Chapter Twenty-Four
For the first time in known history, Aiden showed up at Bréagha’s cottage preparing for the usual fight and stood in shock to see her sitting on her front porch in a rocking chair.
She was bundled up with her old quilt and a steaming hot mug of what was more than likely too much sugar and caffeine.
Roz sat in the other chair, her head leaned back, and her eyes closed like she was asleep, but her chair was gently moving back and forth so at least her feet were awake.
“Good morning, Sunshine!” he called as he walked closer.
Roz smiled but didn’t open her eyes. Bréagha glared at him from her chair.
Even Sperwa didn’t seem so happy to see him and glared from her place in Bréagha’s lap.
“I don’t think you’ve ever woken up on your own. Excited for today’s adventure?”
Bréagha groaned and laid her head back on her chair.
She had tossed and turned most of the night.
When she did fall asleep, she would wake up in a cold sweat having dreamed of whispering rose vines full of thorns wrapping around her, smothering her, her blood running thick into the ground around her.
Needless to say, she got little to no sleep.
She didn’t say any of that to Aiden though.
“Sure, let’s get this over with. Where are the others?” Just then Killian and the rest of his team came out of the woods behind her house. Cathal and Liam both carried their own cups of coffee but unlike Bréagha they looked well rested and ready for the day ahead.
“Let’s go! We’re burning daylight, ladies!
” yelled Killian. Bréagha looked at the horizon where the sun was barely visible and then back at him with a raised eyebrow.
He just grinned back at her, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.
She stood up, waved her wand down and changed her pj pants and tank top to her leathers which made her feel badass.
She had a feeling she would need that today.
She added a leather jacket on top cause it was a little chilly in the Garden this morning.
Roz followed suit, creating her own set of leathers like Bréagha’s but hers was accented in hot pink instead of red, and she went for a hooded cloak instead of a leather jacket.
Bréagha stared at her then waved her wand again to change her jacket into a hooded cloak as well.
“Twinsies!” she exclaimed and linked her elbow through Roz’s.
Maybe today wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.
Roz grinned at her friend then created the portal to the spot she remembered on the map Kat showed them.
Getting them as close as she could. Since she had never been there it made portaling a little difficult, it also felt like that walled garden wasn’t a fixed point which gave her pause.
She waited for all the Sentinels to walk through including their familiars, Kaedryn having to duck down and pull his wings close to his body to fit, then the women followed.
Everyone stood on the edge of a dark forest, staring up at the trees.
“Oh this doesn’t feel ominous at all. Totally normal,” muttered Cathal, his lion, Torvath nodding in agreement. Even Liam’s leopard, Tharion, who was usually utterly unruffled, seemed hesitant about going into that forest.
“Nothing for it Frodo, we must keep going,” announced Aiden as he placed a hand on Makani’s head in reassurance.
“This place feels old and not entirely welcoming Soul-bonded,” warned Makani. “Are you sure this is the way?”
“I can fly up and see if I can’t see the clearing and if there are any hidden dangers.
Wait here just a moment.” Kaedryn beat his mighty wings and took off before anyone agreed or disagreed with his going.
They watched as he flew over the trees until he disappeared into the distance.
They waited about fifteen minutes, about ready to head in without him, when Kaedryn flew back and landed behind the group.
“There is indeed a clearing about five miles or so due north. I couldn’t see any dangers, but this forest is old and alive in more ways than I can see.”
“Oooh, that just filled me with confidence,” whispered Bréagha as she peered closer into the woods. “Really don’t want to do this.”
“As do all those who live to see dark times Frodo….” Bréagha turned and waited for Aiden to continue. “Damn it, I don’t remember the whole speech, but you know it.”
“You are a nerd. But I love you anyway.” Bréagha laughed, reaching her hand out and clasping his.
He grinned and squeezed her hand. They all faced the forest, took deep breaths, then started in.
As soon as they crossed the threshold the temperature dropped, making Bréagha even more thankful for the cloak.
Sperwa, who had been riding on her normal perch on Bréagha’s shoulder, flew down into the hood and curled up.
“Let me know when we get there, Soul-bonded. Cause just no,” whispered Sperwa and Bréagha laughed.
“It isn’t a good thing when the phoenix starts hiding,” observed Cathal from his place in front of everyone.
Him and Torvath had chosen to walk ahead of Bréagha and Roz while Liam and Tharion went left, Aiden with Makani went right, and Killian followed.
Kaedryn had taken to the skies again watching over the group down below and keeping an eye on the forest around them.
The forest was dark and unnaturally quiet.
There were no birds singing in the trees, no small critters running around in the brush making rustling noises, no wind through the trees.
It was like a soundproof wall surrounded them.
The chill in the air deepened like even the sun and its warmth avoided this forest. It was incredibly nerve wracking, but the group moved through the forest without incident until they broke out of the trees into the clearing Kat had been speaking about.
The clearing wasn’t that large, maybe thirty or forty feet across.
Smack dab in the middle stood a wall made of smooth grey stones, in the middle of those stones was a wooden and iron door set deep into the wall.
Covering the grey stones was thick thorny vines as Kat had also mentioned.
Along the vines was a thick crop of blood red roses as well as roses the deep orange of a summer sunset.
“Well, it’s pretty at least. Creepy, but pretty,” observed Bréagha. Torvath scoffed as he moved to the left with Cathal, which made Bréagha smile. Liam and Tharion took the right as the rest stood staring at the door in front of them.
“I can’t see into the area even from up here,” called Kaedryn.
He came into land, barely fitting in the corner of the clearing behind everyone.
He snaked his long neck up to see if he could see through the foliage and shook his head.
“There must be some kind of magic that keeps that place fully covered.”
Aiden went to the door and tried the knob. It, of course, didn’t open.
“Did you really think it would be that easy Soul-Bonded?” questioned Makani who sat back on his haunches and gazed at his Sentinel like he had lost his mind. Aiden grinned sheepishly.
“It was worth a try I guess,” he answered. He looked closer at the door. He studied the iron scrollwork, tilting his head this way, and that, to see if he could pick up some kind of pattern.
Killian stood behind everyone doing the same.
Roz and Bréagha started walking around the walled in area along with Cathal and Liam with their familiars.
The back of the walled in area touched the deep forest behind it, making it difficult to finish the circuit but they pressed on.
Meeting back at the front without any clearer idea of how they were supposed to get in.
“I say you just burn it to the ground,” suggested Aiden who had stepped back beside Killian. Bréagha turned to stare at him.
“How about no?” Roz walked up and flew to the edge of the stone, trying to find a place to stand on top of the wall.
She finally decided to try landing on top of the vines.
They looked thick enough to handle her lightweight frame.
She thought she had found a place without thorns but as soon as she landed a thick thorn went straight through her foot.
She cried out and fell backwards off the wall.
Kaedryn swung his wing forward catching her before she hit the ground, the pain from the wound too great for her wings to catch her.
He laid her gently beside Bréagha who kneeled down to look at her friend’s foot.
Sperwa jumped out of Bréagha’s hoodie and walked over to Roz’s foot. Bréagha gently removed Roz’s shoe, and they all gasped at the hole left behind by the thorn, it wasn’t a small wound.
“Hold still Rozengwyn. Bréagha you may want to hold on to her shoulders.” Sperwa waited until Bréagha got behind Roz and wrapped her arms around her friend.
Aiden kneeled on her other side. Roz buried her face in his shoulder as Sperwa blew a small stream of blue fire toward her foot, causing her to cry out and bury her head tighter into Aiden.
He wrapped his arm fully around her, as Bréagha tightened hers.
The fire sealed the wound completely, but it left an angry mark behind.
“That should help keep you from bleeding, but you’ll need to see Kat when you get back. ”
Roz nodded and mumbled her thanks, scrubbing the tears that fell unbidden down her cheeks.
She flung her hand at her foot, and a piece of soft cotton wrapped itself around her foot gently, helping the throbbing.
She took a few deep breaths then stood up, putting her foot down gingerly and once she knew she could stand on it she stepped away from Aiden, suddenly embarrassed about using him as a human tissue.
“Sorry, Aiden,” she mumbled softly.
“No worries, Roz. We got you.” Aiden squeezed her shoulder then moved to stand next to Killian who was still staring at the wall.
“Okay, so now we know, no touchie those vines,” Cathal said as he came to stand next to the other Sentinels.
Liam stopped on his way to give Roz a quick hug. “That looked brutal and I for one don’t want to have to do that.”
“There has to be a way to get in,” mused Bréagha as she stepped closer to the door. She laid her hand on it, in the middle of the scrollwork. The iron lit up and started to move. She gasped and stepped back. The iron instantly went back to its original place and turned back to black.
“Do that again! It didn’t do that when I was up there touching it,” exclaimed Aiden. Bréagha hesitantly walked back up and put her hand on the door again. She had to grit her teeth to keep herself from running away again as the iron scrollwork moved.