The Equinox (35 page)

“Oh no,” I mouth. I feel numb as I take
in their wounds. Trisha takes off running toward them. Amid the chaos, a small
feeling of pride bubbles in my chest as I realize that Trisha will be able to
help these kids because I taught her how to heal.

“Call 911,” Rose whispers just loud
enough for me to hear.

I look at her, confused. “Why, can’t we
heal them?”

“Kat, this is just the beginning. We
can’t possibly heal everyone. Just call 911. We’ll help them as much as we can
while we wait.”

Just
the beginning?
My hands tremble as I speak into the mouthpiece. “Call 911,
now. Some kids have been injured and they need an ambulance.” I unclick the
button and then press it again. “At the haunted house.”

A loud rumbling noise causes Rose and I
to turn our heads back to the haunted house. Escaping one of the open windows
on the top floor, is colorful arrangement of flickering lights, but that’s not
all. A shadow crosses the path of the lights and another terrifying scream
ricochets through the night, piercing the newly fallen night sky. My body is
jolted to life, not only alerting my senses, but igniting the fire within me.

Charlotte is already running toward the
building, along with four other Enchanters. I’m pulled back by Rose who signals
to my walkie talkie. “Who is trying to reach you?” She asks desperately.

The earpiece dangles by my side. I didn’t
realize that it came out of my ear. Rose must hear a frequency that I’m not
tuned into at the moment. I stick the cord in my ear and wait for the voices to
come. Another click sounds, followed by a hiss and some feedback. I wait
anxiously for someone to speak but nothing comes.

“Help!” The voice I’m hearing is coming through
the speaker. He or she, I can’t tell, sounds distant but terrified, and then
there’s another crackle. “We—garden maze—we can’t—”

The walkie goes completely dead. I bang on it, I command it to turn back
on but it’s done for. I yank it off and just start running.

“Where are you going? Kat…” Rose is
screaming at me. I’ve never heard her so terrified, but I can’t stop. The Enchanters
have all been drawn to the haunted house, which means, no one is on the other
side of the Island, where the garden maze is.

As soon as I approach I know something is
off. The white lights that once lit the large arched sign above the entrance are
dim, but buzzing fervently. A blue glow that shines above the outside hedges,
seem to come from a deeper part of the maze.

I tense and look over my shoulder. It’s
as if the carnival guests have all gone silent. All game and ride activities come
to a still, and a large dark cloud now hangs over Summer Island. This can’t be
good.

Feeling like I have nothing to lose, I begin
to move through the maze. The moon’s glow casts shadows around me, as if
providing nightlight for my private viewing. My path is formed by long, winding
hedges that are dimly lit on either side by the branch lights. Every inch of
the hedges are carefully sculpted, and the top of the hedges are rounded,
obviously crafted to set up a whimsical environment. The patterns etched into
the greenery create a 3D look throughout, and flowers of beautiful bright tones
bloom before my eyes.

The maze is seemingly a mile long with
all of its twists, turns, and many dead ends. Each of the dead end points are
creatively constructed and lively as tree branches move from left to right, up
and down. Something pokes me from behind, and when I turn, a stick falls to the
ground. Whipping my head around, I search the space around me for a sign as to
where the stick fell from. With a squeeze of my necklace I force myself
forward.

I seem to be on a correct path since I
continue through it for a while, but I begin to get frustrated at the very next
dead end. All around me I hear faint echoes of laughter through the breeze, as
if the trees find my journey humorous, their leaves blow softly in the wind.

It’s almost too late when I see a large
branch from another tree swing from left to right, this time with more force
behind it. I stumble backwards to avoid my decapitation, and fall to the ground
before searching my near space for another flying limb on the attack.

When I jump to my feet and shake off the
dirt that’s dusted my backside, I forge forward with determination. Whatever
led me here will have to face me at some point. It might as well be now.

Finally, I realize where the blue glow is
coming from. I approach an opening in the path; an enchanting sight, despite
the danger. It’s as if an entirely new world is opening up before me. The blue
glow comes from the waterfall that spills effortlessly over a pool of fresh
water as a butterfly circles above; the loud fluttering of its wings echo in my
head.

I’ve been transported to a tranquil
spring of pure beauty, and my worry is momentarily hypnotized. My surroundings flourish
with bright green leaves and large flowers that are full and well-blossomed,
but it’s the aroma of orange blossoms that stimulate my senses positively. Large
oak trees grow tall as their roots sprout endless tangles. The grass scent is fresh
and newly cut.

As I approach the pond I’m suspended by
fascination. How did Ava’s parents and their volunteers do all of this? My
surroundings appear to have the magic touch of an Enchanter; places like this
simply do not exist in Apollo Beach.

A bird chirps near my ear and as I turn
to view it I watch frozen as the blue bird transforms into a raven right as it nears
my head, momentarily blocking my sight. Its wing slaps my cheek, burning the
spot that it touched. I raise my hand to my cheek to heal it quickly, then look
around to see what’s coming for me next. Now I’m certain an Enchanter did not
create this place.

There’s a sinking feeling in my chest but
I have no time to determine why, because a black bat swoops in; his eyes blood
red. I swear its teeth are in the shape of razors. I duck just as it flies over
my head making a squealing sound when it crosses my path.

The entire scene around me transforms
from beautiful tranquility to something from a nightmare. I turn back to the pool
of water below the fall and watch as the clear shining, moonlit facets darken
and thicken, turning to a muddy color. I take a step back as the bubbling brown
liquid creeps toward me. My foot catches on something, bringing me down onto my
back. The intensity of the fall causes an excruciating pain to shoot up my side.
I cringe. I feel a movement up my ankle and look down to see the tree roots
slithering around me until their ends become snake heads, reminding me of the
awful snake from Weeki Wachee

A scream escapes me as I jump to my feet
and run back toward the entrance—but there is no entrance. The hedges
that formed the walkway I came from are weaving together slowly and securely,
as if the branches are needles and the green leaves are its thread; it’s sewn
together, disabling my only escape. I’m forced to turn around. Whoever is doing
this wants me right where I am.

As I peer back out at the dark brown
muddy waterfall, it quickly transforms again to a flowing and fiery red lava. The
squawking of birds irritate my ears as a bright blue glow catches my eye. On
the other side of the meadow, another set of hedges untangle, creating a clear
and narrow pathway. I know without a doubt that through the passage is where
I’m meant to face the Equinox.

The blue glow increases in intensity the
closer I step. I tense as I’m about to round the hedge. Will Erebus greet me on
the other side?

I inhale deeply and squeeze my glowing
green stone that hangs loosely around my neck. By now I know that it glows like
this when it senses danger, and the strength it gives prepares me for what lies
ahead. I step forward, but as I round the corner I’m not ready for what my eyes
unveil.

“Johnny.” My voice comes out strangled
and weighted with emotion.

His body is tied up against a tree; head
sagged revealing, what looks like, an unconscious state. I throw myself toward
him and am surprised to see his face lift slightly. He looks like he has been beaten
pretty badly, drained of all energy. Blood soaks through his hair on one side
of his head, his clothes are torn and dirty. However he got here, he didn’t
come willingly, that much is obvious.

When I’m close enough to touch him I
reach for his face. “Johnny.” My whisper is barely audible above my
choking. A silent sob escapes me as I call his name again. When he doesn’t
respond right away, I put my lips to his. If I transfer my energy to him, at
least some of it, maybe he can begin to heal. But before our lips meet he
returns my gaze and shakes his head, willing me to stay back. But why? He
doesn’t appear to be relieved, or happy, but horrified.

His eyes grow wide as he looks over my
shoulder. “Get out of here, Kat. Run!” He manages to speak, but it’s more of a
desperate croak.

I swivel around just fast enough to duck
in response to a knife that swipes at me—held only by air. It makes a
loud whooshing noise in its attack. There’s no one else around.

“Who’s there?” I call boldly.

A giggle is my response, irritating the
very core of my body. I know that giggle.

“Ava. I know it’s you. Come out now.”

And she rewards me with her grand entrance
around the nearest hedge. “You’re very smart, Kat.”

Her voice is sticky sweet and the way she
says my name ignites the flame in my chest. I should have known Ava was behind
all of this—and that she was the Equinox. I want nothing more than to
kill her, but just as I’m sorting out ways in my mind to do so, Alec follows
her from behind the hedge, and it’s like ice running through my veins.

“No,” I say with a shake of my head.
“No.” A tear rolls down my cheek. Although Alec and I haven’t been close for
some time now, I never thought his betrayal would hurt so badly.

Ava tilts her head and pouts, mocking me
with pure joy. “Oh yes, Kat. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I found out
Alec was just like us.” Her eyes twinkle with malicious evil as her hands lift
slowly, creating a string of electricity from one hand to the other. She looks
to Alec, evidently cueing him because he raises his hands too. A ball of fire
grows in his hands. His eyes look dead, as if devoid of whatever humanity he
once had.

“What are you?” I yell over the sound of
the raging fire and the sizzle of electricity.

Ava laughs. “But don’t you already know?”

The answer is yes, I already know, but I
want to hear Ava say it. “Tell me why you’re doing this. No one understands.
You don’t need to kill us to be powerful. Look at you—you’re already more
powerful than any human.”

Ava throws her head back and giggles.
“Yes. We are, but I’m just following orders,” Ava says before slanting her eyes
and throwing her ball of blue lightning straight for my chest.

My hands shoot out in defense just in
time to stop the lightning bullet from reaching me. The pressure of my power
pushes against her creation, forcing it back in her direction. Her smile fades
and her eyes turn to me with an evil blue glow. The stories Rose shared with us
come back to me now, as I experience what she did a decade ago. When Equinox
become vulnerable their blue light shines brightly—exposed and unable to
hold much of a defense.

I continue pressing toward her and she’s
unable to push back; my light is much brighter and more powerful than hers.

Ava glances left. “Alec, help.” She’s
frantically pushing against my strength to no avail. To my surprise, Alec isn’t
helping her. Instead, he’s dissolving his fire and lowering his hands.

At first, Ava looks like she’s been
struck, but then she turns back toward me and narrows her eyes. Meanwhile, Alec
runs to Johnny and releases the rope that binds him to the tree. I can’t see
their interaction, but I can hear it. Alec is no threat. Then why was he
standing with Ava just now?

My concentration returns fully to Ava and
her self-made light that’s about to kill her. I hold the flow of light steadily
now, hoping she can provide some answers.

“Are there others like you?” I demand,
refusing to call her what she is.

Ava smirks. She’s obviously over Alec’s
betrayal—or whatever that was. “More than you can imagine.”

“Do they know about us—that we’re
in Apollo Beach?”

She continues to smirk while nodding her
head.

“What are you after? What do you want
from us?” Maybe something she can tell me will stop all of this and protect my
friends and family from more violence.

Ava takes a deep breath, as if it’s her
last, and speaks. “All I want, is to do as he says,” she snarls. “It’s Erebus,
the God of Darkness who wants you.”

“What does he want with me, Ava?”

She smirks just as the lightning reaches her,
just inches from her chest. I leave it there, waiting for her to tell me what I
need to know—whether or not I’ll like her answer is irrelevant.

“Kill me and you’ll meet him. I’ve done
my part.” Her sacrificial words disturb me to my core. Is there any hope for
Ava if she survives this? But I already know the answer to my own question.

Ava raises her arms and releases her neck
back so her eyes face upwards—inviting death. I give her what she wishes
and propel the lightning creation at her chest. The light soaks into her entire
body, illuminating a bright blue color from her insides-out.

I watch, sickened, as Ava smiles while
the blast tortures her. Arms wrap around me on either side—Alec and
Johnny. They reverse my steps until our backs hit the tree, and with an
explosion of light, Ava’s lifeless body crumples to the ground.

I let out a cry and turn to face Johnny
and Alec. I look between them, wanting badly to apologize to Johnny, and
curious to understand what just happened with Alec. Did he befriend the Equinox
knowingly? Is he an Equinox descendant? All I know is that he has powers—made
evident by that fireball he created at Ava’s command.

“I hate to tell you this Kat, but it’s
not over.” Alec says looking over my shoulder.

I cringe and turn slowly to see what’s
next.

Iris.

She radiates a blue glow around
her—but this glow is not the same as Ava’s. Her soul is exposed, faintly
making out the lines of the Serpent, Erebus. I am looking at a possessed Iris.

“Good riddance,” Erebus speaks using the
young voice of Iris, and he says this with a repulsed glance down at Ava’s lifeless
body.

I stand taller. “Erebus.”

Iris smiles but it’s Erebus who controls
her movements now. “Should I curtsy?”

I make a sideways glance to see the knife
that still hangs in the air. “Please do, so that I can throw this knife at your
head.”

I’m angry—angry that he’s done all
that he has up until this moment, irate that he made me kill Ava, and furious
that he’s standing before me now in Iris’s body. Iris and Ava may not have been
the best souls around, but they were young with potential to become something
better, until Erebus got to them.

Erebus laughs. “That knife won’t hurt
me—but it might damage my beautiful hostess, and for that I will be very ungrateful.”

“How long have you been possessing Iris?
Was it you who burned on the Fourth of July?”

Another evil laugh comes from Iris’s
body, and then a sneer. “That was the first night I met you, my dear. Your
magic is lovely.”

“Iris is dead then.” I say it out loud to
confirm my own fears, but I remember what Rose told me about possession.
There’s only so much time a person has left to live once Erebus takes over
their body. If Erebus invaded Iris on the Fourth of July, then the real Iris is
gone.

Like a light flickering on in my brain,
my eyes widen at Erebus. “You made Iris catch on fire?”

Iris, Erebus, whoever, sneers. “Yes. I
first possessed dear Iris that night. She was all too willing.” His words are trickling
with disdain. I wonder if he’s unhappy I know so much.

Without giving him a chance to respond, I
propel the knife at a speed that wouldn’t register for a Normal. It hits Iris
square in the forehead. Erebus growls at the attack and glows brighter as he
raises Iris up, so she’s floating a few feet above the ground. “Tell me,
Katrina. How do you like being the strongest Solstice of all time?” He is
disturbingly unfazed by the blood running down Iris’s head.

I narrow my eyes at Iris’s levitating
body. “How do you know anything about me?”

A loud laugh that is no longer Iris’s
carries across the distance between us. “You’re a Summer. I’ve been following
your bloodline since the life and death of Astina Somer, rest her poor soul.”
Erebus frowns mockingly. “I’ve killed many Enchanters over the years, but none
quite as bright as you. You will give me the power I need to finish you all.”

I shake my head. “You can’t kill me,
Erebus.” I hold up my arm, revealing my mother’s pendant, knowing that he can
look but he can’t touch.

Erebus grins. “Oh, I can kill you.” Then
he shakes his head. “But killing you is not what I want—not yet anyway.
That pendant only keeps me from possessing you, and I
will
possess you,” he speaks ominously.

The strength of Johnny’s arms around me
help to keep me from lunging at Iris.

“If you so much as
touch
Kat you
will
die,”
Johnny speaks up. It’s clear in the power of his voice and the grip he has on
me that he’s gotten his strength back.

Erebus growls and then hisses, blowing a
thick cloud of blue smoke at us, forcing us to gag from its smell—gas and
skunk. “You dear boy, are the reason I didn’t get to Katrina when I intended
to, and
Ava
was supposed to kill
you
. Dear girl was never the best Follower,
now was she? I gave her a chance.” Erebus points to Ava’s dead body, and with a
swipe of his hand, tosses her over the nearest hedge. She lands with a thud and
Erebus turns back to us with a cocked head.