The black mist moved toward us in its knowing approach. As its tendrils reached toward our faces, a figure ran through the door, sending a swirling gust through the room.
The fog parted, and we gaped at Laney's disheveled form panting in the middle of the room.
"She's gone mad," Laney shrieked. "She can't be reasoned with. We need to leave!"
The shock of her command left us breathless as we questioned her motives.
"Go!" Gertie pushed Courtney toward her. "Now's your chance!"
We had no other choice but to go with Laney. No matter her reasoning, she’d allowed an opportunity that we had to take.
We ran through the parted mist and flew out the door with Laney right behind us.
Gertie slammed the door in our wake, trapping the creeping mist within the house.
The storm continued to surge all around us as we tore across the yard toward the woods. Heavy mist and debris blasted at our faces, disorienting us while we clung together in our attempt to escape.
Courtney cried out in despair as we ran from the house as if second-guessing her every step.
The four of us sailed into the woods away from the farm, cutting through the thicket in blind desperation. As we chopped and swatted through the branches, the heinous sound of Millicent's voice echoed behind us.
As if filling the entire forest with her presence, her voice resonated through every obedient tree, making our passage more difficult.
"You cannot escape me," her wicked voice taunted us. "Run. Run as far as you like, but I will always find you."
Her threatening words hit deep in my bones, as I knew they spoke the truth.
She would find us, no matter where we were. She always had.
"You are the cause of this sweet torture," her voice boomed around us. "Run, wolf, run," she cried.
Dom choked as he ran with us, feeling her wrath directed at him. He grabbed his chest as if in pain and stumbled forward.
I reached for his shoulder to steady him, and as he looked up at me, I witnessed an eerie shift in his eyes.
He'd been cursed.
"Keep running!" I screamed. "Don't stop. Don't look back!"
Terror filled me as I imagined what other curses she would cast upon us as we ran through her forest. We had to get out of her realm before we were all destroyed.
"There it is," Laney screeched, pointing ahead.
The sharp roof of the triangular hut cut up through the trees.
The portal was just up ahead.
My heart pounded in my ears as we continued barreling through the woods at a frantic pace.
"I don't know what I'm doing," Courtney cried out, stumbling in confusion. "I don't know what to do."
I reached for her hand and held tight. "Keep running! You're coming with us," I blasted. "There is nothing you can do here now.” I panted at the effort of pulling her along. “But with us, we are stronger together. And I swear I'll help you keep your promise to Gertie."
Courtney held my eyes as she determined to believe me.
And the four of us bolted toward the portal.
Panting for air and gasping through our terror, we ran as thick black fog lifted all around us.
It closed in on all sides, leaving only a narrow area for us to run through. The mist circled around the portal as if preparing to smother everything in its path.
"Don't slow down, even for a moment," I commanded. "We can make it!"
"Just keep running," Dom shouted.
As the opening of the portal came into view, my heart rate accelerated to its maximum. I kept hold of Courtney's hand and reached for Dom's with my other. Dom stretched his arm toward Laney, but she resisted his grasp.
"Take it!" he blasted, holding his hand out to her.
She stared back at him with a look of overwhelming confusion.
She'd always held some form of power over Dom in school. He had always been subdued and meek around her. And now, it was clear to both of them exactly why.
Dom held a significant spot in Laney's family tree. And she knew his place created a turning point in the legacy of her ancestors. A turning point that generated the birth of the Dark Witch.
"It's your fault," she blasted at him. "Your unrestrained lust and your greed."
"No," he shouted back. "What we had was real." His face darkened with anger. "It didn't have to be this way." His voice caught in his throat.
Light from the portal opening spilled out around us.
"Grab her!" I commanded Dom.
He snagged onto Laney’s wrist and pulled.
Together, the four us created a human chain and launched into the wooden hut just as the black fog engulfed it.
With a blast of blinding light, we whipped through the portal into the crushing void of oblivion.
Thunderous chaos whipped all around as we sailed through the jarring wormholes of time. Blinding light and deafening roars shot my senses to numbed static. Clinging to my friends for dear life, I held their hands as we sailed through the raging delirium of the portal.
Then, in a flash of detonating energy, we landed with a merciless thud on the hard dirt.
Gasping for air, we released our rigid life-hold on each other and wiped debris from our faces.
We were alive.
We’d survived the journey through the portal.
But had we accomplished anything?
The hollow pit in my gut taunted me with its uncertainty.
With a cough, I adjusted myself to the new realm while examining the interior structure of the portal. The wooden walls had been violently shaken, exposing numerous cracks between loose boards. The glowing light of day entered through the narrow openings, sending a thrill of hope through me.
"We're back," I whispered. "We made it."
Dom stood first, making his way to the opening. He glanced out and turned back to us.
"It's daytime," he said. "When we left, it was dusk." He stepped out a few paces. "It's foggy," he called back. "I can't see much."
I stood and glanced out. "Don't go far," I called to him. "You could get lost."
The white fog was thick, blocking all vision for us to see our exact location. I assumed we were in the same spot by the old Dawson farmland, but I couldn't be sure. We had originally been in the cemetery, conjuring the Dark Witch, when the portal appeared to us. It would make sense that that was the location where we returned as well.
"The cemetery must be near," I said to him. "Can you see the treetops at all?"
I wondered if the three unusual pines were tall enough to show themselves above the fog.
"Nah. It's too thick. I can't see a thing," he called back.
Courtney and Laney came up behind me and peered out of the portal.
"It's quiet," Laney whispered.
"Too quiet,” Courtney agreed.
I listened intently and realized they were right.
The stillness all around was eerie and unnatural for these woods. The absence of our vision due to the fog was one thing, but the silence and dead-calm air were quite another.
"I'm going to go a little farther," Dom said. "Stay in the hut until I get back. I won't go out of earshot."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," I murmured.
But it was necessary.
We couldn't stay in the protection of the portal for much longer. It never remained in one place for too long, and getting stuck in it for all of eternity was something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies.
"I'll be quick," Dom called back to me as he stepped into the thick fog and out of sight.
I moved back into the shelter of the hut with Courtney and Laney. The worry in their eyes tweaked my nerves to near twitching.
"It's how it all began," Laney mumbled with a lost gaze. "We witnessed the start of it all. Her transformation."
I shook my head in disbelief.
Millicent had called the power of darkness onto herself.
If she had only waited a bit longer for Dom's return, maybe things would hav
e been different.
But probably not.
The mob would have still come. The executions would have still occurred.
But now Gertie held the knowledge that hid within the spellbook. Maybe it would be enough.
"I just don't understand how it all fits," I murmured. "The timelines are crossed and chaotic. We need to talk with Ms. Kelly and the others." I pressed my eyes shut, praying there was something we could do to untangle the mess.
And Shane was still missing.
The gaping hole in my chest proved it to be true. He was lost in the complexities of the timelines, and I had to continue my quest to find him.
A moment later, Dom returned and leaned against the opening of the hut.
"There's nothing out there," he murmured. "Nothing."
I shot over to him and peered into the fog.
"What do you mean?" I pressed.
He shook his head. "I mean nothing. I walked in every direction, but the farther I went, the thicker the fog became. Just nothingness."
"That makes no sense." I pushed past him. "We have to at least find the three pines. Then we'll know our way."
"There's nothing out there, Brynn," he blasted. "Do you understand me?"
I pulled back from his harsh jab.
"I guess I don't," I spat. "I'm going to look around."
"No." He grabbed my arm. "You'll get lost."
I yanked away from him. "I won't go far. I just need to see for myself what's out there."
He pressed his lips together in annoyance as I stepped away from him.
Moving out into the fog, I swooshed my hands through the thick mist, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever hid beyond it.
Dom was right, though. The heavy white clouds covered everything. The more I walked, the more I realized there was nothing out there.
No trees. No branches. No rocks to stumble on. No breeze. No birds chirping.
Nothing.
As I moved farther through the thick fog, I strained to see in front of me.
"Brynn, come back." Dom's voice echoed at the back of my mind.
I turned in the direction of his voice, but something pulled my attention ahead.
As I peered through the mist, a shadow took form.
A figure wandered slowly through the swirling fog, aimlessly walking toward nothingness.
"Who's there," I whispered.
The person slowed to a stop and waited, listening.
I stepped closer, within reach of touching him.
As I brushed my fingers down his face, his eyes lifted to mine with a lost gaze.
My air sucked in, and with a shake in my voice, I whispered, "Shane?"
Epilogue
Gazing into Shane’s lost eyes, I wrapped my arms around him in a burst of uncontained emotion.
"Oh my God, Shane! I found you!" I gasped, pulling him into me.
His body remained still with no response to my embrace.
"Shane, it's me," I cried. "It's Brynn. I'm here now."
He continued to be motionless with no new expression on his face. Something was wrong with him.
"Dom!" I screamed. "Help!"
I shook Shane's shoulders, trying to jolt him out of the trance that held him captive like a zombie.
As he turned his head, looking blankly through the fog, he brought his eyes back to mine. And with a faint whisper, he murmured, "I am lost."
Fear constricted my throat, and I choked. "It's okay. I found you. You'll be okay now."
I took his hands and walked backward, encouraging him to follow along with me.
Turning back, I screamed over my shoulder again. "Dom!"
"Come on, Shane," I coached him. "This way."
Another second, and Dom came crashing through the fog, nearly bowling us over.
"Holy shit," he gasped, staring at Shane.
"Yeah, I found him," I huffed. "He's just a bit confused and traumatized, I think."
Dom checked Shane, looking him over.
"You good, man?" he asked him.
Shane didn't respond. He just kept his eyes locked on me.
"Let's get him back to the hut," I said. "Out of the fog. This mist is enough to make anyone lose their mind."
I took a huge inhale and led Shane closer to the portal. Dom followed close behind to be sure he didn't make a break for it.
By the time we found our way back to the portal, Shane was breathing more regularly, and color had returned to his face.
Laney and Courtney barreled out of the hut, desperate from waiting. As soon as they saw Shane with us, their voices went wild.
"You found him," Laney gasped.
"Shane? Is it really you?" Courtney's voice cracked.
We brought him into the shelter of the wooden structure, away from the mind-numbing fog. He sat in the center and rocked, as the rest of us bickered about what to do next.
Ideas of leaving the hut and wandering the woods, as well as waiting until the fog cleared or allowing the portal to take us again, flew between us. Each idea had its pros and cons, but none of them held the hope we needed.
"We are lost." Shane's voice silenced us all.
He blinked as if clearing the mist from his mind and looked at each of us. His eyes moved from Laney to Courtney, then from Dom to me. As he focused on me, his disbelieving eyes widened, and he gasped in shock.
"Brynn?" he cried, launching up to standing.
He moved to me in an instant and embraced me through shuddering sobs.
"I remember you now," he cried. "I'm sorry. My mind was lost. But it's clearing now."
My heart burst with happiness as I held him in my arms. Tears streamed down my face, and nothing else in the world mattered at that moment.
Until Dom spoke.
"I know what this is," he stated.
Shane turned his attention to him and nodded.
Laney stepped closer. "Me too."
Courtney's eyes darted to mine, and our shoulders sank together.
Dom whispered, "It's the Dark Witch. Her death curse."
Shane nodded again and locked his eyes onto mine.
"Yes,” he said. “Lost in unsettled death. We are trapped in limbo."
<<<<>>>>
I hope you enjoyed Book Four
URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY: FOURTH PROJECT
Click to leave a review
Please take a moment to leave a brief review.
Get your copy of Book Five
URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY: FINAL PROJECT
Click for your copy
To try something new, scroll ahead for a free sample of Book One of the ASYLUM SAVANTS Series
THE SHUTTERED WARD
Click for THE SHUTTERED WARD
They discovered the abandoned asylum thinking they’d found an urban adventure. Instead, they unlocked dark secrets that could destroy them.
Scroll ahead for free chapters.
Jennifer Rose McMahon is a USA Today Bestselling Author who has been creating her stories since her college days abroad in Ireland. Her passion for urban legends, ancient cemeteries, abandoned asylums, and medieval ghost stories has fueled her adventurous storytelling, while her husband’s decadent brogue carries her imagination through the centuries. When she’s not writing about castles and curses, she can be found near Boston in the local coffee shop, yoga studio, or at the beach…most often answering to the name ‘Mom’ by her fab children four.
www.jenniferrosemcmahon.com
[email protected]
Also by Jennifer Rose McMahon
URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY SERIES
Urban Mystic Academy: First Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Second Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Fourth Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Final Project
Urban Mystic Academy: Graduation
MYSTIC COVEN SERIES
(Coming Summer 2020)
Mystic Coven: Fire Festival
Mysti
c Coven: Winter Wiccan
Mystic Coven: Pagan Prophecy
Mystic Coven: Solstice Summoning
ASYLUM SAVANT SERIES
The Shuttered Ward, Book One
The Excited Ward, Book Two
The Forgotten Ward, Book Three
IRISH MYSTIC LEGENDS SERIES
Legend Hunter, Book One
Curse Raider, Book Two
Truth Seer, Book Three
PIRATE QUEEN SERIES
Bohermore, Book One
Inish Clare, Book Two
Ballycroy, Book Three
Rockfleet, Prequel (best read as Book 2.5)
URBAN MYSTIC ACADEMY: FINAL PROJECT
Click for your copy
Be sure to visit my website for more information about my other books.
www.jenniferrosemcmahon.com
To sign up for my newsletter:
https://www.subscribepage.com/f1p9w6
Sample of THE SHUTTERED WARD, Book One of the ASYLUM SAVANTS Series
Whispers of echoing voices pulled me out of my bliss as an incessant beeping sound made my eyes twitch. But then the ferocious pounding struck, and I reached for my head to keep it from exploding.
My eyes shot open only to be blinded by the harsh illumination surrounding me. Shadows of unknown people hovered as one stepped closer and poked at my arm.
I squinted to block the piercing light, my voice scratching out of me. “Where’s Kaitlin?”
A dark pit in my stomach swelled before rising into my throat. My memories wisped through my mind, murky as if lost in dense fog. When I tried to grab them, they slipped through my fingers. Everything seemed out of my reach except the heart-clenching need to check on Kaitlin. She was with me when…when what? I shook my head, only to be reminded of the painful, swollen pressure in my skull.
“She’s okay, Grace,” an unfamiliar voice said. The assurance rolled through my mind. “She’s in the next room. Her parents are there, too.”
With a slow exhale, I sank into the false comfort of my pillow and blocked out the activity around me. But in the sudden absence of stimulation, it hit me. The flash of headlights. A blaring horn. And a violent crash of bending metal and shattering glass that could have woken the dead.
Urban Mystic Academy: Fourth Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 4) Page 15
