Forged in Stone

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “Yes. Once on a vacation with my friend’s family.”

  “Then how do you know you do not like them? You have too little experience to make that assessment.”

  “You are either a horse person, or you’re not. There’s no in-between.”

  “There is always an in-between.” I looked up at the sun. We needed to pick up the pace.

  “For such an anti-social person, you are very optimistic about things.”

  “Understanding that things are more than black or white does not make me optimistic. I have experienced enough in my life to understand that things are never as simple as they seem.”

  “Like me.” She smiled lightly.

  “What about you?” I slowed down.

  She leaned her head to the side. “I’m not as simple as I seemed.”

  “Who said you ever seemed simple?” I had been struggling to understand her from the moment we met.

  “I thought you were–well, not simple, but not what you are.”

  “You mean my coming from another world and all?”

  “No, it has nothing to do with where you’re from. It’s just you.” She studied me closely before turning away.

  “Are you going to elaborate on that?”

  “Maybe later.” She grinned.

  I looked her up and down. She looked great in jeans, but it was going to make her stand out. “I should have told you to wear a long dress.”

  “Excuse me?” She put a hand on her hip.

  “That is what women wear here. Most of them at least.”

  She shook her head. “No thanks.”

  “You don’t like dresses?” I was already picturing her in something more feminine. And the towel. I would enjoy seeing her in that again.

  “I do… but I don’t like wearing them because I have to. I wear them because I want to.”

  “In theory I understand.”

  “Only in theory?”

  “Do you want me to carry you?”

  “What?” She stopped short.

  “I only ask because we are in a hurry.”

  “Great. Now you are calling me slow.” She grimaced.

  “I am not calling you slow, well not exactly.”

  “Do we need to continue in this direction?” She pointed in front of her.

  “Yes. We will hit a forest soon.”

  “I’ll meet you there.” In a whirl she took off.

  The girl could run. I stared after her for a moment while adjusting the bags on my back before taking off after her. I quickly caught up, but her speed was impressive. “You run much?”

  She glanced over at me but continued at her brisk pace. “I ran track all through high school.”

  “I believe it.”

  “If you wanted me to run, you should have told me.” She wore a satisfied smile. She liked impressing me.

  “You do not have to run.”

  “I don’t mind.” She smiled again.

  We entered the forest, and we both slowed down to more of a jog. The tree cover blocked out some of the sun, making the evening seem even closer. “We are almost to my horse, and then it will only be a two hour ride.”

  “Two hours?” Panic crossed her face. “Can’t I just run there?”

  “It’s twenty miles. Even with your speed you could not make it there by nightfall.”

  “Are you sure your friends are going to be okay with me coming? I mean you did talk all about preparing things.”

  “Wait, are you admitting this is not a drug induced trip or a dream?”

  She glanced over at me for a second. “It would have ended already, and I doubt it would involve jogging through a forest.”

  “Glad you are seeing things more reasonably.”

  “I don’t know if ‘reasonably’ is the right word. More like giving up hope.”

  “If you had given up hope you wouldn’t be moving. You have hope.” I glanced around at the thick trees. At least we had their protection for a short while. The rest of our journey would be out in the open.

  “I have to admit something.” She looked straight ahead, so I could not see her face.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “I’m kind of excited about this.” She glanced over her shoulder.

  “About running for your life?”

  “Well, when you put it that way…”

  “Sorry. Excited to be here?”

  “To be doing something different. My life’s been pretty boring lately.”

  “I’m not sure I would call it boring.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Not to upset you, but after what happened with your boyfriend…I would classify that as frustrating and upsetting, not boring.”

  “Well yes. But boredom is the overarching part right now.”

  “I doubt this is boring for you.”

  “Not at all. A bit terrifying.”

  “No one is going to hurt you as long as I am around.”

  “And will you always be around?” She slowed down to nearly walking.

  “Yes. Whether you like it or not.” I led the way toward the edge of the woods. “Ok, we need to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

  “Why? This is your horse, isn’t it?”

  “Of course it is, but I do not want to have to explain who you are and why you are dressed that way to anyone.”

  “Oh… not because your girlfriend lives here?”

  “I have no girlfriend. We have been over this before.” I tried to hide a smile. The jealousy she wore was entertaining.

  “You said it, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

  “It is true.”

  “Either way, I can be quiet so we don’t get in trouble.”

  “I am as single as I can possibly be.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does. I need you to believe me.” I did not know why I cared so much, but I did. She needed to understand I was not like her last boyfriend. I may have flaws, but I was telling her the truth.

  She shrugged. “We’re not involved, so it’s none of my business.”

  “Are you so sure about that?” I crushed my lips against hers while I wrapped my arms around her waist. I pulled her body close to mine and deepened the kiss, getting us back to the place where I had cut things off the night before.

  She moaned, making me need her more. I slipped my hand underneath the hem of her shirt, needing to feel her skin. It was as soft and warm as I expected.

  She moved her hand under my shirt, and her feather light touch set me on fire.

  “James.” She whispered my name against my lips. It had never sounded so sweet.

  Loud laughter had us each pulling away.

  I turned to see a very familiar face. I glanced at Ainsley in time to watch her wipe her mouth. The gesture stung.

  “Hello, Nathaniel.” I greeted the fellow Guardian. I was not surprised to find him by his home village. He returned home any chance he got.

  Ainsley stiffened beside me.

  “Hello, James. Kidnapping another innocent girl from the lost world?” He grinned.

  “What?” Ainsley stepped away from me.

  “He is kidding.” I reached out for her arm, but she flinched. “Ainsley, this is Nathaniel, Nathaniel this is Ainsley.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” He held out a hand to her.

  She did not accept it. “What do you mean kidnapping another girl?”

  “She does not know about Charlotte?” Nathaniel asked.

  I glared at him. “She knows of her, but not the full story.”

  She eyed me warily. “Charlotte is your friend. That’s what you told me.”

  “She is.” I nodded. “A close friend.”

  “But she was not happy when he tricked her into coming home.” Nathaniel laughed.

  “Tricked her?” Her face paled. “Like you tricked me? Like you lured me into that garden?”

  “Lured her?” Nathaniel stepped toward us. “What does she mean? I was only jesting about the kidnapping
. But did you trick her into coming with you?”

  “There was no trick. I did it for her safety. I do not have time to waste explaining it all. I have to get her to Bellgard.”

  “Why?” Nathaniel did not understand the urgency of the situation, but he should have read it from my tone and eyes.

  “Uh, I need to go to the bathroom. Should I just walk off here a little?” She pointed deeper into the woods.

  “We have a facility at my parents’ farm home,” Nathanial offered.

  She shook her head. “No, the woods are fine.”

  “Don’t go too far.” I gave her a long look.

  “Just far enough that you can’t see me.” She walked off.

  “You have a minute now. Fill me in,” Nathaniel urged.

  I pulled my eyes from her retreating figure. “Blake’s followers are back.”

  “What?” His face fell into a mix of shock and dismay.

  “Exactly…”

  “But why bring the girl?”

  “They somehow know her name.”

  15

  Ainsley

  James was even crazier than I thought, and I was even dumber. What if he’d planted that piece of paper? I wasn’t sure how he could have turned on the light from upstairs, but anything was possible. We were in a different world after all. My chest clenched, and I could feel bile rise to my throat. If this was reality, and not some horrible nightmare, I’d made a huge mistake.

  Debbie had said Charlotte was fine, but what if she was in on this too? Debbie was the one who came over to say he could stay there. What if this was all an elaborate trap? I tried to slow my breathing as I walked carefully through the woods. I needed to find a place to hide. Once James gave up I would get back to the gate and find a way over. There had to be a way to climb it.

  I was lucky we’d run into his friend before we reached the castle. If there was even a castle. Maybe everything he’d said was a lie.

  And how about meeting up with his friend? Was that planned? Nothing made sense. If James had wanted to hurt me, he could have done it back at the house. There was no reason for him to go through so much effort. For some reason he wanted me in his world, but I had no idea why.

  I looked first at the tall trees around me. Not a single one had low enough branches for me to climb, so I looked to the ground instead. I found a hole big enough for me and jumped into it, squeezing between the large complex roots that took up most of the space. I covered myself up the best I could with leaves before glancing up at the slowly darkening sky.

  “Ainsley?” James called out lightly. “Are you okay?”

  I ignored him. Hopefully he’d give up easily.

  “Ainsley?”

  I heard the crunching of leaves and sticks. He was getting closer.

  “Ainsley?” The crunching got louder, and his voice came from right above me. “Come on, please do not play around. We have to go.”

  I held my breath. If he looked down he’d see me. And I couldn’t let that happen.

  The crunching started again, and I heard another voice. “Did you find her? Where could she have gone?” Nathaniel asked.

  “This is your fault. You scared her.”

  “No. You cannot lay blame on me because your ill thought out plan blows up in your face.”

  “I had no time to formulate a better plan.”

  “You care about her?”

  “It does not matter now. We have to find her.” James sounded panicked, but it could have been for a million reasons. None were worth me going along with him again. I needed to get home. “She must have gone back to the gate. All that kidnapping talk spooked her.”

  “Should I wait here in case she returns?”

  “Yes. If you find her, take her back to your farmhouse. I will check back with you.”

  “Good luck. I hope you find her easily, and she is not too angry with you.”

  “Right now my only concern is finding her.”

  Their voices disappeared.

  Now what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t go back to the gate because he’d be waiting. I was going to have to wait him out. The hole wasn’t comfortable, but it wasn’t awful. I didn’t have a coat, and it was already getting cold. I would likely be freezing by nightfall. But not so freezing I’d die. Uncomfortable beat death any day. I moved from my knees into a fully sitting position. I was going to be there awhile.

  * * *

  The woods were silent except for the occasional bird chirping. The few birds I saw were brightly colored red and blue with crests of other bright hues. I wondered what other animals were out there. Hopefully nothing big. James hadn’t seemed nervous about wildlife, and I hoped that was because there was nothing to worry about here. That hope disappeared when the sound of a howl filled the night. I closed my eyes until it faded away. I hoped whatever it was would move far away, but creaking and whooshing noises continued. I flashed back to a Halloween night as a kid when my friends and I snuck into an abandoned house. Every squeaky floor board had us screaming. I only hoped these noises turned out to be nothing more than the wind in the trees like the abandoned house experience.

  Time passed, and the sky grew darker and darker. As I’d predicted, the temperature dropped. I wondered if James still had my bag and coat. Would he toss them when he discovered he couldn’t find me? It didn’t matter. If I could get back home I could replace everything.

  I fought my eyes as they longed to shut. I couldn’t afford to fall asleep. I needed to be ready to run at any second. I still didn’t have a plan, but I would make one. I would survive this. Somehow.

  I felt a sudden pain in my ankle and looked down. Everything was dark in the hole. I tried to move my leg in order to see better, but it wouldn’t budge. Something tightened around it. I felt another sharp pain in my other ankle. Once again I couldn’t move it. I used my arm to try to move my legs, nothing. I reached down, half expecting to find a snake coiling around me, but it was hard, not the soft body of an animal. The tightening continued, and I could see it now: a dark mass of roots tightening all around my legs.

  My heart started beating a mile a minute. What was happening? I tried again to move my legs, but the roots were moving higher and higher. They were almost to my knees. I started to yell.

  The coiling of the roots continued. I screamed at the top of my lungs as the roots coiled up over my stomach and chest. I continued screaming until it wrapped around my throat so tight I couldn’t breathe. I was going to die at the hands of a tree.

  “Over here!” Through the fog created by the lack of oxygen I heard a voice. Had James come back for me?

  Suddenly the roots loosened, I could breath. I gulped in big breaths of air as someone pulled me out of the hole. I tried to scream again, but I still hadn’t regained enough air.

  Arms tightened around my waist. “Gotcha.” A low and hoarse voice spoke in my ear. “We have been looking for you.”

  I said nothing. I was too afraid to speak. Instead my entire body shook. His hands tightened on my waist, pressing into my skin in a painful way.

  Another man walked around in front of me. He was holding a small lantern. His eyes were black, and his lips were twisted into an evil grin. “You should not have run from James, girl. You made our job too easy.”

  James. They knew his name. Was there any hope they’d take me to him? I already knew running from him had been a huge mistake. “Can I see him?” I managed to get the words out.

  The men laughed. It was a horrible off-kilter laugh that chilled me to the bone. “No. That would defeat the purpose of all of this now.”

  “Why? Don’t you work with him?”

  Both men laughed. “No, but you are going to wish we did.”

  “I am going to look for the others. Watch her.” The second man walked off, taking the lantern with him.

  I was left in the pitch blackness with the man holding me in the painful grip. He tightened his hold, and I winced.

  “Am I hurting you?” He laughed. “Let me fi
x that.” He moved a hand from my waist and cupped my breast. He squeezed it hard before running it down the front of my body. His lips brushed against my neck. “Such a pretty girl. I bet you are fun.”

  His touch and words snapped me out of my fear-induced daze, and I took my chance. I kneed the man holding me hard in the groin. He grunted and let go. I didn’t wait to see where the other captor was, I just ran.

  “Where do you think you are going?” He yelled.

  I kept running. The one thing I had was my speed, but in the pitch black night I could see absolutely nothing. After running a few hundred feet my foot caught in a root, and I fell down flat on my face. I felt the pain in my ankles again. The roots were back. How was it possible? How did these men control it? The loud laughing right above me let me know exactly how much trouble I was in. The roots continued their climb up my immobile body. The roots moved faster this time, and within seconds they’d reached my chest.

  “Stop running little girl. You are never getting—” The man suddenly grunted in agony.

  “You are dumber than I thought.” James’ voice came from nearby.

  “James!” I couldn’t see anything, but the coiling stopped.

  “Oh, now you will answer me.” He lit a lantern, and his face came into full view.

  He set the lantern down, and I watched as he pulled a long sword out of the man’s torso. The blade was glowing bright green and lit up the dark forest.

  “You killed him.”

  “I did.” His face was somber as he used the sword to cut away at the roots.

  “And your sword is glowing.”

  “It is.”

  “Why do you have it?”

  “The sword? It’s required of Guardians.”

  “What’s a Guardian?” Even in my exhaustion, I had to ask questions. I needed answers to hold onto.

  “What I am.” He handed me the lantern before lifting me up into his arms. “Please do us both a favor and do not run or hide again.”

  “I busted my ankle.”

  “Good.”

  “It’s good I hurt myself?”

  “No. It is good you fell here where I could find you. You don’t want to know the things those men might have done.”