Nightwalker

Chapter Thirteen

We followed Mercy in silence. The mana around me was having a field day going in and out of me, taunting me to follow it and just let go. It was so hard to resist. It was such a beautiful feeling. The freedom it could give me. The life I would feel around and inside me. I let out a sigh of bliss and I hadn't realised I stopped walking until someone touched my arm.

My eyes snapped open, I had no idea they closed, and looked to see Sylvia's worried face. "I did it again." I frowned and shook my head trying to shake the mana from it.

"Are you sure you want to keep going. We can turn back now and go inside." Sylvia suggested not taking her hand from my arm.

I placed my hand over hers. "I'll be fine. Only one way to resist temptation and that's being surrounded by it."

I groaned inwardly as the life and peacefulness of the mana seemed to grow as we followed the path into the forest. I looked through the trees with my senses slightly raised. I could hear the heart beats of Mercy and Sylvia along with the animals in the forest around us. I could smell their scents along with the natural aroma the trees and plants gave off. I followed a small grey bunny with my eyes as it ran into its burrow. The scent and feel of the forest was a physical taste on my tongue. The mana everywhere just made everything that much sweeter. This truly was the ultimate temptation.

"We're here." Mercy stated as we came to a clearing. I felt like I was slapped in the face. This place, the mana inside it, is something totally different from anything I've ever felt before. It was actually becoming harder to breathe. I looked around as my breath came out in light gasps, a physical weight pressed down on my chest making it ever more difficult to take air in. Two stone benches sat in the middle of the clearing with a stone table sitting in between the two. Stone slabs made a floor around the clearing but had grass and moss growing from the cracks. Running through the clearing in an odd circle around the stone benches was a thin river that looked more like a moat around the stone table.

I stepped forward more and knelt beside the water that surrounded the benches. It was crystal clear and I could smell its crisp freshness. I didn't realise I was trembling until I saw my own hands shaking when I was about to dip my fingers into the water. I was only a finger-width away from the water when I quickly pulled away from it and stood up turning away to face a confused looking Mercy and a worried looking Sylvia.

I swallowed nervously. "What is this place?" I asked through the weight on my chest.

"It's the mountain garden." Beatrice answered as she walked into the clearing holding three large leather-bound books. "It's been here even longer than Aviva and I have been alive."

I rubbed my hands together my eyes on the books she held. The mana around us seemed to be drawn to the books, and there's a hell of a lot of mana in this place. "This place is different." I said looking around again. My attention was caught once again by the water that surrounded the benches and the table.

"How so?" Beatrice asked stepping over the water to place her books onto the table and sat down on the bench.

"The mana in this place is over powering. Really strong." I said my voice wavering and not just from the hurt I felt from looking at Beatrice who looked blank. The mana was seriously a thrumming in my head and body. I felt more energy fill my body than anything I've ever felt before. I seriously couldn't stand still, so I started to walk around the benches, not once stepping over the water. "This place is amazing, but I can't seem to concentrate on one thing."

Beatrice watched me walk around and I swear I could see concern in her eyes but only curiosity filled her face. "Really? How about you come here and sit down and we can start teaching you how to use mana?"