Maddox Price has been implanted with a chip, allowing an ancient deity to control every thought that crosses his mind. Be it unwillingly, he's tasked with protecting someone "special," a smart-mouthed girl deemed the "healer of humanity."
Claire Ad...
As they all walked outside, Sir Stenhouse trying to keep up to stop them, Claire shoved the book into Maddox's hands and latched onto his back.
"Fly."
Maddox was taken aback by her sudden dominance but obliged. Wesley nodded to them and set off on foot quicker than the speed of lightning as Maddox stretched out his wings and ascended into the air, heading West.
A great pull of energy tugged at Claire. It was undeniable, the kind of energy that's beautiful, yet dangerous. Like that of a bolt of lightning. "That way," Claire demanded, pointing to Boynton Canyon. "To the canyon."
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Landing on the top of the canyon, Maddox shuddered. His shoulders and hands went nearly numb as he stood on the top of the canyon, looking down at what very few pines and juniper trees were left.
Maddox's eyes grew wide as he watched those trees twist. "Claire?" He patted her arm continuously as she looked through "Myths, Legends, and the Truth In Between."
"Hold on," she sighed.
"No, look!" He pointed toward the trees. "Do you see what I see?"
Claire huffed as she looked up, only to allow her face to droop and her eyes to widen.
"They're... twisting?"
"Yeah. Do you feel... tingly?"
Claire rolled her shoulders back in an attempt to sit up straight, but she found her shoulders to be numb, all the way down to the tips of her fingers. Claire looked up at Maddox, her brow furrowed as Wesley made his way up the side of the canyon, meeting them at the top.
"Hey," he panted, resting his hands on his knees and looking up to the both of them. "Is it just me who went numb? I almost fell off the side of the canyon. I-I can't feel my arms. And I swear those trees are moving around over there." Wesley collapsed on the top of the canyon, out of breath from climbing.
Maddox and Claire looked back at one another, their eyes wide. Maddox pointed to the book with a rigid finger, but couldn't manage to make his mouth move to speak. Claire nodded as they both sat down on the old Boynton Canyon.
Claire flipped the book from page 394 all the way back to the beginning.
"Table of Contents," she whispered, running her finger down the edge of the brown page of the book in the "B" section. "Boynton Canyon, page 514."
Claire grabbed hold of the middle of the book, flipping it over to one side as she hunted for page 514. There's always an explanation, she thought to herself.
"Here we go," she turned the book so that Maddox could see as Wesley made his way over to them.
"Boynton Canyon is the site of a vortex in Sedona, Arizona. Unexplainable kinetic electricity is emitted at the canyon, among multiple other sites in Sedona. Upon going to this site, among others, visitors are said to feel a tingling sensation in their shoulders and arms. They go on spiritual journeys, which are said to bring peace into the visitor's life. However, scientists have tried to shut down such claims, saying that the energy emitted from the vortex is merely a state of mind and that spiritual journeys near such places are non-existent. A vortex of swirling energy in the canyon may or may not cause a spiritual journey, tingling, and twisting trees, but no one has been able to prove either claim."
