“Hello again, child,” the old woman said. “You’ve come a long way since last we met.”
“What are you doing here?” Alex asked, her eyes wide with incredulity. Their last encounter had been at Ye Olde Bookshoppe in Woodhaven—a shop that didn’t actually exist, as Alex had since discovered.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” Lady Mystique indicated to the basket she carried. “I’m picking mushrooms. Raelian mushies are the best you’ll find anywhere.”
Alex gaped at the woman, too surprised for words.
“But I’m more curious about why you are here,” the woman said.
“I’m not here intentionally. I just ended up here.”
“Did you not step into the circle?” Lady Mystique asked.
“Well, yes—”
“Then you are here intentionally.”
Alex didn’t bother arguing the point. “I don’t suppose you’d mind telling me where ‘here’ is, exactly?”
“Look around you, what do you see?”
Humouring her, Alex answered, “A forest clearing inside a mushroom circle.”
“Look closer.”
Alex frowned but did as she was told. As she focused on her surroundings, the moonlight strengthened, illuminating the area. Where the clearing met the trees—just beyond the mushroom ring—Alex could see multiple pathways leading out into the forest. They were all around the edge of the clearing, at least eight different trails, none of which she had noticed before.
“What is this place?” she whispered, feeling a sense of awe.
“This is Raelia,” Lady Mystique answered. “In the common tongue, it translates to mean ‘The Crossroads’. It’s a sacred place. A place of direction, of destiny. Look around and see your choices; which path do you take? Do you go left or right, forward or back? But don’t be fooled, for it’s much more than a geographical crossroad. Raelia represents opportunity. It yields to the desires of one’s heart. It offers temptation, sacrifice, hope and victory. The choice of direction lies with each individual who sets foot within its boundary.”
After a pause, Alex admitted, “I’m not sure I understand.”
“You will, Alexandra. You will.”
“And that I definitely don’t understand.”
Lady Mystique wheezed out a husky-sounding laugh.
“Why does everything have to be so confusing?” Alex asked, rubbing her forehead.
“Oh, sweet child,” the old woman said, patting Alex’s shoulder. “When the time comes, you’ll have the answers you need.”
“I can’t wait,” Alex said, somewhat sarcastically.
The Lady sent her a wrinkled smile. “It’s time for you to return to your friend.”
“Hang on a second,” Alex said. “When I first arrived here you said something about Meya. Any chance you want to elaborate?”
“Goodbye, Alexandra,” Lady Mystique said, with a twinkle in her eye. “It was lovely seeing you again.”
“Wait—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the Lady reached out and pressed an object into Alex’s hands. Then a gust of wind enveloped her body, the ethereal light dimmed and Alex found herself standing outside the mushroom circle.
“Huh, I guess you were right.”
Alex spun around to find Skyla perched against the tree, right where she’d left her.
“Right about what?” Alex asked, trying to make sense of the last few minutes. Peering around, she could no longer see any evidence of the different paths that led out of the clearing. Apparently she wasn’t in Raelia anymore, but back in the Ezera Forest.
“You were right about nothing happening,” Skyla answered.
“Nothing happened?” Alex repeated, turning to give her full attention to the girl.
Skyla sent her a questioning look. “Nothing. You just picked up the statue and came back.”
“Statue?” Alex asked dumbly. She then noticed the weight in her hand and realised Lady Mystique had given her the clay figurine.
“Are you feeling all right?” Skyla asked. “You’re looking stranger than normal.”
“Yeah, I’m—I’m fine,” Alex said, shaking her head to clear it. “Let’s just get out of here
“Wait, I want to try something,” Skyla said. “I need to conquer my fear, now I know I’ll be okay.”
Alex didn’t understand. “What are you talking about?”
Before she could say or do anything, Skyla limped three steps forward and entered the circle.
“No!”
“What?” Skyla shrieked, looking around her. “What is it?”
Alex stared at the other girl in surprise. “You can still see me?”
Skyla frowned at her. “Why are you acting so weird? Oh, never mind, just come and help me out of here, will you?”
Alex hesitantly stepped into the circle once again. But this time nothing happened. No wind, no change of scenery, nothing.
So, what was that about? Alex wondered, helping Skyla hobble back through the forest.
“Can I see the statue?” Skyla asked.
“Sure,” Alex said absentmindedly, distracted by her thoughts.
She handed the clay figurine over, and the moment they both physically connected with it, colourful light exploded around them and they were whisked through the air, abruptly jerking to a halt a second later.
“Just in time, ladies.”
Alex jumped at Hunter’s voice, throwing Skyla off balance and causing both of them to fall unceremoniously to the ground.
“Great entrance,” Jordan joked, reaching a hand out to Alex while Tom moved to help Skyla.
“Thanks,” Alex said, as he pulled her to her feet. “What just happened?”
“Pre-programmed Bubbledoor,” he told her. “Once you retrieved whatever object Hunter sent you to find and the both of you held on, it activated. Didn’t your note warn you?”
“Uh, no,” Alex said, rubbing her bruised behind. “Definitely no warning.”
“All right, class,” Hunter called out. “Now that you’re all back—some in better condition than others—let’s see how well you fared.”
He asked them to step forward and hand over their strange assortment of objects. Kaiden and Jordan produced a bulky backpack, Tom and Pipsqueak held out a large canvas painting, and Declan and Blink passed over what appeared to be a live animal—something very similar to a squirrel. Alex decided she was better off not knowing how they caught it, let alone how it had activated a Bubbledoor. Some things were best left a mystery.
When Hunter held his hand out to Alex and Skyla, Alex passed him the statue.
Hunter peered at it closely, as did Alex, since she hadn’t looked at it properly yet. It was a small figurine of a mushroom. An appropriate choice, considering.
“What’s this?” Hunter asked.
Alex felt her brows draw together. “It’s the figurine of clay. The one we had to retrieve.”
He glanced from the mushroom to Alex, looking at her closely.
“Right,” he said, drawing the word out before turning to speak to everyone again. “We’re finished for the evening. If you need to see Fletcher, make sure to visit the Med Ward before curfew. We’ll meet again on Thursday night.”
They started to leave as a group after Hunter’s dismissal, at least until he called out, “Alex, a word?”
“I’ll wait for you at the edge of the forest,” Jordan offered, and she sent him a grateful smile.