by Julia Crane
Lauren glanced around, taking in the magnificent sight. A craggy, white-capped mountain range loomed in the distance, and to their left spread a large, placid body of water that reflected the mountains and sky.
“Oh my Gods,” Lauren breathed.
“This is unreal,” Anna gasped. “Calvron, I can’t even believe you built this.”
Calvron whirled to face them, his eyes lit with excitement. “I didn’t build this dimension. I found it.” He dropped the bomb as if he had found his favorite candy or something.
“What!?” Keegan stopped in her tracks and looked nervously around.
Two emotions warred inside Lauren: fear and excitement. How could a place like this just be sitting around? “You found it? Is anybody here?
“Not that I’ve found—so far. There are some small rodents and insects.” Calvron scratched the side of his face and looked around. “Do you have any idea how huge this is? I’ve been doing tests over the past couple weeks. Humans could actually live here.
“What are you saying, Calvron?” Anna demanded. “You know humans can’t find out that magick really does exist. It would be chaos! And potentially a witch hunt,” she added with a shudder.
Calvron paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. “Yes, yes, I’ve thought of all of that. But imagine, if you will—humans would pay a fortune to step foot in an alternative world.”
“Since when do you care about money?” Lauren’s eyes widened. She stared at Calvron in disbelief.
“You know I don’t. If just anyone could come, it would be pandemonium.” His eyes twinkled. “So it would have to be exclusive. The elite class could keep it a secret. We could just invite members of the Illuminati. Word would get out, of course, but it would just be rumors and passed off as a myth.”
Keegan laughed. “Now I know you’ve lost it. There is no such thing as the Illuminati.”
Everyone looked at Keegan and shook their heads in near unison.
Sam spoke up. “You live in La La Land, Keegan. Of course the Illuminati are real.” He looked at her like she was insane.
Keegan searched Lauren’s face, as if begging her friend to say they were lying. Lauren just shrugged and turned back to Calvron with an icy glare.
“I think it’s a horrible idea, and I can’t believe you even said it out loud.”
“Good thing your opinion no longer matters to me,” Calvron shot back.
Lauren’s heart flip-flopped and landed in her stomach, tears prickling at her eyes from his harsh words.
“I don’t know what’s going on between you two,” Anna snapped, “but I agree with Lauren. This has to be the worst idea I’ve heard since the Backstreet Boys decided to make a comeback.” She turned and looked at the other guys. “Why are you being so quiet? Do you agree with this crazy idea?”
“The notoriety of it would be pretty cool. Calvron could be as famous as Christopher Columbus.” Sam shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at Spencer and Donald for help.
Anna rolled her eyes. “You need to go back to history class.”
“I trust Calvron.” Spencer stared down at the ground.
“Sorry, Calvron, but I agree with the girls. I think it’s a bad idea. Involving humans would be stupid. We should just explore it ourselves,” Donald said.
“I need to think it over some more,” Calvron said, as if nobody else had even spoken. Lauren recognized a strange fervor in his eyes; he was hooked on the idea. “There is still a lot of the land that I haven’t explored. It could already be inhabited, and I just haven’t stumbled upon them yet.
“That’s freaky. Are you sure it’s safe for us to be here?” Keegan hugged her arms to her chest.
“Nothing will happen to you, Keegan. That I can promise,” Donald said with an edge to his voice.
Taken aback by the strength of his conviction, Lauren looked to Keegan for her reaction. But the elf just caught Donald’s eye, and they shared a private smile.
Lauren was happy they could get along after their messy break-up, but the heat in his eyes as he looked at Keegan made her nervous.
Maybe he wasn’t so over Keegan, after all.
Chapter 12
Calvron led them down a disused path. It twisted and began to climb, the dirt soft beneath their feet as they tramped along behind him. It grew even steeper, the rocks shifting beneath them as they passed. Lauren huffed with the effort, clinging to Anna’s hand, and helping Keegan along behind her.
The trees grew thin, the orange light of the strange moon filtering through the branches, and finally the forest ended. Lauren, sweating from the effort of climbing, eyed the horizon in awe. On a cliff high above the building they had just left behind, they could see that it wasn’t the only building.
A gentle, rolling mountain range hugged the stone ruins of a civilization. Lauren scanned the empty city, her heart thudding. “This place was obviously inhabited at some time. I wonder how long ago the society fell?”
“Good question,” Calvron said with a nod. At least he was being somewhat civil to her. “If I had to guess, a thousand years ago, maybe. But with alternate worlds, it’s hard to say. It could have been ten years or ten thousand.” The excitement was evident in his voice.
The guys had once again shifted into large cats; Lauren guessed they did it in case they came across anything dangerous. It only made her feel slightly safer.
Out of curiosity, Lauren knelt down. She placed her hands on the ground and closed her eyes, searching for any form of electrical energy. She felt a slight twinge, but it was very weak.
“Anything?” Calvron asked.
She shook her head and stood back up. “Not really. More like an echo of what used to be. If there are people here, they’re not using electricity.”
“That doesn’t really mean anything,” Spencer chimed in. “Look at how long humans lived before the advent of electricity.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “I know that. I was just checking.”
A narrow, treacherous-looking trail led down the side of the cliff, and Calvron took it. “Let’s head down. You guys have to see the rest of the buildings. There’s even a bathhouse that still has water.”
Lauren exchanged glances with Keegan and Anna. “He’s going to get us killed,” she said wryly.
“Nah. Just hug the wall,” Keegan told her, and took off behind the boys.
“She’s always been the adventurous one,” Anna said with a laugh.
The walk down wasn’t as bad as it had seemed. Lauren kept one hand pressed tightly to the rock face and turned her body into it. In what seemed like no time, they were walking down the quiet, empty streets.
“So what are we doing, anyway? Are we just going to walk in circles?” Anna touched the dusty door of a building.
“What happened to your sense of adventure, Anna?” Calvron grinned.
“Oh, I still have it. I just don’t want to get lost and not be able to find our way out of here.”
Calvron turned around, walking backwards as he said, “You don’t have to worry about that. I can bring the opening to me at any location, and it will take us back to our starting point.”
“Stop bragging.” Keegan pushed Calvron, and he almost tripped over a fallen pillar. He steadied himself and punched her on the shoulder lightly.
“What’s that?” Lauren pointed to a round dome off in the distance.
Calvron shrugged. “I checked it out the other day. Not much to see. But we can go over if you want.”
The building appeared to be made out of some sort of plaster. It wasn’t quite cement nor was it plastic. Lauren ran her hand along the bumpy grey wall. A large rusty metal door was partly open.
Donald nudged the door open with his head and led the way; they followed behind, if a little hesitantly.
The building had no windows, so they only had a small stream of light coming in from the doorway as they filed into the inky building. The cats ran ahead, their noses to the air as the shadows swallowed th
em.
Lauren’s pulse raced. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she grasped Anna’s and Keegan’s arms.
Anna threw out her hand and purple witchlight ignited in her palm. Always a plus to have a witch around, Lauren thought with a wry smile. Eerie shadows danced on the walls from the flames.
Lauren looked up. The ceiling soared high above them and, even though the dome wasn’t that large, it was so open that it seemed huge. Broken furniture was scattered across the floor, everything covered in a fine layer of dust and debris. The stale air smelled like dead fish.
Lauren heard one of the guys let out a low growl. Her body tensed, and she pulled Anna and Keegan to a stop. Keegan grasped her arm tightly as Calvron held up his hand for them to stay where they were. No one dared to speak.
Calvron held a finger to his lips, then quickly strode away, his footsteps silent on the floor. Anna rolled her eyes in the glow of her witchlight.
“Screw him!” she hissed. “They’re going to need the light.” And she took off after them.
Lauren wasn’t sure she wanted to know what had made the cat growl, but she couldn’t let Anna go alone. She took Keegan’s hand and they followed the purple light.
Ahead of them, Anna broke into a run. The thought of being left behind in the dark sent a streak of fear through Lauren, and she picked up the pace, desperate not to lose Anna.
Caught off guard, Keegan’s hand slipped from Lauren’s and she tripped over a wooden crate. She went flying, her hands flailing as she tried to catch her balance. Lauren jumped forward, reaching for her best friend’s arms, but Keegan’s skinny arms slipped right through her grasp. A loud thud echoed through the building when she hit the floor.
“Are you okay?” Lauren whispered and reached down to help her up.
Keegan stood, using Lauren to balance herself before she rubbed the dirt and grime from her clothes. “I’m alright. I’ll probably have a nice black and blue, though.” She indicated her knees.
Lauren made a tsk-tsking sound and slid an arm around Keegan’s waist. She helped her the rest of the way to where the three cats and Calvron stood in a semi-circle, staring down at the floor.
Anna’s light faltered as she caught up to them. “Oh my goddess,” she gasped.
Lauren’s heart stopped as she saw what they were ogling.
Anna held out her hand and walked slowly around the circle drawn on the floor, inscribed in a rust-colored liquid that looked suspiciously like blood. The flicker of her flames highlighted the strange being lying prone in the middle of the circle.
“What in the hell is that?” Lauren squeaked, her skin cold.
Beside her, Keegan turned away, her hand clasped over her mouth.
The green creature had an oddly shaped head. Its black, empty eyes took up most of its face. It looked like an alien from a sci-fi movie. It lay with its arms spread out to the side and its legs straight, a grotesque version of a cross.
“How can this be?” Anna whispered.
“Black magick is everywhere,” Calvron said tightly. “I can feel it. It’s fresh.”
Anna swallowed. “This was done by a witch.”
“You don’t know that,” Calvron assured her. “This is another dimension. This could have been done by some other creature with powers and practices similar to witchcraft.”
Irritated by their back and forth witchy talk, Lauren stuck her hand out and pointed at the ground. “Can someone please tell me what that is?”
“I have no idea. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Calvron knelt down to get a closer look.
Lauren eyed the creature’s ashy skin. “It’s dead, isn’t it?”
“I would assume so. I don’t dare break the circle.” Calvron looked at Anna.
Anna’s foot shot out and swiped through the circle etched on the ground. The crust that formed the circle had been formed in the dust; the dirt scattered, opening a hole in the ring. “Broken,” Anna remarked simply.
“That’s it? No chanting or summoning guides?” Keegan asked, her eyes wide.
“Nope. But I’m not sure I would want to touch that thing—whatever it is.” Anna went silent, and they all stared at the gruesome scene.
The cats sat, their backs to the circle as their eyes scanned the building. The fact that none of them had raised their hackles made Lauren feel better; they didn’t sense anybody in the building.
Anna rubbed her forehead. “Why would someone perform a ritual on this thing? Obviously, you were wrong, Calvron. There must be life in this dimension.”
A chorus of vicious growls warned them as the cats leapt to their feet. Out of nowhere, a slowly rolling mist began to fill the room.
“Calvron, get us the hell out of here!” Lauren screamed, backing away as the mist got too close for comfort.
“Way ahead of you.” Calvron waved his hands in the air and a shimmering door appeared directly over the dead creature.
Lauren braced herself and jumped above the dead body, landing hard on lush grass on the other side. Anna and Keegan were right on her tail, landing on top of her. They untangled themselves and rolled away as fast as they could, making room for the cats and Calvron, all of whom came through much more gracefully. The glass door disappeared before their eyes.
They were back in the real world. Night had fallen on the forest, but Lauren recognized the clearing. She pushed herself to a sitting position, struggling to catch her breath.
Her voice higher than usual, she said, “Okay, what the hell just happened in there?”
Calvron ran his hand through his hair and didn’t say anything for a long moment. “We obviously stumbled onto something we shouldn’t have. When Anna broke the circle, it caught the attention of whoever performed the black magick.”
“So I guess you’re not going to invite humans to your discovery?” Donald smirked, back in his human form. Sam and Spencer laughed their agreement.
Sam sobered. “That was some scary shit.”
No one argued.
“What are we going to do about it?” Keegan asked, looking over her shoulder to where the door used to be. “What if it tracks us down or something?”
“Not likely. We’re not going to do anything right now, if ever. Some things are better left alone.” Calvron’s eyes scanned them all. “You guys can’t tell anyone about this.”
“Why not?” Lauren looked suspiciously at Calvron.
“Because if someone else knew about it, they might try to enter and let whatever is in there out. I don’t think any of us wants that to happen. Are we in agreement?”
There was a chorus of agreement, but Lauren wondered exactly how honest Calvron was being about that other dimension.
Did he know something they didn’t?
Chapter 13
On the drive home, Lauren’s phone went off. It was Tristen’s ringtone. Without thinking, she hit the car speaker phone. “Hey!”
“Where have you been?” His tone wasn’t happy. “I’ve called several times and sent texts with no replies.”
Lauren saw a look pass between Keegan and Anna. She groaned inwardly. Why did I have to hit speaker phone?
“I’m with the girls in the car. On the way home,” she told him. “We just came back from seeing the guys.”
“By the guys, you mean Calvron.” There was a note of anger in his voice.
“Calvron, Donald, Spencer, and Sam,” she corrected gently.
After a long pause, he said, “I see. And you couldn’t answer your phone?”
“We were in one of Calvron’s worlds.” She bit her lip at the lie. She had thought it was Calvron’s dimension at first, so that should count for something.
“Right,” he said sarcastically.
Lauren pretended she didn’t see Keegan gesturing for her to hang up the phone.
Tristen switched gears. “Are you coming over tonight?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. Keegan and Anna just got in. I want to spend some time with them.”
&nb
sp; “I miss you.” His voice was lower and sent chills down her spine.
“I miss you, too.”
“Just come by for a little bit after your friends go to bed,” he cajoled. “You’ll be home before they wake up.”
Lauren drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and glanced over at Keegan. Her friend’s face was impassive, but Lauren had a feeling she was judging her nonetheless.
“Maybe. Depends on how late we stay up. I’m pretty tired. Plus, we’ll be at your place tomorrow for the party.”
“I don’t want to wait that long. Text me when you’re on the way.” Without letting her respond, he hung up, and the line went dead.
A long, painful silence filled the car. Lauren gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her eyes on strip of the dark street illuminated by the twin beams of her car.
Anna leaned in from the backseat, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Are you going to go?”
Lauren cringed. “Probably. Just for a little while.”
“He seems kinda possessive,” Keegan pointed out. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her body turned to face Lauren’s.
Shaking her head, Lauren said, “No, that’s not it. We’re just used to seeing each other every day.”
Another pause.
“We just got here,” Anna remarked, disappearing from the space between the seats. Lauren could feel her stare.
“Yeah,” Keegan agreed with a pout. “I thought we’d spend all night catching up.”
“We have all week to hang out,” Lauren reminded them.
Keegan’s mumbled response didn’t sound convinced. “I guess so.”
A wave of disappointment washed over Lauren. She hardly saw the two of them anymore. It wasn’t like high school, when they got to see each other each day at school and spend every weekend together. Now her friends lived hundreds of miles away from her and they only had phone calls and emails.
Welcome to the real world, Lauren thought irritably. She really had been looking forward to staying up all night, especially because she wanted to talk about what they saw in the other dimension. They would have eaten chocolate and popcorn while a stupid chick flick played on silent in the background.
