The Shadows of Dark Root (Daughters of Dark Root Book 5)

by April Aasheim

  My sister wrinkled her nose. “That’s been bothering me, if you want to know the truth, Mags.” She picked up her pace, taking a spot in the middle of our formation. When she spoke again, she spoke to all of us. “I read about a place called the Elysian Fields. It was where souls went to rest after a hard life. Energy was restored there, and burdens were lightened.

  “I always found that story creepy, souls just wandering fields endlessly. With or without their earthly burdens, all I could picture was the hopelessness of it all.” She looked around and sighed deeply, and as she exhaled the skies seemed to darken to a dusky blue.

  Wandering fields endlessly.

  Endlessly?

  It did seem to be endless and unchanging. My earlier euphoria gave way to panic. I felt my ankh, but it was now dormant. Shane forged ahead determinedly, and I tried to reaffirm my faith in him.

  “Why would anyone want to go to a wheat farm when they died?” Eve asked.

  “Wheat is highly symbolic,” Ruth Anne volunteered. She stretched out her hand, high-fiving each stock she passed. “In many ancient cultures, bread is associated with fertility, life, and abundance. Ancient people found it comforting to enter an afterlife of such extravagance.”

  “That’s not much of a sales pitch,” Eve said.

  “Wheat is also associated with the modern church.” Paul, who rarely talked unless a subject interested him, was suddenly animated. “For instance, breaking bread is an expression of charity. And the grain itself represents the resurrection, that all things will be born again.”

  “Preach it!” Ruth Anne said, joining Paul. The two continued discussing wheat fun facts, while Eve rolled her eyes behind them. Is she still upset with Ruth Anne for that long-ago indiscretion, or was there something else?

  Flocks of birds crossed the sky at various intervals. And while there were certainly worse places we could have ended up, every step increased the urgency of my mission. I checked the timer – the sand continued to fall.

  Soon we had guests. Dozens of black ravens collected, perching on the faraway stalks, watching us.

  “Are we getting closer?” I nervously asked Shane.

  He lifted the rim of his cowboy hat. “I feel like we are, but it’s frustrating. I have no control over this landscape like when I dreamwalk.”

  “But you can still feel Montana?”

  “Yes, very strongly.”

  “Oh, thank god.” I kissed his cheek and he smiled. “Does he feel… healthy?”

  “Mags, I can only see flashes of him for a second at best.” He saw my fallen expression and quickly added, “His energy is strong or I wouldn’t be able to get a read. We just have to keep moving forward and not take anything at face value. These landscapes are deceiving. What looks like miles may be only a dozen steps…what the hell?”

  Shane stopped abruptly. We all did. We had come to the edge of the wheat field, and the setting changing like a slide in a View-Master. We stood before another field, this one of gray-white flowers. Asphodels.

  I bent to pick one, remembering how I had planted one on the Upper World, how it was said the flowers connected the living to the dead.

  “I’ll be,” Ruth Anne said, scratching her head. “Is this really Asphodel Meadows?”

  “What?” Eve asked.

  “The place where apathetic souls went in the afterlife,” Paul jumped in. “At least, according to the ancient Greeks.”

  “I don’t see any souls here,” Merry said. “Apathetic or otherwise. Just us and nine trillion sad-looking flowers.”

  I looked behind me, but the wheat field was already gone. Shane motioned for us to keep going. Our moods ebbed to a dishwater blah, as we considered how long we’d be wandering this new field.

  “I used to dream about these fields,” Ruth Anne said. “I read about them in Uncle Joe’s library. I’m not sure why I was so frightened of these places. They seem a bit boring, really.”

  Michael stopped, holding his finger to his lips. “You hear that?”

  “What?” we all asked.

  “Maybe I should say, ‘did you ‘feel’ that?’”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.

  He looked around warily, his fingers grazing his cross. Michael wasn’t the easily frightened type, so this worried me. “There’s a bad storm brewing, Maggie,” he whispered, so that only I could hear. “Mark my words.”

  Shane gave him a hard glare as he moved on. Tensions were amplified here. Eve was eying Ruth Anne, while Shane and Michael argued back and forth. For a place of apathy, we weren’t very apathetic.

  The temperature rose and I grew uncomfortably warm. It might be a trick of the mind, but the sweat rolling down my neck was real.

  “Maggie, can you ask your husband where he’s leading us?” Michael barked. “Because as far as I can tell, the mountain is nowhere to be seen. Moses found his mountain in less time than we will.”

  Shane stopped. He thrust his hands in his pockets, turning to face us. “We all want to get out of here,” he said. “You’re not the only one with a life to return to.”

  “Why should we trust you?” Michael asked, stepping up to Shane’s chest. “You’ve done nothing but take us on a hike so far.”

  “You’re welcome to lead, if you feel you’re qualified.”

  “I’m probably more qualified than you,” Michael countered. “As the child’s father, I’m able to sense where he is. And while you spent your youth being ‘dream-boy,’ I spent mine studying the afterlife.”

  “So, in your expert opinion, is this heaven or hell?”

  Michael’s face turned the color of the asphodel field. “I’m leading,” he said, then started marching to the left, through the field.

  Shane shook his head and turned right.

  The others all looked at me.

  “What should we do?” Merry asked.

  I trusted Shane’s abilities, but Michael was Montana’s father. Oh, fuck!

  Why the hell couldn’t those two stop fighting long enough to see this through?

  “Stop!” I bellowed. The asphodel’s around us trembled from the force of my words. Michael and Shane both stopped, turning their heads back towards me.

  I balled my fists and stamped my foot, and the ground rumbled. “I’m Montana’s mother. I know best. You’ll both stop these schoolyard antics right now.” A bolt of silver lightning scorched the blue sky then disappeared.

  “Chill out, Mags,” Eve said. “We don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention.”

  “What are you suggesting we do?” Merry asked me.

  “We are standing right here, right now. There are no coincidences, so this is where we need to be. We wait here, and look for a sign.”

  “A sign?” Eve asked. “Like a ‘This Way to Munchkinland’ kinda sign?”

  “I don’t know what the sign will look like,” I said, flustered. “But we’ve been walking forever and not much has changed.”

  Ruth Anne sighed and Eve looked doubtful, but Merry gave me a supportive arm squeeze. Michael and Shane still stood on opposite sides, their backs to us, as if waiting for someone to yell “Draw!”

  Screw them both, I thought. I stood still, surrounded by bleak flowers, quietly waiting for… my sign. Finally, Shane turned back towards me.

  I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath, but I let it out gratefully as he drew nearer. I smiled, watching him all the way into my arms. Michael never returned. He continued walking, until he was a blip on the horizon. I wondered if he was doing this to find Montana, or just for spite? I let it go. Perhaps we had a better chance if we split up anyway.

  “I’m sorry,” Shane said, kissing me. “Your ex brings out my stupid pride.”

  “He brings out a lot of stuff in me, too.”

  “Hoo-hoo….” Starlight hooted.

  “Uh…Maggie.” Merry tapped my shoulder. Straight ahead, my sign appeared. It came in the form of an orange cat’s tail, cutting through the milky-gray flowers
.

  “It can’t be!” I smiled, jogging to catch it. “Wait!”

  The tail stopped. It was Maggie Cat! How had he gotten here?

  The orange tabby opened his mouth, coughing up a sleek black feather. Then he turned and waded back into the flowers. He looked over his shoulder, waiting for us to follow.

  I nodded. And we did.

  “Where did Maggie Cat go?” Merry asked, when the seemingly infinite asphodels finally began to thin out. My cat had disappeared, leaving us standing before a colorful, living panorama –a photograph without a frame.

  There were people, too, all going about their afterlives. Couples walked hand in hand, families rode bikes together, a teenage boy played with his dog, and toddlers splashed in fountains. In the far distance I saw a river, dotted with bobbing rowboats. And in the sky there were stars, though it was the height of a sunny day.

  The mural-world was inviting, as if Michelangelo himself had painted paradise and then brought it to life. There was no color in the Upper World that matched the green of the grass, or the red in the apples hanging on the trees. A storybook world had opened up in front of us, and we were about to step into the first page.

  As delightful as the scene was, I felt anxious. My ankh hadn’t glowed in a long time and Shane wasn’t picking anything up. Plus, we hadn’t seen Michael since we parted ways. I worried that we’d be split up forever if we went on.

  “Dare we?” Merry asked, bouncing from one foot to the other. “It’s prettier than Disneyland,” she added dreamily.

  “I’m afraid I’ll track in mud,” Paul joked.

  “It could be a trap,” Shane said. “That cat could easily have been one of Larinda’s minions.”

  Ruth Anne carefully poked at the mural, and then her face lit up. “Summerland!” she said, snapping her fingers and smiling sheepishly. “Now I remember! As you may know, I’m a bit of a geek…”

  “A bit?” Eve asked.

  “A bit,” Ruth Anne reiterated. “And while you all squandered your childhoods playing games, I spent mine learning about the world. Worlds in fact. One of them was Summerland.”

  “What can you tell us about it?” I asked Ruth Anne.

  “Yes, oh wise one,” Eve said. “Please fill us in.”

  Ruth Anne tapped her temple. “Let me think. Sorry, it’s been a while.”

  “Summerland is a stopover for souls,” Paul added hesitantly. “Right? It’s the place souls rest in between lives and are reunited with loved ones. They can stay as long as they want.”

  “That’s right! I remember now!” Ruth Anne said, scratching out more notes.

  “How many worlds do the dead get?” Eve asked.

  “As many as they need, I guess,” Merry answered.

  “Well, we aren’t dead,” Eve countered. “I’m ready to get on with what we came here for.”

  Shane pointed to a section of the mural. “Isn’t that the garden where you escorted Sasha and Leo?”

  “Is it?” I stepped closer, bringing my face up to the invisible border, as if mesmerized by a Christmas window display. “It is!” Sure enough, I saw the garden. They are in there! They have to be!

  I turned to my sisters. “Mother and Leo are in there. I’m going in.” I stepped across the threshold, bracing myself for whatever came. But, except for a blink of my ankh, I passed through smoothly. I realized this wasn’t an actual portal, and I beckoned the others to follow.

  I sprinted for the garden. The park-goers ignored me as they went about their business, dressed in styles popular during their lifetimes. There was a weightlessness to my body, and I ran faster than ever before, as if there were springs beneath my feet. When I reached the lavish garden, I looked around, expecting to see Mother waiting for me. If anyone knew how to navigate the Netherworld, and could protect my son from Armand, it was Sasha Shantay.

  “How’s your day, Miss?” A handsome young man in a floppy hat and vest asked me. There was a deep scar on his cheek and his eyes were bright but vacant.

  “Fine,” I nodded courteously, and continued on.

  “Maggie, wait!” Merry called. “It won’t save us any time if we lose track of each other.” She caught up to me as Starlight circled overhead.

  Time.

  I took out the hourglass, and was dismayed to see how many more grains of sand had fallen.

  “What’s that?” Merry asked, as the others joined us.

  I lifted the timer, like a scientist examining a beaker. I flipped it over several times, showing them that the sand only ran one way. “This is how long we have,” I said, frowning. “Or at least I think so.”

  “How long we have until what?” Eve asked, warily.

  “Um…”

  “Never mind,” Eve said. “I think I know. Put that thing away, please.” She shivered, stepping close to Paul.

  Our mood sobered as we waded through the lovely garden, looking for Mother. Merry stopped to smell the flowers, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Sasha,” I called out, realizing how much hope I had pinned on finding her here.

  “Maggie?”

  I turned towards the familiar voice, grinning even before I saw him. “Leo!” I said, rushing for him. “Oh, Leo!”

  I collapsed against my friend’s chest and sobbed. He was younger than when I’d seen him last, no older than thirty, his brow now worry-free. His arms were muscular and there was a healthy glow to his cheeks. Even his clothes appeared new. He hugged me, comforting me in a soft voice. “It’s all right,” he said. “Whatever it is, it’s all right.”

  I looked into Leo’s eyes. He seemed so tall now. Had he always been this tall? “I’m so happy I found you,” I said, sniffling. “I’m glad you are OK.”

  “You look beautiful,” he said, touching my cheek. “Just like I remember.”

  I laughed, tugging at a leaf caught in my hair. “No Leo, I’m a mess.” I told him my story and he listened thoughtfully, while my sisters added details here and there. Shane and Paul hung back, clearly uncomfortable.

  “I wish I could help,” Leo said. “But I don’t know what lies beyond. When your mother disappeared from here, I…”

  “Miss Sasha disappeared?” I asked.

  “Yes. I’m told it happens when we feel ready to move on. Some stay forever, while others go quickly. I’m happy here, so I think I’ll stay.” He put his hands in his pockets and looked around, nodding in satisfaction. “I shudder to think where I would have ended up if I hadn’t met you. You redeemed me.”

  “You redeemed yourself, Leo. You are no longer the person I met playing pool at the bar. You shine now.”

  “But Leo, where do they go?” Merry asked. She often ruminated on whether Mother might end up in a ‘dark place,’ working off the karma of all her curses. In my opinion, Merry needn’t worry. Even if Mother ended up in the heart of hell itself, the devil was no match for Sasha Shantay.

  “I don’t know where they go,” Leo repeated. “We don’t talk about it much here. We mostly just acknowledge that it happens. But there are whisperings…”

  “What kind of whisperings?” Shane asked, stepping up beside me.

  “Some say we start the whole process again.” Leo shrugged. “Others say you move on to the next level, and it’s even better than the last, like a video game. But I have a hard time believing anything’s better, so I’ll stay here if I’m allowed.”

  My sisters and I exchanged glances. I couldn’t dwell on this now. Getting help from Mother was no longer an option. I looked around, wondering at which direction to go, as Eagle Mountain still hadn’t reappeared.

  “I can take you to the border. It’s not far,” Leo said. “But I can’t go beyond.”

  Shane bristled, but stayed silent. I’d forgotten Shane had once believed Leo and I were lovers. Even after he knew the truth, he was still uncomfortable with our relationship.

  “You seem so alive, Leo,” I said, as he leisurely guided us towards the edge of his world.

  “I am alive,” Leo said. “Mo
re so than I’ve ever been. It was my previous life that was illusion.”

  “I, for one, am ready to get back to my illusionary life,” Eve said with a snort. “All these dead people are creeping me out.” She ducked a Frisbee sailing over her head, expertly caught by a little girl in a crinoline dress.

  Leo chuckled, pointing to a line of stubby trees at the base of a hill. The boughs of one tree were intertwined with the next, as if guarding what lay beyond – a dark and unfamiliar forest.

  “I wish I could go on,” he said, “but I’m already starting to feel pulled apart. I think you’ll find what you’re looking for in that direction.”

  I nodded gratefully, my eyes watering as I gave him a fierce hug. “Thank you, Leo. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Maggie.” He took my hand and saw my wedding ring, then cracked a smile at Shane. “Congratulations. You’re a lucky man. Take care of her.” He dropped my hand and winked at my husband. “Just a warning, you’ll have competition in the afterlife.”

  Leo flexed his arm and I burst into a fit of bittersweet laughter.

  “Roger that,” Shane said, pulling me into his side.

  Leo turned and ambled back, his manner more weighted on his return trip. My heart was crushed. I couldn’t say goodbye to one more person! I wouldn’t!

  We moved along the stunted trees, looking for an opening. The scenery was changing once again, though the shift was slower, more gradual. Green fields turned damp, then marshy. The scent of meat cooked over an open fire seeped into the air. And then twilight came, dusting the world with purple fog dotted by fireflies the size of gold coins. I had begun to accept the constant changes of the Netherworld, and so I just sank into this new landscape.

  “I think I found it,” Shane said, marching purposefully towards two trees spaced farther apart than the others. My ankh blinked in confirmation and we pushed our way through, entering immediately into a hidden bayou. Long-legged cranes stood on the shore, and a large reptile slithered through the water, its bulbous eyes watching us.

  “Reminds me of the Delta,” Ruth Anne said, as we carefully skirted the swamp. She scratched at her neck, as if the location caused an allergic reaction. She looked around, anxiously.