The Cursed Diamond

|25|

"The Uber will arrive any minute now!" I shout at Talia, who insisted on taking a shower when we arrived at the hotel.

"I'm ready!" She replies, almost falling over as she attempts to put on her other shoe.

"Was showering necessary?" Caelum presses his lips together.

"I could not meet Freya's aunt and maybe twin sister with my sweaty outfit!" She whines.

Seeing them bicker like that makes me jealous of the relationship they have. They actually care for each other.

"We should look for a middle-aged woman driving a black Toyota Camry," I inform them. I can't allow my feelings to get in the way of what's important right now. Not when we are so close to uncovering the truth.

I grab my bag from the desk as I head towards the door, quickly looking back to see if they are following me.

"We're right behind you," Talia reassures.

I reach in my pocket, ensuring I have the hotel door key cards.

"I have them." Caelum telepathically lets me know as we enter the elevator.

I look at him, and he gives me a knowing smile. That will take a while to get used to, and I need to practice blocking him out of my thoughts.

God knows I don't want him hearing something embarrassing like getting lost in his eyes.

I quickly try to focus on anything other than him as we exit the elevator. The hotel lobby's grey marble tiles or the glistening hotel chandelier.

"Is that the Uber?" Talia asks, pointing to a black car as we exit.

I open the app on my phone and ensure the information online matches the vehicle.

"Yes, that's it," I inform them.

"I hope everyone is doing well this evening." The Uber driver says.

"Yes." We respond in unison.

She enters the address into the GPS. We're all pretty quiet during the drive. I'm unsure if it's cause we don't know who is trustworthy or if it's just the nerves. Maybe a little of both.

The Uber driver turns on the radio to drown the awkward silence.

The moment I reunite with my twin sister may very well be approaching. I take a deep breath and twirl a curl between my finger.

"Enjoy the rest of your day." the driver says as the car halts.

"My mom said the house would be the one with the sky blue shutters," I inform as we exit the uber.

"That must be the house then." Talia quickly points out. It is easy to spot being the brightest house on the block. The door is also a matching shade of blue, and the roof is bright red.

I walk up the few steps to the door and knock. "There's a car in the driveway, so someone must be home," I say more to myself. I start knocking on the door repeatedly. Nothing. I twist the doorknob, and to my surprise, it actually opens.

The house is the type with an open floorplan. The living room is the first when you enter, but it's a mess. The pillows are thrown off of the couches. There's glass from broken picture frames on the floor. The tv screen is completely smashed in.

I grab a photo from a broken frame on the floor. I hoped we were at the wrong place, and this was all just a robbery, but this photo proves my hopes were all for nothing. The woman in the photograph is my aunt. She looks a lot like my mom. They have matching dark straight hair and an oval face. However, my aunt's eyes are blue, unlike my mother's brown eyes.

The girl next to her is almost an exact replica of me. I now know who that is. Lexi. Seeing her next to my aunt like that makes her real. In the photo, her roots are a bit grown compared to the rest of her bright blonde hair. Her face is a bit slimmer than my own.

"I'm going to check upstairs," Caelum announces. "I don't think the person who did this will be coming back, but stay alert."

"Look for any clues he may have left behind," I reply. "Be careful, and shout if you need any help." We make eye contact before he heads upstairs.

"So she's real," Talia says, looking at the photo that is still in my hands.

"There's no denying it now." I shrug.

"Freya, you guys really are identical."

"So my dream was astral projection." my heart starts to beat fast.

"Don't worry, the good guys always win." she gives me a reassuring smile.

Past the entryway is the dining and kitchen area. The chairs are thrown around, and vases are shattered into pieces. Cabinets are wide open, and random food is splattered on the floor.

They must have left something behind. I look around like a maniac. Under the table, on the counters, and on the kitchen counters.

"The upstairs is all clear. Did you guys find anything?" Caelum asks.

"They must have sent someone to clean up their mess cause it just looks like someone came in looking for money and jewelry. There's no fingerprints or hair out of place." Talia informs.

"I know Lexi is locked up, but at least alive for now. Do they have any reason to keep my aunt alive? I don't want them to be dead before I Get the chance to get to know them." I run my hands across my face. My head is pounding.

This was a bust.