Door in the Garden of Shadows

by April Canavan

  “It’s not your time. You’ll see. I have no doubt in this.” Jessica kissed her forehead, “I love you. Remember that.”

  “I’ll be back. You’ll see. You have to stay here, though. I’ll need to concentrate, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.” Jessica’s eyes flashed with defiance.

  Mykah needed her to stay. “Jess, I need you here. In case something goes wrong. You have to stop it before anyone gets hurt. I don’t know if I’ll be able to control a spell this large. It’s not for me. It’s for the realm.”

  “Fine,” she huffed. “But you better come back in one piece.”

  “Don’t worry.” Then, before Mykah could change her mind or chicken out, she started walking down the slope of the hill.

  It didn’t take her as long as she thought it would, to reach the edge of the destroyed grove. She knew that she would have to make her way to the very center where the spring of dark fae magic had once resided. Taking a deep breath, she stepped over the edge of the burn line. Instantly, she felt the pull on her magic, and the key around her neck pulsed to life. Touching it with her free hand, she sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Blood Queen for giving it to her.

  Once Mykah was in the very center of the grove, she held out both of her hands in front of her. She could almost see the magic pouring out of her body and into the ground, and if she hadn’t had the key, she would have collapsed. She was sure of it.

  “Mother of all, I ask for the strength to perform this task,” she whispered to herself. More of a prayer than anything else, she hoped that the mother would watch out for her.

  Then it was time, she could feel the key around her neck slowly draining of power as well. Like her father had shown her, she raised the silver blade to the center of her palm and cut across her left hand. Knowing it wouldn’t be enough, she did the same thing to her right side and let the blood pool and then fall to the ground. She saw every atom of magic in her blood, focusing on it in her mind.

  She willed every bit of magic to flow from her blood and find the remnants of the grove. The power traveled to the very tips of the roots, teasing them and begging them to come back to life. The power nipped at them, and the magic evolved into its own sentient being. As more blood dripped down her skin and into the ground, she felt the power grow stronger.

  After a few minutes, she could feel life in the earth once more. It wasn’t much, barely a spark but it was enough to fan the flame of creation. Tears streaming down her face, she raised the blade to her left arm and pierced the skin over and over again, feeling the blood stream down her arm. Draining herself of magic, feeding it into the ground. Hungrily, the earth sucked at her power like that of a newborn feeding from its mother and she let it take everything that it wanted. For every bit of magic that was drained from her, the key offered her a reprieve. It filled her with power that she didn’t think was possible.

  Time continued to pass, and she could feel life emerging from the very bottoms of the earth. It was slowly inching its way through the earth and rising up to the sky. Mykah was stunned at the way she was able to feed her power into the decimated remains of the grove. Bringing a recently depleted tree back was one thing, but she was successfully bringing back the elder grove. If she weren’t so caught up in keeping the magic flowing, she would jump up and down with giddiness.

  She couldn’t see a change above the surface yet, but she knew that it would be coming. The core of their power needed to be strong, soaked in magic and ready to keep a dozen magical trees filled with life. The roots were intricate, an endless maze of connections and lines drawn through the earth, making themselves durable before they sought the sunlight. It was beautiful, and she was glad that she had her power so that she could see what was happening.

  The power spread, as well. It didn’t stay confined to the roots of the trees. Mykah could feel the grass seedlings taking root and then passing the magic along to the rest. It was one long chain, starting with her power feeding the entire area. Even as she could feel herself pulling on the key more and more, there was still plenty left to give. The blood stopped flowing freely from the cuts, but it was enough. The magic she had already spilled, letting it flow from her body, would be enough. She had faith. She was starting to understand the way her magic worked, how it drew itself from the control she had over herself. The fact that she was learning to control her emotions now, when she never could before, spoke volumes about the amount of power Mykah could wield if she had more training. In the moments that she waited for the trees to sprout their first shoots from the earth, she knew that if she survived she would use her magic more and more. She would study everything that she could and learn what she was able to. Mykah was determined to grow more comfortable with who she was destined to be.

  The ground shifted under her feet, she felt the strength of the trees coming together to rise through the earth. They weren’t quite ready though. She could also feel insects shifting their way through the dirt to return to the dead land; worms moved through passageways to filter back into the ground among the roots, helping to keep the trees healthy. So much energy, so much love went into the care of the grove that Mykah was awestruck.

  She saw the grass changing color, no longer black. It had taken on a brownish tint like it was reversing the death that had overcome it all those years ago. She could feel tears streaking down her face as the power continued to grow and shift. Changing to fit the needs of the grove, the magic in the air around her was charged. Moisture, filtering through the air to feed the trees, fell against her skin, kissing it in thanks.

  A smile on her face, Mykah hadn’t been exposed to so much harmony in all of her years. Kneeling down and letting the dagger fall, she touched both hands to the earth. As the tears stopped falling, the curve of her lips never faded. She knew that if Jessica were looking at her, she would understand. There was so much beauty in the work that was happening around her. The earth was moving, nurturing, and encouraging the roots to take hold and grow stronger than they had ever been before. The insects that had returned to the grove were already filtering the nitrates that were their food.

  It happened without warning. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for the seconds to pass, and she wasn’t disappointed. They sprouted. Mykah couldn’t count the number of tree saplings that had erupted from the earth. She did know that there were more, so much more than had previously been there. The power she felt leaving her body had given life to dozens of the elder tree’s offspring. When each of these trees reached their full–size, a wellspring of fae power would exist. The dark fae realm would never have to worry about the destruction of their magic.

  The saplings, so small initially, would continue to grow. They would reach for the skies, and would inevitably become larger than anything that had been seen before. Mykah could hear Jessica’s shouts of encouragement in the background. Noise, without any meaning, because all Mykah cared about were the trees. She touched them, each of them, managing to send a silent thanks to the powers above that they were healthy. None of the sprouts were withering, they weren’t dying. She wouldn’t let them. In the very apex of their power, she waited for the trees to consume as much sustenance as they needed to thrive.

  It didn’t take long for the trees to mature. It seemed like they were going to shoot up in one big rush, but that’s not what happened. In the beginning, they crept up a centimeter at a time, until they were four inches tall. They sprouted one tiny green leaf, and then another. After a few minutes of nothing, they started to rise into the air again. This time, they stopped at an inch or so of growth, and she could feel their stems growing thicker.

  Laughing, she got up from the ground and started to dance her way through the trees. With her arms spread at her sides, she twirled through the sprouting trees, careful not to tread on any of them. “We did it,” she said to herself. Celebrating with her friends didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Of course, she wouldn’t leave the grove until the sproutlings had gro
wn enough to survive on their own but she could feel the flux of power in the air. They weren’t pulling on her magic anymore. Instead, they were creating their own. With every breath the trees took, they fed power back into the air around them. Mykah felt rejuvenated just by standing in their presence. There was no other word for it–bliss. She felt bliss being in the grove. This was the power that the elder grove possessed. This was the fountain of magic that she had been taught about growing up.

  She did it. She finished what her father had started before his death. She restored the elder grove. With a smile, she turned to leave the grove.

  A musical voice tittered through the air, “Don’t go, sweet girl.”

  Sprites. In the grove. Even though she knew that they weren’t trying to kill her father, but help him, Mykah still felt her skin grow clammy.

  “You’ve restored it. You’ve done what no one thought possible. We had given up on the power of your people. You’ve done it, princess. We thank you.”

  Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, so without turning to face them, Mykah nodded. Remaining silent, she went to take a step but felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “Don’t go. We must warn you. The power of the elder grove has spread through the realm. Everything has been touched. You must protect the children before they fall.” Then the silver dagger she had dropped was pressed into her hand, and the sprite was gone.

  Knowing that she had to move, Mykah fled toward Jessica who was still standing on the hill overlooking the grove. When a sprite took the time to warn you of danger, Mykah knew that she had better listen.

  “You did it! You saved the grove.” Jessica was running down the slope and throwing herself onto Mykah’s much shorter frame before she knew it.

  “Go,” she wheezed. “The sprites said the children are in danger.” Pushing Jessica when she didn’t move off her fast enough, she ran to the top of the hill and looked around.

  She couldn’t see any children, not one. Which was strange. She could, however, feel something pulling at her, leading her towards the castle. It wasn’t until she was standing outside the gardens, Jessica on her heels that she realized what was happening. By the time they arrived, it was too late.

  One moment there was nothing but silence, and the next horrendous screams rent the air. Parents stood on the outskirts of the garden and called for their loved ones. All of them, the fae children, were in the gardens. Confused looks on their faces, many started crying. Hundreds of them, looking to their parents for help. None of the adults took a step to help.

  “What is wrong with you?” Mykah cried and moved into the gardens, determined to save any that she could.

  “No! Mykah come back.” Jessica was reaching for her, but Mykah pulled away from her touch.

  “These are our children!” She knew that she was screaming, but she just didn’t care. “Come help me,” she pleaded with the fae around the edges to help get the children to safety, but none of them moved.

  “What is wrong?” She asked the garden. “What do you want?” She knew though, what it wanted, what it demanded for sustenance.

  The children. The garden wanted the children. One by one, they laid to the ground. They were dressed for play, like they had stopped their fun for a nap. Fae children were rare, meant to be protected, and the garden wanted their life force. It was going to feed off the very future of the dark fae, and nothing was stopping it.

  Dolls, they reminded Mykah of dolls. Some of the stronger ones, the older ones; they were the last to lay their heads down. Even as they did so, they were crying. They knew what was happening to them, that they were dying. One by one they stopped breathing. Their eyes stared blankly at her. They emptied of light, faded into nothing. Turning in every direction, she tried to move but couldn’t. The roses, they were spreading. Touching all of the small and precious faces, breathing poison into the hearts of the last that were left alive.

  These children would never play again. They would never grow up. They would never know the love of another. They would never feel the joy of having their own children. They would never live. Mykah turned to look at the older fae. The parents were screaming and pounding on the invisible barrier, but they made no noise. Jessica was crying, and she could see that her sister’s eyes had changed to pure silver. She knew that the fae queen had no control over the spirit magic that was coursing through her, and still there was nothing to be done.

  Looking down at the blade in her hand, Mykah knew what she had to do. With her eyes closed, she managed to say it aloud. “I know what you want, more than the children.” At least she hoped she did. “I offer myself. The last princess of the Malice Court. You seek the power from our children, but I offer you my future and the magic coursing through my veins.” As she spoke, she started to cut.

  She ran the blade across her skin, once for every child that was lying in the gardens. She couldn’t bear to open her eyes and look at them. She couldn’t look at the fae trapped by the barrier. She wouldn’t get to grasp the looks on any of their faces. She couldn’t see anything because she kept her eyes closed. She didn’t need anything distracting her from her purpose. She felt the power flowing from her body, and the pain from every small cut that she lined her skin with. The blood poured out of hundreds of cuts on all over her arms and legs, and even her face. She cut every spot that she could reach until there was no more strength flowing through her body. The blade fell from her hands, and she heard the splat of it hitting her blood in the grass.

  Mykah had no idea what she was doing. She didn’t know how to bring a person back to life, but she knew that’s what she had to figure out. The fate of her entire realm depended on it, they couldn’t lose the children. She reached into her heart, into her very soul to find the answers she was looking for. The blood touched the soil with a soft sound, and she knew that the garden was absorbing it. She didn’t know how to turn her blood into life, all she had ever been able to do was wield it as a weapon. What happened in the grove had only been her offering her blood as a replacement for what had been lost. Here, the only thing she could do was fight. So, she did. She attacked the garden with a ferocity that she hadn’t felt in years. That was the power she had, after all. It was familiar to her, like an old friend welcoming her home.

  Squeezing her fists and watching some of her blood light on fire, she screamed into the air, “You know who I am!” She tilted her head back and continued, “You know my power. Release our children, or I will destroy everything. I will burn this castle to the ground and walk away with a smile on my face and not think twice.” Her voice cracked, but Mykah couldn’t stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. “I was willing to give up my entire life for the future of our people. Do not for a second think that I can’t destroy you. It only took a second to destroy the elder grove, and you are nothing compared to that power.” She knew, at that moment, that it wasn’t an empty threat. She would destroy everything if the future of their race was endangered. The dark fae fed off war, after all. Her power would only grow with every passing second that she fought the garden’s influence.

  The blood, her blood, flowed freely onto the ground and touched the children. She had opened her eyes at some point and knew what she had to do. Moving through them, unafraid of the roses. Not caring if the garden chose to attack her instead, she touched them all. Letting her blood reach every one of them. It wasn’t until she was done; until every single child had her blood on them that she saw some of their eyes open.

  Sobbing in relief, she hugged the nearest child to her chest and cried. She cried for the future of their realm, and she cried because she knew that the price of her magic had yet to be paid. With a sad smile, she turned back to face her sister. But there was a door obstructing her path.

  Black, and curved at the top. It was older than anything she’d ever seen. The key around her neck began to throb. It pulled at her, leading her to the door. Taking it from around her neck, she saw that there was a hole in the center of the door, an intricat
ely placed decoration that had been carved into the wood. Holding the key in her hand, she pushed it through the keyhole and tried to turn it like she would one of its modern counterparts. It didn’t budge. Instead, it hummed with power, thrumming in a rhythmic beat along with the key that was now stuck inside it.

  Pulling as hard as she could, she couldn’t get the key loose. As soon as she released it, the door lit up from within, swinging open on itself. Knowing that it was a mistake and that she should be running in the opposite direction, Mykah walked through the door looking over her shoulder as she went. As the door swung shut behind her, tears fell from her eyes. Tyler was there. Watching as she left him, again.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Mykah was alone. In the darkness. There was nothing there for her to hold onto. There was no ray of sunlight, or branch that she could reach out and grasp. There was silence in every direction. Even when she opened her mouth to scream, no sound met her ears. She tried to reach behind her, but the door was gone. Instinctively, she reached to her neck and was relieved to feel the key hanging in its now familiar spot and laying gently against her chest.

  What could she do? What options did she have? She tried taking a step, but she didn’t know if she actually moved or not. There was no sign of life or existence. She had no idea how long she was there, motionless. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. She felt nothing. There was no hunger, no need to sleep, and no pain. Time stood still. Screaming in frustration, she wanted to feel something. She wanted to hear anything. She wanted to see the light.

  Doing the only thing she could think of, she prayed. Mykah prayed to the mother of all to save her. To bring her peace in a strange and horrifying place. Right when she was sure that she would eventually fade into the nothingness around her, she saw a light in the distance.

  A light! Something to move towards. She pushed towards it, unsure if her body was running to it, or if it was coming to her. It didn’t matter though. There was a light. There was something in this place. This would be the first step. Once she reached the light, she could work on finding the door and getting home.