Mythical
The Mystical Series, Book 2
By Michael Weekly
Mythical
Copyright © 2016 by Michael Weekly.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: June 2016
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-659-6
ISBN-10: 1-68058-659-9
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To the mysterious trails in the forest, and the glittering dust on the leaves.
To the invisible creatures that walk about at night.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Epilogue
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Prologue
A few moments earlier…
Donovan sighs deeply, clenching his jaw. He glares at the green ripples the invisible wall is making. We’re on the other side of a different world, gazing at the portal Emily created, yearning to know what’s on the other side. Donovan picks me up and takes us into the unknown. Our bodies ripple through the light green fluorescent wall in the middle of the forest. The feeling is ravishing, yet galvanizing. It’s sort of like diving into cold water for the first time. We splash through the portal, completely dry.
Donovan falls on top of me.
The scruff of his shaved face brushes against my skin. I gaze at the fresh, thin grass tickling the sides of my cheek. It was night when we jumped through the portal. I lift my gaze. The sun is rising here.
Where are we?
“Are you scared?” I ask.
“Shut up, Eliza.”
“Donovan,” I gasp, hardly able to breathe under the weight of his hefty body, “do you mind?”
I pinch his arm, and his head darts up off of my chest. He looks at me, his gaze wandering down my body. Then he scans the area, looking shocked.
“Sorry,” he says awkwardly, still on top of me.
I glare up at his chin, waiting for him to hop off.
“Yup. Well, this is, uh…interesting,” he says.
“Donovan, get off of me!”
“Oh, sorry.”
In front of us there’s a tall, black, brick castle-looking building. I inhale the sweet air around me. I walk absentmindedly toward the building, feeling the long blades of grass tickle the tips of my fingers. A woman struts across the field in front of us. She’s wearing dark green clothing, outlined in white. Across her collarbone are swirly green markings that twirl and twine up and around her neck, and her wavy, dirty blonde hair sparkles in the sun’s rays.
Emily.
She stabs her dagger into the dark green belt around her waist. A field of tall grass blocks us from walking to her. I approach the field. Donovan walks from behind me, holding his broomstick cautiously.
I reach to move the grass out of the way so we can walk inside the field, and a thick blade of grass slaps my hand. I stumble back in pain, furrowing my brow at the leaves moving peacefully.
“What the hell?” I glance down at my hand and rub it, then glare at the grass.
“Elf magic,” Donovan says. “Dangerous stuff right there.” He walks in front of me protectively, in case anything else should happen.
“Stay behind me, Rose.” The grass stops swaying and stands perfectly still. Donovan smirks at me proudly.
Within a second, the grass wraps around Donovan’s waist. The sharp blades slither around his body, constricting his neck and pulling him into their sea of green.
Donovan disappears in the field with the grass rapidly waving in the air. The roots beneath me vibrate, pulling themselves out of the ground and sticking onto my legs, pulling me to the ground. I cough the dirt out of my mouth and feel the tiny rocks on my face.
They’re pulling me in.
Panicking, I claw my fingernails into the moist ground.
Chapter 1
We jump into the portal Emily created in the forest behind Witcher’s Place. The foliage pokes the insides of my palms, dirt sticks on my skin, and the sound of birds chirping from our arrival rings in my ears. The dead leaves break against my cheeks. I move my head on the ground, noticing speckles of green orbs floating in the air around the woods. Donovan extends his rough hand, helping me up on my feet. We twirl around slowly, taking in the scenery.
I step backward, bumping into the rough bark of a tree. On my right arm are the silver markings; on the left are the green ones. I slide my eyes left and the green tattoos glow in the darkness. My boots press on forest ground, and I hear a twig snap behind me. I circle around, searching for anyone else in the woods other than Donovan and me. I lift my gaze to the light pink and green leaves sparkling in their trees. One of the leaves, a glowing pink one, trickles down the same way a feather would. The leaf lands on the center of my palm and my green markings react to its touch. I poke my index finger into the leaf, which puffs into pink mist.
It’s dark, and I know it’s night out, so why is my vision clear? I catch something sprint through the trees in front of me. I circle around, wondering if Donovan is still following from behind. I don’t see him. The cold air around me slides into my lungs, soothing my emotions. I move forward tentatively, feeling the large ferns and plants weave along with me.
I’ve never felt so calm.
I know I’ve wondered why the woods would call for me. Now, it’s like the trees, plants, and leaves are all whispering to me. I hover my hands over the plants, petting them. I hear movement to my left. I try to catch a glimpse of the person with green markings on their calves. I take off running after the silhouette. I’m gliding through the scenery and everything is passing by slowly.
I hear a crack above me and look up. The person is running above on the branches. I stop chasing. This darkness holds me captive. The only thing I can’t make out is this person in the forest’s shadows. My nostrils flare and I breathe deeply. I don’t know why I can sense something about to fall from the trees.
Maybe it’s my witch instinct?
I move to the center only to catch a glowing rose.
I drop the flower when I feel my hand freeze, and th
is time it stings, like someone is scraping the sharp tip of a knife on my forearm. I move my head to the right. A shoe is flying toward my side. The impact chucks my body against the bark of a large tree. I drop to the ground, looking up at silver markings gleaming. The figure clicks a button, revealing a silver glowing whip that slides out of its sheath.
The metal comes alive, darting into the air toward me. There is a shock that causes me to twitch and react harshly. The ends of my fingers reach up to the metal around my neck, constricting my body. The electricity that I’m aware of now is shooting toward me. I clench my teeth and grunt, trying to free myself. I have to hurry before the purple electricity zaps my neck. I blink one more time. The person with the whip around me is a witch; it’s Donovan. I cough, knowing this might be my last chance to survive.
I don’t know why he’s trying to kill me.
“Donovan!” I cry out. “Stop!”
He yanks me forward, his hand around the broomstick. Donovan drags my body across the dirt. The tiny rocks rattle, burning against my cheeks. Closing my eyes, I calm my emotions and allow my witch senses to take over. I catch my breath. I stop uncoiling the whip with my fingers as I dig them into the ground, flinching when I hear a crack above me, and a branch breaks apart. Donovan looks up, knowing it’s going to crash on top of him. He releases the whip from around my neck and the electricity snaps off. Rolling over to my side, I avoid the branch as it falls to the ground. Donovan jumps away, landing in a pile of leaves and ferns, dodging the impact. I run over to hide behind a tree.
Why is he trying to kill me?
“Come out, Elf.” I hear his footsteps head in my direction. He coughs, spitting out the foliage in his mouth. I try not to step on anything on the ground. I think he’s able to see me in the darkness because of my markings so I cover the tattoos with my hand. The wind rustles the trees and my nostrils itch from the moist plants and dry bark around me.
The pink glowing leaves from above rain down to the ground. He’s getting closer. I place my hand on the bark behind me. A sizzle vibrates the palm of my hand. I eye the bark where my hand is. A line of pink shoots up within the cracks of the wood. I glance down; the color is coming from my touch. I remove my hand, and now Donovan knows where I am.
I step out in front of him, punching his side, and then dodge his next attack. Being much bigger and heavier than me, he pushes me back, but I don’t lose my balance. I hold his wrist in the air. I sense what he’s going to do next; I crack his hand and knee his gut. He crouches over. My left arm stings, freezing me. There’s a rumble from the ground as something jets out, wrapping around his chest. It’s a large pink and green vine, holding him in place against the tree behind him. Huffing and puffing from the exertion, I brush through the large ferns, running away. Bumping against a tree, I place my hand on the bark and the pink color glows again. The tree is trying to communicate with me. I sense an exit out of the forest. I drop my hand, seeing the color fade. My eyes still have this weird, numb sensation surging within them. I twist around, leaving Donovan in this forest, or he’ll get released and then attempt to kill me once more. I step out of the wood’s shadows, hearing Donovan fall to the ground. I twist around, stepping forward, but there’s a cliff in front of me and waves glowing a light electric blue. They crash against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. Something cracks on a twig from behind me.
“Rose?”
I turn around, watching him carefully. “Stay away from me.”
“What the hell? It’s not safe here.” He steps forward, but I don’t trust him. The heels of my boots almost slide off the edge. In order to save my life from him I’ll jump if I have to.
“I swear I was following an elf out of the woods not too long ago. Her eyes were glowing a light green.”
“What are you talking about? There’s no elves around here.”
“There are.” He looks around, seeing if there’s a trace of this mystic he wants to kill. “She was different, a fighter and not a runner. I’ve never had to go against one like that. They usually run.”
I come to the conclusion that he’s talking about me, but how can that be? I’m not an elf; he must’ve been tricked by…I remember the elf that was in the trees.
He must’ve been hallucinating, which is why in my grimoire it states to never follow an elf into the forest. This is the reason why. It was some sort of illusion. He was seeing me as an elf. The wind off the ocean blows my hair in front of me. The moon’s light glimmers on my markings. I gaze at my left arm to find my green tattoos aren’t glowing. I rub my eyes; they feel normal again.
In the distance across the ocean, a tall, black, castle-looking building is standing still. I part my mouth briefly, breathing in the sweet air around us. There’s no way for us to reach it from here. I glance down at the ocean in time to see a pair of feet disappear into the glowing water, and on the ankles are light blue markings.
“We have to go back into the forest.” I look up from the water at Donovan. He looks like he’s not going to agree to this plan.
“It’s the only way, Don.”
“Don? We’re going by nicknames now?” He chuckles, rubbing his scruffy chin.
“Well you’ve been calling me—” Then I remember I gave him my last name instead of my first. I kind of like him calling me Rose, so I shake my head. He looks at me confused.
“Let’s get back to the other side; Emily might be looking for us,” I say.
He looks up at the large trees and the fireflies, floating within the shadows. “I don’t trust these woods,” he says.
The stars in the sky compliment the pink glow from the trees inside this natural maze. I grin. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I walk back inside, but I don’t feel Donovan’s presence following me. There is a click-clack of a button from his broomstick. I rub my sides for mine and my dagger but I don’t think I’ll need them. He stares at me in devastation. His lips quiver in anger and confusion. His eyes look down to my left arm. My markings are glowing again in the darkness. He’s outside of the forest staring at me awkwardly.
“Your eyes…they’re glowing green. Who the hell are you?”
My eyes are numbing up again, freezing once more. “Donovan, I think you’re seeing an illusion.”
“You’re lying to me.” His whip slithers out and he raises his hand in the air. I know what he’s going to do. I sidestep and the metal breaks off the bark from the tree next to me. The wood floats in front of my eyes. He’s about to come for me. Everything is going in slow motion so I don’t know how to react. Something is telling me to place my hand on a tree. I obey.
The pink color beams up again, only this time three trees crash down together, creating a large wood wall between Donovan and me. I remove my hand, seeing the trail of pink cut through the wood of the tree. This is my only chance to get to the other side before he kills me. He’s kicking the barricade I created, each kick a thump against my chest. My heart racing, I run into the depths of the forest. The feeling of gliding through the woods overwhelms me again. The same elf in the darkness lights up the forest with the green markings on its legs. The same rose drops once more on the ground. This time I don’t pick it up. There is a thump against my chest and I know that Donovan has broken through the wall.
When I am close to the other side, I hear him running after me. His cold metal tangles around my ankles, tripping me. The elf in this forest falls gracefully from a tree, kicking Donovan on the ground and then running away. I collect myself, digging my fingers in the moist ground, and run out of the woods. The jagged branches scratch my cheeks and pull on my hair. I walk backward, tripping down a large hill and landing belly up on the ground. Donovan races down the hill upside down.
The castle’s lights beam on top of the waving grass of the field in front of me. Donovan is approaching me from behind, his sword’s tip right in the middle of my neck. His silver markings fade in and out.
“I’m telling you, it’s a hallucination,” I say, avoiding his glare. He k
eeps his sword against my neck.
“Your brother is evil. Your favorite spot to go to let your mind free is some raggedy old building.” I try to gain back his trust.
He lowers his sword, panting down at me. “I never brought anyone there but Rose.”
I stare into his eyes. “I’m your Rose.”
“Shut up, rookie.”
“I tried telling you it was some sort of illusion. Geez, you’re out for blood.”
“We followed an elf into this place. How did you think I’d act?”
“I have no clue,” I say.
There’s a girl walking out of the castle. The doors are open and golden light escapes from inside, lighting up the large field we’re about to enter. The girl is wearing dark green clothing, and silver lines outline the edges of her outfit. Across her chest are swirly green tattoo lines that twirl and twine up around her neck.
Emily Woods traces her fingers on the sides of her jaws, her hazel eyes glaring across the field at us. She tucks her dagger onto the white belt around her slim waist.
I’m like a tiny ant, gazing up at the tall grass in front of us. Donovan stumbles behind me, holding onto his broomstick cautiously. I reach up to move the grass out of the way so that we can enter the field. A thick blade of grass slaps my hand, and I jerk back in pain.
“What the hell…?” I glance at my hand, rubbing it to soothe the pain.
“Elf magic,” Donovan says. “Dangerous stuff right here.”
“I thought elves can’t use magic?”
“Higher ranked ones can.”
Donovan walks in front of me, trying to be protective, yet he’s the one who almost killed me.
“Stay behind me, Rose,” he mumbles, clicking the button on his broomstick.
“Donovan, I don’t feel good about this. I don’t know…it’s not right.”
He looks over at me and then back to the grass. “I’m going to cut our way through,” he says under his breath, motioning with his broomstick. He steps, lunging forward with his sword.
Mythical (The Mystical Series Book 2) Page 1