As the vortex rushed through our circle, I felt Clayton's rage and angst within the whirling force. Then Asher's emotional balance moved through me, followed by Hattie's intuition of the great expanse of the universe. Piper's air element blew through the circle, allowing us to breathe more fully and to better feel everything around us.
And then Noah's energy created a block. He struggled with releasing his force into his hands. It was almost like he was holding back, afraid of failing.
As our energies surged through the circle, we absorbed each other's strength. My mind exploded with the thrill of knowing the others in such a profound way. I hoped the force would penetrate Noah's wall.
And just as I got to the point where I felt my fireballs growing in force, strengthening within me, searing pain shot through my body.
I winced and buckled over as if my insides were erupting in flame.
Looking up, I watched as my friends jolted and writhed in similar pain.
Before I could break away from the circle of energy, a terrifying image filled my vision.
A flapping black cloak whooshed across my sight as the banshee entered our vortex.
She coursed through our minds and bodies within our sacred circle, torturing us with pain and fear as she cackled her evil message.
Her voice’s sinister tone sent shuddering quakes through us as she seethed, "You will burn as I did. The curse can never be broken."
In sheer terror, I snapped my hands away and fell back from the circle. Breaking the bond, the others jumped back, too, but not before I felt their heightened hysteria.
And in a flash, they ran.
Everyone bolted in a different direction, leaving me dizzy with confusion.
Piper and Noah tore into the woods, as Hattie and Asher moved in opposite directions.
Clayton remained by my side and shot his attention to the new recruits.
"Asher's fast," he yelled. "I'll go after him. Follow Hattie. She went that way." He pointed toward the labyrinth.
I nodded, speechless from our panicked situation.
The haunting banshee could be anywhere.
And our coven had just broken into small parts and scattered.
She was gaining on us.
Chapter 11
Clayton raced into the woods after Asher. The look of terror that had washed over Asher's face assured me he wouldn't stop running any time soon.
Trusting that Clayton would find him, I turned and ran toward the entrance to the labyrinth.
Hattie had bolted in that direction and every nerve in my body shot alarm as I prayed she hadn't run into it.
Scanning every other zone of the clearing and surrounding trees, I saw no sign of her.
But then her voice echoed out to me from deep within the stone maze and I froze in my spot, staring at the first inviting stone into the labyrinth.
The scope of the winding path was so large, I couldn't see beyond the first few twists. Weeds and overgrowth had matured over the years into crooked trees and wild shrubs between the snaking path, making it harder to see within it.
"Hattie!" I called.
Her voice continued to echo out to me from the depths of the stone trail and it sounded like she was calling for help.
"Where are you?" she cried. "I'm lost."
"Hattie!"
I tore into the entrance to the labyrinth and raced along the winding path. Each time I tried to veer off the trail for a more direct beeline toward her voice, my vision blurred and my head spun in dizzy circles. Staying on the singular stone path was the only way to continue moving through it. My only hope was to move faster than Hattie was.
"Hattie! Don't go into the center!" I screamed.
The labyrinth had been forbidden to enter. And this was the first time I ever fully respected that order. There was something being protected within the structure. Or we were being protected from whatever was in there. Either way, now was not the time for us to discover its secrets.
But Hattie was too far ahead. Her voice sounded a million miles away in its muffled cries.
My heart rate accelerated to near exploding as I tore through the twists and turns of the unsettling maze.
"Hattie!" And as her name left my lips with terror laced through it, I caught sight of her.
She was spinning as if she'd lost her sense of direction, and I raced toward her. As the path snaked under my feet, I moved away from her location while keeping my eyes glued on her. The frustration of not being able to dart straight for her sent tension through every part of me.
After one final turn, I'd caught up to her.
She stood at the far end of path and stared into a strange iridescent forcefield.
"Hattie! Stop!" I screamed.
Barreling toward her, I watched in horror as she took a step closer to the glowing orb. She reached her hand out to touch it, and just as her fingers grazed the edge of the wobble, I grabbed her and yanked her away.
We stumbled back and landed on the stone pathway with a thud.
Trembling, she stared at me in terrified shock.
"It's okay, Hattie. I've got you."
Her breath huffed out of her as she blinked to clear her vision.
"Where am I?" Her lost gaze searched my eyes.
"You're near the center of the labyrinth," I said. "We need to get out of here."
She turned her gaze back to the shimmering orb.
"No, I need to go there. We need to go together."
I pulled back from her like she was crazy. Suddenly I wasn't so sure of her mental stability.
Going into the forcefield was the absolute last thing I would do right now.
Hattie took hold of my hand and pulled me.
"Come on, Shaye. Don't you want to go home?"
Her confused words sent terror through me. Had she lost her mind?
"Hattie, this is my home. We need to stay here right now."
I tried to say things that would settle her down, but her angst was only rising.
"No, Shaye. I'm going to take you with me." She tugged on my arm.
My breath burst in and out of me as panic took over. Hattie's belief that we should enter the orb was profound, and changing her mind was going to be nearly impossible. Her hysteria from the vision of the banshee had clearly disrupted her rational thinking and now here we were, stuck in the forbidden labyrinth. Lost.
Tears stung my eyes as terror mounted within me. I had no idea how I could change her mind from entering the center. Physically removing her was my only choice at this point, and I prepared to grab her.
Throwing my arms around her, I squeezed to keep her arms from flailing and her nails from scratching.
"Let me go," she screeched, dropping to her knees to wiggle out of my hold.
I struggled to keep a grip on her as she fought with all her might.
"Hattie! Stop!" I shouted. "We can't go in there right now."
She pulled one last time and I lost hold of her. As she turned to barrel toward the shimmering orb, she smacked into a solid roadblock.
Clayton blocked her way as he grabbed hold of her. Her hair flew in every direction as she tried to wiggle loose, but after a moment, she gave up against his unflinching strength.
Asher came up behind him, staring at Hattie's hysterical condition. Then his gaze moved to the iridescent wobble.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked. "What's that?" He pointed to the strange glow.
Speechless, my air whooshed out of me.
If Clayton and Asher hadn't arrived, I had no idea what might have happened.
"We need to get out of here," I finally huffed.
Clayton lifted Hattie off her feet, and we raced along the stone trail without a word, concentrating on one thing only. Getting out.
Barreling through the twisting turns of the stony maze, I panted from exhaustion mixed with terror.
I had almost lost Hattie to the strange glow in the center of the labyrinth.
If Clayton and Asher hadn't follo
wed us in there, I didn't know what might have happened.
Hattie had been strangely drawn to the center, like she'd been there before.
She said something about going home.
My stomach twisted into tight knots. As crazy as Hattie had sounded, her words struck me deep with their truth.
And the truth was, I was scared.
Hattie had a past. Her history was more complex than I could fathom and the strange gnawing at my gut told me I had something to do with it. And I needed to figure out that connection before she got away from me again.
As I started to give up hope that we would ever find our way out of the abyss of the winding paths, the exit finally came into view.
Relief washed over me as I took the final steps to our freedom.
But I couldn't ignore the strange sensation that coursed through me from the labyrinth. It was as if it was aware of my presence, aware of who I was. I couldn't shake the eerie feeling, and all I wanted to do was get out.
With a few final steps, we stumbled out of the mind-screwing maze, and panted from the exertion of our escape.
My mind raced with the need to learn more about Hattie. And I couldn't deny my belief that learning more about her would also teach me more about my own origin.
It was time I learned about where I came from and who I really was.
And there was only one way to do it.
I had to explore the protected archives.
There was no other way.
As I glanced at Clayton, preparing to thank him, his angry gaze stifled me.
"Why the hell would you go into the labyrinth?" he snapped. "You know it's forbidden."
I pulled back from the shock of his enraged tone. And then became annoyed by his arrogant judgment. I hadn't chosen to go into the labyrinth. I went in to save Hattie. His immediate conclusion that I'd gone rogue pissed me off beyond belief.
Unable to find words, I grabbed Hattie's hand and pulled her along with me toward Hazeldene. My fuming rage likely caused me to stomp in my gait, but I couldn't control myself. Clayton's accusation cut too deep.
He followed after us, with Asher scurrying along by his side.
The air between us was charged to its maximum, and I worried for a minute that his anger would reach the level of him losing control. If he'd burst into the beast, there was no telling who might see or what might happen.
I had to diffuse the situation enough to keep us safe.
As I turned to confront him, to tell him I'd only entered the labyrinth to save Hattie, I stopped short with a gasp.
His eyes were fixed on me, blazing red, and their intensity shot terror through me.
With each breath, his chest rose, expanding broader than the one before.
"Asher," I gasped. "Take him to the far side of the lawn. Help him calm down."
Asher nodded, pulling Clayton in the other direction.
Clayton's blazing eyes remained fixed on me like a target.
"Hurry, Asher," I said. "Use your emotional calming on him. Now!"
Asher stood taller, accepting his mission with pride, and pressed his hand on Clayton's bicep. He guided Clayton toward the field, and with each passing second, Clayton's breath eased as his swelling shoulders relaxed.
I smiled at Asher, approving of his amazing control over his gift, and then hurried toward Hazeldene with Hattie.
"Shaye?" she squeaked.
I slowed and looked at her innocent face.
"Shaye, what happened?" she asked. "I don't remember."
Her lost expression sent sadness through me. She had no idea what was going on and to be honest, neither did I.
What I did know though, was the fact that Clayton had judged me. Harshly.
What I hadn't expected was how much pain that would cause me.
My entire insides had cramped into a tight ball of sorrow.
I'd allowed myself to be vulnerable with him and now I was to pay the price.
His betrayal cut me, and all I wanted to do was remove him from my soul, to remove his ability to hurt me.
But I couldn't.
He was already in too deep.
All I could do now was bleed.
Pulling Hattie along with me, I focused on getting to a quiet place where we could talk. Figuring out what the hell just happened in the labyrinth was my priority, but I'd have to tread easy so not to upset her. She'd clearly been through a lot and was exhausted.
With the trials less than twenty-four hours away, the pressure of time bore down on me.
"Shaye!" Piper's voice called to me.
My head shot in her direction, and I exhaled for miles as my gaze fixed on Noah and her.
They hurried toward us with worried expressions, and as they reached us, their excitement turned to protective whispers.
"Are you okay?" Noah asked, checking us for any damage.
"We ran," Piper said apologetically. "It was like I was blinded with terror."
"It's okay," I said. "We're okay."
"Where are Clayton and Asher?" she asked, scanning the area around us.
Hearing his name made my jaw tense.
"They're at the back lawn. They're okay too." My eyes lowered to hide my lie.
"Mhmm," Piper chimed. "Spill."
I dropped my head back, ruing her ability to read my emotions so well.
Glancing around to be sure no one was in earshot, I said, "Clayton needed a minute to settle down."
Piper nodded in understanding.
"Did something happen?" Noah spat. "Did he hurt you?"
"What? No," I shot back.
But truth was, he did hurt me. Just not in the way Noah thought.
And talking about it was the last thing I wanted to do.
"I just need to get Hattie to rest now," I said. "It was a bit of a shock to her system."
"No shit," Noah said. "I had no idea that witch was so terrifying. I can't get her heinous voice out of my head."
"I think we could all use a good rest," Piper said. "We need to be at our best for tomorrow. Unfortunately, there's a lot more to the trials than simple games now. It's more complex than ever."
She was right.
At first, the trials were all that mattered. Doing well in the competition and showing control over my element, that had been my primary focus. Clearing my name. Gaining the respect I deserved.
But that was all so far from my mind now. Instead, I had a banshee on my trail, and a new recruit who was trying to 'take me home' through the labyrinth. It was more than I could process and all I wanted now was for the trials to be over so I could talk with the Higher Order.
As we broke apart to go our separate ways, I smirked at Noah as he headed straight toward the kitchen. Piper followed close behind him.
I took Hattie to the second floor and brought her to her room.
Without hesitation she fell into her bed with a thump.
"Shaye," she whispered.
"Yeah, Hattie?"
"I think we should try to figure out what's happening with us," she whispered. "I feel like we were meant to be here together."
I gave her a gentle grin.
"I agree," I said. "I feel that connection, too." I pulled her throw-blanket up over her. "After the trials, we can try to learn some more about our pasts. To see if there's any overlap."
She nodded as her lids grew heavy.
"Will you wake me for dinner?" she murmured. "I think I'm going to sleep now."
Her voice drifted off in a gentle breeze, and I smiled at her angelic face. My heart swelled with fondness for her and I vowed to protect and help her in any way I could.
Heading up another flight of stairs, I went straight into my room and closed the door tight behind me.
In that same instant, the silence of being alone flooded me.
And within that flood came the pain of Clayton's betrayal.
I'd been able to hold it off while I was with the others, but now, in my solitude, it found me again.
Tears
swelled in my lower lids as my throat constricted. I stumbled over to my bed and fell on it, hugging my pillow.
I'd spent so many years building my wall and now, in one day, one moment, it came crashing down around me. The rubble bruised and battered me without remorse.
With each breath, sadness moved through me, weakening my stable structure to a wobbling mess.
I had to stay strong.
For Hattie.
For the trials.
For myself.
I squeezed my eyes tight to force the last of my tears out.
I was done crying.
Instead, I began gathering the rubble and rebuilding my wall.
Piece after piece, I strengthened my foundation.
Only to have it all come crashing down again with a single knock.
The knock on my door was a double-wrap with a single knuckle.
"Shaye?" His voice was unsteady.
I held my breath, praying he hadn't heard me.
"Shaye? I know you're in there. Can I come in? Please."
The shake in his voice proved his insecure emotional state and I couldn't help but feel bad for him.
What was the matter with me? I was supposed to be mad at him.
With a huff, I shot out of bed and moved to my door.
"What do you want?" I barked.
He was silent for a second, then said, "Open the door, Shaye."
I exhaled in annoyance, more pissed at myself for yielding to him in any way.
But I couldn't help it.
I opened the door a crack.
He peered in and held my eyes with his.
"Can I come in?" he whispered. "I need to talk to you."
Oh, great. He was probably here to tell me he was going to report me or something like that.
"What about?" I spat.
"Just let me in, Shaye."
I rolled my eyes as far as I could. "Fine." And I opened the door only enough for him to squeeze through.
His outdoorsy scent immediately overwhelmed my senses, and I took a step back to remove myself from his allure.
What the hell was it about him?
Every part of him was attractive to me, to the point where I couldn't think clearly in his presence.
I moved farther away as he closed the door behind him. His concerned gaze proved he'd picked up on my avoidance.
Mystic Coven: Fire Festival (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 1) Page 12
