Portal? “Did it hurt?”
She shook her head. “Yes, but only because we’re the opposite of their element. It doesn’t take very long to carve into your arm, trust me. It’ll be over before you know it.”
I glanced over to my family as they stared at their arms. My mother was right; every single one of them had the mark identical to my mother’s.
“Come on Kaylin.” She moved me towards Liz who was sitting alongside her husband, eating what looked like wolf. I couldn’t look at her but she noticed me coming.
“Kaylin, sweetheart would you like some?” She offered me an untouched pot filled with meat, putting up her shield. I wish I was strong enough to hold the shield as long as she could.
I was honestly starving. That was something I could never lie about. I felt like I haven’t eaten in days, probably because I haven’t. “Thank you,” I put up a shield and took the pot.
“Would you like me to mark you now?” Her accent was sweet, and overall she had to be the kindest woman I’ve ever met. Although, she was the only other woman I’ve ever known beside my mother. Sorry mom.
“If you don’t mind,” I smiled. She gently took my arm, turning it over so my forearm faced her. She placed her hand on her mark, as a glowing blue light spiralled like dust over and underneath her palm. She lifted her hand flat, on my tattoo-less arm and set it down. I felt my skin burning as she held it in place. My shield dropped, I was too weak to keep it up as was she.
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“All finished, eat up.” Her hand moved away. It didn’t hurt as bad as I thought, just a little sting. I peered down to my forearm; the map was now carved into my skin. I rubbed at it countless times, and it didn’t fade. She gave my pot a slight tap and I grabbed a handful of meat, biting into it.
“We don’t know what to expect,” began Lore. “So be prepared. You all have your clan daggers?”
My gaze drifted to the belt attached to my waist as I eyed the Desirea carved alongside my dagger. It really was a beautiful thing; nothing like I have ever seen before. I never even heard of a clan dagger in my life, which made me wonder though why my mother and father kept it hidden from us.
“Time to track the Tamara clan.” Lore placed his pot down and moved towards the passageway. He sealed his hands together and knelt down, keeping silent. I stared as his hands parted, and a glowing crystal bubble formed out of his palms, floating just above his head. “Are you all ready?” He asked.
Everyone nodded, and set their pots down, moving towards the exit. This was the moment I was preparing for all my life.
I walked alone for the first few minutes, admiring the forest like I’ve never seen it before. I wasn’t going to see it much longer, so I had to soak up all of its beauty. If that’s what you want to call it, Kaylin.
“It feels like forever since I’ve talked to you.” Devon found his way to my side. I smiled. Devon was such a familiar face; I didn’t want to lose him or anyone which
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made this conversation harder to deal with the deeper we went into the forest.
“It’s been a day.” I answered with a smirk.
“Just tried to be nice, don’t even test me.”
We both laughed. “So do I need to add Marrow to the list of people I should be worried about?”
I looked over at Marrow, but I didn’t make a big deal out of it anymore. I knew his face would change the moment I looked away, so I just let it fade.
“Not just yet.”
“You get around don’t you?”
I chuckled once and sucked in my breath. I felt the need to tell Devon what was happening between Marrow and I. Maybe he would have somewhat of an explanation, something. But how could he? We were definitely on the same page with things, maybe me a little more advanced than him. Either way, I had to give it a try. “I see Marrows sometimes, you know? Like actual Marrow, I don’t see dad.”
His eyebrows rose in confusion, as expected. “I don’t think that’s normal.”
“Do you see him?”
“If you call a black demon with no eyes and a huge smile him, then yeah I see him.”
I rolled my eyes and nudged him, moving closer. “So you don’t see him?”
He smirked, “No.”
Spending time with Devon reminded me of spending time with my father. We would always joke around like this and never get tired of being together. Knowing he was gone, and knowing I was the reason was the most regretful thing in the world.
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“I think Nate wants to have a word.” Devon scowled, removing me from my trance.
I glanced over at Nate who had stopped walking and looked back at me with a smile. “Remember.” Devon took out a knife and walked by Nate.
“How can I forget?” He laughed.
Devon stuck out a finger and continued walking, leaving me alone with Nate. “Hey.” He said.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked.
Looking around I realized that we reached the middle of the forest. It puzzled me how every moment seemed to last forever, but passed by in an instant.
“Not bad, I could have stayed with you.”
I looked at him and smiled as he moved closer. It puzzled me. Everything puzzled me about him. How I could see him, how he could see me. Stop thinking about this.
The floating bubble led west as we turned into a path of soil and vines. Everything was literally just a vast amount of dirt. Hm, now what clan possesses the element of dirt? I could tell we were near the Tamara clan’s sector, doesn’t take an idiot to know that, or in other words, Devon.
Nate and I walked silently together until we heard the bubble pop. Liz knelt down and ran her fingers through the soil. “We’re here.”
Everyone turned their attention towards the bare earth passageway, vines intertwined alongside the path. Before Liz and Lore entered, Marrow put out an arm in front of them. “Look down,” he said.
There was a fine line of soil built up together, barely noticeable. Whenever my father was alive, we never created an intruder mark like this clan did, until he
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disappeared. I was too unconscious to remember if Nate’s family formed one as well. Clans did this to stun intruders momentarily, giving enough time for a spark (in our case) to travel to the middle of their sector, alerting the members of the clan that someone was there.
“Step back.” Marrow whispered. He slid out his clan knife as I watched the glowing blue Coperton shine against the silver. Whoever made these knives; unbelievable talent, that’s for sure. He cut a vine hanging from the wall and threw it across the line. I waited for something to happen, but nothing did. I looked around, trying to scope out the place and then that’s when I completely plummeted to the ground, eating soil. I realized that it wasn’t just me. Thick vines had emerged from the ground tying each one of our ankles in place. Great, I’m going to die right here without even making it a step out of the forest. I guess that we missed the real intruder mark. Two shadows turned the corner; a man and a woman both wearing brown masks. Staring at the woman’s spiked braid, I realized it was the first ever Enchanted I had encountered when my father was still alive. The man was hairless with dark skin and a big build, extremely tall. Both were clothed in white and brown, wearing tan leather cuffs around their wrist. Under their arms, I spotted the blank ink reading Tamara as I felt the vines around our ankles release. As I tried to stabilize myself, more vines tugged at my arms to keep me down.
“Desirea and Coperton, I can feel the elements.” The man spoke deeply.
I was waiting for someone to talk, because it sure as hell was not going to be me. Liz was the first to speak, thankfully. “I’m Liz, and this is my husband Lore and my
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two sons Nate and Marrow. We’re from the Coperton clan, accompanied by the Desirea clan: Lyle, Annabelle, Mable, Devon and Kaylin. We aren’t here to bring harm, just to talk.”
“What about?” The woman released, her voice just as deep as the man beside he
r. Strange.
“If you would be so kind to let us out of your chained pets we might just tell you.” Marrow slithered.
In that instant, the woman turned to Marrow. Seconds later he groaned out in pain as the vines tightened around his arms, bending him forwards and backwards. Okay, not about to mess with these people.
“I don’t like you.” The woman spoke harshly at Marrow.
“Feelings mutual,” he coughed out. Of course, if there was anyone to pick a fight with someone they just met, it would be Marrow.
“What shall we call you?” Liz asked politely, turning her head to Marrow in disgust.
“Nothing, until you explain what you want.” The woman replied.
“We are here to make an offer. We found The Enchantress and we found the escape. We can get out of The Labyrinth, end the curse of Enchanted, free the other Labyrinth’s and live amongst the town where the curse could be lifted,” Lore explained.
The male laughed obnoxiously. “There is no town you fool. As for the curse, the only way you can see another Enchanted is if it’s true love or destiny.”
I felt my world stop, like, literally stop. Nothing was in motion anymore. It was as if a rock just fell on my stomach and I needed to release all the contents
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swimming up to my mouth. My mother glanced at me as I stumbled backwards, unable to comprehend. The only way to see an Enchanted’s true face was love or destiny? I didn’t understand, I couldn’t understand and I didn’t want to understand. I saw Nate and occasionally, saw Marrow. But I knew that I was far from being in love with them, let alone having them as my destiny. What even was a destiny? Not now Kaylin, not now.
My mother turned fast to the Enchanted. “Please, we have a map. We need your help to escape.”
“Why should we help you? We don’t work with other Enchanted.” The women protested.
“We made it work. We just avoid eye contact, put up our shields. You’ll be free. Please, we won’t turn on you or leave you, and we will help you.” She begged.
The Tamara clan was silent for a few moments, examining each one of us through their masks. Did they see our real faces? No, the Tamara member said only destiny and love could lift the curse. Stop reiterating that Kaylin, let it go. I didn’t understand, but I could sense that they wanted a way out just as much as us. Everyone did.
“I’m Beth and this is Sage.” She grabbed hold of the man’s hand, her husband. “You may explain further in our sector.” She lifted her arm and the vines slithered off of our arms and back into the ground. Sage and Beth stood on opposite ends of each other, as we walked in between them and into the sector. I distanced myself from everyone else and became the last one to enter, glancing down at my arm and then followed them inside.
Chapter 6
“So you need us to help you escape?” Beth asked as she stirred crushed leaves and dirt into a pot.
“Not just us, but you as well Beth,” began Liz. “We will all find our way out together.”
“Why not do it on your own?” Sage questioned.
Liz shook her head. “We would die in an instant. There’s no way we’d even get close to the middle.”
“So you want us to agree, and then convince the last of the clans to accompany us?”
“That’s exactly what we’re saying.” Marrow spoke, unwanted by everyone.
Everyone was seated on a log, sitting around firewood. Beth and Sage still had their masks on, but I could sense her staring at her pot as she placed it over the
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firewood, before turning to me. “Could you help me out?” She asked.
She pointed to the dry wood and tapped her tattoo. Ah, okay. She wanted me to light a fire. I nodded at her and smiled, mostly contented that I couldn’t see her face. I flicked a flame out my fingers and shot it at the wood.
“Thank you,” she said somewhat kindly.
I nodded and felt like it was my time to speak. We needed to start moving, and playing the question game would just be burning daylight. “Would you please consider working with us on this?”
Now Sage turned his head to me. “We’ve already considered it, and it’s absurd. Risking our lives for something we don’t even want to do.”
“You don’t want to get out of The Labyrinth?”
“We’re perfectly happy.”
My eyes grew wide at such a lie. “Perfectly happy? There’s more out there, it’s proven, look.” I showed them my arm with the map. “And you just want to stay in here, trapped?”
“We aren’t trapped.” Beth’s voice chirped in. I didn’t know what else to say; if they enjoyed living in The Labyrinth, convincing them was wasting time for us all. I wasn’t about to have empty baggage having my back regardless.
Show, skills…
I didn’t notice that the voice had spoken until I felt the fire in my hands. Why is there fire in my hands? They didn’t care about skill, did they? Or, maybe they did. Maybe the voice was just trying to tell me something I
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hadn’t thought of. I had to ask, but to pick my words carefully.
“Are you afraid that if we run into danger, we won’t be strong enough to save you?” I asked, looking down at the crimson beneath my skin.
“That never crossed my mind,” began Sage. “But now that you mention it, that brings a huge concern. You are young, all of you, inexperienced.”
“We’re more powerful than you think. Allow me to show you. We’re all strong, Sage.” I looked over at my family, and Nate not even realizing what was coming out of my mouth at this point. I didn’t even have control of my thoughts, my words. I wasn’t complaining though.
“Your choice.” Sage leaned back, extending his arm upwards to let me start.
It was as if my body was taken over by an entity. I had no control of my movements. I stood up and placed my hand over my tattoo, melting the ice protecting me from burning up again. Bad freakin’ move Kaylin. What if the burn comes back? Liz can’t keep saving you. I needed to show them what we could do, it was the only way. Once the ice faded, I heard gasps from Liz and Lore. I knew that now I was at risk of pain again, but I had to do this. I released a fireball from my mouth and traced a mark that would burn every vine, every leaf, in the sector. The mark had a small circle in the middle surrounded by straight lines, and a wave cutting the circle in half. Devon taught me this spell when I was fifteen. I never had to use it, nor did I ever want to because it used up almost all of my element’s power, but I felt proud of this. For some reason, I did. The power inside of me was surging. Finishing the last line I looked over to all the spectators and turned
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away in an instant. As the last line connected, heat filled my face, feeling the beads of sweat burning my skin. The green, peaceful earth was now engulfed in flames, making the atmosphere hot and nauseating. Not to me though, just everyone else. All the earth in the sector turned to black ash, leaving a sky of smoke above us. Only a burning residue clung to the walls. Huh, never knew you had it in you. It was almost as if I heard a laugh in the wind, and then silence.
Beth grew irritated and stood up, raising silver snakes from the ground. I watched as the snakes slithered up the walls, a hole growing in the middle of their stomachs, something I had never even dreamt to see. The fire was soon absorbed and the snakes vanished. Okay, talent isn’t only in my hands I see.
“Weak.” Beth whispered.
I felt the flames in my hands radiating. What more was I to do to prove the strength we had? How old were these people anyways?
“Weak?” My mother spoke up. “My daughter is one of the strongest Enchanted you will ever meet. If you are not on board with our plan, we will leave. We don’t need negative company.”
She got up with Mable, Annabelle and Devon at her side. I was still breathing heavily from the mark, weak and frail. I looked to Nate whose eyes were on me and for the first time, I could see Marrow’s eyes, staring into mine. Oh, no.
“Sorry t
o bother you Mr. and Mrs. Tamara.” Liz moved away with Lore. We all exited the passageway without looking back when Marrow rushed up in front of everyone, leading us. “Well that was a waste.” He began.
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“But Kaylin that was quite impressive.” He winked at me as Devon moved to my side.
“Now should I be worried about Marrow?” He whispered. I smiled weakly, shaking my head. I had nothing in me to argue anymore. I felt defeated.
“Don’t worry son,” Lore placed his hand on Marrow’s shoulder. “We’ll try to get the Persil clan on board. From what I remember about them before we separated, they were very kind.”
“You talked to them?” Marrow asked.
“Yes.”
Marrow turned to Liz, “Did you mom?”
“Did I what? Talk to them? No.”
Marrows face changed back to my father’s and I looked downwards, hearing him talk again. “And if they don’t want to work with us?”
“Don’t think of that right now.” Lore said.
We stopped in the middle of the forest where Lore created a floating bubble again. He mumbled a few words this time and knelt down, causing the transparent bubble to glow a shade of blue.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Following the bubble, everyone kept silent for minutes. I didn’t understand how Enchanted actually enjoyed living here. This place was a burden, especially knowing that there was more out there, they chose to stay. The bubble eventually stopped in front of a glowing passageway. There were white vines all alongside the walls, but no line of intruder. Marrow stepped in front of everyone to check if there were any drawings on the outskirts but shook his head. As we passed through the entrance, I felt my throat starting to swell. What the hell? I
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wrapped my hands around my neck, realizing my breaths were being held in. I started to cough, noticing that everyone began to cough rapidly, as well. My lungs felt tired and empty. I dropped to my knees, gripped the skin caging my esophagus. Everyone around me was falling down too, as my face fell to the dirt. I felt my insides rising up to my mouth with each cough I took. So, this is actually what choking felt like.
Enchanted: The Labyrinth Page 9
