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  If she was dead for so long, if I didn’t speak with her, where did this bracelet come from? What couldn’t have happened made her head spin, and she felt another round of tears form in the corners of her eyes. As her lids threatened to close for good, she cast one last gaze on the silver around her wrist and her world changed.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Blackness surrounded Gabrielle as she walked through the emptiness. The only sound she could hear was the soft shuffling of her own feet. A large wooden door appeared in front of her out of thin air.

  As she approached the door, it opened without her hand ever touching it, and she stepped across the threshold into the light of a familiar shade of green. Laid out before her arose a gargantuan maze made of tall, trimmed bushes.

  Gabrielle stood at the mouth of the maze, and although she felt a strong urge to venture into it, something told her to be afraid of what she would find. The ground began to shake under her feet.

  CLICK.

  Gabrielle ran into the maze, and the leafy green of the ivy morphed and spun into bookshelves that stretched into infinity. Gabrielle ran. At every turn, around every corner, she found more and more boxes. Desks stacked on tables and chairs stacked on other chairs.

  Run. The air grew colder, freezing her lungs, and making it hard to breathe.

  Run.

  A crash came from behind her and Gabrielle stopped, her legs melted into the floor. Looking down at her feet, she found a broken teacup and saucer sitting in the middle of her path. Gabrielle pulled on her legs, trying to free them. Someone’s coming. RUN!

  Gabrielle jerked her frozen legs out of the ground and ran as the clicking of footsteps chased her through the maze.

  Panic set in as she rounded a corner and tripped, stumbling to the ground. The footsteps stopped.

  Scrambling to her feet, terrified of seeing the sheeted figure again, Gabrielle squinted in the green lighting. A desk appeared out of the darkness with a lifeless set of feet wearing running shoes laying underneath it.

  CLICK.

  Gabrielle pulled herself up and ran, and the footsteps continued after her. She pushed herself faster, willing her body forward. A coin rolled out from behind a corner and down another corridor.

  As she pumped her legs, the steps seemed to grow more and more distant. Gabrielle turned left and right and left again chasing the coin through the maze of books. The coin stopped and fell to the side as if it were a toy that had run out of battery.

  Gabrielle picked it up from the earth and brought the coin up to examine it. It turned into a folded piece of paper with her name written on it, but when she opened it, it was blank.

  CLICK.

  Something was coming towards her. A strange chill coursed from the base of her neck all the way through to her toes. A window floating in space appeared before her with an image of her father inside. Gabrielle ran to the window and placed both hands on the glass. The panes were so cold they stung her fingertips and tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at the face of her smiling father.

  Tiny droplets of rain landed on her head and arms, and panic ran through her body as she tried to open it. Not again! Her father’s face contorted into one of panic as the rain fell harder. He opened his mouth and shouted something, but Gabrielle couldn’t hear what it was.

  She pressed her ear to the glass, trying to hear what he was yelling, but no matter how hard she tried, the only sound she could hear was the rain as it slapped the glass.

  Gabrielle stepped back, squinted her eyes, and watched his face go pale as he shook and wobbled in place. Gabrielle pounded her fists on the glass, but it was no use. He fell. Gabrielle crumbled to her knees, sobbing.

  She closed her eyes and replayed his face in her mind, trying to figure out what he was yelling. He was yelling and pointing. Behind you. Gabrielle’s eyes shot open.

  CLICK.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  A terrified scream escaped her clenched teeth, and her arms and legs flailed in hopes of grabbing on to something – anything – that could stop her fall into the darkness.

  She awoke just a moment before she collided with the floor, landing on her face and smashing her nose. Salty tears welled in her eyes, and she groaned, rolling so she was lying on her back.

  A mixed breath of relief and pain escaped her lips as she pushed herself up from the floor, realizing everything that had happened was all just a dream. Gabrielle rubbed her nose and a sting of pain shot across her face.

  It didn’t feel broken. She remembered the pain and blood gushing from her nostrils from the time she’d fallen from her treehouse, hitting each branch with her face on the way down. No, this wasn’t broken. Gabrielle wiped the small stream of blood away from her face with the tips of her fingers then addressed her teary eyes with the back of her hands.

  When she brought her hands away from her face, she noticed they were covered in dirt like she’d just been playing outside. Every muscle in Gabrielle’s body tightened as she realized she was not in her father’s study anymore.

  The room was large and the walls and ceiling were made of a mixture of earth, wood, and straw. What little light that filled the room snuck through cracks and creases in the roof and small, rectangular holes that were scattered around in the walls.

  Where am I? Am I dreaming, or was I kidnapped? The pounding of her heart quickened, pounding so loudly it consumed her hearing. Her mind was overcome by the fear that she had been kidnapped. Gabrielle slid herself backward until her back found the edge of the bed.

  “M-m-mommy?” The word escaped her dry, cracked lips, but felt foreign to her. It was like someone else was speaking out of her mouth. She closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing.

  Focus, Gabrielle! Calming her breathing, Gabrielle again looked around the room for signs of where she was. She saw what looked like other beds around the walls and a fire pit in the center of the room. Herbs and vegetables protruded from baskets hanging from the ceiling, filling the room with the sweet smell of a garden.

  Am I in another country? Gabrielle had never seen such a strange house before, other than in some of her old books. A warm breeze wafted in from a hole behind her and whisked across to the other side of the room. She wasn’t in Envisage anymore. She pulled her knees to her chest and squeezed the ends of her nightgown.

  “What do I do?” She rocked back and forth, panic taking control. “What do I do, what do I do, whatdoIdo, whadoIdo?” Her head swam, and dizziness crept into her mind as she breathed faster and faster. She was having a panic attack.

  Gabrielle closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, just like her father had taught her. Dark spots formed at the edges of her vision as she exhaled. She sat for a moment, controlling her breathing until her heartbeat slowed and she released her vise-grip on the hem of her nightgown.

  As another breeze drifted through the room, Gabrielle’s view was drawn to a flap of animal hide hanging over a large hole in the wall. It fluttered with every draft of air, allowing small glimpses of the sky outside.

  “That must be the front door.” The quiet sound of her voice startled her as it broke through the void and the bracelet, that she had forgotten about until now, warmed on her wrist. An eerie sense of calm flowed through Gabrielle’s veins. She wasn’t in any danger. Whoever brought her here wasn’t trying to keep her locked up.

  CLICK.

  The sound startled her from her thoughts, causing her to flinch. It was the same sound she’d heard several times over the last few days. Gabrielle brought her attention down to the silver piece of jewelry sitting around her wrist.

  Its silver shone in the faded light, but something was odd about it. It looked brand new, not faded and tarnished like it had yesterday. Gabrielle could now see that the faded design was an intricate knot with two words written in the middle, though she couldn’t read them. Gabrielle ran her fingers across the words ‘lucht siúil’.

  Approaching footsteps pulled Gabrielle from her thoughts. A hand appeared t
hrough the side of the flap, and she clamped her eyes shut, gripping her fingers around the bracelet as if it could protect her from the unknown.

  “Gabrielle, you silly girl, what have you done?” There was a concerned lilt to the voice that forced Gabrielle’s chest to loosen and her heartbeat to steady. She relaxed her face and peered through the bottoms of her eyelids, still not sure if she wanted to see who was there.

  A girl in her mid to late teens was kneeling next to her. She had the same fair deep-green eyes that Gabrielle had, and as she stood, the girl shook out her long dark hair.

  In the light from the window, it looked like a mixture of red, brown, and gold and reminded Gabrielle of the bricks that composed many of the buildings in Envisage. Something was familiar about this girl, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.

  Gabrielle’s wrist burned hot with the increasing temperature of the bangle, but she allowed her shoulders to drop, and she relieved her grasp on the floor. As she studied the girl's face, Gabrielle was sure they had met.

  “I knew we shouldn’t have left you to sleep. After those nightmares, it comes as no surprise you would do something as silly as fall from your bed.”

  Gabrielle was thinking about what the girl could have meant when a name flooded her mind. Heather. It was a strange feeling, like someone crawled inside her brain and left the word there for her to find.

  “H-Heather —” The word hung oddly in Gabrielle’s mouth. She couldn’t shake the feeling that this was not her voice.

  “Yes, little sister?” Heather responded with a large smile. How could I have known…wait, sister? Heather had called her sister, hadn't she? That’s it! I’m dreaming. The thought was both comforting and unnerving to Gabrielle. She thought she had just woken up from the weirdest dream she’d ever had, and now it was like it was never ending.

  “I knew letting you sleep late into the morning would prove foolish. I told him you would keep having nightmares, but you know Fionn.” Heather paused and rolled her eyes.

  “He is quite the stubborn one when he sets his mind to something.” Heather stood giggling and held her hand out to Gabrielle to help her up. Gabrielle chewed on her bottom lip. If this was a dream, it was by far the most elaborate and realistic one she’d ever experienced.

  “I see you like your birthday gift. I’m happy to see you wearing it. Now come, sleepy one. It’s time you greet the day with your lovely smile. Fionn is waiting for us in the lower field, anyway.”

  With that, Heather reached down and grabbed Gabrielle by the hand, pulling her to her feet. Heather hoisted Gabrielle’s nightgown over her head and slipped a tan dress in its place.

  “My, you’re acting peculiar this morning!” Heather said.

  Gabrielle remained silent. Grabbing her hand, Heather pulled her across the room to the door and out into the day.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Warm, midsummer air washed over Gabrielle’s face causing her hair to dance in the wind and Gabrielle allowed a small giggle to escape her lips.

  Off in the distance, Gabrielle could see a large forest across an open field. In fact, the two girls were surrounded by fields and forests as far as the eye could see which explained the overwhelming smell of the forest.

  Heather squeezed Gabrielle’s hand and then pulled her on a path that circled the side of the cabin. As they approached a small town filled with dozens of shacks like the one she’d awoken in only minutes before, a subtle gasp escaped Gabrielle’s lips.

  People were scurrying about with carts and arms filled with farming tools and plants. Chickens fluttered around in the dirt road, and children ran passed in a swarm of calamity as they laughed and yelled in joyous fits.

  Gabrielle stood stunned. Had it not been for Heather pulling her forward, she would’ve remained frozen in place. As she gazed down the long road ahead of them, her eyes landed at the base of a large hill.

  Following the hill to the top, her stare grew wide as they fell upon a huge castle with spires that jutted out of the stone and pierced the clouds like daggers. A huge wooden drawbridge hung open like the mouth of a giant, and little specs, that she could only imagine were soldiers, trotted across it on the backs of horses.

  Gabrielle closed her eyes for a few seconds and envisioned the royalty that lived in the castle. When she opened them, the castle still sat before her, and she mused at the fact she’d never been so aware of her dreams before.

  The girls ran down the muddy street through the center of the village, avoiding collisions with an assortment of people and animals. When they reached the end of the rows of homes, Heather flung Gabrielle around, and they headed toward the fields.

  As the girls raced toward the fields, Gabrielle could hear the deep timbre of men’s voices. There were several men working in the field with a mixture of tools, mules, carts, and various farming equipment.

  The view of the fields beyond left her in awe. The hill flowed down into yet another vast field surrounded by forest and filled with row upon row of tall grain.

  “There!” yelled Heather as she pointed to the far end of the field. Squinting, Gabrielle strained to make out what she was pointing to until she could see a small group of men chopping down trees. Relieved that her feet were cushioned by the soft grass, Gabrielle let out a joyous yell as they gained speed down the hill.

  “Woo-hoo!” The sound of her own voice still shocked her, but this was a dream so anything could happen.

  Gabrielle’s heart was pounding in her chest as the two ran through the tall stalks, weaving in and out of the thick grain. A manic laugh broke through the sound of snapping plants and Gabrielle looked up at Heather’s smiling face, her hair blowing behind her in the wind.

  Gabrielle was pulled from her excitement by a loud yell, and she looked up to see that the men working in the field were shaking their fists at them, their brows furrowed in anger. She cast a glimpse over her shoulder only to find that an angry man was chasing them through the grain.

  The sound of the man’s footsteps were closing the distance behind them and she squeezed Heather’s hand, the image of the ghostly figure chasing her through Alexandra’s shop now fresh in her mind.

  Sweat beaded on the back of her neck, turning cold as she sensed he was only inches behind her. As the two girls broke through the crops, Heather lessened her pace and Gabrielle found her feet slowing their steps.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  A hard, sweaty hand wrapped around Gabrielle’s wrist and yanked her free from Heather’s grasp, spinning her around and sending her flat on her back, the air forced out of her lungs. Gabrielle gasped as she tried to inhale.

  Heather moved quickly to her side. A large man with matted, dirty hair and burning pale-green eyes towered over the girls, sweat running down his bare chest and clumping the dirt that hung on his arms.

  “What in all Hell are you doing, Samuel?” Heather belted as her brow furrowed. “How dare you lay your hands on her?” she stood to face their attacker, whose gaze drifted from Gabrielle to Heather in a perverted transition.

  A knot formed in the pit of Gabrielle’s stomach and she fought the urge to vomit. The thought of this man being near her sister forced a ball of disgust and dread to form inside her. Heather isn't really my sister. Gabrielle’s mind was fuzzy, and for a moment she had to remind herself that she was dreaming.

  “Perhaps next time you won’t bother the men while they work, will you?” Condescension dripped from Samuel’s every word. He motioned a fist at Gabrielle, but his eyes never left Heather. Samuel breathed heavily and flexed the muscles of his arms as he fondled the older girl with his eyes.

  “Damn you, Samuel! What makes you think you have any right to touch me or her?” shouted Heather as she stepped toward him and waved her fist in the air.

  “You scared my mule with your childish games! Caused him to tip the cart! You ignorant wretches made a mess of my work!” Samuel shouted at the top of his lungs as he approached Heather who backed away from him.

&n
bsp; Still, he managed to grab a hold of her wrist, a wild look gleaming in his eyes. “Running through the fields like fools, halting the men’s work, and flaunting your…” He allowed his eyes to finish the sentence as they slid over Heather’s curves. “I think it is a fine time for a man to put you in your place.”

  Gabrielle thought she saw a red glint in Samuel’s eyes as he pulled Heather toward him, but it was gone in an instant. Samuel leaned into her, grabbing her on either side of her hips and dragged her toward him.

  “Leave me alone, you old drunk.” Heather craned her arm back and slapped Samuel in the face, leaving a deep red mark where her hand connected with him. Samuel didn't even flinch, a perverse smile crept over his face and he pulled Heather closer to him until she was pressed up against him. He gave a quick glance to Gabrielle, motioning for her to keep quiet, and his eyes flickered a deep crimson red before returning to their natural green.

  CLICK.

  Panic set in at the familiar sound and Gabrielle screwed her eyes shut. She still didn’t understand what it meant, but every time she heard it something bad happened. She grabbed at the hem of her dress, her hands trembling at the thoughts that ran rampant in her mind.

  “It is I who should teach you that lesson!” A deep voice shocked Gabrielle from her worry and she opened her eyes in time to see white wash over Samuel’s face.

  Heather took advantage of the opportunity, reared back her fist and punched Samuel in the side of his head. He didn’t react and kept his gaze on the much larger man who stepped around Gabrielle, placing one hand on the top of her head as he passed.

  The man had long hair that reached the middle of his back and was the color of coal and Gabrielle found herself in awe.

  Samuel’s face went slack and he attempted to put his hands up in defense as their savior reached out and wrapped one hand around his neck.