It's Just A Secret Cave What Could Go Wrong? (Peyton)

We ended up back at Jade's. We all changed back into normal clothes and Jade had started a pot of coffee.

We were all settled around the living room floor, the piece of paper Caspian had given us was sitting in the middle of us. It was an old map that didn't match with google.

"We don't even know where the coven lived before, for all we know this could lead us halfway across the world," Hale huffed and sipped her coffee.

I glanced at the map, it was written in some language I'd never seen before. It was all loops and symbols.

"Why don't we just ask Jack and Mayline? They are from the coven they could probably make sense of all this," Ryker asked shifting his weight.

Ivory looked over it and shook her head.

"Even I cant read that,"

Jade admittedly shook her head.

"Uh-uh, no way. If our mothers wiped it from everyone's mind then there's a reason. They didn't trust them with this information then we don't either,"

We all nodded, but my stomach tightened.

Ivory bit her lip.

"They are your car takers. You can trust them," she defended.

We all looked at her. Some how we felt like we could trust her not to tell them.

"We're going to have to trust someone. We can't read this map," It was an effort to keep my body from shaking but I had to offer up the idea. "We know two other witches who might be able to read it, but I've never been in Liam's head I don't know how well we can trust him, but, I've been in Lev's. She might help us, she would never betray Hale,"

Jade snapped her head up and narrowed her eyes.

"Why wouldn't we be able to trust Liam?" Her voice was sharp and I felt horrible to suggest it but our lives were turning into a chess game and each move we made questioned our success.

Hale let out a long sigh.

"Jack told me of another prophecy about how one of us will fall in love with one of Edwards devotee's and could destroy us and blah blah blah. You know the regular ending to our fate,"

I looked to Jade trying to force my empathy into her.

"I already looked into Lev's mind and it's not her, I haven't gone into Liam's yet though, so until then I don't think it's safe to trust him with this,"

Jade drew in a long deep breath but have a final nod.

"Yeah okay, that's fair, guilty until proven innocent. From here on out that's how we should live our lives anyway. So Hale, get Lev over here, if we can we do this tonight. Jack and Mayline are expecting answers in the morning,"

Hale nodded and got up pulling her phone from her pocket and went into the hallway.

"Too bad, we can't google the shadow caves. I'd at least like to know what to expect," Ryker mumbled still starring at the old map.

I snorted.

"Yeah a Yelp review would be great. Two stars, hard to find, lots of dirt and creepy, won't be taking the family here again,"

We all laughed at that.

"Because that would make our lives like ten times easier and if our lives were easy the world would probably implode," Jade grumbled back and set her now empty coffee mug on the side table. Ryker gave a small laugh.

"You're not wrong," Ivory piped up, settling in with the rest of us.

I looked at her.

"So tell us about you. I mean you know all about us because of Jack and Mayline. Meanwhile your a total stranger,"

She nodded with a small smile.

"Alright, yeah fair enough. There's not much to know though. I just turned twenty, I was a toddler when they took me in. They helped me with my magic. What Dimitri was saying was a little true. They've never seen an Arcane witch as powerful as me. When I was old enough they started sending me out to help other refugees from our coven. Teach the new generation and what not. That's how I met Dimirti, he goes with me now on our trips."

"That's actually kinda sweet," Jade commented.

Hale walked back in and sat down, her face was still. Our social conversation now clearly over.

"Lev is on her way. Sne sounded a little freaked out. She remembers the caves as a tale to keep kids from wandering in the woods alone. Sounds like we're in for a good time,"

We all looked at Ivory. Who just looked back suprised.

"Don't look at me, I was barley a toddler when I was in the coven. I don't remember a thing, sorry,"

In the background the tv was on some sitcom, I glanced at the time, it was almost one in the morning.

There was a burst of light, like gold lighting chasing its self in a circle, and then Lev just casually walked through. It closed behind her like it was never there.

She didn't look at any of us, just Hale, though it looked like Hale was trying her best to look anywhere else.

She had a bunch of fabric over her arm, she dropped them on the couch and picked up a long black one. They were cloaks, heavy long cloaks that looked like they belonged in the 19th century not here in Jade's living room.

She strode over to Hale clasped it around her shoulders and drew up the hood.

"You'll each want to grab one. The High Preist might still have the coven in the area, this should help keep us hidden,"

Jade handed me a dark grey one and Ryker a brown one and slide a dark blue one over her own shoulders, Lev passed one to Ivory as well. Lev grabbed the last black cloak and then went back over to Hale.

It was interesting to watch them. If one of them moved so did the other, but I don't think they noticed. They didn't touch but Lev kept herself a half step in front of Hale.

A pang of jealousy curled inside me, I used to think someone loved me that much. I shook my head in hopes that it would clear my mind.

"Where's the map?" Lev asked gruffly and Jade rolled her eyes and picked it up off the floor and handed it to him.

She looked at it, shifting it around, and then nodded.

"It's about a three-mile walk from the village I grew up in. Shouldn't be too hard, till we get to the cave, then we have to worry about creatures with sharp teeth that like to chew on human meat like a tasty drumstick,"

My breath got in my throat which sent me onto a coughing fit.

Jade rubbed my back and glared at her, she didn't look fazed.

"And where is the village?" Hale asked stepping forward, Lev turned to see her, her features softening a bit.

"About a seven hundred -fifty miles north, deep into the forest. I can portal us there, won't take long,"

I pulled the cloak tighter around me and tried to remember everything Hale's been teaching me, every bit of advice and warning. We were going to enter a place possibly crawling with more of our father's disciples, there was a good chance we were going to have to fight our way out.

"Okay well the nights not getting any younger so if you don't mind opening the portal now," Jade urged waving her hand in the direction she came from.

Lev held her lips tight but moved forward and her lips moved too low for anyone to hear. The gold lighting returned, you couldn't see what was on the other side, it was just light.

Lev turned and offered her hand to Hale. She took on a deep breath and slowly took it, she looped around Lev's forearm and grabbed where her shirt was ending.

"You all must go first, the portal will close behind me," Lev told us, she was in a slightly better mood than a few minutes ago.

Jade held out her own hand to me starring at the portal. I took it and wordlessly we both walked through.

Leaves crunched under our feet, the lack of light messed with my eyes and it took them a second to readjust.

Ryker followed us with Ivory and then Hale and Lev, the portal spiraled close until it was gone.

Lev took a few steps away from us and I heard the crunching turn into vivid footsteps on wood.

I forced my eyes to look closer through the dark.

There was a strike of a match then Lev's face was lit by a candle.

We were standing in a breaking-down cabin. The roof was falling in and the windows were all shattered, leaves coated the floor and walls were starting to topple into each other.

"What is this place?" I asked looking back over my shoulder to see Lev.

She grimaced and light another candle and handed it to Jade.

"This is where I grew up, I used to live here," underneath all of the defenses I could the hint of sadness that was layered into the words. "Follow me there's a back way out if it not caved in,"

We followed her to the back of the cabin and found the door she wanted. We didn't have to worry about it being caved in since the hinges seemed to have broken and it was half off the frame and open.

We started walking through the forest, the two candles out only light. It was colder out here, then I remembered we were a lot farther north now, I pulled the cloak tighter to me and pulled up the hood.

We stuck to the edges of the village as we looped around to get on the main pathway. We all stilled when the night sky was light with torches, giving light to the witches in the main square.

"Quiet, on the tips of your feet. Don't make a sound," Ivory warned us in a whisper and kept going. She was looking around like she was trying to draw a memory back of this place.

We were going to die. We were going to die and nobody even knows where we are. No matter how much training Hale gave me we were in the middle of a war camp. There had to be at least seventy of them and they didn't look like they'd take sympathy on us.

I was trudged out of my panic when Jade pulled on my arm and forced me to move.

We stayed low and kept walking but it seemed they were all over the forest. The farther out we got the more spaced out they were but this was about stealth not attack.

As we walked I fiddled with the band around the wrist. It was warm, it seemed that magic radiated in the air. Apart of me wanted to take it off, to feel what it be like to feel the magic around me, to breathe it in and taste it. Then I remembered the agony I felt when everyone in the tri-state areas thoughts were pounding into my skull. It was better when I was at the Manor when it was just the six of us. But out here with the army around us, not a good idea.

I was so deep in thought I didn't notice the mud. I slipped and tumbled down the side of the hill till my back it a tree hard enough to knock the wind out of me.

I groaned and watched a wild-eyed Hale slide down the hill and rush to me.

"Hey, are you okay?" Her voice was still low and commanding but panic seeped through as she ran her hands over me looking for injury.

I shook my head and rubbed the spot on my back, it would probably leave a bruise.

"Yea, I'm fine, just a little sore,"

It was then I noticed the heat that was prickling on my arm, it was getting more intense until it burned.

"Ow Hale!"

I pushed her hand away, her bracelet was turning a hot orange.

She hissed and gritted her teeth.

"Hey, guys! I think you'll want to see this!" Ryker's voice bellowed.

Hale offered her other hand to help me up and hid the other in her cloak.

Ivory came over and took Hales braclet in her own hands till it was cool again.

We followed Ryker's voice around a few trees and came face to face with a large cluster of rock, moss dangled heavily off it. Lev has pulled it away some to reveal the smallest entrance to a cave.

"We found it," Jade awed and brushed her fingers over the rock.

I shook my head, the opening was nothing more than a few-inch-long crack in the stone, big enough for a bird to slip its way in.

"Yeah but it's sealed shut," I groaned and bit at my lip.

Hale stepped forward memorized and put her palm flat on the stone next to Jade's.

"You don't hear?" She asked the bracelet was burning into her skin again , I was the only one that noticed it seemed.

"Crickets?" Rykers asked looking around confused.

Hale shook her head and turned to us with a dark grimace.

"The magic requires a sacrifice,"

Of course, it does, why wouldn't it? We were up to our heads in problems and ancient magic, of course, we need a sacrifice to offer to the rocks. Add it to the long list of our to-do list!

"Do you want volunteers?" Ryker asked with a raised hand, Jade smacked his shoulder and shook her head at him, he just shrugged his shoulders.

Lev had been quiet for so long I'd forgotten she was here, finally spoke up.

"Stay here," She grunted and started to walk back into the trees.

Hale was starting to weird me out, pressing her ear to the cave.

"Hey, Ryker how about we go over there," I muttered, waving my hand in a vogue direction not taking my eyes off my sister.

He nodded and followed me, we went over to a small boulder and we both sat down on it.

Jade was looking over the rest of the rock trying to find a different way in, her optimism was nice but pointless. If a cave tells your sister it demands a sacrifice for entrance it means two things, one that said sister is off her marbles and losing her mind, or second, that the rocks want a sacrifice and only a sacrifice.

Ivory was watching over Hale, but not intervening.

Ryker and I had the best sits when Lev came back dragging a struggling person with her. Lev had the man's hand behind his own back and was forcing him forward.

Lev forced the man forward in front of the cave and to his knees.

It was like a trainwreck, so very very awful, horrifying, and sick, but you can't look away.

Ivory drew a dagger from her belt and gave it To Lev. Forcing the man's neck back, she drew the blade quickly across his skin like it was a paintbrush. Blook lurched and sprayed onto the rock into the crevice and Lev let the man slump into the dirt.

The rock started to crumble away and we all hurried inside before it closed, no one wanted to do that again.

We were surprised to see that torches lined the wills, burning and giving light to our path.

We followed down the cave, going down the twisting and turning till we reached an opening. There was some sort of altar in the middle, rocks brought up to look like tables were scattered with old books.

The walls seemed to be hollowed out to be bookshelves, some did have books on them, some held jars with different strange liquids and gunk. The stone floor was marked with symbols in what looks to be coal.

We each spread out to look over the stuff.

"Oh my gods," Jade exclaimed looking over one of the stone tables that was overflowing in leather bounded books.

We all walked over her and peered over her shoulder. They were journals, dates marked the tops, small scribble filled the pages.

"These are journals dating back ten months from the uprising, from Layla," Jade told us.

We all stilled but my eyes flicked to Ryker, he was emotionless.

"Here listen to this...

December 27th,

Julia says we are safer down here than with the rest of the coven, that the children in our wombs are natural and part of a bigger plan that Edward has. We have to stay unattached in case we have to rid ourselves of them. Julia spends all her waking moments in that room, speaking to spirits as old as the earth trying to find answers on how to help them, to make them saviors, not monsters.

Anna says death would be a mercy for them, that the life we have brought them into pales in the comparison of the lives they will lead.

Julia tries to hid what the spirits tell her, only telling us what's of the utmost importance but Anna reads her mind a lot. Anna tells us that their lives will be filled with blood and war and grief.

We have committed hurdenous crimes against our coven, and the children will pay our price.

January 12,

Today is the day. Julia finally got the last piece of the prophecy, we all agree, they can not live.

The power they will wield together is too much for anyone let alone four children. Julia has concocted her own brand of poison, we shall die along with them, it's not their fault we made this mistake.

It was incredible, the power we felt. We should be dead, laying there in our stone coffin, but after we swallowed our death it was just like I'd seen Julia do a thousand times. The poison burned its way back up in its inky color, out our throat gathering and coming to where it was being called, then seeped into Juila's stomach and settled, they are both still alive.

I've seen Julia take away sickness over periods of time, each time taking a toll on her, but this, the child asobered it all, and as far as we can tell is just fine.

February 3,

Caspian visits more often now, giving us updates about the coven, Edward is starting to seep his twisted beliefs into the minds of our coven.

I've started a garden in the back near the small pond that leaks in from the outside.

Through my magic, I've been able to keep everything alive. Fruits and some vegetables, we laid traps around the entrance for fresh meat. Every now and then Emma will transform the food into cakes and desserts.

We've decided to give up our mission to rid the children of this world, they are too strong and each day is harder than the next. It's hard to grow attached to something your body is growing. We are too weak to do what must be done, gods forgive us.

June 18,

Anna is a blessing to have around, she says she is starting to hear their thoughts. They are curious creatures, aware of the magic they possess but only inclined to use it when they feel threatened.

The child I carry in my womb like the time we spend in the garden the most, the plants almost seem healthier when it's near.

I went to crystal caves today and picked out a pendant, I don't know what will happen to our coven, but it's a tradition we will continue no matter our treason.

July 26

There is no more going outside, no more visits, no more fresh meat, no more day strolls or picking wildflowers.

It's not safe anymore out there. Edward is trying to rally the coven against the humans, Anna sees it in his mind, to use the children as his weapons, we won't let him.

Anna says her power is stronger since she can pull on her child. She erased the Shadow Caves from the minds of everyone in the coven, all that's left is the tales in books. Julia put up a protection spell on the cave, she says that no one will be able to get in without committing treason themselves.

The only one allowed to come in without price is Caispain, he the only one we can trust.

The last passage was a mess, covered in droplets of blood.

So many are dead, their bodies decorate the forest. What has he done? His fit to find the children led to a massacre.

I only got to hold my son for a few seconds before Caispain took them away. He promised up they would be safe, we are weak to move to, go with them. I can only hope my son will find his way back to me.

Anna is gone, her daughter had been born first, I don't know where she is now. Julia went into that room again but when I went to look for her she was gone. Emma went to help, she tried so hard but I watched as they killed her, the child she was protecting got away.

I'm here alone now, the warding seems to be holding up. If I don't die tonight I will have to take stock of the garden and see how long I can live here. But without Julia, I can not open the cave.

There were more and more entries.

"Holy shit," I muttered when Jade stopped reading. There was so much to unpack but no one said anything.

Ryker just turned and started walking farther into the cave. We followed after him.

"Ryker I knew this is hard but we can't just split up were still in dan-"

"Shhh," He held up his hand and took a few steps. "Lisen,"

I could hear the pool of water Layla mentioned but just a little louder we all heard it. Humming.

"There's no way," Hale muttered In disbelief.

Ivory was looking around, she looked to be in her own world.

Ryker went forward again, we kept our distance but followed after him.

The back pool was filled with vines and bushed and crops.

A woman with fragile long brown hair was bent over some crops, her back to us. She was humming to herself. Dressed in a dirty white dress, barefoot.

She threw some of the ripe crops in a basket and dusted off her hands. She stood up still humming and turned and saw us all.

She paled and took a few steps back. A deep blue pendant was vivid against her white dress.

She dropped the basket and swallowed, then took a few steps forward again, until she was in front of Ryker. He towered over her slightly. The resemblance was clear, in the dark brown curls, the eyes, the skin tone, just a few shades darker than when I was tan.

She reached up and pulled his pendant from under his shirt and gasped. She crushed herself into him, and for the first time, I saw Ryker actually hug someone back.