by Erin Forbes
“I suggest you listen carefully,” Ariadne interrupted. “You may not be able to see them coming, but you can hear them if you listen.”
“Is this a joke?” I coughed, allowing the words to slip from my mouth with a shiver of disbelief.
Ariadne and Juniper watched us, as if they were surprised we hadn’t known. We would soon be facing an invisible monster. Fear and energy mixed within me, until they were muddled to the point of no return.
“All four of you must split up,” said Zara.
I nodded silently as my friends exchanged several wary glances. The headmistress was trying to help as much as she could. But there was not another person in all of Aisling who understood the prophecy more than us.
“Run and don’t ever look back,” Zara whispered.
“If we are going to save the forest, each of us will need to be alive.” Ariadne nodded.
“But how will we know if we are being followed?” Emery questioned.
“Trust me,” Juniper responded. “You will know.”
We each exchanged a quiet nod before gathering into a hug. These girls were my best friends. The thought had occurred to me that I might never see them again, although I forced my mind to shake it away. If we wanted to reach the Four Lone Towers, we needed to believe in ourselves.
One cannot expect to travel far without faith.
As I felt an extra hand rest on my arm, I lifted my head from where it was buried in my sister’s shoulder. For the first time in forever, I looked into Zara’s eyes and noticed a hint of fear. Hidden beneath the concern was another emotion, which I had learned to recognize as love.
“Lachlan will be keeping a look out for each of you,” Zara reminded us. “He has the eyes of a sniper, so don’t be afraid to send out a signal for help.”
I nodded as the Four Elementals turned to face each other. The presence of my friends gave my heart increased bravery, but I would soon be alone. My spirit needed strength.
“The creatures will step inside your head,” Ariadne spoke with disgust.
I could feel the heat rising from my palms. The Creatures of the Night Oak Forest may have been invisible, but so were the doubt and uncertainty they brought to the human mind. There were times when the unseen could be even more dangerous than what our eyes beheld.
As the four of us separated, my sister glanced back at me. Her pale eyes bore through me, as though she wanted to make a promise that we would speak again. Her cream-colored locks rested gently upon her shoulders as the sweet smell of dew-laden grass overwhelmed my senses. A sudden breeze blew through my flaming hair, and my eyes tore away from Emery like the hair-pulling rip of a bandage.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
There was a certain essence about that morning, which was written throughout my memory. As I hurried down the old dirt path, the silence was unbroken. The only sound was the steady rhythm of my heartbeat. Every breath seemed to catch in my chest, as though it did not dare to make a sound.
The sky was illuminated in an extraordinary patchwork of pink and gold. The day did not feel as daunting as I had imagined, although I knew such an emotion would not last for long. As I expected, this state of euphoria was only short-lived.
I heard the sudden crack of a branch and glanced over my shoulder. Something was moving amongst the rosebushes that grew near the end of the path. Although I did not catch sight of the figure, it wasn’t difficult to assume its identity. The gardener did not move with such confident steps.
I suppose it was fear that drove my feet, as they carried me faster than I had ever gone before. I skidded around a corner of the castle wall. Lachlan had created a strategy that instructed me to take a longer route. He feared the Creatures of the Night Oak Forest would target me before the other girls. The headmistress believed a different path might throw them off. As the footsteps of the invisible beast drew close to my heels, my mind was beginning to have second thoughts.
My pursuer was gaining on me.
My ribs were beginning to cramp, as I did not have much practice in long-distance running. However, regardless of the pain, I pushed myself forward. My eyes spotted the courtyard in the distance, and my heart lifted with the knowledge that we were drawing closer to my tower. Perhaps it truly was the fear that had given me this short-lived adrenaline rush, but it was not long until my thoughts pulled me to a halt.
Lachlan stood beside the courtyard gate as he scanned the forest border in the distance. With one shot of the Guardian’s arrow, the Creature would be dead. It was a simple end to a dark battle. Even so, I could not allow this to happen, as the Four Elementals were destined to vanquish the Creatures of the Night Oak Forest.
The hot breath of the invisible Creature warmed the back of my neck, sending a terrible shiver down the surface of my spine. Its voice whispered in a familiar,yetdistortedtone,“Sillygirl…so inexperienced… so naive.”
I shook my head in an attempt to rid my mind of these poisonous words, but it was like every letter had caught on me like the branches of a thorn bush. Why did I need to be concerned about the voice? Perhaps there was a part of me that was worried it spoke the truth.
You don’t know what you are doing, Alice!
My spirit seemed to be standing on the edge of an endless void. The invisible creature was standing at my back. If it dared to push me forward, my fate would fall into the depths of oblivion. I would not allow anyone to have such control over me. Regardless of the words this ghostly demon had dared to whisper, my heart refused to give up.
“You’re wrong,” I whispered, before turning around to face the monster.
The Creature may have been invisible, but I knew exactly where it stood. The space in front of me was nothing more than gloomy and out of place amongst the peaceful morning air. The atmosphere lacked a quality I had never noticed before.
A ghostly figure appeared from the eerie cloud of fog. The spirit was clothed in a tattered scarlet dress. Her faded skin seemed translucent in the morning sunlight. I gasped with surprise, for her amber eyes were merely a reflection of my own.
After a long moment, I began to realize the truth. The creatures that whisper in our ears are nothing more than the doubts and uncertainties that burrow within our minds. My spirit was stung by the Creature’s words, as they mimicked the terrible judgement that rested in the corners of my mind. I allowed these thoughts to poison my soul and tear at my gentle heart.
I glanced over my shoulder, noticing Lachlan was gone. I was alone; however, I was not afraid. The pale reflection was beginning to grow brighter, removing the heavy weight from my chest. Nothing stood in my way.
I was not a terrible beast.
I was Gifted.
As I stared into the reflection of my shining eyes, the strange creature faded away. A beautiful spirit smiled back at me before she began to dissipate into the foggy air. The murkiness had evaporated, and the realm of Aisling returned to an iridescent sea of enchantment.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
My left hand glided smoothly along the banister as I hurried swiftly up the spiral stairwell. A smile shone brightly from my face as flames danced wildly in my right hand. I leaped through several beams of sunlight, which poured through the tower windows like raw honey from a broken comb. The old stone tower was just as magnificent as the first time I had stepped through its doorway.
I almost expected there to be another obstacle standing in my way. However, when I finally reached the top of the stairwell, the air was peculiarly silent. I held my hand out to grasp the doorknob, but my actions were stopped by a firm prod at my right leg.
I glanced down to see a small gathering of droplet faeries standing cheerfully beside my toes. From where I stood, several feet above them, their voices came to me in the faintest of whispers. I knew they were celebrating, for their smiles seemed to sparkle as their feet danced gracefully beneath them.
The top of the tower was silent as my feet carried me through the door and toward the balcony. The fog had lifted from the sur
face of the meadow. In the distance, I could see the faces of the other Elementals standing inside their own towers. Their expressions were unreadable from this far away, yet their actions seemed to communicate their knowledge of the task.
A strange feeling stirred in the depths of my heart, awaking from a long and deep slumber. A sudden gust of wind arrived from the mountains of the North, swirling around the stone tower that belonged to Ariadne Moss. The trees of the forest moved through the soil, pulling their roots from the restrains of the earth. They danced with the flowers that bloomed in the dirt, waving their branches toward the countenance of Juniper Stone. The world began to break through the piercing shadows, which had been difficult for many people to discern. Scattered clouds of fresh rain soared across the blue sky, landing on the outstretched hands of my twin sister. The realm of Aisling was beginning to heal from the curse that had lasted more than a lifetime.
But the prophecy was not complete.
It required a selfless deed from my own spirit, although I was not quite sure of the proper act to perform. My Gift was hiding inside a dark cage, waiting for the proper moment to break free. As I searched for the precious key, an unusual whisper came from behind me.
The tower was filled with a thousand shining embers, which drifted slowly throughout the air. Each of them formed into their own shapes and constellations, as they soared closer to each other with freedom. The glowing cinders danced across the room, while I caught sight of the glimmering figure that had formed in the midst of the flames. She took no notice of my presence as her ember skirt twirled in the breeze, and her arms extended gracefully as she danced across the room.
I watched for a moment, as if all my life I had been living in a dream, but I had finally awoken. The realization came flooding in like the sudden shock of diving into a pool of frozen water. This girl made of embers was another reflection of my soul. However, unlike the dark and gloomy Alice, who stood before me at the courtyard gate, this figure was a true reflection of my spirit. I was finally beginning to see myself in all of the wonders my Gift had given me.
Acknowledgments
This book is a work of art. After editing with the unrealistic idea of perfection in mind, I had forgotten the beauty of human flaws. In the words of my father, “People don’t want to read something that is perfect, they want to read something that is real.”
There will always be sources of discouragement in life; however, you must always remember to believe in yourself more than you believe in the negativity of others. I would like to thank my parents and my entire family for their love, encouragement, and unrivaled advice. This novel is dedicated to all of those who encouraged me along my writing journey.
Letter from the Author
This book was the beginning of my career in the world of fiction. It began with a simple idea, which swiftly transformed in the world of my imagination. When I was little more than a child, the fiction section of the bookstore was flooded with depressing and negative stories. The dream of writing my own novel seemed like a fantasy; however, it eventually formed into my extraordinary reality.
Although it involved a ton of hard work and dedication, this story has changed my life for the better. I will always be grateful for the countless message I have received from my incredible readers. Your love for the realm of Aisling has inspired me to continue the story of the Hanley sisters.
Keep reading!
Sincerely,
Erin Forbes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erin Forbes discovered her passion for literature at a very early age. Since the date of her first publication, her work has spread to readers across the globe, and her books have developed an international fanbase. She is known for her vivid descriptions and fantastical fiction. When she is not reading and writing, Erin enjoys art, nature, music, dance, and riding her horse. She lives on a small farm in the Hudson Valley of New York.
Follow her on social media! @erinforbesauthor and @fireandicebookseries