Wilde Magic

by K M Charron

  "You want to play, huh?" Sydney whispered, tightening her thighs around Willow. Ainsley looked every bit the amateur. She hadn’t even had the sense to secure her hair in a ponytail beneath her helmet. As for riding, the girl bounced around in the saddle with as much grace as a sack of potatoes.

  Ainsley kicked Phoenix again. Too hard. The horse neighed and took off at a canter. "Leave me alone, Sydney!" she called behind her.

  Sydney was finished playing. She gained on Ainsley in seconds, Willow following tight behind Phoenix’s tail. She could see Ainsley’s rigid body hunched over, her grip tight, face flushed.

  "I said, leave me alone!"

  She gave another kick, dropping the left rein in the process. To Syd’s horror, Phoenix took his cue and opened his stride into a full gallop, bolting into the bush with a screaming Ainsley on his back.

  Syd gasped, pulling back on Willow as she watched the spooked beast tear off the path and through the trees. Ainsley had no idea what she was doing. Sydney’s stomach dropped with the weight of a dozen bricks. She’d wanted to mess with the girl, scare her, not get her thrown off and killed.

  Chasing after them, Sydney racked her panicked brain for some spell to stop, or even slow, Phoenix. A shrill scream echoed through the forest. They’d learned one a few months back. "Detén o movement!" she screamed. The pulse of energy started in her fingertips, but before she could cast it, Ainsley had ridden out of range.

  "Help!” ricocheted between the pines.

  Syd heard but could barely see the pair through the thick underbrush. Sydney knew there were divots, fox holes, and uneven ground hidden by the overgrowth that could trip a horse. There was a reason they weren’t allowed to ride off-trail. She’d have to risk it. She worked Willow faster, and they flew through the trees.

  In the distance, she saw Ainsley holding on for dear life. "I’m coming. Pull back on the reins," she shouted, cursing herself.

  All she could picture was the raging face of Headmistress Chambers and the fury of the Elders for risking the school and the coven to exposure, and for killing a middling on school grounds, of course. Syd knew how Chambers felt about bad press, not to mention her mother’s reaction to being involved in any sort of scandal. Her punishment, by witches of their caliber, was more than she could bear to imagine.

  She made Ainsley out through a space in the trees. She was barely clinging to a bucking Phoenix. She was going to be thrown.

  A piercing shriek filled the air, and Sydney commanded Willow to plunge through the brush, praying the horse wouldn’t trip on a fallen branch. She didn’t want to be responsible for maiming her favorite horse on top of everything else. As she closed the distance, she watched in horror as Phoenix reared up, flinging Ainsley off his back. Another scream punctuated the air but then, beyond the retreating thud of hooves as Phoenix ran away, silence.

  "No!" Sydney’s heart filled her throat. "No, no, no."

  Her gaze swept the ground looking for where Ainsley should’ve landed. About 30 feet away from there, she pulled Willow to stop. There was no sign of her. Sydney's heart pounded, the thrumming deafening. Phoenix had run off, almost as though he’d understood what he’d done.

  Keeping Willow’s reins in her grip, she said, "Come on, girl. We need to find her."

  They started through the thick ferns and bushes that covered the forest floor, ducking under low and fallen branches. She proceeded carefully, watching the ground all around her.

  "Ainsley! Ainsley, where are you?" She waited, holding her breath, praying for an answer. She knew what could happen after being thrown. Broken bones were the least of the damage. “Yell if you can hear me!”

  The answering silence turned her stomach. Her throat tightened, and she forced herself to swallow. Scanning the area for any sign of movement, a wave of adrenaline and fear clouded Sydney's mind. She couldn’t look properly while holding on to Willow. "I’m going to have to leave you here for a few minutes, okay girl?" She tied the reins around the trunk of a fir tree. Willow’s big, brown eyes were nervous, the whites showing.

  Making her way through the ferns, she called out again. "Ainsley, answer me right now!" She attempted to calm her mind before putting her palms out. The swirl of magic fluttered beneath her skin as she tried to feel where Ainsley could be.

  This had better not be some sick joke to get back at me. Otherwise, I really will kill her.

  Ainsley

  Chapter 21

  Ainsley fought for breath. Her chest ached and pleaded for the air that was knocked clean out of her on impact. She tried to remain calm, fighting to get a small bit of oxygen back into her lungs. Gasping, she finally sucked in some much-needed air, the black dots receding from her vision. She hadn’t just been thrown from Phoenix. She’d also rolled into a deep hole, though she wasn’t sure how far down she’d tumbled.

  Taking stock of herself, she lay motionless, afraid to move her arms and legs. Clenching her eyes tight as if wincing ahead of the pain, she moved her limbs—legs first, then arms. Nothing seemed broken. Next challenge: standing. Rolling onto her side, she pushed herself into a seated position. Her head swam, a rush of dizziness hitting her. Steadying herself, she remained still until her focus settled.

  You’re okay. You’re okay.

  Thank God she didn’t break her neck. She was grateful for her riding helmet. Without it, she might not remember her own name. Her back was stiff and sore, but she was able to get up.

  Ainsley surveyed the space. What the hell? Tall, straight dirt walls surrounded her, as if she’d been dropped down into an earthen box. Her eyes moved up and met a canopy of treetops, the sunlight forcing its way past cracks in the branches. She scrutinized the length of the walls. They had to be around six or seven feet.

  Sydney’s voice rang out in the distance, pulling her back to what had happened.

  Heat rose inside her. This situation was Sydney’s fault. Is this what she’d wanted when she’d chased her? If so, why call to her now? To finish her off?

  “Ainsley! Ainsley, where are you?"

  If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought Sydney sounded worried.

  “Yell if you can hear me!”

  She had half a mind to stay silent and make her really worry, but then she risked being left in this hole for who knows how long. She wasn’t sure her climbing skills would get her out, especially after the tumble she’d just taken.

  “Ainsley, answer me right now!”

  Drawing in a breath that made her ribs ache, Ainsley cried, "I’m down here!"

  "Down where? I don’t see you!"

  Her voice grew closer. "I fell down some hole."

  "I don’t see any holes. Keep talking."

  She scanned the ground for anything she could use to get Sydney’s attention and noticed a few fist-sized rocks. "I’m going to toss some rocks out, just follow them!"

  "Okay!"

  Ainsley tossed one, two, then a third one up and out.

  "I see them!” Sydney sounded one part excited and one part relieved. "I’m coming!”

  Ainsley watched the space above her head. Seconds later, Sydney’s face peered down at her.

  "Oh my God, are you all right?" Sydney looked genuinely concerned, which almost rendered Ainsley speechless.

  "I’m a little bruised, but yeah, I’m okay.” And then her rage exploded. “No thanks to you, you psycho! What the hell were you thinking? I’m not sure why you hate me so much that you want to see me die!" Ainsley paused, biting her tongue. Maybe she should refrain from yelling and name-calling until she’d been helped out.

  "I didn’t try to kill you. It’s not my fault you’re a shitty rider."

  Her fists clenched at her sides. Perhaps she would rather sleep in the hole overnight than deal with this crazy bitch.

  "Are you going to leave me in here or help me climb out?" Ainsley despised even asking the question. She wanted nothing from this girl. Not even her help. But she knew that this was ninety-five percent pride and anger talking.
The fear of being trapped would kick in soon if she didn’t get out.

  "You make it tempting—"

  "Screw you, Sydney! This is all your fault. Wait until the headmistress finds out about this!"

  Sydney tensed for half a second. "Just relax, I’m going to help you, just let me think."

  "Don’t take your sweet time doing it," Ainsley snapped.

  "Look and you will see,” a deep voice whispered.

  Ainsley spun around. The voice wasn’t Sydney’s. Ainsley froze, her skin feeling as though someone had just dropped ice water over her. She’d heard something like it before in the creepy abandoned hallway inside Ashcroft.

  "Look beyond the shadows," it coaxed.

  Her stomach rolled in on itself, her chest squeezed. She couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. She turned in circles looking for anything to explain the whispering. That’s when she saw an intricately woven rope and twine panel tied to the far wall.

  "What are you doing?" Sydney called down. “Did you hit your head?”

  Despite her tender ankle and muscle soreness, she walked over to it. Hidden behind was a doorway not much taller than she, with straight sides and a slightly rounded archway at the top. Different colors and textures of rope were knotted together and strapped over the opening in a remarkable design. It was a woven masterpiece.

  "Can you climb out?" Sydney called down.

  Ainsley lifted her hand, running it lightly over the strands.

  "Hello! Answer me," Sydney shouted in a cold, harsh tone.

  Ainsley’s fingers moved along one portion of rope and then another, tracing the rough fibers. It was such a complicated pattern that she couldn’t see where it began or ended. How had something like that been constructed? Better still, why?

  "If you’re not going to answer me, then I’m coming down."

  A humming began around Ainsley. A chorus of voices filled her ears, head, and body, vibrating through her as though the ground itself was shaking. She reached her arms out for balance, although her eyes couldn’t detect any actual movement.

  "What the hell is that?"

  Ainsley gasped, turning to see Sydney behind her.

  "You scared the hell out of me," Ainsley barked.

  “Yeah, well, you scared me when you stopped answering."

  Sydney crossed her arms, head tilted, eyes-rolling. "I yelled for you on my way over, but you never uttered a peep. I thought you had a head injury."

  "You would love that," Ainsley said without taking her eyes away from the doorway. “What was that weird humming?"

  Syd gave her a You’re-losing-it look.

  "What the hell is this place?" she asked. Better to change the subject. Ainsley didn’t need Syd telling people she was crazy, in addition to her regular material.

  Sydney walked closer, stopping in front of the interlaced entranceway. "I have no fricking idea."

  Ainsley looked to her to make sure she wasn’t lying. For all she knew, Sydney could’ve chased her and Phoenix to this very spot to trap her.

  "What is this place? It’s a secret underground room." Sydney advanced to one of the walls and ran a hand down it. "They’re smooth and straight. Someone built this."

  Ainsley read pure fascination on her face. It was clearly the first time she’d seen this too.

  "It looks like a doorway, although I have no idea who would tie it up in such a complicated way." The rope and twine ranged from straw color to deep mahogany. Some of the pieces were as thin as yarn and others as thick as sailing lines. "Someone took a lot of care to do this. What the hell is inside?" She ran her fingers over the pattern. “I wonder…”

  Sydney’s face appeared strained, creases emerging between her eyes and on her forehead. “You wonder what? Give me a break. You have no idea what this place is."

  "Like you do." Taking a few steps back, she surveyed the space. "I’ve read about stuff like this. This could be the underground liar of some twisted serial killer."

  The small hairs on the back of Ainsley's neck stood up as if a cold breeze had traipsed across her skin on a winter night. Could this place be connected to the missing girls?

  “Now I know you’re crazy."

  Looking for a handle, Ainsley noticed a dozen or so strands twisted and bound together in a large knot. She pointed to it. "That must be the entrance." Ainsley loosely fingered the rope.

  "Don’t touch it," Sydney cautioned. Her voice sounded more panicked than Ainsley had anticipated.

  "Why, you worried the Boogie Man is going to leap out and get you?" She dove toward Sydney who jumped back.

  Sydney straightened, a sober look on her face. "Seriously, we should go. Whoever made this, whatever this is, could come back at any moment, and if it belongs to a bloodthirsty serial killer like you seem to think, I’d love not to be here when he brings down his next victim."

  Ainsley reveled in Sydney’s unease. Crossing her arms, she glared at Sydney with a shit-eating grin. "I’m surprised, the all-powerful Sydney Lockwood is scared."

  While looking inside with the miserable queen bee of Ashcroft was less than ideal, her investigation was more important. Ainsley considered leaving and coming back later when she was alone, but she doubted she could find her way back. She hadn’t exactly been paying attention to the scenery as Phoenix pulled her through the forest. All she’d noticed were trees and lots of them.

  Squaring her shoulders, she reached out her hand. "I’m going to find out what’s behind door number one."

  The heavy thrumming in her ears returned.

  Barreling toward her, Sydney tried to block the ball of rope. "This isn’t a good idea."

  Ainsley ignored her and pulled at the knot, unraveling the strands, Sydney’s palm on top of hers.

  In one quick and fluid motion, the ropes covering the doorway dropped away, revealing a strange and intricate symbol on a door.

  “What. Is. That?" Ainsley asked.

  One look at Sydney revealed that she didn’t share the same awe as Ainsley.

  “What’s your problem?"

  Sydney straightened, adjusted her riding helmet, and from what Ainsley could tell, attempted to appear relaxed despite the evident worry on her face. "I don’t have a problem except being in a hole with you," she spat.

  But this was more than inconvenience; it was alarm. Sydney was scared.

  The symbol was a strange Celtic-looking knot inside what looked to be a pentagram. It looked like an occult symbol. Weren’t pentagrams satanic? Her insides vibrated. Was this cult-related? Had her dad been right? She gripped the iron knob affixed to the wood and turned it.

  Sydney sprung forward, arm jutting out to stop her. "Wait!"

  Ainsley faltered but quickly stabilized herself. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she bit back, tired of Sydney’s erratic behavior. Ainsley tried to ignore her own increased heartbeat. Sydney was just toying with her, the way she always did. Trying to spook Ainsley into leaving so she could come back later by herself.

  Sydney held firm, shoulder to shoulder, placing her hand on top of Ainsley’s to stop her from opening it. "Let’s go, we’ve been gone quite a while. Everyone’s going to wonder where we are. I don’t want to get in trouble, do you?"

  Sydney’s expression and the tentativeness in her voice almost convinced Ainsley that she was telling the truth, except Sydney couldn’t be trusted. "Leave if you want to."

  Looking past her, Ainsley scanned the dirt walls. There were enough rocks jutting out and branches hanging down that she was sure she could climb out. "I’ll be fine."

  She tried to shake Sydney’s grip from her hand, but she only gripped tighter. Fine. Turning the knob, she thrust the door forward, but it resisted as if it glued shut. Ainsley kept pushing. The door groaned and snapped before finally swinging open. The pressure in her arm and shoulder released suddenly, threatening to throw her back.

  A thick, cloudy fog rushed from the darkness on the other side of the doorway, encasing them both. Ainsley couldn’t see anythi
ng except the whitish-gray vapors that encircled her. She waved her arms in an attempt to clear it away. Bending, she coughed, her lungs spasming as she gasped to breathe.

  The fog continued to swirl around them until it finally floated above their heads. Ainsley inhaled the clear air, but her head was dizzy. She glanced up to see the cloud drift out of the hole until it was no longer visible.

  Her attention moved back to Sydney, who was unconscious on the dirt floor in front of the doorway. "Sydney!" Rushing to her side, Ainsley bent down, her fingers fumbling at the chin strap on Sydney’s helmet. She unbuckled it and pulled it off her head. "Can you hear me?"

  Ainsley had never seen anyone pass out before, but she assumed this was what it was.

  Shit. Shit.

  Leaning down, she felt light, warm breaths on her cheek. "Thank God.” Ainsley’s chest loosened slightly. "Come on, wake up. I can’t carry you out of here."

  She gently slapped Sydney’s cheek, waiting for her hand to swing up and clock her. A few seconds later, Sydney’s eyelids fluttered and then opened, revealing her striking violet eyes.

  “What, what happened?" Sydney croaked, eyes darting around.

  Ainsley let out a rush of air and fell back, a small trail of dirt kicked up with her movement. "You scared the shit out of me."

  "What happened? Did I pass out?"

  Nodding, Ainsley said, "You must’ve. I couldn’t see you through the—"

  Sydney interrupted, "I remember the fog billowing. I felt really weird, and then—" Pulling herself into a seated position, she stared ahead, transfixed.

  “You're welcome, by the way."

  Sydney’s head snapped around. "Oh my God, you better not have tried to give me CPR." She felt her head. "Where’s my helmet?"

  "As if I’d ever put my lips to yours. I took your stupid helmet off when I was making sure you were still alive. I won’t make that mistake again."

  Sydney rolled her eyes. "God, I feel awful. What the hell was that?"