"You reek." She placed the hand holding the lantern over her nose and mouth.
Taking in a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I held out my hands and smiled. "I think I smell all right.”
Claire rolled her eyes. "You're a freak, but I'm glad you're a freak who’s still alive."
I laughed, thankful that Claire was back to her old self. "I’m glad you’re okay, too. I was worried there for a moment." I thought back to Claire turning into Lyle, both being simultaneously tormented by Ophidian. I needed to get to the final Choice and end his control over them both.
"You were worried about the cannibals? Yeah, I would be a little worried, too. Especially if I had decided to marinate myself for them," Claire scoffed, turning toward the orange door with the pig key in hand.
I shuddered at the thought of there being both those monsters and the siti behind one door. "What were those things?"
"They're called phagos. Another of Ophidian's disfigured creatures. While the siti feast on life, the phagos feast on you."
Another shudder ran down my spine, forcing me to physically wriggle it out. Claire let out a loud laugh at my response.
"Don't worry, Addie," she said as she turned back to the door. "I would patch you back up if they took a bite out of you."
"Speaking of which," I murmured, causing her to whip her head around. I gave her a weak smile as I motioned down to my bleeding ankle. The phagos had torn straight through her pants and my boot.
Sighing, Claire turned back around and placed the key in the lock. "Let's get out of here before we heal your foot." The lock clicked, and the door opened wide.
I smiled and followed her through the doorway, knowing that if anything else, somehow I had made a friend in the shadows.
But my smile soon faded as I saw what lurked behind the orange door. Tall trees of all widths wrapped around one another, creating the archway I had known for many years. I froze in place, my heart beating so softly, I thought it had died.
"Addie," Claire said, shining the lantern back at me. "What are you doing? Come on, you only have two doors left."
I swallowed and nodded. She was right. Lyle was dying, and I needed to keep going. Even if Schism was waiting to finish me off on the other side, even if Ophidian was ready to steal my heart, I couldn't give up now. Taking a breath, I walked across the threshold of the orange door and into the nightmare that had become my reality.
Chapter 27
The path beneath the archway was soft with brown soil, as if it had just been lain, waiting for our arrival. No foliage grew along the path except for the arched trees lining the perimeter. A dark, murky fog coated the air, obstructing our view, so we couldn't see farther than a few feet ahead.
Not wanting to wait any longer, Claire barreled through the doorway. I swallowed the fear accumulating in my stomach and followed, holding onto the sword so tightly, my fingers were sore. I tensed, waiting to hear the screams I had heard for so many years in my nightmare.
Claire cleared her throat and stopped abruptly. I jumped about a mile high, shrieking. My nerves had been on edge since we entered my nightmare. I was ready for Schism to pop out from behind any tree and take me to Ophidian.
Spinning around, Claire held the lantern inches from my face.
"What's the matter with you, Addie?" she asked as she pulled out the bottle holding the green salve. "The last time you were like this was when we were back at my place five Choices ago." She motioned for me to sit before she spread the healing salve on my ankle. "I was hopeful when I saw that you weren't doing that hand thing anymore. What's going on?" She held the lantern by my face.
Squinting, I pushed the light away. I couldn’t confess to Claire how my nightmare had tormented me. I couldn’t let her see how weak I really was. "Nothing."
Claire pursed her lips, her eyes shining with irritation as she stood. "Tell me now, or I'm leaving you here."
I was about to repeat that nothing was wrong, but I knew Claire would see right through it and leave me. Especially since I had to wait to move until my ankle was healed.
I looked down at my hands, knowing I hadn't been relying on them to release my fear, because I was overcoming it. I had gotten stronger since entering Ophidian's Realm, but I couldn't go through my nightmare alone.
"All right, all right." I held my hands up in surrender. "It's just that . . . I've been here before."
Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowing with skepticism. "You've been here before? How could you have been here before?"
Claire had no idea what had happened to Barracks. I'm not sure when she was taken, but I knew she had no idea of the effect Schism had created on our land.
"After Lyle traded his heart for a choice," I began, "I had a nightmare—the same nightmare I've been having for the past seven years."
Claire's eyes widened. "Your nightmare was about this place."
I nodded.
"What happens in your nightmare?"
I swallowed again, not liking the look in Claire's eyes. They weren't clouded over, like she was possessed, but filled with worry and dread. And if Claire was worried, I knew it couldn't be good.
"It starts when I'm walking through an archway of trees." I motioned to the trees above.
She nodded quickly. "What next?"
"Well, I begin to hear screaming, so I run toward the sound until I find a cave."
"And you go in."
My brows knitted together. "Yes."
"Oh, man," she said, pulling the lantern away as she ran her hand over her disheveled bun.
"What?" Dread, thick and heavy, filled my heart.
"It seems someone has been trying to tell you something," she said, her eyes darting all around.
"What do you mean? I don't know anyone who would want to warn me about this place. Unless, maybe Lyle—”
Claire shook her head. "Listen, Addie, I know you've been through a lot, but people don't just know about this place. Hardly anyone ever gets this far through the Seven Choices. And those who do don't give this forest a second glance. Somebody powerful was sending you a warning. Only a person with a special power can use that sort of magic."
"A warning about what?" I could feel my heart filling with fear. "And what do you mean ‘a person with a special power can use that sort of magic’? What kind of magic?" The only magic I had ever known of was Schism's doors and their ability to send Traders here.
She peered into the forest. "Sending messages through dreams is not easily done. It takes an old magic, one that is only known by those who bare the mark of the Mender. I only know about it because of my role here. Unfortunately, it has long been forgotten across the realms. Since Ophidian gained half of the young blacksmith's pure heart, he’s become better at luring people into his realm, leaving none left to bear the Mender's mark."
"But," I cut in, my mind spinning. "If what you're saying is true, then there's someone who still has the mark of the Mender."
"I guess." Claire shrugged. "But that means they had to have gone through the Seven Choices already and somehow survived. No one knows about Ofavemore."
I shuddered. "Do I want to know what that is?"
"Depends." Claire looked into the trees, searching. "Ofavemore is, let’s say, Ophidian’s throne room. It’s where he rules over this realm. What happens next in your nightmare?"
"As I walk farther into the cave, the screams grow louder, like when a storm is coming. The thunder and lightning are far away, then, within moments, they’re right at your window.”
Claire nodded.
“I begin to run toward the screams until the ground hardens under my feet. So, I reach down to feel it and pick up—"
"A black heart," Claire whispered, her eyes searching through the trees again.
"Yes, but—"
"Addie, listen to me," she whispered harshly, cutting me off. "Who else have you told about your nightmare?"
"My friend, Silas, knew I had the nightmare, but—"
Claire cut in
again. "And he's already traded his heart?"
I shook my head. "He's like you. He doesn't have one."
She wrinkled her brow for a moment before she shook off whatever she’s thinking. "Listen, I'm not supposed to say this, but you can't go through the last door. Someone was warning you about Oph—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
"About what?" I asked before Claire's eyes completely glazed over. My body tensed, the fear pouring in once more, knowing what was coming next.
"Adelaide," Ophidian's soothing voice said. "I must say I am thoroughly impressed with your progress. Only two Choices left. Good for you."
"Leave Claire alone," I said, feeling the green salve dissipate from my skin. I scrambled to stand and held up the sword. A hiss came from her lips as the sword glowed brighter.
"Claire belongs to me. I can do whatever I like with her. And since she's been a disobedient wretch, trying to divulge all my secrets, I'll have to deal with her accordingly."
"No!" I exclaimed as Claire's body began to disappear. "No, please!"
"It's too late, Adelaide. I already gave you a chance to choose. This was your choice. Have fun with the consequences." Claire’s body disintegrated, turning to ash until there was nothing left.
I stood frozen, not knowing what to do. Where had Ophidian taken Claire? How was I supposed to make it through the Choices without her? Was the same thing happening to Lyle, too?
I began to knit my fingers together when a sharp pain stabbed through the circle on my chest, the same pain that had nearly destroyed me before. I cried out and grabbed my chest and the satchel, knowing another crack had been made in my heart.
I knelt and held the satchel against my chest. Why did I lose everyone who came into my life? Destruction seemed to fall on anyone who tried to help me. Why couldn't someone stay with me? Why did I always have to be alone?
"You are not alone," the voice whispered.
I looked up from my crouched position. No one was there.
"You are not alone."
I focused on the voice. Though I hadn't heard it during the past few Choices, I knew that voice. It was the same voice that had told me to run since I had entered Schism's doors.
I stood and held the sword aloft. It felt more powerful than it had before, as if the voice had brought strength to us both. As I turned, an emerald green door appeared a few feet in front of me. I had to finish what I started.
I walked cautiously toward the next Choice, noticing a key with the head of a dog gleaming in the lock. The key began to turn on its own, clicking until the door unlocked. It creaked open with an eerie sound, sending chills up the back of my neck.
I held the sword in front of my body, staring into the dark abyss of the doorway. Then I heard them—the same words that began this torment.
"Run, Addie, run!"
So, I ran.
Chapter 28
I ran as fast and as hard as I could over the threshold, expecting the worst. This was the last door before the Final Choice—the one Claire was trying to warn me about. The one that caused Ophidian to take her away.
I clenched my teeth as I ran, trying not to think of what he could be doing to her and Lyle. I had to rescue my friend and brother from the darkness.
My legs became exhausted from the constant race, and I slowed down to a steady stride through the dark. The abyss extended longer than it had beyond the previous doors. Maybe the darkness was the only danger I’d have to face.
And then a faint glow shone in the distance.
I quickened my steps once more, tightening my grasp on the hilt of the sword. As I drew closer to the light, the glow divided itself into two, then four, then eight, rapidly multiplying before my eyes. The multiplying ceased when a large wall of white light stood a few feet in front of me. The individual lights swirled in all directions, moving and bouncing against each other until the particles began to form into a shape. The specks merged with one another until the shape became a mirrored image of me.
I yelped in surprise, holding the sword up to the image of myself. What was this? Did Ophidian make a doppelgänger of me to kill me?
I readied my stance, but my mirrored self in the light wall wasn’t looking at me. She turned toward something I couldn't see. I placed the sword in the ring on the satchel, curious as to what was coming. A large smile spread across her face, and she darted away, fast as a blur, down the wall of light.
Curiosity piqued, I sprinted to catch up with her. As she slowed, I heaved, placing my hands on my knees and breathing a thank you to the Heavens that she—or I—had stopped running.
Regaining my breath, I looked up, and a gasp escaped my lips at what I saw. There I was, standing with a huge smile on my face, linking arms with a man with messy golden hair. Why was Silas in Ophidian’s Realm again?
The odd feelings I had felt before my Heart Reign returned as I watched the image of Silas. The figure turned, causing me to remember the same scene from when I had stood outside the gates of Heart Reign. Seeing Silas’s face twisted my stomach into several knots.
"Silas," I breathed, walking toward the wall.
He looked so real, like it was him and not the monster from the previous door. Reaching up, I stretched my hand toward the wall. But as soon as I did, my image twisted and changed into another's. It was a tall woman with long, blonde hair. I blinked twice. Wasn't that the same woman from the fourth Choice? I stared at her silver necklace with the yellow stone. Who was she, and why did she keep appearing?
I reached up once more, this time making contact with the wall. I cried out in pain, jerking my hand back as the wall seared my flesh with its light. My skin throbbed, and I clutched my hand to my chest.
"You can only look, but never touch," a wheezing voice said.
I grabbed for the sword, but my fingers screamed in pain from the burns. I bit back the agony, reaching with my left hand instead. I grunted, struggling to wrangle it free, but as soon as I did, I pointed it toward the source of the wheezing voice.
"Who's there?" I yelled into the abyss.
Silence. But within moments, joyful laughter danced from the wall behind me, and I turned back around. It was the blonde woman again, still embracing Silas. But this time, she was wearing a long, blue gown covered in intricate lace flowers. Was this the future? Or was this what was happening in Barracks right now?
I swallowed as I watched Silas pull her close, giving her the most tender of kisses before he held her hand up to his mouth, brushing his lips against it. A beautiful ring shimmered on her finger.
A lump grew in my throat. The sight sent new emotions through my heart that I’d never experienced before. The couple looked so happy. And Silas, he was smiling. His crooked grin was the most handsome thing I had ever seen.
With every choice, a fate is accepted, and another is left behind, a voice slithered through my mind, causing a chill to run down my spine.
“Who’s there?” I whipped around again. This voice sounded like the voices from when I had first entered Ophidian’s Realm.
More laughter came from behind me, and I turned back to the light wall, feeling the pain growing in my heart. Lyle bounded up beside Silas, clapping him on the shoulder with a huge grin. Linked to his arm was Claire, wearing a beautiful sunshine dress I never thought Claire would wear. Next to the blonde woman was Nana, looking years younger and a whole lot happier than she had been in a long time. And beside her stood a man I didn't recognize. His face was blurred, making it impossible for me to identify him.
Everyone was so happy. Everyone was so full of life. Everyone was together, except for me. This dream was right at my fingertips, but I couldn’t reach it. This dream wasn't mine. It was someone else's.
This is the fate you left behind when you made your choice, the voice cackled with cruel laughter.
I gripped the sword in my hand while the other still throbbed from being burned. The emptiness in my chest was filled with something hard and thick, demanding to be addressed. Didn
’t I deserve to not be alone? Didn’t I deserve to be happy?
My eyes blurred, and I blinked. Little green dots flew through the air, whizzing all around the scene in front of me. I blinked hard once more, and they disappeared.
The scene on the wall changed again. No longer were Silas and the woman embracing one another on their wedding day. The mountainous scenery around them had been replaced with cream-colored walls, and they stood just inside the threshold of a bedroom.
I took a step closer to see around the happy couple. The bedroom was completely empty, except for a wooden crib. I frowned until the woman turned to the side with a hand on her stomach and a goofy grin on her face. Silas placed his hand on the woman's stomach as well, leaning in to give her a kiss.
A fate I never knew existed taunted me. My eyes blurred once more, and the green dots returned, flying faster through the air, clustering around my field of vision. I blinked hard, but they didn't go away this time. Connecting with one another, the dots filed into my eyes until my vision was completely covered in green.
I looked back at the happy blonde woman with Silas, now shaded a deep emerald.
I hated her.
If I could trade places with her, if I could just be on the other side of that wall, then everything would be okay. Silas was there, Lyle was there, even Claire. Everyone I cared about was happy and healthy on the other side of that wall. I deserved to be happy, not her. I deserved to be with my family, not her. I deserved to not be alone. I just needed to switch places with her.
The idea locked into place, and I took a deep breath, striding quickly toward the wall. The green dots became heavier on my eyes, turning everything various shades of jade. No longer was the wall a bright white, but an emerald green, the same color as the door that led me here.
I knew it would burn if I touched it. I knew it would hurt. But I also knew that if I could switch places with that woman, I would finally have my dream. My family would be together, and I would never be alone again. Everything would be good.
Heartmender Page 17