Dreamwalkers: The Awakening

CHAPTER 22

Expecting the worst to happen, I hold my breath as we step through the arch and into the caligo. We're all on high alert, Zoë and I waiting to be attacked by one of the vicious creatures who call it home, Charlie, worried he'll be pulled back to the grim world he was just freed from.

Instead, we encounter a beautiful garden.

Lush greenery and colorful flowers in full bloom surround us. In one direction, a maze carved from waist high shrubbery extends as far as the eye can see. In the other, a seating area made from slabs of white marble and gray slate form a strange off-kilter triangle. The warm humid air, something I'd normally find comforting, feels menacing and laced with danger.

"I see what you found so terrifying," Zoë taunts Charlie as she steps toward a shrub dotted with elegant white flowers.

"This isn't anywhere near what I saw before."

Searching the garden for answers, I tread lightly, listening for any signs that might point to Natalie's presence. The only thing that stands out is the now non-existent arch. It's clear it was meant as a one-way path, at least for humans.

"This doesn't feel right," I worry out loud.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asks.

"I feel like we're being watched."

"We probably are." Zoë studies the area for obvious danger. Admiring one of the stunning blooms, she plucks it from a bush. As soon as the bright purple flower is separated from its host, the life drains from it. Cradling the withered flower in her hand, she lifts it to her face for inspection. With a loud screech, the flower morphs into a bat and flies away.

Zoë jumps back, startled, wiping her hand on her pants. "Did I do that?" she asks, watching it fly toward a cluster of trees alongside the maze.

With no answers to give, I offer the only piece of knowledge I can. "We need to find Cardine. She can help us."

"Cardine?" Charlie asks.

"She's an occultist who lives here in the caligo. I'm hoping maybe Natalie found her. If she hasn't, maybe Cardine can at least give us some guidance on how to find Natalie."

"Why would anyone want to live here? How would anyone live here?" Charlie asks, dumbfounded.

"She's a healer. Her job is to protect lost souls from Isabel's darkness."

"Well she's not doing a very good job," he grumbles.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Zoë reminds him.

"Because the colony is keeping me alive."

"You honestly think that Isabel wouldn't have been able to find you hiding in that cave?"

"She didn't."

"Because someone was keeping you veiled with magic. Not because you're good at hiding."

"Alright, stop!" I yell, tired of their pointless argument.

"Do you remember how to get to where Cardine lives?" Zoë asks, looking rattled.

"I think so."

"Good, because we need to get out of here. Now." Zoë lifts her pointed finger to a cluster of trees around the edge of the maze, pulling our attention to the growing number of bats fleeing the trees, headed for us.

Running out of the garden, we head toward the dense forest at its edge. As a dark shadow moves over us, I look over my shoulder to see the bats approaching in increasing numbers, multiplying by sheer will. "Get under the tree cover!" Zoë yells.