Eyes Of Lybrinth

Prologue

For Fuzz Muffin, Private Washington, and Jeremy. Without them, this never would have happened. (:

"WE LEAVE ONE WORLD AND GO ON TO THE NEXT, AND WE FORGET THE DREAMS WE HAD BEFORE IT ALL HAPPENED."

PROLOGUE

  The rain dripped down from the top of the roof, sliding down on the glass of the windows, the droplets chasing one another down as if in a game of tag. It was cold, cloudy, and the fog was rolling in across the water-soaked lawns of the funhouse like smoke. Before the barrier had been broken, the weather had always stayed relatively calm.

  "You must never leave this funhouse, baby. Never. Not until the time comes." I heard my mother's voice in my mind, memories from years past drowning out Selwin's frantic voice.

  "What do you mean, Mama? How will I know?" I'd asked, scared that she was leaving me and not wanting to release my fingers from around her own.

  "I'm putting you in charge of something very special but very terrible, too. And you must make wise decisions when the time comes that you must."

  Raindrops and muddy twigs flung themselves at me through the window when Selwin pulled it open, both of his hands gripping the wood.

  "Monna, what are you doing?" He hissed at me, pulling himself lightly up onto the edge of the enormous window with one hand into a crouching position.

  "I'm sorry!" I whispered back at him, as loudly as I dared. I shook my head and tried to clear the memories. "We're not going out that way are we?" I asked, backing up.

  "We don't have time for this," he said, edging farther out on the windowsill. "You have to trust me."

  I could hear her coming up the staircase, but I wasn't ready to just jump out of the window with him, trusting that he would catch me.

  "Monna!" He jumped back inside the room and grabbed my arm, pulling me after him across the room. I could see my reflection scattered on the walls around us through the mirrors that lined the halls.

  "But, Selwin!" I resisted, trying to pull away, but he didn't let go.

  "There's only one reason she could be here," he whispered, his gold eyes wide. "We have to find out where she is and we need to get back to the other side of the castle to gather our bearings."

  Knowing he was right, I took one more look behind me at the locked mirrored door and then he dove out of the window, pulling me out with him.

  The rain pelted my face and bare arms like ice cold knives and I closed my eyes against the cruel wind as he flew up in the air and circled over the roof of the funhouse---my castle---his body having shifted into his second form so smoothly and so quickly I hadn't even felt it. The lightning crashed and his body glimmered like a million diamonds whose brilliance was discovered only when the light broke the darkness. His scales were slick and shiny and I clung to the spikes that jutted out of his neck and down his back so I wouldn't fall off. I knew he wouldn't let me fall, but I was still terrified. He swerved, his monstrous wings spread out on both sides as he glided lower to the ground. Lightning crashed again and I caught a glimpse of our reflection in one of the large windows of the upper floors. I looked incredibly small straddling the golden dragon.

  I can hear her, his voice echoed in my head. I'm circling back to the main entrance so we can go back in.

  Suddenly he morphed from his dragon form mid-air and holding me in his arms, he flew straight into open window of my bedroom, rolling against the floor in a summersault, shielding me with his body before pulling me to my feet.