Empire Island, Exile the First

Chapter 9

"Hello there, Lizzie," he said in a booming voice that wasn't at all like the kindly older man I'd met. In fact, the man before me wasn't like Mike from the ferry at all and it occurred to me that he might've used a spell to disguise himself when I met him. But why? "Welcome to Empire, I had a feeling I'd be seeing you again real soon."

"This is such a coincidence, I thought you were heading back to Vancouver," I said, uncertainty tightening my limbs until I almost stopped moving. I pushed through it, though, and got closer to him. He definitely looked younger and more fit, and who knew he'd been hiding those tattoos under that trucking company uniform? My stomach clenched as I sensed the darkness rolling off him, how the fuck had I missed all this before? It was so strong, it nearly spun me into fight or flight mode.

Would Mara and Mike even notice? Was I too much on edge? I felt as if I was vibrating and radiating the fact that I knew Mike was hiding himself, like they'd figure out that I saw through their magic.

"Oh you know, I can't tell everyone I meet my real life story," he said, taking my hand in both of his. "Just know that I am so pleased to find you here. I haven't been able to stop thinking about our time together since yesterday. If you need anything at all, make sure to come see me. Anytime you like."

His eyes locked on mine and it felt as if he reached out to give me some directive but my protective barriers kept him out. It pinched inside my head and he loosened his grip, letting my hand fall as his dropped to his side. "Well then, I need to get back to work," he said, seeming disappointed that I hadn't given into his mental command. He stepped away, leaving the scent of cedar shavings in his wake.

"What did I tell you?" Mara leaned in and whispered. "He's an intense man, but we're so very lucky to have a passionate person as our leader."

"Yes, so very lucky," I agreed. "Can you show me where the yurt is? The one I can stay in?"

"Of course," she said, adding, "I'd like to show you around to the rest of the area later today. There is a large garden project we need labor for. Moving dirt and picking rocks from our future planting area. We are also building a greenhouse."

She was so excited by the development, but all around me I only saw trees destroyed, the earth upturned, and our beautiful cathedral in the forest torn to bits.

It sickened me, so I needed a moment alone.

And I needed time to look around before I went back to my family to find out if this desecration had indeed pulled me back.

And which one of them had allowed it to happen.

* * *

The yurt was on the edge of the bluff overlooking the ocean. It had a beautiful view, but the structure itself was in shambles. It looked like there had been a fight inside, with girl's clothing and personal items scattered everywhere.

"Are you sure it's not occupied?" I asked, eyeballing the mess.

"It's not," Mara replied. "The girl that lived here wasn't very careful with her items and she left in a hurry. And the ones before that, there have been a few." Her smile was tight and not at all convincing.

"What happened?" I asked, prodding for information.

"They didn't find the lifestyle agreeable," Mara replied. "A lot of girls do that, they arrive with all sorts of ideas for blogging about their journey or sharing photos to their Instagram followers. The reality is different, it's hard work."

"They just left everything?" I asked, looking around, adjusting my own duffle bag. I was a minimalist but these girls had settled right in. It didn't seem right. Something about the scene was off. The hairs on my arms prickled as I walked around the circular structure.