Fated Loss (Red Rose & Black Ash Book 1)

by Claudia Caren

  I bolted left and kept running until I slammed into something.

  ROSE

  Chapter 21

  I opened my eyes, and all I saw was yellow. It took a few seconds for the spots to clear from my vision, but when it did, I thought I was back in Ash's fake meadow.

  I was standing on the edge of a circular patch of green grass, but in the middle of the patch on a three foot tall stone pedestal was the Flower of Trust. Gray roots grew from the flower and crawled down the rock and into the ground.

  My senses were working normally now, and I looked around. There weren't any objects near me that I could've run into, so what did I hit?

  In the shadows a few feet away, something moved. It struggled to get up but collapsed again. I strained my eyes to see what it was then I realized it was Logan.

  I ran to him and helped him up. “Are you ok? What happened?”

  “A monster grabbed me and twisted my ankle. I'm fine, really,” he replied.

  But I could see he really wasn't fine. Even when Logan placed the slightest pressure on his right ankle, it gave out. I twisted my ankle before, and I know it wasn't fun, but I could still walk. The tension in Logan's body and the way his leg shook when he tried to step with his injured foot showed me that his ankle was broken, not twisted.

  “I am so sorry, Logan. I shouldn't have let this happen,” I said.

  I could almost feel Logan's pain as I watched him struggle to stay upright even with my aid.

  “You were busy with that bird and giant,” Logan replied. “Don't blame yourself.”

  But I did blame myself. I could've prevented this from happening, and I failed. He tried again to walk over to the rock spire but crumpled to his knees.

  “Let me help.” I wrapped one arm around his waist and helped him hobble over to the flower.

  The Flower of Trust reminded me of a sunflower. It was two feet tall and had seven big petals. All of them were different colors of the rainbow. Instead of seeds the middle was made of crystals that sparkled in the yellow light.

  “So how do we get it out?” Logan asked. “Do we cut it or something?”

  I tried to pull the flower from the rock, but it wouldn't budge. And we didn't have any scissors on hand. I stepped back and studied the plant.

  “Wait, something is written on the stone,” I said.

  I peeled back some gray roots and read aloud the engraving that was on one side of the rock. I was expecting a complicated riddle, but it only said What part represents trust? The stem was thick, sturdy, and strong. It might represent strength but trust? The petals definitely represent beauty. Stem equals strength, petal equals beauty. That leaves the roots or the rock.

  I looked closer at the roots then noticed something. What I thought was roots growing out of the stem like a regular flower was actually roots growing out of the ground and up the rock to the flower.

  “That is weird,” Logan said, noticing it too.

  I investigated some more and saw what seemed to be one root was actually a pair of roots wrapped around each other. But every time when the roots almost reached the flower, it turned gray and died. Only one pair of healthy, green roots was left and almost to the stem of the flower.

  All the roots grew out of the ground then died, and the only living pair was… Then the answer hit me.

  “Logan, it's the roots,” I said. “These roots are not actually growing from the flower. It is coming from the ground then growing up to the Flower of Trust. Trust have to be built ground up. All these dead root pairs represent all the others who tried to get this flower, but in the end, they lost trust in their partners and failed to get out of this cave. Only us, the only two living roots, made it. Now I get the warning outside. Two must enter; one will come out means two individuals will enter and emerge as a pair who can act as one because they will learn to trust and understand each other in this cave. If not—” I pointed at the dead roots.

  As soon as I was done with my speech, the cavern started to rumble. One side of the wall crumbled and revealed a path that lead outside. The living pair of roots grew to the base of the flower and wrapped itself around the stem.

  I plucked the flower off the pedestal with ease.

  “Rose, you are brilliant!” Logan said.

  I blushed and probably turned as red as the scarlet petal on the flower. “Let's get out of here.”

  ROSE

  Chapter 22

  “So you survived,” Jameson grumbled as we entered his cave.

  “Yes, we did.” I helped Logan walk to a chair that was beside the wall. “Where are Skylar and Ariel?”

  “You mean the rude one and the red head? They're not back yet.”

  I took a deep breath. Calm down, I thought. Skylar knows how to get out of trouble even when she deserves it, and even though Ariel is quiet, she is smart.

  “Do you have any Tylenol or Aspirin?” I asked. “Logan broke his ankle.”

  “I don't know what Tylenol is, but I do have this healing potion of my own invention.” Jameson tossed me a vial of green water.

  I shook the vial, stirring up beads of congealed liquid. The potion reminded me of congealed olive oil. “Is it safe?”

  “Never been tested before, so safe so far,” Jameson said.

  “But will it work?”

  “Only one way to find out.”

  I walked over to Logan. He was leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. When he heard me approach, he opened them, and I saw that his eyes were clouded and dim. Logan got me out of the cave with no injuries, and this is how I repay him?

  “I am so sorry,” I said again.

  He gave me a weak smile. “Hey, it's not your fault. You were busy.”

  Logan drank the healing potion while I got materials for a makeshift splint. I wasn't as good at first aid as he was, but I managed to do an acceptable job.

  After a few minutes when I really began to wonder where Skylar and Ariel were, Skylar burst through the curtains, and Ariel followed.

  “We made it back alive! Congratulate us,” Skylar said.

  “Congrats!” I gave her a hug.

  Skylar quickly pulled away and gave me an incredulous stare. I guess she had reason to be shocked. We don't hug much if at all, but if we don't survive, we only had a few days to get to know each other.

  “Was the wind hard to get?” I asked.

  “It just almost cost our lives, so pretty easy,” Skylar replied. “What about you guys?”

  We traded stories. Skylar and Ariel's adventure sounded just as dangerous as ours. Great, I am putting my little ten-year-old sibling in danger. What kind of big sister am I? But then this whole quest was dangerous, and I let her come. (Note to self: do not let anyone hire me for a babysitter.)

  “So now you got what you want, tell us the secret to defeating Dark Magic,” I said to Jameson.

  Jameson stirred a pot of purple bubbling liquid and added the petals from the Flower of Trust. “Dark Magic grows from hate and bitterness. The only way it can be defeated is to use love.”

  “What? Defeat Ash's power with love. Seriously?” Skylar asked.

  Skylar was right. What am I going to do? Invite Ash over for tea and sweet talk her in to giving back the kingdom. I don't think so.

  “Go to the Looking Glass Lake. You will see,” Jameson said.

  “Where is the Looking Glass Lake?” Skylar asked.

  Ariel pulled out the map of the Fifth Petal. Sadly, the petal had grown about a hundred and fifty miles already.

  “It is right here—about several hundred miles northwest.” Ariel pointed to a holographic image. “It will take a day of flying, but it is also going toward Ash's castle, so it won't be too much out of the way.”

  “But even if we defeat Ash, will the spell she cast on Astella disappear?” I asked.

  “Hypothetically,” Jameson replied.

  I sighed. Another doubt to add to my growing lists of worries. I looked
outside. The dark night and heavy snowstorm weren't going to make it easy to travel, and everybody was tired and worn out.

  “You're welcome to stay for the night,” Jameson said.

  “Thank you, but won't Ash know we are here?” I asked.

  “With her Dark Magic, she knows where everybody is anyway, and out there is colder. Besides, I been very lonely ever since I left my daughter, so even the company of a few obnoxious teens sounds appealing right now.”

  “About Vendela…” I said.

  I told him about our visit to Amaryllis Lane. Jameson's face fell.

  He banged the table with his fist. “No! The deal was that Vendela will give Ash updates and capture you—no offense. She wasn't supposed to turn Vendela into a human puppet! Ash that two-faced lying—”

  Jameson spouted some colorful language.

  He shook his head angrily. “Defeat Ash and punch her in the face for me.”

  Jameson busied himself with transferring the purple potion into a perfume bottle to avoid another round of cursing. After he was done filling the bottle, he gave it to me.

  “Here is the Speed of the Wind Potion. Just spray it on your wings, and you will be as fast as the summer wind. But it will only last for a couple of hours, so you can't use it on your whole trip, and I would only use it if it's really necessary.”

  “Why?” Skylar asked.

  “Because this is my first time brewing this potion, so it might have some kinks and side effects.”

  I tucked the potion in my pack. Hopefully, we won't have to use it. Not that I am not grateful, but if we are lucky, we will arrive at Ash's castle in time.

  “Thanks for everything, Jameson,” I said.

  He shrugged. “Just avenge my daughter.”

  “We will try our best.”

  I spread blankets on the floor to make a big improvised bed, and everyone settled in for the night. Without the fire, the cave grew pitch black, and I stared up at the darkness that hid the ceiling.

  A week ago my biggest problem was writing a memoir.

  Logan took an uneven breath.

  Today my job was to protect someone—I let him break his ankle.

  ROSE

  Chapter 23

  The next morning we woke up before sunrise, ate breakfast, bade Jameson goodbye, and flew off to the Looking Glass Lake.

  After many long hours of flying through a blizzard, we finally made it. As we flew across the ring of mountains surrounding the lake, the storm disappeared, and the sky was cloudless. But outside the circular mountain range, thick and dark clouds pelted ice and snow with all their might.

  The lake was huge, perfectly round, and the water was as smooth as glass. The tall ring of mountains was reflected onto the surface of the lake with sharp, clear definition and in brilliant color. Looking Glass Lake was the perfect name.

  We landed on the lake's snowy white bank.

  Skylar squinted against the golden light of the setting sun. “I think Jameson forgot to mention what to do next.”

  “Is there any information about the Looking Glass Lake in the books we borrowed?” I asked.

  Ariel scoured through her personal library. “No.”

  I looked around. “Well, let's search for clues or something.”

  We started looking for ways to operate the lake. We tried yelling show us Ash's past to the lake, but nothing happened. We looked at every rock and stone for any kind of inscription, note, or perhaps a how-to guide. Every second I half expected a riddle to magically appear in the air or at least something, but we found nothing.

  I sat down on a large stone and gazed out at the beautiful picture-perfect scenery that will surely win any photography contest. In a single picture, the beauty of this place would live on forever. But after a couple of days, no one would be left to appreciate the beautiful photograph.

  We can't save Astella, all the faeries, my parents, my friends, and basically my whole world if we can't defeat Ash, we can't defeat Ash without learning the secret to defeating Dark Magic, we can't defeat Dark Magic without understanding where it comes from, and we can't understand Dark Magic if we can't get this lake to show us.

  I sagged and supported my head with my hands. Logan walked over and sat beside me. Thankfully, his ankle got better. The healing potion did work. It just took some time to kick in.

  “Don't worry. We will figure out something,” he said.

  It was hard to believe, but instead of despairing, I forced myself to enjoy the stunning scene while I could.

  The sky was turning gorgeous shades of orange, pink, and purple. The glittering white snow was eye candy and a refreshing sight after so much gray. The late afternoon light shone behind the mountains and cast a long shadow on the water…that made words?

  Yes, words. I looked back at the mountains. No, their shadows shouldn't look like that, but there it was—clear as day. Shimmering in the water was a message A possession for your past.

  “Guys, look at the water and tell me you see words,” I said. I wanted to make sure I wasn't imagining them.

  Logan peered at the water then smiled at me. “See? You found something.”

  “Good find, Sis.” Skylar patted me on the shoulder. “So we need one of Ash's possessions. Where are we going to get it?”

  One problem solved and another arises, I thought. But before we could figure that out, something brushed against my back. I whipped around just in time to see a flash of color but nothing else. Everybody grew quiet and tense. I turned my head toward every sound, but I couldn't catch sight of what touched me.

  Then the flash returned and surrounded us. Wind picked up as three more appeared, encircling and driving us closer together. We launched into the air but didn't get very far before they caught up. A hand wrapped around my wrist and roughly dragged me back to the ground. Moments later Logan, Ariel, and Skylar were standing beside me as well.

  As the flashes slowed down, it became easy to see that they were human. It stopped, and four teenage boys stood around us.

  They were brothers. It was obvious even from the first glance. They all had the same dark brown hair and the same brown eyes. The youngest looked about twelve and had a bow and arrow around his back. The oldest looked about eighteen. And the other two brothers were fourteen and sixteen.

  We attempted another escape, but they turned into indecipherable blurs of color once more as they revolved around us, predator cornering its prey. Dark Magic was the only way to explain their superhuman speed.

  The whirlwind stopped, and I came face to face with the oldest of the four.

  He took a step toward me. “Let's see if you can guess why we are here.”

  ROSE

  Chapter 24

  If Ash sent them, it wasn't too hard to guess their intentions.

  “I'm assuming you are here to kill us,” I said.

  “Correct,” He replied. “But don't worry. I'm not happy about it.”

  I backed away from him. “Then why do it?”

  “Responsibility makes people do despicable things.” His gaze flicked above my head to the youngest brother, who was standing behind me. “The world isn't so simple, Savior.”

  That glance to his youngest sibling gave me hope. There might be something more hidden in this boy.

  He lunged and caught me by the wrist, dragging me forward and away from everyone else. Shouts from Logan, Ariel, and Skylar rose up behind me. But the other three siblings kept them penned in.

  I tried to yank my arm away from him, but he swung with his other hand and backhanded me across the face. His studded metal ring hit my temple. My vision clouded then a second later I found myself on my knees, blinking at the snow.

  Kneeling down, he drew a dagger and pressed the cold blade against my throat. Warm blood trickled down my neck and dampened the collar of my shirt. His face was inches from mine, and in his eyes, there was already a hint of regret.

  “Go ahead,” I whispered. “But
you will be just like her. You might have lost someone, but now you will be responsible for thousands of other losses.”

  The blade pressed harder against the side of my neck. Maybe I was wrong about him. As he held the knife firmly to my throat, I hardly dared to breathe. For three long seconds, both of us crouched there, frozen in place.

  But then he released me, and I took a shallow breath. He stood up, tucking the dagger back into the inside of his jacket.

  “I'll make you a deal,” he said, sliding the thick black ring from his finger and dropping it into his coat pocket. “If you can steal this ring, me and my brothers will leave. But if I get the chance, I will kill you without any interference from your friends.”

  His deal was both sweet and bitter. If I won, I would get the prize I needed. But convincing Logan, Ariel, and Skylar to accept the price was going to be difficult.

  “I agree.”

  He gave me a sad half-smile. “I am going to try my very best to kill you. Don't count yourself lucky.”

  I turned away. “I don't.”

  The other three brothers stopped the mini blizzard they were making when I approached. Before joining my friends, I shifted the hood of my jacket to hide the cut.

  “Listen to me,” I said.

  “No,” Skylar replied out of spite.

  I gave Skylar a pointed look. “Yes, you have to. A bargain has been made, but you guys have to follow it.”

  As soon as they heard it was a solo fight, they didn't like the idea. After they heard they couldn't interfere, they liked it even less.

  “No,” Skylar said again. This time she was genuine.

  But I ignored her and went on. “If I win, we get what we need—a ring Ash made.”

  The wind blew, and my hood slipped down, revealing the slit in my throat. I quickly readjusted my jacket, but Logan had seen it.

  “If you lose, we lose you.” Logan's gaze flicked from my neck to my eyes. “And we will have to watch while he does it.”