In Too Deep

Chapter 17

Ash's P.O.V. (Ivory)

It was like we were flying through the Unknowns. Aiden's strength was beyond incredible. With me on his back, his sack full of who knows what, he ran though the Unknown. The trees moved along with us, at first wary of who we were, but then clearing a path quickly for their master. Some limbs reached out, brushing their stickily fingers through my hair and along my face in awe. 

We finally came upon a clearing after a while. The sun started going down. I started to scoot off his back, but he grabbed on to me. 

"Not yet," he warned, "It's not safe for you yet." With that being said, I held on as he went around, drawing symbols in the ground marking his territory.

When he was finally done, I slid off his back gracefully. I sat in the middle of the clearing, palms on the ground. Magic came through the core of the ground to my fingertips. Aiden leaned back against a tree watching me with an amused expression on his face. I sat there for a while; I didn't know what was going on. Then, in a flash, I seen it. No, not it, them. Kole and Violet. 

They were setting up camp. A fire place. One place to sleep. A place to keep watch. Nothing less or more.

I look up at Aiden, my mouth gaping wide open. His face went all serious as he strolled toward me.

"What is it?" He asked.

I started mumbling gibberish words. He stopped half way between us and started laughing. 

"I should have known. You don't know what just happened. There's gonna be a lot of that. Just, do me a favor? Don't look like you just witnessed somebody getting murdered?"

I laid back in the dirt and started laughing. 

Violet's P.O.V.

 Days have gone by since we reached the Unknowns. We spent about three of them looking for the meeting place. Once we found it, we made damn sure to stay out of the Unknowns until Aiden or Ivory walked up. 

But they have yet to show up. Eight days and counting the very hour they have yet to come. We were running low on supplies, not willing to dig into the stuff we saved for our journey. 

On the tenth day, a wary traveler crossed our path. Old, no hair. He had a staff and robe with him. A tiny pack fit into the muscles of his back. He walked around our camp, nodding at us. Then he was gone.

Once we finally ran out of supplies, Kole took up to hunting. As did I, in the mornings. 

I kept up with my secret journal. Kole never said anything about it, much less noticed it.

On the eighteenth day, Aiden was running toward us, frantically waving his arms. When he got here, he was out of breath and alone.

"Where's Ivory?" Kole demanded.

I sat back against the tree, watching it all unfold as he told his story.

"She- she left us. Again." He started.

"So where is she?" Kole demanded once again.

"I told you, she left us. She went back to that realm called earth. But that's the thing, she also came back. But her memory, everything, it's gone. It has gone off course of the prophecy." He stated.

Silence sliced through the air, daring anybody to speak. I jumped up.

"That can't be! That's, no." I stumbled with my words.

"But-" Aiden started but I cut him off short.

"No. NO. Don't tell me, that, no." 

"What are you talking about?" Aiden asked, clearly clueless.

"They trapped her spirit here. But her mind, it's not here." I explained. "Her mind is still on this earth. It's gone. Somehow, somebody found a way to bring her back her at their own will, but her mind isn't affected because it's more complex in this other realm." 

"How do we get her mind back?" Kole asked, looking at me.

I hesitated with their faces looming over me. I turned around and fumbled with my belt. 

"We have a few options... We could summon her spirit back." 

"Which gets really dirty and difficult with somebody who isn't even with us," Aiden pointed out.

"Well, we could always find her, and well, sacrifice her spirit to the realm of earth." I blurted out.

Once again, silence filled the air.

"No." The boys said in unison.

"Alright, I shall scavenge in my books and try to find something,"