Disclaimer: You know it all by now, I don't own Julian (sigh) or anyone
else you know from the L J Smith books.
I am very very very very sorry for being so slow, I've been swamped with stuff now, and I've been running out of steam lol. Please forgive me (I'll give you a trobbit....;))
This is going to be a long, long author's note lol; I've put some of it here and the rest (all the reviewers thanks) at the end of the EPILOGUE.
Author's Note (1): The last chapter =O wow it seems only like yesterday I started this story, but I think it's probably months ago (see what drugs can do to you =S) so I want to say thank you very much to everyone who has stuck with me this far, especially Shadow!
I've been mean and left a cliffhanger at the end of this, so you have to read the epilogue afterwards.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU READ THE EPILOGUE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I've been a smartarse and researched real runes properly, so everything here about runes is more or less true, unless I've changed the wordings of the meanings slightly for story purposes. Also, this chapter is much longer than all the others, as because I said this would be the last one, I have had to stick to it!
So, eventually, I give you the last part of The Forbidden Dance 1: The Return!
* * * * *
Chapter 8 - Checkmate
All the rides wheezed to life, shuddering and shaking. The eerie sound of the rides moving but with no people on them added to the disturbing atmosphere in the park. Jenny could see the tension beginning to affect everyone.
"Dear God," said Michael, edging unsteadily towards Audrey, who, after remembering the last encounter with Leo the Paper Eating Lion, had backed all the way to the rear of the group. Almost as one, the group looked at each other, and ran towards the nearest ride, the mine ride. Still chuckling in the low, eerie voice, Leo followed, cantering easily.
Watching the lion move closer, Jenny decided what they had to do in a split second.
"If any of us are going to survive, we're going to have to split up!" she called, looking backwards over her shoulder as she ran. "That's basically the point of the Game, right? We have to find a rune each to get back to our safe base. Good luck everybody!" With that, without waiting for an answer, she veered off to the left, running for the haunted house. Looking back quickly, she saw that the group had paired off, Tom and Dee running after her; Summer and Zach still going for the mine ride, and Audrey and Michael heading for the arcade.
Leo the lion looked around and roared, his elongated snout spurting rubbish and other things Jenny didn't want to think about. Turning its grotesque head towards them, it gurgled another laugh and ran after them. Screaming at Tom and Dee to hurry, Jenny waited at the door of the sinister haunted house. As they caught up and went inside, Jenny glanced back at the monstrosity that was lurching after them, and slammed the door shut. There was no bolt on the door, but Leo the Lion did not come ripping through the door after them.
Inside the haunted house it was cool, but compared to the freezing cold depths of outside, it seemed positively boiling. Tom was nosing around the dark entrance hall, and Dee was peering through some moth-eaten and ragged old curtains at the side. Jenny moved slowly towards the ride itself, warily waiting for things to jump out at her. The imitation gas lights fell dispassionately onto Jenny's virtually ruined green blouse, but picked out the lighter tones in her hair, making her look like some kind of cyberangel.
Walking through the creaking door that signaled the start of the ride, Jenny stopped as she saw the slanting deep lines carved into the ebony walls and ceiling, the strange shapes shining with iridescent lights. Jenny moved closer, her movements making no sound on the scuffed, sticky floor. Shimmering crimson and sparking emerald played over her face as she examined the runic letters. Tom and Dee came in behind her, Dee's sneakers sticking to the floor as she walked. Tom whistled through his teeth, and went up to an angular 'M' on the wall. Stretching out his hand towards it, Jenny saw him and gasped, half-shouting at him,
"Don't touch it!!!"
Tom gave her a vaguely disgusted look, shaking his head, and Jenny stepped forward, her heart hammering.
"I just wanted to make sure you're not going to touch the runes unless you're sure it's the one we need, Tom, you don't know what Juliana's capable of if she gets her hands on you."
Jenny shuddered and turned away. Tom stared after her moodily, but made no attempt to follow. Dee nudged Tom and mouthed, "Don't be a jerk!" Tom glared sullenly at Dee. What did she know, anyway? She had no problems at all!
Jenny stared at all the letters, and an idea occurred to her. Without telling the others, who were also examining the mystical runes, she looked around the walls for a clue. It would have to be a Julian clue, as Juliana probably wanted them to die, and wouldn't even bother to give them a way out. Julian was sporting, and he would give them a chance, however small. She remembered how he had given her the ring; looking down at it, gleaming innocently on her finger, she eased it off and looked at the inscription inside. It still said, "I am my only master", but the 'i' was glowing the colour of Julian's eyes. Convinced this would help, Jenny frowned at the covered walls. Running her eyes along one of the jet-black walls, she stopped when she found what she'd been looking for. A runic 'i' was glowing softly with a beautiful blue light, one Jenny knew so well.
"I've found a rune that'll help us," Jenny called over to Dee, who in turn nudged Tom again.
"How do you know it'll help?" asked Tom grudgingly. Jenny glanced at him, and said softly, "Trust me."
In truth, Jenny wasn't sure if the rune would help, but it was obviously something she was meant to find. Taking a deep breath, Jenny stretched out her left hand, the one with the ring on, and touched the rune. A blinding white flash ensued, and she remembered vaguely her friends crying out. All went black, and the next thing Jenny knew, she was lying in the moonlit courtyard of the Erlking's castle. A silver rose was lying next to her, and Jenny smiled in remembrance. Sitting up slowly, she had the full benefit of seeing Julian in his ultra sexy Erlking outfit. Shaking her head to clear it from these kinds of thoughts, Jenny spoke, her voice a little breathy.
"Well, well, Julian, I wondered when I'd be seeing you."
She smiled mischievously at him, and he returned the grin in full measure.
"Hello, Jenny," he said, the wolf-hungry look deep in his eyes.
Juliana hadn't changed anything, thought Jenny in wonder.
"I take it you've come for a clue?"
Jenny nodded, a few stray honey wisps of her hair glinting silver in the gentle moonlight. Julian moved closer to her, his movements lithe and graceful. Looking down on her, he whispered to her,
"What about the price for the clue?"
Jenny gazed up into his melting blue eyes and felt her mouth curve into a seductive smile. Before she could reply, however, his lips touched hers, and all the feelings she had forced back when he died came flooding back, almost drowning her in their insistency to escape. The kiss was long and passionate, and Julian was the one who broke it, lifting his head and placing one elegant finger against her lips. His eyes had darkened several shades and his breath was coming more quickly.
"Time for the clue," he said, laughing softly to himself.
He struck a pose like he was a flamboyant herald delivering a message, and said clearly,
"When gates are closed and
Runes are sworn,
Will Kenaz light the way.
Insert the ring,
And cite the sun
To keep evil at bay.
From a to z help will know
One word to link you all;
Hagalaz dwells inside the horse,
Beneath the mighty god of Norse.
Remove the ring, and then beware,
Destructive forces aim to scare.
Walk not between Perth's lovely twins,
And hence with Raidho,
Save your skins."
Jenny stared at him, and he smiled a secret smile, which to Jenny looked like he was smirking.
"Thanks for that," she said teasingly. "Very helpful."
She mock glared at him, but when he arched his eyebrow and gave her an amused glance, she couldn't help breaking into a rueful smile. She looked around the courtyard, and then back at Julian. He was watching her silently, a thoughtful expression on his face. She shifted under his gaze, and walked away from his scrutiny to a gothic door in the corner, almost hidden by the shadows. Julian appeared behind her, making no noise. He held in his hand the silver rose, and he gave it to her, making sure to touch her hand as he did. Jenny continued towards the door, knowing he was watching her every move. Turning back, she locked eyes with him as he stood; his shoulders bent, and saw how much sadness was there. Walking through the door, she wondered why he was so unhappy.
This time, it felt like walking on clouds. White was all around her, soft and warm like a cocoon. Walking through to the grey light at the end seemed almost too much work when she could lie down here and sleep if she wanted to. Then Jenny remembered Tom. The way he had looked at her, with a sort of anger combined with jealousy, and knew she had to go to him. Striving through the soft mass, her eyes feeling leaden, Jenny heard the echo of a feminine laugh as she stumbled through into the haunted house. Tom and Dee stared at her, and relief was written all over their faces.
"Thank God, Jenny!" said Tom, a little angrily. "Where have you BEEN?"
Dee said nothing, but her eyes showed her anxiety.
"I'm fine, guys, really," said Jenny, a bit impatiently. "I have the clue."
"What is it then?" asked Dee, equally impatiently.
Jenny looked at the wall, which had started swimming with the runes, and presently the rhyme Julian had told her was written on the wall in glowing blue script. Tom and Dee read through it, frowns creasing their faces. After he had read it, Tom pulled out a crumpled receipt for something and a biro, and proceeded to copy the rhyme out. Jenny stared at him, surprised at his quick thinking. He felt her eyes on him, but did not look at her. If she wanted to stare at him, let her do that. He wasn't going to sit around whilst Julian got all the credit. He didn't want to see the rose, either. Another gift from HIM, one he, Tom, couldn't match.
"I take it Julian told it to you?" asked Dee quietly, looking over at Tom as he was writing.
Jenny nodded, only half listening, trying to work out the riddle. It made no sense to her at all, and thinking about it only made her head ache. As she mused over the lines, she idly wondered how she was going to figure out the runic references. She couldn't ask Julian, that was for sure, as Juliana was probably watching him, and there was not going to be much help from her. Twirling the rose idly between her fingers, she saw a black symbol on one of the delicate silver petals. It looked like a capital Y with another prong in the middle of the 'v' shape at the top. A word was written in black, intricately inscribed on the threads.
Algiz.
As she read it, Jenny heard a whisper in her head. It sounded very familiar, and she smiled as she heard it. Granpa Evenson, who had studied runes and had given his life for hers in the Shadow World, was aiding her now. The whispering voice was saying "protective sanctuary" over and over again, and Jenny felt herself smiling. Dee looked at her and nudged her.
"Well??" she asked.
Jenny started and looked at Dee, who was peering down at her.
"Umm, pardon?" she said apologetically. Dee's face broke into a grin, and she threw an arm around Jenny.
"I asked, 'Are you listening to anything I've been saying?'" Dee said, laughing.
Jenny started laughing too, and then told Dee about the rune Algiz. She looked over at Tom, and saw he was listening, too.
"So it looks like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle?" he asked, handing his written copy to her.
Jenny showed them both the rose, and saw Tom flinch slightly, but she didn't say anything. Abruptly a loud bang sounded at the door of the ride, and Leo's guttural growls sounded. At the same time, two doors marked with strange runes Jenny didn't know appeared with a crash. The front ride door swung open, and the freakish monster lumbered in. Hidden momentarily by the second door to the actual ride, they looked around desperately for the rune, and, seeing only one in the entire room, Tom and Jenny ran out of the doors in unspoken agreement, leaving Dee to invoke the rune. The doors vanished, and taking a deep breath, Dee shouted "Algiz!" and traced the letter. A blinding orange flash ensued, and she vanished.
When Leo came bursting through the door only seconds later, the room was completely empty.
* * * * *
Juliana was amazed.
Julian had told her he had organized for the people playing to get to Raidho, but Jenny, out of some strange luck, she assumed, had told her friends to choose Algiz. This meant that they would get straight to the gates they had originally come through from the virtual game, instead of being transported to Jenny's room in Juliana's house, and having to pass troblins and the new slaves sent by another Shadow person, called trobbits. Juliana glared at nothing in particular, annoyed that these mere mortals were spoiling her game. She didn't intend to set them free, no matter what she had told that idiot, trusting Julian. They were her bargaining pieces so that he would give her the knowledge she wanted. She smiled to herself, and dreamt of how she was going to torture Jenny and her friends.
* * * * *
Julian was pleased.
He had borrowed the spirit of Jenny's grandfather from the other side, to help Jenny with the runes. None of her friends were remotely well versed enough in runic translations to be able to find their way out without help. He looked over at Juliana. He knew she would be annoyed that Jenny had found the loophole he had created, and he smirked. She wasn't going to have absolute control of him. Anyway, the Raidho clue wasn't for this moment in time, it was for the great finale. He was going to get Jenny out with Raidho, and then he was going to destroy the Bitch Queen. He smiled to himself, and dreamt of how he was going to crush Juliana like a bug.
* * * * *
Tom had come out into Jenny's Shadow room, and he growled angrily. This meant he would have to make his way through the house! He looked around the room first to see if there were any runes he could invoke here. A beautifully crafted mirror was in the corner, the mahogany frame glowing with an inner light. Runes that looked to be set in gold were carved all the way around the mirror. As he moved closer, he could see that the runes weren't set in solid gold, but were made out of what looked like molten gold; the letters swam with the striking colour. Looking closer at the mirror, he remembered what the rhyme had said.
"And hence with Raidho,
Save your skins."
That settled it, didn't it? He was going to find Raidho, and not mess around with this Algiz thing. Then he would meet up with Jenny. As he reached towards the waiting mirror, he touched the rune that was a pointed 'P' and not the pointed 'R' he thought he was reaching for. With a shout, he disappeared.
* * * * *
Jenny had appeared in her grandfather's study, after invoking the letter on her silver rose. Everything was quiet, and the closet that had once contained the Shadow Men was empty, and the rune on the door was Uruz. Looking through the open doors, Jenny gasped as she saw that where the back of it should have been, instead there was a path leading up to two huge golden gates, covered all over with runes. However, where Uruz should have been on the central panel of the gate, there was a scorched mark, and the rune had been destroyed. Juliana's work, no doubt, thought Jenny as she stared at the charred spot. Either side of the gate was a rune Jenny didn't recognise, and it seemed to ooze mystery and seduction. Drawing her eyes from it, she wondered where Tom was. She remembered the stubbornness that had been in his attitude, and hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid.
Walking up to the towering gates, Jenny looked to see if the runes made any sense in the puzzling rhyme now that she had the help of a rune expert.
When gates are closed and / Runes are sworn,
That made no sense to her at the moment, so Jenny ignored it and continued to the next line.
Will Kenaz light the way.
Ah. Kenaz, the torch. This was one she knew, and it was an easy one to invoke, so she would receive light. Feeling pleased, Jenny continued.
Insert the ring/And cite the sun/To keep evil at bay.
Hmmm. A tricky one. Insert the ring? Jenny looked on the gate to see if there was anywhere to slot in Julian's ring. There. She spotted a ring- shaped hole going through the rune Sowolu, which represented the sun. So she had to slot the ring in and invoke Sowolu? It sounded plausible, and Jenny continued with her thoughts.
'To keep evil at bay' probably meant that by invoking the rune, the sun symbol would keep away the Shadow People. It stood to reason that the sun symbol would work, as shadows were destroyed by light, thought Jenny excitedly. It would probably ONLY work on Shadow People, concluded Jenny. That meant that they would still have to be careful when getting away. Her grandfather was confirming all her ideas using the runes, and Jenny felt a wave of affection and love so strong for her grandfather that she was momentarily distracted. Right. The next line.
From a to z help will know/One word to link you all;
Trust Julian to come up with these riddling clues, thought Jenny, amused. She mused over the 'a to z' for a while, her grandfather whispering suggestions to her. There weren't runes from a to z, and anyway, that didn't help much. A helpless feeling overtook her, and Jenny was close to despair. What did it mean??? Jenny frowned, thinking hard.
Unexpectedly, inspiration struck. What if the 'a to z' clue didn't mean words at all, but instead meant a word that began with a and ended in z? Jenny's grandfather began whispering quickly and breathlessly, words tumbling over each other in their urgency to be heard. There were two runes that began with a and ended with z; Algiz and Ansuz. Jenny had already used Algiz to come here, the protective sanctuary, so it had to mean Ansuz. Her grandfather confirmed this; Ansuz was used for messages and communications.
She looked on the doors for a rune shaped like a capital 'F' except with the prongs pointing downwards to the bottom right. Being careful not to confuse it with Fehu, which apparently meant wealth (Michael would love that), Jenny located the rune, and invoked it whilst thinking of Audrey and Michael. She had a peculiar feeling of being split in two; she could still hear and see everything in her grandfather's study, but she was also hearing and seeing everything in the arcade. It took her a moment to figure out where she was, and she realised with a chill that she was in the old fortune-telling wizard's body. It seemed that whoever was controlling this 'game' had a sense of irony. Jenny's grandfather whimpered to Jenny, and she felt such sorrow in her heart that she thought it would burst.
She looked around through the wizard's eyes, and spied Michael and Audrey, kissing on a nearby bench. Trust them to be having a good time when everyone else was busy running for their lives, she thought. She opened her mouth to tell them to cool it off, and instead of words, a white card shot out in front of her, through the little metal flap at the bottom. Audrey and Michael jumped apart, and Michael stared at the card, his face smeared with cherry lip-gloss.
"What is it Aud?" asked Michael fearfully.
Audrey moved closer and picked up the card. "It says 'cool it off, you guys'." She looked into Jenny's eyes and said,
"Is someone there?"
Jenny sighed mentally and said, "It's Jenny, and I have the rune you need."
The white card with her words on went shooting out of the flap, and Audrey picked it up, her eyes wide. Michael went up to her, glaring suspiciously at the wizard's body. Audrey smiled, and waved at Jenny. Michael read the card, and smiled at Jenny too.
"Hey Jenny, which rune is it?" said Michael. Audrey glared and nudged him.
"Where are you're manners? Your social entertaining?"
Michael looked bemused, and Jenny stifled a laugh.
"It's Algiz, shaped like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle," explained Jenny. The cards popped out, and Audrey and Michael read them. "I'm in the sanctuary at the moment, this is where you will arrive."
"We haven't seen anywhere for runes, but the door is locked, so there must be," said Audrey seriously to Jenny. "We don't really want to look in the cabinet."
Jenny remembered the last time she had opened the black cabinet. The heads of PC and Slug had been in there, and she didn't really want to think about that. But this time, thought Jenny, this time, there would be nothing like that in there. She sighed, and spoke again to Audrey.
Look in the cabinet, said the next card Audrey picked up. She looked anxiously at Jenny, and with Michael behind her, advanced slowly on the menacing black doors. Taking a deep breath, she reached out a swung them open. Inside, there were hundreds of shimmering violet runes. Looking for Algiz took some time. When at last they found it, Audrey and Michael linked hands, just as a peculiar scratching came at the door. Not turning back, they reached out their hands and invoked the rune together. A double flash of purple and cerulean light left Jenny with dancing afterimages. The door suddenly splintered and collapsed, and a horrifying THING came in, sniffing the air. It stared straight at Jenny through the glass of the wizard's case, and Jenny felt a wash of revulsion and fear. Pulling herself back to the sanctuary to greet her friends, she didn't see or hear the unearthly howl the creature emitted as it lumbered after the remaining few of Jenny's friends.
* * * * *
Zach and Summer were huddled together in the freezing cold mine ride. After they had entered, the walls had shifted, and now there was no way out. Crimson runes were glittering all around them, but neither Zach nor Summer knew which one to invoke.
Zach thought the runes were interesting; if he had been the 'old' him, he probably would have photographed them, they were the kind of thing he really liked. However, he was the 'new' him.
'Improved and not yet insane,' Zach laughed to himself. Summer was huddling into his jacket, and he felt emotions for her that he hadn't felt for anyone before. Was it love? He 'd seen it in Jenny's eyes earlier. She was astonished to find that he had taken an interest in girls. He smiled dryly. Maybe this was a part of the 'new' him too.
Summer tilted her head up to look at Zach. She liked him, no doubt about it, and she was sure he liked her, too. Maybe when this was all over, they could go for coffee or something. For the past hour or so, he had been talking to her about his childhood with Jenny. There was warmth in his voice, and Summer felt sad that few things in his life today brought out that love. Zach was looking down at her, and a nagging voice in Summer said that it was the obvious time for a kiss. She stretched up towards him, and Zach bent his head, but abruptly the wall nearest to them echoed with a thud like a pickaxe striking it.
They both jumped, and Summer looked wildly around. The thud came again, followed by more at different lengths along the wall. Getting up from the floor, Zach pushed Summer behind him, and backed away from the wall. Summer shrieked, and when Zach spun around, he saw one of the mine figures; the one covered in ants, wielding a nasty looking axe and grinning maniacally at Summer. Zach launched himself at Summer to knock her out of the way, and in doing so took the blow to the back of his head.
"Zach!" screamed Summer, now trapped underneath him. She was amazed he had done that for her, and if she lived through this, she would make it up to him. This didn't seem to be an option though, as the crazy miner moved closer. Summer was screaming properly now as the man came closer, and the wall seemed to be shaking under all the blows from the possessed miners. He raised the axe over his head, and Summer, with the dead weight of Zachary on her, couldn't move. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow, but it didn't come. Peeking out through half-closed eyes, Summer watched the still man with dread, until a voice she knew well came out of his mouth.
"Hey Summer!"
"Jenny!!!" cried Summer, astonished. Am I dead? She wondered to herself.
Jenny grinned. She had managed to locate Summer, and she had stopped her and Zach from getting hurt any more, or so she thought. An awful groaning had begun behind the wall, and Summer turned to look, her eyes wide with fright.
"Summer," said Jenny desperately. She didn't want her to freeze up like a rabbit in headlights again. Last time, Summer would have died except for Julian, and she was willing to bet that Juliana wouldn't be so lenient. "Summer, listen to me. Look for a rune shaped like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle. You'll be safe then."
Summer stared at Jenny, incomprehension written all over her face. "What?" she said, twisting her fingers nervously. "Which one?"
Jenny sighed, and looked around.
"That one, just over by where the ant guy usually is." Jenny pointed, and then looked at her borrowed arm. Oh God, oh God, oh God screamed Jenny silently. If there was one thing worse than bees, it was ants. Here she was, covered in them. She couldn't let Summer see her panicking, or she would freeze. Keeping a calm face, she kept pointing, and Summer went over.
"How do I invoke it?" asked Summer, visibly trembling now.
Jenny was scared. Any moment now, the miners would break through.
"Trace the rune, and say it's name. It's called Algiz."
Ordinarily, Jenny thought to herself distractedly, you would also have to daub it with blood, but all these runes were already coated in blood, every single one. Strange, that. Like someone was expecting them to be here, in this particular cavern. She dismissed it and turned her mind back to Summer.
"Get hold of Zach's arms, I'll get his legs. We have to drag him over to the rune, so you can both get here."
Summer obeyed, getting hold of Zach's arms with a little difficulty. Jenny got his legs, and was horrified to see ants scurrying off her. Trying to get a hold on herself, Jenny helped drag Zach over. With an almighty crash, the wall collapsed, and all the miners came in, tools held high and gloating expressions on their faces. Summer screamed, but kept hold of one of Zach's hands, and invoked the rune with a shaky voice. A gentle pink, closely followed by a crimson red glow bathed the scene for a few moments, then Summer and Zach were gone. The miners shrieked, and glared at Jenny. She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to pull back to the sanctuary. Nothing happened. Slowly panicking, Jenny tried again. Still nothing. A pickaxe scraped her arm, and Jenny felt the blood running down it. Fully concentrating, Jenny tried one more time. A bright gold light flashed as she forced herself to fall into her other body. She felt the momentum continue, until she was lying on something warm and soft. Opening her own eyes again, Jenny looked to see that Michael had broken her fall. Getting up as steadily as possible, she hugged all of the gang, and then frowned.
"Where's Tom?" she asked.
Everyone shook their heads, saying that they hadn't seen him. Jenny was beginning to worry, and she fiddled with a button on her blouse. What had happened to Tom? She asked herself, an icy chill running down her spine.
* * * * *
Tom landed on a very soft mattress, after falling from what appeared to be the ceiling. He looked around warily; who knew what this rune did? He jumped as Juliana, dressed in a sheer white floaty dress that left little to the imagination, and with a runic pendant on, appeared in the room directly opposite him. She looked stunning, and because of the resemblance to Jenny, Tom was having trouble keeping his eyes on her face. He hadn't ever felt this attracted to Jenny, he thought idly. She had that goodness in her, the thing Julian prattled on about, and it was just too much. Tom was beginning to think that he liked BAD girls.
Whoa, whoa, wait a second. Since when had he liked bad girls? Juliana was giving him such a seductive smile at this point, however, that he was having trouble keeping other things in place. He flushed red. Who was she, to play with him like this? That was why he loved Jenny. She never did this to him or any other guys. He looked away from her, examining the room for the first time. From what he could see through the shimmering gauze drape attached to the walls and falling over the bed, the nearest walls were a gentle white, hung with runic decorations and other things Tom didn't know. The ceiling was arched, like in a church, and on the beams shone thousands of candles. A strange triangular board was resting on the mahogany table behind Juliana, next to a beautifully carved lamp, an unseen flame dancing sexily behind the shade, unashamed.
Oh god! Where were these thoughts coming from?
Tom hunched himself up on the large double bed and put his head on his knees, trying not to think about the image of Juliana in that sheer dress. When he raised his head again, Juliana raised her eyebrow and said,
"Are you quite done, then?"
Tom sneaked a glance at the breathtaking Shadow Girl. He mumbled to her.
"What do you want, Jen..Juliana?
Juliana ignored the question, and walked towards the bed. She clicked her fingers, and the whole room changed into a large, spacious stone room, like that of a castle. The small arched window showed a scene where lightning was flashing over a bizarre abstract scene of a girl being sacrificed to some horrible beast. The girl was screaming, and the beast was advancing on her. Juliana clicked her fingers again, and the window vanished. She was now attired in mediaeval clothes, a floor-length gown (probably with a corset), a stunning necklace of precious gems and her hair was semi-loose, curled and styled. She looked amazing, and Tom wondered how she managed to look so much like Jenny and act so differently?
Tom looked down to see what clothes he had been changed into, but was relieved to find that his normal jeans and shirt were the same as always. He looked back up at Juliana, and she spoke again.
"It's not what I want that matters, Tommy, it's what you want."
Oh puh-lease. That was one of the corniest sayings ever! Tom just looked amused, until Juliana continued.
"You hate him, don't you. For taking Jenny away." She studied him, and sat on the bed next to him. He moved to get some distance between them, but she caught hold of his arm.
"I..just..want..Jenny..to..be..happy," he snarled at her. "And if it's with him, then so be it."
"You don't believe that," said Juliana quietly. "I know you don't. You want her back." Tom jerked his arm away from her, and glared at the wall. What business was it of hers, anyway?
Juliana smirked, but when she spoke, her voice was dripping sincerity.
"I can give you whatever you want, Tom," she said, stressing the word 'whatever'. Tom ignored her, and she tried a different tack. "Do you know what rune you were brought here with? Tom grunted, and Juliana took this to mean 'no', and continued.
"It's Wunjo. Bliss and joy from this rune. Bliss and joy. This is the Wunjo chamber, I created it myself." She pointed at a symbol previously hidden on the door. The pointed 'P'. "I meant it when I said I could give you anything you want. I can give you Jenny back."
Tom snorted. Like he'd believe anything SHE said. In truth, he was sorely tempted, but the bad points of the deal outweighed the good, like what Juliana's price would be, what she would do to Jenny, and so many other things that were wrong about it. He looked at Juliana, and said clearly,
"Let me go back now."
Juliana knew she wasn't going to get any further this time, so she nodded, silently wondering how to use the jealousy in Tom to her own ends. She clicked her fingers, and Tom found himself lying on the floor by the runic mirror. He slowly got to his feet, and looked for Algiz, feeling that even if he was right about Raidho, he didn't want to encounter Juliana and her alluring offers again. He found it, and sounding rather breathless, invoked it. A sparkling emerald light filled the room, then Tom was gone.
* * * * *
When Tom appeared in the room, everybody jumped, then raised voices were everywhere.
"Where have you been?"
"Are you ok?"
"What happened?"
Tom looked around, and upon seeing Jenny, decided that he was going to keep his meeting with Juliana a secret. He told them all that he had had to find the rune by going over the whole house. Jenny had looked a little suspicious at this point, so he hurriedly turned their attention to the gates.
"Wow! Look at the size of these gates! Do you know which runes we need now?"
Sneaking a glance at Jenny, he noted with satisfaction and guilty relief that Jenny had lost the suspicious look and was explaining some of the lines of the riddle to the others. Tom tuned out and focused idly on the top of the gates, where an intricate hammer had been engraved. Why a hammer? Tom asked himself. That made no sense. Unless...what if it had some significance in the rhyme? He cast his mind back to the puzzling riddle and frowned. Wasn't there something about a 'god of Norse'?
That was probably Thor, didn't he have a hammer? Thought Tom to himself. He said as much to Jenny.
"Yes, that's right!" she said eagerly. "Hagalaz dwells inside the horse, beneath the mighty god of Norse."
Everyone looked up at the hammer and then at the rune directly below it. In the middle of the shape of an angular, silver 'M' was a shimmering 'H'. The letter kept flickering in and out of sight, giving it a magical appearance. A silver ring was emblazoned in the middle of the shimmering letter, and the warning in the rhyme was enough to put anyone off. Jenny broke off what she was saying, and tilted her head at an angle to listen to her grandfather. Tom looked at her strangely, wondering what she was doing, but didn't say anything. Jenny nodded to herself, and spoke loudly to everyone.
"Don't touch any runes unless I tell you to," she said seriously, looking round at all the assembled faces.
Tom frowned. Who made Jenny leader? He thought resentfully. Before, he would have been in charge, and Jenny would have agreed with what he said. That was another change that had happened to her since Julian had kidnapped them. He scowled to himself. Things were changing drastically.
Meanwhile, Jenny had been explaining to the rest of them about how her grandfather was guiding her as a final favour.
"....and so I can probably tell you the good runes from the bad," she finished.
Tom drifted off again, not listening to the rest of them talking and discussing the rhyme. It wasn't like they would be able to leave; Juliana would never let them go. Maybe she would let some of the gang go, if she was feeling generous, but she didn't strike him as a very generous person. Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Juliana appeared in the room.
All conversation stopped.
As Juliana preened in her all black outfit at the front of the room, Jenny lifted her head proudly. She had figured out the riddle; Juliana couldn't stop them now, not if she was playing fairly. But, she thought, what are the chances of that? She wondered where Julian was, and felt a stab of worry, quickly smothered by the thought that he could definitely take care of himself.
Juliana narrowed her eyes and looked around the room. "Well," she said, sounding contrite and humble, "you've managed to get this far. I'm impressed, although that won't be enough to let you go, you know."
None of them had actually expected Juliana to play fairly, so nobody was shocked when she said this.
"Well you said we could leave when we got to these gates," said Dee defiantly. Juliana smirked and said in an ordinary tone,
"I have a surprise yet, Deirdre, be patient."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "Don't you Shadow People EVER think of anything original to..." she began, but was cut off by an explosion of cerulean light filling the room.
"Surprise!" said Julian smoothly from the opposite side of the room.
Juliana looked angry. He was spoiling her game.
"Julian," she said dangerously. "I don't want you here. Get out."
She made a flicking motion with her fingers as though waving away a fly, and everyone felt the power wash through the room. Julian waved his hand and the power wave she had thrown at him crashed into the wall, shattering countless ornaments and ripping apart books. Juliana's eyes widened. He had become much stronger, but he was no match for her. Now standing on either side of the gates, the Shadow people looked at each other, and then started to mutter under their breath. Julian sent a bright sapphire ball of light towards Juliana, but she deflected it with a shield of violet sparks.
Jenny swore under her breath, and shepherded everyone else back. There was no way Julian was going to win, and she couldn't get the others to safety because that would mean going in between them to get to the gates. She looked desperately round the room. There had to be something. Wait. What was that? A silver rose was on the floor, in front of one of her grandfather's bookcases. In spite of what was going on, Jenny looked closer, the silver rose had to signify something; it was Julian's symbol.
She detached herself from the group and went over for a closer inspection. A pointy 'R' was inscribed on the back of the bookcase, and she knew instantly that it was important - the rhyme itself had said that. Dee and Michael had followed her, and they beckoned the others over. There was nothing she could do for Julian, she knew. Screaming insanely in her heart, Jenny's eyes filled with unshed tears and she wiped them away angrily. Running her fingers along a hairline crack in the bookcase, she smiled grimly, looking back at the warring Shadow People. The last of the rhyme was solved; they could go, thanks to Julian.
'Walk not between Perth's lovely twins/But with Raidho save your skins.' Of course. Julian and Juliana; they were related weren't they? And the lovelier had never been seen, they had a godly beauty about them. So the gates had been a hoax, an elaborate hoax. Probably that was Juliana's surprise she was going to show them. Looking at the faces assembled behind her, Jenny marveled at their apparent willingness to accept her decisions. She felt stronger; both emotionally and mentally. She had other people to look after now, not just herself like before. And unlike Summer, she would not fail them. Making everyone hold hands so they wouldn't lose each other on the way back, Jenny turned to the secret door. Before she did anything, however, her grandfather spoke.
"Goodbye Jenny," he said softly.
Goodbye, Grandad, she though to him. I love you. Then he was gone. She felt no sadness, only happiness that he would be at peace now.
When everyone was near enough, Jenny took a deep breath and invoked Raidho. For a moment, nothing happened, and anxious and desperate, Jenny wondered if she had done something wrong, but her thoughts were interrupted as the world disappeared from around them.
* * * * *
Julian knew the instant Jenny left, and now his whole mind focused on Juliana. Now the bitch was going to pay, for everything she had done to Jenny. She was strong though, and he was slowly weakening. Even though he had regained his powers, they were paling steadily in comparison to Juliana's as she was using his own tricks against him most effectively. Striving for a way to beat her, he thought instantly of the runestave and carving her name out, but he dismissed the thought. The other Shadow Men would never allow anyone to get near it, and he didn't want to weaken his shields. Thinking quickly, he feigned weakness and watched as Juliana fell into the trap, her eyes blazing in wicked triumph. As she gathered her power to throw at him, he quickly invoked Isa, his personal rune, to distract her from what he was really doing. She shattered his sheet of ice, and as shards flew everywhere, Julian struck.
"MANNAZ!" he yelled, tracing the shape with his finger. Juliana screamed, a truly deafening scream, and vanished. Julian, exhausted, had a moment of amusement at the irony of her fate, and then fell to the floor unconscious.
* * * * *
OOOOOOO! It's *FINALLY* the end! Read the epilogue!
I am very very very very sorry for being so slow, I've been swamped with stuff now, and I've been running out of steam lol. Please forgive me (I'll give you a trobbit....;))
This is going to be a long, long author's note lol; I've put some of it here and the rest (all the reviewers thanks) at the end of the EPILOGUE.
Author's Note (1): The last chapter =O wow it seems only like yesterday I started this story, but I think it's probably months ago (see what drugs can do to you =S) so I want to say thank you very much to everyone who has stuck with me this far, especially Shadow!
I've been mean and left a cliffhanger at the end of this, so you have to read the epilogue afterwards.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN YOU READ THE EPILOGUE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I've been a smartarse and researched real runes properly, so everything here about runes is more or less true, unless I've changed the wordings of the meanings slightly for story purposes. Also, this chapter is much longer than all the others, as because I said this would be the last one, I have had to stick to it!
So, eventually, I give you the last part of The Forbidden Dance 1: The Return!
* * * * *
Chapter 8 - Checkmate
All the rides wheezed to life, shuddering and shaking. The eerie sound of the rides moving but with no people on them added to the disturbing atmosphere in the park. Jenny could see the tension beginning to affect everyone.
"Dear God," said Michael, edging unsteadily towards Audrey, who, after remembering the last encounter with Leo the Paper Eating Lion, had backed all the way to the rear of the group. Almost as one, the group looked at each other, and ran towards the nearest ride, the mine ride. Still chuckling in the low, eerie voice, Leo followed, cantering easily.
Watching the lion move closer, Jenny decided what they had to do in a split second.
"If any of us are going to survive, we're going to have to split up!" she called, looking backwards over her shoulder as she ran. "That's basically the point of the Game, right? We have to find a rune each to get back to our safe base. Good luck everybody!" With that, without waiting for an answer, she veered off to the left, running for the haunted house. Looking back quickly, she saw that the group had paired off, Tom and Dee running after her; Summer and Zach still going for the mine ride, and Audrey and Michael heading for the arcade.
Leo the lion looked around and roared, his elongated snout spurting rubbish and other things Jenny didn't want to think about. Turning its grotesque head towards them, it gurgled another laugh and ran after them. Screaming at Tom and Dee to hurry, Jenny waited at the door of the sinister haunted house. As they caught up and went inside, Jenny glanced back at the monstrosity that was lurching after them, and slammed the door shut. There was no bolt on the door, but Leo the Lion did not come ripping through the door after them.
Inside the haunted house it was cool, but compared to the freezing cold depths of outside, it seemed positively boiling. Tom was nosing around the dark entrance hall, and Dee was peering through some moth-eaten and ragged old curtains at the side. Jenny moved slowly towards the ride itself, warily waiting for things to jump out at her. The imitation gas lights fell dispassionately onto Jenny's virtually ruined green blouse, but picked out the lighter tones in her hair, making her look like some kind of cyberangel.
Walking through the creaking door that signaled the start of the ride, Jenny stopped as she saw the slanting deep lines carved into the ebony walls and ceiling, the strange shapes shining with iridescent lights. Jenny moved closer, her movements making no sound on the scuffed, sticky floor. Shimmering crimson and sparking emerald played over her face as she examined the runic letters. Tom and Dee came in behind her, Dee's sneakers sticking to the floor as she walked. Tom whistled through his teeth, and went up to an angular 'M' on the wall. Stretching out his hand towards it, Jenny saw him and gasped, half-shouting at him,
"Don't touch it!!!"
Tom gave her a vaguely disgusted look, shaking his head, and Jenny stepped forward, her heart hammering.
"I just wanted to make sure you're not going to touch the runes unless you're sure it's the one we need, Tom, you don't know what Juliana's capable of if she gets her hands on you."
Jenny shuddered and turned away. Tom stared after her moodily, but made no attempt to follow. Dee nudged Tom and mouthed, "Don't be a jerk!" Tom glared sullenly at Dee. What did she know, anyway? She had no problems at all!
Jenny stared at all the letters, and an idea occurred to her. Without telling the others, who were also examining the mystical runes, she looked around the walls for a clue. It would have to be a Julian clue, as Juliana probably wanted them to die, and wouldn't even bother to give them a way out. Julian was sporting, and he would give them a chance, however small. She remembered how he had given her the ring; looking down at it, gleaming innocently on her finger, she eased it off and looked at the inscription inside. It still said, "I am my only master", but the 'i' was glowing the colour of Julian's eyes. Convinced this would help, Jenny frowned at the covered walls. Running her eyes along one of the jet-black walls, she stopped when she found what she'd been looking for. A runic 'i' was glowing softly with a beautiful blue light, one Jenny knew so well.
"I've found a rune that'll help us," Jenny called over to Dee, who in turn nudged Tom again.
"How do you know it'll help?" asked Tom grudgingly. Jenny glanced at him, and said softly, "Trust me."
In truth, Jenny wasn't sure if the rune would help, but it was obviously something she was meant to find. Taking a deep breath, Jenny stretched out her left hand, the one with the ring on, and touched the rune. A blinding white flash ensued, and she remembered vaguely her friends crying out. All went black, and the next thing Jenny knew, she was lying in the moonlit courtyard of the Erlking's castle. A silver rose was lying next to her, and Jenny smiled in remembrance. Sitting up slowly, she had the full benefit of seeing Julian in his ultra sexy Erlking outfit. Shaking her head to clear it from these kinds of thoughts, Jenny spoke, her voice a little breathy.
"Well, well, Julian, I wondered when I'd be seeing you."
She smiled mischievously at him, and he returned the grin in full measure.
"Hello, Jenny," he said, the wolf-hungry look deep in his eyes.
Juliana hadn't changed anything, thought Jenny in wonder.
"I take it you've come for a clue?"
Jenny nodded, a few stray honey wisps of her hair glinting silver in the gentle moonlight. Julian moved closer to her, his movements lithe and graceful. Looking down on her, he whispered to her,
"What about the price for the clue?"
Jenny gazed up into his melting blue eyes and felt her mouth curve into a seductive smile. Before she could reply, however, his lips touched hers, and all the feelings she had forced back when he died came flooding back, almost drowning her in their insistency to escape. The kiss was long and passionate, and Julian was the one who broke it, lifting his head and placing one elegant finger against her lips. His eyes had darkened several shades and his breath was coming more quickly.
"Time for the clue," he said, laughing softly to himself.
He struck a pose like he was a flamboyant herald delivering a message, and said clearly,
"When gates are closed and
Runes are sworn,
Will Kenaz light the way.
Insert the ring,
And cite the sun
To keep evil at bay.
From a to z help will know
One word to link you all;
Hagalaz dwells inside the horse,
Beneath the mighty god of Norse.
Remove the ring, and then beware,
Destructive forces aim to scare.
Walk not between Perth's lovely twins,
And hence with Raidho,
Save your skins."
Jenny stared at him, and he smiled a secret smile, which to Jenny looked like he was smirking.
"Thanks for that," she said teasingly. "Very helpful."
She mock glared at him, but when he arched his eyebrow and gave her an amused glance, she couldn't help breaking into a rueful smile. She looked around the courtyard, and then back at Julian. He was watching her silently, a thoughtful expression on his face. She shifted under his gaze, and walked away from his scrutiny to a gothic door in the corner, almost hidden by the shadows. Julian appeared behind her, making no noise. He held in his hand the silver rose, and he gave it to her, making sure to touch her hand as he did. Jenny continued towards the door, knowing he was watching her every move. Turning back, she locked eyes with him as he stood; his shoulders bent, and saw how much sadness was there. Walking through the door, she wondered why he was so unhappy.
This time, it felt like walking on clouds. White was all around her, soft and warm like a cocoon. Walking through to the grey light at the end seemed almost too much work when she could lie down here and sleep if she wanted to. Then Jenny remembered Tom. The way he had looked at her, with a sort of anger combined with jealousy, and knew she had to go to him. Striving through the soft mass, her eyes feeling leaden, Jenny heard the echo of a feminine laugh as she stumbled through into the haunted house. Tom and Dee stared at her, and relief was written all over their faces.
"Thank God, Jenny!" said Tom, a little angrily. "Where have you BEEN?"
Dee said nothing, but her eyes showed her anxiety.
"I'm fine, guys, really," said Jenny, a bit impatiently. "I have the clue."
"What is it then?" asked Dee, equally impatiently.
Jenny looked at the wall, which had started swimming with the runes, and presently the rhyme Julian had told her was written on the wall in glowing blue script. Tom and Dee read through it, frowns creasing their faces. After he had read it, Tom pulled out a crumpled receipt for something and a biro, and proceeded to copy the rhyme out. Jenny stared at him, surprised at his quick thinking. He felt her eyes on him, but did not look at her. If she wanted to stare at him, let her do that. He wasn't going to sit around whilst Julian got all the credit. He didn't want to see the rose, either. Another gift from HIM, one he, Tom, couldn't match.
"I take it Julian told it to you?" asked Dee quietly, looking over at Tom as he was writing.
Jenny nodded, only half listening, trying to work out the riddle. It made no sense to her at all, and thinking about it only made her head ache. As she mused over the lines, she idly wondered how she was going to figure out the runic references. She couldn't ask Julian, that was for sure, as Juliana was probably watching him, and there was not going to be much help from her. Twirling the rose idly between her fingers, she saw a black symbol on one of the delicate silver petals. It looked like a capital Y with another prong in the middle of the 'v' shape at the top. A word was written in black, intricately inscribed on the threads.
Algiz.
As she read it, Jenny heard a whisper in her head. It sounded very familiar, and she smiled as she heard it. Granpa Evenson, who had studied runes and had given his life for hers in the Shadow World, was aiding her now. The whispering voice was saying "protective sanctuary" over and over again, and Jenny felt herself smiling. Dee looked at her and nudged her.
"Well??" she asked.
Jenny started and looked at Dee, who was peering down at her.
"Umm, pardon?" she said apologetically. Dee's face broke into a grin, and she threw an arm around Jenny.
"I asked, 'Are you listening to anything I've been saying?'" Dee said, laughing.
Jenny started laughing too, and then told Dee about the rune Algiz. She looked over at Tom, and saw he was listening, too.
"So it looks like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle?" he asked, handing his written copy to her.
Jenny showed them both the rose, and saw Tom flinch slightly, but she didn't say anything. Abruptly a loud bang sounded at the door of the ride, and Leo's guttural growls sounded. At the same time, two doors marked with strange runes Jenny didn't know appeared with a crash. The front ride door swung open, and the freakish monster lumbered in. Hidden momentarily by the second door to the actual ride, they looked around desperately for the rune, and, seeing only one in the entire room, Tom and Jenny ran out of the doors in unspoken agreement, leaving Dee to invoke the rune. The doors vanished, and taking a deep breath, Dee shouted "Algiz!" and traced the letter. A blinding orange flash ensued, and she vanished.
When Leo came bursting through the door only seconds later, the room was completely empty.
* * * * *
Juliana was amazed.
Julian had told her he had organized for the people playing to get to Raidho, but Jenny, out of some strange luck, she assumed, had told her friends to choose Algiz. This meant that they would get straight to the gates they had originally come through from the virtual game, instead of being transported to Jenny's room in Juliana's house, and having to pass troblins and the new slaves sent by another Shadow person, called trobbits. Juliana glared at nothing in particular, annoyed that these mere mortals were spoiling her game. She didn't intend to set them free, no matter what she had told that idiot, trusting Julian. They were her bargaining pieces so that he would give her the knowledge she wanted. She smiled to herself, and dreamt of how she was going to torture Jenny and her friends.
* * * * *
Julian was pleased.
He had borrowed the spirit of Jenny's grandfather from the other side, to help Jenny with the runes. None of her friends were remotely well versed enough in runic translations to be able to find their way out without help. He looked over at Juliana. He knew she would be annoyed that Jenny had found the loophole he had created, and he smirked. She wasn't going to have absolute control of him. Anyway, the Raidho clue wasn't for this moment in time, it was for the great finale. He was going to get Jenny out with Raidho, and then he was going to destroy the Bitch Queen. He smiled to himself, and dreamt of how he was going to crush Juliana like a bug.
* * * * *
Tom had come out into Jenny's Shadow room, and he growled angrily. This meant he would have to make his way through the house! He looked around the room first to see if there were any runes he could invoke here. A beautifully crafted mirror was in the corner, the mahogany frame glowing with an inner light. Runes that looked to be set in gold were carved all the way around the mirror. As he moved closer, he could see that the runes weren't set in solid gold, but were made out of what looked like molten gold; the letters swam with the striking colour. Looking closer at the mirror, he remembered what the rhyme had said.
"And hence with Raidho,
Save your skins."
That settled it, didn't it? He was going to find Raidho, and not mess around with this Algiz thing. Then he would meet up with Jenny. As he reached towards the waiting mirror, he touched the rune that was a pointed 'P' and not the pointed 'R' he thought he was reaching for. With a shout, he disappeared.
* * * * *
Jenny had appeared in her grandfather's study, after invoking the letter on her silver rose. Everything was quiet, and the closet that had once contained the Shadow Men was empty, and the rune on the door was Uruz. Looking through the open doors, Jenny gasped as she saw that where the back of it should have been, instead there was a path leading up to two huge golden gates, covered all over with runes. However, where Uruz should have been on the central panel of the gate, there was a scorched mark, and the rune had been destroyed. Juliana's work, no doubt, thought Jenny as she stared at the charred spot. Either side of the gate was a rune Jenny didn't recognise, and it seemed to ooze mystery and seduction. Drawing her eyes from it, she wondered where Tom was. She remembered the stubbornness that had been in his attitude, and hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid.
Walking up to the towering gates, Jenny looked to see if the runes made any sense in the puzzling rhyme now that she had the help of a rune expert.
When gates are closed and / Runes are sworn,
That made no sense to her at the moment, so Jenny ignored it and continued to the next line.
Will Kenaz light the way.
Ah. Kenaz, the torch. This was one she knew, and it was an easy one to invoke, so she would receive light. Feeling pleased, Jenny continued.
Insert the ring/And cite the sun/To keep evil at bay.
Hmmm. A tricky one. Insert the ring? Jenny looked on the gate to see if there was anywhere to slot in Julian's ring. There. She spotted a ring- shaped hole going through the rune Sowolu, which represented the sun. So she had to slot the ring in and invoke Sowolu? It sounded plausible, and Jenny continued with her thoughts.
'To keep evil at bay' probably meant that by invoking the rune, the sun symbol would keep away the Shadow People. It stood to reason that the sun symbol would work, as shadows were destroyed by light, thought Jenny excitedly. It would probably ONLY work on Shadow People, concluded Jenny. That meant that they would still have to be careful when getting away. Her grandfather was confirming all her ideas using the runes, and Jenny felt a wave of affection and love so strong for her grandfather that she was momentarily distracted. Right. The next line.
From a to z help will know/One word to link you all;
Trust Julian to come up with these riddling clues, thought Jenny, amused. She mused over the 'a to z' for a while, her grandfather whispering suggestions to her. There weren't runes from a to z, and anyway, that didn't help much. A helpless feeling overtook her, and Jenny was close to despair. What did it mean??? Jenny frowned, thinking hard.
Unexpectedly, inspiration struck. What if the 'a to z' clue didn't mean words at all, but instead meant a word that began with a and ended in z? Jenny's grandfather began whispering quickly and breathlessly, words tumbling over each other in their urgency to be heard. There were two runes that began with a and ended with z; Algiz and Ansuz. Jenny had already used Algiz to come here, the protective sanctuary, so it had to mean Ansuz. Her grandfather confirmed this; Ansuz was used for messages and communications.
She looked on the doors for a rune shaped like a capital 'F' except with the prongs pointing downwards to the bottom right. Being careful not to confuse it with Fehu, which apparently meant wealth (Michael would love that), Jenny located the rune, and invoked it whilst thinking of Audrey and Michael. She had a peculiar feeling of being split in two; she could still hear and see everything in her grandfather's study, but she was also hearing and seeing everything in the arcade. It took her a moment to figure out where she was, and she realised with a chill that she was in the old fortune-telling wizard's body. It seemed that whoever was controlling this 'game' had a sense of irony. Jenny's grandfather whimpered to Jenny, and she felt such sorrow in her heart that she thought it would burst.
She looked around through the wizard's eyes, and spied Michael and Audrey, kissing on a nearby bench. Trust them to be having a good time when everyone else was busy running for their lives, she thought. She opened her mouth to tell them to cool it off, and instead of words, a white card shot out in front of her, through the little metal flap at the bottom. Audrey and Michael jumped apart, and Michael stared at the card, his face smeared with cherry lip-gloss.
"What is it Aud?" asked Michael fearfully.
Audrey moved closer and picked up the card. "It says 'cool it off, you guys'." She looked into Jenny's eyes and said,
"Is someone there?"
Jenny sighed mentally and said, "It's Jenny, and I have the rune you need."
The white card with her words on went shooting out of the flap, and Audrey picked it up, her eyes wide. Michael went up to her, glaring suspiciously at the wizard's body. Audrey smiled, and waved at Jenny. Michael read the card, and smiled at Jenny too.
"Hey Jenny, which rune is it?" said Michael. Audrey glared and nudged him.
"Where are you're manners? Your social entertaining?"
Michael looked bemused, and Jenny stifled a laugh.
"It's Algiz, shaped like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle," explained Jenny. The cards popped out, and Audrey and Michael read them. "I'm in the sanctuary at the moment, this is where you will arrive."
"We haven't seen anywhere for runes, but the door is locked, so there must be," said Audrey seriously to Jenny. "We don't really want to look in the cabinet."
Jenny remembered the last time she had opened the black cabinet. The heads of PC and Slug had been in there, and she didn't really want to think about that. But this time, thought Jenny, this time, there would be nothing like that in there. She sighed, and spoke again to Audrey.
Look in the cabinet, said the next card Audrey picked up. She looked anxiously at Jenny, and with Michael behind her, advanced slowly on the menacing black doors. Taking a deep breath, she reached out a swung them open. Inside, there were hundreds of shimmering violet runes. Looking for Algiz took some time. When at last they found it, Audrey and Michael linked hands, just as a peculiar scratching came at the door. Not turning back, they reached out their hands and invoked the rune together. A double flash of purple and cerulean light left Jenny with dancing afterimages. The door suddenly splintered and collapsed, and a horrifying THING came in, sniffing the air. It stared straight at Jenny through the glass of the wizard's case, and Jenny felt a wash of revulsion and fear. Pulling herself back to the sanctuary to greet her friends, she didn't see or hear the unearthly howl the creature emitted as it lumbered after the remaining few of Jenny's friends.
* * * * *
Zach and Summer were huddled together in the freezing cold mine ride. After they had entered, the walls had shifted, and now there was no way out. Crimson runes were glittering all around them, but neither Zach nor Summer knew which one to invoke.
Zach thought the runes were interesting; if he had been the 'old' him, he probably would have photographed them, they were the kind of thing he really liked. However, he was the 'new' him.
'Improved and not yet insane,' Zach laughed to himself. Summer was huddling into his jacket, and he felt emotions for her that he hadn't felt for anyone before. Was it love? He 'd seen it in Jenny's eyes earlier. She was astonished to find that he had taken an interest in girls. He smiled dryly. Maybe this was a part of the 'new' him too.
Summer tilted her head up to look at Zach. She liked him, no doubt about it, and she was sure he liked her, too. Maybe when this was all over, they could go for coffee or something. For the past hour or so, he had been talking to her about his childhood with Jenny. There was warmth in his voice, and Summer felt sad that few things in his life today brought out that love. Zach was looking down at her, and a nagging voice in Summer said that it was the obvious time for a kiss. She stretched up towards him, and Zach bent his head, but abruptly the wall nearest to them echoed with a thud like a pickaxe striking it.
They both jumped, and Summer looked wildly around. The thud came again, followed by more at different lengths along the wall. Getting up from the floor, Zach pushed Summer behind him, and backed away from the wall. Summer shrieked, and when Zach spun around, he saw one of the mine figures; the one covered in ants, wielding a nasty looking axe and grinning maniacally at Summer. Zach launched himself at Summer to knock her out of the way, and in doing so took the blow to the back of his head.
"Zach!" screamed Summer, now trapped underneath him. She was amazed he had done that for her, and if she lived through this, she would make it up to him. This didn't seem to be an option though, as the crazy miner moved closer. Summer was screaming properly now as the man came closer, and the wall seemed to be shaking under all the blows from the possessed miners. He raised the axe over his head, and Summer, with the dead weight of Zachary on her, couldn't move. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow, but it didn't come. Peeking out through half-closed eyes, Summer watched the still man with dread, until a voice she knew well came out of his mouth.
"Hey Summer!"
"Jenny!!!" cried Summer, astonished. Am I dead? She wondered to herself.
Jenny grinned. She had managed to locate Summer, and she had stopped her and Zach from getting hurt any more, or so she thought. An awful groaning had begun behind the wall, and Summer turned to look, her eyes wide with fright.
"Summer," said Jenny desperately. She didn't want her to freeze up like a rabbit in headlights again. Last time, Summer would have died except for Julian, and she was willing to bet that Juliana wouldn't be so lenient. "Summer, listen to me. Look for a rune shaped like a capital 'Y' with an extra prong in the middle. You'll be safe then."
Summer stared at Jenny, incomprehension written all over her face. "What?" she said, twisting her fingers nervously. "Which one?"
Jenny sighed, and looked around.
"That one, just over by where the ant guy usually is." Jenny pointed, and then looked at her borrowed arm. Oh God, oh God, oh God screamed Jenny silently. If there was one thing worse than bees, it was ants. Here she was, covered in them. She couldn't let Summer see her panicking, or she would freeze. Keeping a calm face, she kept pointing, and Summer went over.
"How do I invoke it?" asked Summer, visibly trembling now.
Jenny was scared. Any moment now, the miners would break through.
"Trace the rune, and say it's name. It's called Algiz."
Ordinarily, Jenny thought to herself distractedly, you would also have to daub it with blood, but all these runes were already coated in blood, every single one. Strange, that. Like someone was expecting them to be here, in this particular cavern. She dismissed it and turned her mind back to Summer.
"Get hold of Zach's arms, I'll get his legs. We have to drag him over to the rune, so you can both get here."
Summer obeyed, getting hold of Zach's arms with a little difficulty. Jenny got his legs, and was horrified to see ants scurrying off her. Trying to get a hold on herself, Jenny helped drag Zach over. With an almighty crash, the wall collapsed, and all the miners came in, tools held high and gloating expressions on their faces. Summer screamed, but kept hold of one of Zach's hands, and invoked the rune with a shaky voice. A gentle pink, closely followed by a crimson red glow bathed the scene for a few moments, then Summer and Zach were gone. The miners shrieked, and glared at Jenny. She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to pull back to the sanctuary. Nothing happened. Slowly panicking, Jenny tried again. Still nothing. A pickaxe scraped her arm, and Jenny felt the blood running down it. Fully concentrating, Jenny tried one more time. A bright gold light flashed as she forced herself to fall into her other body. She felt the momentum continue, until she was lying on something warm and soft. Opening her own eyes again, Jenny looked to see that Michael had broken her fall. Getting up as steadily as possible, she hugged all of the gang, and then frowned.
"Where's Tom?" she asked.
Everyone shook their heads, saying that they hadn't seen him. Jenny was beginning to worry, and she fiddled with a button on her blouse. What had happened to Tom? She asked herself, an icy chill running down her spine.
* * * * *
Tom landed on a very soft mattress, after falling from what appeared to be the ceiling. He looked around warily; who knew what this rune did? He jumped as Juliana, dressed in a sheer white floaty dress that left little to the imagination, and with a runic pendant on, appeared in the room directly opposite him. She looked stunning, and because of the resemblance to Jenny, Tom was having trouble keeping his eyes on her face. He hadn't ever felt this attracted to Jenny, he thought idly. She had that goodness in her, the thing Julian prattled on about, and it was just too much. Tom was beginning to think that he liked BAD girls.
Whoa, whoa, wait a second. Since when had he liked bad girls? Juliana was giving him such a seductive smile at this point, however, that he was having trouble keeping other things in place. He flushed red. Who was she, to play with him like this? That was why he loved Jenny. She never did this to him or any other guys. He looked away from her, examining the room for the first time. From what he could see through the shimmering gauze drape attached to the walls and falling over the bed, the nearest walls were a gentle white, hung with runic decorations and other things Tom didn't know. The ceiling was arched, like in a church, and on the beams shone thousands of candles. A strange triangular board was resting on the mahogany table behind Juliana, next to a beautifully carved lamp, an unseen flame dancing sexily behind the shade, unashamed.
Oh god! Where were these thoughts coming from?
Tom hunched himself up on the large double bed and put his head on his knees, trying not to think about the image of Juliana in that sheer dress. When he raised his head again, Juliana raised her eyebrow and said,
"Are you quite done, then?"
Tom sneaked a glance at the breathtaking Shadow Girl. He mumbled to her.
"What do you want, Jen..Juliana?
Juliana ignored the question, and walked towards the bed. She clicked her fingers, and the whole room changed into a large, spacious stone room, like that of a castle. The small arched window showed a scene where lightning was flashing over a bizarre abstract scene of a girl being sacrificed to some horrible beast. The girl was screaming, and the beast was advancing on her. Juliana clicked her fingers again, and the window vanished. She was now attired in mediaeval clothes, a floor-length gown (probably with a corset), a stunning necklace of precious gems and her hair was semi-loose, curled and styled. She looked amazing, and Tom wondered how she managed to look so much like Jenny and act so differently?
Tom looked down to see what clothes he had been changed into, but was relieved to find that his normal jeans and shirt were the same as always. He looked back up at Juliana, and she spoke again.
"It's not what I want that matters, Tommy, it's what you want."
Oh puh-lease. That was one of the corniest sayings ever! Tom just looked amused, until Juliana continued.
"You hate him, don't you. For taking Jenny away." She studied him, and sat on the bed next to him. He moved to get some distance between them, but she caught hold of his arm.
"I..just..want..Jenny..to..be..happy," he snarled at her. "And if it's with him, then so be it."
"You don't believe that," said Juliana quietly. "I know you don't. You want her back." Tom jerked his arm away from her, and glared at the wall. What business was it of hers, anyway?
Juliana smirked, but when she spoke, her voice was dripping sincerity.
"I can give you whatever you want, Tom," she said, stressing the word 'whatever'. Tom ignored her, and she tried a different tack. "Do you know what rune you were brought here with? Tom grunted, and Juliana took this to mean 'no', and continued.
"It's Wunjo. Bliss and joy from this rune. Bliss and joy. This is the Wunjo chamber, I created it myself." She pointed at a symbol previously hidden on the door. The pointed 'P'. "I meant it when I said I could give you anything you want. I can give you Jenny back."
Tom snorted. Like he'd believe anything SHE said. In truth, he was sorely tempted, but the bad points of the deal outweighed the good, like what Juliana's price would be, what she would do to Jenny, and so many other things that were wrong about it. He looked at Juliana, and said clearly,
"Let me go back now."
Juliana knew she wasn't going to get any further this time, so she nodded, silently wondering how to use the jealousy in Tom to her own ends. She clicked her fingers, and Tom found himself lying on the floor by the runic mirror. He slowly got to his feet, and looked for Algiz, feeling that even if he was right about Raidho, he didn't want to encounter Juliana and her alluring offers again. He found it, and sounding rather breathless, invoked it. A sparkling emerald light filled the room, then Tom was gone.
* * * * *
When Tom appeared in the room, everybody jumped, then raised voices were everywhere.
"Where have you been?"
"Are you ok?"
"What happened?"
Tom looked around, and upon seeing Jenny, decided that he was going to keep his meeting with Juliana a secret. He told them all that he had had to find the rune by going over the whole house. Jenny had looked a little suspicious at this point, so he hurriedly turned their attention to the gates.
"Wow! Look at the size of these gates! Do you know which runes we need now?"
Sneaking a glance at Jenny, he noted with satisfaction and guilty relief that Jenny had lost the suspicious look and was explaining some of the lines of the riddle to the others. Tom tuned out and focused idly on the top of the gates, where an intricate hammer had been engraved. Why a hammer? Tom asked himself. That made no sense. Unless...what if it had some significance in the rhyme? He cast his mind back to the puzzling riddle and frowned. Wasn't there something about a 'god of Norse'?
That was probably Thor, didn't he have a hammer? Thought Tom to himself. He said as much to Jenny.
"Yes, that's right!" she said eagerly. "Hagalaz dwells inside the horse, beneath the mighty god of Norse."
Everyone looked up at the hammer and then at the rune directly below it. In the middle of the shape of an angular, silver 'M' was a shimmering 'H'. The letter kept flickering in and out of sight, giving it a magical appearance. A silver ring was emblazoned in the middle of the shimmering letter, and the warning in the rhyme was enough to put anyone off. Jenny broke off what she was saying, and tilted her head at an angle to listen to her grandfather. Tom looked at her strangely, wondering what she was doing, but didn't say anything. Jenny nodded to herself, and spoke loudly to everyone.
"Don't touch any runes unless I tell you to," she said seriously, looking round at all the assembled faces.
Tom frowned. Who made Jenny leader? He thought resentfully. Before, he would have been in charge, and Jenny would have agreed with what he said. That was another change that had happened to her since Julian had kidnapped them. He scowled to himself. Things were changing drastically.
Meanwhile, Jenny had been explaining to the rest of them about how her grandfather was guiding her as a final favour.
"....and so I can probably tell you the good runes from the bad," she finished.
Tom drifted off again, not listening to the rest of them talking and discussing the rhyme. It wasn't like they would be able to leave; Juliana would never let them go. Maybe she would let some of the gang go, if she was feeling generous, but she didn't strike him as a very generous person. Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Juliana appeared in the room.
All conversation stopped.
As Juliana preened in her all black outfit at the front of the room, Jenny lifted her head proudly. She had figured out the riddle; Juliana couldn't stop them now, not if she was playing fairly. But, she thought, what are the chances of that? She wondered where Julian was, and felt a stab of worry, quickly smothered by the thought that he could definitely take care of himself.
Juliana narrowed her eyes and looked around the room. "Well," she said, sounding contrite and humble, "you've managed to get this far. I'm impressed, although that won't be enough to let you go, you know."
None of them had actually expected Juliana to play fairly, so nobody was shocked when she said this.
"Well you said we could leave when we got to these gates," said Dee defiantly. Juliana smirked and said in an ordinary tone,
"I have a surprise yet, Deirdre, be patient."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "Don't you Shadow People EVER think of anything original to..." she began, but was cut off by an explosion of cerulean light filling the room.
"Surprise!" said Julian smoothly from the opposite side of the room.
Juliana looked angry. He was spoiling her game.
"Julian," she said dangerously. "I don't want you here. Get out."
She made a flicking motion with her fingers as though waving away a fly, and everyone felt the power wash through the room. Julian waved his hand and the power wave she had thrown at him crashed into the wall, shattering countless ornaments and ripping apart books. Juliana's eyes widened. He had become much stronger, but he was no match for her. Now standing on either side of the gates, the Shadow people looked at each other, and then started to mutter under their breath. Julian sent a bright sapphire ball of light towards Juliana, but she deflected it with a shield of violet sparks.
Jenny swore under her breath, and shepherded everyone else back. There was no way Julian was going to win, and she couldn't get the others to safety because that would mean going in between them to get to the gates. She looked desperately round the room. There had to be something. Wait. What was that? A silver rose was on the floor, in front of one of her grandfather's bookcases. In spite of what was going on, Jenny looked closer, the silver rose had to signify something; it was Julian's symbol.
She detached herself from the group and went over for a closer inspection. A pointy 'R' was inscribed on the back of the bookcase, and she knew instantly that it was important - the rhyme itself had said that. Dee and Michael had followed her, and they beckoned the others over. There was nothing she could do for Julian, she knew. Screaming insanely in her heart, Jenny's eyes filled with unshed tears and she wiped them away angrily. Running her fingers along a hairline crack in the bookcase, she smiled grimly, looking back at the warring Shadow People. The last of the rhyme was solved; they could go, thanks to Julian.
'Walk not between Perth's lovely twins/But with Raidho save your skins.' Of course. Julian and Juliana; they were related weren't they? And the lovelier had never been seen, they had a godly beauty about them. So the gates had been a hoax, an elaborate hoax. Probably that was Juliana's surprise she was going to show them. Looking at the faces assembled behind her, Jenny marveled at their apparent willingness to accept her decisions. She felt stronger; both emotionally and mentally. She had other people to look after now, not just herself like before. And unlike Summer, she would not fail them. Making everyone hold hands so they wouldn't lose each other on the way back, Jenny turned to the secret door. Before she did anything, however, her grandfather spoke.
"Goodbye Jenny," he said softly.
Goodbye, Grandad, she though to him. I love you. Then he was gone. She felt no sadness, only happiness that he would be at peace now.
When everyone was near enough, Jenny took a deep breath and invoked Raidho. For a moment, nothing happened, and anxious and desperate, Jenny wondered if she had done something wrong, but her thoughts were interrupted as the world disappeared from around them.
* * * * *
Julian knew the instant Jenny left, and now his whole mind focused on Juliana. Now the bitch was going to pay, for everything she had done to Jenny. She was strong though, and he was slowly weakening. Even though he had regained his powers, they were paling steadily in comparison to Juliana's as she was using his own tricks against him most effectively. Striving for a way to beat her, he thought instantly of the runestave and carving her name out, but he dismissed the thought. The other Shadow Men would never allow anyone to get near it, and he didn't want to weaken his shields. Thinking quickly, he feigned weakness and watched as Juliana fell into the trap, her eyes blazing in wicked triumph. As she gathered her power to throw at him, he quickly invoked Isa, his personal rune, to distract her from what he was really doing. She shattered his sheet of ice, and as shards flew everywhere, Julian struck.
"MANNAZ!" he yelled, tracing the shape with his finger. Juliana screamed, a truly deafening scream, and vanished. Julian, exhausted, had a moment of amusement at the irony of her fate, and then fell to the floor unconscious.
* * * * *
OOOOOOO! It's *FINALLY* the end! Read the epilogue!