“I’ll be careful,” I said.
“King Geoffrey loathes Isabella, and he is taking that hatred out on you. That is why you are receiving the brunt of the paranormal attention. He wants the necklace as bad as the demons do.”
“So they’ve teamed up, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Great. What if Miss Shila reopens the portal after I close it?” I asked.
“She won’t. It’s not an easy task, and at the minimum, it would take a couple of years and ancient artifacts she will never get her hands on again.”
“Then we’ll shut it down and go from there.”
“That will stop the hauntings, but you will still have to deal with King Geoffrey. He is a bit of a blowhard and wants to run the show, and he can be quite…powerful. It will not be easy to dethrone him from his self-imagined kingdom.” She squeezed my hand tight, so tight I winced in pain.
“Stop!” I said.
Suddenly, she smiled wickedly, as if some demonic spirit had suddenly taken hold of her. Her eyes bulged and looked an unnatural color. “Hunter is going to die,” she said in a chilling voice. “I’ve foreseen it.”
Shivers shot up my spine. Gina shot me the creepiest smile I’d ever seen. I knew something else had jumped into her body.
“And you will be next!” She began to laugh wickedly, like that pea soup-spitting chick on The Exorcist. “All of you will die!” she said. “Your blood will stain the castle walls. Die, die, die, die, die! There’s no escape from the castle. You were brought here to die, so go on and fulfill your destiny!” she screeched.
I took a step back, but just as I was about to turn to leave, the gypsy regained control.
“Get to the portal,” she breathed out. “Shut it down.”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She took a long breath. “I kicked the spirit out. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Just go stop it.”
I nodded and took off like a bat out of Hell—or maybe toward it.
Chapter 31
I hitched a ride back to the castle from one of the sponsors funding the charity. I ran as fast as I could across the castle grounds, the wind blowing in my hair. I now knew how to close the portal, and I quickly gathered the others and briefly explained everything so they were in the loop.
It turned out that Mr. Rowens had passed them off as crazy and accused them of trying to play a prank. No matter how hard they tried to convince him, he was in no mood to listen. For the time being, though, our most important task was closing that portal. It broke my heart that Isabella was being tormented, and I had to put a stop to it.
Shantal, Pam, Eric, Hunter, and I walked into Isabella’s room.
“The arched window is the door to the spirit world,” I said. “I’m going to go in and shut down the portal Miss Silva opened up.”
Hunter’s blue eyes blazed. “I’m going with you.”
I gripped his hand and put on a brave smile. “You can’t. The necklace will only protect me. If you go, it will kill you.”
“But it’s dangerous. I don’t want you to go alone.”
“I have the emerald ring now. I can shut the portal, and not a hair on my head will be singed.”
“But you’ve got no backup,” Eric said.
“I’ve got Isabella.”
“What if you don’t come back?” Pam asked, her voice wavering. “I don’t like this, not one bit.”
“I’m the only one who can shut it down. All kinds of nasty spirits are coming through, and King Geoffrey will win if I don’t stop this now. We’ve gotta lock his demons out.”
“And what if he summons more demon armies?” Hunter asked.
“He will if we don’t put a stop to it before he goes that far.” I gazed into his eyes. “You’ve gotta trust me.”
“I do. I know you can do it.”
My gaze shot to the window, and I quickly walked over and moved the curtains aside. I touched the cold glass, but my finger suddenly went through the material, just like before.
“Oh my gosh!” Pam shouted.
Shantal touched it, but nothing happened. “It’s just a window.”
Hunter knocked on the glass.
“How are you able to do that, Zoey?” Eric asked.
“It’s the necklace,” I said. “It’s my key to the spirit world, my backstage pass.”
I put my hand through the window, and ripples flooded down the glass. I felt no pain or any odd sensation.
“Come through, Zoey,” a beautiful voice echoed from the other side. “You’ll have to jump.”
I looked through and saw Isabella standing on the grass under the moonlight, in front of the castle. “Jump?”
“You will not be hurt in spirit form, my dear.”
I glanced at the others. “Did you hear that?”
They looked at each other, completely dumbfounded. They couldn’t hear her, even with their psychic abilities, and they would have had to be dead to see her.
I climbed onto the window ledge and positioned myself to jump.
“Hold it right there! There’s no way I’m letting my best friend walk through some freaky magic window,” Pam yelled.
“Get down!” Eric said. “The more I think about this, the crazier it is.”
I appreciated my friends’ concern for me, but I knew if I didn’t jump, they would stop me. I was terrified of what awaited me, but I was the only one who could close the portal. More than anything, I wanted answers from Isabella. So, without consulting my friends further, I lunged through the window and crashed to the grass.
* * *
Screeching, moans, and loud howls pierced the air. A chill shot up my spine as I gazed around, surrounded by utter chaos. The place was filled with unexplained and grotesque creatures, crawling, stumbling, and flying everywhere I looked. Giant jellyfish-like creatures floated in the air, two black and blue beasts fought to the left of me, and another creature hopped around, shrieking. What am I doing here? I wondered. Am I completely insane? I had to ask myself as I looked up and saw my friends desperately pounding on the window.
A deep growl made the hairs on my neck stand on end, and I met the blue, glowing eyes of a giant, disfigured wolf. I froze as it opened its mouth, revealing razor-sharp teeth. The thing howled as it lurched forward.
Right on cue, Isabella grabbed my hand and helped me up. “Run!”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. The castle door was slightly ajar, and we raced inside. She slammed the door behind us as I clutched my heart, gasping for breath.
“What was that thing?”
“A demon. As you can see, total mayhem has broken out once again.”
“But I thought I stopped that. I read the inscription to keep them off the castle grounds.”
“Your teacher has been busy at work. She broke the incantation because it was keeping her spirits out too. That angered her, so she found a way to break the defenses.”
“I can’t believe that woman!” I said.
“I’m not sure how much longer we can keep them out of the castle. Some have already gotten through.”
“How long has it been like this?” I asked.
“All day, and it is far worse than last time. More and more creatures are attacking, hordes of them, vile beasts of every sort.”
“We’ll put a stop to this,” I said.
She glanced down at my emerald ring, examining it closely. “So you do have the ring.”
“Yes.”
“Then you can shut the portal now.”
“Let’s do it!”
I followed her inside, and we walked down some twisting corridors.
“Come. Let me introduce you to some of the castle spirits.”
I followed her into the next room. A group of people sat on the couches, dressed in ancient garb.
“Hello. I’m—” I started to introduce myself, offering a friendly wave.
A little girl ran up to me and interrupted. “Zoey! Zoey!” she cried.
“Elizabeth!”
I said as I picked her up in a hug. “I’m so happy to see you.”
“Are you going to close the portal?” she asked. “I want the bad creatures to leave us alone.”
“I’m going to try.”
Isabella motioned me forward.
“I’ll see you later,” I said, setting the little girl down.
She smiled. “Good luck.”
I blew her a kiss as we walked away.
“Brace yourself. We must go out to the back garden, and it is none too pleasant,” Isabella warned.
I sucked in a deep breath. The second the door opened, I could hear the haunting and chilling screeches echoing in the air. The starless sky was black, and the grass was an iridescent green. Even in the dark, everything was lustrous, brilliant, and colorful.
In the middle of the huge back yard, I saw the faint outline of a rippling tunnel that extended the length of the entire property. “What is that?” I asked.
“The tunnel that leads to the portal. It extends into the woods.”
“Let’s go,” I said.
“I cannot accompany you beyond here, luv.”
I swallowed hard. “What? Why not? It’s still within the boundaries of the property.”
“We’re forbidden from entering the tunnel. It’s part of the curse.”
“What will happen if you go?”
“My soul will be…dispatched.”
I blew out a breath. “I can’t do this by myself.”
She smiled. “You can, Zoey. I have complete faith in you. Remember that, as you said, strong and brave runs in our family.”
“Can I stop time, like I did before?”
“No. Time doesn’t exist in this realm.”
“Then what do I do?” I asked, feeling quite vulnerable, with no way to properly defend myself from the scourges of Hell.
“Just touch the ruby inside the portal door. The power in your necklace will disable it. Take this,” she said, handing a sheath to me.
“What’s this for?”
“For this, my dear.” She then pulled out a sword and handed it to me. “You can send to Hell anything that dares to stand in your path.”
I gripped the sword in my hands and listened as a clattering noise echoed in the distance. “What’s that?” I asked.
“Knights upon their mighty steeds. They are our only protection against the spirits and demons passing through the portal.”
I cocked a brow. “Knights?”
“They are not castle spirits, so they’re not bound to the castle.”
“Then why are they here? Don’t they want to move on?”
“They are here because their leader, Prince Alexander, is the love of my life.”
“He was your fiancé,” I said, putting two and two together. “He wants to be trapped with you.”
“Yes. We were separated for hundreds of years, until the portal was opened by your teacher. If you cannot free us, at least Alexander and I will be together forever, just like we planned. His men are loyal to him, to the very end.”
As the knights neared, I stared at Alexander and realized that he looked quite familiar. It was then that it dawned on me where I’d seen that face before: When Katrina struck and the water enveloped me, it was Alexander’s touch that enabled me to breathe. That fateful day in New Orleans, he had been my guardian angel, and that thought blew my mind. “You…” I said, my voice quivering.
He smiled. “Yes.”
A tear slipped down my cheek. “Thank you for saving me.”
“You are a descendant of Isabella. I could not allow you to perish.”
“You are the one promised to help us,” Isabella said. “Alexander watched over you because we all need you.”
His lips pressed into a grim line. “I love Isabella. If I can save someone she loves, nothing will stop me.” His horse inched close, and he pulled the reins. “I sense that you feel guilt for surviving a catastrophe that claimed the lives of so many. Is this true?”
I glanced up at him and bit my lip. “It eats at me every day. Why didn’t you save the others?”
“I could only save you, Zoey, and that was not without trial and risk.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
He reached down and helped me up on the back of his white stallion. He blew a kiss to Isabella, and we took off at a trot.
As we entered the tunnel, the light dimmed, and the air smelled damp. Wind blew furiously, lightning flashed, and thunder crashed.
Behind me, faint snarls caught my attention. I stopped and looked over my shoulder, but I didn’t see anything. More shadows flew overhead, wafting on the current of the hostile wind. The figure of a hooded black demon with glowing green eyes sent goosebumps riveting down my spine. Luckily, it paid us no mind and just kept on with its flight above me.
Suddenly, the horse reared and threw me. I scrambled to my feet, half-expecting that reaper to come back for me. My jaw dropped as I gazed into the tunnel. Speechless, I tried to calm my racing heart, but it was no use. Red eyes peered through the darkness as a pack of demon wolves took slow, measured steps in my direction. My heart pounded as the pack attacked. A wolf tackled the knight next to me, biting into his neck. I whipped out my sword and sliced into the creature’s shoulder; it howled in pain, then crashed down to the ground.
Alexander grabbed me and pulled me forward. “You are not here to fight the demons. Your mission is to close the portal. Please leave the fighting me, milady.”
“I wasn’t gonna just sit there and let it tear out my carotid. I will fight to the end.”
“Understood, miss,” he said with a wink. “You have inherited Isabella’s stubbornness as well as her looks.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I answered.
“As well you should. Now come. We must make haste.”
We walked out of the tunnel, and I stepped onto the frost-crusted earth, holding the sword tight in my sweaty hands. Silvery moonlight beamed down on us as growls echoed all around. Branches laden with snow and ice made the place look like a crystal paradise, but there was nothing heavenly about it. It was odd to see, because the temperature was warm and comfortable; the world of the dead was twisted in many ways. My nerves were on overdrive, and I had no idea what to expect in that uncharted territory.
Suddenly, a loud, horrible screech carried through the trees. I turned my head to see where the sound was coming from. The beast’s wings fluttered nearby, snapping violently, like a tarp in a hurricane, shaking the leaves and branches above our heads. My body tensed as I looked up and strained my eyes to see. The flapping of wings echoed in my ears as the creature swooped over our heads. The giant winged lizard flew toward us, gliding on the air between flaps. Glowing red eyes penetrated me, sending waves of panic through my body. The aerial predator resembled a small, living, breathing airplane. Its gargantuan size and pointed wings had all the makings of some mystical dragon.
I mustered my strength and crept up behind the tree Alexander was peeking around. I placed a trembling hand on his shoulder and squeezed hard to get his attention. My voice wavering as I whispered, “What is that thing?”
His face hardened. “’Tis an ice dragon.” He pulled me behind the tree and motioned for me to be absolutely still.
Through the leaves, I gazed at its leathery, membranous wings. Its metallic blue skin was so thin, like that of a bat, and I could see the moonlight shining through. For a few seconds, I thought the creature would descend and swallow us, but instead, it let out a screech and disappeared into the night. We waited a minute before the knight motioned that it was safe to proceed.
Shadows lurked everywhere, and when I turned to the left, a pair of yellow eyes stared at me.
“What’s that?” I yelled.
“Nothing to worry about.”
“How much farther?” I asked, my voice wavering.
“Not far, milady.”
Footsteps echoed behind us, and my heart thrummed through my chest as I turned around hesitantly to se
e what was causing them. I let out a long sigh, relieved it was only the rest of Alexander’s men. They all surrounded me like an entourage of personal bodyguards and we walked in complete silence, other than the clattering of their swords and armor. My breathing came labored but steady as we moved, and twigs scratched at my bare arms as I pushed through the thick undergrowth.
I only realized the howling animals had stopped when thunder cracked in the distance. I froze, midstride, and lifted my hand, motioning for the others to halt. “Hear that?”
“I hear nothing,” Alexander said, looking at me quizzically.
“Exactly. Why’s it so quiet?” I peered ahead, and a chill ran down my spine as high-pitched squeals carried through the eerie silence. I stood on my toes, trying to see as far as the bushes would allow. The noise seemed to come from all directions.
Alexander grabbed my arm and led me behind a tangle of vegetation. I tried to still my heavy breathing, but my pulse wouldn’t stop racing.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of movement. The ice dragon swooped down on us, and the knights bravely fought it. Alexander gripped my hand and pulled me down the path, knowing our main objective was to close the portal.
With my top glued to my sweaty back, I sprang into the overgrowth and sped deeper into the forest, leaping over giant logs and slippery rocks along the way. I gripped the sword with all my might, careful not to drop it. My frantic mind forced my feet into action, allowing me to ignore the burning sensation in my legs.
Behind me, a loud screech rippled through the air. Branches snapped, and the ground shivered as the beast gave chase.
How far away am I? Do I dare look back? My breath came in short, shallow rasps as I glanced over my shoulder at the ice dragon. I gasped and jumped over a loose branch, with the demon still thundering behind me, gaining on me every second. While I dodged branches and limbs, the dragon plowed right through them, as if the forest was papier-mâché. I gasped for air, and my lungs burned.
After sprinting a few hundred feet, every step became a battle. My foot was stuck in the thicket, and I clawed my hands through the tangle of foliage, desperately trying to break through. I let out an exasperated sigh when the vines started wrapping around my ankles. I pulled out my sword and cut myself free, then moved away from the green vines that threatened to imprison me.
Enchanted Dreams - Book 3 (The Enchanted Castle Series) Page 20