I was dancing. It was weird because I didn’t dance. But there I was, on a ballroom dance floor, twirling around expertly with my chin on a shoulder. I tried to move my head backward to see who was leaning on, but I couldn’t.
“You look absolutely stunning,” a familiar voice whispered in my ear.
My heart swelled at the compliment. “Thank you,” I replied automatically as a blush rushed to my cheeks. But I didn’t blush easily, and how did I start speaking without realizing I was opening my mouth? That wasn’t even what I wanted to say. I wanted to ask what was going on and where I was because this fancy place didn’t look familiar. I also wanted to see the speaker. The voice sounded familiar, but I wasn’t able to identify it. We twirled again, and I finally lifted my head off of the shoulder—and came face-to-face with Caspian.
My heart rate sped up, and I opened my mouth to scream. “You look handsome yourself,” I complimented him instead, shocking myself. Why did I just say that? I tried to yank myself away, but I kept dancing, barely noticing the people around me. To my right, I spotted Dmitri and got excited, trying to call out his name. But all I could do was smile at him, giving him a look, and tilted my head at Rita, who was in his arms dancing with him. There was a large smile on her face and her eyes were closed. She looked happy.
“I am so glad you got them together. They look delighted,” Caspian commented.
“They really do,” I agreed, my smile growing. Wait, why was I agreeing? Dmitri and Rita together? What? Was this real life or a dream? Why could I not get away or yell for Dmitri to help me get away from Caspian? He wrapped his arm around my waist, bringing me closer to his chest, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. His smile widened, and I smiled back, getting lost in his beautiful sapphire irises. Beautiful irises? What had gotten into me?
“I love you,” he whispered, leaning closer to my face.
“I love you, too,” I told him breathily and leaned forward as well, glancing at his lips. No, this had to stop. I was trying to yell, trying to stop this.
A loud roar came from behind me, and I turned quickly, finally able to move my body again. Water flooded the ballroom, and I looked around to see if anyone else noticed. Everyone was still dancing, even Caspian, and a gasp left my mouth when I saw another me in his arms, getting closer to his face.
I shuddered in disgust and turned back to find a tsunami in front of me. I didn’t run, content with the fact that I couldn’t outrun it. Hopefully, this wasn’t real, and it wouldn’t actually kill me. The water hit me, and I gasped, sitting up quickly, coughing. Water spilled from my mouth, making me choke as it left my lungs. My chest burned, and my throat was drier than a desert. I looked around frantically, trying to figure out where I was.
How in the world did I get in here? The ballroom had been replaced by…a cave, I thought. I didn’t remember how I got there. The last thing I remembered was drowning, and that thought made me nauseous. I leaped up and ran to the corner of the cave. Water poured out of my mouth, making me choke like before as I tried to get it all out. The action made me dizzy, and I groaned, holding the side of my head. My mouth tasted like salt, and my lips were extremely dry, on the verge of cracking. The throbbing sensation in my head drowned out every other sense.
I tried to remember what hit me, but all I could make out at the time was a dark shadow. I was so close to reuniting with them, and now I was back to square one. I didn’t know how I would be able to make it to them again, but I was going to have to find a way. Holding on to the cave side, I looked out the entrance and saw the moon shining through, the only source of light in the darkness.
I stumbled to the entrance, looking for a way out. It was no longer cold, and the ice and snow were gone. The mountain was back, covered in green moss. No flowers this time. I couldn’t see the path from that angle, and a waterfall roared directly beneath me as it crashed into the rocks below. There had to be a way out of this cave.
After walking through the cave for what felt like hours, the sight of sunlight on the ground ahead quickened my pace. A way out. The landscape spawned jagged hills and sparse vegetation.
“You got this. Just think,” I whispered to myself, pausing to look ahead of me, shielding my eyes from the bright sun. What would Dmitri do in a situation like this? He would be calm and probably look for anything in the surrounding area to get a clue as to where he was. Maybe? I groaned at my idea. That was not a good one, but it was the best I could do while rocking a probable concussion.
I started jogging again and glanced around for anything to help me. I would even accept a strand of hair at this point. My eyes landed on a bush up ahead and paused when something winked at me. It was as if someone was waving a mirror around to catch my attention. I went in the direction of the winking and reached a green bush. Pushing the leaves and small branches aside, I looked for the source and gasped when I found it.
It was one of the daggers, hidden skillfully in the bush. I checked around for a trap or anyone else. No one was around, so I picked it up carefully, in awe of its beauty. It looked so beautiful up close and not in my abdomen. I chuckled at the thought.
The blue blade winked in the air as I turned it, and I could see the little gold flakes in it. The handle was a beautiful gold color, with blue flakes. I never realized how big it was until I held it in my own two hands, both ends stretching past my palms. This confirmed that they were in the area and that I might be getting close. The sun was shining brightly in the red sky. I walked for about an hour, which meant I had four hours to find my team…again.
My pack was nowhere to be found, so I had no supplies. Finding the others was very important. I continued walking along the yellow path.
The entire time, I was really hoping it wouldn’t blink because I was worn out from trying to escape and not die. Turned out, not dying was harder than I thought in this world. The air was calming, and the breeze felt great on my skin as I walked. The ground was soft, and little blades of grass littered the path I was walking on. Totally opposite from the freezing snow and ice from the day before. I’d be lucky if I didn’t get sick from how much the weather had changed in the last few hours.
As I continued my journey, I couldn’t help but think about Dax. Was his death my fault? What was I going to tell my team? Would they blame me? I was so caught up in my thoughts, I didn’t hear movement until it was too late.
“Hello.” A voice came out of nowhere, causing me to jump and yell, looking around for the culprit. Someone was to the left of me by the cluster of trees, but I couldn’t see their face because the shadows hid it.
“Who are you?” I asked, squinting.
The person chuckled, walking out from the shadows. It was a tall woman, and her bronze skin gleamed beautifully in the sun. Her eyes were a total contrast to her skin, sparkling soft baby blue, a color I’d never seen on anyone before. She was in a two-piece blue and purple suit and had on black heels with purple stripes.
“Are you lost, love?” The woman asked, a concerned look on her face, but with a smile at the same time. She had on purple lipstick, and her teeth were pearly white.
I shifted nervously as I shook my head. “No, I’m not lost. Who are you?” I repeated. I felt as though she ignored my first question on purpose.
“Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Impy,” she introduced herself, a slight gleam in her eyes. Did I imagine that?
“Okay, thanks. I’m going to go now.” I chuckled nervously, pointing over my shoulder. I glanced around, trying to look for a way to dodge this suspicious woman. Where did she come from anyway?
“Where are you going?” Impy continued the conversation as if she didn’t hear me dismiss her.
“I’m just traveling for fun,” I answered, walking backward slowly. I glanced down, and my body automatically stiffened as I stared at Impy’s wrists. Her sleeves were rolled up a little bit, revealing violet streaks in her wrist area. My eyes widened in fear, looking back up at her. Impy smiled, and I noticed her canines were longer than usual. Impy was
a vampire. My hand automatically went to the bulge in my pocket, where the dagger was wrapped with a piece of fabric from my pants.
“For fun? No one travels this mountain for fun, sweetie,” Impy responded, and her skin began to sag like it was melting off her bones and turned gray, eyes flickering from blue to vibrant violet.
I walked sideways slowly, keeping my eyes on her as I tried not to gag at the grotesque sight. I thought she was a vampire, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. She crouched, hissing at me, and I grabbed the dagger from my pocket.
“This is for Maddox!” Impy screeched and lunged at me, igniting a scream from me.
I swung the dagger and smashed the hilt into her face. Another person trying to kill me in the name of Maddox, a mythical being, according to Dmitri.
Impy tumbled to the side and jumped back up, crouching on her hands and toes like an animal. Her jet black hair was wild and her face drooped, jiggling with her every move. Her suit had ripped in the tumble and had large holes in the jacket. Streaks of violet peeked out from the holes. The streaks went up her arms all the way up to her shoulders. She stretched her neck up at the sky and screeched, no longer sounding human, but animalistic.
I watched in horror as the violet streaks crawled up her neck. I could actually hear it moving as it tattooed her graying neck. Tearing my eyes away, I looked around for the dagger that had flown out of my hand. I needed to get to it before she did. “Hey!” I yelled, waving my arms in the air to catch her attention so she could stop making all of that noise.
Her head whipped at me. She growled, walking on her knuckles and toes.
“What are you waiting for? Come and get me!” I yelled, and she screeched as she charged at me. She was slower than any other vampire I’d encountered. I ducked easily when she leaped at me, rolling on the ground away from her and toward the dagger. I swiped at the ground for it and hopped up, waving it in the air.
“I bet you don’t even know how to use that weapon, human,” Impy hissed, her voice raspy, and her skin flapped as she spoke, tongue flickering out of her mouth like a reptile.
“Try me,” I challenged, and she charged at me again. I ran toward her as well, elbowing her in the face when we collided.
Impy howled and lunged at me, clawing my arm. Searing pain shot up my arm, and I screamed. She cackled in my face. Anger coursed through me, and I sliced at her. Her hand blocked the weapon, but my elbow knocked her in the chest, making her fly backward.
I hissed when searing pain shot up my arm again, and my eyes widened as I spotted five long talons sticking out of my arm. Before I could get them out, Impy tackled me and we tussled, fighting to be on top. Impy sat on top of me, snapping her teeth for a bite of my face. I struggled to get my feet up, and when I did, I kicked Impy in the chest. She crashed backward into a shrub.
There was a loud snap when she collided, and she shrugged to get up, clawing at the scrub for help. I took advantage of that and ran at her, dagger raised. Impy had her back to me, and her suit was ripped almost completely, exposing her entire back. I slowed and held in a gasp as I zeroed in on two large, glowing scars on her back. One starting on each shoulder blade, going all the way down her back, glowing the same violet color as her eyes. It looked just like Dmitri’s back. Small streaks of violet weaved together on her back as well, connecting into the two patterns.
A growl from Impy snapped me out of my trance, and before she could get up, I shoved the dagger in between her shoulder blades, leaning in to thrust it deeper. The blade cut through bone with a sickening crunch, and I almost lost my hearing as Impy screeched from the pain. She continued to shriek, the sound echoing off the mountains. A crackling sound filled the air, and I watched in slight awe as the ice from the dagger spread over Impy’s back until it covered her entire body.
I left the dagger in until I was sure she was completely iced like I had seen Dmitri and the others do. Once I was sure, I yanked it out and used the hilt to hit the ice, shattering it into different pieces. I let out a huge breath and swayed, catching myself on the closest tree. My body was exhausted, and my head throbbed even more than before.
I was starting to regret coming to this mountain. Was it even worth it anymore? Sighing, I decided this time to keep the dagger in my hand in case someone or something else attacked me. I wanted to be prepared. I finally looked at my arm, the five brown talons still there, sticking out. Grabbing one, I eased it out, panting from the searing pain it caused.
I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes, pulling until it was completely out, and let out a short scream as fire shot down my arm to my hand. I dropped the talon and held my chest with my other hand as I got my breath back. I decided to leave the other four there until I was with my team to help. I didn’t want to pass out in the middle of nowhere. I rejoined the yellow path, more tense and paranoid than before.
This time, I wasn’t going to get lost in my thoughts. The sun sank in the sky, making me nervous. I didn’t want to spend another night out here by myself. I wasn’t sure if my brain was playing tricks on me, but I swear I could hear creatures rustling in the bushes or someone laughing softly, almost inaudibly.
There was a loud movement, and I held the dagger up, slowing so my feet would make less noise and I could hear my surroundings better. The noise stopped when I slowed, and my heartbeat pounded in my ears. My eyes darted around, looking for the source of the sound, and I turned the corner.
“Meadow?” a voice whispered, and I screamed, swinging the dagger at the source of the sound. A hand shot out and gripped my arm, twisting my wrist almost painfully. The dagger fell out of my hand.
My eyes widened, and I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly. “Dmitri!” Relief spread through me. All the stress and emotions—from Dax dying to almost drowning and nearly being killed by Caspian and Impy—left my mind and body.
24
“What happened to you?” Dmitri asked as he rubbed salve on my bruised arm after taking the talons out himself.
“Where’s Dax?” Rita chimed in at the same time, not giving me time to answer Dmitri’s question. Dmitri wrapped my arm with a bandage, and tears sprang to my eyes at the thought of what happened to Dax, my chest tightening.
“Caspian. He—” I choked on a sob and paused, taking in a deep breath so the tears and the lump in my throat would go away. I looked at my lap and fiddled with my thumbs, breathing in and out slowly. Dmitri let go of my arm, and I passed a hand over the bandage. He had to cut my sleeve to get the rest of the talons out safely.
“Caspian attacked us, and he—” I stopped again, unable to finish. The tears in my eyes threatened to spill over, and I didn’t want to cry in front of them. Lifting my head back up, I saw that they all had long faces, showing me that they probably assumed what happened without me finishing. There was a long, uncomfortable silence, and I kept my eyes on the cave wall in front of me, not wanting to see the emotions I knew would be on their faces. I shouldn’t blame myself, but it felt like my fault. It was my fault Dax was killed. There was no denying it. I sucked in a breath.
“We can’t dwell on it, guys. We need to get ready because Caspian will be coming back with Victor and even more young. We fought some that ambushed us and lost the dagger that you ended up finding. We thought somehow Caspian would end up with it,” Dmitri spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
I groaned, putting my head in my hands. “I am so tired of this,” I whispered into my hands, frustrated. When would this be over?
“I told you this journey would be a tough one,” Dmitri reminded me, making me raise my head.
“I know that,” I huffed, leaning back into the cave wall. “I almost died on the way here. There was this woman who said her name was Impy. She attacked me, but luckily, I had the dagger. I had to kill her,” I said the end softly.
Axel chuckled, and I turned to him, confused as to what was funny about my story. “I wondered what happened to her. She disappeared a few decades ago, and no one knew where she went.”
“Actually, I stabbed him with my staff, and my pendant blasted him with light, knocking him out. Would that have killed him?” I asked.
“No. It’s not that easy to kill Caspian. We still need to be careful and quick. We have to travel by night as well now.” His deep voice bounced off of the cave walls from how quiet it became after his response.
“Dmitri,” Axel started, gesturing at him.
“Come on, man.” Rita joined in, scoffing.
Dmitri held his hand up. “I know, I know. But we have to. If Caspian captures Meadow now, she will never get her memories back. We have to take the risk,” Dmitri explained.
“Actually, before I stabbed him, he did say something about not having to kill me anymore,” I added, my words making Dmitri narrow his eyes.
“What is that bastard up to?” He growled, pacing as he clenched his fists. I was confused. Wasn’t that better than killing me?
I looked out of the cave, wondering what kind of creatures were out there waiting at this very moment. We’d never traveled at night before because it was dangerous, according to Dmitri.
“Because of the circumstances, we now have to get to the top of the mountain in a shorter amount of time, but we will make it,” Dmitri reassured us. It didn’t help me, but I stood up anyway, ready for it. Everyone else stood up after me, and we followed Dmitri to the cave entrance. Dmitri put his finger up and we stopped. He tilted his head, listening for anything. “It’s all clear,” he confirmed, and we walked out of the cave and into the chilly night.
I noticed nothing happened to Axel this time. He caught me staring at him and smiled, touching his necklace. I smiled back. My deductive skills were correct. That necklace helped him somehow.
“What kind of creatures are usually out at night?” I asked Dmitri in a low voice, not wanting to alert anything out there. I looked up at him as he thought about my question. Well, I assumed he was thinking about it.
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