"Finally," Ms. Kelly's voice reached us. "You've been out of touch for some time."
"It was like they were blocked," Blake said. "When they were inside the house."
"Maybe," she replied. "But you can hear us now, Brynn and Shane?"
My air huffed out of me, and I replied aloud, "Yes, we hear you."
A slight smile lifted the edges of Shane's mouth as he replied within our minds. "We hear all of you."
Our collective consciousness had been opened again.
"Oh my god," I mouthed to Shane.
He lowered his lids and nodded.
It was exactly what we needed—our coven.
We needed their help desperately and they'd reached us at the most critical moment. Everything teetered on a fine point and could easily fall the wrong way.
I closed my eyes, grateful that they'd found us in our minds.
And then, as we moved around the far side of the manor toward the guest house, we stopped short, and our jaws fell open.
They were all there—standing by the cars at the front of Shane's place.
My hands flew over my mouth from the shock, and I raced toward Poorva. Her face lit up as she ran to me, and our arms flew around each other.
"Are you okay?" she gushed. "We were so worried."
"Yes. We're okay. I'm so happy to see you."
The normalcy of being with Poorva rattled me. Everything had been so out of control, but I felt immediately grounded in the moment with her. My shattered mind pulled together, and I could think clearly again.
"Oh my god," I muttered. "I had no idea how badly I needed to see all of you."
Looking at everyone's concerned expressions worried me, but having them there was exactly what we'd needed.
Shane and I had stumbled upon a crossroads, and having the UMAs there to help navigate the options was paramount.
"It's great to see you guys," Shane said, taking a deep, cleansing breath. "You have no idea."
Ms. Kelly nodded knowingly. "It's time we pull the coven together and stay close, from here forward. You've accomplished much in your personal journey. More than expected."
My eyes narrowed on her as I listened to every word. I wondered how much she knew—probably everything.
I turned to Poorva, curious about what had brought them all here, now, at this exact moment.
"What's going on?" I asked, squinting one eye. I studied each one for any signs of an explanation of their sudden arrival.
Poorva glanced at Ms. Kelly and then back to me.
She put a hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath. My heart rate quickened as I stared into her deep brown eyes.
"We heard him, Brynn."
My breath stopped in my chest.
Poorva continued. "Dom's trying to break through."
Chapter 11
Ms. Kelly stepped forward and waved for us to gather around her.
All eyes set firm on her, unblinking, as we hung on the unbelievable fact that Dom was trying to make contact.
"I believe we are on the cusp of an event of profound magnitude," Ms. Kelly stated. "We must use caution and keep our senses sharp."
"Sensing Dominic's presence was unexpected," Ms. Reed added. "He is stronger than we realized in his determination. Having thought he was originally a pawn in the Dark Witch's game, we now see that he is an integral component of greater events. He is the creator of the portal."
I nodded, knowing her words to be true.
We had all believed that Dom was innocent in all of this—someone who got caught up in it by happenstance. Cursed by the witch, turned to a wolf, and believed to be the random, unfortunate soul who fell in love with Millicent.
But no.
Dom was much more than that.
As the creator of the portal, he made the opportunity to end the curse of the Dark Witch.
And now, he was continuing his mission, tirelessly.
"I don't understand, Ms. Kelly." I rubbed my hands over my eyes. "I thought we wanted the portal closed—to stop the Dark Witch from having access to us."
She nodded. "Yes, so it seemed at the time. But it is now that we realize its destruction left much unfinished." She glanced at Shane and then at Tommy.
Shane's soul was still detached. That I knew. But why she looked at Tommy with a similar gaze was uncertain.
I looked at Shane and watched as he stared at Tommy. He studied him with a new focus I'd never seen before. Tommy looked back at him, unblinking, and an unspoken understanding moved between the two.
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as I watched them without blinking.
Then Ms. Reed's voice snapped our attention her way.
"Fresh scones, warm from the oven." She lifted a basket from the steps. A red and white dishtowel covered the tempting contents.
Shane stepped up to his front door and opened it. Holding it for everyone to enter, he fixed his eyes on mine. His gaze held too many questions to count, and I returned the same expression. But we trusted the people we were with and knew that patience was needed at the moment.
As the clanging of plates, a whistling kettle, and lively chatter filled the small kitchen, we all settled into the comfortable familiarity. I'd forgotten the deep sense of security that came from the coven. Our strengths combined made for a serious force that offered a level of protection like no other.
But I still couldn't help feeling vulnerable.
There was still so much unknown, and every decision felt like a risk.
But it was unanimous in the fact that we'd all be entering the labyrinth. We believed it had the power to help us reach Dom, so there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the center was our destination.
"The loop is open," Ms. Kelly confirmed. "And so we must act while we can."
"I don't understand," Poorva grumbled. "I thought now that the Dark Witch was trapped back in her time, Dom and Courtney would stop Millicent from summoning the darkness. Everything would end then. That was the plan. Why is that changing now?"
Her annoyed tone wasn't lost on anyone. She'd felt like our last project had accomplished what we needed—stopping the reign of the Dark Witch.
And she was right.
We'd accomplished that.
To a point.
But it was clear that many pieces were left unfixed, and Poorva seemed quite content in accepting those details as collateral damage.
But I wasn't so willing. And neither was Shane.
We still had too much to lose.
"We must do this final step, Poorva," Ms. Kelly said. "For Shane. For Brynn."
Poorva nodded with reluctance. "I know. I'm just worried we're going to start the whole cycle over again. Like there's no end to it. Ever."
Her words hung in the air as everyone attempted to avoid them.
But we all knew them to be true.
It was just Poorva who chose to say it out loud.
There may be no end to the loop, and we all knew it.
As the final crumbs were wiped away and the last cup rinsed, we stepped outside and formed a circle.
"We will use the power of the labyrinth to cross over. Only long enough to find the souls we search for," Ms. Kelly started.
I stood rigid, hearing her words. Could it be possible to find their souls through the labyrinth? Shane's? My father's? Tears stung my eyes as I considered the possibility.
"I've seen their souls before," Ms. Reed said, closing her eyes. "My second sight will find them again in the mist."
My attention sharpened. Ms. Reed's words had struck me deep. She had the power of the blind witch, to see those lost in limbo. And she had been successful in finding them before. Then it was Tommy who was able to reach through.
My heart rate accelerated.
Maybe there was a chance.
Nervous energy filled the air as we walked toward the secret garden hidden within the trees. Shane and I knew exactly what we were heading into, but everyone else could only imagine it from the images in
our minds and the quivering emotions that swarmed all around them.
"Are we in danger of the death curse," Blake murmured.
I looked to Ms. Kelly, uncertain of how to answer his question. There was no knowing if the curse would travel back to the labyrinth. Once it had been freed from the vial, it seemed to dissipate after it attempted striking me. But still, there was no way to know for sure what it would do.
"I believe it's lost much of its force," Ms. Kelly said. "By the time it reached Tommy, it was but only a shadow of its former self. And then it vanished from my awareness."
Blake nodded in relief as his eyes flinched toward Tommy.
Everyone knew the curse had affected him in some way, but Ms. Kelly seemed to think he'd escaped it.
But I wasn't so confident. There was something unusual about Tommy. He was always very detached, and I had to believe it had everything to do with the curse.
I pledged to remain on guard for anything and everything possible.
As we reached the vine-covered, broken gate, Shane turned to the others.
"This is it," he said. "My mother's secret garden. The labyrinth is at its center."
Everyone moved around the massive oak and entered the sacred space. Their silence and care of step proved they knew the importance of the area to Shane—his connection to his mother.
"Once we enter the labyrinth," he continued, "stay on the path. As we reach the center, you'll pass through an energy field, like a shimmering wall."
As the space surrounding the labyrinth opened up in front of us, everyone stopped and surveyed the area all around.
Surrounding evergreens swayed their boughs in the breeze, as light gray clouds streaked the sky above.
The false sense of serenity wasn't lost on any of us, as we each demonstrated our stress in our own ways. Clenched jaws, chewed lips, darting eyes. Not a single one of us was at ease, yet we knew our next move without question.
Shane took the first step.
I followed, and then the others behind me.
In a silent line, we began the meditative walk along the labyrinth path.
Twisting and turning along the dizzying trail, my tension mounted as I considered what we might encounter at the center. And once we were all within the orb, there was no telling what might happen.
Without realizing it, my thoughts wandered into Shane's. His attention was fixed on the face of his younger self—the boy we had seen in the hidden room. Shane studied his face as a longing in his heart nearly burst mine.
Then, without warning, Shane turned back. I thought he was going to look me in the eye, wondering why I was in his head. But instead, he glanced past me and focused his gaze on Tommy.
He stared at Tommy for a moment as if trying to understand something, then continued moving along the path.
Now, in Shane's head again, I watched his younger self looking into Tommy's face. They knew each other.
Of course they did.
They were friends at one point, as children—playing in the woods together. Then there was the time when Dom and Laney tricked them into going in the woods when the Dark Witch was on the prowl.
I tried to remember the details of the story. It was when Tommy had gone missing, for years. The UMA's first project was based on his disappearance and recovery, and we were successful in the mission.
But there was a deeper connection between Tommy and Shane. One that I needed to understand better and planned to figure out. My nagging gut told me it held the answers to everything we were searching for.
I turned back to see Ms. Kelly and sucked in a quick breath as my eyes latched onto hers. She'd been looking at me the entire time, likely following my train of thought.
With a subtle nod, she encouraged me forward.
As my legs fatigued, I wondered if the path would ever bring us to our destination. The twisting and turning along the route added to my spiraling thoughts, causing my head to spin. And just as I was about to accept a fate of forever wandering, the orb’s shimmer filled the space ahead of us.
Shane stopped and waited for the others.
As they caught up to us, he turned then and pressed his fingers into the iridescent illumination. And then he disappeared into it.
I followed without hesitation, and then, one at a time, the others broke through.
Eyes wide with wonder, they looked around at the fascination of the orb that surrounded us. And then, as if by instinct, everyone gathered around the center in a circle.
"The power of the labyrinth is strong," Ms. Kelly stated. "Its vibration is moving through us all, learning our unique qualities."
I shuddered at the thought of the labyrinth having consciousness, but felt its truth within me.
"It's the origin of my story," Shane said. "The start of my journey through the realms."
Ms. Reed started to hum with a low, steady cadence as her eyes closed.
I swallowed hard, anticipating what would come next.
Her hum grew louder and swayed as the sound moved through her. My spine tingled as the hairs on my arms stood up. Every nerve twitched as I watched Ms. Reed summon her alter ego through the cadence in her voice.
Then Ms. Reed's eyes popped open, exposing the blind witch.
My breath caught in my throat from the frightening sight of her white, foggy eyes, searching in rapid movements.
"The labyrinth makes my sight clear," Ms. Reed trilled. "I see into the void without struggle."
My hand covered my mouth. "What do you see?" I whispered.
She reached her hands out in front of her and made small circular motions. Then, as her hands moved faster, she widened them, generating a larger circle of mist. As she spread her hands to the edges of the fog, it allowed us to look into a tunnel of her vision.
With dropped jaws, we all stared into the circling vortex and searched for whatever might be revealed within.
As I focused into the undulating opening, I saw an image of Shane as a young boy. It was the same boy we'd seen in the hidden room.
"Shane," I gasped. "I see your soul in there."
Shane stared at the same image as desperation washed over his face. He reached toward the circle as if trying to connect with the boy.
But then another person came into view.
A man. Lost. Searching.
A whimper escaped my lips as I recognized him.
Shane turned to me with wide-eyed recognition as well.
It was my father.
Just as I began to lift my arm to reach for him, I was bumped aside as someone pushed past me.
Looking down, I watched as Tommy reached into the swirling circle, the same way Shane had, as if to make contact with the man.
As Tommy reached, my father caught sight of him and extended his arm out. Their eyes locked as they stretched toward each other in desperation.
My palm smacked over my mouth as their hands grew closer and blurred into one.
One being.
Ms. Kelly grabbed Tommy's hand, and he pulled it out of the spinning vortex with a startle. Holding his wrist, he glared at her in confusion.
"You could get pulled in and lost," she reprimanded. "Then, there would be no hope."
I stepped back from them, shaking my head in refusal. My stomach churned with queasiness as vomit threatened to rise. Just as I turned to run, I slammed into Shane's chest and he wrapped his arms around me.
Struggling to break from his hold, I yanked and pulled.
"Let me go," I hissed, preparing to bolt.
"No," he stated. "You can't run from this. We need you."
His words sank my heart to my feet. I didn't know if I had it in me. My emotions were a mangled mess, and I had no idea how I fit into any of this.
Staring back at Tommy, my desire to run dissipated as I studied him more closely. His gaze remained focused on Ms. Kelly, while her eyes remained fixed on mine.
She gave me a gentle nod, confirming my thoughts to be true.
Tommy was my father
.
Separated between two realms. Disconnected at the soul.
"But how?" My voice cracked as tears filled my lower lids.
Shane stepped over to Ms. Kelly and stood by her side. The two of them held a hand on each of Tommy's shoulders as they projected their thoughts into mine.
At first, there was a jumble of words mixed by both voices, each telling their own version of the story. Then, the confusion of their words untangled into a steady stream of images.
I watched as heavy tears fell down my cheeks.
Images of Shane's soul being taken by the Dark Witch as he hoped to be rescued in his hour of darkness. His young innocence cried out as she devoured him.
Then images of Tommy wearing a linen shirt with billowing sleeves. His knee-length breeches accentuated his skinny calves and childhood naïveté. He was lost and alone in the woods, cold and shivering. He pointed his stick like a gun every time he heard a strange sound. And then the black mist surrounded him as the Dark Witch descended on her prey.
Shane and Tommy had been taken by her, as children, centuries ago. But as they grew, they each became determined to escape her evil coven. Images of the triangular wooden structure entered my mind.
The portal.
They had used the portal to escape her, only to be followed and hunted for their entire existence.
"I don't understand," I cried, shaking my head.
Ms. Kelly watched as my world caved in around me.
"Your father has been trapped within the loop of the portal for a very long time, Brynn. Unlike Shane, Thomas’s soul is here with us." She glanced down at Tommy. "I am his protector."
My jaw fell open.
I'd always known Tommy was special—different from the rest of us. But I would never have guessed, first off, that he was a ghost, and second, he was my father.
My knees buckled beneath me as terror mounted within. Suddenly, Tommy's vulnerability meant everything to me. My entire existence.
I couched as I dropped my hands to my knees.
Shane launched over and steadied my crumbling frame.
Urban Mystic Academy: Graduation (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 6) Page 9
