We were halfway across the valley when the speed potion went haywire. First we started slowing down, but then burst into full speed again. Then we slowed and sped up until I was sick to my stomach from the jolting. I looked around and saw Ariel and Skylar were having the same problem as well. We gathered together and tried our best to hover in place.
“Is this what Jameson meant by kinks?” I asked.
“Yeah, that's a problem,” Skylar said. “But that's a bigger problem.”
She pointed to a swarming black cloud that was quickly approaching us. At first I thought it was a really odd storm cloud, but as it got closer, I realized it was actually thousands of ravens. We tried to outfly them, but the speed potion wasn't cooperating. The birds caught up with us, and we were engulfed in a tornado of black feathers and sharp beaks.
The ravens were about three times the normal size, and their beaks were like huge pins that kept pecking at our arms and face. I tried to hold on to Logan, but my grip kept slipping as the freakishly strong birds tugged us apart. A few seconds later, his fingers slipped from mine.
The ravens swirled around me in blazing speed, separating me from my friends. I tried to find them, but all I could see was black. Then they stopped, and the birds disappeared as quick as they came. It was good and also bad. The good thing was that there were no more feathers or beaks in my face, but the bad thing was that the birds kept me in the air. Without them I started to fall, and this time Logan wasn't here to catch me.
My wings were useless, so I might as well be called a human instead of a faery. And a human falling from this height would break all their bones as soon as they made contact with the ground, and the ground got awfully close.
My feet sunk into the thick layer of snow, and I heard a crack. I braced myself for the hot, blinding pain that was sure to race up my leg. But instead of my knee shattering, the ground dissolved under my feet.
I couldn't even suck in a breath before the water closed over my head. Though it didn't matter anyway. The frigid cold shocked the remaining air out of my lungs and stabbed my body like knives. My limbs went numb, and I started to sink. All I could feel was biting chill. All I could see was a hole of light that was getting dimmer and dimmer…
My hands scraped against the jagged rocks on the river's bottom, and the pain woke my brain. No! I can't stay at the bottom of a river. I have to find my friends and save the world. I have responsibilities!
The thought of failing my task when I already got this far horrified me. I forced my leaden limbs to move. As soon as my head broke through the water's surface, I gasped for air.
My arms shook as I tried to haul myself out of the hole. But the water wouldn't release its grip on me. With one final effort, I succeeded and collapsed on top of the frozen river.
I lay there coughing and choking while ice crystals coated my clothes. I could even feel frost forming on my lashes. My hand turned blue as my body temperature dropped. Dry, I thought. My clothes instantly became dry but was still ice cold. I wanted to curl into a ball and let the falling snow bury me, but I have to keep moving and get blood flowing if I wanted to stay alive. I got to my feet and walked around, looking for my friends.
“Logan, Skylar, Ariel!” I called, hoping they could hear me. But there was no reply.
I walked on the frozen river since the hills were more of a challenge to maneuver. But I had to walk lightly or risk cracking the ice.
I searched for half an hour but with no luck. I didn't see other footprints or hear anything. I kept calling their names, but the only answer I got was the howling winds. Oh, please let me find them, I prayed. But the lightly falling snow turned into a heavy blizzard that was so thick I couldn't even see three feet ahead. The wind was persistent in fighting against me, but I pushed through. I had to make sure my friends were ok and not frozen in the river under my feet.
But as another half-hour passed without finding them, a bubble of doubt began to form. Would they leave without me? Actually, I kind of hoped they did so they wouldn't be caught in this snowstorm, but at least I wanted to see them one last time to make sure they were all right.
The wind suddenly changed directions, and instead of blowing against me, it made me fall forward. My knees hit the ice. Crack. I quickly got up and very carefully kept walking, but the ice was still splitting and getting faster. I picked up the pace and ran until I couldn't run anymore. By the time I stopped, I was in a completely different surrounding. The rolling hills became steep, narrow canyons, and the wide river turned into a thin strip.
A glowing warm light appeared somewhere ahead. My spirits lifted. I thought it was my friends lighting a fire, so I followed it for a few hundred yards. But an uneasy feeling grew. How can a campfire cast so much light and travel so far?
I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks.
ROSE
Chapter 31
I had reached a dead end, but that wasn't what made me stop. How did my grandparents' neighborhood get here? My brain must be freezing and turning to mush, making me see things. But there it is five feet in front of me was an exact life-size replica of Gramma and Gramp's neighborhood complete with their house and Old Birch Park. There must be an invisible dome protecting it from the blizzard because it was impossibly sunny, and there wasn't even a flake of snow on the ground inside.
Looking at my old home, the all too familiar feeling of disbelief washed over me. This place didn't belong here. It couldn't be real. If this is another one of Ash's tricks, I better be careful and not step a foot into that paradise oasis.
But the more I looked at it, the more longing I felt. I wanted to take a stroll through the neighborhood and revisit the old times when my life was peaceful and carefree. I wanted to go back home so bad. I miss Gramma and Gramp and my life before I knew I was a faery. Everything seemed so simple back then. There was no kingdom to save, friends that might die, and a world that depended on me.
Yes, the place seemed to whisper. Come and enjoy what you most desire.
The glowing aura that surrounded the neighborhood grew stronger and brighter tempting me to step into the warm sunshine, forget all my troubles, and relax. Finally, I couldn't stand the temptation and stepped across the invisible boundary that was separating me from my simple past.
I emerged on the other side and looked around. The neighborhood was just how I remembered it. Holographic children kicked a ball in the streets, and the Owen's family dog barked at strangers from behind the white picket fence.
I was standing on Mr. Walter's yard. Retired Mr. Walter was sitting on a rocking chair in the shade of his porch, sipping lemonade. The dark shadow that partly obscured his face made me aware of the heat. It was as hot and sunny as a summer day in Florida, (which was weird since it was never sunny when I lived with Gramma and Gramp) so I took off my winter jacket and heavy snow boots. I wriggled my toes in the thick, green grass that felt like a plush carpet.
I took a leisurely stroll around my neighborhood, starting from the forest trail so I could pretend I was coming home.
The air didn't smell of tar anymore. Instead, it was like a fresh spring breeze with different scents from many garden flowers mixed together. It was sunny and bright. Everything seemed so peaceful and happy. Birds sang in the trees, butterflies fluttered around, children laughed and shouted with glee. I even saw Angelea walking home from school.
It made me delighted to re-experience my old life again, but it also made me a bit sad. All the living things were holographic and fake. I couldn't run up and hug Angelea no matter how much I wanted to. It was like being in a movie where I didn't exist, or I used to exist. It was like a dream where I was about to experience the best or maybe the worst part.
I arrived at the driveway of Gramma and Gramp's old-fashioned brick house. The feeling of nostalgia was now ten times stronger. I forgot what I had left behind. There were holographic images of Skylar and me playing in the front yard throwing a Frisbee and enjoying our summ
er break. If I stepped closer, I could see through the kitchen window. I watched as Gramma and I spooned berry filling into homemade pie crusts for her Summer Berry Pie. I know it sounds corny, but Gramma really did put love in all her dishes, and it made them even sweeter.
The image of Skylar and me faded and turned into a different day where Gramp was chasing us around the front yard waving a muddy carrot that was freshly pulled from the moist dirt. Skylar and I ran around squealing and laughing, trying to dodge the vegetable. But Gramma, who we thought was still inside the house, snuck up on us with a garden hose. Who says grandparents can't be fun?
“You know you can stay here forever,” someone said behind me.
I clenched my fists. That voice didn't belong here. I turned around and saw Ash. She looked like a ghost, but instead of being white, she was black. At first I thought she was really here, but then I realized it was a Dark Magic copy of herself.
“What do you want?” I said not bothering to hide the anger in my voice.
“I don't want anything from you, Rose,” Ash replied. “I am only offering what you want the most. Don't you miss your old home and your old way of life? Well, you can stay here forever. Live in the good memories. Forget the bad. End the suffering. You will be much happier here,” she whispered in my ear.
A chill ran across my back, and I realized she was behind me. I couldn't wave her away since my hand passed through her, so I marched forward placing a few feet of space between us. I definitely did not want to be close to the person who caused so many people so much pain.
“What have you done with my friends?” I demanded.
“My valley is like a magnet. Your friends are all drawn here by their greatest desires, but you won't find them.”
“Watch me.” I turned on my heel and walked away.
“Do you really want to cause your friend's death?” Ash called after me.
I stopped mid-stride and slowly turned to face her. I know I shouldn't listen to Ash, but any information on this topic was too hard to ignore.
Ash casually plucked a blue hydrangea flower from the mailbox garden. “If you continue your little quest, one of your friends are destined to die.” She snapped the stem of the flower.
“If I don't continue, they will die anyway,” I replied.
“Yes, they'll die. It's just you who will cause it in the last stand.”
“Wait, what?” I said confused. That news was new.
Instead of answering me, Ash sighed and clucked her tongue. “Poor Rose,” she said with false pity. “You have so much stress. You need to take a break. Live in your happiest memories. Forget about everything else.”
Then for a few scary seconds under her spell, I did forget about my friends and the mission. All I thought was I did so much already. Why can't I stay here and indulge in when my life was good? Who cares about Astella? I am not one of them. Not a true one anyway. I don't even have wings that work.
I was about to agree with Ash and stay when memories poured through my mind. I saw names disappearing from the book of records, Ariel's expression when she told me about her dead family, and Logan's face multiple times. The images of Logan were like a timeline. Each showed how he was dying a little every day. My heart cracked.
The pictures stopped, and my eyes cleared. There was Ash eagerly waiting for me to say one word.
“No,” I replied firmly.
Her expression went from a sly smile to shocked and enraged. I guess that wasn't what she wanted to hear.
“I won't give in to greed and selfishness. I am going to put others' needs before my own desires.”
My voice rolled across the valley. The replica of my neighborhood disappeared. By thinking of others first and my own wants second, the Valley of Desire's spell broke.
“Rose Kristal, you will regret this decision,” Ash said with a snarl. Then the ghost faded away.
The instant change from warm to cold was like plunging into the river again. I quickly put back on my jacket and boots. If what Ash said was true, my friends should be here.
It wasn't hard to find Ariel. Her red hair was like a beacon. I rushed over. She looked puzzled and confused like she had been forced to wake up from a pleasant dream.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I was with Lo— my family,” Ariel said, correcting herself.
“Rose!” Logan walked over with Skylar. “Thank god you are ok.” He wrapped his arms around me.
“Worried much?” I said playfully. “I can take care of myself you know.” But it was nice to be in his embrace again.
Logan let go. “Of course, you can. It's just when I couldn't find you… I just don't want anything to happen to you.”
What is Ash talking about? I will never do anything to hurt Logan, Ariel, and Skylar.
Skylar gagged. “After you are done with all the sappy, romantic talk, can someone explain what happened?”
“Oh, so what is your desire?” I asked.
“Like I am going to tell you.”
I laughed. Skylar can be so mysterious and secretive about nothing. But I explained.
“Does the Speed of the Wind Potion still work?” I asked after I told them about what happened.
They all agreed that Ash was lying, and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt them. In a way it made me feel better but also worse. Everyone trusted me. But what if they did die because of me?
Logan flew into the air, and a blur of colors zoomed back and forth. “The kink must've worked itself out, but after an hour tops, we will be back to double speed.”
“So we should get there with just barely any time till noon,” I said.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Skylar asked.
ROSE
Chapter 32
The Speed of the Wind Potion lasted for forty-five minutes, and we reached Ash's castle with only thirty minutes to spare, which is only one thousand eight hundred seconds before…
“So what now?” Skylar whispered as we landed in front of an entrance to a huge maze.
The labyrinth wrapped around the whole castle and courtyard and was made of dense ebony-colored hedges at least seventy-five feet tall. We couldn't fly over the hedges due to some unusually low storm clouds that constantly flashed with lighting and hovered just above the maze like a lid, and there was no other way to get around. But Ash surely created this maze as a trap, and I don't want to know what nasty surprises were waiting for us inside.
“Do you think we can work together to control the bushes and make a clear path?” I asked Ariel.
“We can try,” she replied.
I stretched my hand toward the hedge and concentrated, but nothing happened. I looked over at Ariel, and she shook her head. So if we can't control the hedges, we only have one choice left—we have to go through it. Assuming the maze had an exit.
I stared at the obstacle ahead of us. The entrance was just tall hedges and a dark path leading inside, but somehow it was menacing.
“Well, it's the only option,” I said, trying to keep my voice level.
I silently scolded myself. It's just a maze. What is there to be afraid of? But I knew there was plenty. Something about the labyrinth radiated fear and brought back my worst memories. And when dealing with Ash, nothing is what it seems.
We formed a group and walked into the maze. If it wasn't for the gleam of the leaves or the occasional lightning bolts that provided light, the hedges would've blend right in with the darkness and I wouldn't be able to make out Logan's silhouette. We walked straight for what seems like forever. It was eerily quiet, and there were no sounds other than the crunching of snow under our feet…
Thummppp. I turned my head so quickly that I almost injured my neck, but nothing was there. I'm just so scared that my mind is playing tricks on me, I thought. But I still had the creepy feeling of being watched and followed, which was possible being in Ash's Dark Magic maze and all.
Logan's fingers
brushed against mine, and I resisted the temptation to slide my hand into his. Through this whole trip I've been relying on Logan. I need to be strong for once.
The wind blew and seemed to carry a message. You will fail. It raised goose bumps on my skin, and I reached for Logan's hand. I guess I am not that brave. Logan squeezed my hand gently to reassure me and remind me that I am not alone.
For the first time, the maze split into two paths—one on the left, one on the right.
“Which one should we take?” I asked.
A loud roar came from the left path. That answers that question. We set down the path on the right. After walking for a few minutes, the hedges widened and formed a large square yard that was fifty feet wide and long with another passage on the other side.
We were halfway across the courtyard when I bumped into a tree or what I thought was a tree. The trunk was black and blended in with the darkness so well that I didn't even see it. But unlike a tree, it was very smooth and didn't have the texture of bark. I looked up and wished we took the left path instead, but I doubt it would matter. Looming over me was a humongous black widow spider.
It was about twenty feet tall and ten feet long. The hourglass mark shone against its abdomen like a bright red tattoo. But the scariest thing of all was its face. It had jet black eyes. Four were the size of grapefruits, and the other four were the size of basketballs. Two curved, gleaming black fangs protruded from the spider's mouth.
If I was scared of little spiders then this was my fear times a hundred. We scrambled back to the beginning of the courtyard, but the path behind us and in front of us disappeared, and hedges stood in their place. The spider slowly crawled toward us. Its hard exoskeleton clinked and clacked as it moved. Nobody stirred or said anything except Ariel, who squeezed her eyes shut and kept muttering I hate rats. I hate rats. Other than being filthy and a carrier of diseases, what does she have against rats? Oh, they did destroy plants and crops, and she was a nature faery.
Fated Loss (Red Rose & Black Ash Book 1) Page 14