Shock of Fate: A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure (Anchoress Series Book 1)

by D. L. Armillei

  “Have no fear. Fear gives away your power.”

  How can I not have fear? Van’s anxiety grew, in spite of her peaceful vision.

  “All knowledge is already known but can only be transferred with truths. The path of truth is always the path of least resistance. Humans create their own evil through their incorrect actions. Be secure, knowing there is no evil, for evil has no power, other than that which you give it.”

  But I have to conquer a Plague of Evil. How am I supposed to do that?

  “By confronting evil, knowing it has no power.”

  How do I know it has no power?

  “By connecting to your spiritual Self.”

  But what weapon do I use to defeat evil?

  “Everyone is provided with what he or she needs to fulfill his or her spiritual destiny.”

  I still don’t understand—

  “Goodnight, my little warrior. Good luck.”

  Jacynthia flickered, faded, and was gone. In the next instant, Van slipped into a deep sleep.

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  Day 19: Living World

  Jorie had risen first, as usual, and was riling everyone awake. They could no longer see the sky, so nobody knew the time.

  They took turns washing in the cold mountain water.

  “Finally!” Paley said, as she cleaned up using fresh water from the fountain. Then she changed clothes and declared, “Ready to go.” Today she wore brown contact lenses.

  Balish brown!

  This enraged Van but not as much as what dangled from Paley’s ears. “My earrings!” Van screeched and grabbed Paley’s wrist. “Those are my mother’s earrings!”

  “What?” Paley said defensively. She wrenched her wrist from Van’s grip. “Solana gave them to me when I told her I was the Anchoress-in-Waiting! These are mine!”

  “No, they’re not!” Van growled. “They’re mine!”

  “I had them hidden in my pocket until now,” Paley said. “I was waiting for a chance to clean up before I wore them!”

  Van lunged at Paley, trying to tear the earrings from her ears. “Give ’em back!”

  Brux leaped between the girls, holding them apart. “Paley, I saw Solana take them from Van’s stuff in Araquiel. We all did.”

  “Of course, you would say that,” Paley spat jealously. “Trying to protect your precious Van.”

  “I think the long journey has finally started to wear on them,” Elmot said, as he backed away from the fight, wide-eyed.

  “This has been a long time coming!” Paley snarled.

  “I think it’s one of Loka’s tests,” Brux said. He remained in between, struggling to keep Van and Paley apart.

  “If this is somehow a test, Van isn’t passing it!” Elmot cried. “She won’t be able to get the Coin!”

  “This isn’t a test,” Van snarled. “Paley’s being a jerk!”

  Jorie moved in. “Stop attaching to the dark part of yourselves,” she commanded. “Like each other. That’s an order!”

  Van ignored Jorie, her uncontrollable rage fueled by her mother’s earrings dangling from Paley’s ears. She charged at Paley again, but Brux held her back. How dare Paley steal her jewelry!

  “Solana gave them to me because she likes me!” Paley screeched. “She’s nice! You don’t understand her because you’re stupid!”

  “I’ll show you who’s stupid!” Van spat.

  Van felt out of control and didn’t care; those were her earrings. She wanted them back. She didn’t care how she got them.

  Jorie eyed them both, swore under her breath, then held her palms outward and chanted, “Negative energy go away, by my words you cannot stay, ground them with the earth as well, and reclaim their space with this spell.” Jorie lowered her hands. “Paley—give them back.”

  Paley opened her mouth to protest, then reluctantly took off the shimmering silver earrings and handed them to Van, who quickly tucked them into a pocket of her pants.

  The gesture broke the anger between the two, and Van said consolingly to Paley, “These earrings mean a lot to me. They’re all I have left of my mother.”

  Paley softened at Van’s words, and her eyes teared up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a jerk. I should have known Solana lied to me.”

  “It’s okay,” Van said, feeling weepy. She still wasn’t okay with Paley, but Jorie’s spell had given her clarity and peace.

  “Solana used the earrings to cause you two to fight,” Brux said.

  Jorie nodded. “It’s what evil does—tempts people with things they desire to create chaos and cause fighting within their ranks.”

  “That was great,” Elmot said, in awe of Jorie’s spell, and then grimaced. “But I hope the spell didn’t drain your energy.” He nervously brushed imaginary dirt from his pants.

  “Doubt it,” Jorie said. “It was a simple spell. I cast it right, and for a good reason. Should work for an hour or so.”

  Frightened by what had happened, Van couldn’t believe how close she’d come to connecting to the dark part of her Self. She had felt out of control and was thankful for Jorie’s magical intervention. Van’s experience with Paley had been so profound, had resonated so deeply to her core, it caused her to have an epiphany.

  Everything Van had learned on her journey came smashing together—Jacynthia’s counsel, her meeting with Ildiss, Amaryl’s warnings, Manik’s advice, giving away the boundless bowl to an impoverished family in Agerorsa, Brux’s rejection at Ox’s Bunkhouse, her father’s mistakes, her mother’s magical bloodline, accepting the gnomes and their culture, encountering trolls and the Tarcs. Her fight with Paley.

  Van now understood her challenge. Surviving the journey to retrieve the Coin wasn’t only about facing her father, Solana, or the Minotaur. It was about being able to stand up to all kinds of evil, including fear, greed, materialism, and prejudice.

  Evil would always try to knock her off her path. Try to disconnect her from her Light.

  Evil in all of its forms was the plague of humanity. This was what Van’s journey had groomed her to combat as the Anchoress.

  This was the Plague of Evil.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  Day 20: Living World

  The next day Van’s epiphany stayed fresh in her mind, helping to fortify her as the team spent the day wandering through an endless system of caves. It was enough to drive anyone mad.

  The tunnel walls and ceiling enclosed them, allowing only a few feet of space in any direction. Knowing that only the torches’ light kept her from plunging into absolute darkness made Van uneasy. The air seemed thin, making it a struggle to breathe—although the tightness in her chest could be from anxiety, covertly creeping into her body. She walked tensely, dreading the moment when her claustrophobia would reappear, encroaching on her newfound enlightenment. To her surprise, though, the claustrophobia never came.

  Every time Elmot insisted they had reached the deepest part of the caves, the floor around the next bend sloped again, and they went even deeper.

  “We’re going to die in here,” Paley moaned.

  The group answered with grunts.

  Van’s stomach growled, the muscles in her legs ached, and her feet throbbed. She was getting shaky from lack of food and exhaustion.

  The team stopped to eat a ration of their dwindling food supply and grab a short nap.

  Then they moved on.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  Day 21: Living World

  “Is this ever going to end?” Van complained. They were so deep underground, she kept expecting a Minotaur to jump out at any second.

  “What time is it?” Paley asked moodily.

  “Keep moving,” Jorie answered. “That’s what time it is.”

  “Are we close to the Coin?” Van asked hopefully.

  “Probably not, since Elmot is leading us in circles,” Brux said contemptuously.

  “We haven’t come across any of my stone piles,” Elmot responded stiffly. “We’re going the right way.”


  “Then hurry up and get us to the Coin,” Brux said to Elmot. “Before we all die from fatigue.”

  “You want to take the lead?” retorted the usually even-tempered Elmot. “Fine!” He stepped aside and extended his arm for Brux to take his torch.

  “I’ll do a better job!” Brux roared, snatching the torch from Elmot.

  “Our supplies are running seriously low,” Paley nervously added. “We’re burning our last torches, and we don’t have any matches left. Never mind that there’s no food. No food!”

  “Shut up, you guys, and keep moving,” Jorie commanded. She led, holding the other of their two torches. “Keep alert! This is all part of Loka’s tests.”

  “Elmot not knowing his way is one of Loka’s tests?” Brux asked snidely.

  Elmot angrily grabbed the torch back from Brux. “Jorie, step aside.” He whooshed past her. “I’m the only one among us who can get us there and back wit—”

  Before Elmot could finish his sentence, he completely disappeared into the ground. The light from his torch sank below the earth, leaving them in near darkness.

  Brux jumped to action, but Jorie blocked him, almost dropping the one torch they had left. “It’s no use. It’s too late. He’s gone. It’s a bottomless pit. There’s no coming out of the black mud.”

  “Hell no!” Van exclaimed. In a flash, she dropped her backpack to the ground, snatched a rope from inside, and maneuvered around the wrestling match between Jorie and Brux. She held onto one end and tossed the rope into the mud, hoping it was long enough to reach Elmot.

  “Stay away from the mud!” Jorie screeched. “It’ll suck you in!” She let go of Brux and pulled Van away from the slick, black puddle.

  “No!” Van lost her grip on the rope, as she struggled against Jorie. The torch light flickered wildly in the scuffle.

  “Jorie’s right!” Brux said, also holding Van back. “The mud—it’s alive—it’ll take you.”

  Paley crashed down to her knees and grabbed the end of the rope before it slipped all the way into the blackness. She wrapped the end around her wrist and held tight.

  “Paley, no!” Jorie screamed. She released Van, dropped the torch, and dashed for Paley.

  The rope tugged. “I got him!” Paley twisted, facing them with a smile.

  “Let go!” Brux yelled, as he sprang toward her.

  The rope yanked Paley’s arm again, this time stronger.

  Paley’s smile faded, and her expression turned to fear.

  Jorie and Brux had her in their grasp, but the rope jerked again, causing Paley to lose her balance.

  “Help!” Paley cried, as Van frantically tried to unwrap the rope from Paley’s wrist, which had turned red from strain.

  Their grip was no match for the unnatural force pulling from the other side.

  Paley’s scream was silenced, as the black mud consumed her.

  “Paley!” Van shrieked. Without thinking, and before Brux or Jorie could stop her, Van dove head first into the mud.

  Liquid black engulfed her.

  The silence was deafening. Van kept her eyes open, but they didn’t hurt, and she could breathe. Her body felt weighted, and she had to use all of her might to reach into the inky blackness.

  Her hand came in contact with a body.

  Paley! Van gripped the jacket sleeve of her friend, who didn’t respond to her touch.

  She couldn’t tell whether they were sinking but figured they were. Van tried to speak, but her words didn't carry through the blackness. She reached out with her other hand to find Elmot and felt nothing.

  Someone, something whispered in her ear. A chill shimmied down her spine.

  Murmuring voices came at Van from every direction.

  Give up . . . your life is not worth living . . . nobody cares about you . . . you are worthless . . . your existence is meaningless . . . nobody loves you, deep down you know this . . . you’re tired, just let go . . . embrace the Darkness . . . it’s the right thing to do . . .

  Van felt drained from the blackness siphoning her energy. She felt a tug on her grip as she sank lower than Paley, and she tightened her grasp.

  The voices told Van she belonged there, in the Darkness. If she let go, all of her dreams would come true. She would know family. She would know love.

  Maybe the voices are right, thought Van. What was the point of life? It did seem kind of meaningless. Maybe she belonged here. At least, here she would be loved.

  Van could tell that Paley had also sunk lower, until they were both level.

  Convinced her existence was pointless, Van told herself she should just let go—of Paley, of her life. Let the Darkness consume her. She would feel peace. Brux, Jorie, Genie, her father—they would get on fine without her. No one would miss her. Letting go was the right thing to do.

  The voices told her so.

  But other words slipped into Van’s consciousness. “When surrounded by Darkness, cling to the Light.” Cling to the Light.

  Van came to her senses, angry at the voices for trying to trick her. But unlike the lost civilization in the temple, instead of lashing out, she turned inward, forcing herself to focus on her Light.

  Memories flooded her thoughts—the day her father had taken her quahogging . . . the majestic beauty of Providence Island . . . lazy summer days on the beach with Paley. She thought of Brux and Wiglaf. Her heart surged with wonder and love. Van countered every horrible whisper with a positive thought.

  She began to rise.

  But Paley continued to sink, and Van was losing her grip.

  Van turned her thoughts to their friendship. How Paley would sneak into her window for a sleepover. Both of them riding in a buggy over sand dunes on a sunny island day or hanging out in the hallways at Canterbury Bells. Getting pampered at the Naked Ape . . . all of the memories of her friendship with Paley were filled with love.

  They both began to rise.

  Although Van had been able to breathe while submersed, as soon as she broke the surface, she gasped for air.

  Paley did the same.

  Van realized they both had been suffocating in the black mud without knowing it.

  Their noisy reentrance caught the attention of Brux and Jorie, wrestling by the tunnel wall.

  “Van!” cried Brux. “You’re alive!”

  He and Jorie released their hold on each other.

  Brux scrambled to help Van crawl out of the black mud, tears glistening in his eyes.

  Jorie dashed to help Paley. “That nitwit almost jumped in after you two,” she said. “I tried to stop him.”

  Van and Paley hugged in relief, despite being covered in oily black mud.

  “Elmot?” Brux asked grimly.

  Van and Paley lowered their heads in sorrow.

  “There’s no way he’s alive now,” Van said, shaking her head. “He went in before us. Another few seconds and we would’ve suffocated to death.”

  Jorie bowed her head. “How did you get out?” she asked serenely, picking up her still-lit torch from the ground. “No one has ever survived the black mud before.”

  Van and Paley tried to explain about the whispers that seeped into their minds and caused their brains to rot, but neither could do it justice. Van felt sure someone who hadn’t experienced it would never fully understand the lure of the whispering voices.

  Paley’s backpack was gone—she had wriggled out of it to give herself more speed as she ascended toward the surface, away from the ensnaring call of the eerie whispers. Brux volunteered to carry Van’s pack.

  Jorie gave Van and Paley the okay to use the rest of their drinking water to wash the black goo off their skin, afraid it might harm them if left on.

  Afterward, the surviving members of team Delta held a brief memorial service.

  Van felt guilty that she and Paley had escaped the black mud. It made Elmot’s death that much sadder for her.

  Jorie remained stoic, but Van could tell she hadn’t forgiven herself for her error in judgment about the black
mud. Their delay in rescue had cost Elmot his life.

  Van’s heart ached for Jorie’s pain and over the loss of another friend. She found it disturbingly ironic that Elmot had devoted his life to navigation, yet couldn’t find his way out of the mud. This thought made her tears flow uncontrollably. She feared they might never stop, that she would be consumed by grief the same way the black mud had consumed Elmot.

  But they had no time for grief. After the service, the team moved cautiously onward, down the sloping tunnel, deeper into the Caves of Wolfenden.

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Day 22: Living World

  The grandfather clock had chimed in Van’s mind again last night, waking her from sleep. She knew another day had passed. The window to retrieve the Coin was closing.

  They spent the better part of their waking hours winding through the dark tunnels, the same as on previous days, except today Van caught a glimpse of the Minotaur before anyone else. She stopped short and gasped.

  “What’s wrong?” Brux asked, alarmed.

  “T-The Minotaur,” Van said, trembling.

  Paley ducked behind Brux.

  “Where?” Jorie asked, swooshing her torch in an arc. “Where?”

  “I don’t see anything.” Brux squinted through the darkness. “Are you sure?”

  “I swear I saw it, over there.” Van pointed to the entrance of an adjacent tunnel.

  “I’m not going that way,” Paley said firmly.

  “Follow me.” Jorie guided them through a tunnel leading away from the Minotaur.

  With Elmot gone, all they could do was follow the slant in the floor to find the labyrinth that led to the Coin. When the floor remained flat, they pretty much rolled the dice, hoping for the best.

  They trudged on for what seemed like an entire day, until the tunnel widened into a small cavern. The walls, laden with mica, amplified the torch, illuminating the cavity. A plethora of fiery-red flowers burst from around a bubbling spring. A rich, intoxicating scent filled the air.

  Jorie placed the torch between a crook in the wall and Brux filled the two remaining wineskins with fresh water. Then Van and Paley used the spring to wash off the remaining dregs of black goo.