The Riddle Twins

Chapter 16 - Just a little pinch

"Focus!"

Gabriel hissed, slapping Mattheo over the head. The wizard gave his brother a murderous glare, his nostrils flaring.

"I'm trying," he replied through gritted teeth, digging his nails into his knees.

"You aren't!"

They were sitting, legs crossed, on a wet grass, outside in the garden. It was particulary misty that day and the fog was crawling around them in thick drapes, providing them a sense of privacy they missed inside the castle.

They were under constant supervision.

Not only servants, but even Thomas kept a close eye on them. He knew, that something had happened in the academy, but he respected their privacy more than his own curiosity. The cousins were rather close from an early age. Thomas raised them as his brothers, cared for them, and taught Gabriel how to use his magic in his advantage. He was a fast learner, unlike Mattheo, who ecsaped every attempt to tame his inner demons.

Aware of how tricky their magic is, they decided to keep it a secret from him, afraid of their fathers natural talent to reveal the hidden.

Riddles were known for having strong psychic abilities. Not only were the twins sharing a special connection to each others subconscious, they were given the power to read minds and speak into them, to decieve ones better judgement.

Their father, Baltazar, could not only read minds, but also manipulate bodies in his favor, play them as marionettes in his little sick game.

And lastly, there was Thomas, gifted with the strongest powers of them all.

The power is passed from the strongest living descendant to their first born, alas Thoms's mother, Colette, who sacrificed her magic in sake of her son. His ability to look through minds had no limits. He could read the thoughts of past and present, the decisions of very near future. He could make people see what he desired, create images in their heads they could never imagine on their own. He could master their dreams and shape them at his will.

That's why they chose a place behind the cemetery, hiding behind the thombstones of their ancestors as their personal shield, even though certain, that he would never use such brutality on his own blood.

Mattheo squeezed his eyes shut, a tight crease forming on his forehead in concentration. He was getting incredibly frustrated. Gabriel choose a strange way to educate him on his magic. He believed, that if he could learn to resist pain, even to ignore it, he could also resist to submit to his temptations.

But it was as if his own soul fought on protest their uncountable tries to tame it.

Gabriel just barely lifted his hand and Mattheo grabbed his wrist immediately even with his eyelids closed shut.

"I told you!" Gabriel exclaimed in irritation, snatching his hand back. He tried to proove a point.

"Turn-your-magic-off!"

"I'm trying!"

"Not enough!"

"How am I supposed to let my guard down when you won't stop bothering me?!"

"Just do it!"

Mattheo fumed, squeezing his eyes again. The problem was, that his nature was mainly physical. He tried to solve his problems through power, but that wasn't enough.

He had to use his mind.

"This is pointless-"

"Try again."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Than you will try until it does," Gabriel hissed.

Mattheo exhaled a forced breath, pushing everything out. It was hard to clear his chaotic mind, but slowly, the thoughts dissolved into nothingness. The seconds turned into hours of floating in blackness of no real purpose, and just as he was about to give up, a weird sensation flooded his senses.