by Valia Lind
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"It's newer than the others. Just like with her house, I think Baba Yaga left it as a clue." He shrugs, but I can see the apprehension clearly on his face. He's nervous about what this could mean for us. He's nervous about what this means for me.
"Look, I know that we may be walking into a trap and as much as I want to pull rank and order you to stand by me, I know I can't. I won't be able to live with myself if I lead you to your death. So I'm giving you a choice right here and now. I'm going and you can either wait here, or come with me."
There is no hesitation in their words as they say, "I'm going," in unison. The heaviness I've been feeling lifts and I smile my first real smile, in what seems like days.
"You don't honestly thing that we won't stand by you, do you?" Brendan says, his gaze keeping me rooted in place. “I think we just went over this.” There is that emotion there, the one he guards so closely, the one he doesn't allow me to see often. I push the responding desire down and nod in appreciation. I really am surrounded by the best people and I don't deserve them in the least.
"I don't want you to feel obligated to come by duty." I state, holding his stare.
"It's not duty, luv," Maxwell comments, coming up to stand next to Brendan. "It's love. Now, let's get this show on the road, shall we? I'm ready to see lovely Jemma again."
Just her name brings the familiar ping of pain to my chest. The guilt of getting her into this mess hasn't lessened in the last week and it probably never will. Her whole life is different now. She'll never be able to go back to the ignorance her fellow humans’ exhibit. I know she would never judge me for that, but I judge myself plenty.
New determination washes over me as I think about the fact that I'm so close to getting her out. The Glava wanted me here, that much I know. But they don't know everything there is to know about me and I hope that it'll be enough to give us an advantage. I should've done more in ways of practicing my dark majyk, but it's not as if I could've done it with the boys present. I just hope I can be enough. I can't live with more blood on my hands.
"Let's go."
We leave the hut behind, weapons at the ready, as we head to the east, following the instructions in Baba Yaga's book. She outlined the general direction and the markings to look for, but I would've been lost if it wasn't for Maxwell. He can see patterns and hidden meanings, where I can't. We come to the tree five minutes later.
"So, what now?" I ask, staring at the bark as if it holds some secrets to the meaning of life. There's no obvious door we can walk through. "Are you sure this is the place?"
"According to everything I read, yes." Maxwell comments, coming closer to the tree and running his hands over the bark. Brendan and I wait patiently, but nothing happens.
"Well?"
"I'm not sure," Maxwell replies, turning to face us. "There's nothing in the book that said anything about opening it, or how to do it."
All three of us move our eyes back to the tree, as if waiting for it to answer our questions. But nothing happens. Maxwell huffs, but Brendan takes a step towards it and I can instantly tell he's thought of something. There's a gleam in his eye when he turns to me.
"Every part of this, all of it, has been tailored to you," he says, his eyes shining with intensity. "What if you're the only one who can open it?"
Glancing back at the tree, I mull it over. It's a definite possibility, and it's not going to hurt to try, but it's not as if I know what to do. After throwing a quick smile Brendan's way, I pat him on the arm, as I walk past him and to the trunk. The branches reach down to me as soon as I get in within touching distance. I run my fingers carefully over them, and they curl around my skin like a child holding on to an adult’s hand. Gently, I tug my hand back, stopping in front of the tree. I'm not sure what I'm expecting, but it isn't nothing.
"What do I do?" I say, turning to glance over my shoulder at the boys. They're standing on either side of me, a few feet behind, watching my progress and they shrug at the same time. "Helpful." I mumble, turning back around.
Taking a deep breath, I do the only thing I can think of. I walk forward and place my hand on the bark. Nothing happens. I think back to how the hut reacted to me and I try it with words.
"Open up?"
Nothing.
Frustrating bubbles inside of me, the uselessness of who I am without the full extent of my memories like a slap in the face. Without a doubt in my mind, I know I would be able to figure this out if only I wasn't still a half filled vessel. Another branch reaches toward me and this time, I reach back to it automatically. Only not with my hand. With my majyk.
The feel of it flares up under my fingertips, sending the tree ablaze in a bright purple hue. Yanking my hand back, I take a step away from the tree, afraid that it'll burst, but the light settles and an entrance appears. Once again, my majyk opened a door. But which majyk was it?
"Alrighty then. To battle we go," Maxwell says, coming up to my left shoulder. I glance to Brendan, who's at my right and smile.
Finally.
To battle we go.
9
Stepping through the haze, swords drawn, we're not sure what to expect. When the purplish tint dissipates, we are greeted by a vast hall, with ceilings so high, they get lost in the shadows. A big part of me expected darkness and gloom, but the space around us glitters in shades of gold and jasper. The walls themselves seem to shine with a light coming from within. The patterns woven into the gold tell a million stories, with their intricate movement and imagery. It's the exact opposite of what I would think an evil lair would look like and it makes my uneasiness go up a few hundred notches.
"Stay close," I whisper, but the boys don't need direction. They flank me on both sides, their backs to me, creating a 360 coverage of our surroundings. Careful not to touch anything but the floor we walk on, lest we set off any silent alarms, we move toward the closest doorway. There seem to be no guards around and that makes me even more uneasy. If this is their main base of operation, shouldn't it be crawling with soldiers? I ask the question out loud and receive a concerned look from both of the guys. I guess they're thinking the same thing.
"What now?" Maxwell asks, as we dart through the next opening, flattening ourselves into the crook of space between a statue and the wall. This hallway is lined with statues of creatures from every story imaginable. There are dragons, trolls, giant spiders, and angry bears. The statues are giant, the monsters they represent at least five times their actual size. "Also, I'd like to know who did the decorating because these things are creepy!"
"I won't argue with you there," I reply, glancing at the ginormous bear we're hiding behind. "We need to find a way to the dungeons. I would assume that's where Jemma is being held. It's not like they'll put her up in a five star suite."
"I don't know," Brendan begins, my eyes flying to him, but he's looking somewhere else. I follow his gaze down the hallway, where there is another doorway and a darkness beyond. Even with my better eyesight, I can't see past the black.
"What do you mean?" I ask, turning my attention back to him.
"Something seems off," he replies. "You're right. There should be soldiers. The place is completely unguarded." His eyes flicker over our surroundings again, before going to rest on me. "It's like it's completely deserted."
Just as the words leave his mouth, there is a noise down the opposite side of the hall. We move even farther into the shadows, as a group of soldiers round the corner as one. They march past us quickly, and I count at least fifty in this one group. We watch as they walk right into the dark at the opposite side of the hall and then, there's silence.
"Well, that answers that." Maxwell says, and I look over at him confused. "That end of the hall is a portal. Much like the one we came through. This side of the stronghold must be the travel station. There's probably a grand hall where the soldiers assemble, before they march into battle. Through that entry."
"Battle?" My confusion hasn't lessened
"And I'm just finding out about it now?" It's difficult to keep my voice low, but somehow I manage.
"You knew. You just didn't remember," Brendan says, trying to be gentle, but I glare at him anyway.
"I knew, but maybe not to this extent."
"You've been gone a year, Cal. A lot has happened."
"Apparently." I mumble. I want to shout at them for keeping another huge part of the information from me, but it wouldn't have changed anything. If I knew we were actually at war, as in front lines and everything, I still would've come for Jemma first. And I still have my own opinions on whether or not the Royal Ones deserve my protection.
"It's not as if we've been keeping it from you. We've just had other priorities." I wave him off, because I understand. This is a problem for after we get Jemma out. Running my hand through my hair, my mind goes over our options. The direct route would be to go in the opposite direction of the soldiers. They have to be coming from somewhere. But that's also the option that will probably lead us to whatever trap we just walked into.
"Is there a location spell we can try?" I turn to Maxwell, a hand on my hip. Both of the guys look at me like I'm weird. "What?"
"We're not the Halliwell sisters. We don't really scry for location." Brendan states, shocking me into silence. Maxwell and I stare at him as if he's grown another head. "What?"
"You know who the Charmed ones are?"
"I owned a TV." His self-conscious shrug is the most adorable thing I've seen and the smile that tugs on my lips is genuine.
"Let me guess. Phoebe was a favorite."
"Are you kidding me? Piper all the way. I'm all about the strong leader with a kind heart."
My chest grows heavy at his words, the air seeming to leak out from my lungs. His eyes shine so bright, the light seeps straight into me. A simple moment becomes the most treasured memory and I swear to myself that no matter what happens next, I will remember what I feel like standing in the glow of his smile.
A throat clears beside us and the moment is broken. Brendan and I glance over at Maxwell, who's wearing a grin ear to ear.
"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we should get moving before another legion comes through and we're discovered."
I nod in response, keeping my eyes trained on Maxwell, but I can feel Brendan still watching me. Why do things have to be so complicated between us? Why do simple moments have to carry so much meaning behind them? There are a million options and not one of them is the one I can take if I am to be happy. But happiness is not really in the books for me, is it? After all, I'm destined for more.
"Let's see if we can figure out where this hallway leads," I say, before turning toward the direction the soldiers came from. The boys drop into line behind me without a word, and we creep toward the end of the long open space.
It seems like the hall will never end, but then, after good ten minutes of watching for any sign of life, we hear a noise. I stop, raising my hand, but the boys have already heard it.
"They're coming," Brendan says, eyes on the direction the stomping of the boots is coming from. I glance around and see that we have nowhere to go. What started out as a hallway filled with giant creature statues is not just a long, tall room, with nowhere to hide.
"If we're discovered now, we're done for," Maxwell's voice holds the urgency I'm feeling. But I have no idea what to do. There are no other doorways, nothing to hide behind. There's the space in front of us where the soldiers are coming from, and there's the long empty space behind us. We won't make it to one of those statues before the army gets here.
My body starts to hum, as if it's reacting to the danger. The majyk flares to life inside me, and as usual, I can't tell which parts of me are predominant. My hand tightens on my sword, determination sweeping over my body like a wave. I will not let Brendan and Maxwell get hurt. I will fight every single one of those soldiers if that means there's a chance for them.
"Maxwell?" Brendan's voice comes from behind me, but I don't turn away from the sound.
"I'm reading!" Maxwell replies and my eyes swing to him at that. He's got Baba Yaga's book in his hands, flipping the pages. Air escapes my lungs, sounding like a hiss. "You can yell at me later, Cali," Maxwell says, without taking his eyes off the book. "Here!" He stops flipping, his eyes flying over the words on the page. "There's a masking spell in here. But it needs a lot of power. A majyk neither I nor Brendan have."
I don't even hesitate.
Walking over to Maxwell, I grab the book out of his arms and quickly read the chant. Thrusting the book back at Maxwell, I take Brendan by the hand and tug him toward the wall. My sword on my hip, I take Maxwell's hand with my other one, and lean against the gold design behind me. The sound of the feet stomping is almost upon us, so I close my eyes, begging my majyk not to fail me. The words that fall from my lips are unnatural at first, and then it's as if a switch turns on.
The breeze that flows,
The water that falls,
The tree that grows,
The knowledge that bestows.
Open up my eyes,
Speak the words of life,
Move through me,
Turn the sound to a beat,
Let it become what has been.
Make us as one,
Make us unseen.
The pulsing that began earlier overwhelms me, and I squeeze the guy's hands as the majyk takes over. For a second, I'm terrified I'll hurt them. But then the majyk explodes all around us and all I feel is bliss.
The soldiers go past us as if we're not even there. There's no haze between us and them, no film as if we're protected by some barrier. They move in one accord, the stomping of their boots sure and strong. It's another fifty soldiers and now that we're closer, I see they look like the creatures who attacked me at the party. The Shadowlands are making their own warriors apparently. Not that this is new knowledge. Seeing it, however, is a bit unsettling.
When the soldiers move past, I let go of the guy's hands and take a step forward. The majyk shimmers around me for a beat, before it dissipates. I'm assuming I broke the spell, but I don't exactly want to voice my questions, considering the boys probably have plenty of their own.
"Let’s move before another regiment comes through," I say, without a backwards glance, while I take off in the direction the creatures keep coming from. Maxwell and Brendan fall into step behind me, back in formation, and even though neither one of them speaks, I can feel their stares on my back. One of these times, I'm going to have to answer for all the things I have done. I really shouldn't be putting this off any longer, if I'm to have any chance at salvaging our friendship. But for now, I'm hoping they're as focused on Jemma as I am.
In the next minute, we come to the end of the hall that opens up to four different doorways. All of the doorways are tall, so tall they get lost in the space above us, and there are shadows twirling inside each one. There is also noise now, as if the stronghold is actually alive with people, shuffling around.
"Which way?" Maxwell asks from behind me. I turn to him then, meeting his eye for the first time since saying the spell.
"Any clue in that book you stole?" I ask, and my words come out just a tad more bitter than I expected.
"I knew you're displeased."
"I'm displeased because you kept it from me."
"I thought it could be useful. And we can put it back!" He hugs it to his chest like a child holding onto a beloved teddy bear. I chuckle, softening my features, so he knows I'm not actually angry. He seems to visibly relax at that, and for the first time I wonder if he really is scared of me. That thought flies into my head like a bullet, fast and sharp, piercing all of my carefully constructed safety mechanisms. I turn away abruptly, trying to keep the panic at bay.
I'm fine.
I'm not evil.
He shouldn't be afraid of me, because I'm not evil.
"Cal?" Brendan is in front of me in a flash, taking me by my shoulders. His stupid radar when it comes to me isn't broken at all. Just as usual, he’s more attuned to what I’m feeling than I am.
"I'm fine." I manage, but I don't sound fine even to my own ears.
"Remember to breathe."
"I hate it when you tell me that," I say, between gasps, glaring up at him.
"Oh I know," he replies, throwing a smirk my way. My eyes zero in on his lips, my body going hot instantly. I'm sure he can feel the heat through my clothing. Or maybe it's the way I'm focusing on that part of him, because when I bring my eyes back to his, they are on fire.
"You're entitled to panic attacks, remember? This is normal."
"Nothing about me is normal."
"Maybe," he smiles a little wider, "But I'm okay with that."
He holds my gaze, his hands on my upper arms and I realize my breathing hitched and just like that, I'm back to myself. We say so much without uttering a word. I can feel his touch through my clothing and everything around us seems irrelevant. But just when the feelings start to seep through the carefully erected walls, I come back to myself and the reality of where we are and who I am. Nothing has changed.
"Thank you," I whisper, taking a step out of his arms. Breaking eye contact, I glance at Maxwell, whose back is to us, keeping an eye out on our surroundings. Bless him and his attention to what actually needs to be done.
"I don't think splitting up is an option," I say, once again in control of my emotions. These episodes of losing control just keep getting more frequent. I realize my emotional state is out of balance, but the knowledge doesn’t help with the actual dealing with it. Brendan's eyes are still on me, but I'm back to ignoring him. It's always better that way, even though it's all a lie I tell myself. I'm never not aware of him.
"Door number two definitely looks like where the soldiers are coming from," Maxwell comments, vaguely waving his arm in the general direction. I focus my hearing to push through the darkness and the cling and clang of the armor reaches me in a second. Without a word, I refocus my hearing to the other two doors, one at a time. I hear nothing.
