I shrugged off the comment and smiled at him. “So you were born smarter than all of us?” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
“Being around my family for eighteen years, it’s quite the competition.” He said, ignoring my attempt to be funny.
I looked down and chewed on the side of my lip. “Did you get hurt?”
“The only thing that hurt was what I saw.” He stuttered.
“Which was?” I didn’t want to pry, but I was genuinely curious. I was only exposed to my visions of other Enchanted, no one else’s.
He sucked in and ran his finger over his jawline. “I always had this nightmare as a kid,” he shook his head and closed his eyes. I could tell he was thinking about it and it hurt him. I wanted to stop him, but he continued to talk.
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“A creature would break my mom’s neck right in front of me, over and over again. It never left my brain, I still always think about it. So every time I see an Enchanted, I see that monster.”
“You saw that?” I was worried that I opened a wound I shouldn’t have opened. But I knew I had.
“Yeah, always do.”
I breathed in once and looked up at the sky, now flooded with dark navy. “Do you think we’re going to make out? Just be honest, please.”
“I think we will.”
I swallowed hard, hoping that reassurance would last. “And once we make it out, then what? Are we just going to forget about everything that happened?”
He glanced over at our families, and then turned to look at me again. I inspected his expression. He kept blinking, his brown eyelashes curling above the blueness of his eyes. He sucked in his cheeks, stretching his jawline as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair. “Maybe they will try, but I won’t.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Well for one,” he stood up, extending one hand to help me. “We’re destined to be together.”
He pulled me so close, holding our chests together as I felt the beating of his heart. “Or one of us loves the other.” He smiled letting me go.
I didn’t know what to say. There were always moments like this that left me speechless between us. My cheeks flushed red as I placed my hand over them to hide the color. It was moments like these that I didn’t know what Nate and I even were; if we were in fact even anything.
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I awkwardly laughed and crossed my arms over my chest. “Do you believe it? The ‘destined to be together’ thing?” I asked.
“Well I don’t know, do you?”
I just smiled at him and walked towards my mother and Paul, who was sitting near Ethan. “Paul,” I called out, looking at my mother.
“Kaylin?” He answered, tending his son.
“Are we almost out? Can you feel it?”
He looked down to his arm and ran his finger along the map. “Soon, but not quite.” H glanced at my mother then moved away from his son.
I walked over to Ethan, placing my fingers over the cloth wrapped around his wound. “How are you feeling soldier?” I asked, looking at his arm.
“Brave captain,” he saluted at me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. For the first time I looked at Ethan, and saw a dark haired boy with violet eyes, white smooth skin and an innocent little smile.
“Ethan, I can see you.” I released, amazed. What was going on here? Am I actually crazy? Did I inhale smoke?
“You couldn’t before?” He asked in a small, confused tone.
Wait what the hell. “Could you?”
“Bit by bit, but lately I could.” Was this even possible? Could I love this boy or did he love me? This was too strange to even think about. I didn’t want to think about this, I couldn’t. I couldn’t believe what was happening here. Was the curse lifted in the Crescent? But then, I would be able to see everyone else and I could only see my family, Marrow, Nate and now, Ethan. I looked
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over at my mother, a blank expression on my face and glanced to Paul. I was afraid; not because I saw my father, but because I saw him too. This was messed up. This was beyond bizarre now. He looked exactly like Ethan, except older.
I had to talk to my mom, I couldn’t let this pass.
“Mom, I need to talk to you.” I peered over to Paul, “Privately would be nice.”
My mom looked at me in bewilderment, as I lead her to the opposite end of the wall. I leaned against it, looking back at Paul and Ethan, then attempted to look at Liz, Lore, Beth and Sage but they all looked like my father. I shook my head and stared at my mother’s brown curls bouncing back and forth as she stopped in front of me.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
I didn’t even give her the time of day to breathe, I just began rambling.
“Mom, I see Paul and Ethan. I mean, unless the destiny thing got messed up and I’m supposed to end up with Paul, I think we have an issue. And Ethan? Why can I see him mom?” I was seriously looking for answers this time, no beating around the bush. Talking about it out loud felt so much weirder.
She looked back at Paul and Ethan, releasing a breath.
“Mom?” I asked again.
“I couldn’t accept that I was meant to be with Paul in the beginning, but I have no choice, Kaylin. If my own daughter can see my soul mate, it’s clear that I’m supposed to be with him. Ethan is most likely meant to be your brother.”
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I couldn’t even take in this information. I couldn’t retain it, nor did I want to. It’s not that I hadn’t grown an attachment to Ethan, but, how could he be my brother? Devon was my brother, my only brother.
“How do you even know this?” I couldn’t think straight with everything that was happening. Where did my dad come in? Did they even really love each other?
“I’m just breaking things down Kaylin, I’m being logical. It’s impossible that you could see them. Ethan I understand, you probably grew to love him in a way that’s protective. But Paul?”
I shook my head, ignoring everything she was saying to me. “No, it can’t be possible.”
“Why is it so hard for you to accept the possibility, Kaylin?”
I took in a long breath and braced myself for the regret that was about to come out of my mouth. I was trying to think of other ways to word what I was about to say. “It’s just-,” I sighed. “I can’t see you with anyone other than dad.”
Her features softened as she glanced at Paul and took my hand. “Daniel was a great man, whom I loved. I know that for several years you’ve been blaming yourself for losing him, but you have to accept this.”
“I don’t believe in it.” I said harshly.
“So you don’t believe you and Nate are destined to be?”
I glanced at Nate who was sitting with Marrow, pouring water into a stone.
“All I know is The Enchantress is somehow toying with me, and she’s been toying with everyone. Every Labyrinth,
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every Enchanted, everything she did this to us. These monsters, these destinies that she planted into our heads, she created to distract and destroy us. I’m not going to sit here, and talk to you about my new father and brother.” I spat. “Because if you remember, we were just attacked. There is no destiny, and no love, there is nothing while she rules.”
I can’t believe I just said what I said. I lost control and that was the outcome. This is why you have an inner dialogue, Kaylin, stick to it.
Yet, her face remained calm as took my hand again. “Kaylin I never said I loved Paul, but you seeing him changes things for us.”
“It shouldn’t and you shouldn’t love him, you just don’t know him.”
She released my hand and stared at me, her lips pressing together. “And what Kaylin, you don’t think I feel the same way about you and Nate? I’m not bothering in your business but I see the way he looks at you, I see it all. I’m not blind-,” her tone was harsh and raw now. “The way you two interact with each other. I saw over there, when you two were together, I saw it, I see it.”
I only noticed how much I was blushing when she finished talking. Her words clung to me like hot rocks and I was so embarrassed that she saw everything; this wasn’t a fight I was going to win. I couldn’t help the feeling anymore, I couldn’t hide it.
“Pretend that we didn’t have this discussion, Kaylin.”
She turned her back to me and walked to Paul. I stared until she made her place beside him, and slumped down against the wall, looking up at the sky. I closed my
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eyes for a few moments before feeling liquid drip on my face. Great.
“Am I bothering you?” Marrow asked. His cobalt eyes stared down at me as he pat the top of my head.
“When are you not?” I asked, flatly. He laughed and began to walk away, until I noticed that the red sensor square on my arm started to flash red. Something was coming.
“Marrow,” I whispered.
“Yeah?” He turned around to face me.
“Tell the others to move, look at your arm.”
He quickly glanced down as his eyes grew wide. He ran into the middle of everyone and began to yell.
“There’s something coming! Take out your knives!”
I looked up as the navy sky turned grey. What looked like little flies swarmed down, heading right for us.
“They’re makents, they feed on blood! They clip onto your skin and pull you apart piece by piece. I think I can make a shield, it won’t last long but it’ll work!” Paul yelled as he swirled his hands around on the stone. Before I knew it, a transparent bubble flew up covering us.
The makents tried penetrating the shield, but fell to the ground. I noticed Paul sweating heavy and I began to worry.
“How do we kill them?” Lore asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how to kill them. Something, something isn’t right.” Paul shook his head. He was frantically swirling his hands in the air as the mark began to disappear.
“The mark’s fading, it won’t hold much any longer!” He yelled.
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Kaylin, Fire dome…
It was my father’s voice. Not the voice in the wind, it was clear. My father. I needed him. He was alive, he had to be; I needed him to give me this strength. I was going to save us.
I didn’t think twice. “Run when I say!” I yelled.
“What?” Paul shouted back.
“Just run when I say!” I closed my eyes and turned my body into flames, as my tattoo flashed crimson red, my hands lit sparks. I never knew I could do this, I never learned this. This wasn’t me, but it was.
“Run!” I screamed.
Everyone sprinted to the next path as the buzzing came closer, nearer. I blew out a fireball and pulled it apart with my hands, stretching it until it reached the size of a dome. The makents piled in, turning into black ash as they hit the fire dome.
The buzzing stopped.
With my arms still high, I drew a circle, a line underneath it and a triangle pointing to it in the flames. This gave me permanent control until I stopped the spell. I dropped my hands to the ground and fell to my knees, heat pouring in as the fire died down. I watched as everyone removed their hands from their heads and got up slowly.
“They’re, gone.” Paul said, lost for words. “Kaylin, what did you do? You’re supposed to be weak here.”
“Paul’s right,” Lore jumped in, astonished. “How did you do that?”
I said nothing. I looked down at my tattoo as all but one letter faded to black.
D, Daniel. My father.
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***
“Kaylin, I don’t understand how you did that. It makes no sense.” Lore’s voice sounded mesmerized as we began our journey forward.
“I didn’t think I could, believe me.” I answered, shaking my head as I wrapped my arms around me.
The darkness still flooded the sky, as an innocent hum sang through the back of my mind.
Good, Kaylin...
The tone wasn’t familiar, not like my father’s. I slid my hand over my tattoo, thinking about how I could possibly pull off the fire dome, and how strong I felt while doing it. Even though I’m supposed to be weak here, I felt powerful. I ran my fingers through the strands of hair falling over my eyes, as the wind blew heavily. I scanned Beth and Sage who were walking side by side together, Liz and Lore who were hand in hand, and my mom, sisters, Paul and Ethan huddling together as they walked.
Seeing my mother and Paul together made me realize that the destiny could be true after all. It makes you sick, too. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, he and his son were both visible to my eyes, there was no other explanation. Nate and Marrow were discussing something as Marrow’s hands waved in the air, and Nate kept quiet. Devon was walking alone with his hands in his pockets. I looked down at my arm which now had a blue line glowing further up the map with as much ground we covered.
I never knew that half of the creatures we faced even existed. Bazlars, scanners, makents; thanks to The Enchantress, these were all possible. She created havoc in our lives and put the curse of the Enchanted on us.
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Five, creatures...
The voice whispered. It was familiar, but I couldn’t identify if it was my father’s or not. Before I noticed, everyone stopped moving. I looked ahead and saw a stone wall completely closed in, and covered with white dust; a dead end.
I tilted my head in confusion. “Aren’t we supposed to be going this way?” I asked.
“According to the map, yes? The other path is a dead end.” Lore shook his head in bewilderment.
I walked up to the wall and examined it.
“Maybe we mixed up the paths?” Liz questioned.
“It doesn’t hurt to check.” Lore turned around, “Let’s see.”
I turned around and saw that everyone began to walk back, except Ethan who was staring at the wall. I, too, moved forward, close enough to touch it. As I blew once at the stone, the white dust drifted away revealing a white symbol. My eyebrows rose in wonder as I traced my fingers over it, reside sticking on my fingers. I cleaned the remaining dust off the wall and there, drawn between the stones, was a series of lines I didn’t recognize. I moved back as Ethan rushed in front of me, tracing the lines he could reach with his fingertips.
“I recognize this,” he pointed. “It opens things,” Ethan released.
This must have been a spell they used to open things with air, because ours was very much different. He dropped to the ground and grabbed a rock, kneeling right in front of the wall, and drew the exact same thing. It looked like a seven with a line on the opposite side and a
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small line at the bottom. As soon as he finished, the drawing on the wall vanished, disappearing letter by letter.
“What happened?” Ethan asked.
I stared as white smoke began to escape through the cracks. A face appeared on the wall, a shaded hologram of a head with its face hidden by a dark mask.
“Dad!” Ethan called out. Moments later, dozens of footsteps rushed behind us. Everyone stopped just in front of the wall, shocked. The hologram swayed back and forth then stopped.
“Speak.” It boomed.
Liz stumbled out of the crowd, lifting a hand and placing the other at her knife belt. “I am Liz, and this-,”
The masked figure cut her off. “You need no weapons child.” It breathed.
She removed her hand from her belt and stood still. “Forgive me, may we pass?”
“Impress me.” Its head turned to each and every one of us before focusing back on Liz. Everyone looked to and from each other, confused. Especially me. Quite the demanding folk we have on our hands. Shut up, Kaylin.
Lore stepped forward and removed the brown belt at his waist, moving beside his wife. “Impress you? We don’t understand.”
“You are all Enchanted, I expect. You all master elements, show me your best power.” Its head tilted down, sending a shiver through my entire body.
Mumbles of decisions filled the air, and t
hen the faceless hologram rumbled. “I’m growing impatient. I would like to see the one who bore air.”
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Paul stepped forward, glancing back at his son. “Not you.” His direction turned to Ethan, “The one who summoned me.”
Ethan raced to his father’s side, grasping tightly of his hand. Paul pulled his son by the shoulder and hid him with one arm, but Ethan found his way around.
“I know a spell daddy,” he said.
Paul looked concerned but moved back, making room for Ethan to walk in front of the hologram. He looked at me once, the light reflecting off of his violet pupils and knelt down, closing his eyes. I stared at him until the winds became too strong that I couldn’t even open my own eyes. A melodic tune rang through my ears and I realized that the spell Ethan was showing was the spell he showed Nate and I. Drumbeats and xylophones filled the air as I smiled looking at his proud face. He unclasped his hands and the wind stopped.
“Your talent has potential.” It spoke deeply.
Paul retrieved his son and patted his back, then continued hiding him with one arm. “Now may we pass?” Paul asked.
The figure shook its head and stared at Paul. “It is greater than God and harnesses the Devil’s evil. It lies on planets never to be heard of, yet cannot speak a word. You may pass once you answer.”
Riddle, I thought. I should have guessed. I repeated the riddle in my head, over and over: it is greater than God and harnesses more evil than the Devil. It lies on planets never to be heard of, yet cannot speak a word. The words sounded more familiar each time, but I just couldn’t find the perfect answer.
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“And why is this necessary?” Marrow questioned, impatiently.
Instantly a hard wind blew to my face and moved straight to Marrow, pushing him down so his head faced the dirt. He lifted his arm trying to move, but he couldn’t rise. Liz, Lore and Nate rushed to his side, yelling frantically.
Enchanted: The Labyrinth Page 14