by E. J. Krause
Andi returned to her human form and tackled Ben with a hug. "You were magnificent."
"Not half as good as you. You got three and a big assist on the fourth."
"Yeah, but I let the big guy get away. If it hadn't been for your quick thinking, he'd have sounded the alarm."
Ben kissed her, mostly to stop her dwelling on the battle. "We won, that's all that matters. Besides, when we can talk telepathically, things like that won't happen."
Her face brightened. "You're right." She kissed him back and hugged him tighter. "Now let's find the key to dreams, whatever that is."
They walked the perimeter of the large room. Nothing seemed out of place at first glance, but maybe a closer inspection would show something they missed. The wall around the alarm was smooth with no hidden cracks. The alarm box itself might open, revealing the key, but they didn't want to chance setting it off. It would be their final option.
The guardians' table in the corner was their best bet, especially since it was the only other object in the room. Andi knocked on it, but it sounded solid. Ben examined the cards. There was a fantasy creature in the middle of each – fairies, trolls, mermaids, and plenty of others – and a number in the upper right corner. The creature would occasionally move and change the number. For example, the fairies would cast a spell on it, and the ogres would smack it with their clubs.
"I wonder what game you play with these. Looks neat."
Andi shrugged and said, "Pretty cool, but let's find what we're looking for." She examined each leg of the table and ran her hand underneath, while Ben stacked the cards in a single pile and examined the top of the table. He found no breaks or openings.
A buzzing sensation filled his mind and ran down his neck. It wasn't like his built-in undead sensor, but it was telling him something nevertheless. Once it reached the middle of his shoulder blades, it pushed forward out of his chest. A small white ball of pure light, about the size of a golf ball, floated down under the table and hung midway between the ground and the tabletop, directly in the center.
"Wow, do you see that?"
She shook her head. "What are you looking at?"
How could she not see it? It was so bright. "I think it's showing us where the key to dreams is."
"Where is it?" She tried lining her sight up with his, but confusion poured from her.
"Right under the table." He reached out and tried to grab the ball of light, but his hand ran right through it. So where was it? "Maybe if we move the table." He grabbed one end and pointed Andi to the other side. "Let's try sliding it out away from the wall."
She frowned, but complied. The table didn't want to move at first, but something snapped underneath, and it came out as if on a track. A small podium rose out of the ground. On top of it sat an old fashioned brass key. Once the podium stopped rising, the key sat bathed in the small ball of light, which dimmed out.
Andi stared at him, her eyes narrowed, and her mouth hanging slightly open.
"The key to dreams is an actual key," he said with a chuckle.
"Yeah. How did you do that?"
He picked up the key and saw it lay on an envelope. "Look. It says to open it now."
Andi didn't look at the envelope. "Ben, seriously, how did you know where it was?" A tiny bit of fear flashed from her.
"I don't know. It just happened. Why are you upset?"
She shook her head. "I'm probably just being stupid."
"But?"
She looked up at him, and he wasn't sure she was going to answer. Finally, she sighed and said, "You shouldn't be able to do this stuff yet. Mom explained to me what she guessed your abilities would be with our minor binding, and you're already surpassing that. Not just finding the key, but melting the zombies, and things like that."
What was she talking about? He reached out to grab her hand, and she flinched away. They both gasped, and tears flooded her eyes. She jumped into his arms and cried into his chest.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ben. I didn't mean to."
Why was she so scared that he had more powers than he was supposed to? Wasn't that a good thing? And then it came to him.
"It's the prophecy, right? The one Max and his wife talked about? And Rico?"
Andi nodded, trying to control her breathing.
"We'll get through it." He kissed the top of her head. "You're too nice to let me go evil."
She wiped her eyes. "You mean it?"
"Of course I mean it." He ran a finger across her cheek to catch a renegade tear. "Besides, the prophesy never said I'd go evil, right?"
She gazed deep into his eyes for a few seconds, and then nodded. "You're right. You'll stay good. I love you."
"I love you, too." He strained a bit to say it, not because he didn't mean it with all his heart, but because his mouth wasn't used to saying such momentous words.
They stared into each other's eyes for a few more seconds before Andi broke the contact and looked down at the envelope. "I guess we should find out what it says."
Chapter 24
The slip of parchment inside the envelope read, "Only the key can pacify the savage beast. Speak the word of dreams to continue." Another incantation was listed below. Like the one Rico gave them, Ben had no idea what the strange word was, but its pronunciation formed in his mind.
"Why do you suppose these clues keep mentioning dreams?" Andi asked.
"I don't know. Because we're in a dream?"
"Maybe." She studied the paper. "I wonder if the incantations are dream words."
"You don't know what they mean?"
She shook her head. "What sort of beast is pacified by a key?"
"Maybe it's a weapon," Ben said, examining it. "When the beast appears it turns into a sword or something? Maybe like a Keyblade?"
Andi studied the paper another minute, and then shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we move on and take it as it comes."
She spoke the incantation, and though it sounded so strange in Ben's ears, he knew she pronounced it correctly. The wall rumbled in front of them where the table had rested. First the podium sank back into the floor, and then a doorway-sized chunk of the wall flowed away like melting ice. A long, skinny passageway appeared through the opening. The floors, walls, and ceiling were all constructed out of grey chunks of smooth stone. They couldn't see more than a few feet, as the only light came from the room they were already in.
"Where do you think it goes?" Ben asked.
"To the beast, I guess."
"How are we supposed to fight it if we can't see?" He examined the key again. "Maybe it's a flashlight. You know how some animals freeze when you shine a bright light in their eyes? Maybe that's what we do to the beast." He couldn't see where the light would come out, and there was no way to turn it on, anyway.
"I don't know. Be ready for anything." She sighed. "I wish I could be in my full dragon form, but the passage is too small. I guess a partial transformation will have to do if we run into trouble."
They stepped in, Ben leading the way with his shield held steady in front to protect them. As soon as they were a few feet in, the door closed behind them, but instead of trapping them in complete darkness, the stones glowed with an eerie green light. The passageway ran about as long as a football field. As often as he had to run around the school's field during the mile runs in PE, he should know. It ended with another wall, trapping them in, but a treasure chest sat next to the ending. No doubt that was their goal.
"I bet that's what the beast is guarding," Andi said, leaning forward. "Do you suppose there are coins and jewels in there?"
Ben chuckled at the lust in her voice. "Down girl. There will be plenty of time for treasure later. I'm more worried about the beast."
"Oops. Yeah, sorry."
They shuffled forward, Ben's shield leading the way. Andi had the key ready in case the beast leapt out at them. For the first half of the tunnel, nothing happened. They kept up their careful pace, heads on a swivel, but the beast didn't make an appearance. They
also had to be careful not to step on the small stones from the walls and ceiling that littered the ground. It wouldn't do to trip on one and sprain an ankle. At the halfway mark, pins and needles climbed up and down the back of Ben's neck.
"Wait. Something's here."
"The beast?" she asked.
"I don't know. I don't think so." He clutched his eyes shut and concentrated. There was something wrong right in front of them, but he couldn't figure out what. "Hey, Andi, pick up one of those rocks and toss it out in front of us."
She gave him a strange look but followed the directions without arguing. Andi grabbed a stone the size of a baseball and threw it a few feet forward. A boom erupted from the floor, and a pit fell open a couple of steps ahead of them. It dropped twenty feet and jagged spikes lined the bottom.
Andi kissed his cheek. "Like I said, you're full of surprises." He was glad her fear at that sentiment had left. But should he be more afraid?
There was about a foot of floor space to walk between the wall and the pit. The warning sensation had left him, so Ben figured as long as they were careful, they'd be safe. Once across, they continued towards the chest.
"This is too easy," he said. "Keep your eyes open for that beast."
"I don't know about easy. If you weren't here, I would have fallen in."
"And if it weren't for you, the guardians would have overwhelmed me."
"So we make a good team."
They continued like before, with Ben and his shield leading the way. Once they reached the chest, butterflies flapped around his stomach. Why hadn't they been attacked yet? Or why weren't there any more traps? "I think I'd rather something come at us." When Andi gave him a funny look, he said, "At least then we wouldn't be waiting for it. The suspense is the worst part."
"Maybe they figure that pit will get most people. The chest probably has a trap built in to get the rest."
Ben concentrated, but didn't feel any sort of warning. "Maybe the beast is the chest. An unlocked treasure chest is pacified, if you think about it. The clue might be saying something as simple as we need to unlock it with the key."
"Seems possible." Andi reached forward, aiming the key at the keyhole. As she got close, the tingling ran up and down his neck. He grabbed her and pulled back.
"It's a trap!"
The chest burst to life and lunged at Andi's outstretched arm. If Ben hadn't warned her, it would have clamped down. They tumbled back and scrambled into a defensive posture as the animated chest hopped around, looking for an opening. The lid top, which was lined with sharp teeth, formed its mouth, and the keyhole was its nose. Two jeweled decorations on top now served as eyes. It didn't grow any legs, but bounced from side to side, more than nimble enough.
Ben used his shield to move into position and struck with his sword. The blade bounced harmlessly off the reinforced wood and iron covering. He swung again, harder this time, and didn't cause a dent.
"I need to stick the key in its nose," Andi said. "You were right. It is the beast."
"I liked my description of the inert chest better."
"At least your suspense is over."
The chest smashed into his shield and knocked him backwards. "Okay, so maybe that wasn't as bad as this."
As Ben kept it at bay as best he could, Andi snuck behind it. He thrust his sword hard into its open mouth, and it clamped down. Andi leapt over the top, jammed the key in, and turned it. The chest went lifeless at once, releasing Ben's sword. He fell back onto the stone floor and caught his breath. His sword didn't have a scratch. What kind of metal was it made out of? He thought for sure he was going to get it back in two or three pieces.
Andi helped him to his feet. "Shall we see what our prize is?"
He fought back a grin at her excitement and nodded. The lid popped open, but this time as a normal treasure chest, not a possessed demon one. Inside lay a small map. It showed a picture of a simple maze, one that could be in an activity book aimed at first graders. Underneath was a group of a dozen arrows, pointing up, down, left, or right.
"What does that mean?" Ben ran through the maze quickly in his head. "The arrows don't match the solution."
"And I don't see any other clue," Andi said.
"Did you check the back?"
She turned the map over and found a short sentence. She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like, "Sure, if you want to be logical about it."
He wanted to poke a little fun at her, but could tell this wasn't the time. Instead, he said, "What's it say?"
"Begin by pushing open the door."
They looked around, but didn't see any door. They checked both sides of the map again for an incantation, but there wasn't any. Andi even ran her hand around the inside of the chest to check for hidden compartments, but came up empty. Ben breathed a lot easier when she pulled her arm back without the chest waking up.
"This is hopeless," he said, leaning against the back wall. As he did, it shifted.
"You found it." She rushed over and pushed. When he realized what was going on, he joined in. Soon the hidden door was propped all the way open.
The passage on the other side looked an awful lot like the one they were already in. Except, like the map showed, it turned to the left not too far in front of them.
And also unlike the corridor they were just in, once they entered the labyrinth, danger prickled constantly on the back of his neck.
Chapter 25
Andi didn't like the fear pulsing from Ben. When she asked him about it, he said he couldn't tell where the danger was, that it was like the whole labyrinth was a trap in itself. They'd be fine if they went slow. The tone of his voice said he believed it, but he couldn't hide his true emotions from her.
As they approached the first corner, Ben grunted and stumbled. Andi grabbed him under his arms to steady him, but his entire body shook. "Too much," he said. "Too much buzzing. Danger all around us." His teeth chattered together as he talked, and even with her hanging onto him, he was on the verge of toppling over.
Andi wrapped him in a bear hug and fell backwards against the wall, pulling him with her. "You're concentrating too hard, Ben. Don't try to find everything. Let it come to you."
His shakes continued to the point where she wasn't sure how long she could hold him. "Can't stop. Danger … everywhere."
"You can. I believe in you. Turn it down." His shakes slowed, but didn't stop. She concentrated all her energy on flooding him with the positive emotions of her belief in him, her love of him, and everything else. They slid down the wall so she was sitting with him lying on top of her. She could barely move, but managed to work a hand loose to stroke his hair. She kissed his forehead and whispered encouraging words.
It took a minute, but his shakes subsided, and his ragged breathing returned to normal. She held him tight for another moment, and then he gave a deep breath and rolled off of her. "That was weird," he said. Sweat dripped down his face. "It was like the labyrinth itself was attacking me. The dangerous feelings kept ramping up higher and higher until I couldn't do anything about it. If you weren't here … I don't know. My flesh might have shaken right off my bones."
She did her best to mop off his forehead. "But I was here for you. I'll always be here for you."
He cuddled into her. A wave of love pulsed from him, and the joy of that caused her to give a shudder of her own. Wow, she'd never get tired of that.
"We should get going," she said, though all she wanted was to lie down next to him and snuggle, but that wouldn't get them any closer to finishing Rico's task and rescuing Mom and Dad.
They helped each other up and rounded the first corner, which was two quick lefts for a U-turn, and they were heading back the way they came, though one hallway over. It was slow going, just like before, with Ben and his shield leading the way. Andi checked for anything that might attack while monitoring Ben's emotions. Whatever had ramped his power up to an unbearable level seemed to be gone, but she wanted to nip it in the bud if it came back.
Halfway down this stretch of corridor, Ben stopped. "Something above us. I don't know what."
She looked up but didn't see anything. She nudged him forward, but kept her eyes positioned skyward. After a couple more steps, the ceiling cracked. Andi wrapped her arms around him and jumped forward. A second later, a huge stone crashed down behind them, centered exactly where they'd been. They'd have been squished flat.
"Good reflexes," Ben said, dusting himself off. "We're safe for the moment."
They got to their feet and continued to the right turn ahead. The next hallway stretched as long as the first two put together. There was also an option to turn right about halfway down, but the map showed this led to a dead end. Without the map, would they have chosen that route? And what nasty surprises would they have run into down there?
"I'm getting some buzzing, but it's not danger," Ben said. "Not exactly."
"Just stay focused." Would he know exactly what his warnings meant when they were fully bound, or was this already a product of him being prophesized to have so much power? She shook her head to knock the question from her mind. This wasn't the place. They could worry about such stuff later. Together.
As they approached the turn off, Ben whispered, "Something's going to happen," but he didn't elaborate. She started to ask what, but bright lights flashed, like giant strobes, cutting her off. Ben grunted, and Andi clutched her eyes shut, though it did no good. The lights blinked right through her eyelids.
"I still don't sense any danger," Ben said, his voice raised even though the labyrinth was as quiet as before. Andi understood. The strobe effect was so bright it was like thunderous white noise accompanied it.
"What do we do?" she said, her own voice too loud.
"Keep walking. The map shows we go straight until the end."
She folded her arms around his chest and they shuffled forward together. Was he able to see anything? She didn't open her eyes to find out, instead relying on him to lead the way. After a few more timid steps, a wave of dizziness overtook her, but it passed as quickly as it came. They moved until the flashing lights ceased.