“But why?” he asked, stealing the question right out of my head.
Dmitri sighed and started tapping his foot. “As I said before, I have to stop Victor and Caspian.” Dax opened his mouth to speak, but Dmitri held a hand up. “It’s not as simple as you think it is. Caspian and Victor are making more young to create an army. They’re doing it in the name of Maddox, so they’re not going to stop.”
Maddox? That name sounded familiar.
“Who’s Maddox?” I interrupted, wanting to understand everything.
“Maddox is a myth. Like a god to some creatures, so it makes it easier for them to spread evil,” Dmitri explained. Surprisingly, with no attitude. It finally clicked why the name sounded familiar. It was in the letters from Aloysius addressed to my mom. He spoke of Maddox, but as if he were a real being, not a myth. Maybe Aloysius was one of those who believed.
“But what does that you have to with you helping us? Can’t you do both? This wouldn’t even take long.” Dax tried to reason with Dmitri.
He kneaded his forehead with his fingers, blowing out a breath. “Your journey will be a week, so a little long. And it’s too late for me to help you. I already left Victor bait, so wherever I go, he will know where I am.”
Dax gasped, and I looked at him, confused. What did that mean? Was that a bad thing? “Dmitri—”
“Don’t give me a speech, Dax,” Dmitri said lowly, almost a growl.
I looked back and forth at them, trying to figure out what was going on.
“But you know what happened last time you baited Caspian.” Dax raised his voice, placing his hands on his hips. He had a distressed look on his face and was staring at Dmitri with hard eyes.
“Last time I wasn’t prepared. Now I am.”
“Prepared for what? What happened last time?” I interjected, waving my arms in the air to catch the attention of both of them. They stared at me blankly, then glanced at each other. “Okay, well, since you guys obviously don’t want to answer that, let’s get back to the subject.” I turned my attention to Dmitri. “Can’t you help me journey to the mountain and just lure Victor there?” I asked, getting impatient.
Dmitri opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, tilting his head in thought. “That would be a good idea if it weren’t for the fact that me luring Victor means I’m luring Caspian as well. I would be putting you in extreme danger,” Dmitri explained, his face softening—just a little.
Aw, he cares about whether I’m in danger or not, I said sarcastically in my head.
“Well, wouldn’t that be even better for you to get them in one place and then do whatever with them?” I asked, throwing my hands in the air.
Dmitri kneaded his forehead again and blew air out of his nose. “I’m not going to do just anything to them. I’m going to kill them,” Dmitri said.
My eyes darted to Dax, trying to see his reaction. He pressed his lips together and nodded in agreement. I raised my eyebrows and blew out a large breath. I was going to have to get used to hearing them talk about killing like it was nothing. I guess in their world, that was normal.
“Okay, forget about protecting me. Dax will be there to help you. If Axel and Rita help too, we should be fine,” I explained, nodding at my idea.
He shook his head, passing the cloth over his bare chest as he stretched.
I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped my foot. “If you don’t help me, I’ll go by myself. I don’t care how long it takes me. Trust me, I will find answers.” I was tired of dancing around this conversation. It was like he was purposely shutting me down to prolong the conversation. As if he didn’t want me to get my memories back on my own.
Dmitri smirked at me and scoffed. “You wouldn’t.”
I gave him a look and chuckled in his face. “Try me,” I whispered fiercely. He shrugged, and I rolled my eyes, turning around. I walked past Dax, and he raised his eyebrows at me. I gave him a little smile and opened the front door.
“Stop.” Dmitri’s voice stopped me from walking out the door. I shut the door and listened to his breathing as it got shorter with each inhale. He growled in frustration, and I turned around to see him passing a hand down his face. “All right. I will help you. But we have to go by my rules. I will definitely need Rita and Axel to help us.” Dmitri glanced at Dax, who nodded and pulled out a cell phone. Dmitri turned his attention back to me. “You’re going to need to mentally prepare yourself tonight for the journey. It’s going to be rough, and you’re not going to get a lot of sleep during the week of the journey.”
I nodded. I’d planned on doing that anyway based on what Augustus told me. “I understand. What do you need me to do now?” I asked, sitting on the couch.
He sat on the arm of the other couch and stared straight ahead. His eyes slowly landed on me. “What I need you to do is relax and stay here. Dax will retrieve clothing and whatever else you’ll need for the journey.” He finished and stood up from the couch, glancing around. “I need to freshen up and get prepared. Will you be okay down here by yourself?” He glanced at Dax, who was still on the phone with his back turned.
“Well, I won’t completely be alone.” I smiled at him, and he nodded.
“Snacks are in the pantry in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” He nodded at me and left the living room, his steps the only prominent noise in the whole house.
I couldn’t hear Dax speaking, yet it seemed like he was having a full-blown conversation. I relaxed into the couch. I heard a sigh and turned to see that Dax was off of the phone, looking deep in thought.
“What’s the verdict?” I asked, making him jump a bit.
“Axel is excited for the adventure, of course, mainly for the fights that might happen. He always wants to fight something. Rita was more hesitant when she found out it was to help you, but I got her on board.” He smiled largely at me when I made a face at the Rita comment.
“I am surprised you were able to get Rita onboard. Thank you so much for everything. You’ve been so supportive. It’s actually helping me through this confusing patch.” I told him sincerely, making his face light up.
He walked my way, and I stood. He pulled me into a hug, squeezing me tightly.
“Anything for you, Meadow.” He squeezed me one more time before letting go. “I have to run an errand before this trip, so you’ll be alone for a little while. Will you be okay?” He asked, a worried look in his eyes.
“Oh yeah. I’ll find something to occupy my time, don’t worry.” I gave him a pretty convincing smile.
He smiled back, gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and left through the front door.
I turned the television on and flipped through the channels, looking for something to watch so the time could pass by quickly. As I browsed, I saw a fire on one of the channels, and I flipped back to one of the news channels. It was about the explosion that happened at my job. They were reporting a gas leak, and I scoffed, changing the channel. Of course, they wouldn’t tell that public the truth about someone purposely leaking gas into one of their interrogation rooms and lighting the place on fire. I flipped through the channels until I landed on one about home renovations. As I relaxed, my mind started wandering. Dmitri hadn’t explained a lot about the journey, or how we were getting to the mountain, but I guessed he’d let us know later tonight or tomorrow before we left. Since it was going to be tough, I could only assume the worst. Especially since Victor and Caspian would be following us. Would there be another fight like the one at the fake business? What would the temperature be like? The main thought that stayed on my mind was the price that needed to be paid. Why did Augustus have to be so vague?
18
I didn’t realize I fell asleep until it felt like an earthquake was happening in my sleep. It was Dax, shaking me awake, and apparently it was the next day already. I grabbed some clothes from a large black backpack that looked like it was supposed to be used for hiking. Everything I needed was in the bag. I made my way upstairs to shower and tried not to think too hard abo
ut the events that were going to occur today.
I took a quick shower and dressed in black camouflage pants with a long-sleeved black shirt, as recommended by Dax. By the time I was back downstairs, Rita and Axel had joined Dax and Dmitri in the living room. Breakfast was on the table, and I hurried and ate, not really tasting my food. I didn’t want to waste any more time than I had to.
Rita, Axel, and Dax all had identical bags to mine on their backs. Dmitri was fiddling with the straps on his, and I didn’t have my backpack on yet because it was pretty heavy. I would wait until we were about to leave to put it on.
A small smile formed on my face. Today was the day. The beginning of the journey that would lead me to what I’d wanted since I found out I wasn’t human.
My memories.
It took all of me not to dwell on Augustus’ words about a price being paid for me to take this journey. It would only make me sick to the stomach.
“So, what happens now?” I asked, breaking the silence in the room. They all looked at Dmitri, who slowly raised his head.
“Now, we make sure we have everything we will need for the journey.”
I nodded. We seemed to be pretty equipped for this journey. They all patted themselves, and I went to my own pack, making sure that it was ready.
“Everyone, follow me outside.”
We followed Dmitri to his backyard, which was more like his own personal forest. Standing in the middle of the greenery, we waited for Dmitri’s next order.
“Bring your bags closer to mine to form a little circle to mirror how we are standing,” Dmitri told us, and we followed his instructions quickly. I didn’t know what we were doing in the woods, and by the looks on everyone else’s faces, they didn’t either.
“What are we doing exactly, Dmitri?” Rita asked. She hadn’t said anything about the journey the entire time she’d been here.
Dmitri looked at her and raised his brows. “We’re going to the mountain. Through a portal.”
I almost gasped out loud. Portal? I really needed those memories back.
“Wait, are you telling me that you actually have Lanuae Magicae powder?” Dax asked excitedly.
Dmitri smiled. “Yes, I do.” He looked at me. “It’ll take us to a hidden part of our home world, Beauty. Everyone grab the top of your packs. It’s going to get a little bumpy.”
We all grabbed our packs, heeding his warning. Dmitri tilted the black pouch, blue powder falling out and landing in the little space between all of our packs. Blue smoke slowly rose from the powder in the middle of our packs, hovering in that one spot. I waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Dmitri’s eyes were closed, and he seemed to be concentrating. I was going to ask what he was waiting for but decided not to break his concentration. After a few more seconds, his eyes snapped open, and he looked at the blue smoke before eyeing everyone.
“Beauty.”
The word came out as a whisper. The blue smoke moved, slowly spreading out on the ground, swirling at our feet. My hand on my pack started moving, and I realized that all of our packs were moving as if something was making them vibrate. Suddenly, the blue smoke shot up in the air into a cloud above us. It slammed back down to the ground, blue smoke flying up and hitting us all in the face. The smell was familiar, like a bouquet of flowers, giving me a warm feeling inside.
It twirled around us and grew thicker. The smoke rose, and I started getting a little anxious when it got so thick I couldn’t see the trees anymore. The rumbling continued and intensified to the point where we were all clutching our packs, trying to keep our balance.
“Hold on tightly!” Dmitri yelled, but the rest of his sentence got lost in the wind that came out of nowhere. My hair whipped around my face, and the smoke thickened until I couldn’t see anyone, just blue smoke everywhere. I gripped my pack so hard my knuckles turned white, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t letting go. The ground disappeared, and I was completely surrounded by the blue smoke. The only things I could see were my clothes and my pack.
The wind picked up even more, stinging my eyes. It started becoming harder to breathe, and I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. I felt as if I was being thrown around as the wind picked up even though I was planted in one spot. I refused to open my eyes again and waited for the wind to stop pushing me around. A few more long seconds went by before the wind completely stopped. I was no longer being whipped around. Before, the wind had roared. Now all I heard was…blades of grass moving?
19
I slowly opened my eyes and squinted at the bright sun. As I looked around, I noticed that the blue smoke was gone. No trace of it remained. Axel and Rita were looking around, their jaws dropped. Dax hopped up and down on his toes, excitement evident on his face. Then there was Dmitri, standing a few feet away, scouting the area. We were completely surrounded by grass.
Each blade had a different colored flower attached to it. It stood tall, up to my waist, and I couldn’t see the ground. The plants caressed my hands with a soft touch like a feather, and they didn’t make me itch like regular grass. Green, blue, purple, pink, and yellow going on for miles. Like a meadow.
There was nothing else in the area except for the mountain. I covered my mouth and my eyes widened as I took in the massive structure.
It was expansive, with the same flowers from the field peppering the entire mountain. It was so high, it disappeared into the clouds. From where I was standing, it looked like it might take us a while to reach it, but I was okay with that. I was in another world. I breathed in the fresh scent of flowers and hugged myself from how giddy I was feeling. My life was about to change. I was about to finally understand everything and be a part of a world that seemed to have endless opportunities.
“I haven’t seen anything like this before in my entire existence,” Axel said out loud in awe as he turned his attention to the beautiful mountain. We all nodded in agreement, except for Dmitri, of course, since he’d been there before. He scoffed, and I frowned at him, not wanting him to ruin this for us.
“It’s just a facade. Don’t believe or fall for anything here. It’s meant to keep you trapped and end your life,” he warned, furrowing his brow.
I sighed. “Why do you always have to be a party pooper? At least let us enjoy the scenery before we have to worry about staying safe,” I chastised him, putting my hands on my hips.
His eyes darkened. “You can enjoy the scenery when we’re at the top of the mountain, safe and sound and not chopped up in pieces, scattered across the mountain,” he retorted.
I scoffed and turned my attention back to the mountain.
“Grab your bags, let’s go. It’s going to take us a few hours to get to the mountain. Follow me and watch your step. In this place, anything can happen.”
The rest of the team responded right away and picked up their packs, following Dmitri. I grabbed my pack and dipped a little to help get it on my back, and then jogged to catch up with the rest of them.
“This is such a beautiful place, I hate that he always has to be a mood killer.”
I glanced to the side and saw that Dax had joined me, commenting on what I was thinking. “Right! Why is he like that?” I asked, lowering my voice when I noticed how close we were to him.
Dax scratched his neck and eyed Dmitri, a little hesitant to answer my question. “I couldn’t tell you even if I wanted to. That’s something else that only he can really tell you. Not even we fully know why he is the way he is,” Dax whispered, still eyeing Dmitri. If he could hear what we were talking about, he made no indication of it.
“Understandable,” I responded as we continued to walk, taking in the scenery. The sun was high in the sky, beating on us, and sweat dripped down my back. We had barely begun the journey, and my body was already showing signs of fatigue. Getting my mind off of how tired I was already, I turned my attention back to Dax. “Do you know anything about this place at all?” I asked him in a low voice. I kept an eye on Dmitri to see if he would make any movements showing that he w
as eavesdropping.
“According to the books I’ve read and the whispers, no one makes it off the mountain alive,” he whispered, and my eyes widened as he nodded, smiling.
“Why are you smiling?” I muttered fiercely.
“Meadow, it’s okay. Those are just rumors, and the book is also based on rumors, which is how they form theories. So we should be good.” He tried to reassure me with a smile. It helped only a little bit.
“Should? How do you know that we will actually be good?”
He glanced around before moving closer to me. “Because Dmitri made it off the mountain alive,” Dax said, eyes growing into large saucers. He glanced at Dmitri and then back at me. “He’s the only one in history to do it.”
I looked up at Dmitri in awe at this new information. Maybe that’s the reason he is the way he is. It made me more grateful that he was doing this for me, risking his life again to make sure I got my memories back. But it also made me feel uneasy. Dax said no one made it off the mountain alive. Was that the price that needed to be paid, and I just brought everyone to their deaths?
“Pretty spooky, huh? He al—” Dax’s shouts filled the air, and I yelled out his name, throwing my arm to grab his hand as he dropped into the ground, but missed. Dmitri was by my side in a flash, just in time to catch Dax’s hand, keeping him from falling all the way down in the hole that appeared out of nowhere. Dax was panting and swinging his legs, a panicked look on his face.
“Whatever you do, don’t look down. I’m going to slowly pull you up. Don’t make a sound,” Dmitri whispered fiercely to Dax, and he nodded, closing his mouth. Rita and Axel were by my side, worry etched on both of their faces. I peered over the edge and saw nothing but darkness. The hole didn’t seem to have a bottom. One that I could see anyway. Dmitri started slowly pulling Dax up, and he was almost out of the hole when something orange dropped on his shoulder. He yelled and swiped at his shoulder.
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