Claimed by Shadows (Kissed by Shadows Series, Book 3)

by Lola StVil

  The old, young, and those every age in between roam around, rummaging through the piles of rubbish. Some of the really old folk sit on upturned crates, staring vacantly into space. A group of children play football with a small piece of rusted metal.

  The air is humid, and the smell of rotting trash baking in the heat turns my stomach. The scene breaks my heart.

  “Where the hell are we?” I whisper.

  “You don’t need to whisper. The enchantment that hides the Mutubu Forest from humans hides us too. And I’m guessing we’re smack-dab in the middle of the New Delhi slums,” Saudia says.

  Even after such a quick glance, I can almost feel the desolation and hopelessness feeding off the people around us, and suddenly, the Mutubu Forest seems like the nicer option. I turn and face the entrance. As Loom described, an inviting pathway runs straight down the center, between the towering trees. To the left of it is what looks like an orchard. The branches of the trees sag beneath the weight of apples, pears, and lemons. To the right is a long archway formed from dead, twisted wood.

  The option on the right looks like certain death. It’s also the option we have to take. I can remember that much.

  Saudia takes Tracey’s hand and steps towards the archway.

  “Follow us,” she says. “We’ve got this.”

  “You remember it all?” I ask.

  “Yeah,” Saudia says confidently.

  Her voice wavers slightly.

  “I think,” she adds.

  It’s the best we’ve got, and we can’t afford to wait around any longer. I can see the forest starting to fade out. If we don’t step in soon, we’ll miss our chance, and I can’t see Carla being receptive to us if we have to return to the underground library tomorrow and tell her we missed our opening.

  Saudia and Tracey step into the archway. Kane and I are right behind them, then Regal with Langston and Perry bringing up the rear.

  I’m nervous about trusting Loom, but I tell myself that when he gave us the instructions, his only other choice was death. He didn’t expect to be escaping, and I think, at that moment, he believed we would kill him if his information was a lie. At least I hope so.

  My nerves aren’t helped in the slightest when a fog rolls in. The fog is like no natural fog. It is dry and so thick I can’t see through it, but instead of wrapping itself around us and blinding us completely, it hovers above and beside us, leaving us in the center. I can still see everyone else perfectly, but nothing outside of the group.

  “Well, that’s reassuring,” Regal says.

  “I know. It could have at least closed in far enough so that I didn’t have to look at you,” Perry says.

  “Fuck you.” Regal laughs.

  “I think I’ve done enough damage with that,” Perry fires back.

  “Guys, this is the end of the archway,” Tracey announces.

  This is it then. It all comes down to Saudia, Tracey, and their memories. Our pace slows as they begin taking long, even strides and counting out loud as they go. They’re up to fifteen when they stop abruptly, and I almost collide with Tracey.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  Saudia nods towards a clearing. I can make it out, just barely, as the fog swirls around us.

  “We’ll never be able to jump across that,” Saudia says. “And Loom said it would be twenty-three steps. We’ve only counted fifteen. I think he lied to us.”

  “Either that or this isn’t the clearing he was referring to,” Kane says.

  All eyes fly to him.

  “What? It’s just a thought. Either we trust Loom’s directions or we attempt to muddle our own way through. But if we’re trusting the map, then we have to assume this isn’t the quicksand,” Kane says.

  “One way to find out,” Saudia says.

  She steps forward before we can stop her.

  “It’s solid,” she confirms.

  “Sixteen,” Tracey says, stepping up beside her. “If you do anything that stupid again and survive it, I’ll kill you myself. Seventeen.”

  The closer we get to step twenty-three, the tighter the fog encases us. It’s licking our arms now, and the feeling is eerie. Fog shouldn’t be dry, and it certainly shouldn’t be warm.

  “We can’t see a thing now,” Tracey says as she reaches step twenty-three. “I can’t even see if this area is grassy, let alone how wide it is.”

  Kane steps forward and stands between Saudia and Tracey. He squints his eyes, trying to make out any details.

  “Loom said the clearing was easy to jump over,” Regal says. “So, I guess we either try it, or we go back.”

  “So that’s what they mean by a leap of faith. You jump blindly to your possible death on the promise of a psycho,” Perry says.

  I hear a rustling sound and then quiet. Kane is gone. I feel panic grip me, but before it can take hold, I hear Kane’s voice through the fog.

  “No. That was what they mean by a leap of faith,” he shouts back to us. “I’m in another wooded area, but it looks like it’s been burned or something.”

  “Charred trees,” Saudia exclaims. “That’s right. Kane, how wide is the clearing?”

  “I’m not sure exactly. I still can’t see it. I just jumped as far as I could, and I cleared it.”

  Saudia takes a step back and crouches low.

  “Here goes,” she says.

  She leaps up and forward, and I hear a crashing sound.

  “Are you okay? What happened?” I shout.

  “I’m fine. I had a soft landing,” she shouts back, her voice tinged with amusement. “I might have collided with Kane a little bit.”

  “Great,” I shout back.

  “Yeah, don’t worry about me or anything. I love being a mattress.” Kane laughs.

  I’m next to leap, and this time, Kane is poised and ready. He puts his arms out and slows me enough that I land on my feet. I take a look around while the others jump across. Kane catches all of them and stops anyone else from crash-landing.

  This part of the forest chills me to the bone. The fog has moved out far enough that I can see the trees around us. Charred is definitely the right word for the twisted and blackened tree trunks and branches that somehow continue to grow even though they look dead.

  The first part of the forest was warm, but it’s deathly cold here. Langston tucks her hands in her armpits and bounces on the spot.

  “Anytime you want to get moving,” she says.

  “Okay,” Saudia says. “At the fourth tree on the left, we cut in. Then we either go right and walk five paces, or we walk five paces and go right.”

  “Which one?” Regal asks.

  “I’m not sure,” Saudia admits.

  “You had one job,” Regal mutters.

  “Yeah. One you could have helped with if you weren’t too busy plotting revenge on Quinn,” Saudia snaps back.

  “Oh, well, excuse me if I don’t want to forgive and forget after she tortured my sister,” Regal shouts.

  “It’s five paces and then turn right,” Tracey cuts in.

  She doesn’t wait for an answer.

  “Come on,” she says.

  The fog closes in tight again as we walk, and I hope that Tracey is right; otherwise, we’re walking into our graves. She counts the trees and veers into them at the fourth one. She counts five paces and then goes right. I close my eyes for a second, not wanting to see what happens if she’s wrong. I have a feeling if we go wrong, the fog will lift so we can see exactly what happens.

  Nothing happens. Tracey doesn’t scream, and everyone keeps walking. I open my eyes again.

  “You okay?” Kane asks me.

  I nod, but I edge closer to him all the same. He takes my hand in his and squeezes it, causing the only bit of warmth in my whole body.

  Tracey and Saudia have come to a stop again, and the fog has retreated. In front of us is a tall cliff with a valley cutting through the center of it.

  “Straight through?” Tracey says.

  Saudia shakes her head
.

  “No. We have to climb it and cross it at the top, remember?”

  “I know that’s what Loom said, but how dangerous could it be to walk through it? It’s short. I can see the other side. We can be across it in seconds. Climbing up the rocks looks dangerous, and it’ll take forever,” Tracey reasons.

  I’m inclined to agree with her, but something stops me. I don’t know what it is, something in the way Saudia looks at her maybe. I can’t put my finger on what Saudia’s expression says, but I know one thing. There’s still a little part of Saudia that doesn’t trust Tracey’s judgment, and even though she just got us out of the charred trees, I’d put my trust in Saudia before Tracey all day long.

  “Let’s stick to what the map said,” I say. “It might be quicker going through the valley, but that’s no use to us if we’re dead.”

  Tracey glares at me for a second, but then she shrugs.

  “Whatever,” she says.

  She steps forward and begins to search the rocky face for hand and foot holds. Kane opens his mouth as though he wants to say something to me, but he stops himself. I raise an eyebrow, and he shakes his head.

  “Later,” he mouths at me.

  Tracey finds the first hand and foot holds, and she’s scaling the mountain like a goat, scrambling up it like it’s nothing. It strikes me as odd that she was so against climbing it when she seems so sure-footed.

  Saudia is right behind her, and I step up to the cliff. I press my hand into a groove and drag my body up, scrambling until I grip with my feet. I’m not as fast as Tracey or as graceful as Saudia, but it’s not so bad once I find a rhythm.

  It’s about half an hour later when I grasp the edge of the cliff top with my fingers. I feel hands on my wrists, and Saudia and Tracey pull me up onto the cliff top. It’s warm again here, almost too warm, and I begin to regret not bringing any water with us. Even if we find a lake or something here, I wouldn’t be in a rush to drink from it.

  The fog, which stayed away during the climb, is thick again, and I can’t see what lies ahead of us or below us. I go to step forward, determined to see anything I can, to use the advantage of this height. A hand grabs my shoulder and stops me.

  “Jeez, Atlas, just stay here. You could be walking off the edge for all you know,” Kane snaps.

  “I just wanted to get an idea of what we’re up against,” I protest.

  A scream from behind me stops me from saying more. I spin and see Saudia laid flat on her belly. She’s being dragged towards the edge. I grab her ankles and stop her from slipping further.

  “Something’s got her; someone shoot at it,” I shout.

  Kane raises his hand and steps closer to the edge.

  “No,” Regal shouts. “It’s Langston.”

  I realize he’s right. Langston is missing. Kane takes a step back, looking unsettled. He almost killed Langston on my command. He gets himself under control and lies flat beside Saudia. He grabs Langston’s other hand, and between him and Saudia, they haul her up.

  She collapses on the ground, panting.

  “What happened?” I ask her.

  “I was almost at the top. I reached too far, and my foot slipped. I would have fallen, but Saudia grabbed me just in time. I thought I was going to pull her down with me.”

  “I’m stronger than I look.” Saudia winks.

  “I’m sorry. I moved away. I thought everyone was up,” Tracey says, her face pale.

  Saudia gives her a quick hug. “It’s not your fault. It’s this damn fog,” she says.

  “Are you okay to go on?” I ask Langston.

  She nods and gets to her feet.

  “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a little shaken up. Thanks, Saudia. And you too, Kane.”

  Kane shifts uncomfortably, and I have to cover my mouth with my hand to hide my smile. It’s so cute to watch him squirm when the team praises him.

  “Let’s just keep moving,” he says gruffly.

  “You’re welcome, Langston. I mean, you’re such a valuable addition to the team that I could never let you fall,” Langston answers herself.

  Kane glares at her, and she laughs.

  “You need to learn how to accept friendship,” Langston announces, and Kane gives her a half nod.

  “I’ll buy you a beer. What more do you want?” he smirks.

  “Chili fries,” Langston says without missing a beat.

  “Done.” Kane laughs. “Now can we stop with the bonding before you want me to braid your hair or something?”

  “It’ll take a lot more than you saving my life for me to trust you with my hair,” Langston states.

  “Where now?” I ask Saudia.

  “Straight ahead until we reach the end of the valley. Then right,” she says.

  We’re about halfway along the cliff top when there is a loud grinding noise from the valley. Curious but cautious, we edge to the drop and peer down. The ground of the valley is gone, revealing a fiery lava pit in its place. As we watch, the grinding noise starts up again, and the sandy ground reappears, sliding out of the bottom of the cliff face.

  “Well fuck. It’s a good thing we listened to you,” Tracey says to Saudia.

  We reach the other side with no more interruptions. The cliff begins to angle downward, and by the time we reach the other side, we no longer have to climb down the cliff. It’s a two-foot jump, and we’re back on the grassy ground.

  Saudia positions herself back at the front of the group with Tracey, and they turn right.

  “Thirty-seven paces,” Saudia says.

  They start stepping and counting. I’m so used to the fog now that I’m hardly annoyed that I can’t see a thing as it closes in around us again.

  “Okay,” Tracey says when we hit the thirty-seven paces. “The path there will suck our powers out for good, and the blossoms are poisonous. We have to get under the tree.”

  I peer over her shoulder. The cherry blossom trees are huge, and their branches grow so long they’ve sunk underneath their own weight. They touch the ground, forming a tunnel between them and the trees trunks. A few stray blossoms float in the air on the welcome breeze. It’s stifling hot here.

  “Loom said we should crawl beneath the branches. I think we’d be safer going flat and dragging ourselves through with our elbows. I’m guessing when he was here the branches weren’t so long. Keep close to trunks. It’s better a few grazes than to touch the blossoms,” Tracey finishes.

  “I’ll go first,” I say.

  I get on my hands and knees and then stretch out flat. I do what Tracey suggested and pull myself along on my elbows. I’m soon beneath the branches. I realize the fog isn’t following us anymore.

  The ground is hard beneath me, and I can feel rocks digging into my flesh as I pull myself along, and the tree bark scrubs painfully along my arm. It’s a small price to pay to get through the tunnel.

  A blossom floats almost lazily towards me, and I shrink away from it, but as it starts to pass me by, it stops and comes straight at me. I yelp in pain as it stings my face.

  “Keep calm,” Regal shouts. “It’s only a mild poison. It’ll sting, but it won’t do any real damage as long as it’s in small doses. It’s trying to cause us to panic so we bolt and end up tangled in the branches.”

  The stray blossoms keep coming at me, stinging me where they touch, and judging by the constant yelps from behind me, I’m not the only one under attack, but no one freaks out.

  I’m still glad when I reach the other side though, and get clear of the falling blossoms. I crawl forward, further than I need to, wanting to be sure I’m clear before I get to my feet again.

  Everyone else begins to emerge, and I look over everyone. We’ve all made it this far reasonably unscathed. We all have small red marks on our skin from the blossoms, but even as I peer at them on my arms, they begin to fade.

  Stretched out before us, as far as my eyes can see, is a stark, empty wasteland, the ground a red-tinged rock that’s cracked in the heat. The heat here is like nothing
I’ve ever felt before. Like a desert at high noon. The wasteland is barren and completely flat except for one huge red rock that juts up into the air.

  “We made it.” Langston grins. “Don’t we have to climb that rock or something?”

  “We have to tap it three times and say, ‘I’m not afraid of the vultures,’” Saudia confirms.

  We walk over to the rock. It sits close to us, and we only have to walk about one hundred feet, but by the time I reach it, sweat is dripping from me, and I feel hot and scratchy. The rest of the team obviously feels the same. They pull at their clothes, trying to fan themselves, but all it does is blow the hot air at us.

  “My hair is not made for this kind of heat,” Langston announces.

  “Maybe it’s time for that braid Kane promised you,” Perry says.

  “I’ll take my chances,” Langston says.

  I can’t help but laugh at the horror on her face. She has faced far worse than this, almost plunging to her death only moments ago, but the thought of her hair being messed up is what worries her.

  “What?” she says.

  I shake my head as we reach the rock.

  “Nothing.” I smile.

  I reach out and tap the rock lightly three times.

  “I’m not afraid of the vultures,” I say.

  Instantly, the barren wasteland is gone, replaced by a slightly cooler temperature and a grassy area with a small path leading through it. The path leads to a bridge that crosses a river. The bridge is made of something so black it is devoid of even the tiniest hint of color. It glistens in the sun.

  We approach the bridge and the river cautiously. I was expecting something rickety, ready to collapse at any moment, but this thing looks solid. It makes me more nervous somehow. It looks too easy.

  I open my mouth to tell the team I’m worried about the bridge, but Saudia is already crossing it, and I’m too late. She reaches the other side safely and turns around and grins at us.

  “You’ll climb a cliff, but a bridge scares you?” she taunts us.

  We laugh, and I tell myself I’m getting too paranoid. We step onto the bridge and begin to cross it.