Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

M y fight or flight mode was working overtime, and I was leaning toward taking off. The cave was a vast, echoing void filled with whispering shadows. Stella and Nana were just as frightened of the tangible darkness that clung to us. It was oppressive and suffocating. The ball of light Nana had floating in front of us glowed weakly. Her spell was barely able to pierce the dense shadows that seemed to press in from all sides.

“This isn’t creepy at all,” I whispered. My voice was barely audible over the sinister murmurs that filled the cavern.

Nana narrowed her eyes as her witch fire crackled over her palm. “This place is teeming with deadly energy. It’s different from Lyra’s Dark magic.”

Stella moved ahead, and her eyes scanned the shifting shadows. “I hope they're not the ghosts of those that died in wrecks off shore.”

I gaped at my bestie. “Why the hell did you have to go and say something like that? Now, I can’t get that out of my head.”

Nana rolled her eyes at us. “Ghosts are a cakewalk compared to the shit we’ve been dealing with. We’ve been at this for what feels like days. I’m tired, hungry and filthy. Forget the noise. We need to find out what's hidden here. Whatever it is, it’s important enough for Lyra to conceal it in this place.”

Nana’s comment made me wonder how long we had been searching. Being beneath the ground made it impossible to track the passage of time. I pulled out my phone and was shocked to realize it hadn’t even been twenty-four hours yet. It seemed like so much longer.

“I wish we hadn’t gotten separated from the others,” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. Aidon, Tseki, Layla, and Murtagh had been with us just moments before, but Lyra’s malevolent magic had conspired to divide us. Having them with us would make the unseen eyes that watched us less foreboding.

“They will find us,” Nana said. Her quiet confidence was reassuring. “In the meantime, we need to understand this cave.”

I glanced around and took in the sandy ground and the stone walls. The cave we were inside looked like any beach cave I’d ever seen on television. If you dismissed the creepy whispers. That turned the place into the oddest haunted location on the planet. Hearing the ocean in the background made me think of fresh, clean places. Salt cleansed even Dark magic.

We’d turned down another tunnel when Stella paused. Her gaze was fixed on a particularly dense cluster of shadows. “There’s something here,” she murmured and reached out cautiously.

I held my breath and kept from snatching her hand back. Instead, I checked to make sure that the protective spell over the three of us was still intact. The darkness recoiled when her fingers brushed it. I gasped and stumbled forward when I saw it had revealed a hidden alcove carved into the stone wall. Inside was an ornate pedestal. Well, it looked more like one of those bar-height tables you’d find in a pub. And even from this distance, I could see the surface was adorned with symbols. Though, I couldn’t see well enough to know which ones they were.

My heart pounded against my ribcage so fast I was lightheaded. “This has to be what Lyra is trying to hide. We should get a closer look.”

Nana was already moving. “There’s a spell here. I think those shadows protected it from the salt. We should disrupt whatever spell is anchored here and cause Lyra and her associates more problems.”

“I live to put a crimp in her plans,” I said as I got a closer look. “Destroy this table and we accomplish that well enough.” Some of the symbols were familiar. They were ones for power and protection that were now corrupted and twisted by Dark magic.

Stella circled the thing with her hands hovering a couple of feet away. “Should we focus on purifying the energy? Or do we shatter it to pieces with one of your bombs?”

Cocking my head to the side, I considered the options. “I don’t think cleansing will be enough. The runes are engraved into the surface, and so are the modifications. Even if we remove the enchantment, they will still hold power.”

“We need a shield first. Shrapnel is not my idea of a good time,” Nana interjected.

“I’ve had protections around us since the hellhounds started chasing us,” I replied as we formed a tight circle around the table.

Nana inclined her head and stretched her hands to us. The tips of our fingers almost touched as we began to focus our intent. I pictured what I wanted to happen, adding that the pedestal should crumble at our feet in a pile of small rocks. When Nana dipped her chin, we chanted in unison. The air immediately crackled with energy. The shadows that Stella had dissipated returned and pressed in around us. I almost lost my concentration when the whispers grew louder and more insistent.

Our combined magic pushed against the vile energy while we funneled power into the spell. A radiant light grew between us, and the symbols on the pedestal glowed bright orange as if the artifact was being heated within. The Dark magic resisted our efforts with a fierce, malevolent force. Sweat trickled down my forehead, and my arms shook as I didn’t let up. The strain of maintaining the spell was enough to make me start crying. It felt like an eon until the darkness began to waver.

Stella and I smiled at one another and with a final surge of effort, the deadly energy shattered along with the table. It dissolved into millions of tiny rocks at our feet forming a small, skinny mountain in the middle of us. The oppressive shadows finally retreated. However. They didn’t vanish. They moved to the corners of the chamber. We stood there, breathing heavily. The chamber was less oppressive now. And the darkness was less malevolent.

I did a little victory dance. “One more blow to the Wicked Witch of the West. One of these days Lyra’s going to get tired of us kicking her ass.”

Nana was flushed with exertion but glowing with triumph like Stella and me. “I just wish this was the end. We need to regroup with the others and continue our search.”

Stella smoothed the top of the pile out. “Take a seat. We can rest for a few while we wait to see if they catch up.”

Nana didn’t have to be told twice. She sank onto the rocks with a wince. “I’m dying for a tea. And a strawberry kolache. Do you mind conjuring one of each for me, Phoebe? ”

My stomach rumbled at the thought of the sweet pastry. Without hesitation, I conjured half a dozen kolaches and three bottles of sweet tea. I sat next to Nana as we ate. Stella remained poised at the entrance, facing the tunnel. We stayed there for about a half hour, and the break was refreshing. Nana was ready to go before I was, and I had to stifle a groan when she stood and prodded my shoulder. “Let’s go back to the entrance and see if we can’t find the others. It’d be good to have them when we explore this place further.”

“Alright,” I sighed, wishing I could have more caffeine. Aidon told me it wouldn’t hurt the babies, but I wasn’t willing to take the chance. I continued limiting myself to one coffee or tea per day. I’d cut energy drinks out completely for the time being.

The tunnels twisted and turned, leading us further into the darkness instead of out. “Do you recognize any of this?” Stella asked, her voice echoing in the narrow passage.

“No,” I admitted. “But it might look different with a little less malevolence in here. Let's keep moving.”

It wasn’t long before the ghosts pressed in from all sides. They floated and swirled like wisps of smoke. Their ethereal forms cast a cold, haunting presence in the cave. The temperature had dropped drastically, causing shivers to run down our spines. I couldn’t believe Stella was right about spirits haunting this place. The darkness seemed to amplify their whispers and the bone-chilling cold that permeated the air.

Stella gripped my arm tightly, seeking reassurance amidst the eerie surroundings. I pulled Nana closer to my other side. Their presence helped against the encroaching spirits. Each breath became a struggle against the oppressive weight of the energy that surrounded us. Ghosts had a unique vibration and presence and with this many, it closed in on us in no time .

A sudden scream pierced the air, startling us all. “One of them brushed up against me!” Stella’s voice rang out.

Reacting instinctively, Stella, Nana, and I shifted so we were standing back-to-back. I was on high alert, waiting to see what the beings would do next. My eyes stung from scanning the spirits for any sign they could touch us. Stella and I were familiar with what angry ghosts could do. We had to banish one that refused to let a woman leave her house.

“I’m really tired of this bullshit. Why are Lyra and her cronies so fixated on using things in the dark to scare us? It’s just pissing me off,” Stella whispered, her frustration palpable.

“Because that is the stuff of nightmares. We have all grown up hearing the stories and being afraid of the boogeyman under our beds,” Nana replied. How was she so damn steady? I was freaking the hell out.

The ghostly figures grew more distinct as the seconds passed. Their ethereal forms took shape in the dim light. They even hovered closer to us. Their presence was unsettling and threatening, to say the least. It was clear they were not mere apparitions. They were here with a purpose. It just wasn’t clear if there was more to their goal than hindering us.

“We need to find Aidon and the others,” I said urgently. The ghosts were a formidable obstacle that I could use Aidon’s help on. Not to mention I just needed my mate close.

Closing my eyes, I tried to reach out to Aidon telepathically. We’d never communicated that way before, but I tried anyway. Aidon, we’re in trouble. We need you. I mentally shouted it out to him with all the force I could muster. I waited, but there was no response. It was just an empty void where I had hoped for a connection. I tried again and again but wasn’t able to reach him.

Regrouping, I decided to try another tactic. “Tarja ,” I called out to my familiar with my mind. My familiar should be able to hear me. I wasn’t cut off like I had been on the island. “ Find Aidon and tell him to come to the chamber. We need help.”

“ He is already on his way to you. They are fighting the hellhounds, and he is sending them back to the Underworld, ” Tarja replied. I practically collapsed with relief when I heard her voice in my head.

“Stay focused,” Nana urged. “We can’t let them overwhelm us.” She was unaware I was talking to Tarja.

“ Can you talk to him? Are they alright? ” I asked Tarja, setting Nana’s advice to the corner of my mind.

Tarja’s scratchy sigh was music to my frontal lobe. “ No, I cannot speak with him. He is a god with incredible natural protection around his brain. It takes everything I have to communicate with those in the same house as me. However, I reached out to Layla when you didn’t call or return. Your mother is worried about you, Amelia, Stella, and Rosemary. They are making their way to you. ”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “ Okay. Tell Mom we followed Lyra through a portal and ended up in a cave off a beach somewhere. It looked like it was probably Maine, but I can’t be sure. Oh, and let her know Lyra had made siren-witch hybrids. We’ve encountered two of them. ”

“ I want you to cast an ear plug spell. Mollie and Nina have been looking into Rosemary’s disappearance in hopes of finding a clue about how to find you all and they heard rumors about a siren who is gunning for you. Sirens are extremely dangerous and can enthrall you before you’re able to utter one word, ” Tarja warned me.

My breath caught in my throat. “ Tell me what to do. I’ll cast it now. ”

“ You need to use the spell, impedimentum olfactus sanum. It will protect you. Cast it on everyone ,” Tarja suggested .

I did as she instructed and promised her, I would call out if I needed more help. The figures moved closer. Their forms coalesced into something almost tangible. I could feel the anger and hatred radiating from them. It made me recoil and wonder what had pissed them off so badly.

“They’re testing our defenses,” Stella said through gritted teeth. “We need to hold them off until Aidon gets here. He should be able to send them to the afterlife, right?”

I winced and lifted a shoulder. “He does have power over the dead. However, I have never asked him how it worked. I don’t know what he can do.”

When Stella’s palms started to glow, I swiveled to Nana. “Cast a sunlight spell. Maybe if we all join in, we can push them back.” Nana grinned and we each cast our own spells. I twisted them together until I created a sphere of light that kept the ghosts at bay. The figures hissed, writhed, and distorted in the light’s glow. They surged forward again, testing our barrier with increasing intensity.

“This isn't going to hold for long,” I muttered as sweat beaded on my forehead from the effort. Nana had a point about how long we had been at this. The snack and rest had helped, but I was bone tired and needed sleep.

Suddenly, the spirits converged to form a massive, towering figure that loomed over us. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural blue light. “You cannot escape the darkness,” it intoned. How did it have a voice at all? “The phony Pleiades will pay for interfering.”

Our light flickered, and the ghosts surged forward. Stella shot me a frightened glance. “We have to find a way to break them up again,” she whispered.

I focused my energy, drawing on what I could afford without releasing the other spells I had running. “A magical bomb isn’t going to work. Any ideas?”

“Untangle them like a ball of yarn,” Nana suggested .

Stella and I nodded and funneled power to the new spell. I barely formed the words when I felt the tendrils of my magic snaking into the thing in front of us. I pushed one thread into an opening I found. I imagined it working its way deep into the form and tugging ghosts out one at a time. There was nothing there to grab. It was like the individual spirit moved out of reach. It happened every time I tried to grab something.

But it wasn't enough. The figure laughed a deep, rumbling sound that shook the chamber. "Fools," it sneered. "You cannot defeat the beguiling magic.”

“We need to try another approach," Stella ground out.

“Why are they so powerful? Our spell should have worked,” Nana mumbled as she tried to work through the problem. Understanding that would tell us where to direct our efforts.

I huffed and braced myself as I redoubled my efforts. “They’re insubstantial. I can’t pull anything out.”

Stella’s eyes went wide, and a gasp escaped her. “This is nothing more than a powerful illusion. I’d bet anything they are protecting something they don’t want found. Like the shadows earlier.”

Nana grinned at that. “Then spells will weaken their hold and reveal what's hidden." Her brow furrowed in concentration. “Let's start with spells to dispel illusions."

I took a deep breath, focusing my mind on the texts I had studied. Raising my hands and channeling my magic, I whispered, " Lumos Vespere ."

A soft glow emanated from my palms, spreading slowly through the chamber. The spirits recoiled slightly. The massive form wavered, but the power behind it pushed back at me. Dammit! It was not enough to reveal the truth hidden beneath.

Stella stepped forward, her eyes narrowing in determination. " Let me try a general spell." She began to chant without waiting for our response. " Dispellio Tenebrae ."

Her magic surged forth, weaving through the air like a shimmering wave. The ghost conglomerate writhed and contorted. We got glimpses of what lay beyond it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much more than a few flashes of white. The true nature of our surroundings remained elusive.

Nana invoked an incantation before Stella’s had dissipated entirely. " Revelare Veritas ."

Her spell echoed through the chamber and resonated with the very essence of truth. The spirits quivered and shifted. Nudging Stella, I told her, “Cast yours again.” She nodded, and I focused on mine. The spell left my mouth. Our magic hit them at the same time, and finally, their form faltered further. We kept pushing energy into it. Slowly the illusions began to fade.

As the ghosts peeled away and the true nature of our surroundings was revealed, a collective gasp escaped our lips. The chamber was not what we expected. The sight before us filled us with horror. It was a chilling spectacle that confirmed our worst fears about Lyra's dastardly schemes.

The ghosts were hiding a macabre scene that defied all reason and humanity. Countless skeletons lay strewn across the chamber floor. There were fleshy, bloody bodies as well. Most were a grotesque mishmash of bones from different creatures and beings. They were all twisted and melded together by the vile touch of Dark magic. My stomach rebelled when I caught sight of one that had the wings of birds fused to humanoid torsos. Averting my gaze, I noted others with the claws of beasts protruding from skeletal hands. It was a horrifying tableau of experimentation and cruelty. And the worst testament to the depths of Lyra's depravity.

We stood frozen in disbelief, our minds struggling to comprehend the horror before us. Stella's hand trembled as she whispered, “This is the most horrific mass grave I’ve ever seen.”

Nana's face hardened as she scowled at the scene. “These poor souls... twisted and manipulated beyond recognition.”

I could feel the rage building within me. It was followed by a fiery determination to put an end to this madness. “No one deserves to suffer like this. Mom would be here if she didn’t have a lot of power.”

Nana's voice was steady despite the horror around us. “She surpassed evil long ago. I can’t imagine most demons doing this for as long as Lyra has.”

As we turned to leave the chamber of horrors, I cast one last glance at the twisted skeletons. A silent promise echoed in my heart. We would confront the darkness that had wrought such abominations upon innocent lives. That included Lyra and whoever else was working with her. This kind of evil didn’t deserve to live.