by Maya Daniels
One second, she was running on solid rocks, the next, the ground under her feet opened like a gaping mouth. For a fleeting moment, Iris felt everything around her stop. Not a sound, or even the air, moved as she stood suspended in the air. It all came back with a whoosh, and she plummeted into the dark hole.
“FERN!!!” Her scream was swallowed by the never-ending darkness.
Pain made Iris groan as she struggled to flip on her back. She remembered curling her arms around her head. Her magic surged from her chest in bursts of shimmering purple tendrils swirling in the darkness around her. Iris was sure that it saved her life. When her body hit the rocky ground, the pain was so intense that she gratefully passed out. Now, feeling her face pressed in murky water that smelled like piss, she wished she could've stayed oblivious a little longer.
Her hands shook when she placed her palms on the floor and tried to push herself up. Drips of water hitting a puddle somewhere in the background felt like nails in her brain. Her stomach churned at the stench, and she gagged, before emptying it to the side. Iris hoped that Fern would find her soon. She knew that moving far on her own was not an option, but she needed to do something. Another effort to push herself up made her lose consciousness again.
The next time she woke, everything around her was blurry. Shadows expanded and contracted in front of her. Chills ran up her spine, and cold sweat covered her body before she welcomed the darkness again. The third time, she thought she heard Fern calling her name. Through dry, chapped lips, she called out to him. No words sounded from her throat, only the air from her lungs whispered in the air. The feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her, and she closed her eyes again. It felt like days had passed while Iris floated in and out of consciousness.
Feather light touches gliding on her cheek woke Iris. Afraid to move so she didn't experience the unbearable pain again, she blinked, trying to clear her vision. What looked like a spirit, a glowing outline of a humanoid body, was leaning over her with one arm floating in front of her face. With her heart thundering in her chest, she forced herself to stay still even when everything in her told her to run. Everywhere the hand moved, warmth seeped into Iris's skin. Teeth chattering and breathing in shallow gasps, Iris tracked the movement, not daring to startle whatever it was that hovered above her.
"Please." Iris couldn't even hear her own words, her lips barely moving.
The hand of the spirit stopped, and although it didn't have a face, Iris could feel all its attention on her face. Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and tried again.
"Please, help me." She wasn't sure what she expected, but the spirit tilting its glowing head in curiosity was not it.
Iris barely had time to process what was happening when the spirit lifted off the ground, floating a foot above her where she laid unmoving. Its glow intensified, making her squint even while tears blurred everything around her from the brightness. Her breath got stuck in her lungs when the glow moved fast and pushed itself inside her without a sound. Fear clogged her throat, and her body went numb before a bright flash of light forced her to fling her arm over her face. The next second, her body bowed off the floor, lifting her up as she gasped.
Panting, Iris spun wildly, looking for danger, but there was nothing but rock around her. Her hands throbbed with magic that surged under the surface of her skin, reacting to her panic. The longer she twisted and turned, the easier it became to breathe. When she assured herself that she was alone, her shoulders sagged with relief, and she scrubbed her face with her dirty hands. The stench around her finally registered and her lips twisted in a grimace.
"Oh my God, what the hell was that?" The words rushed out of her and Iris froze.
Slowly, she moved her arms, lifting them up and touching her face. There was no pain. Stiff and sore, yes, but she wasn't in pain like moments ago. Apart from the horrible smell around her, Iris didn't even feel sick. She wracked her brain, trying to remember all the details but they slipped like sand through her fingers.
"What the fuck did that spirit do to me?" With a horrified gasp, she looked at her palms as if they held all the secrets. "No! I must have bashed my head pretty bad to hallucinate like that."
The plink of drops of water hitting a puddle echoed around her, bringing hazy memories. Scenes flashed in her mind's eye of shadows twisting around her while her unmoving body lay helpless on the ground. Her heart rate picked up, and Iris felt another panic attack coming full force.
"No!" Her voice echoed through the empty tunnels. "It was just a hallucination. I must have a concussion." Pushing herself up, she smoothed her hands over the corset and pants she wore.
Humming gently, she twirled her hand in front of her, and her magic lit up the area around her. The purple glow shimmered and made the dark gray rocks on the walls sparkle. It calmed Iris further, making it easier to center herself and not give in to the panic.
"I need to find Fern. He must be going insane looking for me." Talking to herself eased her irrational fear. She might sound like a crazy person, but better that than to go insane.
Noticing her cloak a few feet away, she went to pick it up. Shaking it a few times, Iris flipped it over her shoulders, lifting her chin in false confidence. It was this cave and the suffocating feeling making her see and hear things, she was sure of it. The longer she thought about it, the more convinced she became.
"The elves would never let me hear the end of it if they could see me now." Chuckling softly, she turned in a circle, trying to decide which way to go.
Everywhere she looked there were entrances to tunnels. Standing in the center of a round, open area, it almost felt like she was in a video game where she must pick her next task. A shiver passed up her spine at the thought. Pushing it away so she didn't let the panic rise to the surface, Iris lifted her hand and pushed her magic out.
"Which way to Fern?" she whispered. "Lead me to him."
The shimmering magic surged and floated towards a tunnel to her right. For the first time after she managed to stand up, Iris felt light and excited. She would find Fern, and everything would be okay. A smile pulled her lips, and her muscles unclenched. Not wanting to wait longer, she rushed to follow the purple tendrils of her power.
Before she entered the tunnel, her magic blinked out and a chuckle made her freeze mid-stride.
"Not that way, child. You need to come and find me first." A deep voice as mesmerizing as it was terrifying floated around her, coming from all sides at once. Taking a deep breath, Iris screamed.
Looking around wildly, Iris tried to find the person hiding in the shadows. Aware that she was like a sitting duck standing in the middle of the open space, she sprinted to her right and plastered her back to the rocky walls. Her heart jackhammered in her chest, and her breath came in short puffs.
"Show yourself!" Iris was proud of the confidence in her voice, while inside she freaked out more than ever.
"I cannot do that until you find me," the voice admonished. "You need to hurry up now, child, time is wasting."
"Do I look stupid to you?" Her laugh sounded hysterical to her own ears, and Iris cringed at the sound. "I'm not going anywhere until you show yourself."
"You are here to find me. Are you not?" The arrogance in the voice echoing around her pissed her off. "Or have I made a mistake?" A hum sounded, as if the person was debating something, and her uneasiness grew. "As for your intelligence…you did drop through the roof, and by the scream, it wasn’t intentional. I expected you to find me through the tunnels. I haven't made up my mind yet so I cannot answer your question." Humor laced the statement.
"It was bad luck on my part." Anger spiked in Iris, even though the voice spoke the truth. "I was coming through the tunnels, thank you very much. It's not easy to see in the darkness you’ve got going here. Which reminds me…why are you hiding? Surely not because you're scared of little ol' me?" The chuckle that followed caused cold sweat to drop down her spine.
"So much fire…" The words trailed off for a mo
ment. “It's wasted on those you're trying to save."
Power surged through Iris. She didn't know this person but hearing the dismissal of the lives she cared so much about only made her anger and fear spike further. The arrogance in the voice brought back Ivy's theory about her being descended from beings who thought themselves to be gods.
What if she had actually found what they’d come here for? Her thumb moved, touching the tips of her fingers. She should see this through, and if she found that damn secret, maybe they could all get out of these claustrophobic tunnels as soon as Fern found her, or she found him, whichever came first.
"Ah, ah, ah." Another chuckle echoed, and goosebumps made the hairs on her arms stand on end. "You don't want to waste your power now, child. You cannot harm the one that gave it to you, I assure you."
"How would you know what I'm doing?" Incredulously, Iris looked around, still hoping that she'd be able to see where the owner of the voice hid. She found nothing. Only gray walls and tunnel entrances that gaped like mouths greeted her gaze. Not a shadow stirred, or a flicker of movement.
"Hurry up now." The voice sounded fainter. "I've expended too much energy to announce myself to you. We don't have much time. Too many have invaded this space. I have chosen to help you find what you are looking for instead of flaying their skin for daring to enter here. Don't make me regret it."
"Where can I find you?" Iris hated the urgency in her voice, but her decision had been made when she remembered Ivy's words. "Which way do I go? Which tunnel?" The questions rushed out of her.
"Ah, that would make it too easy, wouldn't it? Everything you find easy has no value." Another tired chuckle faintly bounced off the walls. "You know the way, Iris." A chill made her skull numb when she heard her name. "Follow your heart. It's the only way you'll find me, blood of my blood." The voice drifted into nothingness.
No matter how many questions she asked, or yelled, to the air around her, Iris got no more answers. Whoever the voice belonged to hadn’t been joking about being done talking. At least the fast thumping of her heart against her ribcage had slowed so that she could think clearly.
"Well, more clearly at least," she mumbled to herself as her shoulders sagged.
Blowing a deep breath through pursed lips, Iris rubbed her hands over her face. This was it. She could either follow the instructions and find out if what the voice said was true, or she could act like a scared child and wait for Fern to come to her rescue. She’d never waited on anyone to help her or fix her problems, and Iris wasn't about to start now. The only one she'd ever counted on was herself, so this should be no different. Knowing that Fern would be in less trouble if she did it on her own solidified her decision.
"You are a badass witch, girl!" she told herself firmly, straightening up and squaring her shoulders. "You got this shit down. Let's go find us a secret…unless it's some alien versus predator shit, and then you'll have alien babies popping out through your chest. Oh my God, I need to stop freaking myself out. Don't be stupid, Iris! You got this, you badass, you! You handled Fern's stubborn ass…and Claude. A creepy voice has nothing on you!"
Shaking her arms to loosen up the stiffness in her body, and blowing another breath out, Iris walked with confident steps to the center of the round open space. The faint lighting that gave enough visibility to make her paranoid was pushed to the back of her mind. She would see this through and get the hell out of this place with Fern, and Darion, in tow. The sooner she found it, the faster she would be back to the palace helping Artemis. The pep talk helped bolster her confidence.
Detaching herself from everything, Iris hummed. She’d never questioned how her magic worked or why the need to sing sometimes overwhelmed her. A long time ago, she decided to go with the flow, and it had kept her alive this far. The tune that started softly picked up volume fast. Her voice bounced off the walls, making the sound more haunting. The skin prickled on her arms and legs, the beauty of it affecting her as well. And then she felt it. A tug from the center of her chest that slowly spread through her entire body, pointing her to the left. When she finally looked around, her focus was on the tunnel furthest from where she stood. Without stopping her humming, her legs carried her in that direction. She paused a foot from its entrance, and the song abruptly cut off.
It was like staring into a black hole. No light emerged, and her feet felt rooted to the ground. Iris had never considered herself a fearful person. She wasn't afraid to walk in the dark, never had the urge for company or to have safety in numbers. That she wanted to turn and run away screaming at the moment spoke volumes about the feeling inside her.
"If only there were something to use as light." Her numb lips barely moved with her murmur, and her hands tingled in answer.
Her brows pulled down slightly as she lifted both hands, palm up, to look at them. Symbols she'd never seen before glowed faintly in the center of her palm. Swirling lines like tiny scribbles pulsed faintly, forming a triangle within a circle. The glow looked like small flames dancing under her skin, but since they didn't burn, Iris didn't question it.
"Maybe I am stupid." Examining the symbols, she laughed weakly at herself. "I never question anything about my magic. What a dumbass." Flicking her gaze from her hands to the tunnel, she straightened her arms, aiming her palms towards the darkness. "Well, no time to start questioning now. Let's hope I'm not the dumb girl in a horror movie that dies first. Here goes nothing."
With a nervous laugh, Iris entered the tunnel.
Her boots scuffed the tiny rocks sprinkled on the ground when Iris entered the tunnel. Her arms had a slight tremor, and the only sound she could hear was her heart pounding and her blood whooshing in her ears. She prayed silently, only her lips moving. In her mind, she created scenarios where she never came out of the gaping black hole alive, her body lost forever.
Trying to calm herself, and from the fear that clogged her throat and numbed her body, Iris thought of Fern. When his face appeared in her mind's eye, great calm enveloped her. With it came the realization that she’d refused to acknowledge until this very moment. Fern would be the only person who would mourn her if she didn’t return.
Artemis would be sad, they'd become somewhat close in the time they'd known each other, but it'd pass sooner rather than later. Artemis had Raphael, and the stubborn vampire would make sure his mate was okay. Ivy would miss her because her prophecy, or whatever she wanted to call her visions, would not come true. Darion would miss her as a friend and his hope would be lost about his world being saved. But Fern…he was a different story altogether. Even now, Iris could feel his panic and fear in the center of her chest like it was her own. The symbols on her hip throbbed gently, reminding her of their connection.
Without lifting her feet off the ground, she continued to slide them, pushing pebbles and rocks with her boots. The glow her hands emitted was not enough to put her at ease, so she looked around to see if there was anything else that could light her way. The smell of wet rocks and damp soil insulted her senses. Her fear increased, and she looked over her shoulder to see how far she had come. The entrance was near enough that she could turn around and get out of there if she was smart. Everything in her screamed to spin around and run, but her feet kept moving forward.
"You can do this, Iris!" she told herself firmly. "Don't be a wuss."
Her boot bumped on something hard, and she pointed one hand at her feet, a crease forming on her forehead. A piece of wood lay on the ground, half visible and the other half covered in shadow. Crouching, still keeping one hand facing the all-consuming darkness in front of her, Iris wrapped her trembling fingers around the wood and lifted it off the ground. She almost dropped it, the thing weighing more than she expected.
"What the hell…" her whispered words trailed off, and she pulled harder.
Metal jangled, and a slight cracking sound echoed off the rocky walls. When Iris brought it closer, she realized that the wooden handle had a traditional round lantern attached to one end. Another crack ma
de her heart skip a beat before the lantern dropped on the ground with a loud clink, the wood breaking in half.
"Just my fucking luck to break it now, after its been sitting here for who knows how long." Muttering angrily, she bent down and lifted it off the floor more carefully this time.
When she had the lantern secured in one hand, Iris straightened up with a death grip on the broken piece of the wooden pole in the other. The tremors in her hands subsided. Holding something that she could swing around like a baseball bat gave her false security. She had magic that she could use on anything to protect herself, but this piece of wood was deceptively calming. Flames burst inside the circular glass confines of the lantern, and she almost jumped out of her skin.
"Hurry…not much time…" the voice floated, faint and distant, from the depths of the tunnel.
Iris shivered and swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. She knew she had to get moving and not lag here a few yards away from the entrance. Steeling her resolve, compensating with anger for what she lacked in courage, Iris set off at a faster pace.
She would find the person who owned that voice, and she'd zap his ass for scaring the hell out of her. She might do it twice because he made her walk in this creepy tunnel, too. Her feet wobbled when she stepped on larger rocks, but with each step, her confidence grew. It wasn’t like she was ever going to back away from this. She’d promised to help, and Iris never backed away from a promise. That's why she didn't give her word often.
Being in the dark, unable to see further than a foot in front of her, made her appreciate her eyesight a lot more. It made her think of everything that she took for granted, as if it was her right to have it and not a blessing to be grateful for. Her feet moved faster, the distraction welcomed. At least she wasn't thinking of dying or what she would find at the end of the tunnel. She breathed a sigh of relief. As she turned the bend in the tunnel, her feet froze in place.
