by Gina LaManna
“I’m happy to help however I can. Keep talking, though. If we stop now, we’ll be here all night, and you don’t want that.”
It didn’t take much prompting to get me going. Before I knew it, I had gushed to Ainsley for the next mile about how guilty I felt keeping The Core a secret from X.
“Here I am, sneaking around,” I said, “while he worries and does his best to keep me safe. I don’t know what to do. My grandmother and The Core are on one side, a very important side. Then equally important, I have Ranger X, who is convinced I’m lying about where I’ve been all night. If I were him, I’d be concerned, too.”
Ainsley frowned. “That’s tough.”
“What would you do?”
She bit her lip. “Well, you did say that Ranger X tells you everything he can. I’m sure there are things about his job that he can’t tell you, or chooses not to. You don’t have to tell him everything about your life, either. There are reasons some things need to be kept confidential.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t help when he catches me out all night and I can’t explain where I’ve been.”
“Well, maybe you should talk to Hettie and tell her exactly what you told me. In the meantime, I guess… well, I guess you should just show him how you feel.”
“I told him I loved him.”
“That’s a good start! But you know that old saying—actions speak louder than words, and all that jazz. Plan something, do something special. He’ll appreciate it, and it might help ease the tension until you can talk to Hettie.”
“But—”
“Hold that thought,” Ainsley said. She knelt down, her hands skimming over bunches of Fire Birds. We’d emerged from the trees into a valley.
Behind us stood a mountain covered with thick trees. I hadn’t realized our ascent or descent, mostly because I’d been too worried about staying alive for the last few hours. I inhaled a deep breath and looked forward. After the darkness of the thick trees, this place was a haven.
Fire Birds bloomed in all directions, like the field of poppies in The Wizard of Oz. Red flowers coated the ground, a small dirt trail winding through the blossoms. The field rose before us in a steep ascent. At the very top, a light twirl of smoke rose from the final peak.
“We’re here,” Ainsley said. “The peak. We’ve just got to climb the volcano, and we’ll be there.”
“Nonsense,” a voice said from behind us. “You’ve made it already. Usually my army of deadly beasts scares off the unworthy folks, but it seems they didn’t bother you.”
“She has an army?” Ainsley muttered. “Liam’s stupid poem forgot to mention the army.”
Together we turned to our right to find a woman standing there—old, hunched over a cane, her hair in two gray braids that fell halfway down her back and swished around her body as she hobbled forward.
She gave a smile that’d been practiced for years, peeking through her layers of wrinkles. “Welcome to my home.”
As she approached, I held my ground. “Are you the Witch of the Woods?”
“Are you looking for her? If so, you’re in the right place.” The Witch clomped across the dirt path, stopping a few feet before us. She didn’t speak another word, but her eyes scanned Ainsley from head to toe.
Ainsley shivered under the intense scrutiny, and then the Witch of the Woods turned her eyes to me. Suddenly, I understood.
Chills wracked my limbs as her eyes pierced my body like an x-ray. From the tips of my toes, she dragged her gaze up, goosebumps erupting across my skin with every inch her eyes traveled. When she reached my face, she looked straight at the center of my forehead and the sudden, intense pain was almost unbearable.
I doubled over, let out a cry as fire exploded in my head. Stars burst, darkness beat out the light. My hands covered my face as I fell to the ground.
“Are you okay?” Ainsley’s hands clasped me, held me. She turned to the Witch. “What did you do to her?”
The Witch of the Woods merely shrugged. “You’ve both passed, now bring yourselves here for a hug.”
As quickly as the pain had come, it subsided. Still shaky, my knees wobbling, I stood and met the old woman’s eyes. An expression of interest rested on her face, and though there wasn’t a whisper of an apology in sight, she opened her arms.
Liam’s words rang through my head, and I realized that her offer of an embrace meant we had passed the test—I just hadn’t expected the test to be so painful. I stepped forward first, and accepted the hug. Ainsley was more hesitant.
“Why should we trust you now?” Ainsley stood a foot away from the Witch. “We hiked half a day to get here through the most dangerous parts of The Isle, and now you’re crippling my friend with some strange magic?”
The Witch’s eyes flashed at Ainsley. “I’m pleased with you.”
Ainsley shook her head, confused. “You’re pleased with me?”
“You’re a good companion for Lily,” she explained. “She’s too trusty, you’re too crusty. It evens out.”
“I’m not too crusty,” Ainsley said. “I’m just careful.”
“I’m not too trusty!” I said. “I’m optimistic.”
“Okay,” the Witch agreed. “Whatever you say. Now, are you going to come with me or not?”
“Do I have to hug you?” Ainsley looked a little mortified at the idea.
“Yes,” The Witch said. “A big fat hug.”
Ainsley shot me a look of frustration, but she did as the Witch said. When she stepped away, she shook her head. “What do hugs have to do with anything?”
The Witch of the Woods cackled. “Oh, nothing. But I live all by myself with only the beasts for company. This old lady gets lonely, and I love a visit from a friend.”
Ainsley covered her mouth, hiding her surprise. The old witch continued cackling, and eventually Ainsley joined in, too.
“Don’t get too attached to me,” the old lady said. “I know I’m lovable, but neither of you will last here for more than a day.”
Ainsley frowned. “That’s harsh. You don’t know how persistent I can be.”
“The secrets I am responsible for keeping are too much for any one person to bear—except me, and that’s why I’m the only woman for the job. I know the folks on the island say I’m nuts.”
“No, that’s not true—” I started, but she waved me off.
“It’s okay, I happen to agree. The lifestyle suits me.”
The Witch of the Woods gently moved branches out of her way with the tip of her cane. Ainsley and I followed close behind, and as I peeked over my shoulder, the flowers and branches mysteriously covered our path. If I hadn’t walked along it moments before, I would’ve never known it existed.
“It’s not magic,” the Witch said, catching my look of surprise. “Well, I suppose it is, but it’s not my magic. It’s The Forest.”
“The Forest has its own magic?”
“But of course,” she said. “I expect Liam gave you directions to find me?”
“Yes, he did.”
“I like that man,” she said with a coy grin. “He’s cute, don’t ya think?”
I widened my eyes at Ainsley, who looked just as shocked. “I suppose he has nice eyes,” Ainsley agreed. “Good hair.”
“I was thinking about the whole package, but I suppose the eyes aren’t bad, either,” the Witch said. “Anyway, did he tell you much about me?”
“Not really.”
“I suppose that was for the best. Well, I live here, obviously. It’s my job to protect the secrets of this island. The Forest is my baby, and although I take care of it, it takes care of me, too.”
I looked behind us and sure enough, our path was completely invisible. The Forest protected its own, and I doubted that anyone would be able to find the Witch of the Woods without an invitation.
“I hate to seem impatient, but we are sort of in a rush,” I said, after waiting to see if she’d continue her explanations. When she didn’t, I tried again. “There are bad things
going on back home.”
“I know it, I feel it,” she said. “But true understanding can’t be rushed, I’m sorry.”
“Of course,” I said quickly. “I want to do things right, it’s just. . . . . .”
“I know,” she said quietly. “I understand, I truly do.”
We turned a corner, and the most incredible sight rose before us. Trees, rocks, lush greenery—a place far more spectacular than any I’d laid eyes on so far rose from the ground. A waterfall crashed from thousands upon thousands of feet in the air. The stream below it bubbled and gurgled through rocks the color of emeralds, sand that flashed the palest of pinks. Thick, luxurious trees twisted themselves into a sturdy fortress around it all, concealing an intimidating castle built into the rock.
“This is my home, and it is the heart of The Forest,” the Witch said with reverence. “You must respect it, or you will die. It is really that simple.”
My heart skipped a beat, and Ainsley’s eyes widened.
“Use your common sense, and you’ll be fine.” The Witch smiled at us. “I didn’t mean to scare you, but if you’re smart, you’ll be cautious.”
Ainsley made a disgruntled noise, picking up her feet as if walking on eggshells.
“Now follow me and I will show you to the Library of Secrets. There, you will find everything you are looking for—and more.” The Witch of the Woods turned to me. “You’ll find more than you ever dreamed possible, Lily Locke.”
CHAPTER 18
The world had never been more silent.
Ainsley and I climbed up the stairs, hundreds of them. We curled our way through the winding stone passageway for nearly an hour. My legs ached, calves burned, but I didn’t complain and neither did Ainsley.
Despite her advanced age, the Witch plowed on ahead of us with impressive vigor. My breath came in loud huffs. Ainsley’s choice of relieving frustrations was an array of creative expletives. The Witch of the Woods cackled at a few of Ainsley’s more entertaining turns of phrases, but I didn’t have enough energy to laugh.
As we climbed higher and higher, the air grew damp. Except for our gasping breaths, the only sound to reach our ears was the trickle of water in skinny rivers down the sides of the walls.
Despite the stillness in the gray passage, lit only by candles every few feet, there was something more happening, something greater than us all. It wasn’t a sound, but a feeling; a feeling that ran beneath our feet, the vibrations consuming the mountain until its very stones trembled.
“Just about there, don’t stop now, girls.” The Witch of the Woods plucked a torch from the wall and circled to face us. “Keep up, children.”
Ainsley winced. “I’m beginning to think it would’ve been easier to get eaten by a lion in The Forest.”
“Or get attacked by poisonous bugs,” I added.
“Or lay down to sleep with the Fire Birds,” the Witch agreed. “But since you didn’t succumb to any of those obstacles, you obviously would prefer to be here. Don’t worry, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”
“How many people have been here besides us?” I gasped. “I can’t imagine anyone would come here without a very good reason.”
“Oh, I have an elevator.” The Witch turned to face us, a gleam in her eye. “I just thought we’d take the scenic route.”
“You!” Ainsley gaped like a sunfish. “You! You batty, old—”
“Stop!” I lunged for Ainsley, yanking her back.
We were so exhausted that my tackle didn’t work the way I’d planned. Our legs gave out, our bodies crumpling into a heap on the floor. Neither of us moved, except for our heaving chests.
“It was a joke,” the Witch of the Woods said. “I don’t have an elevator. You two need to relax. Anyway, what do you think?”
From our place on the floor, I turned my gaze upward. Her finger pointed toward the mouth of an enormous cave. I scrambled to my feet, pulling Ainsley up with me. She’d grumbled the whole way up, but as soon as she caught a glimpse of the room before us, she swallowed her words.
“Wow,” Ainsley whispered. “Incredible.”
The Witch of the Woods beamed. “I think so. I don’t get a chance to show it off very often. It’s unfortunate, really.”
“Maybe if you had an elevator, people would stop by more often,” Ainsley said. “So folks wouldn’t have to worry about dying on the way up.”
The Witch’s mouth formed a thin line. “Is that what you think?”
“I think. . . ” Ainsley trailed off. “No, I suppose not.”
“Most people can’t be trusted with the information inside this room. Don’t let me believe you’re like the rest of them.”
Ainsley’s face reddened. She gave a single shake of her head. For now, that seemed to satisfy the Witch because she turned and gestured for us to follow. “Good. Let me show you the Library of Secrets.”
The library was more of a cavern than a room, its beauty too impossible for words. Built from stones of all shapes and colors, the ceiling rose high above us, the walls thick with reds and grays and browns. Our footsteps echoed as we stepped through the dark opening.
“I don’t know what to say…” My eyes traced the edges of the room. The walls went up, and up—so far up that the stones didn’t begin to curve into the ceiling until the shadows engulfed their edges.
In the center of the room sat one long, wooden table. Ten stools sat on either side.
“If this is a library, where are the books?” Ainsley asked. “Or am I missing something?”
“You haven’t even seen the beginning of this place.” The Witch of the Woods scurried toward the farthest side of the room. The light didn’t quite reach her, the room fading into blackness and hiding her small form. “Here you are, my dears. The Library of Secrets awaits.”
She pulled back a black curtain that’d shielded the main portion of the library. She pulled so hard that she stumbled, bracing her body against the wall as the emptiness exposed a room ten times the size of this one.
My mouth fell open. “Oh, my. . . ”
Ainsley reached over and squeezed my hand.
More shocking than the room’s size, however, was the lack of a fourth wall. Straight ahead, the mouth of the cave opened to pure sky, the blue and white of the clouds marred only by the rush of water. Tons and tons of water pouring from the roof of the cave.
I moved closer, Ainsley following my lead. It felt like Niagara Falls streaming over our head, crashing hundreds of feet to the ground below, housing a secret library brimming with magic.
“The books are here, please help yourself.” The Witch gestured to the sides of the room. Along the stone walls were hundreds of books stacked atop each other. “I’ll leave you to your work.”
Without further explanation, she ducked through a small side door carved out of stone.
“She’s one strange lady,” Ainsley said, her eyes glued to the waterfall. “Is it just me, or does this seem incredibly dangerous? There’s not even a safety rail.”
We crept as close to the waterfall as we dared. Though we left at least ten feet between us and the falls, the thunder of the water shook every atom of my being, dragging me toward it. I rubbed my sweating hands against my legs.
“I’m not a huge fan of heights,” I said as Ainsley pointed out just how far the drop down went before a pool of lagoon-blue water blossomed at the bottom. “I mostly imagine all the ways I could accidentally fall off the edge and die.”
“Are you doing that right now?”
“Yes,” I admitted, my heart going through major palpitations as the hundreds of gallons of water washed past us. “One false step, and. . . ” I tried to whistle, making a diving motion with my hands. The motion ended in a splat at the bottom.
Ainsley offered her most reassuring smile. “Let’s start with the books. I don’t know if we’re welcome here overnight, and it’s already late. If we don’t hurry, we’ll be making our way back in the dark.”
The thought of re-
entering The Forest was enough to bring on a wave of exhaustion.
“Maybe there’s a hotel nearby,” I said wistfully, ignoring Ainsley’s eye roll. I sighed. “Let’s get started.”
CHAPTER 19
Hours later, the sun had begun to set.
Ainsley and I sat at stools across the table from each other. The only time either of us rose was to grab a new book. Once in a while Ainsley meandered toward the waterfall. I’d bite my tongue as long as I could as she stood there, staring over the edge, lost in thought.
Finally, my heart would beat too quickly and I’d yell at her to get back from the edge again. This process went on for hours, and yet we still hadn’t found anything of use in the hundreds of books we’d skimmed.
Ainsley whistled a low tune to herself as she paced a row of books, her finger dragging lightly over their spines. “What titles might be relevant that we haven’t thought of yet?”
“I don’t know. Look for the words mind bending, blood magic, or The Puppeteer. Not that I’ve found anything on them.”
“I’m hungry,” she said. “Do you think the Witch will come back? I could use a Pop-Tart.”
“I’m not walking all the way down those stairs to find her,” I said. “I’ll starve before I climb those stairs again. Let’s just find the book and get out of here.”
Ainsley’s stomach rumbled in argument. She exhaled. “We’ve been looking for hours, and the most interesting thing I’ve learned is that bulberries are edible.”
“It doesn’t do us any good to know that if we never make it out of here. There’s nothing in your section over there?”
All at once, Ainsley’s spine went rigid. “Wait a second. I might have found something.”
“What is it?” I stood, my stool scratching against the rocky floor beneath our feet. The water pounded in the background, pulsing against my eardrums. “Bring it here.”
She moved quickly, holding the book before her like it was boiling hot. She dropped it on the table, her hands shaking as if she’d been burned.
