Chapter 12 #2
We had been running for quite a few minutes now, and we had to be getting closer to the clearing. I couldn’t remember exactly how long it had taken me to get there the last time I was in the Night-wood, but this felt like an eternity compared to that.
“Soon, Daughter of the Night.”
All right, no. Something was definitely talking to me. Just as I was about to completely break down, the clearing appeared before us. The familiar feeling of magic washed over me as we entered. I frantically looked around to discern the shape of this clearing.
“Forrest, does this look like a half moon to you?” I asked, panic filling me.
Forrest ran from one edge of the clearing to the other. “I mean, I think so. It ends in a point on both sides, and the middle looks a bit bigger. Without looking down at it, I can only guess.”
I started pacing around the small clearing, shaking out my arms and hands. My nerves were getting the better of me.
“All right, so now we have to find the portal,” I said as I ran my hand through my hair. “I really wish I had asked Magda what a fucking portal looks like. I have no idea what to look for.”
Forrest cleared his throat and pointed. “I think it might be that thing.”
I looked to where Forrest was pointing. Nocturna and Astra were sitting in front of the tunnel made of vines. The one we had found Forrest in front of the last time we had been here.
I reached into my pocket and brought out the golden skeleton key Magda had given me.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The key was glowing.
It looked ethereal, like it was too pure to be touched by the hands of someone like me.
Just then the vine tunnel transformed into a large, ornate oak door.
I couldn’t quite make sense of what I was looking at.
Around me I felt something ancient and powerful, like I had upon entering this clearing all those weeks ago.
Forrest grabbed my arm as he craned his neck away from me. “We need to hurry. They’re getting closer.” His voice was a steadying calm compared to my racing pulse.
Moments later I heard the angry shouts and heavy footfalls making their way toward the clearing.
Panic manifested in my gut. They were closing in on us fast. We were running out of time.
I made my way over to the ornate door, assuming it to be the portal.
I scanned the door quickly. There was a giant doorknob in the middle, with a keyhole slightly below it.
Nocturna and Astra were pacing and whining beside me. Their patience with the situation was clearly running out.
“Aurelia, darlin’! Just end this now before someone gets hurt!” Wyatt called out.
I turned around to see him standing at the edge of the clearing. His broken arm was in a sling. In his good hand, he held a short, slender wooden object—a club. The look on his face was promising one thing only: violence.
Forrest flew through the air seconds later, tackling Wyatt to the ground.
He started delivering vicious blows all over Wyatt’s face and body.
I had to step in and stop this. We did not have time for this.
I ran over to the brawling duo and grabbed Forrest by the collar, trying to pull him off Wyatt.
It was useless. Trying to move Forrest was like trying to move a tree.
They continued rolling around the clearing.
Forrest sated his fists on the injured man, while Wyatt frantically tried to hit him with his club.
“Forrest! Stop this right now! We have to go!” I screamed.
Neither man paid any attention to me as they continued to assault one another. My frustration and anger were building, along with panic. The rest of the mob would be here any second, and despite what Forrest thought, he couldn’t take on a group of men on his own.
A warm, prickling sensation built within me.
Now was not the time for a panic attack.
A loud crack filled the clearing, followed by a man’s scream.
Wyatt’s good arm had gone limp, dangling from his shoulder socket at an awkward angle.
I was trying to push Forrest off Wyatt when I felt cold, skinny arms wrap around me.
“I told you that you wouldn’t get away from me,” Maxx hissed in my ear.
I started to scream and thrash. I was not dying today.
This was not happening. I kicked behind me, my heel making direct contact between his legs.
Maxx shrieked in pain and dropped me immediately.
Nocturna and Astra paced around me, growling at Maxx as he tried to regain his composure.
Before I could do anything, Forrest lunged at Maxx, punching him hard, square in the jaw.
He collapsed instantly. Just as Forrest was getting up, five men from the mob ran into the clearing and jumped on top of him, swarming and attacking like the cowards they truly were.
I ran to Forrest’s aid, trying to pull someone off him.
Forrest was strong, but he couldn’t take on this many people on his own.
One of the men I grabbed turned around and backhanded me in the face.
My head was spinning, and I fell to the ground.
The smell of iron filled my nose. I touched my face, and blood was smeared all over my hand.
Nocturna and Astra joined in the melee, grabbing a man each by the throat and dragging them screaming into the Nightwood.
That still left three men fighting Forrest. My eyes started to burn, and that prickling sensation became more intense.
The clearing darkened, as if an evil shadow had slithered into the clearing.
The shadow reached toward the men on top of Forrest, wrapped its insidious tentacles around their throats, and began squeezing the life out of them.
The men screamed. One by one, they were silenced by the lethal shadow.
Blood trickled out of their noses and ears.
Almost as suddenly as it had arrived, the darkness retreated, leaving the men’s lifeless bodies in its wake.
Relief flooded through me as I laid eyes on Forrest, who was now free from the throng.
I tried to stand up, my feet unsure and wobbly beneath me. I took a step forward to check on Forrest but immediately fell to the ground, my legs like jelly.
“Forrest! Are you all right? Forrest, please answer me!” I cried.
No response.
A haunting silver moonbeam lit the clearing.
Forrest’s motionless body lay face up. I willed my legs to move.
I needed to get to him. One leg, then the other.
And again. And again. I picked my leg up, and the other caught on an unseen root, sending me stumbling through the dirt and leaves to him.
I studied his injuries—bruises, cuts, and welts covered his face.
I placed my hand on his chest and felt the rising and falling of his breaths.
His eyes slowly opened, and he turned his head toward me. I let out a huge sigh of relief.
Forrest looked up at me, concern etched into his face. “Are you all right? Who hurt you?” He sat up, groaning from the effort.
Now that I knew he was going to be all right, and I didn’t have to worry about his well-being, I found myself furious at him.
“What the fuck were you thinking? We’re supposed to be running away, not fighting like children and getting caught!” I screamed.
Forrest looked at me, wounded and confused at my sudden change of mood. “Aurelia, I told you I was going to kill him the next time I saw him, and I meant it.”
I looked over to where Wyatt was lying. Blood was running out of his nose and ears.
I then took in Maxx and his followers, who all seemed to be suffering from the same affliction as Wyatt.
Feeling a bit steadier, I got to my feet and made my way over to Wyatt to check his pulse.
It was faint, but it was there. I did the same with Maxx and the other three men in the clearing.
They were all still technically alive. That left two missing men, who were most likely dead somewhere out there in the Nightwood, thanks to Nocturna and Astra.
An intense wave of nausea came over me. I couldn’t catch my breath as I surveyed the carnage. I fell to my knees, shaking, the rush starting to fade and the reality of what had just happened creeping in.
Forrest made his way over to me, helping me up off the ground. “We need to go. Before they all come to.”
I closed my eyes and fought off the nausea. He was right. We did not have time for this. We had to get through that portal. Now.
Forrest grabbed my hand and led me toward the portal.
“Wait. Nocturna and Astra. We can’t leave without them!” I cried, placing my hand on his chest.
He looked at me, puzzled. “Where did they go?”
“They dragged off a couple of the men who were attacking you into the trees. I’d rather not think about what they could be up to right now.”
Just then both mountain cats sauntered back into the clearing, looking satisfied with themselves, their maws stained with blood.
Forrest looked down at me, a wry smile spreading across his battered face. “Looks like they were getting into some bloody good trouble,” he said, amused.
I pulled the glowing skeleton key out of my pocket and placed it in the keyhole. Turning the knob, I looked up at Forrest and smiled. “And now we step into the unknown.”