Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
Iclutched the ancient book against my chest as I returned to my bed. The book instructed that I could only summon a witch from my dream realm, a safe way for witches to connect with each other.
Closing my eyes, I let my mind drift away and focused on the rabbit hole I needed to jump into. My breathing slowed. Having practiced, I achieved a deep state of meditation quickly.
Landing on my feet as usual, I returned to the enchanted trees with the pentagram. I looked down to make sure the witch tome transferred with me to my dream realm. I let out a heavy sigh. I had the book in my grasp.
I focused on the book and was about to open the ancient tome when the whisper of rustling echoed from behind me. Turning, I saw Hayden stepping away from a tree, smiling his usual charming smile.
A shiver passed through my body as I wondered if he would stop me from summoning a witch.
“Sweetheart, you didn’t think I was going to leave you unprotected, did you?”
I sighed. “You know that I need to do this.”
“I wasn’t going to stop you. I’m here to protect you.”
I cleared my throat. “Thank you, but if the summon works, you won’t be able to follow me.”
He grimaced.
I didn’t want to argue with an overprotective supernatural male right now. For a moment, I regarded his calm demeanor. Perhaps he didn’t realize he wouldn’t be “coming” with me to another witch’s dream realm. As my mate, he could only access mine.
Exhaling loudly, I opened the witch book and ran my finger over the words.
The tiny lines vibrated and traveled until they settled into coherent words.
I started muttering the summoning spell, my voice low.
My heart pounded against my chest as I sensed the presence of magic and the supernatural, but it didn’t come from Hayden or the forest—a new feeling I was unfamiliar with.
A soft breeze picked up and swept through the woodland, bringing with it the scent of wildflowers. The whisper of my words multiplied and carried in the air.
My senses heightened, and I became acutely aware of subtle changes in my surroundings. The rustling of leaves sounded like a melody now, and the bright colors of green, white, and yellow grew more vibrant.
With my bones, I could feel a connection forging with nature. It made sense since witches could manipulate the four forces of nature. I could feel someone watching me as tingling sensations ran down my fingertips.
The whispers grew louder, forming words that were not my whispers or my words anymore. Closing the witch book on a hunch, I started following the lower voices of females, their melody guiding me to a path.
Hayden, tensing next to me, straightened his posture and stayed alert. He tailed me, but after a moment, as I stepped forward, Hayden froze and reached out for me.
“Breanna, I can’t go forward.” He put his hands up, touching the air as if something prevented him from coming to me.
He looked around, and I followed his gaze, but we both couldn’t see anything that would have stopped him from moving forward. It was like there was an invisible veil separating us.
“This is as far as you can go, Hayden. I’ll be back,” I said, turning around, ready to pursue the magic.
“Be safe,” were the last words I heard.
Glancing over my shoulder, I could still see Hayden in the distance. He twisted his head back and forth, left and right, but could no longer see me. He had a worrisome expression for a moment but then leaned against a tree and crossed his arms as if waiting for my return.
Smiling, I was grateful at least I had someone to return to.
The warm sense of belonging engulfed me as I followed the path in the enchanted forest. I kept walking until I crossed over to some new energy and magic as if I had walked through another invisible wall. Had a witch answered my call?
Hope took flight in my chest until the path that took me out of the forest brought me into a maze with vibrant green, thorny vines stretching side to side.
There was no way around it, only through it.
Maybe it was a test, similar to how Cordelia had tested me with questions, riddles, and impossible choices to prove I was a worthy witch.
I called on my courage and prayed this wasn’t a trap maze where I entered, lost for eternity, and never returned home. The thought of gaining my wolf spirit and freeing Torin helped me put one foot in front of the other.
I walked through the small opening between two pointy bushes with small red fruits growing around the long, sharp thorns, reminding me of rose hips.
I went farther into the maze and forced my brain to conjure ways out of this nightmare. For all I knew, there could be another trap at the maze exit, but I had to find a way through it right now.
The towering hedges formed sharp patterns of interlocking branches and thorns. The foliage appeared to shift and sway as if it had awoken upon my entrance. Whatever magic I’d triggered, it didn’t seem happy with me.
Suddenly, with soft vibrations beneath my feet, the thorny walls started closing around me, the branches intertwined to form an impenetrable barrier behind me. There wouldn’t be going back to retrace my steps.
My pulse picked up, and I hurried forward.
I reached a spot where the hedges separated into two paths, and I slowed my steps, which turned out to be a mistake. Sharp thorns reached out to my side, attempting to grab my arms. I yelped and ran, choosing whatever path my legs took me onto.
Running and dodging sharp thorns, I thought about what to do next. I learned from my college mythology books that if I kept my hand on the wall the whole time, I could find my way out of most maze layouts, unless this one looped.
It was a risk worth taking since I couldn’t come up with another option. It could lead me to my death or to the exit. Either way, I wouldn’t stay idle. Deep down, I believed everything happened for a reason, and the knowledge gained during my studies would help me.
I slowed to a jog and no longer believed my thoughts were silly as I dragged my hand through the thorny bush. My scraped palm bled, leaving red traces on the leaves. Although throbbing pain exploded at my hand and radiated to my shoulder, I kept a firm hold on the bushes while I ground my teeth.
The pain wasn’t as sharp as when Torin had rejected me and wasn’t as sickening as when he’d abandoned me. The ache in my hand continuously throbbed, making me slow down to walk. The urge to clench my hand and put pressure around the raw cuts overwhelmed me.
I drew in a deep breath and wished this agony would be over soon.
After a long moment of walking, the exit came into view with a burst of bright light from the other side.
Pulling my hand away from the thorns, I examined it. Blood dripped, staining my skin and fingernails from raw scratches that marred the surface.
My hand trembled slightly. Clenching it, I held it against my chest. Ignoring the sting, I let out a heavy sigh and focused on the woodland that appeared in front of me.
Hidden among the forest trees, a cottage, similar to Cordelia’s but larger, stood in the distance. The light puffs from a white chimney told me people dwelled in this place. The air carried a scent of herbs.
The summoning spell had taken me to a witch. It had to be.
Stone and aged but sturdy wood constructed the cozy cabin. The ivy-covered exterior walls seemed to breathe with life, and the arched wooden door adorned with intricate carvings of symbols and pentagrams was there for witch protection, just like my daisy wheel symbol on my thigh.
I let hope grow behind my chest that I would soon meet her face-to-face.
I took a step forward—another mistake.
Suddenly, three figures cloaked in shadows, their eyes emitting a vibrant glow and their bodies radiating power, stepped forward, blocking my view of the cottage.
Although their voluminous gray cloaks billowed around them, obscuring their forms, the figures were small and slender. Their hoods concealed most of their faces, but I could tell they were women from the exposed smooth skin around their delicate mouths.
They stood next to each other and lifted their hands at the same time, their movements synchronized.
I held my breath. This gesture promised trouble when a witch did it.
The roots from nearby trees pierced through the soil and aimed at me. I dodged them to the right. The witches must have believed I was attacking them. After all, I’d trespassed on their territory. I had little time to convince them I was not a threat.
I was about to speak when a thin branch wrapped around my neck and squeezed.
I willed my bracelet to extend into a golden whip.
Tiny specks of dark and light magic encircled the whip at first. I blinked and watched the contrasting soft, luminescent strands versus the bronze, shadowy wisps.
The dark magic had settled down in my magic.
I’d seen the dazzling display of my mixed magic before, but now my weapon burst with vibrant color, and as I struggled to inhale, I focused on the branch around my neck. It loosened just enough for me to breathe.
The light and dark magic around my whip continued to merge. The tiny colorful lights intertwined into tendrils of contrasting energies. The magic mixed completely into the breathtaking color of falling maple leaves.
That is my identity—light and dark mixed together. I welcomed both sides.
The pain around my throat reminded me to move. I lashed the whip against the branch and cut through it, freeing myself. Coughing, I lifted my gaze to the witches.
Three pairs of glowing eyes almost concealed behind hoods aimed at my whip.
Uncomfortable stillness fell upon the forest—not the peaceful silence I usually sought after a busy day in the noisy city.
The lack of any motion of forest creatures and rustling sounds filled the air with tension, and I knew what it meant.