“What happens to those not deemed worthy?” Harry eyed up Jacen, looking worried. Like he thought he might be turned into vampire food or something.
“There are a few options. None of them anything to worry about,” Jacen said calmly. “As volunteers to join the Earth Angel’s army, you’ll be well taken care of, whether on Avalon, the Vale, or the Haven. Now.” He walked to the nearest rowboat and gripped the edge of it. “Who wants to get in first?”
“Me.” I waded forward, eager to get on with this. I was also eager to get out of the freezing water.
Noah was right by my side, and he took the boat next to mine. The others followed our lead. Bella and Harry placed the twins into boats before getting into ones of their own.
I situated myself inside. The interior of the boat was bare. From the looks of it, it should have been uncomfortable to sit in. But it wasn’t. Because once inside the boat, I felt warm. Safe. The fog no longer felt cold against my skin. Instead, it was like a familiar blanket. Like it was telling me not to worry. That everything was going to be okay.
I felt more relaxed than I had in ages.
“Everyone comfortable?” Jacen asked, looking at the group of us.
I nodded, feeling so calm that I couldn’t bring myself to talk.
“Great.” Jacen must have done something, because the boats unlocked from their anchors and started drifting away from the shore. “Good luck, and I’ll see you on Avalon.”
24
Raven
My eyes felt heavy the moment I sailed into the mist. It was like the fog was a sedative, urging me to sleep.
I looked to the side to see if Noah was experiencing the same thing. But the fog was so thick that I couldn’t see him.
I couldn’t see any of the others, or their boats.
I was out in the ocean alone. I had no idea how far out my boat had floated. And with each breath I took, my body felt heavier and heavier. Like my blood was turning to lead.
Was this supposed to be happening? Wouldn’t Jacen have warned us if the mist were drugged?
I’d had anesthesia once, when I got my wisdom teeth out in high school. This fog felt kind of like that.
I tried to remain sitting up. But my body moved against my will, sliding down, down, down until I was lying in the center of the boat.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry out and ask if the others were there—if they were experiencing the same thing.
But my eyes drooped shut, darkness surrounded me, and I had no choice but to surrender to the tranquilizing mist.
25
Raven
I woke to a warm ray of sunlight shining down upon my face.
The boat was no longer beneath me. I was lying on the ground.
How had I gotten from the boat to wherever I was now?
I blinked a few times and sat up, using my hand to guard my eyes from the bright sunlight. I looked around, quickly realizing I was in a giant cavern. There were stalactites and stalagmites everywhere. There was only one break in the ceiling, and that was where the sunlight streaked through.
Panic lodged in my throat. Because I didn’t think this was Avalon. Avalon was supposed to be an island, and Jacen had said he was going to meet us there.
Had I been denied entrance to Avalon? Had I been dumped into the “other place” where Jacen said a supernatural guard of the Vale would be meeting me?
Had I failed before I’d even had a chance to begin?
Despair filled my soul, and tears welled in my eyes. My mom was depending on me to get to Avalon and pass the Angel Trials. If I couldn’t get to Avalon, how was I going to save her?
She needed me. Yet here I was. Trapped somewhere that clearly wasn’t Avalon.
Turn around, a deep, male voice echoed in my mind.
I startled and looked around the cave. No one was there.
Where was the voice coming from? It didn’t sound like it was coming from anywhere in particular. But I did as it said and turned. I expected to find the person speaking to me behind me.
Instead, I saw four stone pedestals. Each pedestal was about waist height. Upon each of them was a weapon.
A sword. A bow with arrows. A trident. A whip.
Each weapon was shiny, new, and glorious. Like it had been made for royalty.
Touch each weapon to learn about it, the voice spoke again. It echoed not just through my mind, but through the entire cave. Like it was speaking to me from the heavens. Then choose.
I looked around the cavern again, searching for the speaker of the voice.
No one was there.
Okay. This was weird. Hearing voices was not normal.
What are you waiting for, Raven? The voice spoke again. Touch each weapon and choose.
“I was supposed to be going to Avalon.” I rotated around as I spoke, wanting to make sure whoever was speaking to me heard. “Where am I? How did I get here?”
You’re still on your way to Avalon. Was it just me, or did the voice sound… amused? If you want a chance at getting there, you need to trust me and follow my instructions.
“Who are you?” I spoke faster now, panicking. My heart pounded in my throat. I was alone, and scared. I wished Noah were here. “Why should I trust you?”
I’m afraid I cannot answer either of those questions, though you’re smart to ask them. The voice sounded sad now, like he desperately wanted me to listen and do as he asked. All I can do is ask you to look deep into your heart. If following my instructions feels right to you, go ahead and choose a weapon. If not, your journey will end here.
I swallowed. The voice was being cryptic, but my journey ending here didn’t sound good.
You have five minutes, he continued. Choose.
Suddenly, large bright yellow numbers appeared on the wall behind the four weapons. Five minutes, counting down by the second.
I didn’t like this. I hated being forced to make decisions without being able to ask all the questions I wanted. I especially hated being timed.
But as I stared at the seconds ticking down, an instinctive feeling rushed through me, telling me to do as the voice instructed. Because despite not being able to see who was speaking to me, his voice sounded kind. Trustworthy. Fatherly.
If I didn’t do as he’d asked, I’d always look back at this moment with regret. I don’t know how I knew it. I just did.
“All right,” I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else, and stepped up to the pedestals. “Here goes nothing.”
26
Raven
I approached the sword first. I stared at it for a second, unsure what would happen when I touched it.
But the bright numbers ticking down ahead reminded me that time was of the essence. So I reached forward and rested my fingers upon the handle.
The moment I made contact with it, I was no longer in the cave. I was in a beautiful valley. It smelled like spring. There was bright green grass everywhere, a forest up ahead, and chirping animals.
This place was paradise. Too perfect to be real.
And there I was, standing in the middle of it all, wielding the sword. It was as light as ever. I gave it a few practice swings through the air, and red magic danced like flames around the blade. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I played with the weapon, sensing the power of the magic. It was like I’d been born to hold it.
I was still swinging it around, watching the red magic dancing around the blade, when a large log appeared in front of me. It literally appeared, straight out of thin air. It was being propped up on both ends so it was about two feet above the ground. And somehow, I knew why it was there.
It was there so I could use the sword.
I raised the sword above my head and brought it down on the center of the log. The red magic flared around the sword as it easily sliced through the wood. The log gave no resistance at all. It was like slicing through butter.
Both ends of the log now touched the ground. A perfect, clean cut. Incredible.
The log di
sappeared, and a sword appeared in its place. It was similar in appearance to mine, but without the magical red glow around it. The blade looked like typical steel. Like the log, it was propped up above the ground.
My magical sword sliced through the normal sword as easily as it had sliced through the log. A clean, perfect cut, again.
The broken pieces of the severed sword disappeared, and a long slab of marble appeared in its place.
My magical sword sliced through that as well. Just as cleanly and easily as everything else.
It shouldn’t have been possible. But staring at the incredible sword in my grip, I suddenly understood what it could do.
It had the power to cut through any material, no matter how resistant it would otherwise be to a normal blade.
The moment the thought passed through my mind, the valley disappeared. I was back in the cave, standing over the pedestals. It was like I’d never been in the valley at all—like it had all happened in my mind. And my hand still rested upon the hilt of the sword.
I didn’t want to pull away. The sword felt so right under my fingers, like it was always meant to be mine. A large part of me wanted to lift it from the pedestal and choose it on instinct.
But I still had four minutes left, and three other magical weapons to learn about. Yes, the sword was alluring. It spoke to me in a way I couldn’t explain. It pulsed under my fingers, like it was tied to the beat of my heart.
But what if I felt the same way after touching one of the other objects? What if one of them called to me even more?
I needed to be smart about my choice.
So I pulled my fingers away from the sword, forcing myself to move onto the weapon on the next pedestal. The bow and arrows.
I reached for the bow and rested my fingers upon it.
27
Raven
Again, I saw myself in the valley, wielding the weapon. An arrow was strung through the bow, the tip of it blazing green with magic.
Ahead of me was a target. Despite having never used a bow in my life, I pulled back my arm, released the arrow, and sent it straight into the bulls-eye.
The target moved farther and farther away. Each time it moved, I shot another arrow at it. Once the arrow landed, the target zoomed forward and presented itself to me.
I hit the bulls-eye every time.
Eventually, the target was so far away that it was beyond my line of sight altogether. Still, I pulled back on the bowstring and shot the arrow in the general area where it must have been.
Bulls-eye. Again.
The bow had the power to always hit its target, no matter how far away the target might be.
Once the realization hit me, I was drawn out of my mind, back to the cave where my fingers laid upon the weapon.
I stared down at it, remembering what it felt like to shoot those arrows. So light and free. The bow was powerful, yes.
But it didn’t call to me like the sword.
A glance at the countdown showed only thirty seconds had passed. So I raised my fingers from the bow and moved onto the next item.
The trident.
I placed my fingers upon the gold metal and was in the valley again. I expected to use the trident offensively again—perhaps to throw it and have it land wherever I wanted. But no.
I lifted the trident up so the fork of it was high above my head. It glowed an unearthly blue, and wind whipped around me. The wind grew in strength until some of the smaller trees in the valley were uprooted and blew away.
I wasn’t sure how I was still standing strong. I could only attribute it to magic.
After the wind came the lightning. Dozens of strikes, each one hitting a tree up ahead. Each tree that was hit split down the center, charred and ruined.
I was controlling the weather with the trident. I stared at the ruined trees in front of me—trees that had once been alive and thriving. They were destroyed. Dead.
The once beautiful valley looked like it had been through a hurricane. The grass was drowned, trampled upon, and brown. The chirping animal noises were gone. Silent. Dead. The storm had killed them all.
Destroying such a peaceful place felt wrong all the way down to my bones. It felt evil.
I stared at my hand wrapped around the base of the trident, and terror shot through my body at the immense power behind the weapon. It was capable of a level of destruction that scared me. I didn’t want to wield such a weapon, no matter how much power came with it.
I dropped the trident down to my feet, not wanting to touch it anymore.
The moment I did, the ruined valley disappeared. I was back inside the cave. My fingers no longer rested upon the terrifying weapon. It sat upon its pedestal, looking no more dangerous than the other weapons.
I knew one thing for sure. I certainly wasn’t choosing the trident.
I glanced at the ticking clock—only two minutes left. I’d stayed in the “land of the trident” for longer than all the other weapons.
Quickly, I moved onto the final weapon. The whip. It was made of plain, course rope, as long as a snake. The only part of it that looked magical was the golden handle.
The moment I touched it, I was back in the valley. Thankfully, the valley was no longer destroyed from the trident. It was back to its natural state—trees straight and strong, and animals chirping in the spring breeze. I let out a breath of relief that I hadn’t permanently destroyed this beautiful place.
I held the whip awkwardly by my side, unsure what to do. With all the other objects, my mission had been clear.
Maybe I needed to make the first move this time?
I tried twirling the whip around my head and cracking it cowgirl style. It didn’t make a sound. So much for that.
Suddenly, something came flying at me from the trees. A stone. It was like someone had catapulted it toward me… except there was no one else in the valley.
I wanted to run out of its path. But my feet were glued to the ground. So I raised my arm and twirled the whip above my head. Unlike last time, the whip shined a glowing yellow. The magic radiated from the weapon, into my hand, and through my entire body.
The whip snapped at the stone and turned it to dust.
I smiled down at the weapon in my hand, amazed I’d pulled off such a feat.
But I didn’t have time to pause for long before multiple arrows shot toward me. They came from the same place in the trees as the stone, appearing from what looked like nothing.
The whip took on a mind of its own, twirling and cracking around the arrows, turning each one to dust before it could hit me. With the weapons in my hand, I moved with startling speed, like a cobra. It was like the whip and I shared a mind of our own.
The moment the arrows stopping coming at me, the bright yellow magic faded from around the whip. It was back to normal.
I waited a bit for something else to fly at me. Nothing happened. The attacks seemed to be over.
Curious, I walked toward a small tree nearby, twirled the whip, and tried to wrap it around the trunk.
I missed by a foot.
The whip must have the power to stop anything from harming its owner. It was a defensive weapon—not an offensive one. Completely the opposite of the trident. The magic would only help me if I were being attacked.
The moment I realized the nature of the whip’s power, the valley disappeared around me and I was back in the cavern. My fingers were laid upon the beautiful golden handle of the weapon.
I glanced at the countdown on the wall. Fifteen seconds.
How had so much time passed while I was in the valley with the whip?
I didn’t have time to contemplate it. Because if I didn’t make a choice before the timer hit zero, this was over.
I still wasn’t sure what “this” was, but I didn’t want it to be over. So I needed to choose a weapon. Now.
Three seconds. It looked like I was relaying on gut instinct here.
I walked over to the one that called to me the most, lifted it from the pedestal,
and raised it above my head. “This,” I declared to the mysterious, all-knowing voice, “is the weapon I choose.”
28
Raven
The countdown stopped with one second to go. All of the other pedestals—and the weapons upon them—vanished.
A bold choice, the voice said.
I swallowed, unsure if that was a good thing or not.
Four powerful weapons were presented before you, the voice continued. Why did you choose the sword?
He asked it like I had a long time to make my decision, instead of merely seconds.
“It called to me.” I shrugged. “When I used the sword it felt right.”
And when you used the other weapons?
I turned around to look behind me. Hopefully the man behind the voice might present himself now that I’d made my decision.
No one was there.
I was still speaking to a magical, disembodied voice in the cave. Whoever this guy was, he really wanted to remain impersonal.
“The trident felt awful,” I started with the most obvious one. “There was something dark about it. Something evil. Something I didn’t want to claim as mine.” I shivered just thinking about the ruined valley the trident had left in its wake. “Both the bow and the whip felt good to use, but neither of them felt right for me.”
Can you elaborate?
I pressed my lips together and studied the sword in my hand, thinking about how to explain why the sword was right and the others were wrong. “The bow needs to be used at far range, which would put me at risk in close up combat,” I said. “And the whip can only be used defensively, not offensively. I felt like it controlled me instead of the other way around. So I guess I chose the sword because it gives me the most control.”
The Angel Trials- The Complete Series Page 71