Force of Nature

by Shawna Logue

I tried to believe his reassurances, but I couldn’t. Even without knowing the outcome, I would have been able to hear the pessimism he hid in his voice. I forced myself to nod at his words, swallowing the lump in my throat. He knew we were outmatched.

  We stayed silent in each other’s arms until the last possible moment. Every few minutes he would kiss me lightly on the top of my head, almost to make sure I was still there. After each kiss I would squeeze him closer in response. There was so much unspoken emotion between us; it felt more intimate than we had ever been together.

  Finally, Dermot’s knock forced us to get up. “Oy! Alex, I brought you some clothes from Mobius. Unless you want to wear your jim-jams?”

  “I’m pretty sure she wasn’t planning to go fight an evil Elven princess in flannel, astronaut pajamas,” Connor called sarcastically.

  I groaned, wishing I had worn something a little less childish for my last night with Connor. Trust him to notice.

  I was such a mental zombie that I got dressed right in front of him. Even when he stayed at my place, I always made sure he had left the room before changing. It was completely irrational, he had argued, considering he had seen me naked enough times. I still felt self-conscious anyway.

  Today, there was no reason to be shy, something I knew Connor picked up on as I pulled up my faded jeans. He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Besides, I was so far away on Planet Alex, I wouldn’t have noticed if he spoke.

  The mood was dim all morning. Even the usually lighthearted Dermot was quiet. By the time we got back to Mobius, it had been almost an hour of silence.

  Jack did not seem surprised when I exited the elevator with Connor and Dermot. Either he truly had moved on, and or was ignoring the implication entirely. Either way, I was grateful.

  It took every bit of strength to keep it together when I hugged Maria. If I lost control now, I knew I wouldn’t be able to regain my composure.

  “You don’t know how much this means to me,” Maria choked. Well, at least I kept it together.

  “And to me,” Justin said quietly but firmly. “You don’t know how badly I want to help.”

  Jack hugged his brother, who winced as his arm compressed between them. “Don’t worry,” Jack insisted, “We got this.” I was pretty sure everyone could sense his apprehension, but no one mentioned it.

  After everyone said there half-hearted goodbyes, the four of us were back in the elevator.

  “The basement?” I asked as Connor pressed the button.

  “We need you to charge up Jack first, then yourself, and the force line in the arena is the strongest one around,” he replied matter-of-factly.

  “What about you?”

  “I’m good. I have been accumulating all day. It’ll be easier for Jack if you transfer as much arcane magic into him that you can. Once he uses that up he shouldn’t have a problem absorbing Elven magic from the forest, at least until you can transfer the rest of the arcane magic to me.”

  “You lost me there. What’s the plan, exactly?”

  Jack sighed. “Connor and I will both be using arcane magic against Lahela at the start. You will be saturated with that kind of energy as well. As arcane energy is more effective to Connor than me, you need to focus on transferring everything you can to him, until you can refill from the ley lines in the forest. Once you do that, you should be able to transfer that magic to me.”

  “Once I use up the last of the arcane magic,” Connor continued, “we will both be on Elven energy. I will be your focus, because I can’t readily access it. Help Jack when you can, but he should be able to sustain himself if you can’t get to him.”

  All three men cringed slightly at the thought.

  “And Dermot?”

  “I’m on me own,” he winked, and I could see a slight twinkle return to his eye. He was getting excited, I thought. No matter what the odds were, Dermot loved a chance to be in his element.

  Once everyone was ready, though I was sure I would never be, we drove to the nearest park. Both Dermot and Jack had an easier time phasing when surrounded by nature. As I watched the two disappear in blinks, I dropped my hand from Connor’s before he could follow.

  “What is it?” he asked, shocked. “We don’t have time-”

  I turned to him. “Do you remember what you promised me yesterday?”

  He looked confused. “Alex, we have to-”

  I was too determined to let him speak. “You promised me you would stay focused.” He nodded slowly, unsure of where I was going with this. “Except you didn’t promise. You said you’d try. I need you to promise.”

  “I’m not sure-”

  “I’m not leaving with you until you promise.”

  He stared at me, clearly battling reason in his mind. Finally, defeated, he exhaled, “I promise.”

  Satisfied, I practically leaped up to him to kiss him with more pressure than was necessary. He wouldn’t know this was our last kiss, but I was determined to make it count. He was hesitant at first, but after a moment, he kissed back, though I am sure he read my ferocity for the wrong reasons.

  “Ahem,” I heard a cough from behind me.

  Connor snickered lightly under my lips. We were standing by the cliff, near where the castle would be if I could see it. Connor had teleported us while I was, well, preoccupied with his lips. I dropped my arms from around his neck as I felt my face radiate with embarrassment. Dermot was howling with laughter. I didn’t dare look at Jack.

  “She’s waiting for us,” Jack whispered after Dermot calmed down.

  “Damn,” Connor cursed. “I was hoping we could draw her out.”

  “How did she know we were coming?” I asked.

  No one responded. They all were stiff, tensed for the fight.

  “So we just walk right in?” Dermot asked.

  Jack’s responding nod was barely noticeable, but it was enough for all of us to start walking forward. Connor squeezed my hand reassuringly.

  I wanted more time. I wasn’t ready to die. I needed Connor. And Dermot. And magic. And Maria. This was for her, I reminded myself. If she died, and I hadn’t done everything I could to save her, I would never be able to live with myself. This was how it had to go.

  I didn’t realize we had stopped until I bumped into Dermot. This part of the forest was unfamiliar to me. We were in a clearing, framed by six old-growth Douglas fir trees, so tall that the entire clearing was in an unusually dark shadow. I zipped up my hoodie as I felt the chill.

  Jack said something low and quiet, in what I assumed was Elvish. It probably translated to something along the lines of “Show yourself” because a moment later, Lahela stepped out from behind one of the massive trees. After a moment of mental confusion, I realized that no, she actually stepped out from the tree itself.

  Her cackle was more terrifying than it had been in my nightmare. It sent fiery shudders down my spine. She looked positively wicked. Even though Jack was in front of me, and I couldn’t see his face, I could tell he was having a hard time facing his sister.

  “I expected Justin to be here, not you.” she hissed at him. “You chose the human?” Her voice growled with intensity.

  “I chose family,” he responded in an equally hostile tone, “Something you clearly know nothing of.”

  She laughed chaotically. “And these vagrants? You think they will help you? They have no power here!”

  I heard Dermot chuckle quietly under his breath. Of all of us, he had the most power here.

  “We want you to stand down, sister,” Jack said sternly.

  Again, she laughed. “If Justin dumps that wench he calls a fiancé, I will gladly stop. But I will not allow him to marry her! I will not be chained to this miserable existence any longer!” Her voiced shrieked so shrilly I struggled to not cover my ears. I didn’t want to show weakness.

  “Then we will have to stop you.”

  “I have more power here than you could possible imagine, foolish little Jack!” To demonstrate, she reached behind her t
o the tree she had stepped from. The second her fingertips graced the mottled bark, the entire tree turned to sawdust. Her fingertips crackled with power as the fragrant, wooden powder blew gently through the clearing.

  Jack cringed as the life of the tree was extinguished. He turned to me quickly, gritting “Get behind a tree.” I couldn’t argue with his tone, ducking behind the giant fir. I heard the first burst of magic less than a second later.

  My tree shook as something hot smashed into the opposite side of it. I peeked out and saw a green flame licking the bark. I made note of Connor’s position and dashed to hide myself as close to him as I could. The spells he used were unlike anything I had witnessed, even when we fought Casper and his army.

  The air was charged with magic. Jack and Connor’s offense was formidable, but Lahela seemed to dance around their spells. Dermot seemed more effective against her. He moved too quickly for her to dodge, and I watched with a perverse glee as he threw hew against a tree.

  The tree however, seemed to cushion her, supporting her weight as she regained her footing. Of course the forest would be on her side, even if she destroyed it in the process. The tree that had supported her was quickly turned to dust as she stole its energy.

  “Alex!” Connor shouted. “Now!”

  I jumped out from my hiding spot and saw Connor on one knee, one hand outstretched behind him for me, while another held a light blue translucent wall between him and Lahela. Rocks, branches and other debris bounced easily off his shield, but I could see his arm react with the force of each object.

  I grabbed his hand and pushed my stores of energy out in one quick burst. It was easier to control the flow now that I knew what I was doing. It probably helped that I was motivated to be quicker by the fierce woman attacking us.

  I rolled back behind the tree and began yanking on the Elven ley lines strewn nearby. It took longer than I had expected, I guess because Lahela was probably controlling as much magic as she could. After about a minute, I could taste the disgusting honey-and-dirt taste, and a few seconds later, Jack called for me.

  When I darted out from the tree, it took me a moment to find him. When I finally saw him, my mouth fell open in shock. Lahela was holding her hand out, nearly 10 feet away, but it was clear that some magical extension of her hand was what held Jack pressed against a tree. His feet weren’t touching the ground, and he was choking.

  I raced to him, stumbling once over a root, but managing to stay upright. As the energy transferred between us, he spoke something Elvish and crashed to the ground. If I hadn’t been holding his hands, he probably would have crumpled into a heap, but I held him up, never breaking the flow of energy. After a moment, he nodded, and I let go.

  I turned back in time to see Connor release a ball of energy so powerful I felt a ripple crackle through the air, pushing me back slightly. It hit Lahela hard, sending her flying past me. She landed, stunned, two feet from my position. I briefly caught Connor’s frightened face as he saw where his spell had placed her. I shot him a fierce glance, hopefully reminding him of his promise, then turned to run out of the clearing.

  “You!” Lahela shrieked as I felt her hand clasp around my ankle. “How are you doing this? How are you helping them?” Her grip was tight, and her nails etched into my skin.

  I wasn’t strong enough to pull her hand free, so I turned to face her. Her eyes were black, and her face was a sallow grey. Her hair crackled with escaping energy, and I could see she had too much in her. She was getting up, and I had no time to think. I was between her and the spell casters; there was nothing they could do to her with me in the way.

  Her hand released my ankle as she finally brought herself to face me. Instinctively, I did the only thing I could: I brought my arm back behind me and let it fly. At first I thought the resounding crack was my own hand, but I soon realized it was her face breaking under the force of my punch. I didn’t wait for her to recover, dashing across the clearing and finding cover. I briefly caught Connor’s smile before he let another spell off.

  I had barely refilled with energy again when I heard Connor. He was close enough that I merely had to step out from my tree cover to find his hand. Unfortunately, this action was enough for her to see me.

  At that moment, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I saw Lahela glance towards me, then to Connor, and back to me. The look of recognition in her face as she finally comprehended what it was I was doing was enough to make anyone tremble. She shrieked with a new ferocity. It was enough to make me realize that without me, this battle would have been over a long time ago.

  Unfortunately, she realized this too. Just as I forced the last bit of energy out of me, I felt a sharp, searing sting as electrical current charged through my body. The hair on my arms stood on end as I jolted erratically. Connor shouted something I couldn’t make out, and the electrocution stopped.

  I had barely stood up and refocused before I saw her again, and this time, I felt the déjà vu as I recognized the scene from Morgan’s journal. Her eyes were glazed over, and she had both arms stretched wide beside her. Just as I heard someone shout, “Run, Alex!” I saw what she was doing.

  Hundreds, if not thousands, of rope-like branches and vines were spewing forth from the trees, all headed directly for me. She was eliminating me from the fight, and I was defenseless to stop her. Instinctively, I ran, too disoriented to know where I was headed.

  A few branches snapped at my back, but for the most part, I was able to stay ahead of them.

  I’m not sure how long I ran for, but I started to feel adrenaline give way to exhaustion. I pushed, harder and harder, until I saw that I was running to the cliff. This was it. This was Morgan’s vision. Tears poured down my face uncontrollably.

  I had known this was going to happen. So why was I still so unprepared? The vines licked at my heels as I struggled to push myself farther from them, and yet closer to death. As the myriad of thoughts raced through my brain, I started to wonder if I should let the vines get me, but wouldn’t that be more painful? I wanted to stop, but my physical self was only aware of the danger of the violent rustling chasing me and in response pushed me closer to the cliff.

  No! I screamed to myself, trying to will my legs to stop running. I don’t want to die! I can’t die! Screw the vision! I will live! I’ll fight off these stupid things!

  I pulled at the Elven energy I knew enveloped the invisible castle, and it filled my body quickly. I didn’t care as I swallowed the disgusting taste. I was still running. I needed to stop.

  I finally gained control of my limbs, and stopped running. I tried to turn, to face the creepy, possessed forest, but I couldn’t find support below my feet to turn around. I was falling. But this felt different than I had imagined it.

  I hadn’t fallen off the cliff, like I had been telling myself would happen. I had jumped. No, I had leaped. My body had flown horizontally for just long enough to clear the rock face before gravity kicked in, sucking me fast toward the earth.

  I managed to twist my body in a vain effort to try to climb the air that whizzed past my. My feet kicked uncontrollably as I tried again and again to leap against gravity. A second later, I felt the icy sting as my body jackknifed into the deep pool below the waterfall.

  The initial shock of hitting the water quickly gave way to excruciating cold. The frigid water tore at my eyes and fingertips. As I sank deeper into the dark blackness, twisting and turning in strange unnatural ways, my mind screamed at me to pull it together.

  I was fighting to live, but I was too heavy, and gravity no longer existed. I couldn’t tell which way was up. No light penetrated the dark water, and my lungs were starting to pinch as I ran out of air. My body writhed and twisted as I fought to swim, but again, I was too heavy. My arms felt bulky. Somehow, I managed to remember my hoodie, and my frozen fingers barely had enough strength to pull the zipper and tear it off me. Instantly, I felt lighter, but my feet still dragged me down. I kicked off my sneakers, aware now of where the surfa
ce was because I was falling away from it.

  I saw the bubbles as the last bit of air involuntarily escaped my lungs, confirming which way I needed to go. Summoning the last bit of strength I could, I pushed against the water to reach the surface.

  Some of the magic left in me responded, and I was aware of a strong force jetting out of me, propelling me faster than I could swim. My lungs gasped as I sucked in a large breath of air as my face broke the waves. It took me another moment to get my bearings, but I was able to make out a flat rock to one side of the pool, big enough for me to climb up onto.

  I was weak, and the swim took me longer than it should have. Hoisting myself up to the rock was just as difficult. My socks squeaked as tried to stand, so I pulled them off. I was dripping wet, and shivering from cold, but at the same time, defiant.

  I had outsmarted Morgan’s vision. I had won. I had survived.

  But another thought brought me up short. What about the others? How had they fared against Lahela? I had to find them, but how was I to get out of this canyon?

  My eyes searched in vain for a rope, or even for footholds in the rock. Just as I was about to give up, I saw something better: stairs.

  Carved out of the side of the canyon, too consistent not to be manmade, were several hundred shallow steps. They wound around the canyon wall, eventually ducking behind the waterfall before coming out the other side.

  Without hesitation, and ignoring every protest my body made, I started climbing.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The stairs were steep, uneven, and each one was a slightly different width. I stumbled many times as I fought the urge to stop climbing. By the time I had snaked around to the waterfall, my wet jeans were torn at the knees and stained with blood from deep gouges the rock had cut into my shins from each stumble. Despite feeling frozen from the icy water, my feet burned with pain each step.

  I was almost halfway up when I reached the waterfall. I had been wondering how I would get around it, but once I got close I could see that behind the waterfall there was a long and flat ledge jutting out of the rock. The ledge created an umbrella from the pulverizing force of the water. A constant low roar echoed through the small alcove, accompanied by a steady dripping at the edge and an overall misty atmosphere. Though it was noticeably darker here, light sparkled on every wet, reflective surface.