Chapter 20
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W ith Steele’s vehicle still hidden off the roadside, Steele and Cyan got out of her vehicle and looked around. She waved to their surroundings, her arms wide. “In theory, the castle is right here, per any map. So I should see it and should be able to access it.”
“But?”
“The fact that all this landscape is camouflaged by a dense fog to the extent that we can’t even see a big-ass castle just blows me away in shock and awe.
Yet it also makes me wonder how much more is possible.
If something like this is doable, what else are we missing out on in our trek into this forest? ”
“I don’t know that we’re missing anything,” he replied. “Still, I bet any delivery person or other visitor heading to Terk’s place can get there with no problem. However, since we came in through the psychic ability doorway, following the Beacon, we are stuck in the middle.”
“I definitely don’t want to call it that,” she muttered, then scoffed. “I mean, that’s a godawful thing to even consider.”
He smiled. “It is, yet—”
“I know. I know. I know,” she snapped. “So the Beacon tells Terk who we are, not what we’re doing nor why we’re roaming around stuck here, only that we’re not some unknown salesman walking up to the front door.”
“I can’t imagine delivery people making a trip to his castle without the Beacon giving Terk some prior warning or understanding of what’s happening. If they do just drive right up to the front of the castle, I don’t imagine they get through the doorway.”
“Terk’s done a lot of renovations,” she noted, “so I’m sure some tradespeople were allowed inside—”
“Yep, back then,” he clarified, with a smile, “but that was at least a few years ago. I’m sure it’s a completely different scenario now.”
“Meaning?”
“Once the need arose to have service people in and out for major renovations, I’m sure Terk increased levels of access to the castle, especially on an energetic plane. So most people won’t get through without permission.”
She smiled. “Right, okay then.”
“So, if you’re ready…” He led the way down the illuminated path into the forest. “Let’s get through the first gate quickly.”
They walked through with no issues, managed to get through that initial portal with no trouble at all, then walked immediately toward the second gate.
The late-morning sun rose high in the sky, so the forest was light and sunny, with the green glossy foliage around them looking almost too green, too full of life.
It was enticing, and, if they hadn’t been attacked here, it would have been lovely.
Now they were forewarned. Steele frowned as they walked toward the second gate and asked, “Does it appear to be closer?”
“Yeah, I was just going to mention that,” she muttered, “but didn’t really want to bring it up either.”
He didn’t say anything, just nodded, and kept on moving in the same direction. As they reached this gate, he cast a quick glance around. She did the same, only to immediately glance back to see that he had the second gate open.
She walked through first, stopped on the other side, and waited until he joined her. “Okay, so now we’re exactly on the same side where we were both attacked, at the second gate,” she noted. “Unseen attacker, no idea who or how or why.”
“Yeah, that’s always the fun part, isn’t it?”
“I’m not sure that I agree with your terminology,” she noted with spirit but kept her voice low. She continually glanced around, studying the area. “It’s definitely a lighter energy today.”
He lifted his head and surveyed the space around them and nodded. “Not a bad thing,” he replied. “I don’t sense an attack.”
She snorted. “It’s not as if we sensed the other ones either.” Laughter lit up her features as she turned to him. “We also haven’t brought up the elephant in the room.”
“Yeah, I was thinking we could just keep that quiet for a while, giving us both a chance to sort out exactly what’s happening.”
“You mean, the fact that I know an awful lot of your history now that I didn’t really expect and certainly didn’t ask for? I’m trying to keep a gate or a wall between your memories and mine, but it’s not working.”
“Yeah, thanks for that,” he muttered.
“I’m glad to know that we’re giving ourselves some time and space to adapt,” she added, her gaze darting to him, then back to searching the forest around them. “Then there’s the corresponding fact that you also now know an awful lot about me that I really rather you didn’t.”
He glanced over at her and nodded. “I wonder if it happens to most people the way it did for us?”
As they headed toward the third gate, she glanced over at him and asked, “And when you say, most people , what do you mean?”
He smiled. “Meaning that, depending on who we are at the time of sharing our energies—and memories evidently—might make the results different.”
“Oh, is that what you were trying to say?” she quipped, with an eye roll.
“Yes. Pardon me if I didn’t explain it very well.”
“Because you’re being cheeky, not saying what you mean.”
He sighed. “I wasn’t trying to be cheeky as much as I was trying to not get too personal.”
“Yet the facts remain. You got quite a download of information out of my head, the same as I did from yours,” she pointed out. “Not on purpose but through a very active effort to heal our injuries. And, to be honest, it’s damn personal info.”
He nodded. “And our energies are blending even now, combining in a way neither of us expected.” And, in truth, it was both heartwarming and emotionally bonding.
Something he didn’t know whether she understood or not.
But they were now bonded on a spirit level, so the emotional and physical would follow the same pattern.
He wasn’t sure either of them could do anything to stop it. Or that he wanted to.
“It’s disconcerting,” she mumbled, pulling him back to the present.
He smiled. “And, just like an old married couple, we’re already answering each other’s comments.”
She frowned at him, then winced. “Can’t say being an old married couple was ever on my agenda.”
He stared at her curiously and then got hit with a load of information as to why, and he winced. “Sorry about that.”
She glared at him and added, “I get it, but you didn’t have to look.”
“Yeah, right . You make a comment like that, and absolutely everything in your brain downloaded into mine, as I tried to figure out why.”
She stared at him in shock, frozen in place. “Okay, this will be a bit rough.”
“Yeah, you’re not kidding,” he agreed. “I didn’t do it on purpose. It happened at the speed of light. How do I stop that?”
“I know,” she whispered. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but it’s still invasive.” She kept walking, then turned to look at him. “Maybe you could, you know,… try to stop it.”
He glared at her. “I have been trying. Have you had any better luck not accessing my memories?”
She eyed him in surprise. Then her expression changed as she winced.
He nodded. “See? Exactly. Not an easy thing to sort out.”
She stared at him, shaking her head. “Oh, this won’t be fun.”
“No, it won’t, so let’s focus on the job at hand,” he muttered gloomily as he walked forward. “It still feels like the area is empty, but that in itself seems suspicious.”
She glanced over at him and agreed. “I’m right there with you. So let’s try to get through here and see what’s on the other side.” And, with that, she opened the third gate and stepped through.
The gate slammed shut behind her.