly without knowing much about her, but he believed in her being his mate. The fact she’d kept having a boyfriend from him was making confetti of his heart.

  He wandered the property without paying attention to where he was going, trying to take his mind off of her, but failing. Cora lying to him was all he could think about. The way she’d pulled away from him when her sister mentioned that guy’s name flooded his memory, and he felt tears pricking his eyes. He looked up to realize he was back at the lake, in the exact spot where he’d brought Cora to earlier, for their picnic lunch.