Soul of Darkness (22 page)

“My men only found you because they actively searched for and followed traces of your magic; that is how they were able to detect the hidden room and the cave in the first place,” Malcolm replied, “I do not think our enemies found the room or the cave when they were there. They must have believed that you had left soon after having found the body, so they probably saw no reason to search for traces of magic inside the house. Our men said they left almost immediately after arriving.”

“Alright…if you think it’s safe,” Aaron finally gave in, though he didn’t look happy about it at all.

“If you really think it’s our best option, I guess we should go there. But let’s have the portal open quite a distance away from our real destination,” Aidan said.

“But won’t it be rather obvious where we’re ultimately heading if they
do
  manage to find out where the portal led to? Even if it’s further away from Adam’s house, the general area would already give away our true destination. Because we have no other ties to that region…except for Brown University,” I stated, anxious to cover all of our bases, lest I find myself in a situation in which another massacre could occur.

“Well, yes, I expect it would be rather obvious. But I shall create a warning spell and link it to our point of entry. This will let us know the moment a portal appears at that same location, so that we will have ample time to escape before they arrive at Adam’s house. Opening up another portal will take some time after having used a considerable amount of energy for the first one. So, they will either need to recharge or continue to travel by foot or boat. Either way, we will buy ourselves enough time to flee.”

“Okay,” Aaron said, “then go ahead and open one. The sooner we leave this place, the better. They’re probably on their way here right now.”

“I cannot open it by myself. Since I created the last portal to meet you on the road, we have been doing nothing but traveling. And even though I managed to get a bit of rest during the train ride, I have not yet regained the energy I need
―
it was a rather stressful ride, after all. Therefore, all of you must help me,” Malcolm answered.

“But I’ve never done anything like this before,” Aaron suddenly argued, “and I don’t believe Persephone has either. How are we supposed to learn how to do this in such a short amount of time?”

“Actually, Persephone has,” Aidan corrected his brother, “If she hadn’t, she and I wouldn’t be here now.”

At that, Aaron’s gaze darted to his brother’s, an unfathomable look in his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. But if you’re referring to what happened when you were on the run in the wake of the attack back at the castle, then you’re going to have to fill me in on the details. Because, up until now, not one of you has told me jack about what happened to the two of you during your escape,” Aaron replied, his voice laced with resentment.

He was obviously recalling the major event that had followed our escape: I had saved Aidan’s life. And he must have been wondering about the circumstances that had led to my decision to give my soul in return for his brother’s life.

He seemed to think that whatever had developed between Aidan and me had been the result of the time we’d spent together while being on the run. Of course, he didn’t know that there’d been something between us long before that.

After a short pause, Aidan answered.

“We were travelling in an underwater tunnel…which was suddenly flooded by the ocean’s water. I started to open a portal to the mansion in Scotland, but I…I didn’t have enough energy. I…failed. I remember the two of us being completely submerged. Then I lost consciousness…or…I guess…I died…as you know.”

Aidan paused for a moment before continuing.

“At the infirmary, father filled me in on what Persephone had done for me…but he didn’t give me any specifics. Without the two of you realizing it, though, I’d regained consciousness long before I actually opened my eyes…and I heard you and father talking about what had happened to Persephone…and why.”

Aaron’s eyes shot to his brother, anger flashing within them. Though it was obvious that Aidan had noticed the furious gleam in Aaron’s eyes, he continued as though he hadn’t seen a thing.

“I heard you asking father about what had happened at the manor, so I knew Persephone and I must have reached it somehow. Since I obviously hadn’t succeeded in opening a portal, the only logical conclusion was that she’d managed to open one in my stead. That is why I said that she’s already done that kind of magic.”

“I had surmised as much, as well,” Malcolm addressed us, “Though, I must admit, I was not at all certain. Aidan might have used his last energy and managed to open the portal, for all I knew. Anyway, Aaron, whether or not Persephone or you have that kind of experience does not matter, since Aidan and I do. It should be sufficient that you concentrate on our destination without knowing the particulars of how to create portals. Aidan and I will take over that part. Now, everyone, come to me and let us attempt to do this before it is too late.”

“You still haven’t told us where we’re going, exactly,” Aaron complained.

“Oh, so sorry,” Malcolm answered, “We are going to a place called ‘Weetamoo Woods’ in the town of Tiverton, Rhode Island. The town is about ten nautical miles from Newport…if we want to travel across the Narragansett Bay. We will open a portal to the woods, make our way through the
m
―
which will give us a bit more cove
r
―
and then find a boat to take us to Newport. From there we will hike the rest of the way to Adam’s house.”

“But I’ve never been to ‘Weeta…whatever…Woods’,” I said, stumbling over the unfamiliar name.

“‘Weeta-moo Woods’,” Malcolm repeated for my benefit, “And you need not worry about not knowing the place. It is enough that I know it well. The rest of you only need to concentrate on the name of the location. I will take care of the specifics. Now, please take hold of your bags and sling them across your backs. Otherwise, their bulk might get in our way.”

Chapter 15 * Portal

W
e did as instructed and walked up to Malcolm, who was standing in the center of the rounded space. Forming a circle, we reached out to one another and began holding hands. I connected with Malcolm on my left and Aaron on my right. Aidan, standing opposite of me, would still not glance in my direction, behaving as though I didn’t exist.

“Now, close your eyes,” Malcolm directed us, “and envision yourselves at our destination.”

“Shouldn’t we be tracing outlines on a wall somewhere? I thought that’s how it works,” I said, a bit confused. The few times I’d watched Aidan create portals, he’d always outlined the shape of a door.

“Well, that will indeed allow a better visualization of the intended portal and speed up the process a bit, as it takes slightly more time and concentration to correctly view a shape that exists solely in one’s mind,” Malcolm answered, “But this procedure is not necessary…it simply makes the task easier and faster. As long as your mind can picture the outline of a portal and focus on where it will lead, this will be enough to create it. And since there are four of us and our powers will be combined, the task will be even easier to accomplish. Which means we merely have to concentrate on a basic portal shape and our destination; an exact mental picture of the portal’s dimensions will not be needed. For, where four individual minds simultaneously visualize the outline of a portal, it will never be exact in shape or size, anyway.”

“Okay,” was all I could think to reply.

“Now, visualize the basic shape of a rectangular door and concentrate on the location called ‘Weetamoo Woods’ in Tiverton, Rhode Island, while picturing a forest environment. Concentrate on the combined power that flows between our clasped hands. Feel our circle’s energy and let it drown out every other sense.”

I blended out every single sensory distraction that came at me from my surroundings
,
ignoring the cold, the wet, the earthy smell of the ground…the feeling of holding someone else’s hand in mine…the warmth radiating from those hands and from the bodies surrounding me.

I concentrated only on the magical energy surging through my body.

This was the first time I’d ever taken part in forming a circle. And though I’d recently connected with both Aaron’s and Aidan’s powers and linked them with my own in order to…save us…the allied power created by the four of us in this circle felt different…and frightening. I wasn’t sure if it was because of Malcolm’s presence or because we’d formed a circle of four.

Whatever the reason behind it was, the magic flowing between us now felt much more potent…much more alive and overwhelming…than I ever could have imagined.

Growing inside this circle as though it were a living thing, a force of its own, this monster of a powe
r―
which seemed to have enough strength to destroy a million souls
―
flowed between us with sizzling heat, burning within my veins and constricting my chest…making me feel as though my body would explode with this tremendous force it was unable to contain.

The moans of pain of the others surrounded me, making me realize that I was not the only one to suffer from this onslaught of energy.

“Visualize the forest,” Malcolm breathed through the pain, reminding us of what needed to be done, before the might of our combined magic crushed us.

For, the longer we were connected within this circle, the stronger our joint magic seemed to become.

Closing my eyes, I imagined standing amidst the large trees of a forest, pictured their colorful autumn leaves trembling in a slight breeze, and let my mind form the words ‘Weetamoo Woods’ over and over, concentrating as hard as I could on our destination…on a place I’d never actually been to. I could only hope Malcolm was right about it being sufficient that he alone knew the location.

Suddenly, a great burst of air hit each of us squarely in the chest, making us stumble quite a bit. Nevertheless, our hands did not part, our connection would not break. Our skin and bones seemed melded together by the magic flowing through us. Even if we wished to break the circle, the power within it would not permit it.

I shuddered to imagine what would happen to us if a spell went awry and our connection couldn’t be broken. Would the circle eventually burn out our bodies with its enormous power?

My thoughts abruptly broke off as a portal materialized in the very center of the circle we were forming with our bodies. As though I were gazing through the glass of a window, I could look through to the other side…and could actually see a forest scene similar to the one I’d just envisioned in my mind, except that it was much lighter than what I had pictured.

Seeing as the sun had already set in Ballycastle, I’d automatically visualized a forest at dusk. But at the location we were headed to, I now realized, it must have been about five hours earlier in the day.

Mesmerized, I gazed at the forest I could glimpse through the portal.

Sunlight filtered in through the treetops, creating separate rays of light, casting a pattern of shadows and light upon the colorful, leaf-strewn forest floor.

Individual leaves floated past the window-like frame, disappearing somewhere out of sight. One or two strayed from their original path and, carried on the wind, sailed through the portal to land at my feet.

I heard the chirping of the birds in the trees, felt the breeze that rushed through the treetops and shook the leaves, and smelled the woodsy scent of the forest in the air around me.

“All of you, quickly step toward the portal,” Malcolm urged us.

Malcolm, Aaron, and I stepped forward until our bodies were touching, needing to be as close as possible to one another so that all of us could fit through the small portal together. I assumed Aidan had stepped toward us as well, though I couldn’t see him as he was hidden behind my view of the forest.

The instant I came in contact with the portal, I felt the ground beneath my feet shift, the unyielding stone surface of the cave giving way to the soft soil of a forest floor.

As soon as we touched down at our destination, our hands separated of their own accord. Seeing as none of us had moved, I was left standing shoulder to shoulder with Malcolm and Aaron and…so close to Aidan
,
now that the portal was no longer between us
,
that our bodies were practically touching.

Malcolm and Aaron were already stepping away from our point of entry, while I found myself unable to move…unable to breathe.