Return to the Shadows by Angie West Page A

of
the ground, I assumed. A spiral cut through the line and into the
coffin.
    With a final glace around the rest of the
cave, I took a deep breath and pulled the key from my bag.
    Ashley stood close by, her eyes widening as
she took in our less than homey surroundings. “Mom, what are all
those lines and drawings all over the walls?”
    “I don’t know,” I responded semi-truthfully.
“I never did figure that out. Ancient writings of some sort, to be
sure. As for what it says, I wish I knew. Okay, Ashley, I’m going
to put this key in that lock and it’s going to take us to the
magical land.”
    I picked her up and settled her securely on
my hip, instructing her to hold on tight. In one hand was the key;
in the other, the gun was loaded and at the ready.
    “Mama, are you scared?” Her face was pressed
tight against my throat.
    “No, of course not,” I immediately lied.
There was no way I could have ever admitted to her that we were
about to be transported and dumped into an unprotected area of
Terlain. No way to tell her there might be guards waiting for us in
that forest. Though, honestly, enough time had passed, I didn’t
think they would be waiting for us. Still, I tightened my grip on
the gun, took a deep breath, pressed the key into the stone, and
turned.
    The darkness engulfed us.
     

Chapter Six
    Broken
     
    We were on the forest floor. Much like the
first time I had crossed the portal, I hadn’t a clue as to how much
time had elapsed. And just like the time before, there was no way
to know what waited to greet us in the woods. It was a
disconcerting feeling to say the least.
    “Ashley?” I whispered, attempting to gently
rouse the child. She lay next to me on a blanket of pine needles,
her tiny hand still clutching mine. Thick, dark lashes were
motionless against her baby soft cheek.
    “Ashley, you have to wake up now,” I
continued to whisper, unwilling to disturb the relative silence of
the forest that surrounded us. There was no breeze here. The tall
trees with their golden leaves effectively blocked out both light
and wind.
    “Mama?”
    “Yes, I’m here. Are you feeling okay?”
    “I feel strange.”
    “Strange how?” I asked, instantly
alarmed.
    “I just feel funny.”
    “Do you feel sick? Are you in pain?”
    “Maybe a little sick.” She clutched her
midsection.
    “Do you feel sick like you’re about to throw
up, or sick like you’ve been riding an elevator?” I questioned.
    “Elevator,” she said, then nodded. “A giant
elevator.”
    She was disoriented, I realized with some
small degree of relief. The effects of crossing the portal were
mostly the same for me both times. Still, I had been stressing over
what the possible effects would be for Ashley. It was a relief to
know she was largely unaffected.
    “Do you think you can walk a little bit?”
    “Yes.”
    “Good girl.” I smiled and set about
thoroughly surveying our surroundings. There was no one in sight. I
was surprised and elated all at once. Perhaps Kahn’s guards had
tired of guarding these forests.
    Even better, maybe Kahn had been defeated and
had taken his evil army with him. I doubted that very much, but it
was still a comforting thought.
    I raised the gun from my pack, motioning for
Ashley to stay close to my side as we made our way through the
woods. The cold steel served as a harsh reminder of the very real
danger we could face. I still hated having to bring a gun on our
journey. Guns didn’t exist in Terlain. Swords, knives, bow and
arrow, and spears were the preferred weapons of choice for the
people here. One false move and my weapon could fall into the wrong
hands. I held in my hand the potential to change the entire course
of history in Terlain.
    I shuddered to think of any one of Kahn’s
guards in possession of a firearm; the citizens of Terlain wouldn’t
stand a chance. Kahn’s men were brutal enough without any outside
help.
    “Are there bad men here?” Ashley’s voice was
barely