Jake
It doesn’t take us long to find the door.
Jasmine found one down an alley near Fernhollow road, so we didn’t have to travel far.
She told me the door’s location doesn’t matter.
What matters is the traveler’s intention.
If she has the right intention when turning her key, the opposite side will open to a large field right outside her family’s home.
We thought about going to Marisole’s room. It would give us time to rest and align on the plan one final time, but we didn’t want to risk a surprise attack.
“This is your last chance to stay here,” Jasmine says, reaching for my hand.
I shake my head. “No way. We got this, okay? It’s going to work out.”
Jasmine laughs, fidgeting with the key around her neck. “You’re so sure.”
“I’m only trying to have a positive outlook to stop us from freaking out.”
“Fair enough.”
Jasmine takes the key off her neck, but she stands a foot away from the door, not moving.
I come up behind her and place my hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She nods, then smiles at me. “I’m just thinking about the other day when I tried to use this key. I could barely hold on to it, you know? I was shaking so badly; it felt like my body was rejecting the motion. That’s why my shadows were out.”
“And now? How do you feel now?” Even though I know the answer, I think it’s good for her to say it out loud.
“Strong.” Jasmine grins, her grip tightening around the key.
“Strong enough to take on a god?” I chuckle.
“Yeah. Strong enough to take on a god.”
Jasmine turns back to the door and takes the last step. She looks back at me one last time, and I nod, even though she doesn’t need my permission to enter.
We’re doing this together, and I trust her as she trusts me.
After a deep sigh, she places the key in the lock and turns it. For a split second, nothing happens. Then everything that follows is a blur.
Jasmine is shoved to the ground and pinned by vines.
Three demons come through the door, and we’re both caught off guard. One goes for Jasmine first, making sure he can take her down. The other two come after me.
All three men are devious-looking, with buzzed black hair, matching snake tattoos on their necks, and matching black jackets and pants to complete their demon ensembles. The details are enough to make them feel unmistakably dangerous, but I’m in no position to say that out loud.
At least I seem to have some advantage, because one of the men stalking toward me shouts that his magic should be working. That must mean he tried to infiltrate my mind like the last demon we encountered.
Thank you, Rebecca, for the spells.
But my hope doesn’t last long. Jasmine is still trapped, unable to use her shadows against the vines. When she cuts through one, another takes its place. The angry man trying to use his magic on me goes to help the demon by Jasmine, which must mean this third demon has shadows.
If this were a movie, this is when the dark orchestral music would play, the sky would turn dark, and anyone watching would know it’s not going to end well.
My brain knows it, too, because the only thing I can do is stand there and make eye contact with Jasmine as long tendrils of smoke encase my entire body.
For a long while, it’s black and eerily silent. All sound from the outside world is cut off, leaving only the white noise of the shadows swirling around me like a tornado.
Part of me wishes they killed me there, to save me from whatever I’m about to endure and save Jasmine from acting recklessly to save me. But the other part of me, the one full of hope and love, is relieved that I’ll have a fighting chance.
At least, that’s something I have to remind myself of over and over when the shadows disappear, and I find myself behind bars. The only way I know where I am is from the small window on the far wall, where the sky is red.