Shattered Promises 02 - Fractured Souls Jessica Sorensen (top 10 novels of all time TXT) 📖

“Thank you,” I whisper and then I take a deep breath as light and energy expand, consuming every inch of space existing around us. The curtains singe from the blinding glow and scattered ashes fall over the floor while smoke begins to swarm around us in a whirlwind.

Alex tenses as the heat of the Ira raises our own temperature to the point where we start to sweat. “Are you sure you want to keep going?” he questions.

“Yes,” I reply with confidence and then close my eyes.

The first thing that appears in my mind is a clear picture of the lake. Panicking, I shove the image out of my mind, not wanting to drop us there. I focus on the tunnel I went in during the vision I entered with Nicholas; dirt walls that leak water, damp air, darkness, and Water Fey. The ground begins to vibrate and I feel the world shift apart, open up, and swallow us whole.

***

The tunnel is as dark as I remember. The damp air causes my clothes to cling to my skin while the dirty water seeps from the ceiling to drip down on our heads. If what Nicholas said was true about the Ira, then we’re not in vision form, but we’ll only know if that’s true when we cross paths with someone.

“Do you know which way to go?” Alex asks, wiping some dirty water off his forehead as I tuck the Ira into the side pocket of my denim shorts. “Where we first went in the vision when we arrived?”

I glance left and then right. “No, the only reason I found the cave where the vision took place was because Nicholas was running from a Water Faerie… “I head to my left, inspecting the muddy ground and watery walls, hoping something will spark a memory. “I can’t remember which way we went…I don’t even know if we’re in the same place.”

Alex releases my hand and drags his fingers through his damp hair, leaving it sticking up all over. “Okay, left or right?”

An abrupt scream reverberates from the left side of the tunnel and the vines growing from the ceiling move with the sound.

“Right,” I say quickly and we dash down the right side of the tunnel, leaving the noise behind.

Alex takes my hand again as we hike through the dimly lit tunnel, listening to the horrific screams shooting at us in every direction. His touch brings me a little comfort, though not much. I can’t help thinking how I’ve only been down here for a few minutes and I already feel like leaving while my mom’s been down here for years.

God, how does she feel? How broken is she?

I’m telling myself that I have to be strong, that I can do this, when a white, wispy Water Fey appears in the distance. I tense as its hollow eyes lock in our direction

“Alex,” I hiss, pointing at it as I continue to walk through the mud.

He puts his finger to his lips, shushing me, and we keep moving, one foot in front of the other. As we get closer to it, my heart thumps, upping my adrenaline and amplifying up the sparks. My legs tremble, my knees knocking together, and my breathing becomes erratic and loud.

The Water Faerie doesn’t budge, watching us as it floats in the same space it appeared in. When we pass by it, it opens its gaping mouth and lets out a breathless scream that rings loudly inside my ears. The vines above our heads move again and brush the top of my head. I clutch onto Alex’s arm as the Water Faerie rotates around and trails after us, the bottom of its fabric body dragging along the ground.

The farther we get into the tunnel, the more the Water Faeries multiply, flying out from every angle and direction. Pieces of their fabric bodies touch our faces and head as they fly back and forth above us, their boney fingers reaching down in our direction, but never touching. The longer it goes on, the more afraid I get. The fear only seems to encourage them and they get rowdier by the minute. Then I remember Alex said they feed on fear, so I try to calm down, however it’s difficult.

Just when I think that I can’t take it anymore, the tunnel opens up to a cave. A rock-shaped throne is in the center, the back coiling up to the ceiling. But the Queen isn’t sitting in it like she was when I saw the vision. That’s when I realize something about all of this is terribly wrong.

“What is it?” He gives me a quizzical look. “What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t how it works.” I look over my shoulder at the herd of Water Faeries floating behind us, making raspy noises and taunting screams. “We don’t come in here by ourselves. We’re brought in by some sort of Water Faerie… This isn’t what I saw in the vision.”

Alex’s brows furrow. “But how can that be? If you saw it, then it should happen, right?”

Someone—or something—clears their throat from behind us and we spin around. Standing in the cluster of white fabric covered bodies is the Queen. Her frosty hair veils down her back and her eyes are soulless, yet I detect a hint of amusement in her desolate character.

“Well, it looks like I have some unexpected visitors,” she says and the Water Faeries begin to swarm around our heads like bees. We hunch over as the Queen steps toward us, holding the bottom of her dress. “Coming here willingly to be tortured in my world? Let the Fey take you and torture you? I have to say, you two are brave souls.”

This is all wrong. This is not how I saw it. This is not how it’s supposed to go.

Fuck.

If I can’t fix it, then Alex, my mom, myself and the world are screwed.

Chapter 26

During my first visit to the City of Crystal, Dyvinius had explained to me how visions