143
Lucy
He laughed. “Trust me, you’ll know. She’s not nearly so subtle as an instinct. What are you feeling?”
I shook my head, unable to give it words. I pressed my hand to the rough bark of an ancient oak tree. It felt warm and alive in my hand. I felt it pushing against my hand like it was trying to give me something.
“Take a deep breath,” Luke said softly. “Close your eyes and let it happen.”
I closed my eyes trying to relax. Then, the warmth grew and started to sink into my palm. I felt energy coursing through me. When I opened my eyes, I could see the whole forest through the trees. I heard birds and the babbling river several miles from where I was. I felt the mountains starting deep in the earth.
I was so dizzy with it that when I stumbled away from the tree, I collapsed.
“It was… much,” I whispered staring up at the tree. “I feel so warm.”
“Oak trees tend to spread wide but not deep. The oak trees in this forest are connected by a massive root system. You just shared a bit of consciousness with it.”
“What was it like?” He smirked. “Seeing through a tree.”
“Why don’t you try it?” Luke asked. “It should be easier for you since you don’t have a restraint.”
I nudged Duke a little excited. Other than being turned into half a cat, I hadn’t experienced anything real magical. I wanted him to have the chance too.
Duke looked a little wary as he place his hand on the oak. I saw the light rushing into him. He gasped, but he didn’t let go. If anything, he leaned into it. The lights grew brighter enveloping him. Luke walked to the other side of the same tree and murmured something softly.
The light faded and released Duke. He stumbled back and fell beside me. Tears streamed down his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I… I saw my parents,” he sniffled. “I saw them with me as a baby. I-I was playing with a leaf. I was just a-a baby, and I…”
I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close. Luke sighed and leaned back, looking down at me.
“I think that’s enough exploring for now,” Luke said. “Let’s get some food in us, hm?”
He pat Duke on the shoulder. “Your parents wouldn’t want you to be limited by their memory. The oak wanted to give you a gift. To make you happy.”
“I am happy,” he gasped. “I… I had almost forgotten what they looked like.”
I looked down. Wishing I could have seen what my parents looked like, or ever the man I was named after.
Luke led us deeper into the forest until we reached a small brook and sat down to eat. Luke stood, turning his head.
“I’m going to check on something. Stick together if you’re going to wander off.” He paused and looked at us. “Take that as an encouragement to wander?”
He left, leaping up a craggy rock and hiking further into the forest.
Duke and I leaned together by the brook.
“What are your thoughts?” Duke asked.
“That maybe you’ll find some family who will also want to take care of you,” I said. “And you?”
He shook his head. “That this is all fucking crazy, and I’m tired just thinking about it.”
I laughed and finished eating. “Come on. Let’s wander, hm?”
He nodded and stood with me.
As we continued deeper into the forest, the atmosphere seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. The air crackled around us.
This way.
“Not a-fucking-gain,” Duke cursed and started to turn around. I took his arm. “It doesn’t feel like her.”
“I don’t think I can handle any more tree memories,” Duke said. His voice shaking. “I… I don’t want to see them die again.”
I squeezed his hand. “If it’s a tree, we’ll keep going, Okay?”
He squeezed back, and we walked on. I felt the earth trembling beneath my feet. We were getting closer to something.
“I’m impressed.” We looked up, and I saw Jordan sitting in a tree above us. My stomach lurched. The diadem was supposed to keep me from seeing ghosts, wasn’t it?”
Jordan jumped down and looked at us both, circling us. He was wearing the same thing I saw him in last.
He smiled. “You two are adorable. Well, come on, otherwise you’ll be wandering around for hours.”
I looked at Duke and he nodded.
The earth still felt funny. It was practically humming beneath my feet, but we followed Jordan through the woods. With every step, I felt the energy of the forest stirring around us. I felt lighter than I had in a long time as if the forest was giving me energy to fight the restraint on me. The ancient trees stood tall and proud, their branches reaching towards the heavens and swayed in the breeze. The shadows danced across the ground.
As we ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, the vision that had once haunted my dreams felt more and more real. Duke gasped just as we entered the clearing. The rock was just the same way it was in my dreams, but she wasn’t there.
“I fucking hate this place,” Duke said.
“You’re in good company,” Jordan said. “We all hate this place.”
“We?”
He nodded. “This used to be a beautiful courtyard before the attack.”
He shook his head. “Come on. No one cares about her stupid wanna-be throne.”
I heard laughter on the wind, shaking the trees. Duke took my hand as we followed Jordan onward. The wind whispered. I felt the whispers like feathers on my skin. I could barely think around the sensation. Then, Jordan vanished.
“Wait!”
The silence enveloped us, broken only by the gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. I looked around, taking in the towering trees and the outcropping of rocks around us.
“I swear if I’m about to get murdered by a ghost, I’m going to haunt Luke for forever.”
“You’re not,” Luke said from nearby with a sigh. “I’m not about to kill you either. Relax.”
“Where are we?”
“Always with the where,” Luke said, tutting at me. “Where does it feel like?”
I bit my lip and tried to feel.
This way.
I stepped forward just as Duke did. Once, twice, then the ground seemed to give way beneath my feet.
“Fuck!” Duke cried, trying to pull me back, but it was too late.
The ground crumbled and dropped us down the side of a steep incline. It was wet like mud. Duke and I slipped down the slope, screaming the whole way down until we landed in a heap together at the bottom.
Duke groaned. “Not dead. You?”
“Me either,” I said trying to sit up.
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” I pushed onto my knees and wiped the mud from my face.
“Blue is going to kill me,” Duke groaned. “I’d almost rather the ghost did it.”
I laughed. “It can’t be that bad.”
“This mud is never going to come out.”
“Sure, it will, with a little practice.” Luke floated down behind us with a chuckle. “Somehow, I’m not surprised you were draw here.”
“Where is this place?” Duke asked.
“Again, with the where.” He tutted in the darkness. “It’s an old place.”
Luke conjured a ball of light to float above our heads. The cave was large, but there were tall wooden and stone beams reaching up into the cave above like it used to support something.
“It used to be… a gateway of sorts, but it’s been closed.”
He moved forward. The darkness didn’t move much under the light. Then, we reached a large door. The air felt prickly.
Duke went closer to the heavy, ornate doors covered in magical symbols.
“I can’t read any of it.
“You’re not supposed to,” he said. “It’s out of order for a reason.”
I went closer to the door, and ran my hand over the smooth surface. Then, my fingers snagged on something, it felt sharp and I pulled my hand back frowning.
“There’s something sharp there,” I said.
Luke nodded. “It’s a door that uses blood magic. You’d have to be of the right lineage and prick your hand to reveal the mechanism.”
He went to the door and ran his hand over the surface.
“My sister and I… We used to go through this doorway all the time, but there’s no use in it now.”
“Why?”
He chuckled. “Well, I’m not really sure what kind of people are on the other side these days.”
He sighed. “And that was a long time ago. Let’s head back, hm? We’ll need our rest for the trek back to the leaving spot.”
I nodded. Duke followed, but I lingered. I felt drawn to the door for some reason, but I followed. A strange wind rushed through the cave as I headed back.
“Come on,” Luke said, conjuring steps out of the wall. “I’m pretty sure we could all use a meal.”
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