The Unholy Trinity

Graduation

Joey’s POV

“Babe, don’t be upset.”

“No, this isn’t fair! Everytime something good happens to me, Zoey has to just ruin it!” I whispered. “Why don’t I ever get to be happy?”

“You do, Jo!” Marsden insisted. “We’re still getting married, baby. Nothing is ruined. I don’t care what she thinks, I love you.”

“I love you too.” I kissed him. “I’m sorry, it’s our engagement day and I’m being all dramatic and emotional.”

“It’s okay, I knew this wasn’t going to go over well. As long as you’re not having second thoughts.”

“Never. I know what I want and it’s you, Marsden.” 

“You do?” He smiled. 

“I do.” I breathed. 

“Save that for the wedding day.” Marsden kissed me deeply. 

All the anger and aggression I previously had in my body exited easily. How could I be upset when I was engaged to the man of my dreams? The only person who had ever made me feel smart and sexy and important. 

This was going to be a happy day no matter what.

--

I was kind of nervous when I saw Mom approaching me. I had quite a few updates since the last time I saw her. 

She hugged me tightly and did the same to Marsden. “So, I’ve just talked to Zoey…”

“Please don’t tell me you agree with her,” I begged. 

“I do think this is a little fast, Joey-”

“Mom!”

“But you’re an adult now. I can’t tell you what to do. I know you love Marsden very much and I know he loves you. I just want you to be happy sweetie.” She smiled slightly. 

“Really?” I asked hopefully. 

“Of course. That’s all I want for my children. Zoey will come around I’m sure.”

“I’m not,” I muttered. 

“She kind of hates me.” Marsden winced. 

“When she finally sees you for who you really are, I’m sure that will no longer be the case.” Mom assured him. 

I hoped that was true. That once all this came out and Zoey realized that Marsden never wanted any part of this life she could see past all the mess. 

“Well, I should get to my seat! I’m so proud of you both.” She gave me a kiss on the cheek and squeezed Marsden’s hand. 

“Joey!”

I smiled seeing Brielle run up to me. She clung to me, squealing. “You’re really going to be my sister now! Oh, let me see the ring!”

I happily showed her my hand. She gasped. “Oh, that’s nice! Didn’t think Marsden had that good of taste.”

“Um, look at my fiancee, I definitely have taste.” Marsden protested. 

“True enough.” I smiled. 

“How did your sisters take the news?” Brielle asked. 

“Chloey was happy for me…Zoey not so much.”

“She’s dating Tate Highmore, right?” I nodded. “Well kinda makes sense then huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“If you could all please take your seats, the graduation ceremony is set to begin!” Director Magnus announced. 

“Happy for both of you!” Brielle hugged us both before hurrying off to her seat. 

Marsden and I joined the other graduates. Now I kind of wished we hadn’t previously chosen our seats since now I had to be in the same vicinity as Zoey, who was trying to get my attention. I would just ignore her.

I instead focused on the stage. All of the Sages, Magnus, the Chancellor and Mom sat up there. A long line of people to shake hands with. 

“Welcome graduates, friends and family!” Magnus smiled. “This has been quite an eventful year for our graduating class. I am incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished. How they have shown bravery, loyalty, and tenacity in the face of all they have come up against this last year.”

I feel like he’s speaking right to me and Marsden. I think we’d been through more than any other students here this past year, and we were still here. Still standing, still fighting. I was actually kind of proud of the both of us. 

A scream broke through the air. “Everybody run!”

Did Rune turn into a werewolf again?

The doors to the Banquet Hall burst open and in swarmed dozens of people in black. I recognized them in an instance. I had been to their party.

Dark Vampiric Warlocks were crashing our graduation.

Chloey’s POV

Shrieks of terror flooded the room as Dark Vampiric Warlocks stormed into the Banquet Hall. 

Curses flew freely as flashes of different colored lightley bounced around the room. I hit the floor immediately, hiding under my chair. Rune joined me a second later.

“What do we do?” He cried. 

“Just…just stay here!” I yelled over all the chaos. 

I looked to my right to see Joey and Marsden still in their seats. They seemed frozen by what was going on. Was this the moment I had been dreading? Did the Dark Vampiric Warlocks find out that Joey was a double spy? Would they kill her right in front of everyone to make an example out of her?

“ENOUGH!” Chancellor Magnus’ voice boomed. 

Shockingly enough all curses and yelling stopped. It was like the Dark Vampiric Warlocks were curious about what she had to say.

“Where is Count Killoran?” She asked.

“Oh couldn’t make it,” A Dark Vampiric Warlock I recognized as Rainer Vonner spoke. “Prior engagement.”

“Speaking of engagement,” Reuben Rex started. “I hear congratulations are in order? Marsden Thorton and Joey Rosaria are engaged!”

The mention of their names seemed to have snapped Joey and Marsden out of their frozen states. 

“Are you proud Molly?” Rainer asked. 

Mom didn’t answer. She looked absolutely terrified for what would happen to Joey.

“How did you get in here?” Chancellor Magnus demanded. “The barrier should have kept you out!”

“Oh we took care of the barrier, didn’t we Marsden?” Reuben grinned. 

Marsden’s face paled. “I-I…”

“Oh don’t be humble Marsden. You took down that barrier all by yourself. Your father would be proud.” Rainer smiled. 

“I f*****g knew it!” Tate whispered. “This is all his fault.”

“You need to leave.” Chancellor Magnus said calmly. “There are more of us than you. Leave with your dignity, we have you surrounded.”

The Dark Vampiric Warlocks merely chuckled. “Are you sure Chancellor…because I think we have a few more people than you realize. Enormo Revalsmente!”

A bright light filled the room and as it dimmed gasps echoed through the space. My eyes widened, taking all the newly revealed Dark Vampiric Warlocks. Keene Creighton, Giselle, Marsden and Joey.

“Simone?!” Tate practically shrieked. 

My head snapped in their direction and sure enough Simone was a Dark Vampiric Warlock. Her golden eyes glowed with remorse.

“I did it for Paxton.” Simone whispered. 

“Joey?” Zoey shuddered. “No…not you.”

“Sorry to disappoint you once again, Zo.” Joey murmured. 

I could see in her eyes that she wanted to tell Zoey the whole truth, but she absolutely couldn’t. If only Zoey knew that Joey had made the biggest sacrifice of her life, just to help the Witching Domain.

Chancellor Magnus looked around in shock. Rainer smirked before uttering three words. “Kill the Chancellor!”

Pandemonium broke out in the Banquet Hall. Mom managed to get over to us. “We have a way out, we have to go!”

Instead I ran in the opposite direction.

Zoey grabbed me. “Let’s go Chloey, we have to get out of here!”

“I have to talk to Joey!” I shouted. 

“She’s one of them!” 

“I don’t care, she’s my sister!” I pulled out of her grip. 

I spotted Joey with Giselle and Marsden, just trying to stay out of the way of any curses.

“What are you doing Chloey, you have to go!” Joey cried.

“You have to come with us!” I insisted. 

“I can’t Chlo…you know I can’t. I have to go with them. I’m one of them.”

“Joey, please!”

She pressed her forehead against mine. “We talked about this remember? You have to trust me. I’ll be okay. But you…you have to go with Mom now.”

“We can figure something else out!” I sobbed. 

“Remember there’s no other way. I can do this…let me do this please.” Joey whispered. “We’re gonna save the f*****g world. But we can’t do that if you don’t go.”

I hugged her tightly. “Please be safe.”

“Chloey lets go now!” Zoey screamed from behind me. “She’s not coming, she chose her side!”

“You know what needs to be done, go!” Joey pushed me towards Zoey.

The room shook and a victorious voice could be heard above the screaming and cries.

“The Chancellor is dead!”

Zoey’s POV

I couldn’t believe it.

Joey was one of them. She had turned into the very thing she’d hated since Dad left us. 

She was actually a Dark Vampiric Warlock. 

I thought it was just Marsden and she was still supporting him, but no, she had been one too. I couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d been one. When had she decided her allegiance fully lied with Marsden?

When did she decide to betray our family? I would never forgive her for this. 

How could Chloey? She actually ran after Joey and begged her to come with us. Yeah right. She had to go be with Dad and Brody and murder a bunch of innocent people. 

“The Chancellor is dead!”

I gasped and looked around. Sure enough, in the middle of the room the Chancellor was on the floor. She was covered in blood and not moving. Director Magnus was frozen, looking at his murdered wife.

Knowing he was probably the next victim, Mom acted quickly and threw her hands in the air. “Convenire magistratus!”

In an instant little balls of lights appeared and then formed into people. Hunters. 

“Retreat!” Rainer shouted. 

Joey didn’t go along with other Dark Vampiric Warlocks. We just stared at each other. 

“How could you?” I finally asked. 

“I had to.” Joey choked out. “I’m sorry. I love you both.”

“We gotta go!” Marsden grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

She looked back almost longingly at us. How could she turn into one of them and seem to still care about us so much? This was so confusing.

“Zoey, Chloey, we have to go now!” Mom yelled. 

I tugged Chloey with me. Mom desperately felt around the walls, clearly looking for something. 

“Molly!” Giselle screamed. “Here!”

We ran over to her. I still couldn’t believe that Tate was right and that Giselle was a Dark Vampiric Warlock too. 

She had found the secret door. “Go all of you!” Giselle urged. 

Why was she helping us? Why was Mom trusting her?

Mom made Director Magnus go first, then Chloey and me. Our boyfriends followed. I turned around and saw Mom and Giselle embrace before she joined us. Giselle closed the secret door. 

“I left my mom!” Tate exclaimed. 

“She’ll be fine,” Director Magnus assured him as we moved through the tunnel. 

“Director Magnus I told you Marsden was dangerous!” I cried. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen.” He stated. 

We came to the end of the tunnel. Magnus pushed the door open and I was shocked that we were in the room above the Celestial Tower. 

He held out his hand and a part of the floor rose. Well Tate and I sure hadn’t found that when we were here. 

“Marsden sure did a good job with that barrier.” Magnus whispered. 

Was he…praising him?!

With a few twists of his hands a clear sphere appeared. “The barrier is back up. Anyone without their concealment charms won’t last.” Magnus informed us. 

“So can we go back to the Banquet Hall?” Rune asked. “I want to make sure my sister is okay.”

“I think it’s safe enough.” Mom nodded. 

We hurried to the Banquet Hall. It looked like all the Dark Vampiric Warlocks were either dead or fled. 

“Raina!” Rune called. 

“Rune!” Raina limped over to us. 

Rune hugged her tightly. “Are you okay?”

“Joey saved my life.” Raina trembled. 

“She hates you.” I stated. 

“I know, but one of them was gonna kill me and she stopped them."

I had never been more confused. 

“No!” Tate’s voice hollered. 

I turned and ran over to him. He practically crumbled in my arms when I reached him. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“My mom…she’s dead!”