The Severance Game, page 35
I wondered for a second if maybe that was because I didn’t have one of these “root strengths” the witch in the Forbidden Forest had proposed. What other explanation could there have been for the mark’s irregular and random disruptions? The only options were that either it was malfunctioning or I was.
I shrugged, turning my attention back to the glistening ocean that swelled beneath us. I had bigger things to worry about. There would be no use knowing the elusive quality that made me special if I was dead. And in order to avoid that, I needed to focus.
“Crisa.”
I pivoted around to find Ashlyn. She was wearing a sleeveless, button-down white shirt. It flowed in the wind and contrasted her neon pink shorts and matching sandals. Her curls blew in bunches around her face, but not as wildly as my own long hair, which flung about in the wind with a sort of majestic madness.
“We’re almost there. Do you have everything you need?” she asked.
I patted my satchel, which was slightly lumpier than usual due to the slingshot I now carried inside it. After breakfast I’d enlisted Jason to carve me a quick makeshift one. It wasn’t as sleek as SJ’s, and definitely was a splinter risk, but it would get the job done.
“Yup, all set,” I replied.
I sort of expected her to go back inside the boat then, but Ashlyn stayed beside me at the railing. Her face exuded a sympathetic but concerned look that seemed to indicate she wanted to give me a grown-up talking to.
I’d suspected it was only a matter of time. She may not have been my mother, but she was a mother. And letting a bunch of kids go off toward danger was hardly something she could stand by and watch. She was worried about us. One look at her and I could tell she was worried about me in particular.
“You all right?” she asked.
My grip tensed on the warm metal. I kept my stare on the ocean and nodded without hesitation. Still, I could feel Ashlyn’s eyes on me.
She sighed. “Crisa, it may not be my place to lecture you, but . . . I just want you to know that it is perfectly normal to be afraid. You don’t have to put on a brave face twenty-four hours a day. I firmly believe you would feel better if you just talked about it.”
Ugh, why does everyone keep assuming that I’m scared?
“Ashlyn,” I said flatly as I rotated to meet her gaze. “I appreciate the concern, but there’s nothing to talk about. Honestly, I’m not scared of those guys waiting for us on the beach.”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
“Nothing.”
“Everyone’s afraid of something, Crisa,” Ashlyn refuted. “You may not want to admit it, but I have had enough life experience to be able to recognize fear in someone’s eyes when it’s there.”
I crossed my arms—feeling a tad violated and a bit embarrassed.
Ashlyn patted me on the arm. “Hon, I’m not trying to upset you,” she said more delicately. “But you have a long journey and a lot of challenges ahead, and I just want you to be as strong as you can be when it comes time to face them.”
“Then why are you trying to make me acknowledge fear?” I countered, my voice accidentally cracking as the words came out.
“Because a person can’t overcome fear without first facing it. If those people on the beach or Alderon or your dreams truly don’t scare you, that’s great; more power to you. But lying to yourself about not being afraid of anything isn’t doing you any favors either. If anything, that kind of denial will only stifle you—hurt you in ways that maybe aren’t so obvious on the surface but are formidably destructive nonetheless. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
My shoulders tensed. “Ashlyn,” I started to reply. “I don’t think—”
“Portal, ho!”
Ashlyn and I whipped our heads toward the bow. A small, black swirling hole had appeared just above the water ahead.
Thank goodness.
I saw my four counterparts quickly make for the lifeboat Donnie had readied for us on the side of the boat. I started to head in their direction, but Ashlyn gently gripped my shoulders and turned me to face her again.
“Crisa, I know there are a lot of things you think you have to do. But you should consider what you’re sacrificing in the process.”
As if seeing past my carefully constructed walls of pretense, she nodded toward the others. “Would it really be the worst thing in the world to let someone in?”
I paused for a second.
“I—”
“Knight, let’s go!” Daniel shouted.
My body pivoted to go after them, but instinct caused me to stop short and give Ashlyn a quick hug first. “Thank you again,” I said. “For everything. And if I don’t see you again—”
“Knight!”
“I’m coming!” I shouted back.
Ashlyn patted my head. “Go.” She smiled softly. “Just remember what I said. The things I’m telling you may not make sense now, but they might very soon. And when they do, you’ll have some choices to make.”
“Choices about what?”
“Crisa, come on!” Blue yelled.
“Not what, Crisa,” Ashlyn replied. “Who.”
I opened my mouth to push for further explanation, but my friends’ incessant urging overpowered the curiosity. I abandoned this important conversation like I’d done with so many others in recent days and dashed away. I slid down the ladder on The Seabeagle’s side and landed in the lifeboat.
Daniel moved aside a rather large, dark shoulder bag he’d brought with him so I could sit. Then, with all of us on board, Jason and Blue used the lifeboat’s paddles to guide us to the hole. As we waved and shouted our final goodbyes, we began to drift toward the otherworldly connector that pulsed in the afternoon sun.
Just before we were pulled through, I looked back one last time. Ashlyn gave me a reassuring smile. Donnie waved. Mary Roberts stood there a bit more solemnly. She leaned against the railing, staring after us pensively.
In the next instant we left them all behind. Our boat was absorbed into the wormhole’s depths and we were sucked into the slice of limbo that existed between here and home.
Fruition
ne inter-dimensional portal later, and the five of us had washed up on Adelaide’s shore.
It was different being on the beach during the daytime. Every other occasion I’d been on these sands had been late into the night, causing the cliffs, water, and rocks to blend together in a giant, dark mass.
I’d believed that seeing Adelaide’s beaches and cliffside in the bright sunshine would’ve been far more beautiful by comparison. Alas, they were not. The warmth that filled the atmosphere seemed almost ironic given the circumstances surrounding our return. The gulls flying around us might as well have been vultures.
The five of us started to make our way to the north end of the beach where Ashlyn said we’d find better cave access. There were plenty of other cave openings we could’ve taken—Ashlyn assured us that they all interconnected at some point. But because of the way they twisted and turned within, she’d advised that we keep from entering the tunnel system for as long as possible to shorten our journey.
Unfortunately, how long we could stay outside the caves was up to Arian. He and his men could’ve been coming from anywhere, at any time. We’d been trekking across the beach for some twenty minutes now without incident, but for how much longer? None of us knew just how much time we had before—
“Guys,” Jason said suddenly. “We’ve got company.”
My body shivered involuntary before I turned around to face the inevitable.
There they were. Arian and about twenty guards were five hundred feet away and headed straight for us. Time was most definitely up.
“Let’s move,” I ordered.
The nearest crack in the cliffside was fifty meters ahead. We bolted for it, our feet sinking in the sand as we raced uphill, but our speed remaining true.
When we reached the opening, we dived in without looking back. I didn’t know whether Arian and his men had seen which cavern we’d entered into, but eventually the mirror would lead them to us.
The sun’s reach ended within seconds of entering the cavern. However, just as Ashlyn had described, its lack of natural light didn’t matter. The caves and tunnel system had their own form of luminescence.
Jutting out of the rocky surfaces were the most beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. They were smooth on the sides but had jagged points. And for some unexplainable reason they glowed either a soft mint green or a rich sapphire blue.
I would’ve loved to linger and marvel at their brilliance. But at the moment these crystals were not for admiring. Their main purpose wasn’t even lighting our way through the tunnels. More than anything they were a way for us to navigate through them.
Ashlyn had explained that the number and size of crystals increased as we got closer to the center of the tunnel system—making it easy for us to gauge our way.
We maneuvered through the caverns rapidly—swerving, rotating, and changing direction whenever the measure of crystals indicated a necessity to do so. About five minutes in, we took a wrong turn.
I skidded to a halt as our latest pathway curved into a cavern that was half-submerged in water. The floor of this one dropped off more abruptly than the others and we barely had time to pump the brakes. Gravel from under my boots tumbled off the ledge, and I jerked myself back, just in time to avoid going with it.
There was only one other route leading out of the cavern, so we took to it at full speed. After a minute this path deposited us into a much larger cavern. It was the size of the banquet hall at Lady Agnue’s, but the ground was not level. It staggered with elevations of different heights that encircled an enormous crystal at the center like a beacon.
Countless other crystals protruded from the ground and ceiling. They were so massive that they filled the cavern with a light that rivaled the luminosity of the outside.
We’d made it. This was most certainly the center of the tunnel system. Everywhere we looked there were other tunnels converging unto this spot like ours had. Which meant it was time for us to split up.
As if on cue, we began to hear the choppy sounds of footsteps and shouting. We couldn’t tell from which tunnel they emanated, but the volume suggested that it would not be long before Arian and his men found their way here too.
My eyes darted about, searching for the marker we were after.
Nope, not up there.
Not there.
Or there.
Or . . . wait, there it is!
On the upper left side of the cave we saw the crystal formation we’d been searching for. It was shaped vaguely like a starfish and its glow cast a radiant light over the entire platform it was perched on.
I remembered the image well. I’d only ever seen it in a flash of my dreams, but knew it was the indicator we sought. Alas, it was terribly high up. This final elevation was a good thirty feet above us and the slope looked too steep and slippery to climb.
It was at that point that Daniel swung the black bag off his shoulder. Unzipping it, he removed a grappling hook attached to a big coil of rope. He took out an arrow and nodded toward me. “You remember Fairy Godmother HQ?”
I couldn’t help but smile as I took out my wand and transformed it into a bow. “How did you—”
“I didn’t,” he responded. “But just because I can’t see the future doesn’t mean I can’t come prepared. Arabeth had a bunch of climbing stuff in her equipment closet. I asked if I could borrow a few things.”
“Glad you did,” I said.
With that, I attached the rope to the arrow, fired, and sent the grappling hook sailing upwards. It firmly attached to the starfish stone.
I hadn’t known about the relevance of the starfish until I’d spoken with Ashlyn this morning. I had so many dream flashes these days it was hard to worry about each and every one. But when our former hostess had described her secret route from Adelaide Castle to the ocean, I discovered that this particular vision was actually key to our escape.
“The starfish crystal is located next to a tunnel that’ll eventually lead you to a crevice in the ceiling,” she had said. “Climb through and you’ll find yourself in an area below a bridge near the orchard. After that you’re home free.”
“All right, guys,” I said as Arian’s voice echoed closer. “Time for you to go.”
“Crisa,” SJ replied anxiously. “I know this is the plan we agreed on, but are you certain this is the best way?”
“We talked about this, SJ. Unless you want to fire that earthquake potion of yours and just end this by burying us alive, this is the only way. You guys know it, and so do I.”
“She’s right,” Jason agreed. “I hate that Crisa has to do this alone too. But it’s for the good of the group, and the best option if we want a clean break out of here without Arian continuing to follow us.”
“Exactly,” I affirmed. “So go on, all of you. I’ll meet up with you where we planned.”
I worried for a moment that they were going to keep fighting me on the subject. Thankfully, SJ nodded in agreement and they all began to scale the rope.
Beneath the shadow of the grand starfish I watched them go up one by one. Daniel was the last to make the ascent. He grabbed the rope in his hand then hesitated, looking back at me.
“Knight,” he said.
“Yeah?”
He eyed me for a heartbeat then waved off whatever thought had crossed his mind. “Just don’t die, okay.”
I didn’t know what to say, and he didn’t give me the chance to think of it. Without another word Daniel swiftly began climbing the rope and was soon hoisting himself onto the highest ledge in the cavern beside the others.
Daniel reeled in his rope and shoved it back in his bag along with the grappling hook. Then he and my friends disappeared from sight into the designated tunnel behind them.
I was on my own now. And I was glad. Not a minute went by before Arian and several of his men emerged from a tunnel on the upper right side of the cavern.
On seeing him, I started to make a run for a tunnel a few ledges away, but then I had the misfortune of discovering why it had sounded like Arian’s men were coming from everywhere. It was because they really were coming from everywhere.
Three of Arian’s followers suddenly appeared out of the tunnel I’d been aiming for. More came from four other openings across the cavern. They must’ve split up when they’d entered the tunnel system to locate me faster. Good for them. Bad for me.
Arian spotted me and I stood frozen like a fawn in the crosshairs of a hunter’s crossbow.
“Get her!”
None of the henchmen had emerged on the levels below me, so I hastily descended in pursuit of the tunnel at the lowest level.
With a slight cracking sound in my knees and the crunching of loose rock beneath my boots, I landed on each new level with a thud, but also with success. That last jump, however, was simply far too wide for any person to cross in a single bound. I landed with the opposite of grace, my body crashing and rolling to the ground.
Ignoring my scraped palms and arms, I hopped to my feet and plunged into the new tunnel. Increased adrenaline pulsed through my veins. My mindset was clear, focused, and unyielding.
As I ran, more paths converged unto my own—the labyrinth expanding.
“Split up!” I heard someone yell from one of the routes behind. “She’s in here somewhere. Find her!”
I pulled my wand from my satchel and changed directions. Regrettably, my new course led me to a dead end. I whirled around, planning to go back the way I’d come, but halted when I realized voices were coming from that direction.
Spear.
Going on the offensive, I moved to meet the first surge of Arian’s men.
They came at me sloppily, like a pack of drunken boar. Perhaps the chase had worn them out. Perhaps they were taken by surprise that I was actually daring to face them. Or perhaps I was just that good. The first two possibilities seemed more likely. But no matter what forces of fortune were at work, I was grateful.
This group of guards was comprised of three men and no Arian. When the first man charged I ducked, jabbed the guard behind him, and spun around to sweep his leg. As I punched the second soldier, his armor showed the reflection of the third attacker coming at me from my blind spot.
I whirled around and smacked his jaw with the dull end of my spear. His head smashed against the wall. As he sunk to the ground I blocked two more incoming strikes before throwing a low roundhouse and a leg hock. This took down the second attacker—leaving only one man inhibiting my route for escape.
I raised my eyebrows at him. “Yeah, I’m gonna need you to move.”
Jumping on the back of the guy I’d just taken down and using him as a boost, I faked like I was going to attempt some wild high shot. Right as my challenger raised his sword to plunge it into me, I transformed my wand.
Shield.
The shield blocked his strike and pinned his weapon-wielding arm against the wall. I thrust my elbow into his chin then back-kicked him in the shin for good measure.
Spear.
Both my hands grasping the staff, I turned and spun around—simultaneously pressing on his arm with one end of my spear and on his lower spine with the other. Transferring his weight with the terse shift of force, I thrust him off his feet and onto the floor.
Wand.
I took off down the narrowing tunnel at maximum speed. The submerged cavern I was looking for was around here somewhere and I needed to find it before I had any more run-ins with Arian’s men.
As if.
Rounding the corner, I didn’t even have time to transform my wand before a large knife came at my side. Thankfully my reflexes were good. I blocked the strike. My left hand grabbed the attacker’s arm. Then my right hand—still clutching my wand—hammered his bicep before whipping against his face.
I swung back to do another leg-hock combo, but the attacker grabbed me and twisted my hand before I could manage the maneuver. Interlocked, we struggled for a second before his weight outmatched mine and he rammed me against the wall. I grimaced, unable to wriggle free.
